Fiji Times

A gale warning is now in force for parts of Fiji waters as Tropical Cyclone Vaianu continues to strengthen and move southeast of the group. The Fiji Meteorological Service said the gale warning applies to Yasawa, Mamanuca and the Southwest Viti Levu waters, while a gale alert is in place for the Kadavu Passage. A strong wind warning remains in force for the rest of Fiji waters. At midday today, Tropical Cyclone Vaianu was moving southeast at around 10km/h. Forecasters say the system is in a favo

Government vehicles have been directed to reduce fuel consumption by 30 per cent and if misused, the vehicles would be impounded on the spot. In a circular issued on April 2, Finance permanent secretary Shiri Gounder said the move was part of proactive measures to manage rising costs linked to the war in the Middle East. “The recent conflict in the Middle East has triggered a major risk to global fuel supply with significant price hikes. This has translated into domestic fuel price increas

WHILE many around the country were commemorating Resurrection Sunday, four children of Votua Village in Ba, received the painful news in church that their father and sole breadwinner, Gaberieli Walu, had died while collecting mussels. Mr Walu is believed to have drowned while attempting to cross the Ba River on Saturday. The tragic incident has left, Eneriko Qoro, 18, Kelera Ramoce, 14, Amelia Droka, 10, and Adrea Seru, 9, without both parents as they had also endured the loss of their mother, A

The risk of flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas remains high as Tropical Cyclone Vaianu continues to influence weather conditions across the country. The Fiji Meteorological Service said high intensity rainfall is expected, which could lead to rising river levels and flash flooding nationwide. At midday today, Tropical Cyclone Vaianu was analysed about 500 kilometres west-northwest of Yasawa-i-Rara and was moving southeast at about five knots. The system is expected to intensify further

A deeper human struggle lies behind the growing concern over substance abuse among youths, said Peter Loy Chong, who is urging young people to rebuild their sense of self-worth and spiritual identity. Speaking at the Easter youth celebration at the Civic Centre in Suva yesterday, Archbishop Loy Chong said the issue goes beyond drugs, pointing to a need for love, belonging, and guidance. “There’s a lot of discussion about drugs, behind the drugs is a person that is hungry for love,&#8

Traffic chaos SAMU SILATOLU NAKASI ALMOST weekly, I am certain, a letter would comment on the “donkey years” issue, regarding everyday traffic. And it has been concentrating, I believe, within a 3km radius, from our urban centres. Not only weekends or long public holidays, but everyday. Is the Government going to just cope with the status quo? Is the “complacent mindset” of leaders not being disturbed by the existing scenario? In fact, what is the expected proactive action to resolve our traffic

Winds across parts of Fiji are expected to strengthen significantly from tomorrow, with gusts reaching up to 90 kilometres per hour as Tropical Cyclone Vaianu continues to influence weather conditions. According to the latest weather bulletin issued by the Fiji Meteorological Service this afternoon, winds over the Northern Division, Yasawa and Mamanuca groups, western Viti Levu and Kadavu will shift from northeasterly to northerly and intensify. Wind speeds are forecast to increase to around 60k

A MUAIVUSO mother’s world came crashing down when doctors told her four-year-old son had a brain tumour — a diagnosis no parent is ever prepared to hear, and which marked the beginning of a long and painful journey that continues to shape their lives today. Tavaita Rokoadi says she can still remember the moment she received the devastating news at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva like it was yesterday, describing it as one of the most emotional experiences she had ever faced. &#8

FIJI’S fuel crisis is no longer a question of if, but how hard the impact will be felt and how well the country can respond. The escalating conflict in the Middle East has exposed a structural reality that Fiji has long lived with but rarely confronted so starkly. That as a small island economy heavily dependent on imported fuel, we have very little control over the forces shaping its cost of living. What is unfolding now is not simply just a spike in fuel prices, but a wider economic sque

