News
Russia dismisses accusations of meddling in EU elections: newspaper
MOSCOW (Reuters) – An official from Russia’s security council described as absurd accusations that Moscow used disinformation to sway voters towards right-wing parties in last month’s European Union elections, Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper reported on Sunday....
UK PM candidates agree: EU exit needed to defeat Brexit Party
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s next prime minister has to take the country out of the European Union to defeat the challenge of Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, five of the six candidates for the job said on Sunday. All of the candidates except frontrunner Boris Johnson were taking part in a televised debate on Channel 4...
Man accused of raping niece further remanded
A 59-YEAR-OLD man charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of rape has been further remanded by the High Court in Suva. The man appeared before Justice Salesi Temo today. It is alleged that the accused committed the offences on his niece between February 1 and February 28, 2019. State lawyer, Swastika...
Pompeo says U.S. does not want war with Iran; pushes for international response
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States does not want to go to war with Iran but will take every action necessary, including diplomacy, to guarantee safe navigation through vital shipping lanes in the Middle East, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday. U.S.-Iran tensions are high following accusations by the administration of U.S. President...
4000 Fijians to benefit from the new Rewa foot crossing
APPROXIMATELY 4000 Fijians from the 12 villages within the Rewa Province will benefit from the new concrete access and foot crossing which was commissioned last Saturday by the Assistant Minister for Rural and Maritime Development, Jale Sigarara. The Rewa Tikina Access Project that was funded by Government through the Office of the Commissioner Central has...
Former Algerian officials questioned over corruption: TV
ALGIERS (Reuters) – Two former powerful Algerian officials and a prominent businessmen were questioned in courts on Sunday, state TV said, over accusations of corruption in the ruling elite under ex-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Protesters and the army drove Bouteflika to resign on April 2 after two decades in power, but pressure has continued for the...
Ministry to implement stray dog control program
THE Ministry of Agriculture would immediately step up its dog control campaigns. Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, Waterways and Environment Dr Mahendra Reddy said this while reiterating Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s message to avoid the repetition the recent attack on Amari Whippy in Nadi by stray dogs. “Stray dogs are domestic dogs that...
Taking aim at Johnson, PM hopefuls make Brexit case
LONDON (Reuters) – Several hopefuls vying to replace British Prime Minister Theresa May turned their fire on favourite Boris Johnson on Sunday, questioning his pledge to leave the European Union by the end of October no matter what. With former London mayor and foreign minister Johnson keeping a low profile, the other candidates have targeted...
Fiji provides the best investment incentives: Ali
INVESTING in Fiji means access to the greater Pacific Region. Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism Shaheen Ali said this while officiating at the opening of the MERCOSUR-ASEAN Chamber of Commerce (MACC) Trade and Technical Mission to Fiji today at the Holiday Inn in Suva. Mr Ali said Fiji is no longer...
Sudan’s Bashir charged with corruption, in first appearance since April
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan’s ex-president Omar al-Bashir was charged with corruption-related offences on Sunday, as he appeared in public for the first time since he was overthrown and detained in April. Looking much the same as prior to his removal by the military, he was driven to the prosecutor’s office in Khartoum. He was charged...
Fijian Parliament: Rabuka calls for appointment of another Minister for Economy
LEADER of Opposition Sitiveni Rabuka has called on Government to appoint a reliable and honest person as the Minister for Economy. Speaking in his capacity as spokesperson for finance in Parliament yesterday on the 2019-2020 National Budget, he said the Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum who is also the economy minister should be thrown out. “The Prime...
Israel to attend U.S.-led Palestinian conference
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israelis will attend a U.S-led conference in Bahrain next week on proposals for the Palestinian economy as part of a coming peace plan, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday. The United States has billed the gathering as a workshop to boost the Palestinian economy as part of a broader effort by...
Fijian Parliament: ’28 percent live below the poverty line’
OPPOSITION Member of Parliament Viliame Gavoka claims the Government did not care for the poor. While delivering his speech on the 2019/2020 National Budget, Mr Gavoka said life was hard for the multitudes in Fiji. He said it has been established that 28 per cent live below the poverty line. “The story of grief by...
Guatemala votes for new president amid tensions over violence, migration
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – Guatemalans on Sunday began voting for a new president, who will face the challenge of curbing drug gang violence that has convulsed the country and helped spur illegal immigration to the United States, fueling tensions with President Donald Trump. Nineteen candidates are competing in the election, which is expected to yield...
Fiji Police K9 handler graduates from NZ
FIJI Police constable Neumi Waqanokonoko has recently completed a six-week training in New Zealand with the support of the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Police and New Zealand Customs. PC Waqanokonoko is currently based at the Fiji Detector Dog Unit (FDDU) in Nadi and graduated with his canine companion Kaleb last...
Forest ministry online services to help ease turn back time
GOOD news for forest stakeholders as the Ministry of Forests revealed this morning its intention to make its services accessible online by July this year. Permanent Secretary for the ministry Pene Baleinabuli said the initiative would help ease the turn back time for those applying for the ministry’s licensing services. “I want us to be...
