Philippine navy: No signs of life around capsized ferry
By Xinhua,
Manila : There are "no signs of life" around a capsized passenger ferry off the Philippines' central province of Romblon as rescuers started operations there, a spokesman for the Philippine Navy said on Monday.
Rescuers started their search at around 9 a.m. local time (0100GMT), knocking on the exposed part of the hull of the M/V Princess of the Stars to check if people were trapped inside, but there was no response, Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo told reporter.
Will Van Persie find scoring touch in World Cup final?
By DPA,
Johannesburg: Dutch striker Robin van Persie was expected to score loads of goals in South Africa, but so far it is teammate Wesley Sneijder who has been finding the back of the net.
Van Persie has netted once, against Cameroon in a group game, in the six matches he has started, while Sneijder is joint top scorer with five.
Last season, the Arsenal striker suffered an ankle injury which sidelined him for over five months, and he only returned to action just weeks to the World Cup kick-off.
Scientist uncovers secret of nerve cell regeneration
By IANS,
Washington: Brain researcher Hiroshi Kawabe has uncovered the secret of nerve (brain) cell regeneration.
It is the working of a process that permits nerve cells to grow and form complex networks---something had been completely overlooked until now.
The study shows that an enzyme controls the structure of the cytoskeleton (cellular skeleton) and ensures that nerve cells can form the tree-like extensions that are necessary for signal transmission in the brain.
Israel’s Knesset approves bill to outlaw Nazism, racism
By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israel's Knesset (parliament) on Monday approved in a second and third reading a new bill stating that advocating, supporting, or rallying for either Nazi or racist principles will now be deemed illegal in Israel.
According to local daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the newly approved bill also states that holding Neo-Nazi rallies in Israel will be considered a criminal offense.
Calamities in Japan and tsunami of absurd messages in India
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
World’s oldest post office celebrates 300th anniversary
By IANS,
London : The world's oldest post office in Britain is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year.
UN on Africa, Kosovo, Monterrey
By Ilsa Rodriguez, Prensa Latina
United Nations : Consultations over progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa, and debates on the Kosovo situation in the Security Council feature in the UN agenda this week.
The revision of chapters V and VI of the Monterrey Consensus will be another subject of interest, as the prelude to a meeting on that topic by the end of this year in Doha.
India and Poland sign agreements on health and tourism
By Surender Bhutani,IANS,
Warsaw : India and Poland signed two important agreements on health and tourism Friday as President Pratibha Patil began the official part of her four-day visit to Poland.
On behalf of India, Ashwini Kumar, minister for state for industrial development and promotion and for Poland Katazyna Sobriska and Jakob Szulc, dealing with the respective ministries, signed the agreements.
Senior party leader: Nepali PM may quit
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Nepali Congress (NC) leader Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat on Monday said Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala may announce his resignation when the process of amending the Interim Constitution begins on Wednesday's Constituent Assembly(CA) meeting, local newspaper The Himalayan Times reported Tuesday.
Kidnappers free two Western journalists in Somalia
By IANS,
Bosasso (Somalia) : A Spanish and a British journalist have been freed after almost six weeks in captivity in Somalia's volatile Puntland state, EFE reported.
Spanish photographer Jose Cendon and British journalist Colin Freeman were released Sunday morning by their kidnappers in northern Somalia, an official said, adding that the journalists returned to their International Village Hotel here.
The journalists were abducted Nov 26 as they headed towards the airport after completing a reporting assignment on Somali piracy, the report said.
26 killed in Sri Lanka’s fresh fighting
By IANS,
Colombo : Twenty-one Tamil Tiger guerrrillas and five security personnel were killed while over 40 wounded in fresh fighting in Sri Lanka's northeast, official sources said Tuesday.
The Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) of the ministry of defence said 10 rebels were killed in the north-eastern Weli-Oya region.
Eleven were gunned down in sporadic clashes in north-western Mannar and northern Vavuniya regions Monday.
Bear Stearns sale pulls down US stocks
By DPA
New York : Only the Dow Jones index was in positive territory Monday after a dramatic weekend intervention by the US central bank in financial markets dragged down markets in Europe and Asia.
The S&P 500 shed 11.54 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,276.60. The NASDAQ lost 35.48 points, or 1.6 percent, to 2,177.01. The Dow Jones index of blue chips moved up 21.16 points or 0.18 percent, to 11,972.25.
Lithuania hosted secret CIA prison: Report
By DPA,
Washington : Lithuania was among three European countries that hosted secret CIA prisons for holding high-value Al Qaeda suspects, ABC News reported Thursday, citing unnamed former CIA officials.
The CIA held up to eight prisoners in a building outside Vilnius for as long as a year, until late 2005, when the secret prison operation was ended after it surfaced publicly, the officials said.
Low prices, hospitality lure tourists to Venezuela’s beaches
By DPA
Coro (Venezuela) : Years of economic troubles, strikes and mass protests in Venezuela are now over and the country's tourist industry is on the upswing, especially in the Caribbean island of Margarita, the state of Merida in the Andes, and Canaima National Park with its Table Mountains and waterfalls, the main tourist destinations.
The northwestern state of Falcon is among the places that have attracted foreign visitors, including some new homeowners from Germany.
10 killed in Indonesia train, van crash
By IANS,
Jakarta : At least 10 people were killed Sunday when their van stalled at an unmanned railway crossing and was rammed by a train in Indonesia, police said.
Sporadic violence marks Maoists’ indefinite Nepal closure
By IANS,
Kathmandu : With a constitutional crisis and president's rule threatening Nepal, its former Maoist guerrillas Sunday began an indefinite general strike paralysing the entire nation after talks with the ruling parties failed and embattled Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal refused to quit.
While the capital remained largely peaceful, sporadic violence was reported across the nation as protesters clashed with security forces, attacked at least one government office and sought to prevent a major high school examination from being held.
‘Amour’ gets best foreign language Golden Globe
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Austrian drama "Amour" clinched the 70th Golden Globe award for the best foreign language film.
