The Fiji Times

Nigerian court denies bail for separatist leader -lawyer

ABUJA (Reuters) -A Nigerian court on Wednesday denied a bail request for separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing trial on terrorism charges and for broadcasting falsehoods, one of his defence lawyers said. A judge said Kanu has to account for his whereabout following previous bail and refusal to attend court hearing, the lawyer told...

Rape report lodged against businessman

A case of alleged rape has been lodged at the Raiwaqa Police Station against a businessman. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said the man is in his 60s. Ms Naisoro said the report was lodged by an employee in her 20s who had alleged the man raped her in his home sometimes at the beginning of...

FICAC charges two with bribery

FICAC has charged two National Fire Authority (NFA) officers from the Lautoka Fire Station with bribery. NFA operations sub-officer Josefa Tora and structural fire safety sub-officer Inoke Raleba appeared in the Lautoka Magistrates Court charged with bribery and aiding and abetting. According to FICAC, Mr Tora was charged with three counts of soliciting an advantage...

Russia expels 27 Spanish diplomats in tit-for-tat move

(Reuters) – Twenty-seven Spanish diplomats must leave Russia within a week, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Spain said in April it would expel some 25 Russian diplomats and embassy staff from Madrid, joining other European Union countries that have ordered Russian officials to leave.

DPP: Superyacht Amadea responsibility of A-G

The superyacht Amadea is the responsibility of the Attorney-General while in Fiji, Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde said. He said this in the Court of Appeal when the Milemarin Investments Ltd appeal of the registration of the United States warrant was called before Justices Eric Basnayake, Susantha Lecamwasam and Almeida Guneratne yesterday. Mr Pryde...

World in no better place to fight pandemics than before COVID – review

LONDON (Reuters) -The world is no better prepared for a new pandemic than it was when coronavirus emerged in 2019 and may actually be in a worse place given the economic toll, according to a panel set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) to evaluate the global response. A lack of progress on reforms...

State approved 10 native land projects

The Government has approved 10 native land development projects under the iTaukei Land Development Grant. Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said in Lautoka yesterday that work on each project had begun. “Of all of the developments we have approved so far, of a total of 10 that are in the pipeline, eight of them are...

Bezos’ Blue Origin delays 5th crewed flight

(Reuters) – Jeff Bezos’ space tourism venture Blue Origin delayed its fifth crewed launch that was scheduled for Friday as one of the New Shepard rocket’s back-up systems did not meet expectations. Blue Origin’s fourth flight landed successfully in March in west Texas after taking six passengers for a 10-minute journey to the edge of...

$900m loan repayments to begin after 10 years

Repayments for “close to $900 million” in loans taken by the Government during the COVID-19 pandemic will begin in 10 years time, says Economy Ministry permanent secretary Shiri Gounder. He said the funds were concessional on zero interest rate and repayments scheduled for the 11th year after they were secured. He said this during a...

Twelve workers killed by wall collapse at India salt factory

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Twelve workers at an Indian salt factory were killed on Wednesday when a 3 metre high wall collapsed on them, government officials said. The incident took place in the town of Morbi in the western state of Gujarat. Police have launched an investigation. “The wall collapsed when the workers were packing...

Fijian landowners given a chance

ITaukei landowners have been given an opportunity to develop their land and earn premium capital from their property. This was made clear during the commissioning of a 15 residential lot property development worth $616,000 in Vuda, Lautoka, yesterday. While commissioning the project, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said the problem was that many landowning units did...

NFP will not form a coalition with FijiFirst – Biman

The National Federation Party will not form a coalition or partnership with the FijiFirst party, says its leader, Professor Biman Prasad. Prof Prasad made the comments while speaking at a party meeting in Malolo, Nadi on Monday night. “The NFP doesn’t want to partner with a party that has brought this country to its knees,”...

Severe drought could pose problems for US power grid this summer -NERC

(Reuters) – The organization responsible for North American electric reliability warned energy shortfalls were possible this summer in California, Texas and the U.S. Midwest where extreme heat from a severe drought could cause power plants to fail. In 2021, numerous extreme weather events stressed the U.S. power grid, including the February freeze in Texas that...

Brazilians take on Braskem in Dutch court over city of cracks

LONDON (Reuters) – A group of Brazilians seeking to sue petrochemicals giant Braskem SA in the Netherlands, after tremors and gaping cracks forced thousands to abandon their homes, will hear in September whether the test case can proceed. Law firm PGMBM, which is bringing the case against Braskem and its Dutch subsidiary in a Rotterdam...

