June 10 2016

$1.00

Fiji Prime Minister Frank

Bainimarama Greets John Key

Prime Minister John Key was greeted

warmly by Fiji's PM Frank Bainimarama
after landing in Suva on his first visit to
Fiji.
Mr Key's one night stay is the first visit
by a New Zealand leader since the 2006
coup.
Mr Key was greeted at Suva's Nausori
Airport with a handshake by Mr
Bainimarama and a guard of honour of
100 Fijian troops.
Mr Key was then taken off for a
sevusevu - traditional Fijian greeting during which Mr Key took part in kava
ceremony. A banquet was also held in his
honour.
The visit is the result of an olive branch
extended between the two Prime
Ministers in New York last year and is
aimed at trying to restore the relationship
to the pre-coup levels.
The meeting is likely to focus on issues
such as the Cyclone Winston recovery,
trade, and Mr Key's attempt to get Mr
Bainimarama to return to the Pacific
Islands Forum.
Mr Bainimarama has snubbed that
since Fiji's suspension was lifted in
2014, saying he will not return unless
New Zealand and Australia have less
away over it. Mr Key has said he will
raise issues such as a ban on some New
Zealand reporters.
However he is keen to move the
relationship forward so is reluctant
to relitigate past events or push Mr
Bainimarama too hard on domestic issues.
Mr Bainimarama had declined to do
any media interviews beyond a joint
press conference with Mr Key after
their meeting at which he will not take
questions.
After meetings with Mr Bainimarama,
Fiji's President Jioji Kanousi Konrote,
and Leader of the Opposition Ro
Teimumu Vuikaba Kepa, Mr Key will

John Key was greeted at Suva's Nausori Airport by Mr Bainimarama and a

guard of honour of 100 Fijian troops.
visit the HMNZS Otago. It is a Suva
while patrolling the Pacific for illegal
fishing. He will then visit Vaiyala School
which was rebuilt by the NZ Defence
Force after Cyclone Winston.
The Prime Minister and his entourage
flew to Fiji on the RNZAF Hercules
rather than the usual Boeing 737, which
is too big to land at Suva.
The Hercules is usually used to shuttle
troops and supplies around rather
than VIPs. It lacks the usual VIP
accoutrements - even the toilet is just a

bucket with a curtain around it.

However the crew had managed
to improvise a few luxury touches,
including a 'bar' rigged up in the middle
of the cargo area to serve a lunchtime
glass of wine.
Mr Key is used to the Hercules, having
spent hours in it while visiting Iraq
last year - a trip plagued by weather
problems.
The old workhorses are scheduled for
replacement in the Defence White Paper
released this week.

News

david@fijitimescanada.com

778.278.4088

Fiji News

NZ PM Expected To Ask Bainimarama To

Forgive And Support Clark

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key

is expected to ask Prime Minister Voreqe
Bainimarama to forgive and support
former NZ Prime Minister, Helen Clarks
bid for the UN SecretaryGenerals post.
Helen Clark imposed sanctions on Fiji
after the 2006 coup.
Key will be the first NZ Prime Minister
to visit Fiji since the coup.
After his meeting with Bainimarama he
would discuss Helen Clark's campaign.
New Zealand is supporting Fiji's bid for
Peter Thomson, Fiji's Ambassador to
the UN, to be the next President of the
General Assembly and Key said he was
hoping Fiji would support Helen Clark.
Key said Bainimarama may not be
Clarks No.1 cheerleader, but Key does
not think that the Fijian leader will go
out of his way to try to undermine her.
Although the Security Council rather
than individual UN members select
the SecretaryGeneral, the support of
other countries adds moral weight to a
campaign.
Key said Helen Clark had done the right
thing in imposing those sanctions which
applied to members of Bainimarama's
administration for the eight years until
elections were held in 2014.
He thinks both sides have their own
perspective on what took place and New
Zealand will always defend the actions
it took because they believe them to be
right.
Key said he is sure Bainimarama and his
team felt they did what they had to do.
There are hopes Cyclone Winston will
be an icebreaker in the relationship after
New Zealand sent a large deployment to

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key
and former NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark
help with the recovery.
Key will also try to resolve another
hangover from the coup, after which Fiji
was suspended from the Pacific Islands
Forum.
That suspension was lifted after Fiji's
2014 elections but Bainimarama has
boycotted it and is calling for New

Zealand and Australia to be ejected

before he will return.
Key said the Pacific Islands Forum is
stronger with Fiji in it.
NZ media are reporting that John Key
has also undertaken to raise a ban Fiji has
put on some New Zealand journalists,
Michael Field and Barbara Dreaver.

534 Employers Convert To Using FNPF

Online Portal
A total of 534 employers are now utilising
the Employers online portal set up by the
Fiji National Provident Fund to submit
their monthly contribution schedules.
This was confirmed by FNPF through a
statement.
FNPF's chief operating officer Jaoji Koroi
said all employers need to convert to using
the portal to make monthly contributions
as it is effective and efficient.
The statement said to encourage more

david@fijitimescanada.com

employers to use the portal, the Fund

has decided to waive penalties for all
employers who successfully register
and use the portal effective from June
14, this year.
Those that use the portal will be issued
with a compliance letter valid for 12
months.
"The portal empowers the employers by
giving them access to post employees
contributions after verifying the

information on the contribution schedule

against our records, especially in relation
to members' full names sourced from
their birth certificates," Mr Koroi said.
"FNPF has been conducting workshops
since last year and our teams have been
visiting employers to assist them with
submission on the portal. It is a more
streamlined mode of operation and will
enable a more efficient way to distribute
funds to members accounts."

778.278.4088

Fiji News

Bindya Gounder Looks Forward To Miss

Fiji Pageant

Bindya Gounder is looking forward to

the Telecom Miss Fiji Pageant 2016 in
Suva in November.
The 23-year-old lady defied all odds to
be crowned the Vodafone Coral Coast
Carnival Queen in Sigatoka Saturday
night.
I did not expect the crown but it
is a bonus because there were good
challenges during the event, she said.
In a nut shell, it is not about winning
but about the knowledge you get out of
it is the eventual winner.
She works as the human resource and
training officer for Tappoo Group of
Companies in Sigatoka.
I appreciate my sponsor Tappoos for
having faith in me and not forgetting my
parents who have given me the needed
push, she said.
Ms Gounder is studying for a Bachelor
of Commerce management with majors
in Human Resource and Industrial
Relations from Fiji National University
and will graduate this December.

david@fijitimescanada.com

Miss Vodafone Coral Coast Carnival Queen Bindya Gounder with family
members in Sigatoka
The Pageant will be a different scope all Gounder were happy for their daughters
together and I will try to make Sigatoka achievement.
town win their first ever pageant this year, We had only two daughters and grateful
the Kulukulu, Sigatoka, winner said.
for Bindya for achieving this milestone
Her parents Bina Devi and Vinod for our family, her mum, Ms Devi said.

778.278.4088

Fiji News

Govt Moving Sugar Industry In New

Direction

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has

called on local sugar industry critics to
come up with their own viable solutions
to improve the industry.
Mr Bainimarama, who is also Minister
Responsible for Sugar made the call in a
statement delivered on his behalf by Fiji
Sugar Corporation executive chairman
Abdul Khan at the 49th Session of the
International Sugar Organisation Council.
He said because the industry played such
a key role in the Fijian economy, his
Government was keen to get the views
of as many people as possible through a
public consultation process.
Yet instead of coming forward with
constructive ideas to improve the
Bills and help make the industry more
efficient, a few politically motivated
individuals and organisations turned the
hearings into a circus, he said.
We had a conga line of failed politicians
and other naysayers attacking our
reforms without putting forward a
cogent alternative blueprint, a single
fresh idea, he said.
Other than throwing good money after
bad; short term fixes rather than long
term sustainability, he said.
He said it was the mentality that brought
the industry to its knees in the first place.
No business sense; no idea how a
modern economy works; no concept of
innovation or embracing new technology;
just the same old crude politicisation of
the industry, Mr Bainimarama said.
He said the same old grandstanding
and the same attempt to instill fear in
ordinary Fijians about their futures when
as Franklin Roosevelt famously said;
all we have to fear is fear itself.
He said his Government intended to
maintain a healthy sugar cane industry
in Fiji and was giving it a healthy future
by doing things differently.
By thinking outside the box; by
embracing new ways of doing things,
he said.
Earlier this month he said the Fiji Sugar
Corporation, which owned the four sugar
mills, launched its Strategic Business
Plan for 2016 2020.
This gives the industry the platform it
needs to prosper after October 2017. The
overall strategy is to reduce the cost of
production while maximising revenue,
Mr Bainimarama said.
And I urge the entire industry to
embrace it with the confidence and
optimism I believe it deserves.

