Marshall&nbsp;Islands President Hilda Heine narrowly survived a vote of no confidence Monday, seeing off a challenge she alleges was orchestrated by Chinese-backed business interests intent on undermining the Pacific nation's sovereignty.

The vote to topple Heine, the first and only elected female leader of a Pacific island nation, split parliament 16-16, one short of the 17 her opponents required.

In front of a packed public gallery, Heine and her allies spent 45 minutes defending the government's record, including claims from the opposition it had sullied the country's international reputation and eroded voting rights.

Once the vote was confirmed, Speaker Kenneth Kedi -- who had backed the no-confidence move -- congratulated Heine and declared parliament was in recess.

Heine said in the days leading up to the vote that the opposition's stated reasons for trying to unseat her were a "smokescreen" to cover their real motives.

She said the no-confidence motion was actually prompted by her government's refusal to back plans for an independently administered tax haven on an atoll within the Marshalls.

The proposed Rongelap Atoll Special Administrative Region (RASAR) is the brainchild of Cary Yan, a Chinese businessman and&nbsp;Marshall&nbsp;Islands citizen who launched the concept in Hong Kong earlier this year.

The idea is that the territory would be self governing and completely tax free, making it an attractive option for hi-tech firms.

Heine's government has rejected the proposal over concerns it could be vulnerable to money laundering and passport-for-sale scams.

She suggested last week that the RASAR could be a Trojan horse for China to take over part of her country.

The no-confidence vote was "an effort by certain foreign interests to take control of one of our atolls and turn it into a country within our own country," she told Radio New Zealand.

Beijing has used billions of dollars in investment to court influence with tiny island nations across the Pacific Ocean, a region considered strategically important as a maritime gateway to Asia.

Heine said she was determined to protect her country's sovereignty.

"We have to be cautious knowing what the geo-political situation is in the Pacific region," she said.

"I think it's important for the government to do its own due diligence and ensure that the sovereignty of the country is secure."

Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine narrowly survived a vote of no confidence Monday, seeing off a challenge she alleges was orchestrated by Chinese-backed business interests intent on undermining the Pacific nation's sovereignty.

Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine narrowly survived a vote of no confidence Monday, seeing off a challenge she alleges was orchestrated by Chinese-backed business interests intent on undermining the Pacific nation's sovereignty. The vote to topple Heine, the first and only elected female leader of a Pacific island nation, split parliament 16-16, one short of the 17 her opponents required. In front of a packed public gallery, Heine and her allies spent 45 minutes defending the government's record, including claims from the opposition it had sullied the country's international reputation and eroded voting rights. Once the vote was confirmed, Speaker Kenneth Kedi -- who had backed the no-confidence move -- congratulated Heine and declared parliament was in recess. Heine said in the days leading up to the vote that the opposition's stated reasons for trying to unseat her were a "smokescreen" to cover their real motives. She said the no-confidence motion was actually prompted by her government's refusal to back plans for an independently administered tax haven on an atoll within the Marshalls. The proposed Rongelap Atoll Special Administrative Region (RASAR) is the brainchild of Cary Yan, a Chinese businessman and Marshall Islands citizen who launched the concept in Hong Kong earlier this year. The idea is that the territory would be self governing and completely tax free, making it an attractive option for hi-tech firms. Heine's government has rejected the proposal over concerns it could be vulnerable to money laundering and passport-for-sale scams. She suggested last week that the RASAR could be a Trojan horse for China to take over part of her country. The no-confidence vote was "an effort by certain foreign interests to take control of one of our atolls and turn it into a country within our own country," she told Radio New Zealand. Beijing has used billions of dollars in investment to court influence with tiny island nations across the Pacific Ocean, a region considered strategically important as a maritime gateway to Asia. Heine said she was determined to protect her country's sovereignty. "We have to be cautious knowing what the geo-political situation is in the Pacific region," she said. "I think it's important for the government to do its own due diligence and ensure that the sovereignty of the country is secure."

Marshall Islands leader survives no-confidence motion

Top UN court today rejected an epic case brought by the tiny Marshall Islands against India for allegedly failing to halt the nuclear arms race.&nbsp;

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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its ruling in the country&#39;s case against India, the first to be decided, said it had accepted Indian arguments that ICJ&nbsp;should not have jurisdiction in the case, international news agency Reuters reported.

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The 16-judge bench was quoted as saying by Reuters&nbsp;that while the Marshall Islands may not be satisfied with progress on nuclear disarmament, it had failed to show that it has any ongoing legal dispute with India fit for the court&nbsp;to adjudicate.&nbsp;

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It later rejected the Marshall Islands&#39; suit against Pakistan on the same grounds. The third suit, against Britain, was still to be decided.

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The Pacific archipelago, whose territory was used for dozens of atomic-bomb tests by the United States after World War Two, had argued that nuclear powers weren&#39;t doing enough to adhere to the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.&nbsp;

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In a majority verdict by nine votes to seven, &quot;the court upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by India,&quot; presiding judge Ronny Abraham was quoted as saying by AFP, and therefore the tribunal &quot;cannot proceed to the merits of the case.&quot;

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The tribunal found it lacked the jurisdiction in the case as there had been no prior recorded dispute or negotiations over the nuclear issue between the Marshall Islands and India.

