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Suspect in California mass shooting found dead

Baton Rouge Police Lieutenant Bryan Ballard said that the shooting there was not a random incident but was targeted….reports Arul Louis

A 72-year-old man suspected of the mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, that claimed the lives of 10 people, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot injury after a standoff with police officers.

In the mass shooting incident on Saturday, deemed as one of the deadliest in the US state’s recent history, five women and five men were killed, while another 10 people suffered injuries.

The tragic incident occurred at 10.22 p.m. in Star Ballroom Dance Studio, a popular ballroom dance facility operated for about 30 years, when it was hosting an event to celebrate the countdown to the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Addressing reporters on Sunday night, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that the suspect was identified as Huu Can Tran, who entered the party and opened fire before fleeing the scene in a white van.

After the shooting around 10:20 p.m. at the dance club where the New Year’s eve celebration was winding down in Monterey Park, he allegedly went to another in Alahambra where he was disarmed by patrons, but escaped.

The vehicle was pulled over in a parking lot on Sunday morning and surrounded by policemen from Torrance, located roughly 50 km southwest of Monterey Park after they heard a gunshot from inside the vehicle.

The man inside the van, who was found dead following a three-hour standoff with the Special Weapons and Tactics team, was confirmed as the suspect later, according to Luna.

A motive for the shooting is yet to be ascertained.

The dead as well as the seven people in hospital with injuries were older people in their 50s and 60s, Luna said.

Meanwhile, 1,700 km away and three hours later in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, another gunman struck at a night club wounding 12 people.

Baton Rouge Police Lieutenant Bryan Ballard said that the shooting there was not a random incident but was targeted.

The shooting occurred at the Dior Bar and Lounge around 1.30 a.m.

No arrest has been made so far, and the motive of the shooting remains unknown.

Both incidents do not appear to be motivated by bias like some of the recent massacres, although fears surfaced after the California shootings as Asians are facing a surge in bias attacks.

The shooter in California was also an Asian, who is likely of Vietnamese descent, but officials have not provided a motive for the attack.

Chinese and Vietnamese celebrated their lunar New Year’s day on Sunday.

Monterey Park, a city of 61,000 residents located on the eastern edge of Los Angeles, has a majority, or 65 per cent, Asian-American population.

Starting Saturday, the city hosted an annual two-day Chinese Lunar New Year celebration, one of the largest events in the region.

Thousands had taken part in Saturday’s celebrations which was concluded about one hour before the fatal shooting.

President Joe Biden said that the attack in Monterey Park where Asian-Americans “were celebrating the Lunar New Year along with loved ones and friends this weekend”, has deeply impacted them.

Biden has issued a proclamation honoring the victims, ordering flags to fly at half-staff at the White House and other federal buildings until sunset on Thursday.

The Saturday shooting was the second within a week in California, where six people had been killed on January 16 in Goshen.

A 16-year-old and a 10-month-old were among the victims in what police said was likely a gang-related attack.

The US grapples with gun violence as there aren’t strict nationwide gun laws and a strong movement backed by Republicans against gun control by literally and very broadly interpreting a Constitutional provision on the right to possess weapons.

As a result, even states like California that have strict gun laws face an influx of illegal weapons from states with lax laws.

According to the non-profit group that runs the Gun Violence Archive collating weapon incidents, there have already been 36 mass shootings this year while there were 647 last year.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

ALSO READ: US: Multiple casualties after shooting at Chinese New Year celebrations

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India News Uttar Pradesh World News

‘Run for G-20 Walkathon’ organised in 4 UP cities

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi flagged off G20 walkathon organised in four cities…reports Asian Lite News

India is holding large number of large number of G20 events at different levels across the country during it’s presidency.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday flagged off the ‘Run for G-20 Walkathon’ being organised in four cities of the state to spread mass awareness about the G-20 Summit to be held in February.

The four cities include Lucknow, Agra, Varanasi, and Gautam Buddha Nagar simultaneously.
From sportspersons, NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, civil defence, and sports teachers of Basic Shiksha Parishad, Nehru Yuva Kendra to Prantiya Raksha Dal jawans, NDRF and PAC band members participated in the walkathon, informed the government on Saturday.

