Fiji

Froseann Stevens, a USP biology student who found this endemic species, is working on her project in collaboration with LäjeRotuma Initiative (LRI), a community-based environmental education and awareness development programme.

USP’s Associate Professor Gilianne Brodie, who is also the project leader, said this is a finding of great scientific interest at the international-level because of the tragic extinction history of related tree snail species in other Pacific Island countries, primarily as a result of invasive species.

Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum revealed over the weekend that a team from India will be in Fiji in January 2016 to carry out talks over the ASA.

“Hopefully they’ll be down here in the middle of January. We need to finalize that because India is now the second largest outbound market in the world and in the next five to ten years will be the largest outbound market. So, Fiji having a direct flight to Singapore means we need to level of connectivity with India vis-à-vis Singapore.”

Six Chinese nationals are in custody over the alleged scam.

Chief of Intelligence and Investigation, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Henry Brown, confirmed to Fiji Sun.

He said the Chinese were arrested in Lautoka on December 6 after a tip-off.

The Chinese had allegedly withdrawn more than $10,000 (US$5,000) when apprehended and a number of ATM cards were found on them, he said.

He said investigators were now trying to ascertain the origins of the ATM cards and they were liaising with financial institutions.

Frank Bainimarama has recommended to the president that Colonel Vasu be dismissed and Kameli Ratuvakalevulevu be made the acting commissioner.

Colonel Vasu was in court for allegedly approving the purchase of goods worth more than US $60,000 from the Naboro Mini-Mart in which he is a company director.

The airline recently won the bid to operate the MA60 after a previous lease between the two was terminated in February after the 56-seater plane was grounded.

Real Tonga's chief executive Tevita Palu says the company is now waiting on the government to certify the aircraft but he hopes to use it for international routes.

"There is nothing stopping us from doing that. The aeroplane, the MA60, it was not capable of doing that route before so hopefully this time round the aircraft will be certified to serve those routes."

Fiji came from 7-0 behind to win the opening round of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, beating England 28-17 in a pulsating final at 7he Sevens Stadium.

The paper, released by the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG), details the dangers posed by PACER-Plus for Pacific livelihoods and how out of touch with the Pacific reality such free trade agreements are.

FBC News says it has sighted the email, which it says was found on a computer in an internet shop in Lautoka last week.

The shop owner, who alerted police, is under military guard in hospital after he was allegedly severely beaten by police officers.

FBC News says the attack was planned to be carried out by what it calls disciplined officers during a parliamentary sitting also attended by the acting Prime Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

A police spokesperson, Ana Naisoro, says the police will not be making any comments on the ongoing investigations.

FBC News reports the MV Suilven began listing as it entered Suva harbour at the end of a journey from the Northern Division.

It says the ship sank within an hour.

Fiji's shadow foreign minister, Ratu Isoa Tikoca, says the UN owes Fiji US$138 million dollars for peace keeping duties, going back a decade.