All Entries in the "Fiji" Category

First death anniversary of Benazir assassination: Mystery of her killing remains

By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, Dec 26: As millions of PPP supporters across the country mark the first death anniversary of their leader Benazir Bhutto on Saturday, mystery still surrounds the manner in which she was killed, the motive for the assassination and the identity of the mastermind of the attack that rocked the country.

Except that [...]

Amnesty flays new Indian anti-terror laws

Rights group Amnesty International has criticised India’s proposed new anti-terror laws. The new laws allow suspects to be detained without bail for up to six months on the orders of a judge and tighten other procedures.Parliament has approved the new bills and they now require the president’s approval before becoming law. The legislation follows last [...]

PAK GENERAL, NAIPAUL’S BROTHER-IN-LAW, SHOT DEAD

Pakistani major general who was planning to blow the whistle on fellow generals’ dealings with the Taliban was shot dead by unknown assailants on November 19. Pakistani newspaper Dawn’s headline said Amir Faisal Alavi, brother-in-law of Nobol-winning novelist V.S. Naipaul, “Was against pacts with Taliban, Musharraf had sacked him”.
- Hindustan Times (Dec. 16, 2008)

AIII – Diwali Mela 2008 – Melbourne, Australia (Oct.19)

Massive crowd at the mela
Click below for more pictures

Fiji public sector unions issue strike notice

Fiji’s public sector unions have now issued a 28-days notice to strike over the military regime’s decision to cut public servants’ pay by 5 percent and reduce the retirement age from 60 to 55 years. The strike by the Confederation of the Public Sector Unions (CPSU) is set to begin at midnight July 19. The [...]

Fiji ‘may hold elections in 2009

Fiji’s military ruler has indicated that he might hold elections a year earlier than planned, to restore parliamentary democracy.

Commodore Frank Bainimarama said his Cabinet agreed “in principle” to hold elections by March 2009, revising a previous timetable of mid-2010.
His comments follow a report by the Pacific Islands Forum, which said it was possible to meet [...]

N Zealand sanctions against Fiji soon

New Zealand says it has begun planning tough sanctions against Fiji, in response to the military government’s expulsion of its top diplomat.
Prime Minister Helen Clark described the expulsion of High Commissioner Michael Green as a “provocative act”.
She said that new measures, which could be imposed as early as next week, would send a message to [...]

Howard backs NZ in diplomatic row with Fiji

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has called on Pacific nations to press for the removal of Fiji’s interim regime, following talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.

The two leaders met in Sydney yesterday amid an escalating diplomatic crisis sparked by the expulsion of New Zealand’s high commissioner from Suva.
Interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama [...]

Fiji expels New Zealand diplomat

Fiji’s post-coup leadership has expelled New Zealand’s top diplomat, accusing him of interfering in the country’s domestic affairs.
The interim government said “provisions remain open” for New Zealand to replace Michael Green as high commissioner.
But Wellington reacted with fury at the expulsion, and warned Fiji that there would be repercussions.
New Zealand was one of dozens of [...]