Local News
New access roads promised to Navunisole farmers
FARMERS in Navunisole Village in Tailevu will soon have better access to farm and market after the construction of 1.5km of farm road. Minister for Agriculture Dr Mahendra Reddy made this assurance during an informal...
E-passport delayed
THE Government’s new E-passport that was expected to be on rolled out next Monday will be delayed. It was announced that on August 26, the new e-passport will be launched. However, because of the latest features and the new system, the department will organise familiarisation training for the authorities, which will take approximately seven to...
RFMF commissions new officers
THE Republic of the Fiji Military Forces Commander Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto today commissioned 17 young men and women as officers. Speaking at the commissioning parade at Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Delainabua, he said the achievement came with dignity and honour. He said today would be etched in the hearts of the 17 young men...
FNPF owns 20 per cent shares in EFL
THE Fiji National Provident Fund now owns 20 per cent of shares within Energy Fiji Limited after purchasing 100 million shares from the company. Valued at $220million, the 20 per cent shares are part of the 44 per cent shares that were divested by Government. Speaking during the signing ceremony for the partial divestment of...
Police yet to charge Labasa man accused of killing his wife
POLICE have not charged the man accused of murdering his wife in Wainikoro, Macuata. Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro said the post-mortem examination was conducted this morning. “The suspect is yet to be charged and he remains in police custody,” Ms Naisoro said. The suspect allegedly killed his wife after hacking her to death several times...
High Court denies sports celebrity’s second bail application
LOCAL sports celebrity Justin Ho’s second bail application was refused by Justice Daniel Goundar in the High Court in Lautoka today. Mr Ho and co-accused former Fiji Airways flight attendant Frederick Epeli has been charged with one count of attempted unlawful exportation of illicit drugs. It is alleged that on December 23, 2018, the duo...
434 participants graduate with basic skills
A TOTAL of 434 participants of the Sustainable Lively Hood project from Kalabu Village graduated today. While officiating at the graduation ceremony, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Disaster Management and Meteorological Services Jone Usamate said the short courses offered by the Fiji National University’s National Productivity and Training Center were tailored to equip those living in...
Nair: Recruitment of women officers have improved
FIJI Police Force Assistant Commissioner Assistant Superintendent Itendra Nair says police have improved in its recruitment of women over the past three years. He said women made up about 25 per cent of the Force while men comprised the remaining 75 per cent. “While we encourage the recruitment of women into the Police Force, we...
Fiji welcomes Japan’s training squadron
THE Training Squadron (TS) of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) arrived at the Kings Wharf in Suva today with 600 personnel on board the two naval ships – Kashima and Inazuma – with 200 newly-commissioned Japanese navy officers. During the welcoming ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to Fiji Masahiro Omura said the visit by the training squadron...
‘Helpless’ dad hid in a drain as he heard daughter’s scream for help
NARENDRA Prasad hid in a drain and cried as he heard his daughter Saleshni Devi scream for help as she was attacked by her husband with a cane knife. “I was so frightened, I could not even move,” the 67-year-old farmer of Labasa told The Fiji Times. “I was standing behind our house when I...
Kumar: Minimal instances of child labour and human trafficking in Fiji
FIJI is concerned about the widespread problem of human trafficking and child labour in many parts of the world. Employment Minister Parveen Kumar said Fiji was fortunate it had not faced the full brunt of the problem. He said Fiji had minimal instances of child labour and human trafficking. “Globally, we are all deeply concerned...
FSC: Labasa continues to be best performing mill
LABASA continues to be the best performing mill so far this season, says the Fiji Sugar Corporation. Of the total 611,339 tonnes of cane crushed so far in all three sugar mills, Labasa has crushed 263,282 tonnes of cane and produced 26,594 tonnes of sugar at a TCTS (tonnes cane to tonnes sugar) of 9.9....
Rakai: More women judicial officers needed
FIJI Women Lawyers Association (FWLA) president Mere Rakai says more needs to be done for women empowerment when accessing justice. “We still do not see a lot of women in CEOs and management positions,” she said while speaking on the second day of the Pacific Regional Legal Aid Commission Conference in Sigatoka yesterday. “In terms...
A-G: Workers exploited by employers will seek legal aid services
WITH the rise in foreign workers entering Fiji, legal aid services would be sought by those who found themselves being exploited by their employers, says Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. He said Fiji had seen a rise in foreign workers in the construction industry, and there have been a few cases of workers being taken advantage of....
600-plus inmates are members of the Methodist Church
A TOTAL of 604 inmates incarcerated in Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) facilities around the country are members of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma. During the church’s annual conference at the Centenary Methodist Church, Suva, yesterday, it was also revealed that rape was the most common type of offence committed by those who had...
