The Fiji Times
A call for healing
THE death of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara in 2004 marked the end of an era for Fiji — but for one Lauan man, it marked the beginning of a lifelong burden. More than 20 years after violence erupted during the late paramount chief’s funeral on Lakeba, Tevita...
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Cops had drug intel
IT has emerged that two of the four Ecuadorian nationals charged in the Vatia cocaine bust obtained their passports during the same period police were already gathering intelligence on a major drug trafficking operation from South America. Passport...
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26 on sedition charges freed
FREE at last. For 10 years, they lived under suspicion — branded as enemies of the State, accused of plotting to overthrow the government in 2015. The prosecution had painted a dark picture: secret meetings in Ra and Rakiraki, flag-raising ceremonies,...
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Mike hails local clubs
LEGENDARY 7s coach Mike Friday believes Fiji’s top local clubs have the talent and attributes to compete strongly on the World SVNS Series. Speaking at the McDonald’s Coral Coast Fiji Sevens, Friday said Fijian teams would “absolutely” hold their own...
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Legal ‘cloud’ over move
THE legality of the Fiji National University’s shift from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics remains in question. Under the FNU Act, responsibility rests with the minister for tertiary...
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Midnight t Full chase
More on PAGE 7 Editorial Comment: PAGE 8 THE midnight drug bust in Tavua last week spiralled into a roadside chase, leaving one suspect hospitalised. has been told a local iTaukei man in his 20s, who tried to flee from police during last week’s Vatia...
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‘Votes safe’
FIJI’S new local government election rules cracks down on offenders and enablers, targeting not only those who break election rules but also anyone who aids, abets or authorises them. The Electoral (Local Government Elections) Regulations 2025 also...
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100-sack ‘coke’ bust
MYSTERIOUS yachts repeatedly anchoring off the Vatia wharf in Tavua have emerged as a key detail following a major earlymorning drug bust yesterday. It raises questions about how long suspicious maritime activities went on before police moved...
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JORDAN CONROY
TWO-TIME Olympian and Irish Rugby 7s legend Jordan Conroy is set to make his debut appearance at the McDonald’s Coral Coast Fiji Sevens. He is part of the star-packed Mike Friday Select 7s team. Conroy is known as a prolific try-scorer and for his...
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Miss Fiji clears theair
MISS Fiji Peggy Ravusiro says she did not refuse the opportunity to serve Fiji, but stepped aside after failing to reach an agreement with pageant organisers over contract terms she believed did not protect her rights, wellbeing and reputation. Dr...
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Vude Queen still reigning
FIJI’S “Queen of Vude” Laisa Vulakoro is stepping into a milestone year with renewed energy, fresh music and a long-awaited national tour in sight. After more than four decades in music, the beloved icon shows no signs of slowing down, with new...
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Sugarcane farmers race against time
SUGARCANE farmers are racing to harvest more than 85,000 tonnes of cane still standing in Ɲelds across the Western Division. They have until next Monday to cut, load and deliver the cane to Rarawai mill in Ba — a timeline that they say is “too rigid”...
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PAP blames Aiyaz
THE People’s Alliance Party (PAP) has launched a scathing attack on former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and the former FijiFirst government, accusing them of creating the crisis now confronting power consumers. With the proposed increase in...
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Fuel leak scare
THE Government is moving to clamp down on high-risk industrial sites after a fuel leak at the Petro Oceania terminal in Suva, vowing tougher oversight to prevent a repeat. Walu Bay in Suva came to a standstill yesterday, with businesses forced to...
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Meth claims 9 lives
THE devastating surge in methamphetamine use has claimed the lives of nine young boys, sparking a stern warning from the Fiji Police Force’s Narcotics Division. Speaking at the recent All Nations Christian Fellowship Generation Youth Conference in...
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RFMF seeks forgiveness
IN a powerful moment of reconciliation, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces has formally sought forgiveness from the family of the late former prime minister Laisenia Qarase. The gesture was made through a traditional presentation of a kamunaga...
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Test of love
IT was a sombre Christmas and new year for the Valebalavu family as 48-year-old Cema Adi Valebalavu continued her battle with cervical cancer. Doctors at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital informed the family residing in Nukuboco Settlement, Khalsa...
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Embracing the promise of a new year
MY fellow Fijians I bring to you warm greetings for a happy, prosperous, and a very hope-filled New Year, 2026. As we look back on the year and prepare for a fresh start, one thought stands out: ‘Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn’ — Ralph...
