FIJI’S ROADMAP TO DEMOCRACY

Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama will attend the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting in Vanuatu this week to present his roadmap towards returning the country to democratic rule

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Preferential Trade Agreement is a trade treaty governing the four melanesian states of Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and recently, Fiji

GREEN DAM INITIATIVE

 Green Dam Youth Escort also dubbed as the Filtering Bully is content-control software developed in the People's Republic of China (PRC). it is mandatory to have the software, on all new personal computers sold in Mainland China, including those imported from abroad

 The software is specifically aimed at restricting online pornography but could be used for other purposes. Green Dam Youth Escort automatically downloads the latest updates of a list of prohibited sites from an online database, and also collects private user data

 The government had announced in May that all computers sold in the country after July 1 would have to carry a software programme called the Green Dam Youth Escort which would block access to a range of websites.

REAGANOMICS

Reaganomics refers to the economic policies promoted by the U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. The four pillars of Reagan's economic policy were to:

1. Reduce government spending,

PAKISTAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PASSES 18TH AMENDMENT BILL

 The National Assembly passed the 18th Amendment Bill that seeks to bring back the 1973 Constitution by removing the distortions that had shorn it of its democratic components over the past 37 years.

 The Bill — which proposes 102 amendments to the Constitution — was passed by a two-thirds majority after the House rejected the amendments moved by some members on the abolition of the concurrent list, renaming the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), and removal of the provision for intra-party elections.

RUSSIA SUPPORTS NEW KYRGYZ REGIME

 Russia has signalled support for the interim coalition government formed in Kyrgyzstan on in the wake of two days of large-scale riots that left 75 people dead.

 Prime Minister Vladimir Putin promised help and support to interim government head Roza Otunbayevai.

 The interim government will rule for six months until a new constitution is written and elections are held.

U.S., RUSSIA SIGN NUCLEAR ARMS PACT

 Presidents Barack Obama of the United States and Dmitry Medvedev of Russia signed a Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty which will reduce their nuclear weapons stockpiles by a third.
 The START deal, which will last for 10 years, was signed at a meeting in Prague, where Mr. Obama outlined his vision for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation about a year ago.
 Speaking after the signing, Mr. Obama said: “This day demonstrates the determination of the United States and Russia — the two nations that hold over 90 per cent of the world's nuclear weapons — to pursue responsible global leadership.”
 Describing the deal as a “win-win” for both countries, Mr. Medvedev said: “This agreement enhances strategic ability and, at the same time, allows us to rise to a higher level of cooperation between Russia and the United States.”

INDIA, CHINA SIGN PACT ON HOTLINE

 India and China signed an agreement to set up a hotline to open up direct communication between their Prime Ministers, but appeared to continue to speak in different languages on key issues that continue to challenge the bilateral relationship.