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Grog dopeys So, the thrashing meted out by Ireland to the Flying Fijians last weekend was the referee’s fault! Again. Any wins by the Flying Fijians are never the referee’s fault. How much of a Third World mentality and pathetic are the grog dopeys of Fiji? When will Fijians stop blaming everyone else? I guess wrecking the RFNS Puamau was also the referee’s fault and the fact that the people and government in the country are useless is also the referee’s fault. JAN NISSAR, Sydney, Australia. FNPF contributions Can the Government please reconsider the re-entry of people that had no options but to withdraw totally. On the first occasion I withdrew to help my parents pay for my wedding. On the second occasion I had to withdraw for my mother’s medical expenses. For the past 16 years I have been working but despite making several requests I have been told I cannot rejoin. My reasons were genuine. Please can I rejoin for the rest of my working life which could be anything between 6-10years? TAI SMITH, Nasinu Secondary School Rd, Kinoya, Nasinu Family reunions It has always been my policy to refrain from engaging in debate with overseas correspondents, like me, who are not resident in Fiji. Fiji Times readers, I feel are more interested in domestic affairs instead of slanging matches between offshore letter writers. Yesterday’s letter (FT 25/11) from Jan Nissar though, screams for a response. He asks: “Why was there such great pomp, ceremony and celebration? Is there something wrong with living in Fiji?”, when writing of the departure of PALM workers family members. All of this above a tag line of J.N. Sydney, Australia! After years of separation while striving to increase their family life style, these families now look forward to a better future. Yes Jan, they have won the lottery. They are coming to join you. Who did you vote for? TERRY HULME, Australia Milky water, stench Who is responsible for the enforcement of regulations for the very milky water and the unbearable stench present in the Yarawa Rd creek in the Raiwasa area in Suva? The Suva City Council, Ministry of Environment, and the Water Authority of Fiji have been approached and responded but the problem is still there. Who should we approach now? ASISH VINAY PRASAD, Park Rd, Raiwasa, Suva Transport payment The truck/carrier operators on Ovalau are infuriated regarding the much delayed RSL Education Transport Payment. Such an issue was not experienced during the term of the previous government. If there was a delay, it would take only a few days for the MOE to effect payments, unlike now. Payments are long outstanding, not for weeks but months and numerous calls to those responsible at MOE have proven futile. One wonders, were the payment funds diverted to cater for the 50-plus COP29 group expenses or to cater for Government’s weekly globetrotting or for their soqo and kalavata? A service has been provided and payment is long overdue. What’s happening? Who’s responsible for such a “botched up mess?” ANTHONY SAHAI, Levuka, Ovalau RFNS Timo I hope our Fiji Navy sailors don’t have the misconception that the new RFNS Timo is a landing craft and try crossing over a reef. Sobo! WISE MUAVONO, Balawa, Lautoka FNPF pensions Although I am grateful that Parmesh Chand has publicly acknowledged that what was done to us FNPF pensioners in 2012 was wrong while under his chairmanship of the FNPF Board, I am very disappointed that he took all this time to come out and acknowledge this. Shame on you Mr Chand. ROBERT MANOA, Nasinu 16 Days of Activism! As I flipped through the World Health Organization’s page, my attention was drawn to the wealth of information presented on the global 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women, which is a key international moment to call for an end to violence against women and girls. It runs from 25th November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) until 10th December (Human Rights Day). WHO shared that violence against women happens in every country and culture, causing harm to millions of women and girls. WHO added that around the world today, prolonged and intense conflicts have resulted in a continuous rise in of all forms of gender-based violence. I salute WHO for playing an active role in strengthening health systems and for calling all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to protect women and girls from gender-based violence and ensure access to essential health services. Activists marched in Labasa town on Monday during the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. They were in high spirits, making every effort to end violence against girls and women. Our ‘iron-lady’ Shamima Ali is spearheading this campaign, and alongside her, women and girls need our support! RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM, Nadawa, Nasinu. Drunkards in town West Police SP Lakobo Vaisewa’s stern warning of arresting disorderly drunkards has had negligible effect as groups of unruly people continue to consume alcoholic beverages in plain view of the public. Police patrols are rare whenever there is a drinking assembly within the city boundaries, despite the Lautoka Police Station located just metres away from all the drinking hotspots. Just last week, while on my usual early morning walk, I observed a lone police officer armed with a police baton nonchalantly approaching a drinking party consisting of rowdy teens at the Pacific Energy Service Station premises (a very common drinking base) situated across the Vomo St junction. Assuming that the lawman would dutifully confront and detain these hooligans for public drinking and disturbing the peace, I was shocked to see this officer informally conversing with these drunkards and shaking hands with them. After the pleasantries were exchanged followed by a kaila, the police officer casually strolled away, leaving the drunks to continue their alcohol binge. I wonder if the situation would have been any different if the guilty