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Friends serve up success
BEST friends Theresa Veitoyaki and Sereima Saladuadua have given their mums a break from work, taking over a market business, selling seafood to help support their families. The Year 13 students of Jasper Williams High School take back home whatever...
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Family shattered by tragedy abroad
GRIEF tore through a Nakini, Naitasiri family yesterday as news arrived from Australia of a violent end to a mother’s long struggle to provide for her children. Anaseini Nai Waqavuki, 47, who left Fiji in 2018 chasing dignity, work and hope, was...
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‘Focus on the victims’
THE public backlash towards the military’s reconciliation efforts should be the least of the Republic of Fiji Military Force’s (RFMF) concerns, says former member of Parliament Mick Beddoes. Responding to recent comments by RFMF Commander Major...
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FCCC drama
A DRAMATIC turnaround has unfolded at the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) after a senior appointment made on Christmas Eve was reversed within 24 hours. Minister for Commerce and Business Development Esrom Immanuel appointed former...
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Christmas peace and joy
DEAR friends, May the peace of Christ be with you this Christmas season. Christmas celebrates God’s entering into the world because human beings have failed to order their lives according to God’s plan. The story of the fall of Adam and Eve to...
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Fuel feud ends in home fire
A NADI man claims his home was razed to the ground after a dispute over grass cutting fuel. Sabeto villager Kaliova Saidrodro claimed the authorities should act quickly because there were two deliberate attempts at setting his house on Ɲre two weeks...
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‘We just did our job’
“WE just did our job.” This is how the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces Commander Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai described his stance in 2022 as Fiji battled through political challenges following the General Election. “We just thought it was...
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Flight chaos
ANGRY and frustrated Fiji Airways passengers who were stranded at the Nadi International Airport over the weekend have called on the company to improve its services, following numerous changes to scheduled ƞights. Passengers bound for Hong Kong told...
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THE DRIVER WHO DELIVERS
FOR more than 25 years, Roytesh Prakash has been behind the wheel, serving the public with the same commitment and calm discipline he first started with. For 20 years he was driving for the Tebara Transport Ltd and now works for K.R Latchan Buses Fiji...
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PUTIN VOWS TO SEIZE UKRAINE BY FORCE
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has labelled European leaders “little pigs” as he vowed Moscow would achieve its territorial mission in Ukraine. “The goals of the special military operation will certainly be achieved,” Mr Putin, 73, said during an...
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Graduate’s triumph over loss
FOR 21-year-old Villiame Waqa Kabou Maena’ai, his graduation this week was a triumph over loss, hardship, and self-doubt. Losing his parents while in high school, the orphan took to life through school, university, and Ɲnally, PaciƝc Polytech — with a...
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US aid under pressure
FIJI could lose millions in US development assistance amid mounting pressure to act against a powerful Korean cult accused of human trafficking and organised crime. A report by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) warns that...
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Met office issues heavy rain warning
FIJIANS should prepare for a wet week and widespread flooding of low-lying areas as Tropical Depression TD03F edges closer. A heavy rain warning is now in force for the entire Fiji Group, alongside a flash flood warning for low-lying and flood-prone...
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Strong to the end
ROSETTE Andrews Singh is living on grace. Surviving on just two per cent kidney function, the 56-year-old grandmother requires daily treatment that filters lethal toxins from her blood. Yet, she refuses to rest. When she’s done with her dialysis, she...
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MILES OF HARD WORK
EPARAMA Mototabua sees himself as a hardworking carrier driver from Naqarawai Village in Namosi. He operates a transport business that connects his village community to the busy city of Suva. Every day, he drives villagers and other passengers to and...
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WHO: Twelve-fold HIV spike
NEW HIV cases in Fiji rose 12-fold over seven years, a new report by the World Health Organization reveals. The report, titled A Rapid Assessment of Injecting Drug Use and HIV in Suva, shows a dramatic increase in new HIV case notiƝcations – from 131...
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PAGEANT PRIDE
... Miss Samoa and Miss Pacific Islands 2025 Litara Ieremia Allan takes a selfie with Miss Fiji Pageant queen contestants, Minister for Information Lynda Tabuya, Miss Fiji Pageant director Ana Tuketei and current Miss Fiji Jessica Fong after a public...
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Who is it?
