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PSGDN launches new website and newsletter
The Pacific Sexual and Gender Diversity Network (PSGDN) launched their new website and newsletter called The Queernesians last week – both aimed at providing a face to the organisation’s existence in supporting, mentoring and building...
Besieged by COVID: Downturn in economic activities had a huge impact on MSMEs – Saxsena
Our heavy reliance on the tourism industry and the closure of our international borders led to significant downturn in economic activities during the pandemic. This according to HLB Mann Judd Fiji director corporate services Sanjay Ram Saxsena. He told this during a presentation at last Friday’s Business Assistance Fiji (BAF) organised Awareness and Networking workshop...
2022 General Election: Ballot boxes ‘tracked’
The Fijian Elections Office (FEO) has begun packing pre-poll ballot boxes as pre-polling begins in the country from December 5. Yesterday, the FEO held a media walkthrough of the area where the operations were taking place. Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem explained the ballot boxes were manually tracked from the warehouse to the central processing...
2022 General Election: Vote for the future of our children – Lata
Ansu Lata entered politics with a simple goal in mind: to bring about change for sound democratic governance and leadership in health, education, human rights and women empowerment. Eight years on from her first election, the 40-year-old Labasa native is contesting her third election under the National Federation Party (NFP) banner. With a string of...
2022 General Election: ‘I stand for the less fortunate’
Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) candidate Setefano Osonamoli made a decision to contest the 2022 General Election to be a voice for the underprivileged, vulnerable and marginalised in society. He has a history of public service after being a member of the Great Council of Chiefs, member of the Namosi Provincial Council and Namosi Development...
Man sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for burning down family home
A 34-year-old man who burnt down his family home in a drunken rage in May was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by the High Court in Suva. The matter was called before High Court judge Justice Daniel Goundar. Sairusi Vuasivo was charged with one count of arson for willfully and unlawfully setting fire to the...
2022 General Election: 606,092 eligible to vote – Saneem
A total of 606,092 voters will be eligible to vote on December 14. This was confirmed by Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem during a briefing over the weekend. Mr Saneem also confirmed that at the conclusion of the postal vote verification process, the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) had received 9916 postal vote applications. Mr Saneem...
2022 General Election: Fiji PM ‘delusional’
National Federation Party (NFP) general secretary Leba Seni Nabou has called Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama “delusional” following his attack on the wife of NFP leader, professor Biman Prasad. At a campaign rally at Vashist Muni Hall in Navua last Friday, Mr Bainimarama claimed that Prof Prasad’s wife, Dr Rajni Chand, did not deserve the position...
Residents claim taps run dry
Water woes continue to plague residents along Princess Rd over the past few days. The Fiji Times spoke to residents of Cokanaisuva settlement, Tacirua six miles, Savutalele settlement and Naisogo settlement, who all claimed that their taps were running dry since Tuesday last week. Alelia Tebetia, a resident of Tacirua six miles, said they had...
Locals raise concern over dust and noise nuisance
Residents living along Vakabalea Rd, Navua, have raised serious health and safety concerns about the dust and noise nuisance caused by trucks carting either soft stone or gravel along the thoroughfare on an almost daily basis. The residents claimed children were getting sick, they could not move freely for exercise outside, sun out beddings and...
Sign language students complete six-month program
Sixty-four students were awarded certificates by the Fiji Association of the Deaf last week after successfully completing a six-month program in sign language. According to the association, 41 students graduated with basic certificates, 16 with intermediate qualifications and 10 in the advanced category. Among the graduating class was Joseph Vulitani, 12, Litiana Matebau, 11, and...
2022 General Election: Political party told to remove video
The Fijian Elections Office has asked The People’s Alliance (PA) party to remove a video addressing the Denarau land deal from its Facebook page. In a statement, the FEO said it received a complaint on the video published by The People’s Alliance in which Y3 Kofera Trust chairman Ratu Vuniani Navuniuci was purporting to be...
2022 General Election: Chaudhry reveals why he is running for polls again
Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry says he is standing again in the 2022 General Election because he can’t bear the “wrongs” of the FijiFirst government. “A leader has a responsibility to the people, a duty to the people and to fight injustice,” he said. “We can’t just take all of these wrong things being...
2022 General Election: ‘We will remove fear’ – Rabuka
The rights and freedom of Fijians are under threat and abused under the FijiFirst government, says The People’s Alliance party leader Sitiveni Rabuka. Speaking in Lautoka, he said fear among Fijians has been part of the current government’s machinery since 2006. He said the leaders of FijiFirst were “experts in its use”. “Basically people fear...
2022 General Election: SODELPA will not go into coalition with FijiFirst – Koroisavou
We will not sleep on the same bed with the same people who took us out, says Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) campaign director Jope Koroisavou. He said this while answering questions from this newspaper regarding any potential FijiFirst party (FFP) and SODELPA coalition after the 2022 General Election. “I think that the (SODELPA) leader...
