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Opinion
Letters to the Editor – Sunday, August1, 2021
A house for Jerry As D Sharma wrote in this column on Saturday I also echo the idea for a house by the Government to our champion Jerry Tuwai. He deserves better but we can...
Editorial comment – Gather the courage to fight the virus
The revelation that 64 COVID-19 patients are currently on oxygen support while three patients are on ventilators will raise some concern. It brings home the reality that we have a very dangerous virus to deal with. Health Ministry chief medical adviser Dr Jemesa Tudravu said on Friday that 332 COVID patients were currently admitted in...
31st July
The magnificent 7s
What a truly historical and passionate evening it was for our brave and talented players as they stood strong and firm defeating all opponents who tried to lay siege to their gold medal aspirations. It was an uplifting experience to witness this Olympics rugby 7s event as it unfolded when Fiji went through the entire...
Super performance: A win like no other; one to unite all Fijians
Yes we did it again. We are now the Olympic champions for the second time. It was a super performance from a super team. Against the backdrop of COVID-19 coupled with unprecedented challenges, we once again stood our ground and made it to the pinnacle of sevens rugby on the planet. Emulating the success of...
Keep private data safe – The psychology of cybersecurity
Building secure information systems is all very well and good, but if you really want to keep your private data safe, the best way is with an understanding of how people think. It’s a truth of war from ancient times no matter how formidable your defenses, no matter how thick your city walls or how...
Ways to boost your immune system- fighting off diseases
Helpful ways to strengthen your immune system and fight off disease How can you improve your immune system? On the whole, your immune system does a remarkable job of defending you against disease-causing microorganisms. But sometimes it fails: A germ invades successfully and makes you sick. Is it possible to intervene in this process and boost your...
Letters to the Editor – Saturday, July 31, 2021
Winning styles Couldn’t help contrasting the different gold winning styles used when looking at Ben Ryan’s winning brigade in Rio in 2016 and Gareth Baber’s giant slayers brigade. The Rio team displayed artistry, elegance, sophistication and class as they weaved their silky way to outclass a very, very, classy Team GB. Tokyo was different. The...
Editorial comment – United we must be
The numbers are spiralling out of control. We have far too many positive cases and far too many deaths reported daily. In fact by the time we sit back and ponder on this frightening scenario, many of us will actually know some of the positive cases. That’s just how small the area of infection is,...
30th July
A discussion about Bill 17 of 2021
Earlier this month, the government, in the middle of its annual budget process, introduced a Bill (‘Bill 17’) to amend the iTaukei Land Trust Act (TLTA) — the “iTaukei Land Trust (Budget Amendment) Act, 2021”. It has met with strong protest from many chiefs, the Methodist Church and some members of Parliament, including SODELPA main...
Letters to the Editor – July 30, 2021
Well done KUDOS to little Jerry and his gladiators for a historically golden accomplishment. Well done team Fiji!. Hats off to head successful coach and mentor Gareth Baber for moulding a deadly and a winning combo. As a symbolic gesture and appreciation, I hope our good government bestows Gareth with the chiefly title of Ratu...
Great achievement
As successful national coach Gareth Baber contemplates his future on his way to Europe, we are left to savour a great victory at the pinnacle of world sporting events. The Los Angeles Times reported that while in another sign of the reshaped TV landscape, ratings for NBC’s telecasts of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo...
29th July
Letters to the Editor – Thursday, July 29, 2021
Defensive strategy I believe the defensive strategy implemented by Baber is great and working well. The players have adapted well to this structure as they have been spot on with their tackling. Most interestingly, the players have been tackling within the rules of the game and maintaining their discipline. That’s the way to go, if...
PNG’s highest budget deficit ever – But that’s a good thing
Large budget deficits are normally a worrying sign. But there are occasions where they are justified. 2020 was one of those occasions. Papua New Guinea’s deficit was already scheduled to be its largest ever. Then the COVID-19 pandemic ripped a deep hole in the budget and the economy. The recent release of PNG’s 2020 Final...
Editorial comment – Our game, our gold
Fireworks lit up the night sky in the Capital City as Fijians lapped up the 27-12 victory over New Zealand for our gold medal win at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. What a beauty! After that jittery start on Day One, against Japan, Gareth Baber stayed true to his guns. He was never moved!...
Protesting students sent home
In 1984 the Navuso Agriculture School board suspended 120 students who went on strike to protest against what they termed was a lack of action on their grievances. This report was published in The Fiji Times on April 11, 1984. The students received a circular from the school board saying that all students boycotting normal...
