The Fiji Times

Dismay over festival venue

Sugar City residents are concerned at the manner in which this year’s Vodafone Sugar Festival has been staged. The dissatisfied residents took to social media to voice their opinions and claimed that festival organisers could have looked for an alternative and a safer venue to host the annual fiesta. The week-long carnival, which returns after...

NGO distributes 290,000 books

To cater for schools with under-resourced libraries, the Australian NGO Fiji Book Drive, has distributed more than 290,000 books to over 150 schools nationwide. Fiji Book Drive founder and former English teacher Fiona Luth says education empowers communities and one of the keys to education is having the right resources. A 41-foot container shipment arrived...

Workers to get COLA payout

One week after the conduct of a secret ballot for strike action, employees of the Nadi Town Council who are members of the National Union of Workers – Fiji (NUW) will receive a cost of living adjustment (Cola) payout on Friday. About 30 workers took the secret ballot to strike on September 21 that was...

Ministers resolve issue | Puna: We’re moving forward with our fisheries

Pacific island leaders have managed to resolve the issue surrounding the allocation of the $60 million economic assistance promised by the United States for Pacific countries. Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) general secretary Henry Puna said this issue was resolved in Papua New Guinea (PNG) through the help of the PNG leadership. Last year, US vice...

Consultation after residents raise issues

Local Government Minister Maciu Nalumisa says public consultations will be conducted today on the construction work on Princes Rd in Tamavua. The Suva City Council issued a stop-work order to the developer on Monday and Mr Nalumisa confirmed visiting the site on Tuesday. “My town and country planning team, what they are going to do...

Bainimarama, Qiliho trail | Case adjourned

The court has adjourned the case of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho to October 12. Defence lawyer Devanesh Sharma said he would make a written submission in light of the passing of Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Ratu David Toganivalu. Mr Sharma told the court he was ready with...

Long ‘costly’ rides | Mini-van operators spend $500 weekly, earn only $80 in return

Imagine paying $500 for fuel every week to transport students to school, while only getting $80 in return. This is the reality of mini-van operators who transport students from Nabukelevu Village in the heart of Serua to Ratu Latianara College. Speaking during a talanoa session with Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica in...

Mexico declares country free of H5N1 bird flu

Mexico City (Reuters) – Mexican authorities declared the country free of H5N1 avian influenza almost a year after starting a bird vaccination campaign in high-risk areas to prevent its spread, according to an agreement published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday. The decision will facilitate the sale of live poultry, as well as poultry products...

Bainimarama, Qiliho trial | Both defence, prosecution to present written submissions

Both the defence and prosecution will present written submissions in the case of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho. Magistrate Seini Puamau has adjourned the case to October 12. Defence lawyer Devanesh Sharma said he would make a written submission in light of the passing of Acting Director of Public...

Teachers. we appreciate you, says Singh

THE Fiji Teachers Registration Authority (FTRA) has passed on a message of appreciation to all teachers as World Teachers Day is marked today. CEO Sangeeta Singh said the theme for 2023 was The Teachers We Need For The Education We Want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage. Mrs Singh said the theme was...

US ad revenue at Musk’s X declined each month since takeover -data

(Reuters) – Monthly U.S. ad revenue at social media platform X has declined at least 55% year-over-year each month since billionaire Elon Musk bought the company formerly known as Twitter in October 2022, according to third-party data provided to Reuters. The company has struggled to retain some advertisers since the takeover, as brands have been...

DOMO VOU TALEI | ENTRIES CLOSE MIDNIGHT TOMORROW!

Vote for Fiji’s next amazing new voice and get into the draw to win Domo Vou Talei tee-shirts and double passes to the Woodstock Uprising Music Festival this Saturday October 7 at the Uprising Beach Resort in Pacific Harbour. Voting closes at midnight Friday October 6 with the People’s Choice Award winner announced this Saturday...

Meta starts rolling out generative AI tools for all advertisers

(Reuters) – Social media giant Meta Platforms said on Wednesday that it has started rolling out generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can create content like image backgrounds and variations of written text for all advertisers. The company started testing these tools in May, giving access to a select group of advertisers in a “testing...

US takes action against Chinese companies, people tied to fentanyl

Washington (Reuters) -The United States on Tuesday announced actions against Chinese companies and people as President Joe Biden’s administration targets trafficking of the deadly drug fentanyl, unsealing indictments and imposing sanctions on dozens of targets. “We are here today to deliver a message on behalf of the United States government. We know who is responsible...