Indian American shot dead in Silicon Valley
By IANS,
San Francisco : Sid Agrawal, an Indian American CEO of a semi-conductor company, was shot dead by his ex-employee at his office in Santa Clara Friday afternoon, police said, adding the killer was still at large.
A massive manhunt has been launched to arrest the assailant, Jing Wu, 47, who the Santa Clara police said was still absconding along with his silver Mercury Mariner SUV, having California license plate No. 6CJU602.
"No arrest has been made so far. Search is still on," Santa Clara police spokesperson Lt. Michael Sellers said.
Two policemen, gunman wounded in shooting outside Pentagon
By DPA,
Washington : A gunman opened fire Thursday evening outside a Pentagon entrance before being severely wounded by police guards, authorities said.
The suspect was hospitalised with "pretty critical" injuries, said Richard Keevil, chief of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
Two Pentagon civilian police officers were hospitalised with what Keevil described as "grazing injuries", which were not life threatening.
Dalai Lama wants to visit quake-hit in China
By IANS,
Dharamsala: The Dalai Lama Saturday expressed his desire to visit earthquake-hit areas in China to provide solace to the victims and expressed satisfaction over the relief work carried out there.
"I am deeply concerned about the families of quake victims in Yushu region of Tibet. I am eager to go there myself to offer comfort to the injured and the families of victims," an official statement, quoting the Nobel laureate, said here.
White House uses Twitter to justify Iran nuclear deal
Washington : In a clear indication of social media's increasing clout and power to influence public opinion, the White House has launched...
Chinese man sentenced to death for attacking 29 kids
By IANS,
Beijing : A 46-year-old unemployed man who had stabbed 29 children at a kindergarten in China's Jiangsu province, as part of his "revenge on society", was sentenced to death by a local court Saturday.
Xu Yuyuan had also stabbed two teachers and a security guard at the Zhongxin Kindergarten in Jiangsu's Taixing city April 29. The Taixing Intermediate Court Saturday found Xu guilty of intentional homicide after a half-day open trial, which was attended by over 300 people, Xinhua reported.
Cameron’s Conservatives defy forecasts, win British polls
London : Defying all predictions and speculations, Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party on Friday secured simple majority in the 650-member House of Commons,...
US emergency finance rescue plan clears final hurdle
By DPA,
Washington : The US House of Representatives approved a revised financial rescue plan Friday that paved the way for the largest government intervention in capital markets in the history of the country.
The bill allows the government to acquire up to $700 billion in soured mortgage assets that are at the heart of the credit crisis.
The House voted by a resounding 263-171 in favour after rejecting an earlier version of the bill by 228-205 Monday. The Senate approved the same package Wednesday and President George W. Bush was expected to sign the bill later Friday.
Myanmar dolphins work with fishermen
By IANS,
Nay Pyi Taw : Dolphins in Myanmar's Ayeyawady river are unique -- they help fishermen by herding fishes towards the net.
Former miss Romania elected speaker of Romanian chamber of deputies
By ANTARA News/Xinhua,
Japanese PM starts China visit
By SPA
Beijing : Japan's prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, will start later today an official visit to China.
He will hold talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday as part of a four-day trip that comes amid steadily growing economic ties.
Fukuda will also tour Tianjin, Jinan and Qufu in east China before returning home Sunday.
I will do everything in my power to build good relations, Fukuda told reporters before departing for Beijing. I plan to hold candid discussions, he said.
Worst weather in 40 years displaces 12,000 in Chile
By DPA,
Santiago : Over 12,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in southern Chile due to a chain of storms and heavy rain that is thought to be the worst in 40 years in the area.
A further 10,000 people were left isolated in the Araucania Region alone. Of these, some 6,000 were in the area of Curarrehue, which remained out of bounds for police helicopters Tuesday due to difficult weather conditions.
"We cannot manage to assist everyone," said Mauricio Salas, mayor of the affected town of Nueva Imperial.
Nepal survives human bird flu infection scare
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's health authorities Sunday calmed down fears that the bird flu virus had infected humans in the Himalayan republic after the official media said a man had been admitted to hospital with suspected bird flu infection.
Balbhadra Das, director at the B.P. Koirala Institute for Health Sciences (BPKIHS), told IANS that the report by Nepal's national news agency Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) was wrong.
US Christmas spending shows weakest growth in four years
By DPA
Washington : Credit card usage and other data showed a disappointing shopping season for US retailers after consumer spending rose 3.6 percent over the holiday spending period, the slowest growth rate in four years, media reports said Wednesday.
The figure, calculated from Nov 23 to Dec 24, rose 6.6 percent in 2006 and 8.7 percent in 2005, according to MasterCard's SpendingPulse data.
The report was cited by The New York Times and Washington Post in their online editions.
Lenin’s body can be kept for another century: experts
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : The mummified corpse of ex-Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin could remain on display in his tomb on Red Square for another 100 years, if no decision to remove it is taken, one of its curators has said.
Yuri Denisov-Nikolsky, who takes care of the corpse, said Friday that if the body "receives proper care it could remain in the mausoleum for another 100 years".
The mausoleum's continuing presence in the heart of Moscow has been a source of considerable controversy since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Chopper crashes while installing Christmas tree
By IANS,
Wellington : A helicopter crashed while installing a Christmas tree in New Zealand's Auckland city. The pilot was able to walk away from the spot.
Two people killed in US F-16 jet, civilian plane collision
Washington : Two people were killed after an F-16 fighter jet of the US Air Force collided with a civilian aircraft in the state...
Take neighbours along to fight terror, US tells Dhaka
By IANS,
Dhaka : The United States has told the new government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that Bangladesh needs to work with neighbouring countries to fight terrorism.
"Terrorism is an issue confronting both the governments in Dhaka and Washington. We hoped the incoming government would recognise that this is an issue Bangladesh needs to address and need to work with neighbouring countries to address it," US envoy James Moriarty said Thursday after meeting Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.
Post poll violence in Kenya claims 250 lives
KUWAIT, Jan 2 (KUNA) -- At least 250 people were killed, including 30 who were burned to death at a church in ethnic violence in Kenya, the BBC monitored here said on Wednesday.
