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Opinion
26th November
Letters to the Editor – November 26, 2020
Medal for every Fijian A humble Jerry Tuwai had this to say as he was bestowed with the Order of Fiji Medal: “It was an honour to represent Fiji and I am grateful for the...
Editorial comment – A reminder for us all
The announcement yesterday of three new border quarantine cases of COVID-19 by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services will attract attention. In fact, it should ensure we stay vigilant. According to the ministry, the first two cases are Fijian citizens both in their 40s who worked in a mining company in Mali, travelling home...
Letters to the Editor – November 25, 2020
Vakatawa’s impact Virimi Vakatawa put up a rock solid performance for the Les Bleus as they beat a spirited Bravehearts outfit 22-15. It’s a pity that our boys could not flex their muscles against Virimi Vakatawa and his French brigade, and the Flying Fijians lost the opportunity to play Italy and Scotland, and our opponents...
Arguments against aid
AID — wealthier countries giving money to less fortunate ones for the sake of improving people’s wellbeing. What’s not to like? Quite a lot, it turns out. Aid is the subject of academic jeremiads, stern critique from the very wealthy, and a surprising degree of public hostility. Typically, the main objections to aid take one...
16 days of activism
On its website, the UN Women has highlighted the global theme ‘Orange the world: Fund, respond, prevent, collect!’ to mark 16 days of activism against gender-based violence which starts today. It is amplifying the call for global action to bridge gaps, ensure essential services for survivors of violence during the COVID-19 crisis, focus on prevention,...
24th November
OPINION: Impact of COVID-19
When Anna Samecki realised she was no longer enjoying time with her daughter, she knew something was wrong. “I lost myself,” she said. “The stress this year has been something I’ve never experienced before. “It was extremely scary because I thought, ‘If I am not here for my daughter, husband, friends and family, what would...
Letters to the Editor: Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Mangoes and cyclones MANGO trees all over, even here in the cooler and wetter Central and Eastern divisions, are just overwhelmed with mango flowers and young buds, at the moment. It looks like we will reap the benefit of a golden and bountiful harvest of sweet ripe mangoes this coming season. It just takes a...
Editorial comment: Interesting equation
Acting Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu says marijuana is illegal and needs to be eradicated. He made the comment after Kadavu villagers asked for a substitute crop as police continue the fight against marijuana farms on the island. To this, Mr Tudravu responded that the Fiji Police Force could not provide an alternative crop and...
23rd November
Letters to the Editor – Monday, November 23, 2020
Wonderful start OUR national soccer team captain and hit-man Roy Krishna delivered another sensational and stunning performance for ATK Mohun Bagan as they beat Kerala Blasters 1-0. Before the battle, ATK and Mohun Bagan merged and the iconic green and maroon colours of the Mohun Bagan jersey were retained which ensured that the brand entity...
Editorial comment – Out with bullies
WE totally agree with the Health and Medical Services Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete that bullies should never be entertained in schools. In fact we say bullies should not be tolerated at all. Adding to that, bullies in schools must be pointed out and urgently dealt with. It should not end there, their parents and guardians...
22nd November
Letters to the Editor: Sunday, November 22, 2020
Rugby tour Playing by the laid-down rules, courtesy of COVID, our national side suffers another humiliating 0-28 at the hands of Scotland (our third infamous result by the same margin, for the unpalatable reasons). Our team spirit might remain high but deep down and deep inside the boys must be silently hurting inside. Pride painfully...
Editorial comment: Need for vigilance
The revelation that drug peddlers in Lautoka are selling marijuana and other drugs within the Lautoka market vicinity is a concern. This was recently highlighted by the Lautoka Market Vendors Association with hopes the issue would be looked into with some urgency. President Filomena O’Neill said since the issue was brought to light last year,...
OPINION: Weathering the climate
Something I greatly miss in my enforced pandemic-related absence in Australia is the cheery line we used to get at the end of the Fiji radio weather reports: “outlook similar”. This invariably followed a very varied description of that day’s weather and what was to come. It would include the sun, any amount of rain, sometimes wind speeds, marine and cloud...
Suva’s 3-year reign
The John Stewart-captained Suva brigade created history by winning the Skipper Cup for the the third year in a row. The blue machine rose to the occasion at the ANZ Stadium and delivered when the going got tough and they did what was needed to outclass a fired up Naitasiri outfit who were told by their head coach Dr Ilaitia Tuisese Jr to create their...
21st November
Letters to the Editor: Saturday, November 21, 2020
Congratulations Anuragh Congratulations to Anuragh Chandra for your achievement in going to Scotts Base in the South Pole (FT 19/11). Wow, what an achievement indeed for a Lautoka boy. Anuragh, please do take a Fiji flag with you and take photos of the expedition, fly Fiji’s flag over there. This brings to mind my nephew...
OPINION: What is lupus
Lupus is a disease of the immune system. When people talk about lupus they’re often referring to the most common type, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Your immune system protects your body from infection. But when you have lupus, your immune system attacks your own tissues. This leads to tissue damage and illness. Symptoms of Lupus The symptoms of lupus vary from one person to another. Some people have...
OPINION: ‘A dire warning to Fiji’
There is a debt crisis unfolding right now in Zambia. Many of us may not know of Zambia. It is a landlocked south African country with a population of 18 million and a GDP of $US24 billion ($F50.17b), twice that of Fiji. It is the second largest world exporter of copper next to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is one...
Editorial comment: Sports over the weekend
Fijian fans were fixated on cheering the Flying Fijians this weekend against Italy in an Autumn Nations Cup clash. It would have announced our foray into the event following the cancellation of our first game, against France last weekend. Now staring at a blank wall following the announcement that we had 29 cases of COVID-19...
20th November
Letters to the Editor – November 20, 2020
Jumping the gun I refer to Jan Nissar’s letter in the (FT 19/11) titled “Resign immediately”. I was totally flabbergasted when reading this letter. Nissar continues to peddle his self-assertions in insisting the FRU board to resign without any investigations. To me he is jumping the gun. In his letter he labels FRU and its...
Editorial comment – Our children, our future
The revelation that Fiji recorded 870 cases of child abuse and neglect from January to July this year, and 494 girls were subjected to neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy is cause for concern. Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Minister Mereseini Vuniwaqa spoke about this. She said this was according to the Child...
Mother Earth: Ozone today and oxygen tomorrow
Fiji intends to completely phase-out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 2030, as was stressed in World Ozone Day. “Ozone is Life: 35 years of ozone protection reflects on the international co-operation protecting the ozone layer” (FT, 16/09/2020). It requires mass contribution to achieve this objective in order to protect our environment. Pacific Islands are facing the legacy...
