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New loan facility for cane growers
New and existing cane growers now have an opportunity to take advantage of affordable borrowing with the recent launch of the Fiji Development Bank’s Sugarcane Farmers Special Loan Facility. The launch was facilitated by the...
Fast Company’s website shuts after Apple News feed hacked
(Reuters) – U.S. business and media publication Fast Company’s Apple News account was hacked on Tuesday evening, the company said, prompting it to shut down the website. Apple Inc’s Apple News, had also disabled their channel with the Fast Company, the news aggregator app said in a tweet. Hackers sent two “obscene and racist push...
Significant data
Fiji has welcomed 377,503 tourists since borders reopened in December last year. Tourism Fiji shared these exciting figures as local tourism stakeholders reflected on their journey so far in yesterday’s celebration of the World Tourism Day. “That’s really significant for Fiji and we’re now seeing some exciting growth in what’s being offered by our tourism...
Dr Guneratne sworn-in as an Appeals Court judge
Dr Jayantha de Almeida Guneratne, was sworn in as a new Appeals Court judge before the President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere at the State House today. Dr Guneratne who hails from Sri Lanka and obtained his Doctorate in Law at the Pacific Western University in Hawaii has held various posts in Sri Lanka and was a member...
British health officials warn of difficult winter with flu and COVID
LONDON (Reuters) – British health officials on Wednesday warned that increased circulation of flu and a resurgence in COVID-19 could lead to a difficult winter that increases pressure on the already stretched National Health Service (NHS). Warnings over a possible “twindemic” of COVID-19 and flu have been issued each winter since the start of the...
U.S. VP Harris to push against China’s Taiwan policy in Japan speech
By Trevor Hunnicutt TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to take aim at China’s actions toward Taiwan during a speech on Wednesday to American sailors serving in Japan. Harris’ trip to Asia comes days after Chinese officials were roiled by U.S. President Joe Biden’s explicit pledge to defend the Chinese-claimed island....
Namosimalua takes the stand
Former secretary general to Parliament Viniana Namosimalua took the witness stand in the trial of former government MP Vijendra Prasad yesterday. The case of the former FijiFirst MP by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) continued in the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in Suva before High Court judge Justice Thushara Kumarage. Ms...
Financial promises – Lawyer: Impossible for aspiring political parties to explain funding
It would be an impossible exercise for aspiring political parties to explain how they would fund financial promises and projects made during campaigning. Lawyer Sevuloni Valenitabua said this during the hearing of the Fiji Labour and Unity Fiji parties challenge to the amendment of the Electoral Act 2014 through the Financial Management Act (FMA) 2021....
Attacks on database ‘daily occurrence’
Cyber attacks on the University of the South Pacific (USP) database are a daily occurrence. This was shared by USP deputy vice-chancellor Education Professor Jito Vanualailai to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence while presenting the USP’s submission on the Budapest Convention in Suva yesterday. “Let me tell you that we are being...
Apple drops iPhone production increase plans as demand falters – Bloomberg News
(Reuters) – Apple Inc is dropping plans to increase the production of its new iPhones this year after an anticipated surge in demand failed to materialize, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a comment. (Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
Call to acknowledge gendered cybercrime
The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) has called for the acknowledgement of gendered crimes in relation to cyberspace infringements. During a submission on the proposed ratification of the Budapest Convention in Suva yesterday, FWRM executive director Nalini Singh informed members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence that the Cybercrime Convention was intended...
School ‘in the balance’ – Unresolved issues with ministry affects student roll
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama was told that some parents’ decision to move their children to schools in Labasa Town because of unresolved issues with the Education Ministry had affected the student roll in a Cakaudrove school. During a recent talanoa session, the PM was informed that student numbers at Kabu Kei Nailoca Infant School in...
FLP to tackle poverty
A Labour government steered by former prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry will address poverty and revive economic activity in the country, says Sigatoka businessman and youth leader Rovil Singh. He is one of 40 provisional candidates announced by the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) to contest the 2022 General Election. Mr Singh said party leader Mahendra Chaudhry...
‘SODELPA will invest $224m in agriculture’
If voted into power, a Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) government will invest $224 million into agriculture, almost four times the $64m invested by the current administration. Speaking at the launch of the SODELPA manifesto last Friday, party leader Viliame Gavoka said the FijiFirst Government budget for agriculture was $64m whereas SODELPA would allocate $224m....
Disney to shutter Florida theme parks as Hurricane Ian draws near
(Reuters) – Walt Disney Co will close its theme and water parks on Wednesday and Thursday as Hurricane Ian nears the coast of Florida, the company said on Tuesday. Residents of Florida’s Gulf Coast headed for higher ground as the hurricane threatens to bring a deadly storm surge and more than a foot of rain...
