Fiji

The Baby Manu has been training together for six weeks in preparation for the Oceania tournament and the upcoming World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Georgia.

Samoa won the second tier Under 20 Trophy last year to earn promotion back to the elite division.

Head coach Junior Leota said testing themselves against Australia, New Zealand and Fiji will tell them exactly where there preparations are at.

"It's crucial that we get preparation right and I guess Oceania it's a first step on our journey," he said.

As part of this effort, SPC is developing a coastal inundation forecasting tool for the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project (CIFPD) in Fiji.

This tool will be demonstrated in the Coral Coast before being replicated in other areas within Fiji including the Nadi River catchment.

This project has been established at the request of the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) and made possible with donor funding from the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) in 2017.

With teams still getting in their recovery training after the three tough days in Hong Kong, they've had time to look back on what was and what could have been.

Not least for USA captain Madison Hughes, who led his side to extra-time in the semi-finals against series leaders South Africa, before a mistake cost them the game.

“We were really disappointed, as they are a fantastic team," said Hughes.

Fiji head into the Singapore sevens this weekend fresh off a comprehensive Hong Kong tournament victory.

Fiji is currently second on the series ladder with 122 points, with the Blitz Bokke 23 points ahead.

Teams receive 22 points a tournament win, the runner-up gets 19 and the third place team is awarded 17 points.

Gareth Baber said this means South Africa will have to drop their standards signifcantly for Fiji to have a chance.

"They have been a model of consistency throughout the series," Baber said.

Activists in Fiji say its Health Ministry's policy of preventing homosexual men from donating blood was unconstitutional and discriminatory.

But the Ministry said its policy was informed by WHO guidelines.

WHO HIV Medical Officer Madeleine Salva said the guidelines also recommend deferring blood donation from people engaging in other high risk sexual behaviours such as having multiple partners, sex workers and their clients.

She said the guidelines don't single out gay men.

WHO estimates there are now more than 30,000 people in the country living with depression in the wake of Cyclone Winston, the worst storm in Fiji's recorded history.

The organisation's mental health officer for the Pacific region, Yataro Setoya, said that there was still a stigma attached to depression so many people don't want to seek help when they need it.

The Fiji Village reported it received confirmation of the policy when it raised questions after a homosexual man was not allowed to donate during a recent blood drive.

The man told the paper he was embarrassed to be told in front other donors that this was because of his sexual orientation.

He said no questions were asked of him but that officials running the drive simply made the assessment that he was homosexual.

Gerry Brownlee met his Fijian counterpart, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, at a South Pacific defence ministers' meeting in Auckland yesterday to discuss issues including maritime surveillance.

He said an inshore patrol vessel will be deployed to Fiji for six months in May to combat the widespread problem.

According to Mr Brownlee, the increase in illegal fishing vessels from Vietnam, also known as "blue boats", required counter-action.

The 21 year old refugee was taken to the Waigani Police Station on Tuesday afternoon straight from his court trial at the Waigani District Court by police and Immigration officials.

He was then charged for making False Representation under section 16(1)(e) of the Migration act. He was also charged under section 16(1)(k) of the same act for using a passport which was fraudulently obtained.

The European Union-funded project, in collaboration with the Pacific Community, will provide 400 households with solar power by the middle of the year.

The Pacific Community said poor access to power was one of the biggest obstacles to social and economic development in rural and remote communities.

The project's spokesperson, Martin Chong, said this would be the first time some people have ever had access to electricity.