The violence has been raging since last Thursday when Mwai Kibaki was officially re-elected president. He along, with the defeated opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who contested the poll, has called for cessation of the violence.
Spanish hostages are fine: Al Qaeda
By IANS/EFE,
Barcelona : The three Spanish aid workers kidnapped nearly two months ago in Mauritania are in good health, says a leader of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) that claimed responsibility for the abduction.
Al Jadim Uld Seman, the head of AQIM in Mauritania, spoke to El Periodico newspaper by telephone from prison.
He told the paper he had been briefed on the status of the captives by associates on the outside.
Britain supports November poll in Nepal
By IANS
London : Britain has expressed support for the forthcoming elections to Nepal's Constituent Assembly on Nov 22, and has called on all parties to ensure that credible elections are held in the country.
Shahid Malik, Britain's International Development Minister, will travel to Nepal Monday for a three-day visit. He will meet Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and express Britain's support for the historic elections to the Constituent Assembly.
Chinese president in Hong Kong for 10th anniversary
By Xinhua
Hong Kong : Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived here Friday to attend celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China and the swearing-in of the third-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Russian coast guards return 8,000 crabs to sea
By RIA Novosti,
Vladivostok : Some 8,000 live crabs, confiscated by Russian coast guards earlier in the week, have been released into the Sea of Japan, a spokeswoman for the Coast Guard Service said Friday.
Natalya Rondaleva said that coast guards detained the Cambodia-flagged Trojana fishing vessel Aug 24 with 12.5 tonnes of live crab on board, worth some 5.5 million rubles ($174,000).
"The captain failed to provide documents verifying the legality of the catch. The Trojana was escorted by coast guards to the port of Nakhodka Thursday," she said.
Thai cabinet extends emergency decree in restive south
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : The Cabinet of Thailand on Tuesday agreed to extend an emergency decree in the three southernmost provinces plagued by violence for three more months.
Speaking to journalists after the Cabinet meeting, Nattawut Saikua, deputy government spokesman, said the cabinet decided to extend the decree in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces because of the ongoing unrest.
The emergency decree is due to expire on Sunday.
The emergency decree was first implemented in July 2005. It has been renewed every three months since then.
Obama: ‘Let The Games Begin’
By AFP,
Chicago : An exuberant Barack Obama Friday offered a cheeky prediction he would be president until 2016, as he tried to lend his winning streak to his home city of Chicago's Olympics bid.
Fresh from a giant-slaying win over rival Hillary Clinton in the Democratic White House nominating race, Obama joked he could put his house up for rent, to make a financial killing if Chicago wins the 2016 Summer Games.
UN human rights body to hold session on Myanmar
Geneva, Sep 29 (Xinhua) The UN Human Rights Council has announced that it will hold a special session on the human rights situation in Myanmar next week.
The session will take place Tuesday, president of the 47-state body Doru Romulus Costea said.
In a statement issued Friday, Costea said the decision about holding the special session was made following a request by 17 member states, which surpassed the one-third majority required.
This will be the fifth special session convened by the Human Rights Council since it was created in June 2006.
Special investigator raps Berlin’s probe of CIA flights
By IRNA,
Berlin : An independent investigator criticized the German government for its woeful probe of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) flights, the online site of the weekly stern news magazine reported Tuesday.
A rapporteur for the German BND secret service commission of enquiry into German collusion into the American extraordinary renditions program, Joachim Jacob lashed out at the Berlin government in a secret report, accusing German officials of being responsible for major mishaps, sloppiness and false testimony in probing the CIA scandal.
US stocks drop on Fed forecast, record oil prices
By DPA,
New York : US stocks fell sharply Wednesday after the Federal Reserve cut its 2008 growth forecast but suggested it had finished slashing interest rates for the time being, while another record crude oil price drove down retail and transport shares.
The US central bank predicted growth of between 0.3 percent and 1.2 percent for the year, down from a January projection of 1.3 per cent to 2 percent.
US stocks rally on G20 deal, changes in accounting rules
By DPA,
New York : US and global stocks surged Thursday as a summit of the world's major industrial and emerging powers agreed on a more than $1-trillion aid package to help revive the global economy.
Major stock indices in the US climbed nearly 3 percent and the Euro Stoxx index surged more than 5 percent on the Group of 20 (G20) deal in London.
Sri Lankan troops seize Elephant Pass, control key highway
By P. Karunakharan,IANS,
Colombo : The Tamil Tigers suffered another blow when Sri Lankan troops captured the Elephant Pass garrison Friday, securing full control of a vital highway after a decade, President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced to wild celebrations across the island nation.
The latest victory came exactly a week after the military wrested control of Kilinochchi, the political hub of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Many hurt in Peru chopper crash
By EFE,
Lima : An unknown number of people were injured in an army helicopter crash in a remote area of the southeastern Peruvian province of Huancavelica due to heavy winds, a media report said.
"When it was already near the ground and was going to land, a very heavy wind came up and knocked the helicopter down," Defence Minister Rafael Rey said Tuesday.
He said the chopper was en route to the valley of the Apurimac and Ene Rivers, or VRAE, Peru's principal cocaine-producing region.
The crew members suffered bruises but are in good health, Rey added.
12 killed in Polish coal mine fire
By DPA,
Warsaw : Twelve miners were killed and some 16 were hospitalised with burns after a fire in the KWK Wujek Slask coal mine in southern Poland, media reports said Friday.
Fifteen miners were seriously injured, TVN 24news broadcaster reported.
The fire was believed to have been caused by methane leaks in the mine in Ruda Slaska, near the city of Katowice. Some 38 miners were in the area at the time of the fire.
Twenty-nine of the workers managed to climb up to the surface, while the rest were freed by rescuers, the Polish Press Agency PAP reported.
Nepal hit by deadliest fuel crisis
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : After days of acute fuel shortage, the Kathmandu valley was Tuesday hit with its worst crisis in history as the state-owned petroleum importer and distributor reached the lowest level of fuel stocks and stopped supplies to gas stations.
Germany urges Israel, Palestinians to ease tensions
Ramallah: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier Saturday warned of turning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from political into religious due to the growing tension in Jerusalem.
