Local News
Fijiana 15s coach expects tough match against Hong Kong
THE Fiji Airways Fijiana XVs are looking forward to the battle against Hong Kong in the Asia Pacific Womens Championship which will be held at Churchill Park on Friday. Fijiana XVs head coach Ro Alifereti...
Latui to shape up defence
SWIRE Shipping Services Fijian Latui coach Senirusi Seruvakula will work on defence as their prepare to take on the Western Force during the Global Rapid Rugby Pacific Showcase this weekend. Seruvakula was impressed with their 38-32 win last week against Kagifa Samoa but said it was now behind them and were working on rectifying the...
Beef farmers assured of compensation
BEEF farmers of Tilivalevu Village in Nadroga have been assured that they would be compensated accordingly for animals found to have Tuberculosis (TB) and Brucellosis. Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, Waterways and Environment Dr Mahendra Reddy highlighted this during an informal talanoa session with the farmers yesterday. Dr Reddy also reiterated Government’s support towards...
Team identifies Fiji as one of the regional centres of capabilities
A PACIFIC Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation (PCLEC) Design four-member team is currently in Fiji to hold consultative meetings with the Commissioner of Police, senior Government officials and various regional stakeholders. According to a statement by the Police, Fiji has been identified as one of the regional centres of capabilities by the team. The team...
Late Speaker of Parliament recognised as a true champion of health
THE late Speaker of Parliament Dr Jiko Luveni has been internationally recognised as a true champion of health, women empowerment and social welfare. This is after the Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Iferemi Waqainabete received the global health award on her behalf at the 72nd World Health Assembly in Geneva. According to a...
Joint investigation underway in Ba house fire
A JOINT investigation by the Fiji Police Force and the National Fire Authority is underway to ascertain the cause of a house fire in Ba yesterday. The four bedroom home belonging to a 53-year-old man was completely destroyed in a fire yesterday afternoon which occurred in Tarivo in Ba after 2pm. The house was vacant...
Missing person: Information sought for Ponipate’s whereabouts
POLICE are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Ponipate Ramasi originally from Urata in Savusavu who was reported missing at the Totogo Police Station. According to Police, the 32-year-old man accompanied his cousin for a night out in Suva on Saturday. In the early hours of Sunday morning when his cousin wanted to return home,...
Missing person: Information appeal to locate Naomi
A 30-YEAR-OLD woman was reported missing at the Valelevu Police Station on May 18. Police confirmed in a police statement that Naomi Botebote was reported missing after she left home at Visako Circle in Nadera on May 5, 2019 and has not returned home since. Family members have been searching since which has to date...
Namadi murder case transferred to High Court
THE case of a man charged with the murder of an Asian woman has been transferred to the High Court in Suva Wang Qi Yong appeared before Magistrate Liyanage Wickramasekara this afternoon at the Suva Magistrates Court. Mr Yong is charged with one count of murder. It is alleged that the accused allegedly murdered the woman...
Advisory: Planned closure for Natewa West Coast Road
THE Fiji Roads Authority will close off the Natewa West Coast Road in Cakaudrove for culvert repair works. The closure will take place on Thursday night, this week to allow contractors to attend to necessary maintenance works. The FRA has asked motorists to organise and use other options of travelling through this area during the...
Nadi footpath upgrade to begin tomorrow
MEMBERS of the public are being advised that Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) contractors will be commencing night works on Naitavo Lane, Nadi Town for footpath upgrading works from 7:30pm till 5:30am daily from Wednesday May 22 to Monday, May 27, 2019. According to the FRA CEO, Jonathan Moore the programme is aimed at improving pedestrian access...
NZ fashion designer impressed with Fijian culture of weaving
CLOSE to 30 local female weavers and fashion designers were part of a one day workshop this morning in Suva in collaboration with Fiji Fashion Week 2019. The workshop was facilitated by New Zealand’s renowned weaver and fashion designer Shona Tawhiao. She is an expert in traditional Maori raranga weaving techniques and methods. Ms Tawhiao’s...
Weather watch: Heavy rain alert for Northern Lau
A HEAVY rain alert remains in force for Northern Lau Group, Vanua Levu, Taveuni and nearby smaller islands. The weather bulletin issued this morning from the National Weather Forecasting Centre in Nadi also maintained a strong wind warning remains in force for the land areas of eastern Vanua Levu. The bulletin says Tropical Depression TD12F...
Ligairi laments Mr South Pacific’s demise
VETERAN bodybuilder Inoke Ligairi will surely miss his fellow mate and reigning Mr South Pacific, Jekesoni Yanuyanudrua who passed away over the weekend in Australia. Ligairi who confirmed receiving the news of Yanuyanudrua’s demise said he still couldn’t believe what had transpired. “I am still coming in to terms on his sudden death; he was...
Auditor-General: Backlog of audits poses challenge
A significant challenge for the Office of the Auditor-General has been the backlog of audits which they are improving upon. This was highlighted by Auditor-General Ajay Nand during a submission to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on the Office of the Auditor-General’s 2018 annual report yesterday. According to last year’s annual report, during the...
