Fiji

The operation was initiated when the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) was tipped off that there were bars found on an island in Lau believed to contain illicit drugs.

The information led to a joint operation between FRCS, Police and the Fiji Navy in seizing the bars from the island.

According to a statement from FRCS, the bars weighing 40 kilograms were retrieved and secured and after testing were confirmed to be cocaine.

Customs said a search of the boat led to the seizure of a large quantity of a mix of ammunition.

Revenue and Custom chief executive Visvanath Das said the agency's intelligence and profiling processes were determining high-risk vessels and collaborative efforts with Fiji police and the navy led to the seizure.

He said customs last weekend discovered a massive drug find on an Australian-based yacht and now officers had exposed another smuggling attempt.

Jordan Lay, Seilala Lam and Viliamu Afatia form a brand new front row combination, with Logovii Mulipola out injured, while Joe Tekori joins captain Chris Vui in the second row.

TJ Ioane starts on the openside flank with Jack Lam shifting to number eight.

Dwayne Polataivao gets the nod at halfback, with Alofa Alofa replacing the injured Rey Lee-Lo at centre, in his first test appearance for three years, while veteran Paul Perez comes onto the right wing.

The 'Ikale Tahi have brought in four new faces with one positional change to the run-on team.

The Manu came back from a 17-3 half time deficit lose 24-22 in Suva

Zane Hilton said with rugby World Cup qualification coming up for Samoa the time for excuses was over.

"We really understand that the country, like the team itself, we want to start to get that winning culture back," Hilton said.

"So the reality is we were extremely disappointed around our execution and the fact we let ourselves down in some key areas."

Fiji’s tries in the first half were scored by Kini Murimurivalu, Ben Volavola and Henry Seniloli while there only try in the second half so far was scored by Vereniki Goneva.

Captain Akapusi Qera,  Jale Vatubua Eroni Mawi were yellow carded for dangerous tackle.

Samoa managed to score 3 tries and converted a penalty.

Tusi Pisi opened Samoa’s scoreline when he converted a penalty in the first half.

Melani Matavao, Jack Lam and Dwayne Polataivao added to Samoa’s score.  

Brive midfielder Sevanaia Galala is the only new cap in the Flying Fijians starting fifteen, with European Player of the Year Leone Nakawara headlining a strong forward pack and Aviva Premiership Player of the Year Vereniki Goneva spearheading the backs.

Prop Eroni Mawi, hooker and former Fiji under 20s captain Ratu Veremalua Vugakoto and first five Alivereti Veitokani are also poised to win their first caps off the bench.

Fiji coach John McKee said the defending champions are keen to play an open, expansive game.

The NDMO Director Anare Leweniqila says 804 houses have been damaged, 201 of which were fully destroyed.

Mr Leweniqila said 104 evacuation centers remain active with 803 evacuees.

He said the relief and recovery phase continued in Kadavu with assessment teams to work through the 75 villages in the area by the end of the week.

FBC news reported the collective cost of damage for the Western and Northern Divisions was expected to be finalised by Friday.

Prime minister Frank Bainimarama has announced a new package for people hard hit by recent back to back cyclones and flooding.

He announced the Cyclone Assistance Relief Effort for Fiji package or CARE for Fiji before flying out last night for London.

Mr Bainimarama is on his way to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Prime Minister Bainimarama said people earning less than FJ$50,000 dollars a year and whose homes were totally destroyed or suffering severe damage qualify for the funds.

One of the owners of the Matavai Resort on Kadavu Luke Kerchevale says the storm seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Quite a large boat is capsized because we couldn't get it to shelter soon enough. We've had a number of huge mango trees come down on a lot of our buildings," said Luke Kerchevale.

The Australian who along with co-owner Mark hails from Canberra and Sydney said thankfully all of their staff and guests were safe but he said they were really worried for people in the nearby villages.

The Fiji Met Service said the cyclone remains a category three storm packing winds of 130 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 185.

However, Keni was forecast to weaken drastically as it continued to move southeast into cooler waters.

The Met Service said within the next 18 hours the system could cease to be a cyclone.

Cyclone Keni wreaked havoc as it passed the southern islands of Fiji overnight bringing destructive winds and downpours causing flooding.