CM also laid the foundation stone for the G-20 multi-purpose sports hall at KD Singh Babu Stadium to be built at a cost of Rs 519 lakhs. On this occasion, Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak handed over the flag bearing the G-20 logo to the Chief Minister.

While addressing the occasion, the CM said that Uttar Pradesh has got the opportunity to host the G-20 conference and to promote the state’s image, culture, food, and digital UP globally through this conference.

“With the motto of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and the resolution of “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” the G-20 conference is being organised in India this year and a total of 11 meetings will be held in Uttar Pradesh on different days of the G-20 conference,” Yogi pointed out.

An array of programmes are being organised in the state on a large scale in view of the G-20 conference from today, including among others a walkathon and a mini-marathon.

Emphasising that the programmes are aimed at ensuring public participation in the event, the CM congratulated the participants, including public representatives and administrative officials in the four districts.

He said, “As the country celebrates Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav with enthusiasm, we can see ourselves making great achievements. The world accepts today that in this era of global crisis, India and PM Modi are the only leaders that can rescue and revive the world.”

Stating that Indian sages always talked about considering the whole world as one family (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam), the CM said, “Today it is a matter of pride for us that India has got the leadership of this G-20 and UP has got the opportunity to host it.”

“This event will be attended by representatives from 20 major countries around the world, as well as representatives from nine friendly countries. It will be a matter of pleasure for us that, along with hospitality service, we are getting the opportunity to showcase the new heights of development that the country has touched. The event will take place in Lucknow from February 13 to 15. We will get an opportunity to showcase the competence that UP has achieved in the technology field in recent times. We must set an excellent example of Atithi Devo Bhava,” the CM marked.

He further stated that the month of February is very important for Uttar Pradesh as the state is gearing up to host the Global Investors Summit, every big investor and entrepreneur from all over the world and country will come here and try to associate themselves with the prosperity and potential of the state. More than 10,000 entrepreneurs will visit the state to take part in the event.

The CM announced that UP would celebrate its foundation day on January 24. A series of programs will start from the foundation day and continue till February 15. On this occasion, every district will be associated with these programs. All the events of the G-20 conference will continue till August. (ANI)

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British-Indian doc blames UK hospital for her suicide: Report

British-Indian doc blames UK hospital for her suicide: Report.(photo:TWITTER@scfaloon)

The inquest found that Kumar ended her life after she struggled to cope up with “bullying and condescension at work”, and often returned home crying…reports Asian Lite News

35 year-old British-Indian doctor, who ended her life in June last year, had blamed the hospital where she worked for her death, according to a suicide note shared by her parents.

Junior doctor Vaishnavi Kumar, who worked at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), said in the letter that the working environment “just broke me”.

“I am sorry mum, I can blame the whole thing on the QEH,” she wrote in her note, which was not read out during her inquest last year, the BBC reported.

Kumar said in her note to her mother that her mental health had declined while working at the QEH and she was “now a nervous wreck”.

The inquest found that Kumar ended her life after she struggled to cope up with “bullying and condescension at work”, and often returned home crying.

Kumar’s parents told the BBC they had now released her final words in an attempt to help other junior doctors.

“She must have gone through a huge amount of bullying and stress otherwise she is not the girl who would have done this,” Dr Ravi Kumar, who believes the QEH “destroyed” his daughter, told the BBC.

“So people who have done this have done a huge amount of damage and that makes me angry,” the heartbroken father said.

Before moving to QEH, Vaishnavi Kumar worked as a chief registrar at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals where she was seen as an outstanding trainee and a mentor for other junior doctors, with strong leadership skills, the report said.

Her struggle at QEH began around December 2021 and she committed suicide on June 22, 2022.

The QEH comes under the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which is recognised as one of the leading NHS trusts in the UK with more than 20,000 members of staff.

Last month, British-Sikh MP from Birmingham Preet Kaur Gill had called on the Health Secretary to initiate an independent inquiry into the alleged bullying culture at the University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB).

