7 d. ago Defence slams state delays in Punja case as hearing deferred

Defence lawyers for Thakor Hari Punja today criticised repeated delays caused by the State’s late filing of submissions. Punja, the grandson of a prominent businessman, is before the court in a matter that was again stalled after the prosecution failed to meet multiple filing deadlines. He is charged with unlawful possession of illicit drugs. Defence […]

Sport

1 week ago Barrett warns Pacific facing rising transnational crime threat

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says transnational crime is no longer a problem faced by just one country, it is a growing threat that now stretches across the entire Pacific. Barrett made the comment when asked about the KVT gang, after three Fijian nationals linked to the syndicate were arrested in Western Sydney this […]

Events

1 week ago Judge rules Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury records can be unsealed

A US federal judge has ruled that the Department of Justice can release grand jury materials from the Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking investigation. Judge Paul Engelmayer says a new law passed by Congress requires the Justice Department to publish files related to Jeffrey Epstein by next week. He says safeguards will be put in place to […]

Events

2 w. ago Australian man Johnson Wen jailed after grabbing Ariana Grande at Wicked

A Singapore court sentenced an Australian man to nine days in jail on Monday after he grabbed film star Ariana Grande at the Asian premiere of Wicked: For Good last week. Grande and other stars were attending the opening night of the film at Universal Studios in the city-state when the man, identified by court […]

Politics

2 w. ago PALM workers face job loss and visa uncertainty in Australia

When Susan Pinu was pregnant with her daughter, she was far from her home in Solomon Islands and found herself wandering an Australian town looking for help. It was not what she expected when she joined the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme in 2021, hoping to build a house and support her family back […]

Politics

2 w. ago Australia’s Lyon angry at being dropped for second Ashes test

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon made no secret of his disappointment with being dropped for the second Ashes test in Brisbane, saying he had not yet been able to bring himself to speak to selectors about the decision. One of Australia’s most successful bowlers with 562 wickets, Lyon was dropped for his first home test since […]

Politics

2 w. ago PSH Hospitals becomes surprise hotspot for global medical talent

PSH Hospitals is emerging as a training destination for international doctors, with young Australian clinician Dr. Dylan Foskett the latest to join its growing cardiac program. His move to Fiji reflects the hospital’s push to build a regional centre of excellence in advanced surgery and specialist care. Foskett says he was drawn to Fiji after […]

Science

2 w. ago YouTube says it will comply with Australia’s teen social media ban

Google’s YouTube shared a “disappointing update” to millions of Australian users and content creators on Wednesday, saying it will comply with a world-first teen social media ban by locking out users aged under 16 from their accounts within days. The decision ends a stand-off between the internet giant and the Australian government which initially exempted […]

Politics

2 w. ago Smith embraces family legacy ahead of Junior Hockey Tournament

Young Logan Smith will carry on a proud family tradition as he prepares to represent Fiji in this year’s Junior Hockey Tournament which starts today. The 16-year-old comes from a long line of hockey players, with his father Hector Smith, older brother Theo, and grandfather also named Hector senior all having played key roles in […]

Society

2 w. ago Cyclone Ditwah kills 410, leaves hundreds missing in Sri Lanka

Nawaz Nashra recalls grabbing her three-year-old daughter, wrapping her in a bedsheet and running out of their home in central Sri Lanka as a landslide struck, triggered by a deadly cyclone that killed 410 people in the worst floods in a decade. Nashra and her pregnant sister, who lived with her, spent the next 20 […]

Events

2 w. ago Australian teen challenging social media ban says internet will be less safe

A teenager suing the Australian government to overturn a ban on social media for under-16s says the measure would make the internet more dangerous for young people and be widely circumvented. Noah Jones, 15, is a co-plaintiff in a High Court case against Communications Minister Anika Wells and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. The law, […]

Politics

3 w. ago Dwayne Johnson honors Robin Williams as Jumanji 4 starts filming

Dwayne Johnson is ensuring the Jumanji franchise continues to honor its original star. The Moana actor shared a video on Instagram to celebrate the first day of shooting on the fourth Jumanji film, and revealed that one of his costume’s accessories doubles as an Easter egg paying tribute to Robin Williams, who headlined the original […]

Politics

3 w. ago Cynthia Erivo’s performance in Wicked draws biblical comparisons

For Good director Jon M. Chu argues that Cynthia Erivo has played Jesus more than once. This past summer, the actress earned rave reviews playing the Biblical figure in the star-studded Hollywood Bowl production of the beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Jesus Christ Superstar in Los Angeles — and now the filmmaker posits that she’s […]

Politics

3 w. ago Pacific leaders meet to strengthen climate action and environmental policies

Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Dr. Raijeli Taga, opened the ACP MEA Phase III End-of-Project Meeting yesterday at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva. The two-and-a-half-day meeting will review the project’s achievements and discuss how to maintain its progress into the future. Dr. Taga says evaluation is important for improving decision-making and […]

Politics

4 w. ago Australia’s teen social media ban pushes content creators to look abroad

Australia is home for YouTube star Jordan Barclay, the place where he was born, went to school and built a company worth $50 million by age 23 that produces gaming content for 23 million subscribers. Now, with a world-first social media ban on Australian children younger than 16 set to take effect on December 10, […]

Politics

4 w. ago Tropical cyclone Fina strikes Australia’s Northern Territory, shuts airport

The Australian city of Darwin’s international airport remained shuttered on Sunday after a tropical cyclone brought destructive winds to the Northern Territory capital overnight. Fina, a category three cyclone, was on Sunday clocking wind gusts of up to 205kph (127mph) as it moved away from Northern Territory capital Darwin after passing the city late on […]

Sport