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Majuro in 2014 accused nine countries of failing to comply with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.&nbsp;

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However, ICJ failed to take up cases against other countries --China, France, Israel, North Korea, Russia and the United States -- as they have not recognised the court&#39;s jurisdiction.&nbsp;

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It&#39;s also pertinent to mention that India and Pakistan have not signed the NPT, that &nbsp;commits all nuclear weapon states &quot;to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament.&quot;

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(WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)&nbsp;

The top UN court said it had accepted the Indian arguments that ICJ should not have jurisdiction in the case

Top UN court today rejected an epic case brought by the tiny Marshall Islands against India for allegedly failing to halt the nuclear arms race. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its ruling in the country's case against India, the first to be decided, said it had accepted Indian arguments that ICJ should not have jurisdiction in the case, international news agency Reuters reported. The 16-judge bench was quoted as saying by Reuters that while the Marshall Islands may not be satisfied with progress on nuclear disarmament, it had failed to show that it has any ongoing legal dispute with India fit for the court to adjudicate. It later rejected the Marshall Islands' suit against Pakistan on the same grounds. The third suit, against Britain, was still to be decided. The Pacific archipelago, whose territory was used for dozens of atomic-bomb tests by the United States after World War Two, had argued that nuclear powers weren't doing enough to adhere to the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In a majority verdict by nine votes to seven, "the court upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by India," presiding judge Ronny Abraham was quoted as saying by AFP, and therefore the tribunal "cannot proceed to the merits of the case." The tribunal found it lacked the jurisdiction in the case as there had been no prior recorded dispute or negotiations over the nuclear issue between the Marshall Islands and India. Majuro in 2014 accused nine countries of failing to comply with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. However, ICJ failed to take up cases against other countries --China, France, Israel, North Korea, Russia and the United States -- as they have not recognised the court's jurisdiction. It's also pertinent to mention that India and Pakistan have not signed the NPT, that commits all nuclear weapon states "to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament." (WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)

International Court of Justice rejects Marshall Islands suit against India, Pakistan

The United Nation&#39;s highest court -- the International Court of Justice -- will decide today whether it will hear a case filed by the Marshall Islands against India, Pakistan and the UK for failing to stop the nuclear arms race.

Between 1946 and 1958, the islands were subjected to a string of nuclear tests conducted by the US. And so the country understands the devastating effects of nuclear weapons, AFP reported.&nbsp;

The tiny country -- it has a population of 55,000 -- accuses the India, Pakistan, and Britain&nbsp;of failing to abide by the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty.&nbsp;(India and Pakistan have not signed the treaty.)&nbsp;

The Marshall Islands had in 2014&nbsp;filed the cases against&nbsp;nine countries but 6 of them -- China, France, Israel, North Korea, Russia, and the US --&nbsp;do not accept the ICJ&#39;s jurisdiction.&nbsp;

That leaves the court to decide whether it will&nbsp;hear the case against the other three.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Pacific island nation aims to bring the issue of nuclear arms to the forefront so that talks on nuclear disarmament can be started again, AFP reported. &nbsp;

The country argues that as per the NPT, all nuclear powers need &quot;to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament&quot;.

Critics however argue the hearing is only a ruse to divert the islander&#39;s fight with the US which&nbsp;carried out the tests, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&#39;Several islands in my country were vapourised&#39;

At a March hearing, the islanders described the after-effects of 67 nuclear tests carried out on Bikini and Enewetak atolls, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Former foreign minister, Tony deBrum said, &quot;Several islands in my country were vapourised and others are estimated to remain uninhabitable for thousands of years.&quot;

&quot;The entire sky turned blood-red,&quot; he told the court.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The tiny Pacific island nation of 55,000 accuses the three countries of failing to halt the nuclear arms race

The United Nation's highest court -- the International Court of Justice -- will decide today whether it will hear a case filed by the Marshall Islands against India, Pakistan and the UK for failing to stop the nuclear arms race. Between 1946 and 1958, the islands were subjected to a string of nuclear tests conducted by the US. And so the country understands the devastating effects of nuclear weapons, AFP reported. The tiny country -- it has a population of 55,000 -- accuses the India, Pakistan, and Britain of failing to abide by the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty. (India and Pakistan have not signed the treaty.) The Marshall Islands had in 2014 filed the cases against nine countries but 6 of them -- China, France, Israel, North Korea, Russia, and the US -- do not accept the ICJ's jurisdiction. That leaves the court to decide whether it will hear the case against the other three. The Pacific island nation aims to bring the issue of nuclear arms to the forefront so that talks on nuclear disarmament can be started again, AFP reported. The country argues that as per the NPT, all nuclear powers need "to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament". Critics however argue the hearing is only a ruse to divert the islander's fight with the US which carried out the tests, AFP reported. 'Several islands in my country were vapourised' At a March hearing, the islanders described the after-effects of 67 nuclear tests carried out on Bikini and Enewetak atolls, AFP reported. Former foreign minister, Tony deBrum said, "Several islands in my country were vapourised and others are estimated to remain uninhabitable for thousands of years." "The entire sky turned blood-red," he told the court. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Top UN court to decide if it will hear Marshall Islands nuclear case against India, Pak & Britain