Lautoka mill’s record crush
THE Fiji Sugar Corporation’s Lautoka mill crushed a record 6400 tonnes of cane on August 17. Acting CEO Manoj Ram said it was a testament to the hard work being done by the FSC team. As of yesterday, the total amount of cane crushed at all three mills – Labasa, Lautoka and Rarawai – was...
Church conference told of most common offence
RAPE is the most common type of offence committed by inmates who belong to the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma. This was revealed by the chaplain from the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS), Reverend Josefa Tikonatabua, at the church’s annual conference in Suva yesterday. Mr Tikonatabua said the top three offences committed by inmates who...
NFA submits PA Lal fire report to Police
THE National Fire Authority has submitted a file of their investigations to police on the fire that destroyed PA Lal Holdings Limited in Walu Bay, Suva, last month. NFA chief fire officer Qionilau Moceitai said they had found out the cause of the fire, and activities being carried out in the workshop like welding that let...
Dad hid in a drain as his daughter was allegedly attacked
NARENDRA Prasad hid in a drain and cried as he heard his daughter Saleshni Devi scream for help as she was allegedly hacked to death by her husband. “I was so frightened, I could not even move,” the 67-year-old Wainikoro, Labasa, farmer said. “I was standing behind our house when I saw my son-in-law walk...
Methodist Church conference discusses school chaplain issue
OF the 24 Methodist Church-run schools in the country, only 10 school heads belong to the faith. And discussions during the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma annual conference in Suva yesterday remained focused on the idea of having principals that belonged to the faith. President Reverend Dr Epineri Vakadewavosa said church leaders played a...
Record crush at Lautoka mill
THE Fiji Sugar Corporation’s Lautoka mill crushed a record 6400 tonnes of cane on August 17. Acting CEO Manoj Ram said it was a testament to the hard work being done by the FSC team. As of yesterday, the total amount of cane crushed at all three mills – Labasa, Lautoka and Rarawai – was...
Vaivai Bandrama residents hope to receive piped water soon
MORE than 700 people living in Vaivai Bandrama, about 10km from Lautoka City, are living in the hope that they will receive piped water soon. Community spokesperson Pundit Mahen Sharma said the area has never had reticulated supply and residents have been using a nearby creek for bathing and other necessities. “We have been asking...
WAF: Ba community could receive piped water from 2022
A BA community facing clean and safe drinking water problems could receive piped water supply from the Water Authority of Fiji by 2022. Responding to queries from this newspaper, WAF said the area along Tukuraki Road – which includes the beleagured community of Tabataba – was part of its Public Sector Investment Program plans for the...
22nd August
Fiji Police chief attends Pacific conference
COMMISSIONER of Police Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho and other senior superintendents of police and staff officers are attending the 48th Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Conference in American Samoa. The conference brings together Chiefs, Commissioners from the PICP’s 21-member countries where they will be taking a collaborative approach towards addressing policing issues in the region. Fiji...
Fiji calls for multi-sectoral approach to end child labour
THE Fijian Government has called on stakeholders, non-government organisations and the civil society for a multi-sectoral approach to eliminate child labour, forced labour and modern slavery from our societies. Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Parveen Kumar made this call while officiating at the two-day forum on National Strategic Planning Forum to develop a...
Fiji’s PRUN to chair Working Group on Trafficking in Persons
FIJI’S Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Nazhat Shameem Khan has been appointed as the chair of the Working Group on Trafficking in Persons at the United Nations Organisation for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna. The Working Group was established to strengthen compliance internationally with the Protocol on Trafficking in Persons. Speaking...
LTA issues TINs for parking on footpaths
THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) has issued Traffic Infringement Notices (TINs) on vehicles parked on footpaths. LTA chief executive officer Samuel Simpson said vehicle owners who parked their vehicles on footpaths could damage the kerbs and the pavement proper. He said the Fiji Roads Authority would also prosecute those who damaged the road infrastructure, including...
FRA to carry out final road works in Lami
THE Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) will carry out the final road works in Lami tomorrow from 9am to 3pm. In a statement, FRA has stated that works would resume on Friday evening after the peak hour from 7pm through to mid-morning Saturday, August 24. “As a consequence, the road will be reduced to a single...
Cloud system to ensure farmers’ connectivity
VODAFONE Fiji Limited formally launched a cloud system with the Sugar Cane Growers Fund in Lautoka today. Vodafone’s head of Enterprise Development Antonio Kitione said the Infrastructure as a Service for Sugar Cane Growers Fund was a huge step forward for the organisation. He said under the system, Vodafone – as the cloud provider –...
63 Fijian firefighters graduate
SIXTY-three new firefighters graduated today after successfully completing a 10-week basic recruit training. While officiating at the event, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Defence and National Security Manasa Lesuma said today was a special day for all the new recruits. He said it was encouraging to see the overwhelming support from families who turned...
