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Fiji  Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has moved quickly to ensure exiled University of the South Pacific Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia, returns to Fiji as soon as possible. He has also acted to assist Dr Padma Lal, widow of the late Professor Brij Lal, to bring the ashes of the famed academic back home to Fiji from Australia. She too had been refused entry to Fiji, along with her late husband. Dr Padma Lal, with late Professor Brij Lal. Photo: ANU/Fiji Times “I am ready to meet Dr Lal and Professor Ahluwalia personally,” said Rabuka. “I will apologise on behalf of the people of Fiji for the way they were treated.” Rabuka said he had promised his government would bring to an end the injustices suffered by Professor Ahluwalia, and Professor Brij Lal. These made headline news. He affirmed today that the Vice Chancellor and Dr Lal are now free to enter the country.” Dr Lal had been prevented from coming to Fiji with her husband’s ashes for them to be taken to his birth-place at T

It has been a good while since I was in a Jeep, writes Brian Byrne, and though the second generation of the Jeep Compass has been around since early 2018, changes for last year have made it a car that surprises. Slight modifications to the lights and bumper and a somewhat wider grille might not seem much, but visually they have tanked up the look of the brand’s competitor to the likes of Nissan’s current Qashqai or Toyota’s Corolla Cross. Inside has been more substantially modernised, with the dashboard no longer a throwaway retrospective of post-millennium Americana.  Pending the arrival of a new set of Jeeps to Europe, which will be spearheaded by the all-electric Avenger, the Compass is now the flag-carrier for the brand in the compact SUV segment, with the demise of the Cherokee. The Compass is built on a stretched version of the funky Renegade, but presents as an altogether smoother big brother. Think ballroom svelte instead of the morning after an Ibiza disco. Though the ballroom

Native to the tropical climates of South Africa, Nerines (Guernsey Lilies) have different needs when you pot them on or plant them in an exotic garden. In this video English horticulturist Simon explains the conditions required to get the very best out of these wonderful bulbs.  Apart from the extremely hardy Nerine bowdenii, it just isn’t recommended to plant these gorgeous bulbs outside in the UK so in order to provide the best environment for flowering they will fair far better in a greenhouse. This is because the require warmer temperatures (especially over the winter) and dry winters. On the other hand, Nerine bowdenii is as tough as old boots, at least in the south of England, where it can stand up to the worst our soft winters can through at it. Simply plant it in a sunny position (preferably against the protection of a south-facing wall) in a well drained soil. If you would like to see more content like this then check out our YouTube channel ‘Walking Talking Gardeners’. You ca