Local News
20th September
Campese’s call: Game will be won up front
“IF we can stop them in the forwards, then everything will fall into place.” That’s how the Flying Fijians’ most experienced loosehead prop Campese Ma’afu believes the powerful Australian team can be stopped. “Whatever challenges...
Vuniwaqa: ePassport fees account for service fee
THE Fiji Immigration Department has taken into account the cost of the service in making the newly-introduced ePassports when it decided on its fees. This is the word from director of immigration Nemani Vuniwaqa after the release of the new ePassport fees yesterday. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, yesterday launched four different ePassports — an ordinary...
‘Travel easier, safer’
GOVERNMENT is setting Fiji up for wider visa-free status access around the world through the introduction of ePassport, says Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. Speaking during the launch of the ePassport at the Fiji Immigration Department office in Suva yesterday, Mr Bainimarama said the introduction of ePassports would bring about benefits to all Fijian citizens, both...
Committee works on dates for Hibiscus
THE annual Hibiscus Festival is still likely to take place despite the change in management of the organising committee in recent months. Dubbed as the “Mother of all Festivals”, the premium event was to be held in August this year. Hibiscus Festival executive committee chairman Vinay Kumar said the committee was in discussions and needed...
MOE to review policy
THE Education Ministry will be reviewing a social media policy for teachers which was introduced three months ago. In a statement last night, the ministry said they appreciated the positive potential of social media in enabling productive engagement between teachers, students and parents in schools. In the policy, which came into effect in June, schoolteachers...
150th anniversary: A song for Times
THE song has a haunting lilt to it. The voices behind it are no longer here today, but their song lives on. We came across an old recording of a Fijian song composed by a sigidrigi or folk group from Gau — Miramira ni Katudrau — from more than 50 years ago. The song is...
150th anniversary: Good old times
WHILE many have sent accolades and high praise to The Fiji Times on its 150th birthday this year, it is the stories of the role this newspaper played in the lives of everyday Fijians that best signifies how important the daily has been in Fiji’s history. Stories like that of a 15-year-old boy who, more...
Nasilasila rape trial: Judge overturns assessors opinion; convicts Nasilasila
JUSTICE Daniel Goundar has overturned the assessors verdict of not guilty and convicted Amenoni Nasilasila of one count of rape. The Lautoka High Court Judge said the complainant was a reliable witness and he has accepted all her accounts of the incident. Justice Goundar has just delivered his judgement and the matter has been stood...
Hard work pays off
A SMALL-scale dairy farmer believes there is profit in any business if you work hard and have a savings plan. Veniasi Moroca looks after his family dairy farm — Burenicava Farm — in Serea, Vunidawa, Naitasiri Province, and the income received from the milk has enabled him to pay for his daughters’ education. Mr Moroca...
Concern over global tech films
CONCERN was raised by the Minister for Defence, National Security and Foreign Affairs, Inia Seruiratu, on foreign-owned global tech companies and how to keep checks on them. Mr Seruiratu highlighted the issue at the opening of the two-day CPA Congress 2019 at Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa on Yanuca Island yesterday. “In Fiji, we feel...
Kristel sketches art
USING her emotions to fuel her sketches, Kristel Nikita Shukla portrays art which expresses feelings in diverse perception. Kristel, 25, finds her inspiration from Italian renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci especially his work with the Mona Lisa, but it was her father who noticed she had a knack for drawing. “My father was a sign-writer...
Prasad says an independent Parliamentary counsel should have been requested
BECAUSE of the Government majority membership, an independent Parliamentary counsel should have been requested to guide the Privileges Committee on the report that was tabled in Parliament on a matter of privilege against Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and Opposition MP Pio Tikoduadua. According to the verbatim report of September 3, this was proposed by Opposition...
Committee was at liberty to question any witness: Bhatnagar
THE Privileges Committee was at liberty to question any witnesses giving evidence on matters of privilege against Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and Opposition MP Pio Tikoduadua. This was the response from committee chairperson and deputy speaker Veena Bhatnagar to Mr Tikoduadua, who was summoned to give evidence before the Committee on September 3. He had...
Government MPs considered PM didn’t break glasses
GOVERNMENT MPs Inia Seruiratu and Mahendra Reddy considered that Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama didn’t break Opposition MP Pio Tikoduadua’s glasses because they were in Mr Tikoduadua’s hand and not his pocket. This came up while they were scrutinising a video of Mr Bainimarama allegedly manhandling Mr Tikoduadua outside Parliament on August 9. Mr Tikoduadua had...
SG’s office requested to assist the Privileges Committee
THE Office of the Solicitor-General’s (SG’s) was requested to assist the Parliamentary Privileges Committee draft its report on a matter of privilege against Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and Opposition MP Pio Tikoduadua. This was highlighted in the Committee’s verbatim report The report records that Agriculture Minister and Committee member Dr Mahendra Reddy said that the...