Steinmeier's...
Canada to help foreign professionals get accredited
By IANS
Toronto : In an effort to attract more foreign skilled workers to Canada, a new project was launched by the government to help professionals from countries like India have their credentials assessed and recognised even before they arrive in the country.
Nepalese decry ‘royal privileges’ for sacked king
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Ordinary Nepalese, cutting across party lines, have begun protesting the government's decision to allow deposed king Gyanendra to move into a summer mansion from the Narayanhity Palace, saying it smacked of "royal privileges" and went against the spirit of the newly declared republic.
Deadly mob attacks spread to second South African township
By DPA,
Johannesburg : The violent attacks by rampaging mobs on mostly foreigners in a township north of Johannesburg looked to have spread to another poor community on the outskirts of the city Thursday, claiming two more lives, according to South African radio.
Two people were killed in Diepsloot township, also north of Johannesburg, Wednesday night, a police spokesman told the radio station.
Indian Ocean nations to test tsunami warning system
By NNN-AFROLNews,
United Nations : Eighteen countries around the Indian Ocean Rim will participate in a United Nations-backed tsunami exercise on Oct 14 to coincide with World Disaster Reduction Day, the first time that the warning system set up following the devastating disaster that struck the region in 2004 will be tested.
NASA to probe Jupiter’s stormy clouds
By IANS,
London : NASA will launch a spacecraft Friday to unravel the secrets of Jupiter, the largest planet in the universe.
Pacific ministers say Fiji can hold elections within time frame
By Xinhua,
Wellington : The Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group said on Wednesday that there is no reason for Fiji's interim government to delay general elections next year.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told journalists in Suva, capital of Fiji, that the election is "doable," the Pacnews regional news agency reported.
Their two-day meeting focused on the willingness and preparedness of the interim government to meet its undertaking in holding elections.
Former Uruguayan dictator condemned to 25 years in jail
By DPA,
Montevideo (Uruguay) : Former Uruguayan dictator Gregorio Alvarez was condemned Thursday to 25 years in jail for his involvement in the deaths of scores of leftist activists during the 1973-85 dictatorship.
Judge Luis Charles also condemned retired Navy official Juan Carlos Larcebeau to 20 years in jail.
In Dec 2007 Alvarez had been sent to jail to await trial over the killings of 37 activists, while Larcebeau was being tried over 29 deaths.
Alvarez, 86, did not attend the hearing Thursday due to alleged health problems.
UN Secretary General wishes IAEA success on its 150th anniversary
By NNN-PTI
Â
New Delhi : Assuring government's support to Air India to regain its past reputation of being one of the world's best airlines, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the national carriers have so far been unable to take advantage of the opening of skies.
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New Delhi : Assuring government's support to Air India to regain its past reputation of being one of the world's best airlines, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the national carriers have so far been unable to take advantage of the opening of skies.
Former Norwegian diplomat concerned over delay in cyclone aid
By SPA,
Oslo : Former Norwegian diplomat Jan Egeland Thursday questioned the delay in channelling relief aid to the cyclone victims in Myanmar, DPA reported.
Egeland, who from 2003 to 2006 was head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said he feared "many more would perish" in Myanmar over the delay, he told public broadcaster NRK.
The UN and others should analyse the chain of events to see if the UN could possibly have "earlier put more pressure" on the military rulers to allow relief shipments, Egeland said.
Policeman jailed for seven years for raping teenager
By DPA,
Hong Kong : A Hong Kong police detective Tuesday began a seven-year jail term after being convicted of raping an 18-year-old girl.
Crime squad officer Choi Chai-him, 33, met the teenager over the internet and lured her to his home with the promise of downloading games onto her portable PlayStation games console.
The court was told that the married policeman began molesting her. When she resisted, she took her to his bedroom and raped her, Hong Kong's High Court was told.
Electoral success drives some people to watch porn online
By IANS,
Washington : Some people celebrate a political candidate's victory with a party -- others do it vicariously by turning to online porn, says a US research.
24 illegal immigrants die in Spain boat accident
By DPA,
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) : Twenty-four North African migrants, including a pregnant woman and many children, died when their boat capsized off the island of Lanzarote, Spanish officials said Monday.
The boat, which was loaded with at least 30 people foundered just 20 metres from the coast in Lanzarote, about 125 km off the coast of Africa. Residents and a surfer managed to save six people alive from the waters.
At least 15 of the dead were children and teenagers aged between seven and 17.
Older drivers command vehicles better
By IANS
New York : Older drivers drive better than younger ones although the former pose a much larger risk to themselves than to others because of their poor health, says a study.
In 2001, people aged 65 years and above accounted for about 15 percent of all licensed drivers but caused only about seven percent of accidents in the US, the study's researchers found.
By contrast, people aged 15 to 24 years accounted for just 13 percent of all licensed drivers but caused 43 percent of all accidents, reported the health portal News Medical.
US health reform clears first Senate hurdle
By DPA,
Washington : US health insurance reform, the top domestic priority of President Barack Obama, cleared a major procedural hurdle in the US Senate early Monday, ending months of work by majority Democrats to push through a historic bill.
The Senate voted 60-40 along party lines to end debate on the bill, opening the way for its passage, expected by Thursday.
The bill would provide health insurance for an estimated 31 million people who now have no coverage.
Philippine rescuers locate another 24 survivors from ferry wreck
By RIA Novosti,
Jakarta : Philippine rescue workers have located another 24 people listed as missing three days after their ferry capsized during a typhoon, national media reported on Tuesday.
The Princess of the Stars ferry, carrying more than 860 people, sank in central Philippines as Typhoon Fengshen roared through the Southeast Asian country late on Saturday, causing landslides and severe flooding.
Eighteen of the 24 survivors were found on the island of Burias, while another six were located at sea by a plane.
School faces ire for teaching pole dancing to kids
By IANS,
London : A dance school in Britain has stoked a public debate and invited criticism for offering lessons in pole dancing to children as young as 12.
Activists fume as World Water Forum ends without protocols
By DPA,
Istanbul : Environmental activists expressed criticism Sunday with the end result of the World Water Forum, decrying a lack of binding protocols to safeguard the world's freshwater supplies.