david@fijitimescanada.com

He said Government was also eagerly

awaiting the findings of the study funded
by the EU on Current and Forecast
Market Developments for ACP Sugar
Suppliers to the European Market
carried out by LMC International in
April.
Fiji was one of five sugar producing
countries in the ACP group that
participated in this study, he said.
And we expect that it will give us some
strategic options in terms of finding
alternative markets when the EU quotas
end next year, he said.
Two new diversification projects the
proposed Syrup Mill for Penang and the

proposed Cogeneration Project in Rarawai

were temporarily on hold pending
independent feasibility studies, he said.
He said while Fiji was behind schedule
in the initial start-up dates for these
projects, they intended to do them
properly in the interests of credibility,
transparency and the long term benefit
of growers.
Despite the setback of Cyclone Winston,
he said the overall outlook for the
Fijian industry was positive. We are
not only producing more cane but more
importantly, producing more sugar from
less cane and approaching international
benchmarks.

High Commissioner To
India Commissioned

Fijis High Commissioner designate to

India, Namita Khatri was commissioned
by the President Major-General (Retd)
Jioji Konousi Konrote at the State house.
She began her diplomatic career as
second secretary to Fijis Mission to the
European Communities and permanent
representative to the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) in Belgium in 2006.
There, she was responsible for providing
advice on trade matters in line with Fijis
development interests.
Ms Khatri was then seconded to serve
as the deputy head of the African
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group in
Geneva in 2010.
She has also served as First Secretary in
Fijis Permanent Mission to the United
Nations in New York in 2012 before

being appointed as Deputy Permanent

Representative in 2014.
Prior to her appointment as High
Commissioner Ms Khatri served as
deputy permanent representative in
Fijis permanent mission to the United
Nations in Geneva in September 2014.
Ms Khatri completed her Bachelor of
Social Sciences from the University
of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
in 2000 and then did her Postgraduate
Diploma (History/Politics) from the
University of the South Pacific.
She has also completed her Masters of
Arts in International Relations from the
Australian National University and post
graduate qualification in WTO Trade
Law from the TMC Asser Institute,
Amsterdam, Netherlands.

778.278.4088

Fiji News

Fiji, Indonesia Sign Disaster Management

Deal

The Minister for Agriculture, Rural and

Maritime Development and National
Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu
signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with his Indonesian counterpart, Willem
Rampangilei in Suva.
Mr Seruiratu thanked the Indonesian
delegation for visiting Fiji and being part
of a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) between the two countries on
Disaster Risk Management.
The signing of the MOU marks another
milestone of bilateral relationship

between the Fijian Government and

the Indonesian government in addition
to the many bilateral accords the two
countries had agreed and signed.
The vulnerability of Fiji to natural
hazards is mirrored in the devastating
effect of Tropical Cyclone Winston.
We in collaboration with our overseas
counterparts including your government,
have managed to stand firmly on our
feet and provided the most needed relief
assistance to the affected areas, Mr
Seruiratu said.

The MOU entails:

-Strengthening
the
exchange
of
knowledge and expertise in prevention and
preparedness on disaster risk reduction,
-Climate change adaptation and recovery
-Enhancement of human resources quality
through understanding best practices,
-Participation in joint trainings,
workshops and programs related to
disaster risk management,
-Mutual assistance in cases of natural
disaster and
-Engagement in other method of
cooperation as mutually agreed in
writing by both parties.
In response, the Indonesian Minister,
Mr Rampangilei said Fiji and Indonesia
share similar climate conditions prone
to natural disaster.
I am happy to say that the MOU marks
the beginning of new relationship in the
area of disaster relief and management,
Mr Rampangilei said.
He added that Indonesia stands ready to
support Fiji in the name of humanity.
Mr Seruiratu said the NDMO team
in the next few months is planning to
visit the National Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) in Indonesia to learn
from the operations and processes and
to see the design of their NDMA facility.

Wife Wants Justice For Dead Husband

Praveen Lata wants justice for her dead

husband.
I want justice for my dead husband and
request to the Fiji Police Force to arrest
and punish the suspect, Ms Lata said.
I was in Sigatoka with my children
when the incident happened.
It is alleged that Mr Dass, 48, was
stabbed several times at a friends
house in Sese Street where they drank
alcohol. Police have sealed the house
for investigations.
He was later found dead at his home
in Jittu Estate, Raiwaqa, in Suva May
28 in the afternoon by his uncle Arnold
Dass, 62, who stays with the family.
Ms Lata was informed by her relatives
about the incident.
When I reached home, the body of my
husband was still inside the house and
Police did not allow me to go inside the
house and see the body of my husband,
Ms Lata said.
Ms Lata said after the incident she

david@fijitimescanada.com

From left: Praveen Lata, her son Nickle Franklin Dass and daughter Swartika
Goundar at their home in Jittu Estate
was staying with her children at their my husband, she said.
relatives place in Jittu Estate and came I am still trying to figure it out how my
to her home last Thursday.
husband managed to come home from
Our life has changed after the death of Samabula that night.

778.278.4088

Fiji News

Help For Home Assistance Reaches Out To

The Rural Communities

In its fourth week of operations, the Help

for Home (HFH) Initiative has received
a positive response from communities
that are in the process of rebuilding their
homes which were damaged following
Cyclone Winston.
This week the Minister for Women,
Children and Poverty Alleviation, Hon.
Rosy Akbar met with the Advisory
Councillors, the community leaders
and also Help for Home beneficiaries at
distribution centres where applications
are processed.
In Tavua alone, over 300 people
have been assisted through Help for
Home e-cards during the distribution
this week. People from Bangladesh,
Goldfield Road, Nadolodolo, Tavua
town, Tavualevu village, Vanuwakula
village and Yasiyasi were assisted
during the 3 days.
Currently acting as the Turaga-ni-Koro
(village headman) for Tavualevu village,
Mr Peni Maka has acknowledged
the Fijian Government for the timely
assistance.
On behalf of the Vanua of Tavua, Tui
Tavua and people of Tavualevu, I would
like to take this opportunity to thank
the Honourable Prime Minister, Voreqe
Bainimarama for reaching out to the
communities that required assistance.
We have been assisted by the
Government through the distribution of
food rations and relief supplies and now
through this Help for Home program.

david@fijitimescanada.com

Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Rosy Akhbar while visitng the
Veisaru Indian School in Ba
Tavualevu village has a population submitted to the District Officers
of 2000 and nearly all of us were (DOs) office.
affected and through the governments Communities are pleased with this
assistance, we will be able to revive our Help for Home initiative to help them
rebuild their lives, we would like to
livelihood, Mr Maka said.
Among those assisting the Help for convey our sincere appreciation to
Home team at Veisaru Indian School in the Honorable Prime Minister for his
Ba was, Mr Yogesh Navin Chand, the strong leadership and commitment in
ensuring that families that deserve to be
District Advisory Chairman of Ba.
There are over 360 houses in these assisted are able to access the services.
communities and sources if living is We are also grateful to Minister Rosy
mainly farming. After the cyclone, Akbar and her team for the assistance
assessments were carried out by the provided during these 3 days. Mr
officials and damage reports were Chand elaborated.

778.278.4088

Fiji News

Brutal Beating Of Fijian Student

Two young Samoan men, Barry Mafi
and Ashley Wilson were sent to prison
for four years for beating a Fijian student
and leaving him lying unconscious.
The matter was brought before Chief
Justice Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu
in the Supreme Court, Apia.
Mafi and Wilson were charged together
with others for beating up a Fijian
student on February 6, 2016.
Mafi is 18 years of age from the village
of Vaivase-Tai while Wilson is 19 years
of age from Taufusi.
According to the Police Summary of
Facts, the victim went out with his
friends to the RSA nightclub in Apia on
the night in question.
When the victim came outside, Wilson
and Mafi started exchanging words
with him and the victim ended up being
punched in the mouth.
The Fijian student went back inside the
night club and around midnight, he and
his friends walked outside the night club
and were about to go home.
Wilson and Mafi together with their
friends then again attacked him and his
friends. The victims friends managed to
escape but the victim was caught up by
the accused and he was brutally beaten.

