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2nd April
Eleven killed in stampede for food aid in southern Pakistan
KARACHI (Reuters) -Eleven people were killed in a stampede during the distribution of food aid in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Friday, a health official said, one of several such incidents in recent...
Prof Biman attacks FijiFirst for its reckless spending
Development partners like Australia, New Zealand and Japan wrote us large cheques for hundreds of millions of dollars to help us pay bills because they knew we needed help. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad said this in his ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday where he attacked the FijiFirst government for its...
Oscar Pistorius: from ‘Blade Runner’ hero to convicted murderer
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Oscar Pistorius, known as the “Blade Runner” for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs, was denied parole on Friday after he sought early release from prison where he is serving a 13-year sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius, a South African, went from public hero as a Paralympic champion to a convicted...
Work on GCC complex to begin in June – Minister
Work on the Great Council of Chiefs Vale ni Bose complex is scheduled to begin in June this year and should be completed towards the end of 2023, says iTaukei Affairs Minister Ifereimi Vasu. “The basic design and drawings are in the final stage,” he said while speaking in Parliament yesterday during debate on the...
Indian capital to boost COVID-19 testing amid jump in daily cases
(Reuters) – New Delhi will ramp up testing for COVID-19 and encourage the increased use of masks, a local minister said on Thursday, after India recorded its highest daily case count in nearly six months. India recorded 3,016 new cases of the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the federal health ministry said on Thursday,...
PM Rabuka: Ageing ships becoming increasingly expensive to maintain
Ageing ships in the government fleet are becoming increasingly expensive for the state to maintain. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka highlighted the issue while delivering his ministerial speech in Parliament. “Domestic shipping services are the lifeline for our citizens in outer islands to participate in the life of our nation and our economy,” he said. “With...
Mexican migration officer absent as deadly fire began in cell he supervised, guard says
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) – The migration officer supervising the men’s unit of a Mexican migrant detention center where a fire claimed 39 lives had left the building shortly before the incident, a private security guard said in an interview with Reuters. Angelica Hinojosa, a security guard at the center, said government migration officers are...
What’s happening today!
Bula vinaka everyone. Here is another edition of some basic information you may need to know for today. First, here is your weather forecast for today: Weather: Cloudy periods with brief showers over greater Suva/Nausori-Tailevu area, interior Serua-Namosi, Naitasiri, and interior Nadroga/Navosa. Lau and Lomaiviti group and Cakaudrove Elsewhere, fine apart from afternoon or evening...
UN votes to ask world court to rule on national climate obligations
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United Nations General Assembly voted on Wednesday to pass a resolution asking the world’s top court to define the obligations of states to combat climate change, a legal opinion that could drive countries to take stronger measures and clarify international law. The historic resolution seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court...
IMF board approves $15.6 billion loan for Ukraine -statement
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund’s executive board on Friday approved a four-year $15.6 billion financing package for Ukraine as part of a $115 billion total international support package, as Russia’s invasion stretched into a second year, the IMF said. The decision is expected to mobilize large-scale concessional financing from Ukraine’s international donors and...
Argentina restarts poultry exports weeks after bird flu episode
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentina has resumed poultry shipments weeks after imposing an export ban after bird flu was detected in the local industry, state safety regulator Senasa said on Friday, providing access to key export markets for the major agricultural producer. Uruguay approved new export certificates for poultry products from Argentina, Senasa said in its...
U.S. lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill to help news media negotiate with Big Tech
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers reintroduced a bill to allow news organizations to join together to negotiate ad rates with tech giants such as Alphabet Inc’s Google. The measure would allow news broadcasters and publishers with fewer than 1,500 full-time workers to jointly negotiate ad rates — many of which face...
1st April
Twitter makes some of its source code public
(Reuters) -Twitter on Friday made public parts of the computer code that decides how the social media site recommends content, allowing users and programmers a peek into its workings and the ability to suggest modifications to the algorithm. The company said in a blog post it uploaded the code in two repositories on code-sharing platform...
73 per cent of Fiji’s tourism earnings recovered
Fiji has recovered 73 per cent of its tourism earnings ever since it opened its border in 2021. Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka revealed this at the inaugural Fiji Tourism Investment Summit on Denarau Island where he also commended the soaring occupancy rates which continued to track above 2019 levels which was...
Number of dead from Ecuador landslide rises to 23
QUITO (Reuters) – Ecuador’s government on Friday raised the number of dead from a landslide in the Andean city of Alausi to 23, while rescue teams continued to look for missing people. The incident took place on Sunday night in a part of the city, which is located in the province of Chimborazo. The landslide...
