News
13th December
Chilean Air Force finds debris believed to be from missing plane
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – The Chilean Air Force said on Wednesday it had located debris believed to be from a cargo plane that crashed this week with 38 people aboard over a remote stretch of frigid...
Claims of LGBTQI community openly persecuted continuously
DESPITE developments in the country, Fijians continue to shun and openly persecute members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTQI) community, claims DIVA for Equality’s Frances Tawake. Ms Tawake said in her work as a human rights activist, she had met members of the community who had been rejected from their families...
Germany contradicts Russia over Georgian murdered in Berlin
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany contradicted Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, saying it was not aware Russia had requested the extradition of a Georgian man who was murdered in Berlin in August. In an escalation in already tense relations, Germany last week expelled two employees at the Russian embassy in Berlin, saying Moscow was not...
Tremors worsen on New Zealand volcano island, prevent recovery of bodies
WHAKATANE, New Zealand (Reuters) – Increasing tremors on a volcanic island in New Zealand on Wednesday heightened the risk of another massive eruption, preventing the recovery of bodies two days after an eruption engulfed dozens of tourists in steam and hot ash. Six people were killed in Monday’s explosion at White Island, which lies some...
India’s parliament passes citizenship law, protests flare
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s Hindu nationalist government on Wednesday won parliamentary approval for a far-reaching citizenship law that critics say undermines the country’s secular constitution by excluding Muslims. Violence broke out in the ethnically diverse northeast while parliament debated the bill, as protesters against the legislation clashed with police. It is the third key...
Suu Kyi in court as genocide case set out against Myanmar
THE HAGUE (Reuters) – Mass rapes, the burning alive of Muslim Rohingya families in their homes and the killing with knives of dozens of children were described by Gambia’s legal team as it set out its genocide case against Myanmar at the U.N.’s highest court on Tuesday. Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel...
12th December
Fleeing Rohingya on trial in Myanmar for ‘illegal travel’
PATHEIN, Myanmar (Reuters) – Dozens of Rohingya Muslims appeared in a Myanmar court on Wednesday to face charges of traveling illegally after they were arrested while fleeing apartheid-like conditions in the country’s Rakhine state. The group of 93, including 23 children, were brought to court on the same day that Myanmar’s leader, Aung San Suu...
China’s U.N. envoy says ‘imperative’ Security Council ease sanctions on North Korea
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said it is “imperative” that the United Nations Security Council ease sanctions on North Korea in a bid to support talks between Pyongyang and the United States and “head off a dramatic reversal” of the situation. “It is imperative that this council take action and invoke...
Lautoka unplanned outage due to truck pulling down EFL overhead lines
AN unplanned power outage that occurred this morning in Lautoka was due to Smak Works Limited tip truck breaking Energy Fiji Limited (EFL) overhead power lines at the Navutu Industrial area, Lautoka. EFL acting Chief Executive Officer, Bobby Naimawi said the accident caused power disruption residents in the surrounding areas who are provided electricity supply...
Spain’s Sanchez accepts mandate to try and form government amid fragmented parliament
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday that he had accepted a mandate from the king to try and form a government, and would reach out to other parties starting next week to drum up support amid a deeply fragmented parliament. “There’s no other alternative possible,” said Sanchez. The process...
French PM defies unions with pension overhaul, they pledge more strikes
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s prime minister said on Wednesday its people should work two years longer to get a full pension, drawing a hostile response from trade unions who said they would step up strike action to force an about-turn. In a speech that followed days of protests and industrial action, Edouard Philippe outlined an...
Five men to front court to assaulting a police officer
FIVE men are expected to appear at the Suva Magistrates Court tomorrow for allegedly assaulting a police officer. The five who have been charged with one count each of serious assault are alleged to have assaulted a police officer based in Suva during a carnival in Navua last Saturday sustaining injuries to his head and...
Chilean Air Force finds debris believed to be from missing plane
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – The Chilean Air Force said on Wednesday it had located debris believed to be from a cargo plane that crashed this week with 38 people aboard over a remote stretch of frigid sea between South America and the Antarctic. The debris was found 30 kilometers south of where the plane last made...
Stolen items seized by Police in Nasinu raid
ITEMS believed to be stolen were seized during separate raids conducted by police in the Nasinu. According to Police the raid was conducted by the Southern Division Task Force on Tuesday and items recovered included laptops, mobile phones, hard drives and other gadgets. Police say the three suspects are currently being questioned at the Valelevu...
Brazil president Bolsonaro says has a possible skin cancer
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday that he has a possible skin cancer, after a medical visit where he had a mole removed from his ear. The president said he was in good health but had been advised to cancel a trip to Salvador, in the state of Bahia, due to...