The accused did not stop until they saw

the victim was unconscious which was
when they ran away.
The victim was rushed to the hospital that
night and went through an emergency
operation which saved his life.
In the Chief Justices decision, he said
Wilson had a low level of education.
He left school at Year Nine and stayed
home, and in 2013 he got a job with
the Samoa Ports Authority. However,
within two months he left after he felt
that the work was too much and stayed
home again.
As for Mafi, he left school at Year 10
and since his parents divorce, he had
moved to live with his aunty at Vaivase
Tai and helped her out with her market
stall at Fugalei.
According to the Chief Justice, the two
accused are not first offenders.
Wilson appeared in the youth court in
2014 on a similar offence and he was
discharged without conviction.
In 2015 he appeared again and was
given another chance. In March 2016
he again made an appearance in court
for intentional damage and was under
probation for 12 months.
It seems like you dont use these

chances wisely, said the Chief Justice.

Mafi had also appeared in court for
robbery in 2015 and was under probation
for 12 months.
In August 2015 he was charged with
theft and was jailed for two months and
then another three months for breaching
his probation conditions.
Some of the aggravating factors the
court said, was the way the offence was
carried out, and the condition that the
victim ended up in.
The Chief Justice also placed emphasis
on the medical report and the number
of injuries sustained by the victim as
a result of the brutal attack from the
accused and their friends.
And not only did they not want to stop
until they saw that he was unconscious,
but they left him where he was beaten.
The court also found that both accused
and the victim were under the influence
of alcohol but His Honour said he could
not accept that as an excuse for the
offence and for how the Fijian student
was beaten so brutally.
The accused were both convicted and
sentenced to four years imprisonment.
The days they spent in custody will be
deducted from their sentence.

85-Year-Old Man Faces Rape Charge On

11-Year-Old Girl

An 85-year-old man is charged with

raping of an 11-year-old girl.
Govind Sami Raju appeared before
Magistrate Sufia Hamza at the Nasinu
Magistrates Court.
Raju is charged with one count each for
indecent assault and rape between April
and May 2016.
Count one is indecent assault and it
allegedly took place on April 19, 2016
and the second count is rape which took
place between May 1 and May 28, 2016.
Defence lawyer Jitten Reddy applied for
bail, which was objected to by Police
prosecutor Raymond Filipe on the
grounds that the offence was serious, it
is an indictable offence and the matter is
of public interest. He also brought to the
courts attention that the accused may
interfere with the case if he is released.
The victim is admitted in the hospital
and Police are still waiting on her
medical report to determine further
investigation.

david@fijitimescanada.com

Fiji Times Canada ONLINE

Advertise in The Fiji Times Canada Online Directory &
Showcase your Products For Only $100/Year
Canada, USA, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji
Payment in Canadian Funds

Call: 778 278 4088 or Email: info@gobizz.ca

778.278.4088

Fiji News

Our New Patrol Boats Ready By 2022,

2023
Two replacement patrol boats for
the Fijian Navy are scheduled for
completion in October 2022 and March
2023.
An Australian Defence spokesperson
said this date could be subject to change
as the contract is being finalised and
construction commences.
Fiji is part of the Australian
Governments Pacific Maritime Security
Programme (PMSP), which will include
the replacement of Fijis existing Pacific
Patrol Boats (RFNS Kula, RFNS Kikau
and RFNS Kiro).
These vessels will be replaced with two
new larger replacement vessels.
The PMSP will also see the introduction
of new support components to further
build Fijis maritime surveillance
capability, including integrated aerial
surveillance and enhancements to
regional co-ordination.
Minister for Defence, Timoci Natuva on
Wednesday while replying to a question
posed by Ratu Isoa Tikoca said that
talks were underway with the Australian
government to replace the existing
boats.
The three boats that we have at the
moment, the plan is that they be taken
to Australia for refitting, one at a time,
to await the time when we will be
supplied with two more bigger boats
from Australia.
On April 18, 2016, the Australian
Government announced Austal Ships
Pty Ltd as the preferred tenderer to

One of the replacement naval patrol boats under the Australian Government's
Pacific Maritime Security Programme.Two replacement patrol boats for the
Fijian Navy are scheduled for completion in October 2022 and March 2023.
design and build the new fleet of up to Programme, Australia gifted 22 patrol
21 replacement vessels at its shipyard in boats to 12 Pacific Island Countries
between 1987 and 1997.
Henderson, Western Australia.
The replacement vessels are based This included the Cook Islands,
on a modified steel hull design of Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji,
Austals Bay Class patrol boat, which Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea,
are currently operated by the Australian Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa,
Border Force. Austal has a wealth of Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and
experience in designing and building Vanuatu.
patrol boats, and Fiji will receive As the existing fleet of PPBs will
replacement vessels that are suited to begin to reach the end of their service
undertaking maritime surveillance in life from 2018, Australia has offered to
their Exclusive Economic Zone and replace them with larger, updated and
the wider, the Australian Defence more capable vessels under the Pacific
Maritime Security Program (PMSP),
spokesperson said.
Under the Pacific Patrol Boats the spokesperson said.

A man charged with the murder of Jittu

Estate street vendor Lamuel Franklin
Dass appeared in the Suva Magistrates
Court.
Samson Robinesh Shri Lal, 44, appeared
before Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne
who has remanded him till his bail
application hearing
Reshma Devi, 62, is charged with
accessory to murder. She has also
been remanded till her bail application
hearing.
It is alleged that between May 27 and
May 28 at 7 Sese Street Lal murdered
Lamuel Franklin Dass and Devi
assisted Lal having the knowledge that
he committed murder enabled him to
escape punishment thereby became an
accessory to murder.

Police prosecutors Corporal Josua Shaw

objected to bail on the grounds that it

Jittu Estate Murder Accused Faces Court

david@fijitimescanada.com

was a serious offense and the safety of

the accused.

778.278.4088

Fiji News

10

Fiji PM Defends Journalism Blacklist

Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama
has staunchly defended his blacklisting
of some New Zealand journalists.
His comments came in a speech to
welcome New Zealand Prime Minister
John Key, who is making an historic trip
to the country.
"Certain journalists in New Zealand and
Australia and certain journalists in Fiji
think nothing of dispensing with the facts
if they get in the way of the politicallymotivated narrative they want to tell and
we are saying to the news organisations
that employ them send someone else."
TVNZ Pacific correspondent Barbara
Dreaver and long-time Pacific reporter
Michael Field are among those
blacklisted and Mr Key said he planned
to take this up with his Fijian counterpart.
"I think it's an important step from their
point of view to take these journalists
off the banned list. I can't force them
to do that but I do think it would be the
right thing to do."
Suva pulled out all stops to welcome Mr
Key, who is the first New Zealand Prime
Minister to visit Fiji in a decade.
A 100-strong Guard of Honour, waving
schoolchildren and a massive roadside
billboard featuring the New Zealand
leader marked the end of chilly relations
since Mr Bainimarama's coup of 2006.
Mr Bainimarama's FijiFirst party was
elected to power in 2014, leading to
the full restoration of diplomatic links
between the two countries, but top-level
talks have taken longer to ensue.
Mr Key said the main aim of his visit
was to reset the relationship.
At a traditional welcome ceremony Mr Key
was offered a bowl of kava and presented
with a tabua or whale tooth and pig.
Friday's official talks he said would
cover a range of issues including trade
and investment and recovery after
February's devastating cyclone.

"The personal chemistry seems very

strong," he said "I think they are
genuinely very grateful for the work we
have been doing for Cyclone Winston.
This is a very deep relationship."
Mr Key also planned to broach another
sensitive topic - encouraging Mr
Bainimarama to end his boycott of the
Pacific Islands Forum.
"It will be great to have the prime
minister back at the Forum. I think the
Forum prime ministers would like to see
that. At every other level now, Fiji's fully
engaged so it's really the last step that
needs to be taken. We can't force them
to do that but we can actively encourage
them and we'd support that."
At a banquet to honour Mr Key on
Thursday night, Mr Bainimarama said he
intended to work with the New Zealand
leader to strengthen and redefine the
relationship.
Much of his welcome speech was devoted

to defending his ousting of the government

of Laisenia Qarase in 2006 and his
administration's efforts since to bring equality
to all in Fiji and stamp out corruption.
"There appears to be a substantial body
of opinion in New Zealand by a generally
hostile media that what has happened
in Fiji somehow lacks legitimacy, that
somehow I lack legitimacy and that my
government lacks legitimacy. This is
simply not borne out by the facts."
He said he looked forward to a more
collaborative and mutually respectful
relationship with New Zealand.
"The strains and irritants that have
marked our political relationship in
recent years are a textbook lesson on
how not to conduct friendly relations
between
neighbouring
countries.
They must be replaced by genuine cooperation and understanding."
Mr Key and Mr Bainimarama met for
official talks on Friday morning.

