The Fiji Times

PM’s move sparks mixed reactions

PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s decision to defer the long-awaited local government elections until after the next general election has sparked mixed reactions, with Government defending the move as an economic necessity while ratepayers and business...

Nations unite

PACIFIC nations have launched an unprecedented regional push against organised crime, warning that drug trafficking, money laundering and cybercrime are outpacing national borders and overwhelming isolated policing efforts. This, after regional...

Race against time

PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Government is racing to avert possible nationwide power rationing as it works with Energy Fiji Limited (EFL) ahead of a critical May 22 deadline over fuel recovery support. EFL has warned that failure to secure...

Babies face eye damage

MORE premature babies in Fiji are developing serious eye damage after COVID, with some requiring injections in both eyes to prevent blindness, according to Island Medical Centre director and consultant ophthalmologist Dr Shereen Aiyub. Speaking at the...

‘Stop or face the law’

DRUG dealers in the Western Division have been warned by Republic of the Fiji Military Forces Joint Taskforce Black Rock Camp Commander Brigadier General Manoa Gadai that no one will be spared by the law. Following the official launch of the Joint...

Fiji’s risky trend

A SILENT health crisis is tightening its grip on Fiji’s younger generation. New findings from the Ministry of Health reveal alarming increases in smoking and alcohol consumption among young adults, raising fears about the nation’s future...

Time to deliver

Legacy lives

THE story of the Girmitiyas remains one of the most heartbreaking chapters in the history of the Pacific. Drawn from India by promises of work and opportunity, thousands of labourers crossed dangerous oceans only to face years of suffering on...

Nothing to fear

THE police and the military have one mission, and that is to dismantle drug networks and restore public safety through intelligence-led joint operations now expanding across the country. Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu said this as he called on...

Act now on youth

FIJI risks losing a generation of young people to unemployment, drugs and social instability unless urgent action is taken to create meaningful jobs and opportunities. World Bank economists yesterday warned that at least 19 per cent of Fijian youths...

‘Social media not lawless’

SOCIAL media is not a lawless space. That is the warning from Online Safety Commissioner Filipe Batiwale as serious allegations against senior members of the Fiji Police Force continue to circulate online, initiated by an Australian social media...

‘We are at fault’

“WE are at fault, and we must be accountable for that.” Those were the sobering words of RFMF Commander Ro Jone Kalouniwai following the death of Jone Vakarisi in military custody — a statement that has placed accountability, discipline and public...

Goodbye!

ACROSS Fiji today, many mothers will wake to flowers, laughter and family celebrations. But inside several homes, Mother’s Day has arrived with silence and heartbreak. Two weeks after nine fishermen vanished at sea, their families continue to wait...

Pending evidence

SERIOUS questions were raised in the High Court in Suva yesterday over the way police were handling the alleged murder case of police constable Peniasi Racagi, after key evidence remained outstanding months after charges were laid. Presiding judge...

Money delays relocation

“BIG boxes” packed with investigation les linked to 11 senior police officers could take prosecutors more than seven months to comb through, before it is known whether criminal charges will follow. The les, submitted to the Office of the Director of...

$47m fuel help

AUSTRALIA has given $A30million ($F47m) in budget support to help Fiji respond to the current fuel crisis and support wider Pacific fuel supply resilience. The assistance comes as the region faces rising fuel prices linked to global disruptions, with...

FAMILIES OF 9 MISSING FISHERMEN PREPARE FOR FAREWELL RITES

FAMILIES of the nine men lost at sea near Kadavu are now facing a heartbreaking truth. Their loved ones are not coming back. They have begun preparations for the traditional farewell rites, but grief hangs heavy over the families, many still...

Divided loyalty warning

THERE is no room for divided loyalty, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces warned soldiers. Commander Land Force Brigadier General Onisivoro Covunisaqa told troops last Friday that loyalty was non-negotiable and betrayal will be crushed. He said the...

Chief Justice raises alarm

CHIEF Justice Salesi Temo says putting politicians in charge of choosing the Commissioner for FICAC would be “the biggest disaster”. His warning came before Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka con rmed that a recommendation is now before the Constitutional...

QVS claims glory

QUEEN Victoria School won the boys division title after a 33-year lapse at the Coca-Cola Games Championship which ended at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva yesterday. It was a close call in the end as the Tailevu school edged defending champion Marist...

FIJI, AUSTRALIA AND ISRAEL

OPINION

Order in Suva City

SUVA’S streets are growing quieter. Security personnel across the capital say the number of loiterers and street dwellers in the Central Business District has dropped noticeably over the past week, a shift many link to the ongoing joint operation by...

Fuel supply ‘stable’

Picture: SUPPLIED GOVERNMENT has issued another assurance that Fiji’s present fuel stocks are adequate and supply remains stable under normal operating conditions. Parliament was told yesterday that the country’s total fuel stock available on land...

IN POLICE CUSTODY

• - 6pm, 8pm Deluxe at Village 6; 6pm, 8pm at Village 4; 6pm Premium, 8.30pm at Damodar City; 8.30pm Deluxe at Damodar Cinemas Labasa. • 5.30pm Deluxe at Damodar Cinemas Labasa; 8pm at Damodar City; 5.30pm at Village 4. • The Devil Wears Prada 2...

