Fiji Charges 3 in Plot to Kill PM

Commodore flouts deadline, says he needs another 5 years

(NEWSER) - The military leader of Fiji, where a coup overthrew the elected government in 2006, defied international demands for a restoration of democracy. Frank Bainimarama had been given a deadline of today to announce an election date, but the commodore said that he would not allow a return to democracy for at least another five years. Australia and New Zealand have accused Bainimarama of turning Fiji into a military dictatorship. More»

...Australia, New Zealand, where 15% of residents used marijuana in 2009

(NEWSER) - It appears that our friends from Down Under are in fact up higher than North Americans—a new study shows that Australians and New Zealanders are the world's top pot smokers, reports the Los Angeles Times . The Lancet found that 15% of Aussies and Kiwis ages 15-64 used some form of marijuana in 2009, as opposed to 11% of North Americans, and just 2.5% of people in Asia. Australians and New Zealanders also are the top users of amphetamines. More»

Australia, New Zealand join forces to help Tuvalu

(NEWSER) - As a drought continues to ravage Tuvalu , only a few days' supply of fresh water remains on the tiny Pacific island nation—so Australia and New Zealand are bringing over a desalination plant. Air force planes from both countries are hauling the gear to rescue Tuvalu's residents, who face a state of emergency; water is being rationed in the capital, where residents are permitted just two buckets of water a day. More»

...after being slapped with a 45-fold tax increase

(USER SUBMITTED) - Faced with a 45-fold tax increase levied by Fiji's military dictator, the American entrepreneurs who created and run the popular bottled water company Fiji Water announced they are leaving the Pacific island nation, reports the LA Times . Owners Lynda and Stewart Resnick decided to close their only bottling plant and lay off 400 Fijians because, according to the company's president, "The country is increasingly unstable, and is becoming a very risky place in which to invest." More»

It's No. 1 on list, with the US at No. 7

(NEWSER) - International Living crunches the numbers on everything from cost of living to health care to climate to find the nations with the best quality of life. France tops the list, with the US at No. 7. A sampling:

• France (No. 1): "Tiresome bureaucracy and high taxes" can't trump the "world's best health care," the "joy of lingering for hours over dinner and a bottle of red wine in a Parisian brasserie," or "antique streets paved with poetry."