11 h. ago Fiji and Indonesia strengthen partnership to develop bamboo industry

Fiji and Indonesia are strengthening their partnership to support the development of Fiji’s bamboo industry. Speaking at the conclusion of a two-week Training of Trainers program held in Yogyakarta, Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Fisheries and Forestry, Saimone Tauvoli, expressed Fiji’s gratitude to Indonesia for its continued support. He says the training has […]

Politics

15 h. ago Pacific Islands Forum rolls out strategic plan for partner engagement

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat says a new engagement and advocacy plan will shape how the region works with its partners. Deputy Secretary General Esala Nayasi says the plan will guide engagement at all levels while strengthening advocacy on climate change, security, and other regional priorities. He adds that a messaging guide will ensure the […]

Politics

17 h. ago 34 officers completes disease outbreak response training in West

Thirty-four officers from the Western Division, including doctors, nurses, health inspectors, lab technicians, and ASPEN staff, have successfully completed the Disease Outbreak Response Training 2025. The program was expertly facilitated by the Fiji Centre for Disease Control and the Environmental Health Unit, with support from the World Health Organization. The training equips officers with vital, […]

Events

62 h. ago Pacific Islands Forum prioritizes climate resilience and regional unity

Climate change resilience remains a central goal for Pacific Island nations as they face its severe impacts. Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa says these initiatives are key priorities for the 2050 Strategy and the region’s future. He adds that external engagement and advocacy will be guided by the 2026 Leaders’ Policy to ensure […]

Politics

3 d. ago Protesters torch Bangladesh newspaper offices after student leader dies

The Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka was on edge on Friday (December 19), with the offices of several newspapers still reeling from a night of protests, triggered by the death of popular youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Hadi, 32, a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform who participated in the student-led protests that overthrew the government […]

Politics

4 d. ago FINTEL plays critical role in Fiji’s connectivity: Naivalurua

FINTEL plays a critical role in safeguarding Fiji’s international connectivity and there is a need to plan ahead as digital demand continues to grow. This was highlighted by Minister for Policing and Communications Ioane Naivalurua during his landmark visit to FINTEL at the Vatuwaqa Communications Centre. This visit also marks the first ministerial engagement with […]

Politics

5 d. ago UN commends Fiji Police Act review for strong human rights focus

Delays by ministries in providing legal instructions are costing the State thousands of dollars in court penalties and damaging its credibility before the judiciary. Solicitor-General Ropate Green says his office is often unable to meet strict court timelines because instructions from client ministries arrive late or are incomplete. He says courts operate on fixed deadlines, […]

Events

7 d. ago Investment Facilitation Committee accelerates business reforms

The Investment Facilitation Committee is playing a critical role in removing bottlenecks and strengthening Fiji’s investment and business environment says Finance Minister Esrom Immanuel. Immanuel says the body holds a strong mandate from Cabinet and sits at the center of the government’s investment facilitation and economic reform agenda. He says the Investment Facilitation Committee is […]

Economics

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

8 d. ago Zelenskiy says he will meet US and European representatives in Berlin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would meet U.S. and European representatives in Berlin to discuss “fundamentals of peace.” Zelenskiy said Ukraine needed a “dignified” peace and a guarantee that Russia, which invaded his country in 2022, would not attack again. Germany said earlier on Saturday that it would host U.S. and Ukrainian delegations over […]

Politics

8 d. ago Thousands march in Hungary in protest over child abuse scandal

Thousands of Hungarians marched to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s offices, led by opposition leader Peter Magyar, who urged the veteran nationalist to resign over an abuse scandal at a juvenile detention centre. Protesters walked through Budapest’s frosty streets behind a banner reading “Protect the children!”, carrying soft toys and torches in solidarity with victims of […]

Politics

9 d. ago Senior US Democrats urge release of Venezuela boat strike video

Democratic members of the “Gang of Eight” of U.S. congressional and intelligence committee leaders called on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to make public the full, unedited video of the September 2 strikes on a suspected drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean. “As some of the few members of Congress who have seen the complete, […]

Politics

9 d. ago North Korean leader hails troops returning from Russia mission

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a welcoming ceremony for an army engineering unit that had returned home after carryin. In a speech carried by KCNA, Kim praised officers and soldiers of the 528th Regiment of Engineers of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) for “heroic” conduct and “mass heroism” in fulfilling orders issued by […]

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 Heavy rains trigger widespread flooding, evacuations in Pacific Northwest

Heavy rains drenching the Pacific Northwest triggered flooding on Thursday across much of the Pacific Northwest from Oregon north through Washington state and into British Columbia, closing dozens of roads and prompting widespread evacuations. The intense downpours began earlier in the week, swept into the region by a storm system meteorologists call an atmospheric river, […]

Events

1 week ago Kiran urges young leaders to push for gender parity in politics

Women across Fiji have the ability to lead, but continue to face cultural, social and structural barriers in politics. This was highlighted by Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran during a workshop with emerging leaders at a Co-Creation Workshop in Nadi. Speaking to participants from the Nominated Women Mock Parliament and Youth […]

Politics

1 week ago New research reveals low trust in official information sources

A new BBC Media Action study has revealed that only a small fraction of Fijians rely on or trust information from official sources. The survey of more than 1,000 Fijians found that seven percent turn to local authorities or government officials for information, and only five percent trust the information they receive from them. The […]

Politics

1 week ago Idle youths vulnerable as church leaders urge national action

Church leaders are warning that Fiji cannot afford to ignore the growing number of young people roaming aimlessly in communities. They say the lack of structure and meaningful engagement is leaving them vulnerable to criminal activities. Vice Principal of Davuilevu Theological College, Reverend Taniela Baleinakorodala, says the country needs a more honest, open and practical […]

Politics

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 Bulitavu urges action as Pacific faces rising climate pressures

Minister for Environment and Climate Change Mosese Bulitavu says Pacific Island nations are confronting increasingly severe environmental threats from eroding coastlines and declining fish stocks to the growing crisis of plastic pollution. Speaking at the Seventh United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Bulitavu said that despite these mounting challenges, the Pacific continues to lead with […]

Events