Covid-19 Fiji: More stringent measures to come - Govt
Fiji's Government said there would be more Covid-19 stringent measures amid a case spike in the country.
Fiji is battling a third wave of the coronavirus with just over 3-thousand active cases in isolation across the country.
The Government said it's evident there needs to be more stringent community-level measures.
Fiji's Health Minister Ifereimi Waqainabete said they will also focus on masking and social gatherings.
"I'd really like to encourage all of us to take leadership and responsibility. We don't have a lot of staff that can come around and judge whether your set-up is correct or not. We don't have that number of staff and I want to make it very clear that whenever you leave home, when you pick up your phone, please pick up your mask," he said.
Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete warns complacency will put the health system under huge pressure.
China's Hainan business conglomerate exits French Polynesia
China's Hainan business conglomerate is withdrawing from French Polynesia by selling its two hotels in Bora Bora and Moorea.
Both the St Regis and the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort are being bought by Hong Kong-based Dazhong Transportation.
Photo: 123RF
Hainan had acquired the two five-star hotels in 2016.
The territory's competition watchdog says the transaction poses no problems.
In 2014, French Polynesia and China signed an aviation agreement, clearing the way for direct flights between Tahiti and China.
Hainan Airlines hoped to launch regular flights, with the then French Polynesian president Gaston Flosse suggesting that Tahiti could serve as a stopover point for flights between China and South America.
Court of appeal in French Polynesia hears case of man who insulted Emmanuel Macron
The court of appeal in French Polynesia has heard the case of a 44-year-old man who in July had been acquitted of insulting the French president Emmanuel Macron.
The man carrying a placard had joined demonstrators lined up to confront the presidential convoy on its way to Tahiti's hospital.
He had been arrested over the incident but was cleared of charges of insulting a person in public authority.
The prosecution appealed and wants the man to be given a six-month suspended jail sentence.
According to Tahiti-infos, the accused claims he protested because democracy is under threat while the prosecution notes that the individual benefits from the system he attacks.
The appeal court's ruling is expected on 3 February.
Tonga reviews requirement for incoming passengers
Changes to requirements for incoming passengers to Tonga are under review, ahead of the next repatriation flights to Tonga scheduled this month.
Tonga suspended incoming repatriation flights in November and December after it recorded its first positive Covid-19 case at the border, the passenger was on a repatriation flight from New Zealand.
Chief Executive of Tonga's Government Communications Paula Ma'u told Matangi Tonga recommendations have gone to the new Cabinet, including "few changes to the protocols/requirements for incoming passengers".
Repatriation flights have been tentatively scheduled to arrive in Tonga on January 18 from Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji (for stranded passengers) and, possibly, Samoa.
A repatriation flight from New Zealand is also tentative for January 20.
3,122 people have been repatriated to Tonga since the border restrictions began in March 2020.
The last repatriation flight to Tonga from New Zealand arrived on October 27 with 215 passengers.
Call for a commission of inquiry into Samoa 2021 election rejected
Samoa's Minister for the Office of the Electoral Commission, Lefau Harry Schuster, has rejected a call for a Commission of Inquiry into the operations of the Electoral Commission during and after the 9 April 2021 General Elections.
HRPP leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said this week there is a need to clarify in an inquiry that no "trickery" was done by assistant Electoral Commissioner, Afualo Daryl Mapu, that may have affected the outcome of elections for some candidates for HRPP.
Afualo was arrested by police during a drug raid on his property along with a female who also worked at the OEC.
TV1Samoa reports Lefau saying there is no reason an inquiry should be made just because the son of the Speaker was arrested during a drug raid.
