The Fiji Times

Vietnam government says needs $133.3 billion for power projects by 2030

HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam will need to invest up to $133.3 billion in new power plants and transmission networks over the next decade to meet the country’s rising demand, the government said on Monday. Of the total, $96 billion is needed to build new power plants and $37.3 billion to expand its power grid, the...

Greek police probe aid workers on Lesbos island

ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek police have opened an inquiry into the activities of aid workers facilitating what authorities said were illegal entries into the country through the island of Lesbos. Greece was on the front line of a huge surge of refugees and migrants to Europe in 2015 and 2016, many through its outlying islands...

U.S CDC warns of leptospirosis outbreak in Fiji

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning on the outbreak of leptospirosis in Fiji. Health officials in Fiji have reported an outbreak of leptospirosis, most cases have been recorded in the Central and Northern divisions, states the CDC on its website. In response to the outbreak, the Fiji Ministry of...

Senior officers undergo month-long corporal’s qualifying course

Some 75 senior police officers will be undergoing a month-long Corporal’s Qualifying Course at the Fiji Police Academy. Acting Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu officiated at the official opening ceremony and noted the importance of the course to those holding frontline supervisory roles. “The rank you hold demands consistency in providing professional service and you...

Turkey prepares second indictment of six Khashoggi murder suspects – media

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish prosecutors have prepared a second indictment in connection with the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, naming six new Saudi nationals as suspects, broadcaster CNN Turk and other media said on Monday. Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was last seen at the Saudi...

Weather watch: Rain forecast to affect the country

Keep those umbrellas and raincoats handy today as the weatherman has forecast rain for later today. The national weather forecasting centre in Nadi says a trough of low pressure remains slow moving just to the west of Fiji, and associated cloud and rain are expected to affect the country from later today. The forecast to...

Australia’s virus hotspot sees five new cases, on track for Christmas opening

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia’s coronavirus hotspot Victoria recorded a single digit rise in new cases for the first time in three months on Monday and lifted some of the state’s tough restrictions, as it aims for near-normal conditions by Christmas. Australia’s second-most populous state reported just five new cases and three deaths from COVID-19 in...

India’s coronavirus infections cross six million

BENGALURU (Reuters) – India’s coronavirus case tally topped 6 million after it reported 82,170 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed on Monday. Deaths from COVID-19 rose by 1,039 in the last 24 hours to 95,542, the ministry said, which is 1.6% of total cases. Globally, India has the...

Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes kill at least 16, undermine regional stability

YEREVAN/BAKU (Reuters) – At least 16 military members and several civilians were killed on Sunday in the heaviest clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan since 2016, reigniting concern about stability in the South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to world markets. The clashes between the two former Soviet republics, which fought a...

Yemen’s warring parties agree to their largest prisoner swap as U.N. seeks ceasefire

GLION, Switzerland (Reuters) – The U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen wants to build on Sunday’s announcement of the largest prisoner exchange agreement in the five-year conflict to pave the way for a national ceasefire and a political solution to end the war, he said.Yemen’s warring parties agreed to exchange 1,081 prisoners, including 15 Saudis, as...

Fuel supplier urges need for oil spill response plan

A marine oil spill contingency plan should be in place for any company which operates in the maritime sector. This was according to a statement from Pacifi c Energy as it had held a marine oil spill exercise on World Maritime Day last Thursday at the Port Denarau Marina in Nadi. According to the company,...

Bulalicious active wear brand turns five

The Fiji-based active wear brand Bulalicious turned five years old on the weekend. Creative director and owner Lauren Jagger said in a statement how over the years they appreciated the many challenges and changes which had come with running an online business. These included changes in logos, factories, to originally only shipping within Fiji and...

COVID ‘worry’ over Blue Lane

There is still a lot of worry and anxiety over the arrivals of foreign vessels under the Blue Lane initiative despite its success. Port Denarau Marina chief executive offi cer Cynthia Rasch said the processes involved in ensuring the safety of Fijians should alleviate these concerns. “There is a lot of stigma around what the...

WOWS receives financial help

Fifteen children in the Western Division are living with cancer and most have completed their treatments. This was made known to generous donors and members of the Lautoka Golf Club who gave financial contributions to Fijian children living with cancer during the inaugural Islands Electric-sponsored WOWS Kids Fiji Golf Tournament. Tournament organiser and Lautoka businessman...

New lawyers told to uphold ethics

Seventeen newly-admitted legal practitioners of the University of Fiji Law School were reminded of the importance of integrity and dignity an ideal trait in the legal fraternity. Speaking at their admission ceremony on Thursday last week, Acting Chief Justice Kamal Kumar said the legal profession was considered a noble one. He reminded the lawyers that...