Ministers and delegation heads closed the fifth forum, an event held every three years, with promises to do more for the protection of water supplies.
But activists noted there was no agreement on a human right to freshwater, as agreed upon at the last forum in Mexico.
Storm kills 27 in Philippines
By IANS,
Manila: A powerful tropical storm in the Philippines has left 27 people dead, authorities said Saturday.
World leaders commit to tackling climate at UN summit
By DPA,
New York : World leaders committed to reaching a significant agreement to curb climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the year, but promised few specifics during the largest-ever summit on global warming.
The US and China, the world's two largest polluters, promised to tackle their own emissions and also tasked each other with doing more to halt the rise in global temperatures.
MH17 crash: Malaysia to hold memorial service
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia is scheduled to hold a memorial service in Kuala Lumpur next month to remember the 298 people who were onboard the...
Medvedev hopes to discuss missile shield with Obama
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday he hoped to discuss US plans to deploy a missile shield system in Central Europe with his American counterpart Barack Obama when they will meet in April during the G20 summit in London.
In an interview with the Spanish media, Medvedev said he hoped the new US administration would display a more creative approach to this issue than the previous George Bush administration.
Cambodia suggests Asean summit in Indonesia
By Xinhua,
Phnom Penh : Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen Monday suggested the summit meet of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) may be held in Indonesia as the bloc's current chair Thailand, in the thick of political turmoil, has expressed inability to hold the event.
Thailand, which currently holds the Asean's rotating presidency, has requested postponement of the bloc's summit in mid-December to March next year because of politcal crisis in the country.
UN Confirms Impasse in Kenyan Talks
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon received a message from his predecessor Kofi Annan concerning the stalemate in peace talks in Kenya, spokeswoman Michele Montas confirmed in a press briefing on Tuesday.
Montas said Annan informed Ban they are exploring alternatives to break the deadlock.
Annan is leading an African Union-commissioned group to promote a negotiated solution to the crisis in Kenya, which has claimed at least 1,000 lives.
Amnesty begins protest torch run in Germany
By DPA,
Freiburg (Germany) : Amnesty International began its own torch relay through Germany Saturday to draw attention to what it described as human rights breaches in China.
The run, organised by university students, was set to last several weeks and pass through 25 German cities, starting Saturday in Freiburg im Breisgau in southwest Germany.
It was modelled on the Olympic relay for this summer's Beijing Olympic Games. Pro-Tibet protests accompanied the official relay.
Indonesian Muslims banned from practicing yoga
By IINA,
Jakarta : Muslims in Indonesia are now banned from practicing yoga that contains Hindu rituals like chanting, but will continue to be allowed to perform it for purely health reasons, the chairman of the country's top Islamic body said today. Ma'ruf Amin said the Ulema Council issued the non-binding ruling following weekend talks attended by hundreds of theological experts in Padang Panjang, a village in West Sumatra province. Although the ruling is not legally binding, most devout Muslims are likely to adhere to it — as they consider it sinful to ignore a fatwa.
G7 finance ministers meet in Washington on global crisis
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : Finance ministers from the Group of Seven leading industrialized countries meet in Washington on Friday as global finance officials gather for the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank.
Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin is in Washington for the gathering of representatives from many of the 185 member countries of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and will hold bilateral meetings with ministers from the G7 and other major countries.
We will defeat you: Obama to terrorists
By IANS,
Washington : We will defeat you: that is new US President Barack Obama's message to "those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror".
"We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you," Obama said in his inauguration speech here Tuesday.
Now corporate conference in a bus
By IANS,
Chenna: Conferences on aircraft and ships are passé. The novelty is a conference in a bus.
The Rs.160 crore turnover Parveen Travels (P) Ltd, which operates a fleet of buses, has hit upon the idea of conference on wheels to hold corporate and other meetings in a specially designed hi-tech bus.
Launching the service here Tuesday, Managing Director A. Afzal told reporters: "With a lot of projects - industrial and real estate - coming up away from Chennai, corporate executives coming from outside can have their meeting inside our bus and save time.
Tibetans are close to Norwegians: Dalai Lama
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama condoled the deaths of over 90 people in Norway, saying the Tibetans have a "close connection" with Norwegians.
Obama’s persistence as suitor will carry him to White House: Michelle
By DPA,
Denver (Colorado) : Michelle Obama stole the limelight and apparent affection of Democratic delegates Monday night, describing husband Barack Obama as a persistent suitor in their courting days who would carry the same kind of determination into the White House.
Her 20-minute speech, the headliner of the opening night of the four-day presidential nominating convention that began here Monday, aimed to raise the personal profile of a man who was little known nationally until four years ago.
Sikh man ousted from Donald Trump’s rally in US
Washington: A turban-clad Sikh man was ousted out of Donald Trump's campaign rally in US, after he interrupted the Republican presidential frontrunner's speech by...
Gunman shoots two before killing himself in New Jersey
By IANS,
Washington : A gunman entered a New Jersey supermarket early Friday morning and killed two workers before taking his own life, according to local media reports.
21 killed in China coal mine accident
By IANS,
Beijing: Twenty-one miners were killed while four went missing when a coal and gas outburst took place in a mine in China's Guizhou province Tuesday, authorities said.
G20 package risks breathing life into dying economic model: ActionAid
By IANS,
New Delhi : The global recovery package agreed at the G20 summit must not be used as artificial life support for a dying economic model, warns international NGO ActionAid.
"There is a risk that this $1 trillion breathing space will be used to carry on with business as usual," Soren Ambrose, ActionAid's development finance adviser, said in a statement issued Friday, a day after the summit closed in London.
"Instead, developing countries need to be encouraged to introduce new policies to put markets at the service of people instead of the other way around," he added.
Large oil deposit discovered in Brazil
By RIA Novosti,
Rio De Janeiro : Brazil's state-run oil major Petrobras Thursday announced it has discovered a large oil deposit around 250 km off the coast of Sao Paulo state.
In the last six months, Petrobras has discovered three super-giant oil fields in Brazil's offshore Santos Basin. The company also confirmed in January the discovery of a massive gas deposit off the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro.
