Fiji

SUVA, Dec 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Super cyclone Yasa flattened entire villages as it tore through Fiji, aid agencies said Friday, with one person reported dead as rescue workers raced to the worst-hit communities in isolated areas of Pacific island nation.

Yasa made landfall late Thursday as a top-of-the-scale Category Five cyclone, lashing Fiji’s second-largest island, Vanua Levu, with wind gusts of up to 345 kilometres an hour (210 miles an hour).

SUVA, June 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Fiji announced it was COVID-19 free on Friday after the island nation’s last known infected patient was given the all-clear, continuing the Pacific’s remarkable record of success against the virus.

There was panic among Fiji’s 930,000 population when the first coronavirus case was announced in mid-March, but strict isolation measures and border controls kept a lid on infections, which peaked at 18 confirmed cases.

SUVA, May 25 (Xinhua) -- More than 700 staff members of Fiji Airways, Fiji's national carrier, were terminated on Monday as a result of the implication of COVID-19.

According to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) on Monday, around 775 staff members of Fiji Airways which include all cabin crew have been given termination letters by the company following a meeting on Monday.

In the letter, Fiji Airways said the severe effects of COVID-19 have resulted in the company taking this drastic step.

SUVA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday donated medical supplies to Fiji to help the South Pacific island nation fight against COVID-19.

Speaking at the handover ceremony of the medical supplies, Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Qian Bo said the Chinese government donated 300,000 U.S. dollars cash to the Fijian government to support its combat against COVID-19.

Qian handed 52 carton boxes of medical supplies with a total value of about 270,000 Fijian dollars (about 119,880 U.S. dollars) to further support Fiji's effort in going through the pandemic.

SINGAPORE, May 1 (NNN-CNA) — A Singaporean man was rescued by the Fijian navy after the ongoing coronavirus pandemic left him stranded at sea on a yacht, with his food supplies running low.

The 59-year-old man set sail from Singapore three months ago on a three-year boat expedition, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said in a Facebook post.

Events for the sailor took an unexpected turn when countries started closing their borders because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

SUVA, Apr 20 (NNN-PINA) – Fiji reported its 18th confirmed case of COVID-19, after a 51-year-old woman tested positive for the virus today.

Fijian Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, said that, the woman, who is from Ba, one of the provinces in the western side of Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu, arrived in Fiji from the United States on Mar 22.

She was cleared after a 14-day self quarantine on Apr 4, but later developed signs of COVID-19 and was subsequently tested again. Contact tracing continued for her since she had been in Fiji for a month.

SUVA, Jan 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Fiji opened evacuation centres and warned of “destructive force winds” Friday as a cyclone bore down on the Pacific island nation for the second time in three weeks.

Two people were missing after attempting to swim across a swollen river late Thursday when heavy rain fell ahead of the advancing Cyclone Tino, police said.

On the outer islands, locals prepared to go to emergency shelters while many tourists fled beach resorts and made their way to the capital Suva before regional flights and inter-island ferry services were suspended.

New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) Justice (retired) Madan B Lokur has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Fiji as a judge of its non-resident panel, according to sources.

Justice Lokur, who demitted office as a Supreme Court justice on December 31 2018, has been appointed in the new role for a period of three years.

The sources close to the former judge said that he received the offer from the Chief Justice of the Fiji Supreme Court on the day of his superannuation. The judge will join in his new role on August 15 this year, they said.

SUVA, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- A 24-year-old Canadian national allegedly found in possession of illicit drugs has been further remanded in police custody in Fiji on Monday after appearing in the Magistrates Court.

Joshua Aziz Rahman has been charged with one count of being in unlawful possession of 39.5 kg of cocaine.

Rahman was arrested after a raid in Suva last week where Fijian police discovered the bars of white powder.

The cocaine bars are worth more than 31 million Fijian dollars (14.5 million U.S. dollars).

SUVA, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The wife of former Australian horse trainer John Nikolic has been freed from custody in Fiji after she was found not guilty of drugs and weapons charges on Monday.

Yvette Nikolic and her husband John have been on trial in Fiji's capital Suva and had pleaded not guilty to five charges related to the import of drugs and possession of drugs and firearms without a license.

On last Friday, lawyers for Yvette Nikolic submitted a "no case to answer" application to Justice Daniel Goundar.