Fiji

The All Blacks will play Fiji at Carisbrook in a one-off rugby test in July.

Rupert Murdoch, whose companies own the world's most extensive media holdings, has over the decades had to deal with many varieties of government, from true democracies to totalitarian states, so he is unlikely to be surprised by the actions of New Zealand's nearest dictatorship, the Bainimarama regime of Fiji.

Comparisons between the actions of Fiji's Frank Bainimarama "to solve Fiji's" intractable problems and that of the present New Zealand Government to deal with the "institutional failure" of the Canterbury Regional Council (ECan) are inevitable.

Fiji continues to brace for massive winds and high sea surges for at least another 24 hours as Cyclone Tomas continues to slam the Pacific nation.

A second person has been found dead in Fiji following Cyclone Tomas which hit the country earlier this week.

Homes have been destroyed, crops flattened and debris scattered across Fiji but Cyclone Tomas didn't cause as much damage as first thought, officials say.

Distraught over the destruction Cyclone Tomas is bringing to his homeland, Joeli Vakalala could not concentrate at work, so instead began organising relief supplies.

Cyclone Tomas uprooted trees and smashed houses as it tore through the Fijian island of Cikobia, a villager has told a local radio station.

A New Zealand Air Force Hercules carrying disaster relief supplies has left for Fiji after a devastating cyclone killed at least one person and knocked out power and communications to several islands.

As Cyclone Tomas hit Fiji yesterday, all Dunedin Fijians could do was wait and pray for the safety of family and friends.

Cyclone Tomas has battered island groups off Fiji's northern coast, causing flooding, pounding seas and one death, but officials said the storm will probably only sideswipe the main islands of the South Pacific nation.