Subscribe
Opinion
2nd October
Editorial comment – Employment challenges
The revelation that more than 220 businesses in Fiji are finding it difficult to fill positions for electricians, refrigeration and air conditioning technicians, plumbers, construction and joinery workers and automotive mechanics will no doubt attract attention....
1st October
Vet corner: The welfare and safety of horses
It’s been raining cats and dogs lately so let’s get some things straight from the horse’s mouth. Horses have many predators in the wild, so to survive, they learned to quickly react to something near they believe may hurt them and to stay away from strange things. This is useful and life-saving in the wild,...
PaCSON and Optus data breach
This week the Pacific Cyber Security Operations Network (PaCSON) organisation held their AGM at the Grand Pacific Hotel (GPH) in Suva. PaCSON membership is mostly made up of Pacific regional governments with some partners. I was invited to a meeting with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) officials attending, to discuss cybersecurity...
Boxing returns with a bang
Bula readers, it’s not every day you can say that you attended an event that exceeded your hopes and expectations, but this is what happened last Saturday evening in Suva when I attended a boxing program. All I can say is congratulations to Lewis Hill Boxing Promotions and a job well done. It was indeed...
Living with fear: Government should listen and learn
In many of my speeches I refer to the atmosphere of fear often felt in Fiji. This week the fear issue has emerged again. The prominent National Federation Party member Richard Naidu told an audience in Suva that the current government rules by fear. Minister Sayed-Khaiyum questions this. He asked at a press conference, what...
Voters and the 2022 polls
Fiji soon goes to the polls for the 2022 General Election. There are two major candidates vying for prime ministership, both former coup leaders – Sitiveni Rabuka (The Peoples’ Alliance) staged the country’s first 1987 coup and Voreqe Bainimarama (FijiFirst) who led the 2006 coup. Both PA and its partner, the National Federation Party (NFP)...
The ‘FICAC’ factor
If there is any organisation in Fiji that hangs over Opposition parties like the sword of damocles, it is the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption. It is critical to understand the genesis of this entity, and its performance so far, especially for the incoming new Government that intends to steer our soon-to-be 52-year-old nation back...
Letters to the Editor – Saturday, October 1, 2022
Ground development CAN the appropriate authorities immediately advise the inquisitive Lautoka people on what category of development is currently being undertaken at Churchill Park ground number 3? It resembles an open war trench and a rice paddy field. Dhaan boi ka? Earlier in the week, rows of impenetrable non-transparent metal fences were being mounted along...
Editorial comment – A moment in time
The stage is set for a feast of secondary schools rugby today. That’s when the semi-finals of the Deans Trophy competition moves across to Prince Charles Park in Nadi. And when all things are said and done, attention will no doubt be on the two rookies in the lineup. That’s Ba Provincial Free Bird Institute...
30th September
Asia’s new normal – The massive vaccination campaigns that preceded it
Over the past few months, much of Asia – like many other parts of the world – has returned to an uncanny normality. Streets are full of people, schools and universities are open, traffic is jamming the roads, shops are bustling and there is little, if any, social distancing. COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted across...
Letters to the Editor – Friday, September 30, 2022
Tale of two heartbeats AS I read through the piece by Shanelle Prasad titled “Tale of two heart beats” (FT 29/09), I thought about the statistics released by the World Health Organization which revealed that 84 per cent of all deaths in Fiji were caused by NCDs. WHO also revealed that 6038 Fijians lost their...
Editorial comment – Our children, our future
It is difficult having to live with cancer. It’s tough when a loved one is suffering. As we wrap up the month again, when we try and create awareness about childhood cancer, we are reminded about how fragile life is. We are reminded about the importance of family support and especially the need for early...
29th September
Letters to the Editor – Thursday, September 29, 2022
A heartfelt present for Jessica It is shocking that every two seconds one person under the age of 70 loses his or her life to non-communicable diseases! The World Health Organization, in a report titled Invisible numbers: The true extent of noncommunicable diseases and what to do about them stated major risk factors. These included...
Editorial comment – Shocking NCD stats
It is shocking that every two seconds one person under the age of 70 loses his or her life to non-communicable diseases! The World Health Organization, in a report titled Invisible numbers: The true extent of noncommunicable diseases and what to do about them stated major risk factors. These included tobacco use, an unhealthy diet,...
28th September
The harsh reality – Climate change and the Pacific Islands
Amid concerns the intensity and frequency of weather events across the Pacific Islands are being exacerbated by climate change, now the region is expected to endure more floods and droughts with La Niña continuing into a third year. The Australian Bureau Of Meteorology’s declared this month that the climate pattern would continue into another summer....
Letters to the Editor – Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Roger Federer retires THESE lines by Rafael Nadal, “When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too, because all the moments that he has been next to or in front of me are important moments of my life,” showed the human side of their rivalry. Out of all the unforgettable...
Editorial comment – Making it happen in Suva
It is encouraging that the Suva Retailers Association is in talks with the Suva City Council on new initiatives to encourage the return of tourists to the Capital City. We say this in the wake of the cruise liner visit to Suva at the weekend. With international travel restrictions lifted, tourists are slowly returning to...
27th September
Feline fix by five
What that means is to get your cat spayed or neutered — also called desexed, castration, ovariohysterectomy, ‘fixed’, sterilised — by the time they are five months old. Given that cats reach sexual maturity at about 5 months of age, more and more people are advocating lowering the spay/neuter age to four to five months...
Letters to the Editor – Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Junior Bula Boys finish second THE Junior All Whites side won the OFC Under-19 Championship after a convincing 3-0 win over the Junior Bula Boys at the Stade Pater in Papeete, Tahiti. The victory gave the Junior All Whites their eighth title. After missing numerous opportunities, Oliver Colloty scored the goal his performance deserved as...
Editorial comment – Why we must be engaged
It’s not something many Fijians may want to talk about, however, methamphetamine is a topic of discussion. It must be a topic of conversation and be ingrained in the greater scheme of things. National Federation Party (NFP) president Pio Tikoduadua raised an issue last week that obviously upset some people. He referred to the hard...
26th September
A greener future for Fiji tourism
Recently I arrived back in Fiji after nearly two years away. One of the first changes I noticed, on the drive from Nadi to Suva, was the proliferation of the African tulip tree. It’s a beautiful tree, with huge scarlet flowers – hence its introduction a few decades ago as a garden ornamental. Presumably no...
Letters to the Editor – Monday, September 26, 2022
Traditional giants bow out THERE was high level drama at the HFC Bank Stadium when the Deans quarters concluded. Eastern giants RKS, QVS and Lelean bade the competition goodbye. The pulsating finishes surprised many especially when Marist ended the Lodonians’ dominance in the Deans competition. There was a sea of colours as fans filled Suva’s...
Editorial comment – Standing up together
The revelation that the Fiji Police Force made 39 arrests in relation to methamphetamine between the months of January and August this year will attract attention. It actually takes the meth issue and places it firmly in the faces of the masses! Statistics showed that of these 39 arrests, 10 were made in April alone,...
