Fiji's president assumed control today and fired the judges who a day earlier had declared the military government illegal, deepening the troubled South Pacific country's political turmoil.

Former Fiji prime minister Laisenia Qarase, who was ousted in a military coup in December 2006, has been charged with corruption and released on bail.

Fiji’s military-led government rejected demands today from its South Pacific neighbours that it return the country to civilian rule within two years, saying elections could not be held for at least three.

Fiji’s military ruler today announced he would call elections in 2010 to restore parliamentary rule in the coup-prone South Pacific country.

Fiji’s military, which seized power in a coup in December, could rule the South Pacific country for as long as five years before restoring democracy, a delegation of regional officials has been told.

Australian convicted conman Peter Foster has gone missing in Fiji and may have fled the country to neighbouring Vanuatu on a yacht to escape fraud charges, officials said today.

Fiji’s military regime today took the unprecedented step of halting all meetings of the nation’s powerful council of indigenous chiefs – accusing it of failing to accept that the military now controls the affairs of the South Pacific nation.

Fiji’s military leader today asked his countrymen to accept that his regime has executive control of the nation, and said there is no going back to the corruption of the past.

Fiji’s ousted prime minister today said the South Pacific country was sliding toward “the worst kind of dictatorship”, and offered to hold talks with the military regime to find a way to restore democracy as quickly as possible.

The Fijian prime minister ousted by a coup will return to Suva early next week despite the risk of arrest, his spokesman said today.

Promised elections to restore democracy to Fiji after this week’s coup could be more than two years away, the military-installed prime minister said today.

Fiji’s military ruler declared a state of emergency today, one day after seizing power, the country’s media has reported.

Fiji was facing the prospect of suspension from the Commonwealth today after a military coup was staged in the South Pacific island.

The military coup in Fiji today has “raped our constitution” and will send the south Pacific country’s tourist-dependent economy crashing, the ousted prime minister said.

Fiji’s military commander said today he has taken control of the country from the elected government.

The military commander threatening to topple Fiji’s government said today he was planning to appoint an interim civilian administration and hold elections to restore democracy.

Troops stayed in their barracks as a threatened coup deadline in Fiji passed on Friday, with the country’s defiant military commander enjoying a day at a sporting event while the prime minister left the capital and went into hiding.

Crisis talks between Fiji’s elected leader and its defiant military commander ended today without an agreement on averting a coup, but the prime minister said “substantial” progress had been made on issues that divided them.

FIJI’S prime minister clashed with the military on the eve of a racially charged election in the unstable South Pacific nation after the armed forces chief urged his troops yesterday not to vote for the government.

Fiji’s army locked down its main barracks and conducted shooting practice today amid rising tensions between the military and the South Pacific country’s nationalist government.

Britian's Prince Charles sampled Fiji’s mildly narcotic drink, kava, and was presented with a roasted pig and several brightly coloured mats at an elaborate welcoming ceremony by Fijian villagers today.

Fiji’s vice president was sentenced to four years in prison today for his role in a 2000 coup that ousted the first ethnic Indian prime minister in the South Pacific islands nation.

Fijian coup leader George Speight was sentenced to death today for treason after leading the May 2000 storming of parliament that plunged the Pacific nation into political turmoil and economic crisis.

Democracy has returned to Fiji's parliament for the first time since armed nationalists stormed its debating chamber 16 months ago.

The caretaker prime minister of Fiji is to be sworn in as the democratically elected prime minister.

Fiji coup leader George Speight won election to the Pacific nation’s Parliament today, 16 months after he overthrew its democratically elected government.