The Fiji Times
Father drowns, children orphaned
RESURRECTION Sunday church service for four children of Votua Village ended on a sad note, with the passing of their father and sole breadwinner, Gaberieli Walu, relayed to them by relatives. Mr Walu is believed to have drowned while attempting to...
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US FIGHTER JET SHOT DOWN
WASHINGTON - A US ghter jet was shot down over Iran and search-and-rescue efforts have so far recovered one of two crew members who ejected, a US official told Reuters, in the rst known incident of its kind in the nearly ve-week-old war. The Pentagon...
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Victory of God over death, sin
EASTER celebrates freedom from slavery; victory of God over death and sin. Jews and Christians remember God’s saving and liberating acts. Moses led Israel to freedom from slavery. Jesus died and rose from the dead. He passed over sin and death and...
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BEYOND THE LIMITS
PATRICIA Naisara didn’t step into leadership expecting a global pandemic to rede ne what it meant. But in some ways, that is what happened. A part of Leadership Fiji 2020 cohort and Westpac Fiji staff member, Patricia joined the program during a...
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Fiji’s HIV strategies ‘outdated’
FIJI’S HIV prevention strategies are outdated and ineffective. Principal medical officer for Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Dashika Balak, said this while warning that traditional approaches had...
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Phone in a body
A FIJIAN prisoner underwent emergency surgery after hiding a mobile phone inside a body cavity, which overheated and partially melted, causing severe internal injuries. Fiji Correction Services’ Isireli Dausiga warned families and visitors that...
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6 front court, denied bail
Richard Mock’s mother Seraphine Mock in tears outside the Nadi Magistrate’s Court. Pictured on the left are the six police officers who allegedly assaulted 35-year-old Richard Mock to death at the Namaka Police Station last year, who appeared at the...
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Law change ‘top priority’
Full report JUSTICE Minister Siromi Turaga has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to amending the 2013 Constitution before the upcoming elections, labelling it a primary mandate. Highlighting the necessity of reform to maintain public trust, Mr...
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Mock case file heads to police
A YEAR after Nadi man Richard Mock allegedly died in police custody, the case le held by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions since May 2025, is nally set to return to police today, acting DPP Nancy Tikoisuva has conrmed. Mock is alleged...
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Rent scandal hits council
NEW allegations have hit the Fiji Sports Council over the renting of Council office space to a law firm owned by the brother of suspended CEO Gilbert Vakalalabure. A whistleblower alleges that Rokoika & Vakalalabure Lawyers, a law firm owned by Tevita...
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Vatia 5 out of jail
FOUR accused in the Vatia cocaine bust — Iliesa Cokanasiga, Jonathan Hill, Sunia Kobululevu Vakaloloma, and Travis Cheer — were granted State immunity and released on bail by the Ba High Court yesterday. Meanwhile, prosecutors sought permission to...
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Biman: Risks real
RISING global tensions in the Middle East could trigger economic ripple effects that may reach Fiji’s shores, with potential impacts on infrastructure projects, tourism and the cost of living. National Federation Party leader and former Minister of...
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Face-to-face with Oprah
A CHANCE encounter in the quiet trails of Adelaide has become one of the most unforgettable moments in Elena Baravilala Gardiner’s journey. While taking a nature walk through Waterfall Gully last December, the Fijian singer unexpectedly came...
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4-peat goal
The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua will take on the Reds at 3.35pm today at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
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Kava ban on women
WOMEN drinking kava through the night while children were left unsupervised — and the collapse in family discipline — prompted the vanua of Qoibau, Labasa, to ban women from consuming kava. A clan head in the district, Veresa Saudrugu, said the...
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Off the record blast
A RECORDING played in court yesterday laid bare Acting Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption Commissioner Lavi Rokoika’s criticism of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), who she called “grog swipers” who “don’t do anything good”. The...
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PM: No fuel price rise
THERE will be no increase in fuel prices, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has assured, urging the public not to panic buy. To strengthen preparedness, Cabinet has approved a Fuel Advisory Committee to monitor supply, coordinate with industry, and...
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Bid to tweak army’s role
FIJI’S military could soon play a bigger role in helping law enforcement tackle crime under a bold new proposal to modernise national security. Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua says the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) should develop a “hybrid...
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Energy crunch looms
THE warning signs were there. As rising global fuel prices squeeze Fiji’s energy sector, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the country might have been better prepared if earlier calls to raise electricity tariffs had been accepted. But after strong...
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The iron lady
WHILE most construction sites across Fiji still echo with the voices of men, one woman has spent nearly two decades quietly reshaping that narrative. From the sugar mill workshops of Labasa to construction projects in Tailevu, Rusila Melokibau has...
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A CONSTITUTION UNDER QUESTION —
Acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga stood before Parliament this week and assured the nation that the constitutional review process will be “lawful, transparent and meaningful”. He spoke of public participation, of respecting the Supreme Court, of...
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Deal gone wrong
A LABASA taxidriver was murdered in 2024 because his killer felt he had been cheated of a bucket of marijuana supplied to him a few weeks earlier. High Court judge Justice Lee Burney said this as he sentenced Kositino Latianara, 34, to life...
