Bula vinaka everyone
Cartoonist Jason Chatfield continues to amaze me with the little powerful reminders about the realities of life, and how we sometimes take things for granted. Today it was about growing up, and the different views we have on life in general. His character Ginger Meggs does come through with some amusing comments though on Page 34. But you sometimes have to read between the lines.
Anyway, here are some headlines that made The Fiji Times’ edition for October 29.
Before that though, we are celebrating our 152nd anniversary and readers still have time to get into the October draw to win some cash. There were 10 lucky readers who won cash in September. This month, 20 lucky readers get a chance to win cash.
All you have to do is cut out the masthead of The Fiji Times newspaper, write your name, address and a phone number on it, and place this in a bin at a participating store near you. Turn to Page 13 for details.
PAGE 1
Claims of SODELPA MPs exiting party
THE People’s Alliance party leader Sitiveni Rabuka claims Social Democratic Liberal Party parliamentarians are ready to exit SODELPA and join him. Speaking to The Fiji Times, he claimed lack of discipline and internal structural issues showed SODELPA was in disarray. The former prime minister, Opposition and SODELPA leader claimed the manner in which SODELPA MPs and supporters openly attacked each other on social media indicated the party was not well-structured.
When contacted, SODELPA leader Viliame Gavoka said he would respond to Mr Rabuka’s comments via SMS but had not done so when this story went to press. However, in an interview earlier this week, he said SODELPA would “not rely on superstars”, it was “a strong brand” and was more than capable of winning the 2022 polls on its own.
# More on this on Page 3.
PAGE 2
COVID response
THE overall indications of virus cases, hospitalisation and death data point to a positive response in our overall COVID response, says Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong. He made the comment while delivering a COVID-19 update for the 48 hours to 8am Wednesday, where he announced 50 new cases for the same period. Dr Fong said of the 50 new cases, 35 were recorded on Tuesday and 15 in the 24 hours ending 8am Wednesday.
PAGE 3
“Divide and fragment”
UNITY Fiji party leader Savenaca Narube says it is “tragic” that Opposition parties have started to “divide and fragment” in the lead-up to the 2022 polls. In a statement this week, the former Reserve Bank of Fiji governor claimed Opposition parties “have regularly accused the FijiFirst Party of inflated egos and not listening to the people”.
PAGE 5
Eager to welcome tourists
VILLAGERS in the northern region of Yasawa say they cannot wait to welcome international guests to their shores again. Nacula district representative Lavenia Naivalu said tourism had been a beacon of hope for most villagers for decades and they had been severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR/LEADER
There are many interesting letters on these pages. Feel the pulse of the nation.
The Leader is on Pinktober. As we near the end of the month, let’s remind ourselves about the importance of creating awareness about breast cancer and why early detection is very important.
PEOPLE
This section is about people. it’s about their hopes and aspirations.
Read about: Mesulame Ratumaiyale
MESULAME Ratumaiyale is using the lessons he learnt from his mother to inspire his children to become successful in life. The 58-year-old said he owed a lot to her because her constant words of advice inspired him to work hard. Mr Ratumaiyale said he never stopped telling his five children about his humble beginnings because they provided a good foundation for his journey through life.
THE SHOPPER
This section which comes out every Friday is much more than just about supermarket advertisements. Check out the tips and special deals, and read about the shopper of the week!
SPORTS
The big one on the back page is about Osea Kolinisau.
World Rugby Hall of Fame
OLYMPIC gold medallist Josua Vakurunabili has praised the achievements of former Fiji 7s skipper Osea Kolinisau on being the second ever Fijian to be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. “‘Qase’ is a born leader and puts his foot forward in all he does both on and off the field,” Vakurunabili said. He said Kolinisau’s induction came as no surprise as his hard-work on the pitch and humble attitude towards everyone was one they looked up to and tried hard to measure themselves against.
MORE TO READ INSIDE
There’s more to read inside. you’ll have to get a copy though to know what we are talking about!