2022 General Election: Vote for a good government – Chaudhry
Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry says if people do not vote out the FijiFirst government in the 2022 General Election, Fijians will continue to remain in their control. While speaking to supporters in Lautoka over the weekend, he said Fijians should exercise their right to vote if they want change. “If we fail to...
2022 General Election: Fiji PM descends to lowest of personal attacks – Prof Biman
FijiFirst party leader Voreqe Bainimarama has descended to the lowest of personal attacks, says National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad. His comments come in the wake of claims made by Mr Bainimarama during a campaign rally in Nakurukuru, Lami. Mr Bainimarama said Prof Prasad would agree to bring back the Great Council of Chiefs...
FWCC: Rise in child rape cases in Fiji
Reports of child rape this year have increased to 70 cases compared with 24 cases reported last year. Out of the 70 cases of child rape, the Central and Northern divisions recorded the most with 38 reported at the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Suva branch and 20 at the Labasa branch. FWCC co-ordinator Shamima Ali...
Seven rescued in Malolo waters after boat capsized
Seven people were rescued off the coast of Musket Cove Resort in Malolo after their passenger boat capsized last Friday night. According to police, a report was received at the Nadi Police Station that a fiberglass boat with seven passengers had capsized between Musket Cove Resort and Denarau Marina. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said the...
27th November
Go get checked; 20 new cases of diabetes recorded at free public outreach program
More than 20 new cases of diabetes and 40 cases of high blood pressure were recorded by a Diabetes Fiji outreach team at Rups Mall in Nakasi yesterday. Diabetes Fiji project co-ordinator Viliame Qio said the new cases were recorded just two and a half hours into their free public outreach program. “We started the...
Fiji Airways begin flights to Vancouver
National airline Fiji Airways’ inaugural flight to Vancouver had an 88 per cent capacity of passengers taking advantage of Fiji’s direct link to Canada. Fiji Airways managing director Andre Viljoen said this created a good number for a first flight. “The inaugural return flight from Vancouver to Nadi has a seat load factor of 88...
Vendors’ delight: Three TV sets installed at the market
Market vendors in Labasa will no longer worry about finding a television set during working hours to watch next weekend’s Dubai 7s. Government yesterday, through Walesi, installed three television sets in the market much to their delight. Vendor Dharmen Prasad said this was the best Christmas gift for the vendors who could now relax at...
Fiji’s mental health crisis: ‘A ticking time bomb’
Fiji is in the midst of a mental health crisis and well-known psychotherapist Selina Kuruleca says “we haven’t seen the worst of it”. During an interview with The Fiji Times, she was asked whether Fiji was a ticking time bomb due to the large number of suicides and attempted suicides and especially with about 60...
2022 General Election: ‘Power in your hands’; Party to move Fiji away from military rule – Narube
The power is in the hands of the people, says Unity Fiji Party leader Savenaca Narube. While speaking to supporters in Lautoka yesterday, he said Fijians had the right to vote for a new government if they were not happy with the current leadership. “When you look at the Unity Fiji party you will see...
2022 General Election: ‘Development under FijiFirst done faster’
FijiFirst will continue operating along the lines of existing policies on development that has cemented the party’s track record while in power. This, according to FijiFirst party leader Voreqe Bainimarama. Speaking during a party campaign in Navua on Friday, Mr Bainimarama said development done by his government over the years was done at a faster...
2022 General Election: Saneem dismisses complaint lodged against Fiji PM
Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem has dismissed a complaint lodged against FijiFirst party leader Voreqe Bainimarama and general secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. The complaint was lodged by Unity Fiji’s Mick Beddoes following the FijiFirst party campaign in Nausori. “Having reviewed the statements, it noted that Mr Bainimarama was in fact providing his opinion on the aftermath...
2022 General Election: Residents reminded of false promises
People are fed up of the FijiFirst party’s false promises, says National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad. Speaking to supporters at a rally in Lautoka, Prof Prasad highlighted a number of failed projects that the FijiFirst Government have yet to deliver. “Everywhere we go people are telling us they are fed up of what...
2022 General Election: PM told to ‘come out clean’
Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama should come out clean and reveal how much debt the country is in under his leadership since he overthrew a democratically elected government in 2006, says National Federation Party candidate Dorsami Naidu. The Nadi-based lawyer said Mr Bainimarama carried out the coup on December 5 and the main reason given...
2022 General Election: ‘This is your party’ – Rabuka
The People’s Alliance is an inclusive party that does not require “perfect” people to be a part of it, says leader Sitiveni Rabuka. He said this when asked why he exited the Social Democratic Liberal Party during a campaign meeting in Qarani Village, Gau, recently. “This is the only political party in Fiji that doesn’t...
Kuruleca: ‘Ethnic data will help us identify best interventions’
Well-known local psychotherapist Selina Kuruleca has challenged government’s decision not to provide ethnic data from census and surveys. In an interview on the Fiji Times Online digital program ‘The Lens @177’, she was asked what the ethnic data was telling her in terms of cases she has received or treated. “I have a lot of...