28th July
Letters to the Editor – Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Scintilating performance We bounced back in emphatic style and proved our critics wrong. With mediocre performance in the first two pool matches there were already some negativities perpetuated on social media. But less did they realise the fact, that it is 7s rugby and we can always regroup and come out firing in the next...
Navy turns 46
The Republic of Fiji Navy celebrated 46 years of service on July 25 marking an important milestone for the military agency. In his anniversary address, Fiji Navy Commander Captain Humphrey Tawake said since its inception in 1975, the Republic of Fiji Navy has a rich history in the defence of Fiji’s maritime boundaries. “As we...
Editorial comment – Unity at home
You could hear cheers and screams of joy yesterday around suburbs of the Capital City, Suva. There was a feeling of excitement. You could sense it in the air. That happens every time our national 7s team plays anywhere in the world. In the top fields of 7s rugby, the national side attracts attention every...
A solution looking for a problem
Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has issued a very long, 30-paragraph defence of the iTaukei Land Trust (Amendment) Bill. But I am not sure he has really got to the point. The aim of the law change, he says, is to speed up the backlog of mortgage consent applications at the iTaukei Land Trust Board. Once this...
27th July
Not if but how – Foreign workers on Australian farms
In 2006, under pressure from the Pacific to introduce a seasonal worker scheme, and under pressure from Australian farmers to address labour shortages, the Howard government introduced the second-year backpacker visa. This gave working holiday makers on a one-year visa a second-year visa if they worked in a regional area for three months. The policy shift was both transformational and immensely damaging. It...
Letters to the Editor – July 27, 2021
Nervy start IT was a nervy start from our players against Japan in the first pool match in Tokyo. Having the favourites tag, combined with added pressure to defend the gold medal, seemed to have overtaken our performance for some time. But we bounced back and almost pulled it out of the fire. When the stakes are really high, this is the level of competition expected at...
Editorial comment – Go Fiji, go
It wasn’t the start we wanted. It wasn’t anywhere near the form we expected. When push came to shove though, we toppled Japan and Canada where it mattered, on the scoreboard. That 24-19 win over Japan was a nail-biter though. It was frustrating, and frightening to say the least. In the end though, we delivered,...
26th July
Letters to the Editor – July 26, 2021
Climate change THE World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) had recently and unequivocally stated that “climate change was the root cause for the torrential rainstorms and deadly floods ravaging across Western Europe this summer”. The WMO also rightly added “we have always had extreme weather events but because of climate change, we have started seeing them more often and they are more intense”. That’s all very true and experiences around...
Editorial comment – Go Fiji, go
The stage is set for our foray into the Olympic Games 7s rugby competition. Today we are scheduled to play two games, against hosts Japan, and Canada. Then we are scheduled to play Great Britain tomorrow. There is great interest in this event for the one reason that we are defending champions. We are the defending gold medallists...
Tackling NCDs – Pacific Island Food Revolution in Italy
The event brings together diverse actors from around the world to leverage the power of food systems to deliver progress on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Pacifi c Island Revolution’s executive director Robert Oliver, who will be presenting at the event, is excited to share the project’s theory of change and groundbreaking impact results. “Pacific Island Food Revolution’s bold and innovative approach to tackling non-communicable diseases...
25th July
Where Reverend Thomas Baker once walked
Travelling to the interior of Viti Levu, where rugged mountains rule the rural skyline and life seems stress-free and laid-back, is never a straightforward adventure. For generations, communities and families in these rustic parts of the country have been disadvantaged by their geography and, — their inability to access the markets and public services that...
Hidden talent brought to life
Entrepreneur Fredrica Nagan draws motivation from her family, and she strives to do good for them. We are all born with a grab bag of gifts and gaps. Identify your true talents, then find out how to use them to make money. Do you have a passion for baking? The right education can offer the...
Mercy flight saves woman
Thursday, July 25, 1957 radio messages seeking aid for seriously ill women – one on board a ship at sea and the other on Pitcairn Island – flashed across the South Pacific for a few days. Radio receivers in Fiji picked up the messages and Royal Navy, merchant ships, RNZAF planes and medical personnel were...
Storm in a teacup
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama this week treated conversations around the much talked about Bill 17 like a storm in a teacup. Due to go before Parliament tomorrow, the Bill seeks to amend section 12 of the iTaukei Land Trust Act of 1940. It seeks to remove the requirement of obtaining the consent of the iTaukei...