Gill said staff and former staff members described being harassed over several years, leading to counselling, depression and extended periods off work.

According to the BBC, UHB is currently subject to three separate reviews following reports of staff saying there is a “climate of fear” at the Trust.

The Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board announced a three-part review into the culture at UHB.

The first report is expected at the end of January 2023.

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-Top News Arab News

Why Coming presidential elections will be litmus test for Erdogan

Some constitutional experts express doubts if Erdogan can legitimately contest the elections, in the light of article 110 of the Constitution “that a person may be elected as the President of the Republic for two terms at most.”..writes John Solomou

Nicosia [Cyprus] January 23 (ANI): Last week Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signalled that the country’s Presidential and Parliamentary elections scheduled for June would be held on May 14.
This immediately stirred a debate about whether he can legitimately run for office, as the Constitution envisages that the President’s term of office is five years renewable only once, and Erdogan has been President since 2014. However, the big question is not whether he is entitled to be a candidate for President but, after 20 years in power, there is a real possibility that Erdogan may lose.

Repeated polls show that this time the Turkish elections will be tight and Erdogan faces the possibility of being unseated by the so-called “Table of Six” -a six-party opposition alliance led by the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Erdogan announced his intention to move the elections one month earlier in a speech on January 18 when he said: “Now, we ask for the support of our nation in 2023 by saying, ‘Enough! The decision and the future belong to the nation. In the 100th anniversary of our Republic, we have achieved the goals that we wanted our country and our nation to reach, to a great extent… 2023 is both the symbol of our 20 years of work, as well as the beginning of our new vision, the Century of Turkey. This is what makes the upcoming election important and historic.”

Some constitutional experts express doubts if Erdogan can legitimately contest the elections, in the light of article 110 of the Constitution “that a person may be elected as the President of the Republic for two terms at most.”

However, Article 116 says “If the Assembly decides to renew the elections during the second term of the President of the Republic, he/she may once again be a candidate.”

Erdogan became president for the first time in the presidential elections held in 2014. He later took office as the first president of the new executive presidential system in the elections held in June 2018. Under the new system, a person can be elected president at most two times.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag on January 19 claimed that there is no obstacle for Erdogan to be a candidate again, saying: “Our President is a candidate running for the second president of the Presidential Government System and it is his second candidacy. There are no constitutional obstacles.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a speech in Ankara, Turkey, on May 18, 2022. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua/IANS)

But the question of whether Erdogan has the right to contest the elections or not is a moot point, as it is the Parliament and the Election Council that will approve the new election date and as Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the opposition Republican Party, said that he has no objection if Erdogan stands as a candidate.

What opposition parties are really concerned about is the fact that the election campaign would take place on a highly uneven playing field, given that Erdogan’s party has a near monopoly on public broadcasting and the mass media.

Furthermore, Erdogan’s Executive Presidency has managed to control the judiciary, the Army, the Police and almost all institutions in Turkey and hollowed democracy in Turkey turning it effectively into a “one man’s rule.”

Berk Esen, an international relations expert at Sabanci University in Istanbul, says: “Erdogan has transformed Turkey’s democratic government into a hyper-presidential system, in which parliament is no longer that powerful.”

This view is shared by the mass media, many scholars, journalists, newspapers and magazines in many countries, which express concern at the great power Erdogan exercises on all institutions in Turkey and his harmful influence on Turkish democracy.

Last week’s issue of the British magazine “The Economist” claims that Erdogan as a leader has taken his country “to the brink of disaster,” and adds: “Approaching his third decade in power, he sits in a vast palace snapping orders at courtiers too frightened to tell him when he is wrong. His increasingly eccentric beliefs swiftly become public policy… Mr Erdogan’s behaviour as the election approaches could push what is today a deeply flawed democracy over the edge into a full-blown dictatorship.”

Reacting to the article, Turkey’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun harshly accused The Economist of making “cheap propaganda” and disinformation on Turkey and wrote on Twitter: “The Economist recycles its intellectually lazy, dull, and purposefully ignorant depiction of Turkiye (Turkey). It seems like they feel obligated to announce the end of Turkish democracy through regurgitating cliches, misinformation and blatant propaganda.”

