Fiji

Pacific sprint king keen to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics

This was revealed by Team Fiji Chef De Mission Patrick Bower.

Fijivillage reported Bower saying that according to reports from Athletics Fiji, Tabakaucoro is happy to participate and is making every effort to qualify as the top athlete from Fiji.

Tabakaucoro decided not to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics because he did not rightfully qualify.

FASANOC CEO Lorraine Mar says they have only one universality (wildcard) spot in athletics and Tabakaucoro will have to overcome tough competition from Eugene Vollmer to get that spot in case he does not qualify on merit.

Jacinda Ardern arrives to warm welcome in Suva

Jacinda Ardern landed in Suva on Monday evening where she was greeted by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and a full military procession.

The New Zealand national anthem was played and Ardern inspected the guard before being whisked off in a 26 kilometre motorcade at speed through the city of Suva.

Hundreds of locals had come out to line the streets in an effort to see Ardern after the local paper and television channels broadcast the full itinerary of her three days in Fiji including arrivals, events, press conferences and departure times.

PM's Fiji, Aus visits highlight differing climate change approaches

In the case of Fiji, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is a strong advocate for action that will reduce global warming, not only in the Pacific but globally.

But in Australia, a key plank of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's successful election campaign was his resistance to any real climate action.

It was 2016 when a New Zealand Prime Minister last visited Fiji, under Sir John Key's watch. That visit followed a strained period between 2006 and 2014 when the relationship between the two countries had turned sour following Bainimarama's military coup.

Coronavirus: Two in isolation in Fiji, awaiting test results

A woman who flew into Fiji from Japan last weekend is awaiting test results are after she arrived in the country from Narita.

The woman is being isolated in hospital.

Meanwhile, a nine-year-old boy is also in isolation at a Fiji hospital after he fell ill soon after he returned from Singapore.

The Ministry of Health would not say if the boy had symptoms of the virus, but said tests were being conducted.

An official said there were no confirmed cases of the virus in Fiji.

     

Israel president to meet Pacific leaders in Fiji stopover

Reuven Rivlin, just the second Israeli president to visit Fiji, will be in the country for only 24 hours, en route to Australia.

Fiji's prime minister Frank Bainimarama is today hosting what his government website bills as a Pacific Islands Leaders' Summit.

President Rivlin is expected to attend the summit.

Also among those in attendance will be Papua New Guinea's prime minister James Marape and Samoa's Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

Coronavirus: Fiji govt urged to reconsider quarantine plan

Ratu Suliano Matanitobua said the health of people from the Serua and Namosi provinces near the hospital would be put at threat by the unit.

"As the paramount chief of the region, I have received hundreds of calls and courtesy calls since the proposal made its way into the public domain to speak up for them," he said in a statement.

"The people of Navua would like to make it clear to the government that we would not like to become another Wuhun of Fiji or a guinea pig laboratory in this trial and error games that is being played with the lives of our people."

Drug Free Sports Fiji holds workshop to outline officials' Tokyo 2020 responsibilities

The workshop was aimed at outlining the responsibilities of both athletes and officials prior to and during the Games.

 Patrick Bower, Fiji’s Chef de Mission, stressed the importance of ensuring officials are aware of the rules to ensure athletes do not inadvertently breach rules.

 "It is important that officials know what the rules are because not knowing could lead to disqualification and also slur the reputation of Fiji," Bower said.

Chinese embassy in Suva hits out at Fiji govt over border closure

Under new measures to contain the Wuhan coronavirus, the Fiji government has banned non-citizens who have been in mainland China in the past 14 days from entering.

However, in a statement, the Chinese embassy said Beijing had taken rigourous containment measures, and there was no need for measures that interfered with travel and trade.

It hoped the Fiji government would minimise the negative impact on the movement of people as much as possible.

Wuhan coronavirus: Fiji awaits test results from 2 suspected cases

The patients, who are both Fiji citizens, are symptomatic and authorities wore full protection as an ambulance rushed the two into isolation at Nadi Hospital from a local health centre where they had sought treatment after arriving from China on Monday.

The samples are being sent to a WHO 'Collaborating Centre' reference laboratory in Melbourne, Fiji's Ministry of Health said.

Coronavirus: Two in Fiji isolated with 'mild' symptoms

The Fiji citizens arrived in Nadi from the Chinese city of Guangdong on Monday and are being held at Nadi Hospital.

Samples have been sent to Melbourne for laboratory testing, and the ministry said it was managing close contacts of the patients.

The health ministry said there had been no confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, which has killed more than 400 people in China.

"The Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services is monitoring the developing situation and will provide updates regularly to the public," it said in a statement.