A FIJI-BASED medical company

has offered Pacific Island countries,
including Fiji, free screening of patients
in various areas.
The offer to the island countries was
made by Sahyadri Specialty Pacific
Hospitals Limited (SSPHL) Fiji at a
World Health Organization meeting in
Nadi last week.

SSPHL Fiji director Professor Manu

Munibhargav confirmed the offer.
"We have offered to Pacific Island
countries free screening of patients
through our associated sister company
Apramey Ltd in New Zealand," he
said.
"The free of cost screenings will be
in the areas of cardiology, oncology,

orthopaedic and neurology to name a

few things."
Mr
Munibhargav
said
health
representatives from 17 Pacific Island
countries, including Fiji, attended the
WHO workshop and he spoke to them
personally.
He was at the meeting as a special
observer on the invitation of WHO.

NZ PM John Key and Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama

Hospital Group Offers Free Screening Of

Patients

david@fijitimescanada.com

778.278.4088

Fiji News

11

Fijians In Port Moresby Are Safe

Fijians living in Port Moresby are safe
as the city went on lockdown, the Fijian
High Commission in Papua New Guinea
has said.
This is after Police opened fire on
University of PNG (UPNG) students
who were protesting against Prime
Minister Peter ONeill.
There has been conflicting news about
casualties.
Prime Minister ONeill said that there
had been no deaths and claimed his
government would undertake an inquiry
into the underlying reasons for student
unrest.
The government has maintained the
protests are being funded from outside
the universitys student body, and has
singled out the countrys opposition for
criticism.
First secretary of the Fijian High
Commission in Port Moresby, Vilitati
Mataitini, confirmed that Fijians living
in Port Moresby were safe.
This situation has been building up in
the past four to five weeks. Our Fijian

A burnt out truck on Waigani Drive near the University of Papua New Guinea
as unrest spread after the police opened fire on students.
communities have been issued security Schools closed early so children
advisories, Mr Mataitini said.
were brought home early as safety
He said the situation was tense around precautions, Mr Mataitini said.
the city but Fijian people have been There are at least 560 Fijians living in
advised to take the necessary precautions Port Moresby with no record of any
and to stay away from volatile areas.
Fijian citizen registered at UPNG.

In House DJ For Karaoke NIGHTS

Pravin Kumar 604.306.8917

Family Parties
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Engagements
Small Weddings

Buffet Wednesday -Saturday From 11am

Menu Now Available

For Eat In Or Take Out

Seating for 50 - 120 Guests

Fijis Exotic Restaurants & Banquet Hall

8653 120th Street, Delta BC

Contact Angie @ Ph: 778.593.0512

david@fijitimescanada.com

Cell: 778.378.6474
778.278.4088

Fiji News

12

Ministry Takes Child Into Custody From

Mum

The Ministry of Women, Children and

Poverty Alleviation has taken a child
into their custody amid claims that the
mother was begging on the streets with
the baby.
The 17-year-old mother of Lautoka
has since said she was not begging.
Investigations are continuing.
The minister, Rosy Akbar, said the
case surfaced as part of the ministrys
ongoing operation Loloma in the West.
The mother was seen to be begging late
in the night with the baby. The Loloma
operation team took the baby into state
care.

This
ministry
responded
with
promptness and urgency and the decision
made was in the best interest of the child
to ensure her safety and wellbeing, she
said.
Ensuring the wellbeing of children is a
key mandate of the ministry as obligated
under the Convention on the Rights of
the Children and also the Child Welfare
Decree.
The child has been taken into temporary
care for now as case assessment continues.
Upon further discussions with
adult family members possibly the
grandparents, ministry will look at

the best options in best interest of

the child. Ensuring the welfare and
wellbeing of children is a key mandate
of the Ministry of Women, Children and
Poverty Alleviation. The use of children
to lure the public to give cash and kind
to beggars is clearly an act of child abuse
and neglect, Ms Akbar said.
She reiterated that the ministry does
not condone such inhuman act against
children and they would do what it takes
to ensure that the childs welfare was
protected. The child has been taken to
Treasure Home where she has been kept
since May 26.

House Razed To The Ground

Ba market vendor Bijma Watis world

crashed around her last Saturday when
the home she was raised in by her
parents was razed to the ground.
Cyclone Winston had just battered part
of her three bedroom corrugated iron
and timber home in Naidrodro, Ba.
While she waited for the outcome of her
request for assistance under the Help For
Homes housing initiative programme,
she was dealt another cruel blow.
I had applied for the $3000 assistance
and am pleading with the Government
to assist me through the $7000 grant
since I do not have a home now, Ms
Wati said.
Some family and friends had gathered
at Ms Watis residence to build a small
shelter beside the burnt house.
The 57-year-old widower was at the
Ba Market selling vegetables when her
neighbour called her saying smoke was
coming out from the house.
She called the National Fire Authority
in Ba who arrived at the house within
minutes but could not do anything as the
fire was intense, she said.
Ms Wati said she did not light the stove

or fire place in the morning and was at a

loss as to how the fire started.
In 2010 she decided not to rely on family
for help and started selling vegetables to
support her family and has been doing
that ever since.
She estimated a loss of about $50,000

which included the house and all

belongings inside.
The family was left with nothing as all
were not at home when the fire started.
Minister for Women and Poverty
Alleviation could not be reached for
comment.

Two Charged In FNPF TC Winston Scheme

Two people who are charged in relation

to the FNPF Cyclone Winston scheme
investigation will take their plea on the
11th of the next month.
32-year-old Amos Rogoyawa and
22-year-old Gabriel Ledua are each
charged with one count of conspiracy
to obtain property by deception and two
counts of forgery.

david@fijitimescanada.com

It is alleged that Rogoyawa and Ledua

deceptively obtained the sum of $5000
which belongs to a 32-year-old man
residing in Brisbane through FNPFs
Cyclone Winston Assistance Scheme.
Ledua allegedly forged the victims signature
in the FRCA/FNPF joint card application.
Bail has been extended for both accused
persons.

Meanwhile, two other people have been

charged in relation to the FNPF Cyclone
Winston scheme investigation.
42-year-old Lepania Lavavou is charged
with one count of obtaining property by
deception while a 30yearold former
employee of FNPF, Rachael Matakibau
has been charged with four counts of
obtaining property by deception.

778.278.4088

Fiji News

13

22,083 Homes Assisted: Attorney-General,

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum

Around 22,083 homes have been

assisted under the Help for Homes
initiative says Attorney-General, Aiyaz
Sayed-Khaiyum.
He revealed this while responding to
a question posed by Government MP,
Viam Pillay in Parliament.
It has assisted a total of 22, 083 homes
and the areas that have been covered
included people who were claiming
under this initiative, Mr SayedKhaiyum said.

He said these were people who had been

affected from Vanuabalavu, the Lomaiviti
group, Taveuni, Savusavu, Bua, Tailevu,
Ra, Tavua, Ba and Lautoka.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum also said there
had been discussions with insurance
companies on providing insurance for
rural and low cost housing.
He said the insurance companies
themselves need to be able to provide a
particular level of coverage.
It may not be a full blown coverage but

if certain basic requirements are met.

So if insurance companies were able
to offer say, $3000 or $5000 covers
for these homes if they met the basic
requirements for roof damage, than in
the future they would be covered for a
nominal premium, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum
said.
He had also advised people that there
were rigorous measures that Government
was undergoing to verify claims lodged
with them.

High Commissioner To India

Commissioned

Fijis High Commissioner designate to

India, Namita Khatri was commissioned
by the President Major-General (Retd)
Jioji Konousi Konrote at the State house.
She began her diplomatic career as
second secretary to Fijis Mission to the
European Communities and permanent
representative to the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) in Belgium in
2006.
There, she was responsible for providing
advice on trade matters in line with
Fijis development interests.
Ms Khatri was then seconded to serve
as the deputy head of the African
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group in
Geneva in 2010.
She has also served as First Secretary in
Fijis Permanent Mission to the United
Nations in New York in 2012 before
being appointed as Deputy Permanent
Representative in 2014.
Prior to her appointment as High
Commissioner Ms Khatri served as
deputy permanent representative in
Fijis permanent mission to the United

Nations in Geneva in September 2014.

