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27th September
Dozens of Karabakh children reach safety in Armenia in back of a truck
By Felix Light KORNIDZOR, Armenia (Reuters) – Nearly 50 people, mostly children, scrambled from the back of a large truck in this Armenian border village on Tuesday after two days on the road, part of...
Weather watch | Trough of low pressure slow moving
A trough of low pressure remains slow moving over the group with associated cloud and rain expected to affect most parts of the group till later today. The forecast to midnight tonight for the Fiji group, expect occasional rain, heavy at times and isolated thunderstorms over Yasawa and Mamanuca group, Viti Levu division, Beqa and...
Pope, condemning body shaming, uses personal example from boyhood
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis on Tuesday condemned body shaming among young people, acknowledging that he was guilty of doing it himself when he was boy in Argentina more than seven decades ago. Francis made his comments while speaking to university students in Asia via a video link. A woman from India told him...
Dior shows frayed edges and bare shoulders at Paris Fashion Week
By Mimosa Spencer PARIS (Reuters) – Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri unveiled a spring collection on Tuesday that mixed masculine and feminine styles, with full, airy skirts in black mesh and solemn tailored jackets, throwing in faded fabrics, unfinished edges and tops baring one shoulder. Chiuri said she sought to revisit stereotypes of women while...
Leader of Spanish Hells Angels chapter acquitted following trial
MADRID, Spain (Reuters) – Spain’s High Court on Tuesday acquitted a German national accused of heading a crime ring linked to the Hells Angels motorcycle club following a collective trial of 45 of its alleged members over their activities on the resort island of Mallorca almost a decade ago. The defendants faced a slew of...
From the Editor-in-Chief’s desk: Your September 27 briefing
Bula The focus of attention remains firmly on the Rugby World Cup in France. We have that as the lead on the front page of The Fiji Times for Wednesday. September 27. Manu Samoa coach Seilala Mapusua talks about how the Flying Fijians are attracting much attention and pride in the region following impressive outings...
Actor Viola Davis to join US African diaspora council
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced the first members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement, including actor Viola Davis, who will advise Washington on deepening ties with African communities. Washington has sought to stress the region’s importance and counter challenges posed by China and Russia to the United States’...
26th September
Economy remains firm on recovery path
DESPITE the weakness in the global economy, mainly from tighter monetary policy in major countries, the Fijian economy remains firm on its recovery path, led by a strong rebound in tourism related sectors. Reserve Bank of Fiji governor Ariff Ali said the bank had continued to satisfactorily achieve its key objectives of low inflation and...
IUCN announces new call for proposals
A NEW call for proposals has been announced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as part of the Kiwa initiative. The Kiwa initiative — nature-based solutions (NBS) for climate resilience — aims to strengthen the climate change resilience of Pacific Island ecosystems, communities and economies through the NBS by protecting, sustainably managing...
Disastrous to the industry
FIJI Trade Union Congress national secretary Felix Anthony’s anticipation of national minimum wage of $6-$7 per hour will be disastrous to the Textile Clothing and Footwear Industry in Fiji. TCF Council president Inbamalar Wanarajan yesterday said the TCF industry was already suffering from recently imposed local costs increases and passing on these new additional costs...
Ministry: Various reforms in the pipeline
VARIOUS reforms are in the pipeline to improve good governance, openness, accountability and transparency states the Ministry of Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics (MoF). The ministry stated this is in the Auditor-General’s 2020 and 2021 Financial Statements of Government and 2020 and 2021 Agency Financial Statements —Ministry of Finance report tabled in Parliament...
$395.6m incurred under miscellaneous services in 2020
EXPENDITURE totalling $395.6 million were incurred under Miscellaneous Services — Head 50 in 2020, stated the Auditor-General in the 2020 and 2021 Financial Statements of Government and 2020 and 2021 Agency Financial Statements of Ministry of Finance report tabled in Parliament recently. Miscellaneous Services is administered by the Ministry of Finance. The funding provided under...
Process changes in pensions department
THE pensions department at the Finance Ministry will make process changes effective during this financial year. Under the changes, life certificates would be submitted on a three-monthly rather than a six-monthly basis. This was stated by theAuditor-General’s 2020 and 2021 Financial Statements of Government and 2020 and 2021 Agency Financial Statements of Ministry of Finance...
Budget funds underutilised, says Auditor General
FROM the approved budget estimate of $3.5 billion in the COVID response budget 2020, only $3.3 billion was utilised and in 2020-2021 $484 million wasn’t used from a budget estimate of $3.6 billion in 2022. This was stated by the Auditor-General in 2020 and 2021 Financial Statements of Government and 2020 and 2021 Agency Financial...
Sadrugu scores try of his life
After 10 years of playing international rugby, Benjamin John Sadrugu has scored one of the greatest tries of his life. In front of family and friends, the 39-year-old was admitted to the Bar of the High Court of Fiji by Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo last Friday. “Before pursuing my studies, I used to play...
