Investigation

The bodies of children were among the dead. Police said exhumations are ongoing.

BBC reports the shallow graves are in Shakahola forest, where 15 members of the Good News International Church were rescued last week.

Church leader, Paul Makenzie Nthenge is in custody, pending a court appearance.

State broadcaster KBC described him as a "cult leader", and reported that 58 graves have so far been identified.

One of the graves is believed to contain the bodies of five members of the same family - three children and their parents.

Saneem was stopped by border officials from flying out of the country this morning.

The Fijian Elections Office said Saneem is alleged to have on numerous occasions during his tenure with FEO unlawfully authorised payments of sitting allowances to members of the Electoral Commission (EC).

The FEO said the Constitutional Offices Commission had clarified to Saneem that the allowance for the Chairperson and members of the EC remained at the same rate of $FJ500 per person, per meeting.

Acting Police Commissioner Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga said the family of the deceased lodged a complaint to police, alleging that a near car accident resulted in the baby’s death.

Leiataua told Tala Fou that preliminary reports show that the baby was delivered at the family home at Lotofaga Safata.

According to the family statement to the police, they were on their way to take the newborn baby and the mother to the Poutasi District hospital when a vehicle dangerously overtook their car, forcing them to swerve off the road to avoid a collision.

Commissioner Cressida Dick said they were looking into "potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations" in Downing Street and Whitehall since 2020.

Boris Johnson told the Commons he welcomed the investigation as it would "give the public the clarity it needs" over the allegations.

His spokesman also said the PM did not believe he had broken the law.

Dame Cressida said the investigation was launched after the Cabinet Office inquiry team, led by civil servant Sue Gray, passed information to the force.

The report will determine whether there are sufficient grounds to refer the alleged breach of the State of Emergency (SOE) Orders to Police for the appropriate criminal action.

The SOE prohibits any person returning to Samoa for personal reasons and it is compulsory for them to file a formal request in writing with the appropriate local officials for authorization to do, a Government release said.

It has nominated 26 experts to join the body, the Scientific Advisory Group on the Origins of Novel Pathogens (Sago).

More than a year-and-a-half since the virus was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the question of how it first emerged remains unclear.

The team will consider if the virus jumped from animals to humans in Wuhan markets or leaked in a lab accident.

China has strongly refuted the second theory.

De Vanna made her initial allegations in response to a Twitter post by Megan Rapinoe, in which the U.S. international commented on allegations of misconduct against former North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley.

The 36-year-old De Vanna, who played 150 times for her country over two decades, replied that she had witnessed women in the game abusing younger female players, and organisations protecting the abusers.

"There needs to be consequences. There needs to be accountability," she said in an interview with News Ltd media.

The Minister of Public Enterprises, Leatinu'u Wayne So'oialo, is chairing a special Cabinet committee looking into Samoa Airways' failure to produce annual financial statements.

A report by the Ministry of Public Enterprises last month showed losses of more than US$14-million (37-million tālā) over the last two financial years after the global pandemic closed borders.

The Samoa Observer reports Leatinu'u saying some necessary action will be taken in due course.

Talalelei Pauga has been in custody in Queensland since August last year after the Samoan government requested his extradition on a charge of conspiring to murder the former Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

His lawyer Greg Finlayson says Pauga complained to the AFP about the length of time it took to bring him before a magistrate after his arrest.

"He was arrested on the 20th of August 2020 and he was kept away from his lawyers and in confinement until the first time he was brought before a magistrate ... on the 21st of September," Finlayson said.

Police say the 50 year-old was killed by a younger man at remote Rakisu Village in Tikopia last week.

A 30 year-old suspect accused the victim of using sorcery to kill his child and poison his wife.

Police commissioner Mostyn Mangau said witnesses alerted by the victims' cries for help saw the accused fleeing the scene

They took the victim of the attack to a local clinic where he died from acute blood loss, before being buried last Saturday.

Commissioner Mangau said he died the victim also made a statement which was recorded on a phone.