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State to file summary of facts
State lawyers at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) have been given until next Monday to file finalised details of allegations against 18 people facing sedition charges. The group appeared before Justice...
Judge: Tariffs unresolved
Sentencing tariffs for people charged with the cultivation of illicit drugs among trial judges is unresolved by the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court, said Court of Appeal judge Justice Chandana Prematilaka. He made the comments when he delivered a ruling on January 8 against a man who had appealed against his sentence. Waisake...
Goundar: Sentence ‘fits your crime’
A man who robbed and raped a woman was told that his criminal sentence was appropriate for the crime he committed. High Court judge Justice Daniel Goundar sentenced the 39-year-old man to 20 years imprisonment. “Your sentence fits your crime,” he said. The incident took place in 2019 at Vuci Rd in Nausori. He was...
Rapist father sentenced to 15 years
A father who forced his 11-year-old daughter to watch a porn movie with him and later raped her has been sentenced to 15 years and four months imprisonment. In delivering his sentence, High Court in Lautoka judge Justice Sunil Sharma said there had been an increase in sexual offences involving offenders who were known to...
Lawyer given 7 days to file papers
THE lawyer representing suspended under-19 Naitasiri rugby player Keresi Maya has been given seven days to file and serve statements to the Civil High Court in Suva. The matter between the suspended player and the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) was called before judge Justice Deepthi Amaratunga yesterday. In the civil action, Maya claimed proper processes...
Wealth of the sea
On January 11, 1980, The Fiji Times published a report on how fishing had developed and helped Viwa islanders in the Yasawa Group. The report stated earnings from fishing had helped establish a housing scheme for Viwa islanders. The people on the island had been operating a fishing scheme for the past decade (1970-1980) and...
Students cross flooded river
School students living at Naqeledina Settlement in Qwali, Sigatoka were forced to cross a flooded river on Monday afternoon. The students were assisted across the flooded waters by their parents who held on to ropes used to guide them across the river. Former Yavulo Village headman Jone Ratubuli said about 20 students had to be...
Probe into Lautoka court incident
Police investigation into the incident where a man jumped off the two-storey building of the Lautoka Magistrates Court has begun. Divisional police commander West, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)Surend Sami has confirmed the inquiry. “The accused has been discharged and we are conducting a full investigation into the incident,” he said. “Right now I cannot...
NFU: Farmers need financial assistance
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has called on Government to announce assistance for sugarcane farmers affected by STC Yasa in the North. This was one of the major topics discussed during union’s executive board meeting in Lautoka yesterday. NFU general secretary Mahendra Chaudhry said farmers needed financial assistance now. “Farmers have the crop to look...
Goldman Sachs CEO Solomon pays price of 1MDB scandal
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Goldman Sachs Chief Executive David Solomon’s annual pay fell by $10 million, or 36%, in 2020, according to regulatory disclosures filed Tuesday, reflecting the bank’s role in Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal. Solomon will receive $17.5 million for his work during the year, compared with $27.5 million the year before, the bank said....
$4 million project to finish next year
Construction of the $4 million Barefoot College has started in Macuata, Vanua Levu. Minister for Women Mereseini Vuniwaqa said the project, based at Wainikoro outside Labasa Town, is expected to end next year. “They have started building the project and the whole project ends in the next financial year, which is next year,” she said....
Students help deliver stationery
Students were part of a team that travelled from the Gold Town of Tavua to Vanua Levu to distribute school stationery to children living in Sever Tropical Cyclone Yasa-affected areas. The group visited affected families twice with the first round including cartons of food rations and cash, while the second was targeted at students. The...
Man dies in power pole mishap
A power line contractor fell to his death after his safety harness equipment allegedly failed to support him while working on an EFL power pole as part of the STC Yasa rehabilitation program. Energy Fiji Ltd (EFL) confirmed that on January 9, the contractor, who was working on a pole at Malau, Labasa, fell from...
Canefarmers worry about their yields
Canefarmers are worried about the yield of their crops after the prolonged wet weather and the impact of STC Yasa. National Farmers Union president Surendra Lal said they expected more than 50 per cent of cane fields on Vanua Levu to be affected as a result of prolonged wet weather. “STC Yasa hit the cane...
Namosimalua accepts contract non-renewal
Former acting secretary-general to Parliament Viniana Namosimalua has accepted the non-renewal of her employment contract. Ms Namosimalua said she was content with her performance and the contributions she had made in Parliament over the past six years. “Everyone has a season and this is the end of my season,” Ms Namosimalua said. She said no...
TD04F may develop into a cyclone, say forecasters
The tropical disturbance (TD04F) located to the north of New Caledonia could merge with a low pressure system near Vanuatu. This, according to the Fiji Meteorological Service, could possibly result in a tropical cyclone that has been forecasted to move east between Fiji and Vanuatu later this week. “A trough of low pressure remains slow...