Letters to the Editor
Lautoka Hospital PARAS Naidu of Lautoka describes in detail a pathetic condition of Lautoka Hospital (FT 25/9). On another page of the same edition, we learn about a visit to the same hospital by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Professor Biman Prasad. One would assume the minister had noticed the deteriorating conditions...
$5000 support
A GROUP of Fijian youths have worked tirelessly this year towards their chance to put themselves and the nation on the map for competitive robotics. With the support of BSP Financial Group Ltd, four members of Team BulaBots, a robotics group from the University of the South Pacific will travel to Singapore to participate in...
Joint promotion for customers
Popular café and restaurant chain, The Coffee Hub has partnered with ICT retailer Fiji Traders to offer their shared customers a joint promotion. Both companies frequented by young customers, Fiji Traders business development manager Shavneel Singh saw the opportunity to offer tertiary students some much-needed coffee. This idea was later expanded to offer the chance...
30-yr-old kindergarten teacher charged with rape of 4-yr-old student
A 30-YEAR-OLD kindergarten teacher has been charged with one count of rape after she allegedly raped a four-year-old student on September 15. The accused was produced at the Suva Magistrate’s court yesterday. She allegedly committed the offence while helping the victim get into her swimsuit. The victim relayed the incident to her mother later on...
30-yr-old farmer in court for alleged rape of 75-yr-old
A 30-YEAR-OLD farmer was produced at the Nausori Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with allegedly raping a 75-year-old woman in her home. In a statement, police said the incident occurred sometime between September 12 and 13 and was reported by the turaga-ni-koro on September 16. Police said the victim knew the accused as he was in...
BACK IN HISTORY | School gate drama
ON August 7, 1993, under the headline “Vuo parents storm school gate”, The Fiji Times reported that parents of protesting students at Vuo Bhartiya School in Labasa forced open the school gate to allow their children in for classes. The article reported the school manager Subrail Gounder had promised to close the school on Monday...
Fiji spent $38m on overseas missions in 2016
BETWEEN 2007 and 2022, Fiji’s highest ever spending to maintain overseas diplomatic missions was $38 million in 2016. This was part of figures provided in a written response from Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Lenora Qereqeretabua, who during this month’s Parliament sitting, asked the PM to provide the number of...
Challenges CPRs encounter
VIOLATION of basic human rights and lack of access to basic facilities are among the many challenges Collection Pillars of Recycling (CPRs) encounter as they collect recyclables to put food on the table for their families. These collective views of about 1000 CPRs were gathered during a mapping exercise conducted by Waste Recyclers Fiji and...
Lautoka women benefit from facility
A FACILITY dedicated to bringing dignity to as many as 60 women who ply their trade daily in the waste recycling collection space, was launched at Lautoka’s Vunato Landfill site yesterday. Local Government Minister Maciu Nalumisa, who officiated at the launch of a decent portable kitchen and washroom facility said the event marked the continuation...
Kaloumaira is new FBC chair
FORMER chief executive officer of iTaukei Trust Fund and Fiji Television chairman Isoa Kaloumaira is the new chairperson of the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) board after the resignation of former chair Ajay Bhai Amrit last week. Prime Minister and Minister of Public Enterprise Sitiveni Rabuka said Mr Kaloumaira was no stranger to the role as...
Cost of no action is too great, says Lakeba
GREEN investment means keeping our feet in the mud and our head in the sky, says Conservation International director Mere Lakeba. Speaking at the Fiji National University’s 2023 Sustainability Week Campaign launch at the FNU Koronivia campus aquaponics farm, she said this was a phrase that the organisation lived by. “Meaning, whilst we engage in...
Government vows to eliminate cronyism
GOVERNMENT is working to remove certain elements of cronyism that deny certain local businesses and individuals fair treatment over others. Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad made this known to Lautoka business stakeholders at a recent consultation. His comments followed concerns from Arrow Concrete Fiji Ltd director Ashwin Raju on unfair procurement of products to...
Fiji financially stable: Reserve Bank of Fiji reports record $102.2 million profit
FIJI’S financial system remains sound and stable and the Reserve Bank of Fiji continues to keep a close eye on the financial sector stability. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Professor Biman Prasad made the statement yesterday after the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) submitted its 2022-2023 audited financial statements with its operations report...
Navy rescues sailors
A JOINT rescue mission between the Fiji Navy search and rescue (SAR) and the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) Fiji resulted in the rescue of two sailors aboard a stricken yacht approximately 273 nautical miles southwest of Viti Levu. Fiji Navy confirmed that three personnel were onboard when the vessel encountered difficulties and one person died...
Heavy rain alert, flood warning
A HEAVY rain alert is in force for the Fiji Group as a trough of low pressure lies slow moving over the group. The Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) in its latest bulletin says associated cloud and rain is expected to affect most parts of the country until today (26/09). Meanwhile, the weather office has also...