Pacific Games: Boost for Team Fiji
MOTIBHAI & Company Limited delivered an added boost for Team Fiji to 2019 Pacific Games in the supplying of REXONA deodorant and antiperspirant supplies for the team ahead of the games next month at the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee head office in Suva this morning. “Rexona will not let our athletes...
Libya PM Serraj will not sit down with rival Haftar to end war
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s internationally recognized Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj said on Sunday he was not prepared to sit down with eastern commander Khalifa Haftar to negotiate an end to the two-month offensive against Tripoli. His comments to Reuters suggest low prospects for a ceasefire soon in the battle for Libya’s coastal capital, where Serraj...
Fijian Parliament: No usual morning tea break for MPs
THE Speaker of Parliament, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau didn’t allow Members of Parliament to have their usual tea breaks this morning as Members of Parliament converged to deliberate on the 2019-2020 national budget. The morning tea breaks for the MPs are scheduled for 11.30am. However, Leader of Opposition Sitiveni Rabuka concluded his response to the national...
1000 tonnes of cane crushed in Labasa
THE Labasa Mill has crushed 1000 tonnes of cane over the past five days since the start of the season last week. The Fiji Sugar Corporation confirmed in a response to this newspaper that 56 trucks has supplied cane to the mill. “Cane supply seems to be getting better,” FSC stated. “The mill is expected...
Senior EU diplomat, back from Iran, shows support for nuclear deal
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The EU’s second most senior diplomat affirmed the bloc’s support for the nuclear deal between world powers with Iran, including via the use of a new payment system for barter-based trade designed to circumvent U.S. sanctions. Helga Schmid, the secretary general of European Union external action service, visited Tehran last week. She...
Devil is behind children under 16 seeking gender transitioning: Folau
RUGBY star Israel Folau has continued to criticise homosexuals while also targeting youths undergoing gender treatment during a sermon at his Sydney church on Sunday. The Daily Telegraph claims the axed Wallabies and Waratahs player delivered a sermon at his father’s church on Sunday in which he said the devil is behind children under 16...
Fijian Parliament: ‘The success of my government speaks for itself’
“THE success of my government speaks for itself, there is no collapse.” These were the words of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimama while delivering his response to the 2019-2020 in Parliament this morning. “The Fijian economy and liquidity is more efficient, these are not social media rumors, these are facts,” he said. As Members of Parliament,...
Israel launches ‘Trump Heights’ on Golan, but construction may lag
BERUCHIM, Golan Heights (Reuters) – Israel approved in principle on Sunday a new community named after U.S. President Donald Trump on a contested frontier zone with Syria – but construction looked likely to lag given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political stumbles. The “Trump Heights” project is intended to cement ties after Trump broke with other...
‘Budget is the most important economic policy tool’
THE Fijian Parliament has come a long way in recent years in terms of raising public awareness and access to information. Acting Secretary-General to Parliament, Viniana Namosimalua said this while opening the second day of the workshop on the 2019-2020 National Budget Briefing for Civil Society Organisations held last Friday. “It now uses a modern...
Fijian Parliament: Rabuka highlights ‘giving handouts’ in budget speech
GOVERNMENT’S provision of giving handouts has created an independency syndrome especially among the indigenous people. This was an issue highlighted by the Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka this morning while delivering his response to the 2019-2020 in Parliament. As the Shadow Minister for Economy, he said the current Government doesn’t consider the future of the young...
Argentine president promises investigation following massive blackout
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentine President Mauricio Macri called the massive blackout that left tens of millions in South America without power on Sunday “unprecedented”, and promised a thorough investigation. Argentina’s grid “collapsed” around 7 a.m. local time (1100 GMT), leaving the entire country without power, Argentina’s Energy Secretariat said. The outage also cut electricity...
Three-year-old believed to be latest drowning victim
A THREE-YEAR-OLD child is dead after he allegedly drowned in a river at Senai settlement in Seaqaqa over the weekend. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said the victim was with his grandparent on Saturday evening over the weekend when the tragic incident happened. Ms Naisoro said the victim was later found lying motionless near a river located near...
Fijian Parliament: ‘Issue on NBF has been settled 20 years ago’
THE Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum always sound like a broken record every time he tries to justify their failure with the fall of the National Bank of Fiji. This was highlighted by Opposition Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka while delivering his response to the 2019-2020 national budget this morning. “The budget has failed miserably for the last three...
As Peru tightens its border, desperate Venezuelans cling to asylum lifeline
TUMBES, Peru (Reuters) – Thousands of Venezuelans crossed into Peru despite a crackdown on migrants without passports or visas meant to stem the flood of immigration from their crisis-stricken nation, as many lacking those documents filed asylum requests instead. Venezuela’s economic collapse under President Nicolas Maduro has unleashed the biggest migratory crisis in recent Latin...