Speaking to reporters following Friday prayers in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “Does a British magazine determine Turkey’s fate? It is my nation that decides. Whatever my nation says happens in Turkey.”

A big currency crisis, mainly created as a result of Erdogan’s misguided insistence on lowering the interest rates, high inflation which is currently standing at 65 per cent and high unemployment have eroded popular support for AKP and Erdogan, particularly among workers and the lower classes, who a few years ago were their ardent supporters.

President Erdogan in January raised the salaries of public servants by 30 per cent and restored to some extent their purchasing power, but what about people working in the private sector who find that they cannot buy even the basic things they need? So, discontent keeps rising.

For the first time in 20 years, the opposition parties have a chance to remove Erdogan. Last year six opposition parties – The Republican People’s Party (CHP), the right-wing Iyi Party, the Conservative Felicity Party, the Democrat Party (DP), DEVA (Democracy and Progress) Party and the Future (Gelecek) Party- formed a platform called the Table of Six and announced a constitutional package for restoring democracy, the rule of law and a parliamentary system if they win elections in 2023 against President Erdogan.

But they have a chance to win the elections only if they manage to agree and set aside even temporarily the political ambitions of their respective leaders and manage to field a single strong candidate who will be able to convince the Turkish people to vote for him and put an end to the one-man rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Stage set for earlier elections in Turkey

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India News Sport

Hockey WC: New Zealand defeat India in sudden death shoot

New Zealand thus set up a quarterfinal clash with Belgium while India will now move to Rourkela for the playoff matches for the 9-16 spots….reports Asian Lite News

India messed up a plethora of chances and a 3-1 lead midway through the third quarter to allow New Zealand to come back and hold them 3-3 in regulation time and then fluffed a few more chances in the shoot-out to lose 4-5 in sudden death in their Crossover stage match and crashed out of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup, here on Sunday.

It was a story of errors and missed chances as India held a 2-0 lead just before half-time but allowed New Zealand to score a late goal to make it 2-1 at the breather. On resumption, the Indians extended the lead to 3-1 but poor marking in the circle and basic error while defending allowed New Zealand to score two quick goals and hold Graham Reid’s side 3-3 at the end of 60 minutes of play.

Lalit Upadhyay (17th min), Sukhjeet Singh (24th min) and Varun Kumar (40th min) scored for India in regulation time while Sam Lane (28th min), Kane Russell (43rd min) and Sean Findlay (49th min) scored for the Black Sticks in regulation time.

India looked down and out when Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh messed up their chances in the shoot-out after skipper Harmanpreet Singh and Raj Kumar Pal had converted the first two attempts. New Zealand converted their first three attempts through Nic Woods, Sean Findlay and Hayden Phillips and led 3-2.

PR Sreejesh then pulled off three successful saves to give India the advantage and Sukhjeet Singh converted the fifth attempt under tremendous pressure as the shoot-out ended 3-3.

Sam Findlay scored for New Zealand and Raj Kumar Pal saved India by converting his attempt. Kishan Pathak who came in for the injured Sreejesh thwarted Hayden Phillips but Sukhjeet failed to convert as India lost another opportunity to seal the win.

Sam Lane then scored for the Black Sticks with an easy attempt past Pathak to make it 5-4 for New Zealand. Trying to save the match for India, Shamsher Singh failed to score and India embraced defeat from the jaws of victory.

New Zealand thus set up a quarterfinal clash with Belgium while India will now move to Rourkela for the playoff matches for the 9-16 spots.

Pathak had earlier rescued India by pulling off some superb saves in the fourth quarter as New Zealand exerted tremendous pressure despite at one juncture being reduced to 10 men after Nick Ross got a yellow card.

The Indians had themselves to blame as they lost their nerve at crucial junctures of the match, played passively, and made silly errors to allow New Zealand to fight their way back and then overcome the Olympic bronze medallists in the sudden death.