OFFICERS are now hunting for the mystery man allegedly linked to police officers caught up in the drug trade, says Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu. “The scope of our investigation is to identify the source, as the screenshots shared only...
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Horror in the dark
HEAVY flooding in several low-lying areas in the Central Division has caused significant financial losses to families and damage to infrastructure. The heavy rain on Sunday night affected residents of Lami, Nabua, and Nasinu, with many reporting the...
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Chand wins big
HAVING spent 34 years in the media industry, veteran journalist Anish Chand, who is Fiji’s Journalist of the Year, and awarded the Scoop of the Year, and Print Journalist of the Year, is urging young journalists to work with honesty, good ethics and to...
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A selfless act
MELAIA Talala, 72, tends daily to her 102-year-old father with love. Throughout her life, she has been a steady pillar of compassion. First, she took care of her grandmother and mother, and later her youngest sister, whom she raised like her own...
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16 DAYS, ONE BOLD STAND
EACH year, global, regional and national movements mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based violence, an annual campaign that calls us to reƞect, act and re-commit to creating a future where all women and girls live free from fear, harm and...
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‘Stop abuse at its source’
MEN need a movement that will teach them how to become real men. That’s the view of Christian Mission Fellowship International pastor Reverend Manasa Kolivuso, who insists that men should be the focus when dealing with sexual offences against children...
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Army sets healing path
THE Republic of the Fiji Military Forces’ reconciliation efforts with the Indo-Fijian community requires a method that is practical, respectful and sustained. Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Pio Tikoduadua said this while telling Parliament...
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Queens focus on Fiji crown!
BEFORE the lights, before the gowns, before the stage cues and the fanfare of pageant week, the Miss Fiji Queens began their journey somewhere far more meaningful — among the people. In a tour led by the committee representing the municipalities, the...
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Police mum on packages
POLICE have yet to conƝrm what substance was found in several packages intercepted during a routine mail inspection at Police Headquarters last week. Acting Commissioner of Police Aporosa Lutunauga said the packages were tested and “results all...
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Love knows no barrier
A MAN will go to great lengths for love. That’s why Navneel Sen walked for 3km in torrential rain. He also swam across floodwaters three times just to get to Filomena Diyasa. Early this week, the love birds got officially engaged at Kelikoso Village,...
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Wait is over
Fiji Airways Fiji 7s kick off their Dubai 7s campaign against Argentina tonight at 9.10pm. Head coach, Osea Kolinisau during an earlier training session at Albert Park in Suva.
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Lal says sorry
KETAN Lal has apologised in Parliament for the Ɲrestorm his social media post created. The Opposition MP told Parliament he regretted sharing a letter on the KVT gang in Australia, which was published in The Fiji Times Letters to the Editor column,...
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Money in the dark
FIJI’S shadow economy is estimated to be between $800million to $1billion a year, representing lost revenue through illegal acts of tax evasion and other tax crimes. Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) chief executive officer Udit Singh said while...
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Silent threat
WOMEN, Children and Social Protection Minister Sashi Kiran has warned that men infecting their wives and partners with HIV is now emerging as a dangerous new form of gender-based violence, putting families and newborn babies at serious risk. Launching...
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Police plan hotline portal
THE Fiji Police Force is moving towards major changes in how the public can report police misconduct, with plans under consideration for an online complaints’ portal and a dedicated telephone line. The proposal surfaced in Parliament amid growing...
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Exam papers leak
THE Education Ministry has moved swiftly to protect the integrity of national examinations after reports of a paper leak from a Sigatoka secondary school. Supplementary papers for the four affected Year 12 subjects have already been prepared, and...
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Honouring the fallen ...
Commander of Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), Major General Jone Kalouniwai, collects a wreath to lay at the Remembrance Day Dawn Service at the RFNS Stanley Brown base in Suva yesterday. More on
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Sowakula steals spotlight ...
Flying Fijian Pita Gus Sowakula on the attack against England over the weekend. The former All Black impressed on debut with powerful carries, solid defence, and a try-setting offload.
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Fijians face tough times
ASSISTANT Health Minister Penioni Ravunawa has raised concern that some Fijian seasonal workers in Australia are treated like “Girmitya” facing harsh working and living conditions. He revealed instances of racial inequality, unclear contracts, delayed...
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Beating the odds
TWO months after their birth, local doctors at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital have defied all odds, achieving successful treatments that have kept the conjoined twins alive and in good health. Health Minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu said the...
