Sunny Peter

Australians are being urged to affirm their commitment to being a citizen on Citizenship Day 2013 on Sept 17.

Australia’s communication authority has issued a formal warning to leading mobile service operator Telstra for incorrect billing of a large number of international data roaming customers.

More than two thirds of Australia’s total trade is with fellow APEC members says a new report published by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It lends credence to the fact that building closer multilateral trading bloc help in enhancing and investment performance.

Two years after the fall of the authoritarian regime, the democratic transition process in Libya continues to faces a number of challenges, with pronounced political disagreements, a disruption of the country’s oil exports, and security problems in recent months, Tarek Mitri, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) told the Security Council on Sunday.

As the U.S. and its allies clamour to punish the Assad government in Syria for alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians and rebels, a vast majority of Syrians have been killed in unlawful attacks using conventional weapons such as guns and mortars, with children making up a large proportion of the casualties. These are the findings of a United Nations appointed human right probe which is calling for a halt to weapons being supplied to both Government and the rebel forces.

Australia has assured India that there is no change in its decision to supply uranium to India – a decision taken by the previous government. This assurance came on Monday from Australian High Commissioner Patrick Suckling who said India should ensure that uranium would be used for peaceful purposes.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) members issued a declaration, calling the threat of military force and unilateral sanctions against Iran as ‘unacceptable.' Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for a ‘swift resolution’ to the issue of Tehran's nuclear programme, but said his country will not sacrifice its rights for the sake of a solution.

“The Pog,” flagship yacht of the Freedom Flotilla to West Papua, returned to Australian waters, following threats by the Indonesian military. Meanwhile, reports from West Papua say that a number of ceremonies were held to celebrate the arrival of sacred water and fire from the Freedom Flotilla.

The Syrian government has welcomed the framework deal for the destruction of its chemical weapons stockpile. The breakthrough on the contentions issue of Syria chemical weapons came on Saturday, three days after talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, began in Geneva.

Finally, Narendra Modi has had it his way. After dodging for months and amid high political drama, the right wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in India has formally announced that the controversial Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will be the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 central-level general elections.

New Zealand has decided to ease sanctions and increase aid to Fiji after the Pacific Island nation's military regime adopted a new constitution on Sept 6 and said it would hold election. The constitution, signed by President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, establishes a 50-member parliament, election every four years and grants each citizen a vote.

Freedom Flotilla to West Papua has said that its flagship yacht “The Pog” has crossed into Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone and is continuing attempts to open dialogue with the Navy Command in their destination port Merauke in West Papua.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the receipt of a letter from the Government of Syria affirming that it will sign and abide by the 20-year-old international treaty on banning chemical weapons.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the National forces (FARDC), with support from the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO and its intervention brigade, have averted threat to the city of Goma, nearby refugee camps and U.N. missions by pushing the M23 rebel group back towards the north, in fighting which took place late Aug. This was informed by Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations at a press conference at the U.N. Headquarters.

Young people attending a United Nations (U.N.) conference in Costa Rica have called on world leaders to “support innovation and technology as methods to advance broader development, drive positive change and bring citizens closer to their Governments.”

A first of its kind of study by researcher at Victoria University, found 94 per cent of school staff in New Zealand have witnessed bullying in their schools. Dr Vanessa Green, Head of Victoria's School of Educational Psychology and Pedagogy, who conducted the study says, bullying is a national problem that must be addressed.

U.S. President Barack Obama called for the full implementation of 2011 plan to station U.S. troops in Australia and backed the ambitious goal of negotiating the free trade Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, when he called up incoming prime minister Tony Abbott, on Wednesday night, to congratulate him.

The President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Vuk Jeremic, on Thursday, called upon Member States to push for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Syria by supporting efforts to bring all parties to the negotiating table, at a proposed conference in Geneva.

Evading the Indonesian navy, two boats met near the Australia-Indonesia border, to ceremonially reconnect the indigenous peoples of Australia and West Papua and handover sacred water and ashes carried onboard the Freedom Flotilla, to be presented to West Papuan leaders. This marks the successful completion of the “scared mission” of the Freedom Flotilla, which travelled 5000 km beginning in Lake Eyre, late Aug, a press release issued on Friday said.

Today, more people than ever are living abroad; with Asia seeing the largest increase of international migrants over the past decade, and the United States and Europe remaining the most popular destination. The U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) said on Wednesday that today 232 million people or 3.2 per cent of the world’s population live abroad worldwide. This compared to 175 million in 2000 and 154 million in 1990.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, on Wednesday, welcomed emergence of “serious international discussions” on securing and destroying Syria’s chemical weapons. He hoped that the discussions could lead to an agreement in the U.N. Security Council on the way to manage the Syrian crisis.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Australia, has called upon Israel to stop importing live animals from Australia. PETA Australia emphasised that live cattle are transported in complete violation of animal rights. The conditions the cattle endure during their travels to Israel are very grim; many collapse or die from dehydration, suffocation, trampling or disease. PETA Australia made this demand in a letter addressed to Israel’s Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz and...

As the cloud of political uncertainty lifted in Australia, global investment fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) provided a fillip to the country’s hotel industry. ADIA bought Australia's largest hotel owner, Tourism Asset Holdings, for a record-breaking $800 million. The deal gives hope for M&A activity and foreign investments picking up, in the country.

New Zealand writer Eleanor Catton, 28, is the youngest author on the shortlist of the prestigious 2013 Man Booker Prize for fiction. In what is being termed as a diverse shortlist, the six finalists, along with Catton vying for the 50,000-pound ($85,000) prize include Pulitzer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri and Irish novelist Colm Toibin.

Employment Outlook Survey of New Zealand reveals a moderate fall, in hiring, in the country for the coming fourth quarter of 2013. This follows, two quarters of marginally more optimistic results, according to, survey data released by, ManpowerGroup. However, the survey finds that the pace of hiring will continue to remain stronger when compared to the international market.

As millions of children suffer across the world in conflict-ridden countries, unable to go to school, the international community has the responsibility to take up measures to protect them from violence. These thoughts were expressed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, at the 24th Session of the Human Rights Council, which began in Geneva on Monday.

Pitched as the largest male-oriented global family planning event ever, on Oct 18, men, whose families are complete, will undergo surgical procedure for male sterilization and permanent birth control, in a world-first vasectomy-athon to launch the inaugural World Vasectomy Day (WVD). The goal is to have 1000 vasectomies performed across 25 countries in 24 hours. A release issued by the organisers said, men in Australia, UK, India and China have already signed on.

As a set back to the education sector, all universities in New Zealand have seen a drop in their ranking, in the annual QS World University Rankings. The only exception is Lincoln University which made it to the list for the first time. The drop in ranking has led to a call for the Government to invest more in New Zealand's universities.

Having picked up awards at various festivals, including in Berlin, Sydney and Melbourne and the Tribeca fest, the Lao-language film “The Rocket” is all set to walk the red carpet at the Oscars. “The Rocket” is Australia’s official entry in the foreign language film category for the 2014 Academy Awards. Reports said, the film marks the third time in four years that Australia has submitted a foreign language film for Oscar contention.