Ms Khatri completed her Bachelor
of Social Sciences from the
University of Waikato, Hamilton,
New Zealand in 2000 and then did
her Postgraduate Diploma (History/
Politics) from the University of the

South Pacific.
She has also completed her Masters of
Arts in International Relations from the
Australian National University and post
graduate qualification in WTO Trade
Law from the TMC Asser Institute,
Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Former Post Fiji Employees Charged In

Relation To $193,491 Scam

Three former employees of Post Fiji

Limited who were charged with 30
counts of dishonestly appropriating
money amounting to $193,491 were
produced at the Suva Magistrates Court
before Magistrate, Liyanage Priyantha.
The matter was called for mention and
to check the tentative hearing date.
It is alleged that the three accused

david@fijitimescanada.com

Matorino
Madogo
Kautanagauna,
Seaqaqa Raiqeu and Selita Nabori used
false Telegraphic Money Orders with
the intention of permanently depriving
Post Fiji of the cash.
These offences are alleged to have
occurred between June and October in
2010.
The Counsels informed the court that

the tentative dates for the hearing was

set from 1st to the 5th of November and
since there are 30 counts the court will
be hearing the matter on a part basis.
The Magistrate stated that part heard
matter is not encouraged and the
tentative hearing date to be vacated.
The Magistrate adjourned the matter to
the 17th October to fix a new hearing date.

778.278.4088

World News

14

'I'm With Her' - Barack Obama Backs

Hillary Clinton For Presidency

President Obama offered his formal

endorsement of Hillary Clinton with a
video Thursday and plans to campaign
with the former secretary of state in
Wisconsin next week, efforts aimed
at speeding the Democratic Party's
unification around its presumed
presidential nominee.
"I know how hard this job can be, that's
why I know Hillary will be so good at
it," Obama says in the video. "In fact I
don't think there's ever been someone so
qualified to hold this office. She's got the
courage, the compassion and the heart to
get this job done."
The swift endorsement came after the
president met with Sen. Bernie Sanders
at the White House earlier Thursday
and the senator from Vermont indicated
he is preparing to exit the Democratic
nominating battle.
Sanders has been under pressure to
stand down and help unify the party
after a long and contentious battle with
Clinton for the nomination. Obama's
endorsement will add to that pressure,
although most party leaders, including
the president, have urged that Sanders
be allowed to decide his plans on his
own timetable.
An afternoon meeting with Vice
President Biden was also added to
Sanders's schedule for Thursday. The
two are set to meet at the vice president's
residence at the Naval Observatory, said
Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs.
"He is seeking out the counsel of people
he admires and respects," Briggs said of
Sanders.
The president's decision to move
quickly to give his public support to
Clinton indicates his desire to begin to
play a more active role in making the
case against presumptive Republican
nominee Donald Trump as unqualified
to be president and to try to rally those
who have backed Sanders behind
Clinton's candidacy. Clinton and Obama
will campaign together in Green Bay,
Wis., her campaign confirmed.
After meeting with Obama, Sanders
said he is looking forward to working
with Clinton to defeat Trump in the fall.
"Needless to say, I'm going to do
everything in my power, and I'm going
to work as hard as I can, to make sure
that Donald Trump does not become
president of the United States," he told
reporters, as his wife, Jane, stood behind
him.

david@fijitimescanada.com

Sanders said he still plans to compete

in Tuesday's final Democratic primary
in the District, but he added that "in
the near future" he hopes to meet with
Clinton - who this week clinched the
Democratic nomination - to talk about
ways they can work together.
His comments suggested that Sanders is
preparing to exit the long and grueling
presidential race, as long as leading
Democrats make a genuine effort to
incorporate his policy ideas into their
broader agenda.
The hour-long meeting with Obama
came on a busy day for Sanders in
Washington, where he also has an early
afternoon meeting planned on Capitol
Hill with Senate Minority Leader Harry
M. Reid (D-Nev.), who has sought to
play the role of peace broker at the end
of a contentious nominating contest
between Sanders and Clinton.
Before flying back home Thursday
night to Burlington, Vt., Sanders plans
to stage the kind of large-scale rally that
has become a signature of his campaign,
this one at RFK Stadium in the District.
Sanders said he would make statehood
for the District a major focus of his

campaign here, noting that it has a

similar population to Vermont, which
is represented by two senators and a
congressman in Washington.
The rally comes four days ahead of
the Democratic primary in the District.
Twenty delegates are in play, but there
is little at stake following Clinton's
clinching of the nomination this week,
punctuated by her decisive win Tuesday
in California, the nation's most populous
state.
Sanders has vowed to stay in the race
through the Democratic convention
in July, in a last-ditch bid to win the
nomination by flipping the allegiance
of hundreds of superdelegates who
have already announced support for
Clinton. A growing number of Sanders's
supporters have acknowledged that the
scenario is far-fetched.
Increasingly, Sanders's aim seems to
be using the leverage that he and his
millions of loyal followers now have
to ensure that his campaign agenda anchored around issues of income and
wealth inequality - has a central place
in the Democratic Party's platform and
general-election strategy.

Fiji Times Canada ONLINE

Advertise in The Fiji Times Canada Online Directory &
Showcase your Products For Only $100/Year
Canada, USA, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji
Payment in Canadian Funds

Call: 778 278 4088 or Email: info@gobizz.ca

778.278.4088

World News

15

Seagull Turns Orange After Falling Into

Vat Of Curry

A seagull bit off more than it could chew

when it fell into a vat of curry and came
out a vivid shade of orange.
Attempting to pinch some meat from a
bin of chicken tikka masala at a food
factory in Wales, the bird was pulled
out and delivered to Tewkesbury Vale
Wildlife Hospital.
Veterinary nurse Lucy Kells said the hospital
staff were shocked by the bird's colour.
"He really surprised everyone here. We
had never seen anything like it before.
He had fallen into a waste vat of curry
that was outside, it was chicken tikka
masala. The thing that shocked us
the most was the smell. He smelled
amazing, he really smelled good."
Using a few rounds of dishwashing
liquid, a team managed to clean the bird,
returning him to his natural shade.
Nicknamed "Gullfrazie" on Facebook,
the bird was kept in a cage after his
ordeal and fed meat, dog and cat food,
and chopped fish to build up his weight.
He was then transferred to an outdoor
aviary to re-waterproof his feathers

before being released back into the wild.

Kells said she has been a vet nurse for

25 years and has never seen anything

like the curried bird.

Waitress 'Assaulted' For Serving Alcohol

During Ramadan

A waitress in a Nice cafe was allegedly

assaulted by two men because she
refused to stop serving alcohol on the
first day of Ramadan.
The waitress, a French 30-year-old of
Tunisian origin, said she was serving
drinks on the cafe terrace when two men
started insulting her in Arabic, calling
her a "dirty whore" and telling her she
should be "ashamed" for serving alcohol
during the holy month.
The unnamed waitress, who is Muslim
and observes Ramadan herself, said one
of the men shouted: "If I was God, I
would have hung you".
The waitress retorted: "You're not God
to judge me".
One of the men then rushed towards her
and violently slapped her face, knocking
the woman to the floor, the cafe's CCTV
footage reportedly shows.
The alleged beating on Tuesday has
prompted a heated political debate
over whether France is falling prey
to "religious fundamentalism and
ghettoised communities".
The incident took place less than a

david@fijitimescanada.com

week before football fans arrive in the

French Riviera town for a Euro 2016
match between Poland and Northern
Ireland.
The two men have reportedly been
identified. One of them is known to be
an illegal migrant who is a notoriously
threatening figure in the district, but
both are currently at large.
The waitress, who works at the Vitis
Cafe in central Nice, said: "I'm so scared.
Why did they insult me? I feel debased,
humiliated, sullied. I don't want other
women to have to be victims of such an
attack.
"It's not because I serve alcohol that I'm
not fulfilling my [religious] duty, I do it
because I'm a waitress," she told Nouvel
Obs, a French magazine.
The waitress has filed a police complaint
for "voluntary violence".
This is not the first time the district has
seen such "religious" threats. In October
2014, three men, including the owner
of a Halal store - since forcibly closed
by police - threatened a baker who sold
ham sandwiches, saying he wasn't a

"good Muslim".
This latest incident caused angry
reactions from right-wing politicians
who saw it as a sign that the country's
values were being undermined. The
issue has become increasingly fraught
less than a year before presidential
elections and six months after Islamist
attacks in Paris killed 130.
Eric Ciotti, MP with the Republicans,
Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative party,
said: "This attack should be placed in a
national context that has seen a constant
rise in religious fundamentalism and
ghettoised communities.
"Each attack like this strikes a severe
blow against the values of the French
Republic."
Philippe Vardon, regional councillor
with the far-right Front National (FN),
said: "This situation comes from the
weakness of our political leaders."
FN leader Marine Le Pen is polled to
reach the second round of presidential
elections next year and has repeatedly
claimed that France is becoming prey to
"creeping Islamisation".