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The smile says it all
A 13-YEAR-OLD girl’s courage and a community’s generosity have given her a brighter future. Giya Geetanglie Prasad has returned home to Fiji after a successful sightsaving eye surgery in India, made possible through a public appeal that raised $5000...
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Cost of living debate
FAMILIES struggling to cope with soaring living costs dominated debate in Parliament yesterday as leaders confronted the gap between Fiji’s economic ambitions and the realities many households face every day. While concerns mounted over the pressure...
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Full, no more space
ALL aged-care homes across Fiji have reached full capacity, leaving no available rooms for elderly people requiring residential care, Social Protection Minister Sashi Kiran has revealed. The Government is working with partners to expand existing...
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Carving a new life
AT 35, Salesi Balekivuya has spent nearly half his life behind the walls of the Naboro Prison Facility. But as his release approaches in August, he is preparing to walk out not as the troubled teenager who entered prison, but as a man determined to...
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7s milestone
SERVICE to the nation in any form requires devotion and the unceasing desire to be the best, something Fiji Airways Fiji men’s 7s player Sevuloni Mocenacagi has kept himself in line with. This weekend, the winger and forward will become the Fijian 7s...
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Drugs in diapers
BABY’S diapers, toothpaste tubes and even ip ops are among the unlikely items being used to smuggle drugs into Fiji’s correctional facilities, exposing the lengths some people will go to breach prison security. According to the Fiji Corrections...
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Two to front court
TWO men are set to appear at the Suva Magistrate’s Court today charged with the alleged murder of Police Constable Peniasi Racagi. Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu confirmed the accused, aged 42 and 20, residents of Qauia, Lami, were formally...
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Only 120 beds
STRAINED to its limits, Fiji’s only specialised psychiatric hospital is operating with just 120 beds to serve the country – even as drug-linked mental health cases among children continue to climb. At St Giles Hospital, more than 120 youths under the...
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Town in a mess
MORE than half of Ba was impacted by oodwaters last weekend after relentless rains unleashed the worst oods the town has seen in years. Homes, businesses, and vital infrastructure were submerged, leaving residents stranded and bracing for a long,...
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In the nick of time
AS Government works to ensure the safety of Fijians in the Middle East by working with accredited countries, a Fijian security advisor working for an oil company managed to get out of the war torn region days before Israeli missiles tore through Iran...
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Defying the odds
IN a lonely forest of Serua, 17-year-old Pua Fisi became an unlikely hero when she delivered her own baby sister Ruci with nothing but courage, boiled water and torn bedsheets. That was a defining moment in a life marked by hardships. Shuffled between...
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Ready to rumble
The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua will take on the Hurricanes at 3.35pm today at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
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Who gives the advice?
FRESH questions are being raised about who is advising the President and whether that advice is consistent with the Constitution as Fiji faces a critical constitutional test. Under Section 82 of the Constitution, the President acts only on advice and...
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Lawyer warns President
A CONSTITUTIONAL showdown may be looming as lawyer Tanya Waqanika warns the President could face referral to a tribunal if the deadlock with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) over the leadership of the Fiji Independent Commission Against...
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Cop killer on the loose
POLICE Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has issued a direct message to the cop killer on the loose. Justice is coming. Mr Tudravu said a manhunt is underway for those responsible for Constable Peniasi Racagi’s death — and vowed they will face the full...
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Anger boils over
ANGER and grief are rippling through the Fiji Police Force following the discovery of Police Constable Peniasi Racagi’s body – oating at sea – last Sunday. Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua did not mince words, declaring those responsible had...
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Police officer found dead
AN investigation is underway following the discovery of the body of a 24-year-old police officer in Lami yesterday morning. The officer’s body was found oating near the Lami Oceania Wesley Church. Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu con rmed that...
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Gone without a trace
SIX years after three-year-old Talei Raikadroka vanished without a trace, her mother, Losalini Lalaia, is still searching every crowd for a glimpse of her firstborn. November 30, 2019, remains frozen in time for the 29-year-old, who says hope is the...
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Pio: Army role clear
GOVERNMENT is taking decisive steps to ensure the Republic of Fiji Military Forces is never again used to undermine democracy. Home Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua says Fiji’s democratic guardrails are being reinforced, with concrete action taken to...
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‘Bid to take over RFMF’
SEVERAL top officers of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) were reportedly approached by former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho in a bid to illegally assume command from Major General Ro Jone...
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Ex-PM, Qiliho charged
FORMER prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho have been charged for inciting mutiny. The two were taken into the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters yesterday afternoon in relation to alleged...
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‘Relax’ laws on hemp
A WOMAN who says she crawled to the bathroom during the brutal toll of chemotherapy has gone public with a stunning admission — she crushed cannabis leaves with her bare hands, squeezed the juice into a cup and drank it to numb the pain. Bua women’s...
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MPs on notice
PRESIDENT Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu has issued a stark warning to members of Parliament, declaring integrity, discipline and respect as non-negotiable pillars of leadership ahead of an election year. Opening the 2026 session of Parliament, he cautioned...