Plane crash claims a life

The Vanuabalavu plane crash in 1986 was considered the second major air disaster which domestic airline, Fiji Air, had been involved in. The crash claimed the life of Fewini Veikoso and was covered by this newspaper. The Fiji Times report on Friday, September 12, 1986 highlighted Fewini Veikoso was to attend the funeral of a...

Clan wants answers

The development of land belonging to a tokatoka along the Queens highway for a residential subdivision has been put on hold because landowners want Fiji Pine Ltd to come clean on a lease renewal conducted on a portion of their land in 2016. Clan member Renee Duguivalu of Tau, Nadroga, made the issue known to...

Communication hinders outreach

Access to communication continues to be a barrier for community health workers in rural and maritime areas. Divisional medical officer Western Dr Susana Nakalevu noted this while closing the week-long Live More Abundantly (LMA) training program for nurses and community health workers in Lautoka recently. “There are challenges which we, in the ministry, are analysing...

‘Our oceans are the bedrock of our tourism’

Maintaining the health of Fiji’s ocean is just as important as the country’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan, says Tourism Minister Faiyaz Koya. He made the comment while officiating at the World Maritime Day celebrations at Port Denarau, Nadi, yesterday. Mr Koya said rebuilding in a sustainable manner and protecting Fiji’s marine environment was critical for...

Communities learn food preservation

Drought-affected communities in the Western Division learnt how to preserve and store food during the dry season at a workshop organised by the Adventists Development Relief Agency (ADRA) Fiji in Ba recently. ADRA Fiji Wai Pro Resilience Project manager Ilimeleki Kaiyanuyanu said the training was organised to teach community representatives food preservation during the dry...

‘Wait for agarwood research’

Agarwood farmers have been told to put their plans in developing the lucrative scented wood on hold pending research by the Ministry of Forestry which is expected to be completed by December next year. Forests Ministry director for silviculture research and development division Jale Tauraga said there were many assumptions made by farmers which were...

Urban drift impacts islanders

With a population of 56, villagers of Teci on Yasawa-i- Rara are feeling the impact of urban drift. Village headman Sione Rebakula said: “Last year we had four families move out solely because they want better education standards for their children. “With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had some villagers return to the island, but...

Framework for iqoliqoli payments

A framework governing the payment of goodwill to traditional fishing rights owners has been submitted to Cabinet, says Fisheries Minister Semi Koroilavesau. He made the comment during a talanoa session with Teci villagers in Yasawa recently. Mr Koroilavesau told villagers that the framework would ensure that traditional fishing rights owners were paid fairly for the...

‘Lack of opportunities available’

We suffer from a dearth of opportunities on Vanua Levu, says Sandalwood Bay Farm owner Laisa Bale. She made the comments during the Fiji Farmers Forum held at the South Sea Orchids farm in Nadi last Thursday. Ms Bale said farmers like her diversifying to different forms of farming was difficult because of the very...

Work of art

Alifereti Malai’s life is as colourful as the pieces he paints. His art is a reflection of a life that went through twists and turns, and the fact that he emerged unscathed through it all, is testimony to his strength and character. The 54-year-old said he spent his younger days hustling in the streets of...

Humble beginnings

One of the country’s largest distributors of office and school equipment, Al-Hamd Smart Living, has cemented its place in Fiji’s business landscape. The Nadi-based company is run by managing director Ashfaaq Ahmad Khan and matriarch Shamshad Begum, who is also a director of the company. Recalling the family’s humble beginnings, Mr Khan said his family...

Taking a hit

Australia leaves Fiji to flounder Fiji’s fiscal year begins in August, and the government brought down its 2020- 21 budget in July. The most striking feature of that budget is that total expenditure in the coming year is budgeted to be virtually unchanged compared with the preceding two years. Adjusting for (mild) inflation, expenditure in...

Tens of thousands rally against Belarus president in ‘people’s inauguration’

MINSK (Reuters) – Masked police dragged people into vans and fired stun grenades and tear gas to disperse crowds as tens of thousands marched for a seventh straight weekend to demand veteran Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko quit. Protesters chanted “impostor” and “Sveta is our president” as they marched through Minsk and other cities decked out...

TISI Sangam commended for its commitment in promoting unity and diversity

The India Sanmarga Ikya (TISI) Sangam, one of Fiji’s largest sociocultural and educational organisations has been commended for its remarkable contributions towards cultural diversity and humanity. The organisation organised its Annual Firewalking Festival and Annual pooja ceremony held at the Shri Raja Maha Mariamman Temple in Howell Road, Suva yesterday. The event was attended by...

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WHO announces rapid tests to be made available to low and middle-income countries