778.278.4088

Health

16

Foods That Can Help Improve Your

Thyroid Health!

The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in

the neck, is one of the most important
organs in the body. The thyroid gland
produces thyroid hormones that
control some major functions including
metabolism,
weight
management,
growth and maturation of the human
body.
Thyroid disorders can cause a variety of
problems in the body ranging from - a
small, harmless goiter (enlarged gland)
to life-threatening cancer.
While too much thyroid hormone results
in a condition known as hyperthyroidism,
insufficient hormone production causes
hypothyroidism.
But, the fact is that there are natural
methods to support your thyroid health,
utilising food and nutrients. After all our
food habits can actually influence the
thyroid gland and its functions.
Here are five foods that you should eat
to help improve your thyroid naturally:

Spinach, lettuce, and other leafy greens

are great sources of magnesium. They
are also rich in mineral that plays a huge
role in your body processes.

Nuts

thyroid problem, avoid large amounts of

kelp, which is high in iodine, as this may
worsen your condition.

Eggs

Both the egg yolk and the white are an

excellent source of selenium, a mineral
the helps the conversion of thyroid
hormone T4 into the useable form of T3.
Eggs also provide a concentrated source
of thyroid-supporting building blocks
like protein, cholesterol, B vitamins, fatsoluble vitamins, and minerals.

Nuts such as cashews, almonds, and

pumpkin seeds are excellent sources
of iron and selenium - another mineral
that supports the thyroid health. Try to
include three Brazil nuts in your snack.

Seafood

Salt

Your thyroid needs iodine to function

properly. But make sure that you use
iodized tablet salt at home.

Leafy greens

Seafood is high in iodine, a mineral that

is crucial to an efficiently functioning
thyroid. Fish, shrimp, seaweed are great
sources of iodine. But if you have a

Causes Of High Cholesterol

Do you have high cholesterol?

You're not alone. High cholesterol
comes from a variety of sources,
including your family history and what
you eat. Here is a visual journey through
the most common causes.
Your diet
Eating too much saturated fat (like the
kind found in this classic breakfast) can
cause high cholesterol. You will find this
unhealthy fat in foods that come from
animals. Beef, pork, veal, milk, eggs,
butter, and cheese contain saturated fat.
Packaged foods that contain coconut
oil, palm oil, or cocoa butter may have
a lot of saturated fat. You will also
find saturated fat in stick margarine,
vegetable shortening, and most cookies,
crackers, chips, and other snacks.
Your weight
Your beer belly isn't just bad for your
social life. Being overweight may
increase triglycerides and decrease
HDL, or good cholesterol. Losing that

david@fijitimescanada.com

gut can go a long way toward improving

your beach bod, too.
Your activity level
Hey, get off that couch and get moving.
Lack of physical activity may increase
LDL, or bad cholesterol, and decrease
HDL, or good cholesterol.
Your age and gender
After you reach age 20, your cholesterol
levels naturally begin to rise. In men,
cholesterol levels generally level off
after age 50. In women, cholesterol
levels stay fairly low until menopause,
after which they rise to about the same
level as in men.
Your overall health

Don't skip your annual physical, and be

sure to have your doc explain your heart
disease risk. Having certain diseases,
such as diabetes or hypothyroidism,
may cause high cholesterol.
Your family history
Aren't they cute? But they can be
dangerous, even when they're not
gossiping about each other. If family
members have high cholesterol, you
may also.
Cigarette smoking
Come on, you already know this
one. Smoking can lower your good
cholesterol. And it can kill you. So why
not quit smoking?

OBizz.com
778.278.4088

Astrology

Aries

This week, there will be a lot of

running around with hustle and bustle,
challenges, issues etc. You will have the
support from your family and parents
but at the same time you got to give
your best. You have to be determined,
creative, dynamic and active.
Please bear in mind that the more lazy or
laidback attitude you adopt the more will
you come across hassles and unexpected
situations. This week you got to ensure
that there are no unfinished tasks
lingering on. After the 4th of June there
will be a rise in your status, prestige,
honour, professional advancement and
backing.
Your family atmosphere will be better
than before and your hard work will pay
you back. The more focused, driven and
motivated you will be the more will you
achieve dignified and unique success. If
you are working in the banking sector,
IT or are a mathematician or a Sales
executive then you will get dignified
returns both in the long and short term.
Professionals working in the finance
sector will also have a rewarding week.

Taurus

This week, the position of Sun and Venus

is in your path due to which your efforts
will be handsomely rewarded and your
skill, knowledge and ability recognized
and appreciated. Your income will be
better than before and there will be new
opportunities around you along with
comforts and luxuries.
This week will offer you many
opportunities for happiness, prosperity,
mingling etc. If you are a single person
then you will come across a beautiful
romantic relationship opportunity.
After the 13th of June the situation will
undergo some changes due to which you
got to plan ahead.
You will be extremely busy with your
work and there will be a possible change
of place. Please be prepared for travel.
This will be a dignified week which
will give you achievements, rewards,
success and prosperity.

Gemini

This week, will offer you challenges

and complications and at times you will
be all over the place. You will have to
work very hard to achieve success and
accomplish your objectives. At times
you will have the support that you need
while at other times it could be missing.

david@fijitimescanada.com

If you want to ensure support from other

people then be diplomatic and watch
your word of speech which will also
lead the way to prosperity. You might
be involved in a deal related to car or
property and your comfort level will be
quite high. Please watch your temper
as you could lose it very easily. Please
refrain from participating or initiating
any kind of argument or conflict. At
times you could be running around a lot
and at the same time your comfort level
could be quite low.
Please try and maintain a balanced state
of mind and work on your strategy.
Beware of cheating, deception and
fraud. Watch your expenditure and
spend only when justified. Health wise
please take care of all issues related to
your back and energy level.

Cancer

This week, will be a productive, unique

and prosperous week wherein luck and
destiny will support you fully. You will
achieve financial gain, name, fame,
status and honour. You will be able to
accomplish your goals with the help of
your friends.
There will be a very dignified project
for you and professionally you will be
quite busy. You will have to change your
working style to achieve something
dignified. At times you will be quite
tense and all over the place. Health wise
please look after all issues related to
your lower abdomen, neck, throat and
blood.
If you are a Cancerian pregnant lady then
you got to be especially careful of your
health and wellbeing. If you are a family
person then you will be concerned about
the welfare of your children.

Leo

This week, please be careful of your

health and wellbeing especially related to
issues with your eyesight and headaches.
You will come across challenges,
financial complications, issues, adverse
scenarios etc. Please organize yourself
professionally and avoid all kinds of
arguments and conflicts or you could
end up paying a huge price.
Your expenditure will be stretched
this week and you will incur some
debt. Please watch your behavior and
conduct towards your loved ones and
your partner. If there is any tricky
family related situation please handle it
carefully.
Listen to yourself before you express

17

your views I public and always think

before you speak as people are observing
your language and you could be an easy
target. Stay cool, calm and composed. If
you refrain from being aggressive then
this week could be favourable but all
will depend on your dealing.