FHTA charity funds to assist in construction of orphanage home
FUNDS raised at the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (FHTA) Charity Golf Day were handed over to the St Christopher’s Home for Children today. FHTA chief executive officer Fantasha Lockington said the funds would go towards the construction of a new home for young male orphans who are currently required to leave the orphanage in...
U.S. tells U.N. it is ready to be flexible in North Korea talks, warns against provocations
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States is ready “to simultaneously take concrete steps” toward a deal aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programs, but the Security Council must be prepared to respond to any provocations, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Wednesday. The 15-member Security...
Putin, Erdogan pledge to continue military cooperation: Kremlin
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan pledged to continue cooperation in the military and energy spheres, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, The pledge, made in a phone call, comes after a Turkish presidential spokesman said American legislation to impose sanctions against Turkey will not affect Ankara’s use of...
Savuto’s gift of love
WITH whatever negativity you go through in life you come out stronger with love. This was highlighted by Fiji’s ‘Vude Prince’, Savuto Vakadewavosa who has a new album that is expected to be officially launched tomorrow at Suva’s Vineyard restaurant. Savuto said his newest album with a Christmas title, Nai Loloma is a holiday album....
2019 Industry Day opened at Denarau
TOURISM Minister Premila Kumar says events such as the Industry Day allows stakeholders to understand how the global tourism landscape is evolving. She shared this while opening the 2019 Industry Day at Denarau Island Sheraton Resort in Nadi today. “It allows us to know who our potential customers are or could be, and how we intend...
‘Dear Donald Trump’: The children’s book in New Zealand PM Ardern’s office
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – The reading pile in New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s office includes a children’s picture book about U.S. President Donald Trump’s border wall. “Dear Donald Trump” tells the tale of a young New Zealand boy who writes a series of unanswered letters to the U.S. president seeking advice about building a wall...
UK Labour cuts Conservative lead ahead of election: poll
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s governing Conservatives have seen their lead over the opposition Labour Party cut to five percentage points, according to a Savanta ComRes poll for The Telegraph newspaper published on the eve of an election. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s party stands unchanged at 41%, according to the survey, whilst Labour was up 3...
US musicians to thank Fijians in rock concert
A NUMBER of musicians from the U.S. will this weekend put on a full-on rock show as a thank-you to the Fijian people at Albert Park. Founder of Yaqara Waters, Bob Bishop said this was a way to thank all the Fijian people for their hospitable nature. “This is going to showcase the history of...
MSMEs encouraged to be part of mahogany industry
LOCAL micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are being encouraged to become a more significant part of the mahogany industry in Fiji. Deputy permanent secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister, Sakeasi Waikere, says Fiji is known to have the world’s non-native mahogany stock in the world and government is eager to capture better...
Death toll from New Zealand volcano eruption rises to 8 as island remains inaccessible
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand officials lifted the death toll from this week’s volcano eruption to eight on Thursday after two victims died in hospital, as ongoing seismic activity prevented teams from accessing the island to recover bodies. Authorities said eight bodies remained on the island and would only be retrieved when it is safe...
Pompeo says Trump warned Russia on election meddling, disputes Lavrov’s account
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their meeting that Moscow’s meddling in America’s elections is unacceptable, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, contradicting Lavrov’s account that the two didn’t discuss elections. Trump on Tuesday met with Lavrov at the White House, a visit that revived...
Missing Talei: Police conduct forensic tests on evidence
FORENSIC tests are being conducted on evidence gathered by investigators in the case of missing three-year-old Talei Raikadroka of Kalekana. Young Talei was reported missing at the Lami Police Station by his grandfather on Saturday November 30, 2019. Police said the forensic tests were being conducted on evidence gathered from the man who is a...
Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is Time’s Person of the Year
NEW YORK/MADRID (Reuters) – Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swede who inspired millions of young people to take action against climate change, has been named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2019. Thunberg launched a grassroots campaign aged 15 by skipping school every Friday to demonstrate outside Swedish parliament, pushing for her government to meet...
Nausori Highlands murder suspect denied bail
NAUSORI Highlands murder suspect, Muhammed Raheesh Isoof was denied bail today. A statement issued by the ODPP said the matter was called today for bail ruling at the High Court in Suva before Justice Daniel Goundar. The accused is charged with five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. It is alleged that...
‘We are reborn’: Bougainville votes for independence from Papua New Guinea
SYDNEY (Reuters) – The South Pacific islands of Bougainville have overwhelmingly voted to be independent from Papua New Guinea, the referendum commission said on Wednesday, in a historic poll that will embolden separatists as they start negotiating the terms of their sovereignty. Almost 98% of the 181,067 votes cast backed independence in the non-binding poll...