Viral flu warning
THE most vulnerable population to get exposed to the acute viral infection (AVI) are the very young and the elderly, says Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete. He said the flu that was currently making its rounds was a continuation from the last AVI. “I think it’s just the same one going around.” Dr Waqainabete said...
Safe drinking water for three schools
THREE schools in Drauniivi, Ra, could now enjoy safe drinking water straight from a tap after a generous gift from world renowned company Fiji Water. The schools — Vatukaloko Secondary School, Drauniivi Primary School and Drauniivi Kindergarten — were gifted with a new $32,000 water system that supplied water daily to each school. Through the...
Sasau wants friendly environment for HIV/AIDS victims
TEMO SASAU, who has been living with HIV for the past 12 years, has called on faith-based organisations to not only pray for people living with the virus but to assure them of God’s love and acceptance. His comment follows an experience he encountered in 2008 when a pastor stopped him from sharing his experience...
One-year-old diagnosed with HIV
A ONE year two-month-old infant has been diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the youngest so far recorded in the North. The infant is among the eight new cases recorded from August last year to May this year for the division. The North has recorded a total of 107 cases this year compared with 99...
Rabuka presents petition to Guterres
OPPOSITION Leader Sitiveni Rabuka presented a petition to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last week, describing its content as the “cry of the indigenous people of Fiji”. Signed by the Marama Bale Na Roko Tui Dreketi, Ro Teimumu Kepa and the Tui Cakau, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, the 15-page petition, Mr Rabuka said, was aimed at...
Former FJFW student winner to showcase collection
ONE of the highlights in the Fiji Fashion Week Campaign this year will be the return of Laisiasa Davetawalu who will showcase his new spring summer 2020 collection. Davetawalu is returning from Sydney, Australia, after completing his Bachelor of Fashion Design. He was the winner of the FJFW student designer of the year in 2016,...
Young and elderly exposed to viral infection
THE most vulnerable population to get exposed to Acute Viral Infection (AVI) are the very young and the elderly, says Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete. And as the country entering its cold season, Dr Waqainabete urged Fijians to be wary not to catch the cold. Common symptoms of AVI include chills, sweating, dehydration, headache, muscle...
Collective action to protect natural resources
IT is about that we take collective action to safeguard and protect our natural resources from the impacts of improper waste management, says iTaukei Affairs Board deputy officer Josefa Toganivalu. He made this remarks while officiating at the opening the litter prevention officers enforcement and bi annual training held at the Peninsula Hotel in Suva...
Torika wins top award
FORMER local journalist Torika Tokalau is the first Fijian to win an award at New Zealand’s premier media industry event, the Voyager Media Awards. Receiving the Community Journalist of the Year award at the annual ceremony in Auckland last Saturday, Ms Tokalau was ranked among the best of New Zealand’s journalists in 2018. Speaking from...
Green source power
RURAL villages should start transitioning to green sources of power and reduce its dependence on fossil fuel. That is what Beqa islander, Jonacani Dabea believes in. Jonacani manages Rukua Village’s daily solar and diesel power supply. On a sunny day, solar panels provide villagers with power, between 9am and 6pm, while a diesel generator provides...
20th May
Pigeon shooting season begins this Saturday
THE season for pigeon shooting commences this Saturday, confirms Agriculture Minister Mahendra Reddy. The season commences on May 25 to June 15 in accordance with Section 5 of the Birds and Game Protection Act Cap 170. “The ministry also advises that a person shall not take or kill more than five pigeons per day during...
More female graduates in 2016, a first for FNU
MORE than 1629 female graduates from the Fiji National University (FNU) in 2016 outnumbered the 1604 males who graduated in the same year. This was labelled as a first in the university’s history during discussions in Parliament on the Fiji National University 2016 annual report. Standing Committee on Social Affairs chairman Viam Pillay said the...
15 years imprisonment for rape
SEXUAL exploitation of a young person is one of the most humiliating and distressing crimes. High Court judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe highlighted this while sentencing Nacanieli Natadra to 15 years imprisonment after being convicted of abduction of young person, sexual assault and rape at the High Court in Lautoka last Friday. Justice Rajasinghe said the...
Grouper fish seasonal ban begins in June
OVER the weekend, enforcement officers from the Fisheries Ministry went around reminding fishermen that the seasonal ban on on Kawakawa (grouper) and Donu (Coral Trout) begins on June 1, 2019. Fishermen were also warned that caught harvesting, selling or buying the banned species will face hefty penalties. Awareness on Kawakawa (grouper) and Donu (Coral Trout)...
Temporary closure of the Natewa West Coast Road
MEMBERS of the public are being advised that the Natewa West Coast Road in Vanua Levu will be temporarily closed from 7:30pm on Thursday, May 23 to 5am, Friday, May 24, 2019. Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) in a statement stressed that this is a planned closure that will allow its contractors to carry out culvert...