From the Editor-in-Chief’s desk: Your October 5 briefing

Bula Both the defence and prosecution will present written submissions in the case of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho. Magistrate Seini Puamau has adjourned the case to October 12. Defence lawyer Devanesh Sharma said he would make a written submission in light of the passing of Acting Director of...

Singh: We inherited a demoralised workforce

A demoralised workforce was inherited from the former government, says Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Agni Deo Singh. “We had inherited unions struggling to survive due to the lack of recognition, the lack of collective bargaining, the refusal of the most important and the leading employer the Government itself to engage with the...

Oil rebounds from 3-week low, settles up despite stronger dollar

New York (Reuters) -Oil prices recovered to settle slightly higher on Tuesday after sinking to three-week lows, pressured by a stronger U.S. dollar and darkening global economic signals but supported by tightening crude supply. Brent crude oil futures settled 21 cents higher at $90.92 a barrel, after falling to a session low of $89.50, the...

Dr Kumar: Do better at looking after our own

We have to do better to look after our people, says Fiji Medical Association vice president Dr Ronal Kumar. He said medical professionals including doctors were not being looked after properly hence they are seeking employment elsewhere. “I would like all of us to pledge to look after our own staff,” said Dr Kumar while...

Treasury’s Yellen says US overdependent on China for critical supply chains

Washington (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Tuesday the United States has become overly dependent on China for critical supply chains, particularly in clean energy products and needs to broaden out sources of supply. Yellen, speaking at a Fortune CEO event in Washington, repeated her longstanding view that the United States does...

Financial institution’s decision to remain in Fiji welcomed

The Fiji Government has welcomed the recent announcement by the Westpac Group to end the sale process of its Pacific banking businesses and retain Westpac operations in Fiji. In a Government statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad said the commercial financial institution had played a critical role in Fiji’s economic...

Olympics-US breaker prepares for mental battle at Games

New York (Reuters) – Top United States breaker and new world champion Victor Montalvo has started the clock on months of mental preparation, after punching his ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Montalvo held off one of his fiercest rivals, Canadian Phil Wizard, in the final to take the World Breaking Championship title late last...

What’s happening today!

Bula vinaka everyone. Here is another edition of some basic information you may need to know for today. First, here is your weather forecast for today: Weather: Expect southeast winds with speed up to 45km/hr and gusting up to 55km/hr over the land areas of Yasawa group, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands, Beqa and Vatulele,...

Trump hit with gag order after lashing out at court clerk in NY fraud case

New York (Reuters) – The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial on Tuesday imposed a gag order – promising sanctions for any violations – on the former U.S. president and others in the case after Trump took to social media to lash out at the judge’s top law clerk. Justice Arthur Engoron of the...

Spotify Premium to include free access to audiobooks in UK, Australia

(Reuters) – Spotify said on Tuesday that users of its premium services in the UK and Australia would now have 15 hours of free access to audiobooks a month, with the feature expanding to the United States later this year. The music streaming giant is looking to supplement its earnings with other revenue-generating formats such...

Google launches Pixel 8, smartwatch with new AI feature

(Reuters) – Alphabet’s Google on Wednesday launched Pixel 8 smartphones and a new smartwatch that integrate its artificial intelligence (AI) technology more deeply into the company’s consumer gadgets. Google’s flagship Pixel smartphone has a fraction of Apple’s iPhone sales, but it is designed to show how Android products push the limits of available technology. Pixels...

Intel to spin out programmable chip unit, hold IPO; shares rise 2%

(Reuters) -Chipmaker Intel on Tuesday said it plans to operate its programmable chip unit as a standalone business starting in January, with plans to hold a public offering for stock in the business over the next two to three years. Intel shares were up more than 2% after the bell. Intel acquired the business when...

Building collapse in Havana kills at least one, others trapped

Havana (Reuters) – A building partially collapsed in the Cuban capital Havana on Tuesday night, killing at least one person and leaving at least two others trapped beneath the rubble, the municipal government said. The collapse in the Old Havana tourist district gutted the insides of the decrepit building that was home to 13 families...

Exclusive-Meta to lay off employees in metaverse silicon unit on Wednesday

New York (Reuters) – Meta is planning to lay off employees on Wednesday in the unit of its metaverse-oriented Reality Labs division focused on creating custom silicon, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. Employees were informed of the layoffs in a post on Meta’s internal discussion forum Workplace on Tuesday. The...

US plans shift of Merck COVID treatment to commercial market

(Reuters) – The U.S. government will stop distributing free doses of Merck & Co’s COVID-19 antiviral treatment molnupiravir by the middle of next month and expects it to be sold on the commercial market instead. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said...

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Villager queries voting rights in municipal elections