Melbourne-based neurosurgeon Dr Rondhir Jithoo has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for his decades-long service to neurosurgery, as part of the Australia Day 2026 Honours List announced by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

The Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji has announced plans to introduce a certification scheme for vegetarian products, aimed at helping consumers identify food that meets Sanatan dietary standards.

Under the program, applicants who are otherwise eligible for a visitor visa may be instructed by a consular officer to post a bond of US$5,000, US$10,000 or US$15,000, with the amount determined at the visa interview.

Another individual, known to Queensland Police for using violence and coercion to force migrant workers into illegal work was also removed from Australia.

“Not every temple can go cashless because some devotees still prefer to donate in cash”

Fiji arrived in Belém for COP30 with a clear purpose: to defend ambition and protect the integrity of the 1.5°C goal.

Fiji also signalled interest in practical partnerships covering digital farm and livestock registries, value-added processing, sugar bio-industries, food waste management and the use of agricultural by-products for animal feed.

Indian High Commissioner Suneet Mehta said the festival is a tribute to the deep-rooted cultural relationship between India and Fiji, nurtured over generations through shared traditions, values and the universal language of cinema.

The alleged desecration of the Kulukulu Ram Mandir in Sigatoka has reopened deep wounds within Fiji’s Hindu community, reviving memories of earlier attacks on places of worship and intensifying calls for unity, justice and stronger protection of sacred sites.

The freeze, due to take effect on 21 January, targets people officials say are likely to become a “public charge” by relying on government assistance.