19th September
Vodafone Fiji focus on cloud services
SMARTPHONES have become the key device used these days to carry out business deals and other similar transactions. Vodafone Fiji’s chief operating officer Ronald Prasad said they were focusing on cloud services which meant that data stored in the cloud by businesses – either small businesses or by huge enterprises – was much more secure....
CPA Congress, latest major regional and international gathering in Fiji
THE annual CPA Congress is only the latest in the string of major regional and international gatherings Fiji has had the privilege to host on the Fijian shores. Speaking at the CPA Congress this morning, Minister for Defense Inia Seruiratu said he believed that the congress, with its range of accomplished speakers, to be among...
Govt officials, disciplined forces to use official e-passport
SENIOR officials of Government and members of the disciplined forces will now be using an official e-Passport. Director of Immigration Nemani Vuniwaqa said the official e-Passport was new and was designed for Government officials who travel on official visits abroad. The cost of an official e-Passport is $250 while the urgent process cost is $300....
Fijian Government recognise kava as a crucial crop: Sovalawa
THE Fijian Government recognised kava as a crucial crop. Deputy Secretary for Agriculture Development, Jone Sovalawa said this during the regional Codex Committee meeting currently being held in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The proposed regional standard for the use of Kava products as a beverage was discussed at the meeting. “The Ministry of Agriculture recognizes kava...
Serua community health workers complete basic health services training
TWENTY-THREE community health workers in Serua who have successfully completed the intensive training in basic health services. The Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete congratulated the health workers while closing the training yesterday reminding the CHW’s about the importance of their roles as health workers. “I am certain that this training will...
Advisory: Traffic restricted to single lane on Queens Road, Navua from next week
MOTORISTS are being advised that the road will be reduced to a single lane on Queens Road in Navua from Monday next week. This because the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) will be carrying out road reseals programme on Queens Road in Navua from Monday, September 23 to Friday, October 4, weather permitting. The FRA says...
Suva to host Miss Fiji pageant in November
SUVA will be hosting this year’s Miss Fiji pageant. Premila Kumar, Minister for Local Government in a statement issued today said the Miss Fiji Pageant contest 2019 will be held this year in Suva from November 18-23 at the Suva Civic Auditorium. Mrs Kumar said 17 Queens have been confirmed for the pageant and the...
Husband acquitted for attempted murder; convicted for assault
A HUSBAND who was acquitted of attempted murder but convicted for assault causing actual bodily harm has been further remanded by the High Court in Suva. Rakesh Chand appeared before Justice Chamath Morais today. He was initially charged with one count of attempted murder of his wife but later was acquitted after three assessors had...
17th batch graduate from Makoi Women’s Vocational Training Centre
FIFTY-EIGHT women graduated from the Makoi Women’s Vocational Training Centre (MWVTC) today. Since the establishment of the Centre in October 2015, this year saw the 17th batch of women from all walks of life to graduate with their certificates in cooking, sewing and hydroponics. This makes a total of 906 women to have graduated from...
Fees for new or renewal of standard e-passports will be $200
THE launch of the e-Passport today shows how Fiji is taking the next step to a sweeping digital government transformation, says Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. He made the said comment this morning during the launch of the e-passports at the Immigration Office in Suva. “With today’s e-Passport launch, we are taking the next step to...
Education ministry lauds Health Promoting Schools program
MINISTRY of Education deputy secretary Timoci Bure has lauded the World Health Organisation’s Pacific Technical Support team and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for establishing and implementing the Health Promoting Schools program in Fiji over the past three years. Speaking at an awards ceremony this morning where 13 schools were recognised for achieving bronze,...
USP graduation: 460 graduate from FALE and FSTE
THE University of the South Pacific graduation begun today where a total of 460 graduated from Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) and the Faculty of Science Technology and Environment (FSTE). The first session of graduation gathered hundreds of families and friends at the FMF Gymnasium in Laucala Bay, Suva. The ceremony also saw...
Nasilasila rape trial: Assessors return with a unanimous not guilty opinion
FORMER Fiji Sevens Rugby speedster Amenoni Nasilasila has been found not guilty of rape by the three assessors. His mother, Asivina Leanu, wept as the assessors returned their unanimous not guilty verdict. Lautoka High Court Judge Justice Daniel Goundar will deliver his judgement at 10am tomorrow.
Nasilasila rape trial: Judge sums up case; assessors retire to deliberate
LAUTOKA High Court judge Justice Daniel Goundar has informed the three assessors in the rape trial of former Fiji Sevens speedster Amenoni Nasilasila to form their own opinions on whether he is innocent or guilty. During his summing up today, Justice Goundar told the assessors they should assume Nasilasila was guilty simply because he did...
‘UN staff was on attachment’
A UNITED Nations Development Programme (UNDP) employee who is believed to have recorded the video of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama allegedly manhandling Opposition MP Pio Tikoduadua outside Parliament on August 9 while working for the Fiji Parliament, had not been given any Parliament induction. This has been revealed by the acting secretary-general to Parliament, Viniana...