Asian shares set for mixed opening, eyes on Fed, stimulus
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Asian equities looked set to rise on Wednesday, bouncing back from a steep sell-off on Tuesday, while Australian stocks were seen opening weaker in a catchup after a Tuesday holiday. Higher markets in Europe and a slight decline from record stock levels in the United States overnight suggested that investors were...
Police urge public to be vigilant
The Fiji Police Force is calling on the public to assist in preventing further loss of life by avoiding swimming in flooded waters. Police spokeswoman Savaira Tabua says the force is reminding the public about the dangers lurking beneath the waters, especially in flooded areas and people must be aware of this. “Accidents can occur...
Storm threat lingers
The Western Division is at a greater risk of being hit by tropical cyclones during the current La Niña event, states the Fiji Meteorological Service. This is stated in their El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) outlook released on Monday. ENSO is an irregular cycle of persistent warming and cooling of sea-surface temperature in the tropical Pacific...
Gavoka: Rescind changes to Toppers
Social Democratic Liberal Party leader Viliame Gavoka has called on the Government to rescind changes made to the National Toppers Scheme (NTS). Mr Gavoka said there was a lot more behind the decision by Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board (TLSB) than meets the eye. “For a start, where are the students’ rights to equality under...
First batch of drug soon
Fiji is expected to get its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from India soon, says Acting Indian High Commissioner to Fiji Sukanta Charan Sahoo. He said the vaccines could arrive as early as next month. “Discussions are underway and we will see how early the vaccine is brought to Fiji,” he said. “We have been...
GE’s strong cash flow, upbeat outlook signal turnaround gathering steam
CHICAGO (Reuters) – General Electric Co on Tuesday offered an upbeat outlook for its business this year after reporting a surge in quarterly free cash flow, showing Chief Executive Larry Culp’s turnaround plan is gaining traction. The performance came largely on the back of improved operational management and recovery in the company’s power and renewable...
Akbar: More children will need help
MORE children will need assistance after the devastating impacts caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa and the COVID-19 pandemic, says Education Minister Rosy Akbar. She made the comments yesterday after Aquaheat South Pacific Ltd launched its Education Support Fund at its headquarters in Wailada, Lami. The company provided $30,000 towards assisting students facing difficulties during this period. Aquaheat’s owner, Horizon Energy...
Climate of fear claim
Civil servants are working under a climate of fear and victimisation, claims Unity Fiji party leader and former Reserve Bank of Fiji governor Savenaca Narube. He made the comments in response to the announcement on the non-renewal of the employment contract for the acting secretary-general to Parliament, Viniana Namosimalua. Mr Narube said Ms Namosimalua had...
Starbucks sales miss as virus spike keeps customers at home
(Reuters) – Starbucks Corp on Tuesday reported a larger-than-expected fall in quarterly sales as the renewed surge in coronavirus cases in the United States kept customers at home. The world’s largest coffee chain’s global same-store sales fell 5% in its first quarter, which ended Dec. 27, more than analysts’ estimates of a 3.4% decline, according...
Project to enhance trade capacity of Pacific countries
The European Union(EU) was a business partner for the Pacific. These were the sentiments shared by Ambassador of the European Union for the Pacific, Sujiro Seam while speaking at the signing of a new project worth EUR 5.75 million ($F 14.3 million) with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General this morning to enhance the trade capacity of...
Jane Fonda to get lifetime award at Golden Globes
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – American actor and activist Jane Fonda will get a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes ceremony next month, marking a career in film, television and at the forefront of social issues over some 60 years. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which organizes the Golden Globes, said on Tuesday that...
COVID-19: Three arrested in last 24 hours
Three arrests for breach of curfew restrictions were recorded in the last 24 hours. Acting Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu said of the three cases, two were recorded in the Central Division while the lone case recorded in the Northern Division involved a 38-year-old man who was found drunk in the Namara area in Labasa....
FRCS simplifies customs process
The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) has implemented initiatives and processes to further support and enhance trade facilitation and ease of doing business in Fiji following the COVID-19 pandemic. FRCS Acting Chief Executive Officer Jonetani Vuto said the COVID-19 challenges meant that FRCS needed to make the customs process more simplified to ensure that...
GameStop extends Reddit driven hyper-rally after Musk tweet
(Reuters) – Amateur investors piled further into niche stocks on Tuesday, sending professional short sellers scrambling to cover losing bets, with GameStop skyrocketing for a fourth straight day, thanks in part to Elon Musk. GameStop surged 50% in extended trade after Musk tweeted “Gamestonk!!”, along with a link to Reddit’s Wallstreetbets stock trading discussion group,...