The Tupi discovery in Sao Paulo, on the shelf of the country's southeastern coast, announced in November, holds estimated reserves of around 8 billion barrels.
US, UN condemn fresh Gaza violence
London: The US and UN condemned the resumption of attacks between Gaza and Israel Friday, urging both sides to cease hostilities, media reported.
Israel renewed...
Kenya’s Rudisha hopeful of competing in Commonwealth Games
Nairobi:Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha will return to action during the Doha Diamond League meeting in Qatar May 9 and said he hoped to...
19 crew rescued in another ship sinking in Philippines
By DPA,
Manila : A Panama-registered cargo vessel with 19 South Korean and Filipino crew members on board sank off the eastern Philippines as the death toll in the sinking of a domestic passenger ferry rose to nine, the coast guard said Monday.
All four South Korean and 15 Filipino crew members of the MV Hera were rescued Monday off Eastern Samar province, 660 km south of Manila, coast guard spokesman Lieutenant Armand Balilo said.
"They are all in a lifeboat which is being towed by a fishing boat," he said.
Kidnapped Italian diplomat released
By IANS,
Sanaa : An Italian diplomat kidnapped in Yemen four days ago has been set free by his captors, an official said Thursday.
UN millennium campaign creates Guinness record
By IANS,
New Delhi: The UN millennium campaign, which has been rallying behind world leaders reminding them about the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, has created a world record by mobilising the maximum support that any campaign ever has, officials said Thursday.
According to Minar Pimple, deputy director and head of Asia Pacific, UN Millennium Campaign, more than 173 million people gathered around the world in over 3,000 events spread across 120 countries to call for the fulfilment of the MDGs.
Dolphin guides two stranded whales out to sea
By DPA
Wellington : A friendly dolphin saved two pygmy sperm whales stranded off a New Zealand beach, steering them out to sea, according to a Conservation Department worker quoted in a news report Wednesday.
"It was amazing," Malcolm Smith said. "It was like she grabbed them by the flipper and led them to safety."
He said he had worked for over an hour off Mahia, on the east coast of the North Island on Monday, trying to refloat the mother whale and her one-year-old male calf. After four unsuccessful attempts, he feared they would have to be euthanised.
Obama, Hu pledge to improve US-China ties
By DPA,
New York : US President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao have pledged to work closely to strengthen ties between the two countries.
The two leaders met Tuesday at the Waldorf Astoria hotel on the sidelines of the climate change summit organised by the UN in the General Assembly in New York. They represent the world's two largest economies, but their countries are also the largest emitters of carbon dioxide that is blamed for the rise in atmospheric temperatures.
Distinguished Indian-Americans call on Modi
New York : A group of distinguished members of the Indian-American community called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday and said issues such as...
Impeached Illinois governor vows to continue fighting
By Xinhua,
Chicago : Impeached Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of trying to sell the US Senate seat vacated by president-elect Barack Obama, vowed to fight every step of the way.
Blagojevich said he wasn't surprised by the impeachment vote.
At a news conference held in downtown Chicago hours after he was impeached by the Illinois House Friday, Blagojevich said he is confident that at the end, he will be properly exonerated.
African leaders must demand Zimbabwe change — Brown
By KUNA,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday hoped that African leaders meeting Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe "will make it absolutely clear that there has got to be change" in his country.
"I think the message that is coming from the whole world is that the so-called elections will not be recognized," Brown told reporters here.
"People want the violence and intimidation to end," he said, adding "a new government has got to be brought in." The Prime Minister said that when that happened, the UK would be ready to help the country to rebuild.
Nigeria oil hub targeted in night attack
By SPA
Abuja : Armed men torched a police building and several vehicles at the main jetty on Bonny Island, an oil and gas export hub in Nigeria's southern Niger Delta, REUTERS quoted a security expert working for an oil major as saying on Saturday.
Police spokesmen could not immediately be reached to comment on the report from the industry source, who said the raid took place in the middle of the night.
Consumer confidence sinks to 27-year low in Canada
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : With Canadians increasingly worried about their jobs and finances, consumer confidence has sunk to the lowest level in a quarter century, said a survey by a Canadian think tank Monday.
The index of consumer confidence has slipped for the third consecutive month in December, showing the seriousness of the economic crisis, said the survey by the Conference Board of Canada.
According to the survey, consumers indicated that they are financially worse off today than six months ago, and they expect to be worse off still six months from now.
US denies patents on yoga postures
By IANS
New Delhi : Amid a raging row in India over reported attempts to patent the ancient Indian practice of yoga overseas, the US Thursday denied granting patents on yoga positions.
Beckham hugged by female fan
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Footballer David Beckham was pulled by a female fan in the crowd so that she could hug him.
Protect civilians, South Africa tells Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Pretoria : South Africa has urged the Sri Lankan government troops and the Tamil Tigers to respect existing safe areas and protect civilians in the island's northern war zone.
South Africa's Department of Foreign Affairs has expressed concern at the safety and well-being of about 250,000 civilians, including humanitarian aid workers, caught in the conflict in the island's north, BuaNews has reported.
South Africa is saddened by the loss of life in the conflict and expresses its "condolences to all those in mourning", the statement said.
UN seeks $415 mn immediate aid for Nepal
Kathmandu : The United Nations and its partners on Wednesday appealed for $415 million urgently to provide vital relief to those affected by the...
Sri Lankan government plays down hard-line monks’ views
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government Tuesday played down the views expressed by a group of hard-line monks who are demanding radical constitutional changes...
Seven Russian tourists injured in road accident in Turkey
By RIA Novosti
Ankara : Seven Russian tourists were injured in a road accident in the popular Mediterranean Sea resort of Kemer in Turkey on Wednesday, the country's Hurriyet daily said.
The bus with Russian tourists overturned as the driver lost control in poor weather conditions.
All the victims, including the driver, have been hospitalized.
Myanmar government, ethnic groups to discuss Kokang issue separately
Yangon : Peace negotiators of the Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups have agreed to discuss the ongoing fighting in Kokang near the border...
