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2nd October
EFL schedules fibre optic stringing works on Taveuni
Energy Fiji Limited will be carrying out fibre optic cable stringing work under its existing 11,000 volt distribution line from Somosomo Power Station to the new Mua Solar Power site on Taveuni, Vanua Levu. And...
Australia swelters through ‘scorching’ heat lifting bushfire risk
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s southeast on Sunday sweltered in a heat wave that raised the risk of bushfires and prompted authorities to issue fire bans for large swaths of New South Wales state. The nation’s weather forecaster said temperatures would be up to 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above average in some areas, with...
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: Coastal inundation alert remains in force for coastal areas of Mamanuca group, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands, Beqa and Vatulele, Sigatoka to coastal Serua/Namosi, Lau and Lomaiviti group...
US Congress passes stopgap bill to avert government shutdown
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Congress passed a stopgap funding bill late on Saturday with overwhelming Democratic support after Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy backed down from an earlier demand by his party’s hardliners for a partisan bill. The Democratic-majority Senate voted 88-9 to pass the measure to avoid the federal government’s fourth partial shutdown in a...
Apple identifies issues causing overheating in the iPhone 15
(Reuters) – Apple on Saturday said it has identified a few issues which can cause new iPhones to run warmer than expected, including a bug in the iOS 17 software which will be fixed in an upcoming update. After complaints that the new phones are getting very warm, Apple has said that the device may...
Slovak election heads for tense finish as early results roll in
BRATISLAVA (Reuters) -Slovakia’s parliamentary election was poised on a knife’s edge on Sunday with exit polls handing liberal party Progressive Slovakia (PS) an initial lead while early official results put former leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico’s party on top. With 30% of voting districts reporting, the SMER-SSD party led by Fico – who has vowed...
US Congress passes stopgap bill to avert government shutdown
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Congress passed a stopgap funding bill late on Saturday with overwhelming Democratic support after Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy backed down from an earlier demand by his party’s hardliners for a partisan bill. The Democratic-majority Senate voted 88-9 to pass the measure to avoid the federal government’s fourth partial shutdown in a...
Climate change means New York City’s flooding is ‘new normal,’ governor says
(Reuters) -Torrential downpours that caused flash flooding in New York City on Friday reflect a “new normal” due to the effects of climate change, New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned on Saturday, as the city began drying out after one of its wettest days ever. Almost eight inches (20 cm) of rain fell in some...
1st October
Trudeau says ‘denialism’ rising as nation marks holiday for indigenous reconcilation
TORONTO (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday warned about the rise of “denialism” and said uncovering the truth was more important than ever as the nation gathered to honor the lost children and survivors of indigenous schools. Trudeau’s statement was made on National Truth and Reconciliation Day, which recognizes the legacy of...
Death toll from Pakistan blast rises to 59 as minister blames India
QUETTA (Reuters) – The death toll from a large blast at a mosque in Pakistan rose to 59 on Saturday as the government vowed to find the perpetrators and accused India’s intelligence agency of being involved. Friday’s blast tore through a mosque in Mastung in the southern province of Balochistan after a bomber detonated his...
Afghan embassy in Delhi to cease operations from Oct. 1
(Reuters) – The embassy of Afghanistan in India’s capital New Delhi will cease operations from Oct. 1, due to a lack of support from India and a reduction in personnel and resources, the embassy said in a statement on social media platform X. The embassy also said a failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan’s...
Tent-dwelling migrants join protest over Portugal’s housing prices
LISBON (Reuters) – Marcia Leandro moved to Portugal from Brazil six months ago with a goal: to train as a chef. But Portugal’s housing crisis curbed her dreams and forced her to live in a tent. Leandro, 43, and Andreia Costa, her neighbour in an improvised tent camp on an empty plot on the outskirts...
Labasa farm boy who became a molecular biologist
Growing up in a sugarcane and rice farm in the rural region of Vanua Levu shaped the now established academic, Dr Permal Deo. Born and raised in Naleba, Labasa, Dr Permal grew up with six brothers and two sisters. While he and his eldest brother now reside abroad, the rest of his siblings remain in...
Officials urge Moldova to seize opportunity for EU membership
CHISINAU (Reuters) – Moldova launched a nationwide discussion on securing European Union membership, with senior officials and academics urging their compatriots to seize every opportunity to join the bloc or run the risk of being left behind or sinking into chaos. Ex-Soviet Moldova, led by pro-European President Maia Sandu and one of the continent’s poorest...
UNRCO emphasis on collaborative approach
Strong partnerships between governments, donors, development partners, civil society organisations and the media are critical when it comes to promoting the rights and inclusion of persons living with disabilities in the Pacific, says United Nations Resident Coordinator Office (UNRCO) peace and development officer, Akuila Sovanivalu. “The Pacific region has made significant progress in promoting the...