India had started the match and made some good attacks in the first quarter but only had a green card for Manpreet and a penalty corner to show.

But Lalit Upadhyay gave them the lead in the 17th minute when he slammed home a superb pass by Aakashdeep Singh, who made a fine solo run to the final third.

They could have added more goals but failed to capitalise on two penalty corners in the 21st and 23rd minutes, Harmanpreet Sing failing to trouble New Zealand goalkeeper Dominic Dixon. But Sukhjeet Singh shot off a rebound on their fourth penalty corner to make it 2-0 in the 24th minute.

However, poor marking inside the shooting circle allowed New Zealand to pull one goal back as Simon Child made a fine pass of a run to the backline and Sam Lane, unmarked at the penalty spot, deflected it in for an easy goal in the 28th minute.

India dominated the third quarter and earned a penalty corner in the 38th minute but Harmanpreet could not convert. Two minutes later, they earned two successive PCs and in the second, Varun Kumar outwitted Dixon and slammed the ball between his legs to make it 3-1 for India.

The Indians lost focus once again as they allowed New Zealand to score once again when Nilam Sanjeep Xess was pulled up for being too close to the attacker trying to control an overhead pass and a PC was awarded. Kane Russell proved why he is so highly rated as a drag-flicker by placing it between Sreejesh and the defender on the goal line.

India went into the fourth quarter leading 3-2 but the Black Sticks were on a high as they attacked in waves to put the Indian defence under pressure. One such attack resulted in New Zealand earning their second penalty corner and though Pathak had blocked Russell’s drag-flick, Findlay struck off the rebound to make it 3-3.

India had a good chance midway through the final quarter but the goal was disallowed because of a foul before the final pass. New Zealand keeper Dixon pulled off a couple of good saves and India also had to thank Pathak for blocking efforts by Simon Child, Sam Lane and Sam Hiha.

But in the end, his heroics and that of Sreejesh in the shoot-out proved futile as India lost in sudden death.

In all, India earned 10 penalty corners but could convert only two while the Black Sticks converted both their PCs.

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-Top News Asia News

Bangladesh presidential election on Feb 23

The announcement was made by the Election Commission (EC) Secretary Md Jahangir Alam at a news conference on Sunday evening…reports Asian Lite News

Dhaka, Jan 23 (IANS) Bangladesh will hold the presidential election by February 23, the country’s poll body announced.

The announcement was made by the Election Commission (EC) Secretary Md Jahangir Alam at a news conference on Sunday evening, reports Xinhua news agency.

He said incumbent president Abdul Hamid will not to be re-elected for another term, as the country’s constitution allows only a a maximum two-term limit consisting of five years each.

Hamid’s tenure will expire on April 24.

Alam said the schedule for the presidential election will soon be announced.

In Bangladesh, the President is elected by an indirect election by MPs.

ALSO READ: No anti-Islamic content in new textbook : B’desh Minister

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Business Tech Lite

Qualcomm’s M1 rival coming soon

The company is likely working on several chipsets, but the one that is said to give the best performance is expected to have eight performance cores…reports Asian Lite News

San Francisco, Jan 23 (IANS) Chip-maker Qualcomm is reportedly developing a new chipset that will compete against Apple’s upcoming M-series processors.

The new processor is developing under the codename ‘Hamoa’ and is expected to be marketed as “Snapdragon 8cx Gen4”, reports Gizmochina.

The 12-core SoC was earlier mentioned by tipster Kuba Wojciechowski, who now claims that the silicon’s moniker will be Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4.

The company is likely working on several chipsets, but the one that is said to give the best performance is expected to have eight performance cores.

However, it is not clear whether Qualcomm’s Oryon cores will be featured in the new processor.

The company is apparently not developing a new graphics processing unit (GPU) for the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 because it is expected to have the same Adreno 740 graphics processor as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the report said.

In November last year, during the company’s Investor Day, Qualcomm CTO Jim Thompson had announced Qualcomm’s plans to create a next-gen ARM-based SoC (system-on-a-chip) designed to set the performance benchmark for Windows PCs, that was expected to compete against iPhone maker’s M-series processors.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the chip-maker had announced ‘Snapdragon Satellite’ — a satellite-based two-way capable messaging solution for premium smartphones at Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2023, that would take on Apple’s satellite messaging feature.

