April 8, 1991
Adi Kuini to quit party leadership
Coalition leader Adi Kuini Bavadra yesterday announced her resignation as party leader. The announcement comes about 16 months after she took over as National Federation Party/Labour Party Coalition leader and about three months after her surprise engagement to Australian businessman Clive Speed.
Her resignation becomes effective soon after her wedding to Mr Speed in Canberra on the 27th of this month.
NFP leader and Coalition deputy Harish Sharma will head the party until a new leader is selected.
Adi Kuini, 41, told The Fiji Times she was resigning because she "wants to settle down with her new husband and her family.
At least she emphasised that she wasn't leaving politics: "I'm coming back, it's only a temporary break."
Sugar industry at 'crossroads'
The Fiji sugar industry is at crossroads and important decisions need to be taken about its future structure according to a report by Landell Mills commodity study team.
The report states that changes in procedures and institutional arrangements are needed throughout the industry to maintain Fiji's status as one of the 10 lowest cost sugar producing nations in the world.
A summary of the report was tabled at the Sugar Cane Growers Council annual meeting at Lautoka on Saturday. The council agreed to defer discussions on it until the final report is released next month.
April 8, 1997
NLTB money mess
It may now take even longer than originally promised for the Native Lands Trust Board to bring its annual reports from 1990 to 1996.
Yesterday Marika Qarikau the ALTA coordinator who is also responsible for the board's annual accounts said that his time was taken up more with ALTA.
He said that while a statement of accounts for 1990 had been compiled but not officially released, annual reports for 1990-1996 would be compiled as one part of one report.
"Other officers were working on the report," he said yesterday.
But he referred further queries to the board secretary Serupepeli Naqase or general manager Ratu Mosese Volavola.
Police exhume baby's body
Savusavu police have exhumed the body of a seven month old girl who was buried without police being informed.
Her body is expected to be taken to Labasa Hospital today for a post mortem examination to be carried out by pathologists from Suva.
Police said the baby, who was reportedly fought diarrhoea for three months died last Thursday and was buried by her father beside their house at Natewa, near Savusavu.
Divisional Police Commander Northern Sailasa Raivakadua confirmed last night that police had exhumed the body after being told about it by a Savusavu doctor.
April 8, 2000
Fijian soldiers missing in US
'Homebound five disappear in transit'
Five Fijian soldiers have gone missing in the United States of America while on their way home from Lebanon.
A senior officer of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces said the five were sent home to answer charges pertaining to an incident where they were caught fighting outside a pub in Lebanon.
The officer said the soldiers were coming home to face a court martial after the military police investigated the incident.
"The Lebanese men involved in the incident complained to commanding officers who order the investigations," the officer said.
He said they were put on a flight from Lebanon and sent home via the United States.
Tight security at soccer tourney
Soccer fans have been assured of tight se
curity at the Melanesian Cup tournament
which kicks off today at Prince Charles Park.
Fiji Football Association official Bob Kumar said they have hired security officers who would be assisted by the police during the week-long tournament.
The winner and runners up of the tournament will participate in the Oceania Cup to be hosted by Tahiti from June 20-28.