FIJIANS in remote areas without digital access will still be able to obtain physical National Identity (NID) cards, the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) has confirmed. Speaking at a public consultation in Lautoka, RBF project manager Praneel Prasad said the system would offer two options: a digital ID via a mobile app or a traditional card-based ID. “So please bear in mind that we will have two options for these ID cards,” Mr Prasad said. He reassured citizens that registration would be vo

THE Victorious People Multi-Purpose cooperative Ltd is planning to launch a product marketing consignment business in June to help its members sell their goods. The cooperative highlighted this during the opening of its office and warehouse in Tacirua on Friday, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Business Development. The women-led cooperative, which was established in September 2025, had experienced growth in just six months from 10 founding members to 55 active members. It was also stat

THE greenery of Lautoka’s Botanical Garden has found a new pulse with the opening of Brew and Bites Cafe, a venture born from a holiday dream. Owners Krishan Mudaliar and his wife Komal Karishma Prasad officially stepped into their new roles on April 2, turning a long-held vision of a cosy, green place into a reality. The inspiration for the cafe struck during a road trip back from Savusavu. “We were discussing amongst ourselves that we should try to get a coffee shop, a really green

PRICE shocks are coming for Fiji’s $3.5 billion foreign reserves with the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) projecting downside risks, and foreign reserves pressures to possibly reach our shores earlier than expected. As the Israeli-US war on Iran continues into its second month in the Middle East and an ensuing energy supply crisis spreads slowly across other regions of the world, including in the Pacific, RBF in its March economic review has warned that it is expecting the external sector condi

In Fiji, the Social Pension Scheme pension is having a huge impact on reducing poverty, with analysis suggesting poverty among older persons would be around 40 per cent higher without the scheme. The pension supports more than 58,000 older people and, for many households, this support is essential. A recent community-level survey of 1,365 pension recipients found that 72 per cent are the sole income earners within their households. At the household level, the impacts are tangible. “The pen

THE Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) has thrown its support behind the proposed National Identity (NID) system, highlighting its importance in improving access to services and strengthening the country’s financial ecosystem. Speaking during a public consultation in Lautoka, RBF Deputy Governor Esala Masitabua said the central bank had a significant role in the implementation of the system. “We are going through a lot of technological changes,” he said. “We are at a stage where

A six-year-old boy remains in critical condition in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWM) after he was allegedly hit by a bus at Reba Circle in Nadera, Nasinu on Tuesday evening. Romeo Vincent Rokotuinasau, the third of five siblings and a Year 1 student at Rishikul Primary School, was reportedly struck between 6pm and 6.30pm while returning home after dropping off a friend with three other children. His mother, Ledua Koroi, said the child was on h

IF you’re old enough to remember the feel of a postcard between your fingers, the grainy photographs, the handwritten notes, the quiet excitement of sending a piece of Fiji across oceans, then you already understand how powerful those small images once were. Long before the age of live photos, Instagramming and ChatFiji, postcards were how Fiji was seen and imagined. They captured moments in time, villages, markets, ceremonies, and everyday life, preserving a version of our country that mi

The latest forecast track map released by the Fiji Meteorological Service shows Tropical Cyclone Vaianu strengthening as it tracks near Fiji waters. Fiji Met indicates the system was a Category 2 cyclone at midday today and is expected to remain at that intensity until around midnight as it approaches waters west of the Yasawa and Mamanuca groups. The cyclone is forecast to intensify further to a Category 3 system early tomorrow morning, with its closest point to the Fiji group expected around m

Efforts are now focused on removing fuel and oil from the grounded passenger vessel MV Fiji Princess to minimise the risk of marine pollution, the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji says. The vessel ran aground at Monuriki Island in the Malolo Group, prompting an immediate response from Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, which deployed officers to the site on Saturday. All 30 passengers and 17 crew members were safely transferred to Port Denarau, while a small number of crew initially remained on

The Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) has questioned the recent fuel price increase, saying the justification provided does not reflect the realities faced by workers. In a statement, National Secretary Felix Anthony said while the union understood the global fuel crisis was beyond Government control, it could not reconcile the price hike with existing fuel stocks reportedly purchased at lower prices. “We fail to understand how the crisis impacts the current fuel stocks that were bought at the o