Fiji records 22 new cases of COVID-19, one death reported
Fiji has recorded 22 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, increasing the total number of cases to 51,154 and 632 deaths since the outbreak in April.
Permanent secretary for Health, Dr James Fong said there have been 3,941 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 8,898 active cases.
“There have been 51,154 cases during the...
Covid-19 claims seven more lives in New Caledonia
New Caledonia has recorded another seven fatalities linked to Covid-19, raising the tally of the outbreak to 157.
Another 155 people have tested positive, bringing the number of infections to 8,142 since the start of the outbreak four weeks ago.
5,810 of the cases are now reported to have recovered.
277 Covid-19 patients are in hospital and a further 109 are being...
Japan’s new PM Fumio Kishida calls 31 October election, vows to fight pandemic
Japan’s new Prime minister, Fumio Kishida, on Monday called a parliamentary election for 31 October and vowed to bolster the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic, shortly after being formally confirmed by lawmakers in the top job.
Kishida, a 64-year-old former foreign minister with an image as a consensus builder, earlier unveiled a cabinet line-up dominated by allies of former...
NZ government urged to ban seabed mining for Pacific’s sake
A New Zealand Supreme Court ruling against seabed mining has been described as important for the Pacific region.
After a long legal process the Supreme Court has ruled against a bid by Trans Tasman Resources to mine the South Taranaki seabed.
The ruling was welcomed by Te Paati Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer of Ngāti Ruanui iwi in South Taranaki, who led...
ANZ Bank steps up commitment
A lot of ANZ customers in Fiji were struggling which was expected in the business environment, according to ANZ Country head to Fiji Rabih Yazbek.
“So from ANZ’s perspective, we’re kind of stepping up and committing to helping our customers,” he said.
“It’s a tough environment and we are focused on being able to support the customers, the community and the...
Students pass their first step of PCRIC Internship Programmes – successful webinar assessments
Eighteen students from the University of the South Pacific USP) have successfully passed their assessments from the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) internship webinar programme.
Held in August, students from across the region not only grasped essential development purposes of PCRIC and other international sovereign disaster risk finance (DRF) programMEs but they also deftly conveyed their personal ideas about...
‘Climate change contributes to poverty’
Climate change is a contributor to poverty in Fiji, says Pacific Islands Forum director programmes and initiatives Zarak Khan.
He made the comment in a World Bank Report on Archipelagic Economies.
Khan said Fijians had lost income when their resources and sources of income were damaged by natural disasters caused by climate change.
“I’ve got relatives living in Nabouwalu in Fiji and...
PM Marape: Covid-19 not a joke, Protocols to be imposed
While the world has taken to living with Covid-19, Papua New Guinea still has a lot to learn in doing the same, PNG Prime Minister James Marape says.
As he arrived into the country after a two-week trip to the United States, Marape said that while he was prime minister, that still did not stop him from going through the...
Fiji’s Armed Forces Chief Jone Kalouniwai promoted to Major-General
Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and the outgoing Commander Rear-Admiral (ret’d) Viliame Naupoto officiated the promotion ceremony of the new Commander Republic of Fiji Military Forces(RFMF) Brigadier-General Jone Kalouniwai to the rank of Major-General at the Officers Mess in Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Nabua today.
The occasion was witnessed by the Minister of Defence Inia Seruiratu, the deputy Commander Commodore Humphery...
Why the Pacific has become a testing ground for blockchain and cryptocurrency projects
By Prianka Srinivasan
It was beneath the thatched roof of a traditional meeting house in Pango village, Vanuatu, where many residents first learned about blockchain — the technology underpinning cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
A team from Melbourne start-up Sempo, along with members of NGO Oxfam, were training villagers and vendors how to use Unblocked Cash, a pilot project funded in part...