Subscribe
Opinion
Aunty Va calls it a day – Counselling for the past 28 years
She has decided to call it a day after being a counsellor for almost three decades. Originally from Serua Island, Vasemaca Naverebalavu Natoga has been counselling people with different issues for the past 28 years....
Letters to the Editor – Monday, January 30, 2023
Our national hero AFTER many articles I read so far a hero picture of the late Allen Lockington has been etched in my memory. People, who knew him by his works, have paid tribute through the social media and especially in Letters to the Editor. I was surprised how an ordinary man can do so...
Editorial comment – Important lessons
New Zealand are through to the Under 17 World Cup in Peru. They defeated New Caledonia 1-0 to get a ticket for the top competition. New Caledonia are also going to Peru as the second top side from the competition. It wasn’t an easy path though for the Kiwis who defeated Fiji 4-1 in their...
29th January
Letters to the Editor – Sunday, January 29, 2023
Congratulations new acting police chief CONGRATULATIONS to the new Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew on his well deserved appointment after being a career police officer for 34 years (FT 28/1). The people of Fiji can look forward to the rebranding of the police force as the protector of the people and their right...
Editorial comment – Boosting the Drua
It was hot in the Western Division yesterday. The sun turned out in all its glory in the early part of the day. Then the skies opened up in the afternoon. That’s when the Fijian Drua took on the might of the Melbourne Rebels at Prince Charles Park in Nadi. It was a trial match...
28th January
Parasite infection – Cats, raw meat and pregnant women
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a single-celled microscopic parasite called toxoplasma gondii. Clinical signs in cats Most cats infected with toxoplasma gondii show no signs of disease. Occasionally, however, a clinical disease called toxoplasmosis occurs, often when the cat’s immune response cannot stop the spread. The disease is more likely to occur in cats...
Cybersecurity shocking data breaches
Cyberspace continues to dominate our privacy issues and as reported by Techrepublic.com and others, data leaks affecting both personal and professional data grew in 2022 and will continue into 2023. Huge data leaks impacting millions of users occurred in 2022, such as the WhatsApp leak and more recent Twitter leak exposing more than 200 million...
Improve accountability in the ‘mataqali’
If we want the iTaukei to improve in the running of business and contribute more to the national economy, we have to ensure that the mataqali becomes accountable to its members in its operation. In the traditional social structure of the iTaukei, there are units such as confederacies, vanua, yavusa, mataqali, koro, tokatoka, family and...
A true patriot of Fiji
Allen Lockington lived a life that touched so many people and it’s hard to know where to begin. He is the man with a generous nature who has left us to live among angels in heaven. A man who did the nation proud. Someone who always thought about his fellow citizens and a champion of...
Petty-minded agitators – Treating democracy with disdain and contempt
Late Thursday evening, through an extraordinary Gazette notice, Speaker of Parliament Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu notified the people of Fiji that the FijiFirst parliamentary Opposition member Dr Mahendra Reddy’s seat was now vacant. Dr Reddy resigned only four days after standing shoulder-toshoulder with former Attorney- General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum while he dished out one of his usual...
Allen Lockington – man with the golden heart
Allen Lockington, who had a heart that touched thousands of people, left a legacy that will be hard to fill. He will be accorded a King’s funeral in his beloved city today. Expect a massive crowd at the Girmit Centre today as Fijians will converge to pay their last respect to a legendary writer and...
A true inspiration – Allen our local hero
Bula readers! This week we received the sad news that our local hero Allen Lockington passed away. I wrote an article in May of last year about this individual who was compassionate, caring and a true son of Fiji. Here are some excerpts from my assessment of this hardworking social worker who had received so...
Rule of law – Maybe a time for Aiyaz to reflect
Breakfast they say, is the most important meal of the day. But last Wednesday it was possibly also the most dangerous. Because that’s when many people were likely to be reading The Fiji Times and choking over their corn flakes. They could have been reading more pontification from the former Attorney General about “constitutionalism” and...
Letters to the Editor – Saturday, January 28, 2023
How much more time AFTER a series of poor performances and results in the World Rugby Sevens Series, I have just one question to ask Fiji rugby fans and officials; how much more time does Ben Gollings deserve as the head coach. It is no doubt that coaching the greatest sevens playing nation is one...