party belonged to a different ethnicity, since the two-tier law and justice system is quite dominant in our communities. Law enforcement officers are generally expected to maintain the law, especially in cases of public disturbances or recurring issues like public drinking. When officers appear to be lenient or indifferent to such behaviour, it destabilises the rule of law and often leads to a loss of confidence in the police force. With such lack of commitment to enforcing the law, no wonder the Men in Blue continually gets a bad rapport. NISHANT SINGH,Lautoka Suffering in Baku I believe that the way the Assistant Minister for Women has described the suffering of the Fiji delegation to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan one would have thought they travelled there on the back of camels in a caravan through an unforgiving desert in the year 1524 (not 2024) without food, water and medicines to reach Baku. It appears they are the only delegation who have stayed away from their families, missed meals and the usual comforts of life at home, suffered from cold and wet, flu and blisters. We all know that people living in Fiji never miss a meal. No other delegates have suffered these things. I have always known that Fijians are resilient and hardworking people who seem to have been allocated tents in Baku while all the other delegates from the developed world travelled by modern jetliners and are staying in luxury hotels and have a lot of money and help. I do not know about anyone else, but I feel for the suffering of the Fiji delegation and the sacrifices they are making for us, for a better Fiji and a better world! I am genuinely concerned about their treacherous camel ride back to Fiji. Are they strong enough to make it back safely? We all should appreciate the hard work they are doing and not be sceptical or critical. I do not for a second believe that the Assistant Minister is being a drama queen. JAN NISSAR, Sydney, Australia The ban IF the Tui Namosi has decided to ban land owners or the people of Namosi caught for their involvement in drugs, then perhaps it will be even-handed for him to also banish thieves, sex perpetrators, domestic abuses etc., from the province. Anyway, I wonder if Ratu Matanitobua was literally better advised or has sought guidance from a legal counsel before giving out his command? Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission, I hope you have not looked away from the issue! AREKI DAWAI, Suva. GCC use by date Like Nishant Singh of Lautoka (F/T Nov22) and other writers to this column the GCC has already expired their “use by date” and should be abolished. Former prime minister Bainimarama did the right thing by banishing them under that famous mango tree. They should have been left alone to continue to enjoy themselves under the tree. What good has the GCC ever done for Fiji? ROBERT MANOA, Nasinu Our schoolies Our local schoolies where do they go? Not to a hotel on an island overseas, but usually to an island home, across our seas. EDWARD BLAKELOCK, Admiral Circle, Pacific Harbour Social media ban It’s the parents who should be banned from using social media, not the children. Children copy what their parents do. If the parents stop wasting family time on social media then so will their children. AREN NUNNINK, Hooper St, Savusavu Failure! A failure on every front: Pacific climate advocates decry COP 29 outcomes (RNZ/ FT 26/11/24). The biggest Pacific Island country Papua New Guinea anticipated well and decided not to send any delegation to COP29 saying it’s a waste of time. Fiji sent a bloated delegation of 56 to what has turned out to be “A failure on every front”. But the people of Fiji remain truly blessed with such profound political leadership. RAJEND NAIDU, Sydney, Australia Optimistic The Coalition Government in New Zealand are optimistic after completing the first year. Can the same be said of our Government? DAN URAI, Lautoka Drugs and coconuts The Fiji Times news on drug in coconuts (FT25/11) will affect the sale to some extent. Travellers stop to quench their thirst by drinking this safe natural drink. We are well blessed in our tropical climate. Such publications may affect Fiji tourism. As I stopped for a green coconut drink the vendor said: “This natural drink is good for health.” TAHIR ALI, Hamilton, New Zealand Pool saga THAT swimming pool, is it still in the pipeline? Oh, I see time to review the pipeline. Mmm! NAVNEET RAM (TD), Lautokaphilippines cockfighting derby 。

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A team that previously boycotted at least one match against the San Jose State women's volleyball program will again be faced with the decision whether to play the school , this time in the Mountain West Conference semifinals with a shot at the NCAA Tournament on the line. Five schools forfeited matches in the regular season against San Jose State, which carried a No. 2 seed into the conference tournament in Las Vegas. Among those schools: No. 3 Utah State and No. 6 Boise State, who will face off Wednesday with the winner scheduled to play the Spartans in the semifinals on Friday. Wyoming, Nevada and Southern Utah — which is not a Mountain West member — also canceled regular-season matches, all without explicitly saying why they were forfeiting. Nevada players cited fairness in women’s sports as a reason to boycott their match, while political figures from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada suggested the cancellations center around protecting women’s sports. In a lawsuit filed against the NCAA , plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request. A judge on Monday rejected a request made by nine current conference players to block the San Jose State player from competing in the tournament on grounds that she is transgender. That ruling was upheld Tuesday by an appeals court. “The team looks forward to starting Mountain West Conference tournament competition on Friday,” San Jose State said in a statement issued after the appeals court