Portugal identifies five monkeypox infections, Spain has 23 suspected cases

LISBON (Reuters) – Portuguese authorities said on Wednesday they had identified five cases of the rare monkeypox infection, and Spain’s health services are testing 23 potential cases after Britain put Europe on alert for the virus. The five Portuguese patients, out of 20 suspected cases, are all stable. They are all men and they all...

Canada says China removes restrictions on imports of canola seed

(Reuters) – China has removed restrictions on imports of Canadian canola seed that were put in place three years ago, Canadian officials said on Wednesday. “Canada has been advised that China has reinstated access to its market for two Canadian companies that China Customs had suspended from exporting canola seed to China since March 2019,”...

Digital platform: ‘Has done more harm than good’

President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere believes the digital platform has done Fijian society more harm than good. He said this while speaking to parents and students of Bua Central College during their prefects induction ceremony on Wednesday. “In this day and age, there are many factors that we can consider challenges but I strongly believe that...

Vesivesi residents complain of dirty water on tap

Vesivesi road residents in Kinoya experienced receiving dirty water in their taps for a few hours last night. Kinoya resident Mary Batita, 52, said water had been dirty since 5pm earlier in the afternoon. “My daughter was washing her clothes and the whole tub was filled with brown water,” Ms Batita said. “My friend who...

London City Airport brings forward net zero target to 2030

LONDON (Reuters) – London’s City Airport has vowed to become net zero by 2030, accelerating an original goal of 2050 to get ahead of what it believes will be a move by large corporations to cut flying to reduce emissions, threatening its business travel. Located beside former dockyards a few miles east of the Canary...

Rehab work underway on Moala RORO jetty

Members of the public are being advised that the rehabilitation phase of Moala RORO (roll on roll off) Jetty is currently underway. According to the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA), boats visiting Moala Island can berth at the nearby harbour for loading and unloading. The FRA says works are anticipated to be completed by early July...

Sharma Joins Trade Course at FNU

Tanisha Sharma has always been interested in baking, so when it was time to choose tertiary study options, taking up a course in baking and patisserie at the Fiji National University (FNU) was an easy decision. Enrolled in Trade Diploma in Baking and Patisserie offered through the College of Business Hospitality and Tourism Studies (CBHTS),...

Australia’s gas producers eye profits from carbon capture

BRISBANE (Reuters) – Australian oil and gas producers are eyeing future profits from carbon capture and storage (CCS) as the industry globally races to meet net zero emissions targets, even as the world’s largest CCS project, in Australia, struggles to hit capacity. Chevron Corp’s A$3 billion ($2 billion) facility linked to the Gorgon liquefied natural...

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 A trough of low pressure is expected to approach the group from the north and lie just northwest of Fiji on Thursday. Associated cloud and showers expected to...

From the Editor-in-Chief’s desk: Your May 19 briefing

Bula Rugby 7s is back, and we have a story on the return of lanky forward Sevuloni Mocenacagi in The Fiji Times’ edition for Thursday, May 19. He was handed a suspension and had his contract terminated. Now he is back with a vengeance it seems, in time for the France leg of the World...

Oceans are hotter, higher and more acidic, climate report warns

(Reuters) – The world’s oceans in 2021 grew to their warmest and most acidic levels on record, while melting ice sheets helped push sea levels to new heights, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday. Oceans saw the most striking extremes as the WMO detailed a range of turmoil wrought by climate change in...

Japan nuclear regulator grants initial nod to Fukushima water release plan

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) granted an initial approval on Wednesday for a Tokyo Electric Power’s (Tepco) plan for releasing water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant into sea, citing there are no safety issues. The NRA plans to make a decision on final approval after a one-month public comment period,...

Sri Lanka to default on debt, no money for fuel, minister says

COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka is expected to be placed into default by rating agencies on Wednesday after the non-payment of coupons on two of its sovereign bonds, while the energy minister said the country had run out of money to pay for fuel. An economic crisis unprecedented in the country’s history since independence in...

Finland, Sweden apply to join NATO, face Turkish objections

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Finland and Sweden formally applied to join the NATO alliance on Wednesday at allied headquarters, a decision spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but face objections from Turkey to an accession process that is expected to take only a few weeks. Neutral throughout the Cold War, Sweden’s and Finland’s decision to join NATO...

China Eastern crash probe eyes intentional action – sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Investigators looking into the crash of a China Eastern Airlines jet are examining whether it was due to intentional action on the flight deck, with no evidence found of a technical malfunction, two people briefed on the matter said. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that flight data from one of the...

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