Editorial comment – Week of events
The suspension of Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho, and the head of the Fiji Corrections Service Francis Kean yesterday continues what has been an eventful month so far. They were suspended by President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere on the advice of the Constitutional Offices Commission. As they await a Tribunal hearing that will deliberate on...
27th January
30 years in a story – ni-Vanuatu women relate their struggles
ON August 30, 1992, three ni-Vanuatu women were on a plane back home to Port Vila after attending a workshop in Suva with grassroots women from across the Pacific region. Three days later, the Vanuatu Women’s Centre (VWC) was born. These three remarkable women were Merilyn Tahi, the co-ordinator of VWC until February 2021, Elizabeth...
Letter to the Editor – Friday, January, 27, 2023
Baby Bula Boys go down OUR Baby Bula Boys played their hearts out against the Junior All Whites. The same trend was repeated again this year with our under-17 team defeating teams with a margin of three goals to nil in most games. But when it really mattered, the Baby Bula Boys were defeated as...
Editorial Comment – Learning from the Kiwis
Fiji under-17 coach Sunil Kumar believes the Baby Bula Boys learnt a lot of lessons in their 1-4 loss to New Zealand in the OFC semi-finals on Wednesday. New Zealand dominated the game, coming off with a display of structured soccer. “We had a pretty slow start, even though we were able to equalise. But...
26th January
Who is Chris Hipkins? – Meet the man who replaced Ardern
New Zealand Education Minister Chris Hipkins has become New Zealand’s next prime minister after he was the sole nominee for the Labour leadership vacated by Jacinda Ardern. Ms Ardern shocked the nation of 5 million when she resigned from the prime ministership on last week calling an election for October 14. Mr Hipkins, who is...
Letters to the Editor – Thursday, January 26, 2023
Voice of the voiceless Power of an ordinary man! I commend the editor-in-chief for the inspiring and intriguing editorial titled “Power of an ordinary man” (FT: 25/01) as a tribute to the legend and powerful Allen Lockington from the Sugar City. Allen was famous for his writing and service to the people. He did what...
Editorial comment – Finding form
So we are now left with the reality of having to step up to get automatic qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics! That’s the predicament we face as we head across for the next leg of the World Rugby 7s series this weekend in Sydney. The Ben Gollings-coached side dropped to eighth spot on the...
25th January
Pacific predictions
As the new year gets underway, there is much to anticipate in the Pacific Islands region. Whether it is politics, economics, Pacific regionalism or the impacts of geostrategic competition, there is no shortage of fodder for discussion and analysis. Politics The political landscape of the region will be influenced to a large extent by the...
Letters to the Editor – Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Farewell great son of Fiji I am saddened by the news that the famous Allen Lockington is now no more. He had left behind a legacy of a true statesman, being the voice of the voiceless, and being the hands and legs for the poor and the needy. Farewell great son of Fiji, your contribution...
Editorial comment – Power of an ordinary man
Allen Lockington wasn’t the Prime Minister of Fiji. He wasn’t the President! He wasn’t even in the opposition or a Member of Parliament. He did not own a business and he wasn’t a famous sportsman! In fact he wasn’t a man who craved the limelight. He preferred to work behind the scenes. He preferred to...
24th January
A man ‘for humanity’
Colin Barlow was a quietly spoken person of great achievement. He was a renowned agricultural scholar, arguably the world’s leading authority on the smallholder cash crop economy of Southeast Asia. He had a deep concern for the rural poor. With great energy, vision and determination he established one of the most effective NGOs in Eastern...
Letters to the Editor – Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Richard’s informative article FOR me personally yesterday’s newspaper (23/01) The Fiji Times is worth not $1.50 but I could gladly pay $50 only due to one major informative article by Suva’s prominent lawyer Richard Naidu (Claims a serious matter). He so eloquently answered all the petty issues raised by the former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. He...
Editorial comment – When there is hope!
We are just one win away from a shot at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Peru later this year. That’s all it’s going to take for the Baby Bula Boys. This news may not have attracted as much attention as major events such as the World Rugby 7s Series, or the upcoming Fijian Drua...