US Congress extends tax cut, jobless benefits
By IANS/EFE,
Washington : The US Congress approved Friday a 10-month extension of the payroll tax cut and federal unemployment benefits.
UK minister urges Israel to share Gaza reconstruction
LONDON, Feb 6 (KUNA) -- Israel should help to pay for the reconstruction of Gaza after its military campaign in the territory, Britains Foreign Office Minister Lord Malloch-Brown said Friday.
Describing the need to get humanitarian aid into Gaza as a "priority", he called on the international community to contribute to rebuilding efforts.
Sri Lanka wants to initiate railway links with India
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka has expressed its willingness to initiate a railway link with neighbouring India via the north-western coastal Mannar island, which is located a few nautical miles away from India's pilgrim town of Rameshwaram.
Transport Minister Dulles Alahapperuma has told parliament that although there was a "quantitative growth" in all modes of transportation, such increase had not taken place in a uniform manner.
US warship docks in Georgia port
By IRNA,
Moscow : A US warship has arrived in the Georgian port of Batumi carrying the first delivery of aid supplies by sea.
The USS McFaul is the first of three ships to arrive in Georgia.
Russian forces are still in control of the military port of Poti, to the north of Batumi, after withdrawing most of its combat troops from the country.
Russia's four-day war with Georgia erupted after Tbilisi tried to retake its province of South Ossetia - which broke away in 1992 and was supported by Moscow - in a surprise offensive on 7 August.
15 killed in China highway accident
By Xinhua
Changsha (China) : At least 15 people have been killed and 25 injured when a bus rammed into the rear of a tanker, triggering a fire and an explosion in central China's Hunan province, authorities said.
The accident occurred at around 7.00 p.m. Monday at Chenzhou city on the north-south freeway connecting Beijing and Zhuhai cities, according to the traffic police.
The blaze engulfed three more vehicles, a police spokesperson said. Traffic on the Beijing-Zhuhai freeway was stopped temporarily because of the accident.
Two Mexicans wanted for 45 murders held
By EFE,
Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) : Two drug-cartel hit men wanted for 45 killings were arrested by soldiers in this northern border city, Mexican authorities said.
Soldiers tracked down the hit men after they were wounded last Friday in a shootout with a rival gang at a Ciudad Juarez hospital, the defense department said in a statement Tuesday.
Arturo Arellano Corral, 26, and Salomon Bolivar Villa, 20, told interrogators that they worked for a cell of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
The men admitted to 45 murders, the defense department said.
Connolly called to confirm about Keating: Cornell
By IANS,
London: Dancer Francine Cornell, who had an affair with singer Ronan Keating, says she was shocked when the latter's model wife Yvonne Connolly called and confronted things with her.
Suspected insurgents kill 3 villagers as Ramadan begins in Thai south
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Insurgent violence continued in Thailand's deep south on Monday as militants shot dead three villagers as the Islamic Ramadan fast began, media here reported.
In an incident, a 61-year-old Thai-Muslim village headman was killed by the gunmen while he was driving in Bannang Sata district of Yala province, according to a report by Bangkok Post website. He was shot in the head with 9mm bullets.
Over 33,800 Chinese died in workplace accidents in six months
By IANS,
Beijing: Workplace accidents have left 33,876 people dead in China in the first half of this year, Xinhua reported Friday quoting the country's work safety watchdog.
The number of deaths in workplace accidents was 4,174 less than in 2009, an 11-percent year-on-year drop, the State Administration of Work Safety said.
There were about 187 deaths daily in the first half of 2010.
The State Council issued a circular Friday urging the local governments to improve their safety supervision, particularly in mines, transportation and construction industries.
US census 2010: Population at 308.7 mn, growth rate slows
By DPA,
Washington : The US population grew by 9.7 percent in the last decade to 308.7 million people, but the country's growth rate has slowed, the Census Bureau said Tuesday.
Obama announces key Treasury appointments
WASHINGTON, March 8 (KUNA) -- U.S President Barack Obama announced Sunday his intent to nominate three peersonnel to join the senior ranks of the Treasury Department.
According to a statement released by the White House, the President nominated David S. Cohen to be assistant secretary in dealing with terrorist financing; Alan B. Krueger for assistant secretary for economic policy; and Kim N. Wallace as assistant secretary for legislative affairs.
Buddhist temple vandalised in London
By IANS,
London : A Sri Lankan Buddhist temple has been vandalised on the outskirts of London, the police said.
Vandals broke the front windows of the Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre in Kingsbury, northwest London, in early hours of Friday, the police said.
The vandals, said to be two men, also damaged two cars parked in front of the temple, which is used by many Sinhala-speaking Sri Lankans based in London.
The Sri Lankan high commission condemned the “act of destruction”.
Russian girl’s body decomposed due to morgue malfunction: relative
By IANS,
Panaji: A relative of Russian teenager Elena Sukhonova, whose badly mangled remains were found along a railway track in May this year, has alleged that her body has decomposed beyond recognition in the mortuary.
Advocate Vikram Varma, speaking on behalf of Dmitiry Voronov -- Elena's brother-in-law -- has said that the malfunctioning mortuary at the Goa Medical college where the body was stored had resulted in the extreme state of decomposition.
Serbia rules out use of force against breakaway Kosovo
By RIA Novosti
Belgrade : Serbian Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac said on Wednesday that Belgrade would not use military force to thwart Kosovo's drive for independence.
Speaking in an interview with Dnevni Avaz, a popular daily published in Sarajevo, Sutanovac said: "I have said many times that the Kosovo problem cannot be resolved militarily."
"When we tried to resolve problems in the former Yugoslavia by deploying the army, we encountered even greater problems," the minister said.
France to create national defence, security council
By Xinhua
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy has agreed to the formation of a national defence and security council, supported by a consultative council whose members will be appointed by the head of state.
Sarkozy also approved the report prepared by a presidential commission on national defence calling for the definition of a comprehensive national security doctrine within five major strategies, including intelligence, deterrence, protection, prevention and intervention, according to a statement issued Thursday by the French president's office.
