Fiji

Australian expat's husband pleads not guilty to her murder in Fiji

FBC News reports the Legal Aid Commission is representing Kiala Marcellino Penakoy Henri Lusaka.

The commission requested a psychiatric evaluation of its client citing his history of mental illness.

Forty-four year-old Jennifer Downes was found dead in her Suva home on the 23rd of August.

Mr Lusaka, who is 39, has been given time to file applications for bail and the psychiatric evaluation.

     

Pacific young people discuss natural disasters at Japan summit

The Pacific students are among 210 young people from 43 countries attending the summit along with over 200 Japanese youths.

Japan was hit with a deadly tsunami in March 2011 following a magnitude nine earthquake off the country's east coast.

At least 20,000 people died in the disaster.

Noriko Tanaka, from the Japanese Embassy in Wellington, said it was important for the youth to learn about tsunamis and share their knowledge with their communities when they return home.

Kiwi coaches seeking their fortunes abroad

Even Sir Graham and Hansen themselves were forced to take a pathway through Wales en route to the top NZ role.

If you're in doubt about which teams to support at the Rugby World Cup when New Zealand aren't playing, this list of Kiwi-coached sides may swing your allegiance.

Joe Schmidt (Ireland)

International teams coached: Ireland (2013-present)

International record: 50-18-1 (72.5 percent)

Tournament titles: Three (Six Nations 2014, 2015, 2018)

Fiji hosts world eco-challenge race

The athletes were welcomed in a traditional Fijian ceremony on Monday night.

British television producer Mark Burnett, who is producing the Eco-Challenge TV series, thanked the Fijian government for allowing the competitors to stop over at villages during the race.

Teams in the Eco-Challenge Fiji race will cross through several provinces covering 670 kilometres in two weeks.

The race was last held in Fiji in 2002.

This week's race is being hosted by British adventurer and television host Bear Gryllis.

     

Fiji 'miracle baby' out of hospital as sorcery rumours abound

Fiji Times journalist Felix Chaudhary said the baby, who survived in the open for at least a day, was recovering well.

However, Mr Chaudhary said the extended family and community remained on edge with rumours of sorcery swirling.

Two New Zealand residents have been questioned by police in relation to the deaths and barred from leaving the country, although no charges have been laid.

The journalist had spoken to the father of two of the deceased and said the man was not aware those questions were reputedly faith healers.

World's first kava tissue lab opens in Fiji

The FijiKava Limited facility opened in Levuka last week.

Company founder Zane Yoshida said the new facility would standardise and improve the quality of kava in the country.

With increased demand from Europe and the United States, Fiji must explore every opportunity to protect kava as a true Fijian product, he said

Mr Yoshida, who hails from Levuka, said the mass production of disease-free kava plants with desirable traits would take place at the laboratory.

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Police conduct further search for clues in Fiji family mystery deaths

They have received help from villagers to search the rugged area at the bottom of steep cliffs.

Police said they were still seeking clues to establish the circumstances surrounding the mysterious family deaths.

Post mortem results indicated the five died after ingesting an unknown substance and further tests are being conducted by scientists.

A one-year-old found crawling at the scene was admitted to Lautoka Hospital and the baby's mother has returned from Australia where she was at the time of the tragedy.

Fiji police question person of interest, post mortem shows family died after consuming substance

Fiji police said the man is a person of interest in their investigations.

Police have also said the post mortem examination conducted Wednesday are “consistent with an alleged substance ingested by all five victims which resulted in their deaths.”

Further tests are being conducted the Fiji Police Force Chemistry Scientific Lab in Suva following the post mortem examination.

The bodies of a couple, their daughter and her two daughters were found on the edge of a cliff at Nausori Highlands about 30km out of Nadi.

Five bodies discovered in Fiji’s Nausori Highlands

A man riding his horse in the area Monday morning found the bodies after he saw a toddler crawling on the side of the road close to where the bodies were.

A relative has identified the deceased who include 3 adults and 2 children.

The victims from Nadi are a carpenter and his wife, their 34-year-old daughter and her two daughters.

The toddler is reported to be the child of the 34-year old woman’s sister who lives in Australia.

The child is being kept under observation in hospital.

The family’s car was recovered from a supermarket carpark Monday night.

Search for missing helicopter in Fiji called off

The decision was made yesterday following 13 days of searching in Natewa Bay in Vanua Levu.

The investigator in charge of the search Andrew McGregor said his team has done everything they can to find the pair and the wreckage of the helicopter, but conditions in Natewa Bay have proved too difficult.

Australian pilot Gilbert Parker was transporting the sick toddler and his mother to a hospital when the incident happened on 2 August.

The mother's body was recovered by villagers from the Natewa Bay shoreline the next day.