More than 100,000 refugees arrive in Armenia as exodus swells
GENEVA (Reuters) – More than 100,000 refugees have arrived in Armenia since Azerbaijan’s military operation to retake control of Nagorno-Karabakh, the United nations said, while thousands more endured long hours of delay in a huge traffic jam at the border. “Many are hungry, exhausted and need immediate assistance,” Filippo Grandi, head of the U.N. refugee...
Behind the News | Finding solutions in our faith
A report launched this week has shown that 72 per cent of perpetrators of child abuse and child violence in Fiji are Christians. One of the report’s lead researchers and associated professor at Western Australia University, Litea Meo-Sewabu, said the figure was alarming. Not only that. She said it reflected badly on the churches, the...
FCS urges healthier choices
The Fiji Cancer Society (FCS) kicked off its preparations for Pinktober with its annual march yesterday. Members of the public from Suva, Lautoka, Nadi, and Labasa took part in the annual affair, which FCS chief executive officer Belinda Chen said was focused on bringing awareness about the month to the public. “For the last five...
India’s monsoon rains hit five-year low due to El Nino
MUMBAI (Reuters) – India’s monsoon rainfall this year was its lowest since 2018 as the El Nino weather pattern made August the driest in more than a century, the state-run weather department said on Saturday. The monsoon, which is vital for India’s $3 trillion economy, brings nearly 70% of the rain the country needs to...
Congolese opposition leader Fayulu confirms he will run for the presidency
KINSHASA (Reuters) – Democratic Republic of Congo opposition leader Martin Fayulu confirmed on Saturday he will submit his candidacy for the December presidential election, where he is expected to be one of the main challengers to President Felix Tshisekedi. The 66-year-old former Exxon Mobil executive came second to Tshisekedi in the contentious 2018 election. His...
Police confirm tragic deaths
Police have confirmed that the couple found dead in their house early this week in Seaqaqa, Macuata, passed away due to suicide and unnatural causes. Divisional Police Commander North SSP Kemueli Baledrokadroka said the husband committed suicide and his wife’s death was an unnatural one. SSP Baledrokadroka could not comment any further but said the...
Ukraine lures Western weapons makers to transform defence industry
KYIV (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he wants to turn Ukraine’s defence industry into a “large military hub” by partnering with Western weapons manufacturers to increase arms supplies for Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russia. He was speaking at a forum his government convened with international producers to discuss how to jointly develop industrial...
Controversy surrounds apartment block development; ‘No record of an EIA’
There is no confirmed record of an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) carried out at the planned apartment block site at Tamavua, the Department of Environment has clarified. Responding to queries from this newspaper, the department stated it had checked through their records, however, records of an EIA was not found. “We can confirm there was...
US judge refuses to block Medicare from negotiating drug prices
(Reuters) -The U.S. government’s Medicare health insurance program can begin negotiating prices for some prescription drugs this fall under a new program, a federal judge ruled on Friday, vindicating one of President Joe Biden’s signature initiatives. The order by U.S. District Judge Michael Newman in Dayton, Ohio, comes in a lawsuit brought against the Biden...
‘Medicinal cannabis will be produced for export only’
Medicinal cannabis will be produced for export only, says Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica. While opening the Fiji Medical Association 62nd Annual Scientific Conference at the Shangri-La Fijian Resort in Sigatoka yesterday, Mr Kamikamica said the Government was embarking on establishing the medicinal cannabis industry in Fiji. “The intention is to allow reputable operators from...
Yemen’s national airline to suspend flights from Sanaa to Jordan
ADEN (Reuters) – Yemen’s national airline will suspend the only international commercial flight from Yemen’s capital Sanaa in response to the Houthi administration blocking the carrier from withdrawing its funds in Sanaa banks, four company executives, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. Yemenia will halt six weekly flights to Jordan in October, the company...
Land lease issues | Ministry sets up taskforce
A taskforce to address sugar cane growers facing issues with land leases has been established by the Ministry of Sugar. The taskforce will consist of officials from the Ministry of Finance, TLTB, Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Lands alongside other relevant government agencies. Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh said the taskforce was the...
RHD: ‘Some of the highest rates in the world’ – PS Fong
Fiji incurs an estimated cost of about $US5500 ($F12,620) for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) per patient per year, which encompasses direct and indirect costs. And the country has some of the highest rates of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and RHD in the world, which poses a significant challenge on the country’s healthcare system. Health Ministry...
Pope Francis cements legacy, stamps Church future with new cardinals
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis on Saturday further cemented his legacy, elevating 21 prelates to the high rank of cardinal and significantly raising the percentage of electors chosen by him who will have the right to vote for his successor. At a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square known as a consistory, Francis “created” 21...
DOMO VOU TALEI 2023 | VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE ARTIST NOW!
You have the opportunity to pick Fiji’s next amazing new voice and at the same time be in the draw to win Domo Vou Talei tee-shirts and double passes to the Woodstock Uprising Music Festival. Held at the Uprising Fiji Beach Resort on Saturday October 7, music lovers will get to experience 13 hours of...
