NEWS FEATURE | Vueti-Kadavu impact – Festival a model for national transformation

THE Vueti-Kadavu Youth Festival has sparked a wave of transformation in youth empowerment and sports revival on Kadavu, says the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Minister Jese Saukuru highlighted the festival’s outcomes in Parliament last week,...

Tailevu hooker joins Drua training camp

TAILEVU hooker Mika Delana has recently been selected to join the Fijian Drua training camp, marking a significant milestone in his rugby journey. The Standard Concrete Tailevu Rugby Football Union expressed their pride in Delana’s achievement,...

Fiji cuts team size to COP30

Only one-third of Fiji’s delegation to the upcoming COP30 United Nations Climate Change Conference will consist of government representatives. This was confirmed by Environment and Climate Change permanent secretary Dr Sivendra Michael, who said...

Disability voices call for action

THE Pacific region continues to strengthen its collective capacity to respond to disasters through the Pacific Response Group (PRG) — a regional initiative that brings together defence forces from across the Pacific to provide Humanitarian...

Fiji Hardwood appoints first local CEO, first woman chair

Vuloaloa Dranibaka [left] and Faranisese Tatila Gavidi [Photos: Supplied] Fiji Hardwood Corporation Limited has reached a major milestone with the appointment of its first-ever local Chief Executive Officer, Semi Vuloaloa Dranibaka. This is a big...

Fiji – Germany reaffirm partnership on climate and development

[Source: Fiji Government/Facebook] FIJI and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation on climate change, ocean governance, sustainable development, and regional security. This comes after a meeting with Assistant Minister...

Fiji secures USD$27M from the Climate Investment Fund to support Nature, People and Climate investment plan

Fiji secures USD$27M from the Climate Investment Fund to support Nature, People and Climate investment plan Fiji secured USD$27 million last week from the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) to support our Nature, People and Climate (NPC) investment...

Former Fiji Ambassador to UN calls for real Climate Finance, not empty promises

As the world gears up for the United Nations Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, Pacific Island nations are demanding action, not words, to address what they describe as a climate-induced infrastructure and finance crisis threatening...

Robert Irwin recovers after confetti incident

Source: Entertainment Weekly Robert Irwin had a serious health scare on Dancing With the Stars last night. The 21-year-old contestant and wildlife conservationist says he experienced a brush with death while competing in his team’s group dance...

Pacific Islands first cryopreservation lab opens in Fiji to protect crops for the future

The Pacific now has a brand-new tool to protect their crops for the future. This comes after the Pacific Community (SPC) opened the region’s first cryopreservation laboratory, at its Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT) in Fiji, last week....

26 new evacuation centre projects approved across Fiji

Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Sakiasi Ditoka has revealed that 26 new evacuation centre projects have been approved for implementation across Fiji, including both retro-fitting and new construction works. Responding to Opposition MP...

COP30: NZ’s lack of climate ambition undermines global goals and free-trade agreements

As nations prepare to gather in Brazil next week for this year’s United Nations climate summit COP30, only a third have so far submitted the required update on their emissions-reduction commitments, known as Nationally Determined Contributions...

Blond bombshell Henry Pollock shows England’s new edge – as Steve Borthwick considers bold Fiji selection

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

EDITORIAL COMMENT | Shift in tourism landscape!

SO, we are seeing a change in the demography of our tourists? That’s interesting, and significant. The latest ANZ Pacific Insight report by ANZ economists Tom Kenny and Kishti Sen reveals a shift in who is visiting our shores. There has been a...

Pacific news in brief for 6 November

Rolled-up bank note being used to snort a line of cocaine. Photo: AFP Fiji Four people were arrested after the interception of a cocaine shipment from Brazil. The Fiji Times reported the shipment arrived on 27 October and was declared as a smoke...

$61m for climate resilience

Fiji has secured $US27million ($F61m) from the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) to support the country’s Nature, People and Climate (NPC) investment plan. Environment and Climate Change permanent secretary Dr Sivendra Michael shared the news during...

Joint inspection ensures sustainable development at Laucala

[Photo Credit: Fiji Government] A joint inspection of development activities was conducted on Laucala Island Resort last month to ensure compliance of the development with Fiji’s environmental and resource management regulations Led by the...

Hundreds turn up for climate fun run

Hundreds turned up yesterday to the “Run for Climate 2025” at Albert Park in Suva. The “Run for Climate” is a community fun run organised by the Delegation of the European Union to the Pacific and German Embassy in Suva in partnership with the...

TOURISM TALANOA | Managing a heightened flu season

AS the humid, wet season settles over our many islands, washing familiar lush landscapes with cooling showers, we are experiencing another seasonal reality: a rise in influenza-like illness, or ILI. While not unexpected for this time of the year,...

Driving change: the rise of sustainable financing in Latin America

Introduction In recent years, many countries around the world have increased their focus on the preservation of the environment, the promotion of socially driven policies and the level of scrutiny of corporate governance of the companies that...