Weight of duty

PARLIAMENT united in prayer and support yesterday for Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua, whose daughter, a police officer, lies in critical condition at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital after a violent, drug-related pursuit in Laqere, Nasinu early...

‘In the dark’

KELEPI Komaisavou could not identify his alleged abusers when he was held in a dark room at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Nabua, Suva, where he was taken alongside four others including the late Jone Vakarisi. Mr Komaisavou claimed he was forced to...

Drua chasing consecut

n REUTERS Haereiti Hetet Zuriel Togiatama Mesake Doge Mesake Vocevoce Temo Mayanavanua (co-c) Etonia Waqa Kitione Salawa Isoa Tuwai Frank Lomani (co-c) Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula Manasa Mataele Virimi Vakatawa MaiBkyaGTRuEiGtuCbLAoRuK Taniela...

Free heart surgery

FOR years, heart patients in Fiji have faced a harsh reality — pay thousands to seek treatment overseas or go without lifesaving care. That will soon end. A free, dedicated adult heart surgery facility by the Sri Madhusudan Sai Global Humanitarian...

‘Cries for mercy’

THE drugs are secure. Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu said this as he pushed back against mounting speculation over the handling and risks posed by the $1billion cocaine haul seized at Vatia Wharf early this year. He dismissed claims of tampering...

More taken in

MORE drug suspects are being hauled in for questioning as Police, backed by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, intensify a sweeping nationwide crackdown targeting illicit drugs and the proceeds of crime. Authorities have seized substances and cash...

Security alert

THE Republic of the Fiji Military Forces needs to strengthen its security systems following revelations of unauthorised arms in Fiji, says Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua. This follows the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) recent con rmation of...

Fuel cost a threat — Biman

FORMER Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad warns that rising global fuel costs threaten Fiji with imported inflation, weakened business confidence, and reduced household purchasing power. He urges accelerating the transition to renewable energy...

Death by injuries

THE late Jone Vakarisi did not die of any pre-existing medical condition as earlier suggested by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces while in their custody. Newly-verified medical findings now point to severe injuries as the cause of death, raising...

Tell the ‘truth’

“WE deserve the truth!” This was the call from the grieving families of four individuals who were taken in by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces as part of a national security investigation, one of whom is now dead. Jone Vakarisi, 36, died in...

FIJIANS OR FIJI ISLANDERS?

THESE last few weeks the Great Council of Chiefs has stirred up the hornets’ nest by calling for the term “Fijian” to be reserved for indigenous Fijians only and that citizens in general be called “Fiji Islanders” as in the 1997 Constitution. Prime...

Baptism of fire

By VEREIMI WARA

Global siren on

THE global siren for preparation is now live, said regular The Fiji Times columnist Dr Sushil Sharma as worst case scenarios of the impact of the war in the Middle East on economies begin to emerge across the world. On Monday, Reserve Bank of Fiji...

Tourism downturn

THE backbone of Fiji’s economy, tourism, is bracing for a sharp downturn as escalating conflict in the Middle East threatens to disrupt global travel flows and raise operating costs. New projections in the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2026 by the...

Recession fears

FIJI is staring at an economic recession in the face if the war in the Middle East drags on for longer than six months. This was among the possible scenarios outlined by Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) governor Ariff Ali at yesterday’s launch of the Asian...

$263m on NCDs

FIJI is teetering on the brink of a catastrophic health crisis as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) claim 80 per cent of deaths and drain $263 million annually from the economy. A new Asian Development Bank report demands urgent reforms, warning that...

Fiji’s history in briefcase

IT is easy to overlook him walking through town, his grip rm on a weathered briefcase that time seems to have forgotten. But the contents of the old man’s fading bag will surprise you. They are fragments of Fiji’s colonial past, from the early days...

Sef Fa’agase Brandon Paenga-Amosa Misinale Epenisa Franco Molina Jeremy Williams Nick Champion de Crespigny Jack Daly Vaiolini Ekuasi Henry Robertson Ben Donaldson Dylan Pietsch Bayley Kuenzle Hamish Stewart George Bridge Mac Grealy

In-form winger Darby Lancaster injured his ankle while scoring in Brisbane, so George Bridge shifts from centre to the wing, allowing Hamish Stewart to start in the No. 13 jersey. Fullback Mac Grealy was impressive last week and will be looking to...

Every citizen is a ‘Fijian’

EVERY citizen of Fiji is Fijian. This is the position of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka as debate intensi es over national identity. Responding to the Great Council of Chiefs’ proposal to reserve “Fijian” for iTaukei, he called for careful, inclusive...

PM moves to cut costs

PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has ordered sweeping austerity measures, slashing ministers’ pay by 20 per cent and grounding overseas travel for politicians, permanent secretaries and civil servants. In an address to the nation last night, he...

Death drain

SUVA’S Tacirua East is mourning its third drain-related fatality. An 18-year-old student was swept away by strong currents while attempting to wash her shoes last Saturday. Meanwhile, heavy rain bands and strong winds associated with Tropical Cyclone...

Fuel price debate

A SENIOR international economist has ignited a strong debate, claiming “something is amiss” with Fiji’s staggering April 1 fuel price increase. Sydney-based expert Dr Kishti Sen warns that the 21 per cent surge at the pump de es established logic,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Make or break!

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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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

4-peat goal

The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua will take on the Reds at 3.35pm today at Churchill Park in Lautoka.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Two-way battle

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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...

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...

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...

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...

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...