Bula
Here are some headlines that made The Fiji Times for Saturday, January 22.
But before that… ever dreamt of being part of a top newsroom? Ever wanted to be at the forefront of news making and gathering? Do you have what it takes to be a top journalist? Want to join the Fiji Times newsroom? Do you want to make a difference? We are looking for aspiring journalists and sub-editors to join our dedicated team. Check out the adverts in The Fiji Times for details on how you can join us!
HEADLINES
PAGE 1
‘Nurses resigning’
THE Fiji Nursing Association claims nurses are resigning due to stress, fatigue, and lack of compensation. President Doctor Alisi Vudiniabola claimed that at one hospital, the nurse manager was working alone and looking after 28 patients because “most of the nurses were sick and tired”.
PAGE 2
Face-to-face classes
FACE to face classes for Year 8 to Year 13 will resume on Monday.
‘Abuse’ of free education
OVER 30 schools have been found to have abused free education grants, Education Minister Premila Kumar said at Nakauvadra High School in Rakiraki yesterday.
Team deployed
Teams of Government officials have been dispatched to the Lau group in response to the impact of the volcanic eruption in Tonga.
PAGE 3
Vacancies
A HOSPITAL in the Western Division has 24 vacancies and four others are waiting to leave as soon as staffing level improves.
Nurses work longer
SOME nurses have opted to work 12 hour shifts because there are not enough nurses to go around the eight-hour shift roster, claims Fiji Nursing Association president Doctor Alisi Vudiniabola.
PAGE 4
‘Teachers unaware’
SOME teachers are not aware of the provisions under the Teachers Registration Act and that is the reason there is a lot of confusion, says Minister for Education Premila Kumar.
Parents decide
THE Ministry of Education will respect the decision of parents who decide not to send their children to school when classes resume.
Recruitment drive
THE Ministry of Education’s recruitment drive for heads of schools will be held in April every year.
Graduate teachers
TEACHERS who are not graduates in Education are not teachers, says Minister for Education Premila Kumar.
PAGE 5
Sugar prices
THE increase in sugar prices was long overdue, says Sugar Cane Growers Council CEO Vimal Dutt says.
Farmer welcomes price increase
A FARMER in Tavua has welcomed the increase in sugar price but questioned whether farmers would “see” the benefits promised in the form of an increased in annual cane payments.
Misleading information
THE Fiji Sugar Corporation says it seriously concerned about misleading information being published about the organisation. NFP – FLP reacts.
PAGE 6
FRA costs
IT will cost the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) over $6 million to open up the roads that were damaged during TD03F and Cyclone Cody, says Infrastructure Minister Jone Usamate.
PAGE 7
Sailing program
THE Uto Ni Yalo Trust (UNYT) and the Fiji Arts Community Fundraiser for Colin Philp signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to spark a 10-year program that will put at least 50 people through the UNYT’s Level 1 Introduction to Traditional Sailing and Environmental Stewardship Programme.
Pre-election voter survey
The Fijian Elections Office yesterday launched its pre-election voter Survey for the 2022 General Election on Friday January, 21.
Possible catastrophe
UNSUSPECTING moviegoers at Village 4 Cinemas in Lautoka avoided a possible catastrophe on Thursday night when a huge blaze destroyed a three story building located next door.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We have seven pages of letters to the editor inside… on Pages 8,9,20,21,22,23 and 24.
PEOPLE
Read about: Jess Karan
BUSINESS
PAGE 42
FTU responds
THE Fiji Teachers Union says this is not the right time for Education Minister Premila Kumar to advocate for how classrooms should be set-up.
2m distancing
IT will be impossible to maintain the two-meter social distancing of students in classrooms and COVID-19 cases will continue to be recorded in schools.
PAGE 43
Water infrastructure
The WATER Authority of Fiji sustained damage of up to $1.65 million during TC Cody and TD03F, says Minister for Infrastructure Jone Usamate.
FEATURES and OPINIONS
We have some top articles for your weekend reading pleasure…
PAGE 12 – Fiji’s Women Trailblazers – By AJAY BHAI AMRIT
BULA readers, this week, I was ecstatic when I turned on the television to watch the BBC World News headlines and there in full view on the screen was our very own Cheerieann Wilson the Fiji TV news anchor, who was describing the effects of the tragic volcanic eruption in the neighbouring Kingdom of Tonga.
Page 28 – Volcanoes and cyberstalking – By ILAITIA B. TUISAWAU
IN April 2011, I attended one of the first cybersecurity workshops in the region held at the SPC headquarters in Noumea. It was for both policy and technical stakeholders. A mixed moderate sized group attended from Fiji, with reps from various governments departments, USP, and other regional organisations.
Page 30 – Tribute to Prof Brij Lal – By DOUG MUNRO
THE news of the death of Emeritus Professor Brij Vilash Lal on December 25, 2021 sent high voltage shockwaves among his friends and throughout his constituencies – the worldwide girmit studies community, the academic world of current Fiji politics, and imperial and diaspora studies generally.
Pages 32-33 – FT Anniversary – Tonga takes Minerva Reef – By ANA MADIGIBULI
DESOLATE stretches of reef 500 miles south-east of Suva were the scene of two of history’s strangest ceremonies in 1972. The King of Tonga in the uniform of Tonga Defence Force general watched a group of his subjects raise the Kingdom’s flag on tiny artificial islands on Minerva Reef.
Page 34 – importance of reading – By RAJNESH LINGAM
THE importance of reading is completely undeniable. Reading is an exercise for the mind. It helps children calm down and relax. Reading opens doors of new knowledge to enlighten their minds. Children who read grow up to have better cognitive skills. Reading is good for everyone, not only children or young adults. There was discussion last week and this week on the editorial penned by the editor-in-chief (FT: 13/01) titled ‘Let’s not forget to read’.
Page 36 – Kiss and a bear hug – By COLIN DEOKI
“Are you a hugger? So when was the last time someone gave you a bubu kiss and a bear hug? Ever since our children were little we would always hug and kiss them and tell them repeatedly how much we loved them.
Page 37 – Fiji in 2022 – By SADHANA SEN
FIJI took over the chairing of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) last year, and Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is hoping to host an in-person Forum Leaders Retreat in Fiji soon. After two years of leaders’ meetings via Zoom, the opportunity to meet in person will be valued.
Page 41 – Champion of the ocean – By ALUMECI NAKEKE
GIVE Iliapi Tuvunia a pen and paper and he’d probably write a book about his experiences as a skilled fisherman and seaman. The 43-year-old father of four has known fishing all his life.
SPORT