decision. “The university maintains an unwavering commitment to the participation, safety and privacy of all students at San Jose State and ensuring they are able to compete in an inclusive, fair and respectful environment.” Chris Kutz, a Boise State athletics spokesman, said in an email the university would not “comment on potential matchups at this time.” Doug Hoffman, an Aggies athletics spokesman, said in an email Utah State is reviewing the court’s order. “Right now, our women’s volleyball program is focused on the game this Wednesday, and we’ll be cheering them on,” Hoffman wrote. San Jose State, which had a first-round bye, would be sent directly to the conference title game if Utah State or Boise State were to forfeit again. If the Spartans make the title game, it's likely the opponent would not forfeit. They would face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State — all teams that played the Spartans this season. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sportsFormula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world,” GM President Mark Reuss said. “This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti’s IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports’ NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing’s sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1,” Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.” Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Michael Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night’s race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti’s dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA. The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they’ve already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti’s application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1’s current grid. “General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners,” Ben Sulayem said Monday. “I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application.” Despite the FIA’s acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn’t interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” F1 said in a statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process.” Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport,” Maffei said. “We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1.” ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing Lawyers for a voting machine company that’s suing Fox News Egg prices are rising once more as a lingering outbreak Federal authorities have released an update on the investigation into Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Married At First Sight UK brides and grooms were partying at a show reunion on Thursday 22 November, but one former star of the series was noticeably absent. Laura Vaughan , who appeared in the 2023 series, posted on social media that she was unable to attend as she was recovering from surgery. Laura wrote: “Very sad to be missing out on a chance to attend tonight’s event with my MAFS family but I’m recovering from a little op and currently on strict bed rest. Sending love to the whole team. Have the best night.” Laura was married in last year’s series to Arthur Poremba, but their relationship ended in the series finale. Among the familiar MAFS faces who partied the night away were Laura’s fellow 2023 participants Ella Morgan and Erica Roberts, who were joined by 2024 stars including Polly Sellman , Sacha Jones , Kristina Goodsell, Amy Kenyon, Holly Ditchfield, Adam Nightingale and Kieran Chapman. The event was held at Trinity Buoy Wharf in London’s Docklands, where the commitment ceremonies and dinner parties are held on the show, and the evening featured a guest appearance from fashion presenter Gok Wan and a speech by MAFS relationship expert Mel Schilling . Tasha Jay, who appeared in the 2023 series, was also there with her MAFS friends, just days after sharing an emotional post on social media in which she confirmed she and partner Paul Liba, the last remaining couple from that series, have now split up. She wrote: "It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing Paul and I have decided to part ways. There isn't any major reason, we have just come to terms with the fact that we are not right for each other.” "Paul is the loveliest guy I've ever met and I'm grateful for the time we've shared together and I'm glad that we can remain friends. I'm utterly heartbroken that I'm having to write this post, but it is best for both of us." She added: "Thank you to everyone who has supported us as a couple. I hope you can now support us on our individual journeys." Paul released the same statement on his own social media. Just a few months ago, the couple were still together, with Tasha saying they were “stronger than ever.” At the time, Paul had let slip the couple were not legally married, but planned to walk down the aisle one day. Tasha added: “The chemistry’s still there. I’m waiting on a real ring though, just saying,” Tasha said. “We want a big wedding, big diamond. That’s what I need.” But after committing to each other at their final vows last November, the couple's romance has now come to an end.None

BERLIN (AP) — Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel recalls Vladimir Putin's “power games” over the years, remembers contrasting meetings with Barack Obama and Donald Trump and says she asked herself whether she could have done more to prevent Brexit, in her memoirs published Tuesday. Merkel, 70, appears to have no significant doubts about the major decisions of her 16 years as German leader, whose major challenges included the global financial crisis, Europe’s debt crisis, the 2015-16 influx of refugees and the COVID-19 pandemic. True to form, her book — titled “Freedom” — offers a matter-of-fact account of her early life in communist East Germany and her later career in politics, laced with moments of dry wit. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

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