$30k jackpot
A Nadi woman walked away with $30,000 in cash after she took part in the Fiji Tattslotto “scratch n win” promotion at the Total Votualevu Tattslotto branch where she bought the winning ticket in February this year. The lucky winner Dilaisa Rata Delana, 43, was officially handed the prize money this week. Company senior manager...
Mexican probe into missing students beset by delays and failure, watchdog says
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican authorities have failed to carry out all arrests ordered by prosecutors over the 2014 disappearance of 43 students and the military has denied access to important information, a rights group said on Friday, expressing concern over continued delays in the investigation. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office in 2018 vowing...
Biden visits tornado-hit Mississippi town
ROLLING FORK, Mississippi (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday consoled families of victims and toured scenes of devastation in a Mississippi town after storms last week killed 26 people and destroyed homes and property in Mississippi and Alabama. Biden and first lady Jill Biden drove through Rolling Fork, Friday afternoon, viewing the damage left...
$44.8m in compensation paid out – Tuinaceva
A total of $44.8 million in compensation has been paid under the no fault scheme since January 1, 2018, of which $30.3 million was for motor vehicles accidents, $13.5m for employment accidents and $500,000 for school accidents. Opposition parliamentarian Naisa Tuinaceva said this in Parliament on Monday during debate on the ‘Review Report of the...
Lal attacks government supporters
Virendra Lal spent the bulk of his maiden speech in Parliament on Monday attacking supporters of the Coalition Government for allegedly making “racist and discriminatory comments” and allegedly making obscene signs in front of the FijiFirst headquarters. “The President in his address spoke about uniting the people of Fiji, however, here we have a government...
Coalition Government aims to be ‘transparent’
The people’s Coalition Government aims to be transparent and will welcome dissenting opinions on difficult choices that lie ahead for the country. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Professor Biman Prasad said they would be upfront with the people of Fiji, unlike the FijiFirst’s style of governance, where problems facing the nation were hidden...
Spain’s Asturias ravaged by fires as authorities blame ‘terrorist’ arsonists
SETIENES, Spain (Reuters) – The lush region of Asturias in northern Spain was ravaged by more than 90 wildfires on Friday, most of them believed to have been started by arsonists whom the region’s leader called “fire terrorists”. Over 600 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blazes and several towns have been evacuated as police...
Trump to face criminal charges in Stormy Daniels hush money probe
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Donald Trump is due to be fingerprinted and photographed in a New York courthouse next week as he becomes the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges in a case involving a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump’s expected appearance before a judge in Manhattan on Tuesday,...
$1.1m worth of farming and sports equipment
The Ministry of Youth and Sports under the previous administration distributed $1.1 million worth of boat, farming and sports equipment around Fiji between January 2018 and December 2022. Current Youth and Sports Minister Jese Saukuru stated this in a written response to questions filed by Assistant Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Sakiusa...
Australia concerned by delays in trial of journalist detained in China
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia said it has “deep concerns” about delays in the case of Australian journalist Cheng Lei who faced a closed door trial in Beijing on national security charges a year ago. Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Friday that Cheng was still waiting to learn the outcome of...
Disillusioned Bulgarians head to polls for fifth time in two years
DEVIN, Bulgaria (Reuters) – In the rugged Rhodope mountains in southern Bulgaria, many voters have little hope that Sunday’s parliamentary election, the nation’s fifth in two years, will produce a stable government able to tackle corruption, inflation and poverty. The latest ballot was announced in January, following three attempts by various political groupings to put...
BOVs crucial to health infrastructure
“An important element to the infrastructure improvements of public hospitals is the active involvement of its Board of Visitors,” says Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu. Speaking at the British High Commissioner’s fundraising event of CWM hospital on Thursday Dr Atonio said their role was similar to a Board of Governors. “Which is to work alongside...
‘Good practice at health centres’
After a successful training approach at six pilot health facilities around the country, the 5S-Kaizen total quality management (TQM) approach has now been introduced to 23 more health facilities. This was mentioned by the medical superintendent at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Dr Luke Nasedra during the 5S-Kaizen TQM seminar at the Holiday Inn last...
Australian man charged over girl taken from outback camp
SYDNEY, 2021 (Reuters) – (This Nov. 4, 2021 story has been updated to comply with an Australian court order to the media.) Australian police charged a 36-year-old man on Thursday with abducting a four-year-old girl from an outback campsite 18 days before she was found safe in a locked house. The man was twice taken...
University of the South Pacific graduates 1786
The Vodafone Arena in Suva was a sea of colours, joy and celebration as the University of the South Pacific held its first graduation for 2023 on Thursday. The Laucala Campus graduation culminated over two days and four sessions with a total of 1786 students graduating with certificates, diplomas, and degrees. The first session was...