Virgo

This week, will bring you mixed

rewards and you will be making a lot
of plans regarding your career, projects,
profession and ventures. This is a good
week to materialize your plans but
make sure to work on the structure
and initiation of the same. At times
you will come across obstacles, delays
and technical hiccups which you will
overcome with the help of your patience,
determination, drive and motivation.
Please buiId up your drive and refrain
from adopting a lazy or laidback attitude
and dont listen to the views of negative
people or you could develop double
mindedness. You will be worried over
some secret tensions that you would not
want to share with anyone but please
dont deal with them alone and instead
seek advice from someone experienced
and follow their advice.
There will be a few issues related to
family and personal reasons but it will
be a temporary phase. However due to
such obstacles your peace of mind will
be missing at times and you will feel
quite annoyed both with yourself and
with others. You could be quite upset
with your performance at this time. You
got to balance yourself spiritually and
mentally and concentrate your mind to
seek the answers that are already there. If
you are focused and driven then nothing
will be impossible for you to achieve.

Libra

This week, the lord planet of your

horoscope Venus is placed together with
Sun in your 8th house due to which
you got to be careful of your health
and wellbeing, family relationships,
financial backing, career and profession.
At times you will face fluctuations, ups
and downs and undergo struggle. This
struggle though will be rewarding and
will convert into sweet success.
Please dont adopt a lazy or laidback
attitude as that wont take you anywhere.
You can materialize your plans and if
you build up your efforts then rewards
will be there for you this week. Your
Continued On Page 18

778.278.4088

18

Continued From Page 17

hard work will pay you back in the form
of financial reward and also for your
future.
Please address your family related issues
properly and dont ignore anybody or
anything. Please make sure to listen to
everybodys point of view before you
express and present your own views.

Scorpio

This week, Sun and Saturn are facing

each other being exactly 180 degrees
apart while Mars is retrograde. Due to
this placement you got to be very careful
of your health, wellbeing and state of
mind. There will be a few complications
and arguments with your family
members.
If you are involved in a business
partnership then this will be a very tough
and demanding time. Whatever you do
please think before you act. People will
test your fibre, tolerance and patience.
Your own people will display a strange
attitude towards you and you will have
to work very hard to achieve success.
Health wise please look after all issues
related to your eyesight, blood, urine
and energy level. Make sure to think
and act positive at all times and try not
to take everything literally and to heart.

Sagittarius

This week, Jupiter is positioned in your

9th house which is the house of luck.
Due to this placement there will be
a lot of changes and your profession
will offer you some challenges. If you
are going for an interview or making a
presentation then you will be successful.
Your expenditure will be quite high but
at the same time you will be blessed
with financial prosperity and gain. There
will be a rise in your status, prestige and
honour. You will be mingling a lot with
professionals and also some people from
the financial sector.
There will be some major dynamic
happenings taking place this week
for you. Please take care of your
health and wellbeing. You could face
some unexpected issues, hiccups and
expenses.

Capricorn

This week, Sun and Venus are positioned

in your 5th house with Mars and Saturn
in the 11th. These two combinations
will give you something dignified and
unique but at the same time in your
personal and professional life there will

david@fijitimescanada.com

be some form of uncertainty and you

will face some adverse circumstances.
Your patience and fibre will be tested
but please stay focused and positive and
carry on with your efforts.
There will be many issues related to
your family members and at times you
will ignore them while at other times
you will talk to them about the same.
Health wise please look after all issues
related to your back, joints, digestive
system, area below the belly button,
lower abdomen, neck and throat.
You might be involved in the purchase
of a property or car but please be wary
of deception, cheating and fraud. There
will be hassles, scenarios, problems and
complications that you will have to face.
Please be careful of your conduct.

your conduct.
Please adopt a systematic approach and
be a good listener and a good observer.
This is not the time to trust anyone other
than yourself. Try and be cool, calm and
composed. Your past efforts will now
bear you dignified rewards and you will
achieve success and prosperity. After the
4th of June there will be new resources
for you and it will be a good time to
launch something unique and achieve
success in the same.

Pisces

This week, will be full of hustle and

bustle but at times your peace of mind
and personal happiness will be missing
and you could be all over the place. You
could feel quite annoyed, aggressive and
temperamental. Your energy level will
be very high but you could be annoyed
with both your professional and your
personal life and end up being involved
in a huge row or conflict with your loved
ones. Please avoid such a conflict as it
could blow up out of proportion.
Your expenditure will be sky high.
Health wise please look after all issues
related to your blood, urine and lower
abdomen. Family related complications
will be quite a lot but please dont rush
while trying to resolve things and instead
think before you speak and first observe
and study the people around you before
doing anything and even then watch

This week, you will come across a lot

of obstacles, challenges and issues.
The time is such that it will test your
patience and fibre. You got to organize
yourself properly and invest discipline
in your routine while building up your
own drive and motivation towards
achieving success. You will have a lot
of contact with professional people and
subsequently you will come across some
opportunities due to the same.
After the 4th of June a number of
your complications and problems will
be resolved and your hard work and
efforts will pay you back. You will be
around a lot of professional people and
professionals from the finance industry.
This is a good week but where the
outcome depends on you and the actions
you take. Health wise please look
after all issues related to your lower
abdomen, bladders, blood and urine. If
you face any such issue please make
sure to consult your doctor. If you are
a professional working in the Banking/
Finance industry or in Sales then this
week will offer you dignified success
and prosperity.

You may want to stop snoozing in the

daytime as a new study has found that those
who steal forty winks in the day are more
likely to suffer from high blood pressure.
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic
in Rochester, MN conducted a metaanalysis that included data from nine
observational studies with 112,267
participants.
The results found that those seeking
midday shut-eye had a 13-19 percent
increase in risk for hypertension.
However, when researchers looked at the

data on the link between nighttime napping

in individuals who work night-shifts and
hypertension, the results were limited.
One observational study found that
night-shift workers who napped at night
showed reduced risk of hypertension by
21 percent.
According to lead researcher Wisit
Cheungpasitporn, ore research is needed
to better understand whether the duration
of midday sleep or if diet, exercise or an
underlying medical condition, might be
impacting risk.

Aquarius

Daytime ZZZS Puts You At High

Blood Pressure Risk

778.278.4088

19

Pratyusha Banerjee Suicide Case: Actress

Parents To Seek Euthanasia If Justice Is Denied

The signature campaign launched by

parents of late TV actress Pratyusha
Banerjee to garner support for a CBI
probe into her unnatural death received
good response as over 1000 people
signed in favour of the demand today.
Rahul Raj Singh was booked for
abatement of suicide and criminal
intimidation in connection with her
death.
Till now, more than 1000 people have
signed on the banner supporting our
demand for a CBI probe into the death
of Pratyusha, who allegedly committed
suicide on April 1 in Mumbai, her father
Sankar Banerjee said.
There is no space left in the banner but
people are still putting their signature on
it, said Banerjee, who was accompanied
by his wife Soma and other relatives.
The signature campaign began at 5
PM and was to continue till 8 PM
at Bata Chowk in Sakchi market, he
said expressing satisfaction over the
response.
Todays campaign is preceded by an
online campaign where about 700 people
have already shown their support for a
CBI probe. We have lost everything and
it is now the people and media support
that could help meet our demand. But if
it fails to evoke any positive response,
we will be left with no option but to
seek euthanasia, the father of Balika
Badhu fame actor said.
He demanded capital punishment for
Pratyushas boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh,
who, they alleged, have murdered their
daughter in cold blood.
Banerjee said they would meet
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das
and Jharkhand Womens Commission
Chairperson at Ranchi to seek their
support for CBI support to unearth the
mystery behind Pratyushas death. My
daughter can never commit suicide, he
said.
Rahul Raj Singh was booked for
abatement of suicide and criminal
intimidation in connection with her
death.

OBizz.com
david@fijitimescanada.com

Fiji Times Canada ONLINE

Advertise in The Fiji Times Canada Online Directory &
Showcase your Products For Only $100/Year
Canada, USA, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji
Payment in Canadian Funds

Call: 778 278 4088 or Email: info@gobizz.ca

778.278.4088

20

Shahid Kapoor Alia Bhatts Udta Punjab

To Be Released Uncensored On June 17?