Germany urges stepped up UN Security Council pressure on Myanmar
By IRNA,
Berlin : German Development Aid Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul called on Russia and China, as members of the UN Security Council, to intensify their pressure on the Burmese military junta to finally open its border for international aid for hundreds of thousands of victims of Cyclone Nargis.
Talking to Tuesday's edition of the Passauer Neuen Press newspaper, the minister stressed that the international community had the responsibility to stand by people in emergency situations, if their government deliberately fails to protect them.
Victoria’s ruling party opts for Indian Australian candidates
By Paritosh Parasher,
Melbourne : In a classic case of a flood following a drought, political parties have fielded a large number of Indian-Australian candidates...
World turns up heat on Myanmar
By AFP,
Yangon : Frustrated world leaders tightened the pressure on Myanmar on Saturday, raising the allegation of crimes against humanity over the regime's slow-moving response to the cyclone disaster.
US President George W. Bush extended sanctions on Myanmar while British Prime Minister Gordon Brown denounced the junta's "inhuman" treatment of around two million survivors battling to stay alive two weeks after the storm hit.
Over 400 children removed from Texas sect’s compound
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : U.S. authorities have removed 401 children and 133 women from a ranch owned by a polygamist sect in Texas, national media reported on Tuesday.
Authorities began raiding the compound on Friday following a phone call from a 16-year-old girl who said she had been forced into marriage with a 50 year-old man. She also reported multiple cases of forced marriages and child abuse in the sect.
Harvard dropout billionaire Gates finally gets his degree
By DPA
New York : Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates finally got his Harvard degree, more than 30 years after dropping out of the prestigious university to enter the software business and become the richest man in the world.
16 injured in gas explosion in US
By IANS,
Washington: At least 16 people were injured in a gas explosion in a bar in the US state of Massachusetts, a media report said Saturday.
EU-India People’s Summit to bring together leading thinkers, parliamentarians, policy makers
The Summit is being organized by a group of institutions led by the Foundation London Story, India Solidarity Finland, Liberal Indian Paris, in partnership...
Asia should rebound next year: ADB president
By DPA,
Bali : Developing countries in Asia should be able to rebound from the global economic crisis and reach 6 percent growth next year, the president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Haruhiko Kuroda, said here Monday.
Growth in the region was expected to fall to 3.4 percent this year from 6.3 percent last year and record growth of 9.5 percent in 2007, Kuroda said.
Former US envoy calls Serb leader Karadzic an ‘evil’
By DPA,
Washington : The US envoy and architect of the peace deal that ended the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina has called former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic an "evil" whose arrest was "historic".
"He was the most evil man I have ever met in my life," Richard Holbrooke, the US ambassador who brokered the 1995 Dayton Accords to end the 1992-1995 ethnic war, said in an interview with CNN Tuesday.
Spain for Zapatero´s Re-election
By Prensa Latina
Madrid : The leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, is today moving forward to a possible re-election as president of Spain, after four years facing up constant bombing of a fierce opposition.
Zapatero, always marked as one of the youngest elements in the environment he performs, has a delicate alternative in the Sunday general elections.
Sri Lanka must end hostilities, LTTE should give up: CPI-M
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Friday urged Sri Lanka to end its military offensive in order to save civilian lives and called upon the Tamil Tigers to give up "its futile resistance".
The CPI-M politburo expressed "deep concern" over the plight of thousands of Tamil civilians trapped in the war zone in northern Sri Lanka. More than 100,000 ailing and wounded Tamils have already escaped to government held areas.
Freon gas blamed Russian nuclear submarine accident
By SPA,
Moscow : Investigators said deadly freon gas killed 20 people on a Russian nuclear-powered submarine Sunday when the fire safety system accidentally kicked in during a sea trial in the Sea of Japan, reported dpa.
It was unclear what activated the fire-extinguishing system and the military has launched further investigations, a spokesman for Russia's top investigatory committee, Sergei Markin, was quoted by news agencies as saying.
Russia’s NATO envoy calls for closer ties with Belarus
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's envoy to NATO said on Tuesday that Russia-Belarus ties should be strengthened, and that the two countries could never join the Western military alliance.
Speaking at a Moscow-Minsk-Brussels video conference hosted by RIA Novosti, Dmitry Rogozin said that with the increasing global influence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russia and Belarus "must act."
"It is time for us to have our own plans, clear timeframes, and responsible people, and to do what is necessary in the interests of building a union state."
Parth notches maiden international win
By IANS,
Guangdong (China): India's Parth Ghorpade continued his great start to round four of the 2012 Formula Pilota Championship when he won the first race here Saturday.
Boeing requests more inspections after cracks in wing pylons
By DPA,
New York : Boeing has said it will recommend more frequent inspections of its long-range 767 aircraft after American Airlines found cracks in the pylons holding the engines onto the wings on two airplanes.
Boeing was working with American Airlines to resolve the problems and in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the issue, the aircraft manufacturer said Tuesday in response to a query.
Boeing cannot force any airlines to inspect their aircraft more often. But recommendations from manufacturers generally are adopted into airline guidelines.
Serbian president warns against “Kosovo’s imposed independence”
By IRNA
Berlin : Newly re-elected Serbian President Boris Tadic has warned against US and European efforts to "impose independence" on the Serbian breakaway province of Kosovo.
Addressing the traditional dinner meeting of the 44th Munich Conference on Security Policy in Munich, Tadic stressed Kosovo's independence may lead to renewed political violence in the volatile West Balkan region.
eBooks are easy on the eyes
By DPA,
Hanover (Germany): All of the competitors in the current generation of electronic reading devices are equally good when it comes to presenting digitalised books. They offer long battery lives and their displays are easier on the eyes than the displays found on smartphones or laptops.
That's the conclusion reached in a recent comparison of six current models by German computer magazine c't.
Huge Indian Ocean tsunamis occur every 600 years
By IANS,
New York : The devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, which claimed more than 200,000 lives, was not the first of its kind to hit the region, according to new research.
The research also suggests that such huge tsunamis occur in the Indian Ocean every 600 to 700 years. The findings could be used to put statistical weight behind estimates of the likelihood of a future tsunami.