The Fiji Times
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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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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