27 h. ago Fiji Pine clarifies lease and dividend process after online claims

The Fiji Pine Group of Companies has dismissed social media claims that some landowning units in Bua have not received lease rental payments. Executive Chair Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure responded to a post by Australia-based creator Suliasi Daunitutu, saying all land rentals are fully up to date. Ratu Rakuita also clarified confusion over dividend distribution. While […]

Events

30 h. ago Sydney residents honour Bondi victims on National Day of Reflection

Mourners and community members on Sunday (December 21) gathered at Bondi Beach, laying flowers and paying respects as Australia marked a National Day of Reflection for victims of a mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration at the seaside location one week ago. The attack, described by authorities as Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three […]

Events

3 d. ago Taylor Swift gives an ‘early gift’ to fans this holiday season

Dropping the first two episodes of her Disney+ docuseries the day before her birthday apparently wasn’t enough of a gift from Taylor Swift to her fans. The final two episodes of “The End of an Era” docuseries have been moved up to December 23, the streaming service said Thursday, describing it as “an early gift […]

Sport

7 d. ago Thousands gather for Avatar 3 premiere: ‘Wellington’s done so well’

Courtenay Place was packed out yesterday night for the Australasian premiere of Avatar: Fire and Ash. Actors Sam Worthington, Cliff Curtis, Jack Champion and Duane Evans Jr, along with producers and crew of the third Avatar film, walked the red carpet through the central city via Blair Street to the door of the Embassy Theatre. […]

Politics

7 d. ago Messi’s India tour off to chaotic start, angry fans storm field

Lionel Messi’s much-hyped tour of India got off to a rocky start overnight with angry fans throwing bottles and attempting to vandalise a stadium after many of them failed to get more than just a glimpse of their hero. The Times of India reported that many ticket-holders said that they failed to see Messi at […]

Sport

7 d. ago ‘Zootopia 2′ reclaims No. 1 spot at box office, grosses $1B worldwide

“Zootopia 2” regained the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office with $26.3 million in its third weekend of release, according to studio estimates Sunday, as The Walt Disney Co. animated sequel became the year’s second film to gross $1 billion worldwide. With “Avatar: Fire and Ash” arriving Friday, it was a relatively quiet […]

Sport

7 d. ago Father and son behind Bondi mass shooting, Australia police say

Two gunmen who attacked a Jewish celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach that killed 15 people were a father and son, police said on Monday, as Australia mourned victims of its worst gun violence in almost 30 years. The father, a 50-year-old, was killed at the scene while his 24-year-old son was in critical condition in […]

Events

7 d. ago Eleven killed after gunmen target Jewish festival in deadliest Australia shooting in decades

New South Wales Police say 11 people have been killed in a shooting targeting the Jewish community, with 29 taken to hospital – including a child It is the deadliest shooting in Australia since the Port Arthur attack in 1996 The attack at Bondi Beach happened while an event was being held to mark the […]

Events

8 d. ago England’s 2023 fightback a useful Ashes reminder for Australia’s Green

England’s fightback to draw the last Ashes series 2-2 is a useful reminder to Australia that they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas with a 2-0 lead this time around, Cameron Green said. Australia go into the third test, which starts in Adelaide on Wednesday, looking firmly in control of the five-match […]

Sport

9 d. ago Hazlewood not done with test cricket despite Ashes disappointment

Australia quick Josh Hazlewood intends to continue playing international cricket in all formats despite missing the entire Ashes series because of injury. At 34, Hazlewood was one of a half dozen Australia players who were considered to be approaching the twilight, and maybe the end, of their test careers during the Ashes series. Hazlewood’s involvement […]

Politics

1 week ago First climate migrants arrive in Australia from sinking Tuvalu in South Pacific

The first climate migrants to leave the remote Pacific island nation of Tuvalu have arrived in Australia, hoping to preserve links to their sinking island home, foreign affairs officials said on Thursday. More than one-third of Tuvalu’s 11,000 population applied for a climate visa to migrate to Australia, under a deal struck between the two […]

Events

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 Trump criticises ‘decaying’ European countries and ‘weak’ leaders

US President Donald Trump has criticised European leaders as “weak” and suggested the US could scale back support for Ukraine. In a wide-ranging interview with Politico, he said “decaying” European countries had failed to control migration or take decisive action to end Ukraine’s war with Russia, accusing them of letting Kyiv fight “until they drop”. […]

Politics

1 week ago Australia social media ban set to take effect, sparking a global crackdown

Australia is set to become the first country to implement a minimum age for social media use on Wednesday, with platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube forced to block more than a million accounts, marking the beginning of an expected global wave of regulation. From midnight (1300 GMT), 10 of the biggest platforms will be […]

Politics

2 w. ago Notre Dame opts out of bowl game after getting ‘punched in the stomach’ by CFP

Snubbed by the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame snubbed its nose at a second-tier bowl game. The ninth-ranked Fighting Irish responded to getting dropped in the CFP rankings for the second consecutive week by turning down an invitation to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida. “Overwhelming shock and sadness,” Notre Dame athletic director […]

Sport

2 w. ago Hong Kong election turnout in focus amid anger over deadly fire

Hong Kong voter turnout will be in focus in an election on Sunday, with the population still grieving and traumatised after the worst fire in nearly 80 years that has authorities scrambling to avoid a broader public backlash. Residents are angry over the blaze that killed at least 159 people and took nearly two days […]

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 Rassie warns against those betting for ABs against Wallabies at RWC

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has issued a warning against those backing the All Blacks to beat Australia in their Pool A clash at the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Despite New Zealand’s 11-match winning streak over the Wallabies and their higher world ranking, Erasmus says history proves that home-ground advantage can tilt the biggest battles. […]

Events

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