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Fiji Shines ...
Miss Fiji Ailava Samuels is crowned Miss Pacific Islands 2026 at the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa in Denarau, Nadi, on Saturday.
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Breaking through with humour
TEN years ago, Greg Randin arrived in Dawasamu, Tailevu as a 19-year-old volunteer. He barely spoke English, had never taken a cold shower and felt like he was on Mars. Today, the French-born anthropologist is a familiar figure on Suva’s streets and...
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‘Lust for easy money’
GREED and freebies are fuelling Fiji’s drug trade. Lautoka Girmit Centre manager Selwa Nadan warned yesterday that these two vices were driving Fiji toward a dangerous moral tipping point. He singled out government handouts — free tuition, bus fares,...
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Road collapse halts traffic
THE Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) is strongly advising motorists to avoid Queens Rd near Semo Village, Nadroga, following a significant road drop-out. In a statement yesterday, the FRA said the incident resulted in the collapse of the carriageway,...
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Fentanyl alert!
FIJI’S next drug threat won’t just ruin lives. It will end them. Deadlier than meth and cheaper on the street, a drug expert has warned that fentanyl is Fiji’s next looming drug threat Associate Professor Jose Santos, from the Paci c Regional...
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Drug crisis ‘deepens’
FIJI’S children are being left defenseless as the country’s drug crisis deepens, with almost nowhere to send those battling addiction, warns Lau Provincial Council chairman Ratu Meli Saubulinayau. “The lack of facilities makes it difficult to help...
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‘Not just the old’
Iowane Teba of Fiji on the attack against New Zealand in the semi-finals of the Rugby SVNS Series at HBF Park in Perth, Australia, yesterday. Fiji won 35-0. Fiji was set to play South Africa in the final last night. More in DIABETES is no longer a...
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CRITICS WARN OF PROPOSED KIDS’ LAW
A PROPOSED law that could wipe out the criminal record of a child under the age of 15 convicted of a serious crime has raised alarm bells. Section 17(1)(c) of the proposed Criminal Records Bill would render convictions for serious offences committed...
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Lau not spared
■ A SUSPECTED drug submarine was spotted near Kabara two days ago as authorities warn hardcore drugs are already spreading through islands in the Lau Group. With the population plunging from 9000 to 6800 and police stretched thin, villages are...
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Drua reps face rising
AS the 2026 Shop N Save Super Top right: Swire Shipping Fijian Drua player Breyton Legge receives the ball during the captain’s run held at the Fiji Airways grounds in Nasoso Nadi. Left: Swire Shipping Fijian Drua half back Filipe Baselala during the...
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JSC sets deadline
Chief Justice Salesi Temo and members of the JSC. THE Judicial Services Commission has set a March 31 deadline for the resolution of matters relating to Barbara Malimali’s appointment as FICAC commissioner. JSC secretary and Chief Registrar Tomasi...
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‘Forget Gaza’
FORGET Gaza. Rewa chief Ro Naulu Mataitini said this as he called on national leaders to stop looking abroad and tackle Fiji’s spiralling drug problem rst. He said villages are under siege and local bylaws aren’t enough. “We need action, not just...
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Court says no
THE fate of former FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali now rests solely with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), the High Court has ruled. Justice Dane Tuiqereqere has made it clear, that the executive – including the Prime Minister and President...
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Dogs join drug war
A CANINE facility will be built in the Northern Division as the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) expands its dog detector unit targeting a more enhanced border security to combat illicit and smuggled goods. FRCS chief executive officer Udit...
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CLOSE FINISH
George Bose in action for Fiji against Great Britain. They defeated Great Britain 22-19.
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Spotlight on remote coastline
A REMOTE stretch of coastline in Macuata is at the centre of growing fears it is being used as a dumping ground for illicit drugs. Villagers in Udu say suspicious items — including containers with white powder residue, pipes, fishing nets and tracking...
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Call for death penalty
A CALL for the death penalty for drug offenders has ignited debate in Macuata, with a senior chief warning that Fiji’s current laws are failing to stop the spread of drugs and protect young people. Tui Wailevu (Macuata) Ratu Sitiveni Niumataiwalu says...
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New rehab centre soon
FIJI is set to gain a new rehabilitation hospital in Tamavua, offering hope to those struggling with drug addiction and mental health challenges. Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa conƝrmed construction was underway, with the facility...
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Piece of Fiji comes home
A PRICELESS piece of Fiji’s cultural heritage has returned, ending nearly eight decades abroad and reconnecting the nation with its history. The tapa, taken to Canada in the early 1900s by Edmund Tompkins Weber and displayed at the Chatham Kent Museum...
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Get off our land
GET out! Former CID officer and Tavualevu landowner Tevita Ralulu has delivered a stern warning to drug smugglers using Vatia Wharf. “What I want is for these drug dealers and foreigners who are sending drugs through Vatia not to use this wharf...
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Police seek informant
A SENIOR police detective will head to Australia to interview the former CID officer who has shared on social media allegations about drug dealers in Fiji. Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu conƝrmed Ɲnal arrangements were being done. In supporting...
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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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