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THE PHARISEE IN THE PULPIT
FIJI’S leadership dilemma is not a crisis of culture but of control. What began as a sacred covenant between land and people was reshaped into an instrument of the British empire. Chiefs who once rose through service and courage became custodians of a...
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Cabbies on ‘high’ mode
LONG hours behind the wheel and rising payment pressures are driving some taxidrivers to dangerous extremes. In Lautoka, reports have surfaced of some drivers turning to drugs to stay awake to meet daily or weekly vehicle payments demanded by taxi...
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Gender gap at the top
MORE women than men turned up to vote in the 2022 elections, and yet, women representation in Parliament stands at a mere 9 per cent in 2025. As debate rages nationwide on the gender disparity in diplomatic postings, questions are also being asked on...
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Bill takes shape
THE Referendum Bill seeking voter approval for amendments to the 2013 Constitution is scheduled to be introduced in Parliament in December. Acting Attorney-General and Justice Minister Siromi Turaga said while the Referendum Bill was ready, the...
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A BRIDGE FOR COMMUNITY GAP
IN the quiet coastal community of Volivoli, Rakiraki, a young Fijian entrepreneur is making waves — not only in business, but in community empowerment. Swashtika Sristy Mala, director of Volivoli Seafoods and Farm Supplies, has built one of Fiji’s...
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Drug mules paid in drugs
DRUG mules and drug trafficking facilitators are getting a cut of the large volume of illicit drugs being brought into Fiji. This transaction, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Pacific regional anti-corruption advisor Marie Pegie Cauchois said,...
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ONE FOR THE CROWD
… Malolo fullback Douglas Daveta dives over to score the last try of the match against Naitasiri during the Skipper Cup final at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva yesterday. Editorial comment on
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The plot thickens!
PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka last night conƝrmed he had forwarded an email to the National Federation Party (NFP) “as a matter of courtesy”, saying he believed it was only fair to allow the party to respond to claims made about its leader. The...
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FICAC Act review
PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has admitted his Government has been slow to deliver on its election promise to amend the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) Act. Speaking in an interview at his residence, Mr Rabuka said the review,...
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Chief feels for people
TUI Nayau Ratu Tevita Mara has empathised with the plight of his people, calling on the Lau Provincial Council’s business arm to look into ways it could settle the provincial levy imposed on their people. He pleaded with Lau’s traditional leaders and...
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Biman steps down
THE Coalition Government suffered a new blow yesterday when Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad resigned from the post yesterday. His exit from Cabinet triggered an outpouring of rumours, speculation, and theories, on...
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‘Stable and focused’
PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka insists his Coalition remains stable and focused on governing, even as two of his deputies now face charges laid by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption. Prof Biman Prasad, the Deputy Prime Minister and...
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Will the axe fall?
PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has opted to revoke the appointment of acting Commissioner of Corrections Services Sevuloni Naucukidi. In an interview, he said most members of the Constitutional Offices Commission also supported the revocation of Mr...
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Chief calls for unity
THE Tui Nayau Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara has urged the church and traditional leaders to work hand in hand to uphold unity and moral guidance within communities. Addressing his first Bose Vanua ko Lau since his installation, he said true leadership...
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Drugs, HIV worry chief
GROWING concern over the rise in drug trafficking and HIV cases in Lau has prompted the Tui Nayau, Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, to call for stronger maritime surveillance in the maritime zone. Speaking to The Fiji Times after his first Bose Vanua ko...
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Patients turned away
PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka will seek clarification from the Health Minister on the issue of patients under the Government’s public-private partnership medical scheme being turned away from private clinics in Suva allegedly as a result of unpaid...
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Fiji on Israel radar
ISRAEL has signalled that Fiji’s disciplined and neutral military could play a key role in any future peacekeeping mission once negotiations on Gaza’s next phase are nalised. The indication came during a visit to Suva by Israel’s Deputy Foreign...
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Manoa steps down
MANOA Kamikamica’s resignation marks a defining moment for The People’s Alliance and the Coalition Government he helped lead. Once one of Fiji’s most prominent voices in trade and enterprise, the Deputy Prime Minister’s decision to step down comes as...
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Court date for DPM
DEPUTY Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica’s court case tomorrow is the latest development in the aftermath of the Commission of Inquiry report into the appointment of former FICAC commissioner Barbara Malimali, which was released in May. The Fiji...
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