Escaped prisoner recaptured at Wailea settlement
A joint Task Force comprising of Police and Fiji Corrections Services Officers recaptured escaped prisoner Lemeki Tupali from Wailea Settlement in the last hour. Commissioner of Police, Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho has directed investigators to ensure all those involved in harbouring Tupali are to be arrested and charged for aiding his escape from lawful custody. Brig-Gen...
No big investiture for William and Kate as new Prince and Princess of Wales
LONDON (Reuters) – British royals William and Kate on Tuesday carried out their first Welsh visit since being made Prince and Princess of Wales following the death of Queen Elizabeth, as a source said there were no plans for them to have a big investiture ceremony. The couple returned to the island of Anglesey off...
Tabuya: Page promotes SOE more than me
The Rock the Vote Fiji page promotes the Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem more than me, says The People’s Alliance deputy leader Lynda Tabuya. “The math doesn’t lie,” she said in response to queries from The Fiji Times. She was responding to Mr Saneem’s comment that the Rock the Vote Fiji page exclusively promoted her...
PM to officially meet Biden
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama will officially meet United States President Joseph Biden at the White House in Washington DC on Thursday. A statement on the Fijian Government Facebook page read the meeting is the first time that any Fijian Prime Minister will hold an official audience with the President of the United States of America...
Ride-hailing firm Lyft freezes U.S. hiring – New York Post
(Reuters) – Ride-hailing company Lyft Inc is freezing all hiring in the United States until the end of the year, the New York Post reported on Tuesday. The company has started notifying job candidates of the freeze, the report said, citing a statement from the company spokesperson. Lyft did not immediately respond to a Reuters...
‘Landscape changing’ – Government works on converting sugarcane leases to residential
Government is currently working on converting some sugarcane leases to residential leases. Attorney-General and Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum announced this while unveiling the Fiji Development Bank’s sugarcane farmers special loan facility in Drasa, Lautoka, on Monday. He said most growers continued to be engaged in cane farming because of their lease condition — which they...
Awareness on RHD ‘lacking’
The lack of awareness around rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and enabling access to care are challenges that Cure Kids Fiji RHD program are aiming to address. Cure Kids RHD program Fiji lead Dr Jimaima Kailawadoko said there were around 60 RHD-related deaths yearly, and a high percentage were premature deaths that could have been prevented...
A heartful present for Jessica
Little Jessica Brown will celebrate her first birthday this weekend with a healthy heart. After undergoing a four-hour surgery on September 23, Jessica received the gift of life and an emotional mother, Aida Hoyte would have it no other way. Ms Hoyte said her daughter was born with two holes in her heart and had...
Zelenskiy denounces Russian-staged votes; says there will be good news from the front
(Reuters) – President Volodynyr Zelenskiy issued a fresh denunciation on Tuesday of Russian-staged votes in occupied parts of Ukraine approving proposals to become part of Russia, saying they were a “farce” and could never be described as legitimate referendums. “This farce in the occupied territories cannot even be called an imitation of a referendum,” Zelenskiy...
Lynda: Do the math – Stop wasting taxpayers’ money making vexatious claims, party tells Saneem
Do the math. That was the word from People’s Alliance deputy leader Lynda Tabuya, saying that the Rock the Vote Fiji Facebook page promoted Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem and the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) more than herself or her party. Ms Tabuya said 192 posts from Rock the Vote were on Mr Saneem and...
From the Editor-in-Chief’s desk: Your September 28 briefing
Bula DO the math! That’s what the People’s Alliance deputy leader Lynda Tabuya said in reference to claims about the Rock the Vote Fiji Facebook page. That’s the big one on the front page of The Fiji Times’ edition for Wednesday, September 28. She said it promoted Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem and the Fijian...
Australia to create national anti-corruption watchdog
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s government said on Tuesday it will introduce legislation to create a National Anti-Corruption Commission, after years of debate over the need for an independent watchdog for politicians. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said in a statement the move would “restore trust and integrity in politics”, and funding...
Attitude an issue with trainees
Seventy per cent of workers under an apprenticeship scheme in Fiji have disciplinary issues that are attitude and behavioural related, states the Industry and Community Discussion Forum (ICDF) 2022 report released by the Fiji National University’s National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC). According to the report, 408 companies participated in the survey and the majority...
Vietnam braces for Typhoon Noru as Philippines cleans up in its wake
By Phuong Nguyen and Neil Jerome Morales HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam urged more people on Tuesday to evacuate as an intensifying Typhoon Noru barrelled towards the southeast Asian nation, after causing at least eight deaths and widespread flooding in the Philippines. Wind speeds were seen reaching 183 kilometres per hour late on Tuesday, the country’s...
Lack of motivation, disengagement ‘poor traits’
Employees being unmotivated and showing lack of engagement are the top two poor attitudinal traits in the workplace. This, according, to the Industry and Community Discussion Forum (ICDF) 2022 report released by the Fiji National University’s National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC). The survey, which involved 408 industry stakeholders, called for feedback on some of...