Punjab Congress President Amarinder

Singh announced he will release
uncensored copies of Bollywood movie
'Udta Punjab' in Majitha town near
Amritsar in the state on June 17.
The movie has run into trouble with
the Central Board of Film Certification
(CBFC) over references to Punjab and
the drugs racket in the state.
The Congress leader said: Majitha
town, like Mexico, is the epicentre of
drugs trade in Punjab. It was decided to
release the movie there. The movies
release is scheduled for June 17.
Amarinder said he has written to
movies producers Anurag Kashyap and
Ekta Kapoor, urging them to provide
copies of the uncensored movie on
compact discs so that he can release
it simultaneously with its worldwide
premiere.
The purpose of releasing the movie in
Majitha is to tell the (ruling) Akalis and
the BJP that no matter to what extent
they try to go to gag the truth, I will
expose it at any cost, Amarinder said
in a statement here.
Not only do we want to highlight
the harsh reality of Punjab, but also
assert the right to freedom of speech
and expression guaranteed by our
Constitution, which is being infringed
upon by the BJP at the behest of the

Akalis, using the censor board, the

Congress leader said in the letter to the
producers.
Amarinder also clarified to the movies
producers that all the legal onus of
releasing the uncensored CDs of the
movie will be on him only.
I guarantee you that I will take the entire
responsibility of the legal implications,
if any, for releasing the uncensored CDs
as we want the truth to be told, no matter
at what price, he said.
He said Majitha town in Amritsar district
had become synonymous with chitta
(synthetic drug, in common parlance)
that has affected an entire generation in

Punjab.
The Congress leader clarified that in
order to ensure that the commercial
interests of the producers are not hurt,
the movie will be shown only on the day
of the release at Majitha, as a protest
and defiance against what he called was
the dictatorial attitude of the CBFC,
and also in border areas as people there
rarely get a chance to watch the movies
in theatres.
Complimenting the movies producers
for portraying the harsh reality of
Punjab on the big screen, the Lok Sabha
member from Amritsar said the film
depicted the ground reality in the state.

Housefull 3 got the biggest opening

weekend this year, and could turn out to
be the biggest grosser of the year, the
way things are going at the box office
for the film!
Surprised? We surely are not!
The film starred Housefull franchise
regulars Akshay Kumar, Riteish
Deshmukh, Boman Irani and Chunkey
Pandey, along with the semi-new
entrant, Jacqueline Fernandez, and
newbies Abhishek Bachchan, Nargis

Fakhri, Lisa Haydon and Jackie Shroff.

Though the film didnt find much favour
from the critics, the masses lapped it up,
and the producers are laughing all their
way to the bank.
At the success party held for everyone
involved in the making of the film,
the franchises main star and one of
Bollywoods bankable hit makers,
Akshay Kumar gave the good (but
quite obvious) news to the fans of the
franchise there is a fourth film coming

in their way. Not much details of this

development have been revealed, but do
make sure you watch this space for more
updates!
The first two Housefull films were
directed by Sajid Khan. However
the tepid reaction to the last two
films of his, Himmatwala and
Humshakals, made the production
house look for a replacement in
Sajid-Farhad, the scenarists for the
first two films.

Not Tired Of The Housefull Franchise Yet?

Akshay Kumar Reveals Fourth Film Is On
The Way!

david@fijitimescanada.com

778.278.4088

Recipe

21

Warm Tuna & Vegetable Salad

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. Becel Salt-Free margarine
8 ounces white mushrooms, quartered
(about 12)
6 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut
into 2.5 cm pieces
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
3 cups mixed salad greens
1 can solid white tuna in water, drained
and flaked
6 grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar or red wine
vinegar
1/4 oz. curls Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese , (about 4 curls)
Preparation
Step 1
Melt Becel Salt-Free margarine in
large nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat and cook mushrooms, green
beans and onion, stirring occasionally,
vegetables are crisp-tender, about 6
minutes. Season, if desired, with freshly

ground black pepper. Cover and let

steam 3 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, evenly arrange salad greens

on 2 dinner plates, then top with warm

vegetable mixture and juices, tuna and
tomatoes. Drizzle with vinegar and
garnish with cheese.

Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked spiral-shaped pasta
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 seedless cucumber, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and
chopped
3/4 cup crumbled light feta cheese
1/2 cup black olives or kalamata olives
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. Becel Oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves,
(optional)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves,
(optional)
Preparation
Step 1
Cook pasta according to package
directions until almost tender. Drain and
rinse with cold water until completely
cool.
Step 2
Toss cooked pasta with remaining
ingredients in large serving bowl.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate
up to 2 days.

OBizz.com
david@fijitimescanada.com

BBQ Chicken Wings

Ingredients
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 pounds chicken wings, separated
at joints, tips discarded
1/4 cup honey
Add all ingredients to list
Directions

In a large bowl, mix the teriyaki sauce,

oyster sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic
powder and sugar. Place the chicken
wings in the bowl, cover, and marinate
in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the grill for low heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange
chicken on the grill, and discard the
marinade. Grill the chicken wings on
one side for 20 minutes, then turn and
brush with honey. Continue grilling 25
minutes, or until juices run clear.

778.278.4088

22

david@fijitimescanada.com

778.278.4088

TS Times Sports

Shinsuke Nakamura Is Too Big For NXT

Wednesday night was billed as "The End

of the Beginning" for NXT, as the brand
extension now looms large over WWE
as a whole.
The needs of two separate brands
mean that NXT is about to undergo a
talent raid, as reported by the Wrestling
Observer Newsletter (h/t Cageside
Seats). Certain candidates stand out
from the crowd as being ready for the
big showand Shinsuke Nakamura is
head and shoulders above the rest.
There is no shortage of accomplished,
experienced wrestlers currently on the
NXT roster.
Samoa Joe spent years at TNA wrestling
for a national television audience on a
weekly basis, Finn Balor was already a
seasoned pro when he was signed and
recent debutant Andrade "Cien" Almas
was a top worker in the Consejo Mundial
de Lucha Libre (CMLL) before heading
north last year.
However, Nakamura is even more
prepared to appear on one of WWE's
flagship broadcasts than any of the stars
above. The King of Strong Style was one
of the biggest names in Japan for years,
which shows every time he makes his
way to the ring.
Nakamura has wrestled in front of
tens of thousands in the Tokyo Dome.
He's wrestled against a host of North
American talent, both in Japan and
during his appearances for Ring of
Honor.
Perhaps most importantly, he's already
got the majority of the NXT fanbase on
board.
Simply put, he's ready for anything
that WWE can throw at him. Look
to his match with Sami Zayn at NXT
TakeOver: Dallas for proof, if any were
needed.
Zayn revealed in his appearance on Talk
Is Jericho (h/t Wrestling Inc) that he
and Nakamura never got into the ring
to prepare for their highly anticipated
match. The pair simply went out on the
night and felt things outand the results
were remarkable.
Obviously, this was a clash between two
of the best wrestlers in the world, so the
match was always likely to be great.
However, we've also seen the former
International Wrestling Grand Prix
(IWGP) heavyweight champion bring
the best out of talent much lower down

david@fijitimescanada.com

the NXT pecking order.

Nakamura can have great matches with
anyone he chooses to, is backed by an
enormous wealth of experience and has
already started to demonstrate that his
charisma will not be lost in translation.
He's more than ready to be given
a prominent position on Raw or
SmackDown.
Keeping him in NXT is undoubtedly
good for the promotion, but he's simply
too big for the more niche audience that
the broadcast appeals to. If New Japan
Pro Wrestling signed Randy Orton,
you wouldn't see it ship him out to Pro
Wrestling Noah.
Of course, that's not to say that there
was no reason for Nakamura to spend

a spell in the developmental brand.

Even since April, we've seen him grow
more comfortable and familiar with
his new surroundings, and as such he's
become more capable of delivering the
performances he's expected to without
distraction.
Now he seems to be firing on all
cylinders. Plucking him from NXT now
would delay a few dream matches, but
there are plenty more waiting for him on
the main roster.
With the brand extension, WWE is
putting itself into a situation where
there's a need for more talent of the
highest caliber. It's been great to see
Nakamura shine in NXT, but now he's
needed elsewhere.

Fiji FA Calls On Spectators

To Come Out In Numbers

Fiji Football Association, Chief

Executive Bob Kumar has asked the fans
to turn in numbers during the Vodafone
Fiji FACT in Labasa.
Kumar says fans have a chance to witness
some top class football especially with
Fiji FACT being played in Labasa after
17 years.
Now days with these ferries and boat
passengers are going and many people
are buying boat tickets to across. There

will be many who will be travelling on

flights as well. We expecting bumper
crowd from Viti Levu as well. There are
fans that support the team and definitely
they will go across.
Meanwhile, the Fiji FACT kicks off next
Friday.
In matches on Day one, Suva takes on
Lautoka at 1pm, Dreketi plays Nadi at
3pm, Rewa battles Ba at 5.30pm while
Labasa takes on Nadroga at 7.30pm.

778.278.4088