court case

Plea to send lonely African elephant home from India

. Now, a plea in the city's high court seeks to send him back home.

The petition - filed by 16-year-old Nikita Dhawan, founder of the non-profit Youth For Animals - alleges that Shankar has been living in isolation for years. It demands that he be removed from the zoo and rehabilitated in a wildlife sanctuary that houses other African elephants.

It also accuses zoo authorities of mistreating the animal - the BBC contacted officials but they declined to comment.

Manu Samoa star Va'ili pleads guilty

Police say the defendant allegedly knocked out an 18-year-old man during a fight and attempted to hide his body.

The accused appeared in the District Court on Tuesday where initial charges of Actual Bodily Harm were withdrawn.

Vaili was suspended last year from all rugby competition for six months after an incident at the Taumeasina Island Resort last year.

 

Photo Manu Samoa Facebook/DHL Rugby   Caption: Manu Samoa star, Johnny Va'ili

     

R. Kelly called a 'predator' as sex abuse trial begins

The star is accused of racketeering, sexual abuse and bribery; charges which he has repeatedly denied.

Some of the allegations made against the singer - whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly - date back more than 20 years.

If he is convicted on all counts he could be sentenced to several decades in prison.

Opening statements were delivered to a jury of seven men and five women, who will decide the 54-year-old singer's fate.

Mr Kelly faces charges that he was the ringleader of a two-decade scheme where he recruited women and underage girls for sex.

Pivotal court hearing today in Samoa

Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, as well as the attorney general, parliament's former speaker and its clerk are to appear for preventing parliament from convening on 24 May as the court ordered.

A substantive Supreme Court hearing today will probe the roles played by the four in defying the 23 May order that the 17th parliament convene the next day and members be sworn in.

The contempt citation was brought by election winner FAST in an attempt to prevent Tuilaepa and his HRPP members defying another order for parliament to convene by last Monday.

FAST to ask Samoa judges to recognise impromptu swearing in

At the beginning of last week the Court ruled the ceremony illegal as the Head of State wasn't present.

But it said parliament must sit by this Monday or it could reconsider the previous swearing in conducted in a tent in parliament grounds after newly elected members were locked out of Parliament.

At the time the Fast Party leader Fiame Naomi Mata'afa described the open air ceremony as a legal option, applying the principle of necessity, because all other avenues were blocked.

Samoa court reserves decision in seat challenge

Yesterday, the court heard the appeal from the Electoral Commissioner and HRPP candidate Aliimalemanu Alofa Tuuau on Article 44 of the Constitution that requires an additional women's seat if elected women do not make up 10 percent of parliament.

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the five elected women members met the requirements but the appellants contend there should be a sixth seat to meet the required 10 percent.

That ruling gave the FAST party a majority.

Struggle for political control over Samoa to continue in courts

The Supreme Court Monday threw out the Head of State's move toward a second election to break a post-election stand-off where neither major party had formed a majority.

A move by the Electoral Commission to add an appointed women's seat, awarded to the incumbent Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), was also thrown out.

More twists in Samoa election saga, with more court action likely

Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II on Tuesday announced he would revoke the results of the general election held on 9 April, and Samoans would return to the polls on 21 May.

"I am assured that as head of state, I am able to call fresh elections where after a general election there is no clear majority to call a government and where it is clear that it is in the public interest to do so," he said at a news conference.

Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court to face fresh charges

The ousted leader appeared to be in "good health" and asked to see her legal team, her lawyers say.

Two new charges were announced against Ms Suu Kyi, who was arrested after the 1 February coup.

Meanwhile, protesters took to the streets again despite Sunday seeing the deadliest day yet with 18 killed.

The deaths came as the military and police ramped up their response to demonstrations across the South East Asian nation over the weekend, firing into the crowds.

Concerns Australian-Samoan man may not get a fair trial in alleged PM assassination plot

Samoan-Australian Talalelei Pauga is wanted by Samoan authorities over an alleged plot to assassinate the country's long-serving Prime Minister.

Pauga was arrested in Brisbane in August after the Samoan Government asked the Federal Attorney-General to extradite him to face a charge of conspiracy to murder.

Amnesty International's Pacific researcher Kate Scheutze said it is a worrying situation.