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-Top News Australia

Australian Treasurer hopeful worst of inflation is over

Chalmers said the cost of living pressures would continue to affect millions of Australians but stressed that relief would be a key part of May’s federal budget….reports Asian Lite News

Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Sunday that the worst part of the country’s inflation crisis was over.

Ahead of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) releasing consumer price index (CPI) data for the final quarter of 2022 on Wednesday, Chalmers said he was optimistic that price increases would start to moderate in 2023, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Wednesday’s data is expected to reveal another rise in the CPI but both the Treasury and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) have predicted a peak in the December quarter.

Chalmers said the cost of living pressures would continue to affect millions of Australians but stressed that relief would be a key part of May’s federal budget.

“The Australian economy will begin to soften a bit this year and that is the inevitable likely consequence of higher interest rates and a slowing global economy,” he told reporters.

“That’s why our economic plan is cost-of-living relief in a responsible way and growing the economy without adding to these inflationary pressures.”

According to the ABS, inflation rose by 7.3 per cent in the 12 months to September, with a 10.9-percent rise in gas and household fuel prices a major contributing factor.

A Treasury analysis released on Saturday found the gas price cap, which was put into place by the government in December 2022, is expected to drive down wholesale prices by between 29 and 44 per cent in the financial year 2023-24.

“Energy is a bigger part of our inflation challenge in our economy,” Chalmers said.

“There have been other price pressures which have started to ease whether it’s shipping costs or housing costs or some of the others, and that’s obviously welcome.

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-Top News Asia News

No anti-Islamic content in new textbook : B’desh Minister

Bangladesh Education Minister Dipu Moni.

“There is an evil force which is spreading this propaganda in the country,” the Dipu Moni said, adding, she is grateful to those, who identified the mistakes in the book…reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh Education Minister Dipu Moni has said there is no anti-Islamic content in the new textbook of the school curriculum.

She said: “Lot of misinformation is being spread through social media, and the propaganda is being carried out with a picture of a three year-old book in West Bengal, which is no longer circulating there now.”

“There is an evil force which is spreading this propaganda in the country,” the minister said, adding, she is grateful to those, who identified the mistakes in the book.

“You all know them. They not only want to destroy the education system of our country by their lies, but also want to destroy the stable environment in our country,” the education minister said at the 10th convocation ceremony at the permanent campus of Asian University for Women in Chattogram city on Saturday.

“Some mistakes have been detected in class IX-X books. This year the mistakes were noticed because students read the books very carefully. I thank the students. This attentiveness of students will help and motivate us to improve the quality of textbooks and make them more accurate,” she said.

Former British First Lady Cherie Blair attended the function. New York University President Emeritus John Sexton was the convocation speaker.

Six people were given the ND Matsui Award at the convocation and total of 300 graduates for the academic year 2020, 2021, 2022 were given certificates.

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-Top News Asia News

Fiji’s new govt reaffirms one-China policy

Sitiveni Rabuka

China and Fiji have enjoyed good relations over the past decades since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1975…reports Asian Lite News

The new Fijian coalition government has made it clear on Sunday that it will adhere to the one-China policy.

At a Chinese Spring Festival celebration organised by the Chinese Embassy in Fiji, the China Cultural Center in Fiji and local Chinese community, Fijian Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka said his new government will continue to respect the one-China policy, Xinhua News Agency reported.

“We have the one-China policy that happened during my time when I was the Prime Minister and I will continue to respect it,” he told Xinhua.

Rabuka reaffirmed the one-China policy after the new coalition government was formed by the People’s Alliance (PA), the National Federation Party (NFP) and the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) on December 24, 2022.

Rabuka, also leader of PA, was Fiji’s prime minister from 1992-1999, and he became the Pacific island nation’s prime minister again after the coalition won Fiji’s general elections in December last year.

China and Fiji have enjoyed good relations over the past decades since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1975.

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