U.S. envoy to discuss N.Korea nuclear problem in China
By RIA Novosti
Beijing : The U.S. envoy to the six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program set off for Beijing on Thursday for a two-day visit, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.
Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill would hold consultations with Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Dawei on issues relating to the talks involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan.
Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill would hold consultations with Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Dawei on issues relating to the talks involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan.
Sri Lankan government rejects rebels’ truce offer
By Xinhua
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government said Friday it will continue its military operations against Tamil Tiger rebels despite the latter's announcement that it would abide by the ceasefire agreement signed with the government in 2002.
Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters that government troops will "liberate" the whole country from terrorism.
Nepal to hold Constituent Assembly elections on April 10
NEW DELHI, Jan 11 (KUNA) -- Nepal Friday announced to hold the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections on April 10 this year.
A meeting of Nepal's Council of Ministers today fixed the date for holding the elections in a single phase on April 10, news agency United News of India reported from Katmandu.
Nepal's three major political parties have already approved the date for holding the CA polls.
The CA election was earlier postponed thrice and the ruling alliance in the Himalayan State had promised to hold polls before the 'Nepali New Year' celebrated on April 14 every year.
133 injured in ferry collision accident near Macao
By Xinhua
Macao : Some 133 passengers were injured when two high-speed ferries, bound for Hong Kong and Macao respectively, collided with each other Friday night off the Macao coast, said the Maritime Administration official of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).
The accident occurred at 8:30 p.m., about five nautical miles off the Macao coast. There was dense fog in the area at the time of collision.
One hurt in minor blast at main rail station in Sri Lanka capital
By SPA
Colombo : One person was injured in a minor explosion caused by a parcel bomb at the main railway station in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Friday, police said, according to dpa.
The blast at the Fort Railway station in the heart of the city occurred during peak travel time Friday evening. All railway services from the station were suspended.
Police said damage had been caused to a staircase where the parcel bomb had been placed. A time device or remote control is believed to have been used to trigger the explosion.
US shows no interest in ending Colombian civil war: Chavez
By Xinhua
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has once again accused the United States of showing no interest in resolving the Colombian civil war as it gives Washington an excuse to boost its military presence in Latin America.
"The one most interested in seeing this war continued is called the United States," Chavez said in his weekly television show Sunday.
Chavez also described the US government as a "hyper-terrorist" for using bombing and illegal invasion methods.
Blast kills three in northern Sri Lanka
By Xinhua
Colombo : Three government soldiers were killed and three more injured in a claymore mine explosion triggered by Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka's northern Vavuniya district Monday morning, defence officials said.
Officials from the ministry of defence said two soldiers and a Home Guard were killed when a military vehicle was blown up in the explosion in Madukanda around 9:45 a.m.
Vavuniya is one of the major battlefields in the north witnessing escalating conflict between government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Heavy rains kill four, leave 15,000 homeless in Brazil
By IANS
Sao Paulo : Heavy rain in Brazil's southeast, mainly along the coast, have killed four people and displaced some 15,000, EFE news agency reported Tuesday.
According to officials, the heavy rain started Sunday. Authorities of 35 municipalities along the coast, including Vale de Paraiba, Campinas and Sao Paulo are on alert.
In Sao Jose dos Campos, an 85-year-old woman who was bedridden drowned, while the body of a fisherman who disappeared at sea when the storm hit Sunday, was found Monday on the Peruibe beach.
Greenpeace Saves Whales in Antarctica
By Prensa Latina
Canberra : Greenpeace activists celebrated their success on Monday after chasing Japanese whalers out of whaling grounds off Antarctica.
Activists aboard a Greenpeace ship issued a statement that they had pursued the Nisshin Maru and Yushin Maru ships in dense fog and over hundreds of miles until they decided to leave, ABC Australian radio station confirmed.
"We came here to stop the fleet from whaling and we have done that.
Now they are out of the hunting grounds and they should stay out,"
said Greenpeace Japan campaigner Sakyo Noda.
Romney declares victory in Michigan race
By DPA
Washington : Favourite son Mitt Romney has claimed victory in the state of Michigan's primary vote to decide the Republican presidential candidate, declaring that "Washington is broken" and vowing to fix it.
Romney Tuesday night had 40 percent of the centre-right Republican vote with 44 percent of Michigan precincts counted, followed by 30 percent for his chief rival, Senator John McCain.
Blast kills 23 in Sri Lanka as ceasefire ends
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : At least 23 people were killed and 57 others injured Wednesday when a blast ripped through a bus carrying factory workers and schoolchildren in Sri Lanka's southern Monaragala district, a military spokesman said.
The blast took place as the six-year-old ceasefire agreement (CFA) between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) officially ended.
Sikh with kirpan not allowed to enter Canadian court
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS
Toronto : The kirpan issue is back in the news in Canada. In a country where courts have allowed Sikhs to wear kirpan in schools, police forces and public offices, and where an MP carries it inside parliament, a Sikh man was not allowed to appear in court because of his kirpan.
Tejinder Sidhu, 25, who Monday went to a Calgary court to testify in a car accident case, was turned back by security guards because he was wearing a kirpan, a small dagger that Sikhs are mandated to carry by their religion.
Why Stallone stayed away from Afghanistan, Iraq
By IANS
London : Action star Sylvester Stallone did not want to use Afghanistan or Iraq as a backdrop for the latest in the Rambo series, which he also directs, because he did not want to offend troops stationed there right now.
Thesun.co.uk quoted him as saying: "I thought it would be an insult to the men who are fighting, to think that a fictional character could come and change everything. I thought Burma would be more real."
Suspected gang members kill seven in Guatemala
By IANS
Guatemala City : Seven people have been gunned down by a suspected gang members in northern Guatemala city, the police have said.
According to a police spokesman, the massacre occurred Saturday night in Chinautla, a working-class neighborhood that has been plagued by gang violence, EFE news agency reported Monday.
"According to the investigation, we are dealing with 'Mara 18' members who used a vehicle and a motorcycle. They had automatic weapons and assault rifles," the police spokesman said.
Russia seeks legal settlement of British Council dispute
By Xinhua
Moscow : Russia hopes for a legal resolution of the dispute with Britain that has caused the closing of part of the British Council, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
"Russia is for a legal resolution of the problem related to the British Council," Russian news agency ITAR-TASS quoted Lavrov as saying Sunday.
"We will present the legal arguments showing that the British Council in Russia has no legal basis," he said.
FM spokeswoman: China appreciates Germany’s stance on Taiwan, Tibet issues
By Xinhua
Beijing : China on Sunday said it appreciates Germany's opposition to a "referendum on United Nations membership" to be conducted by Taiwan authorities and opposition to any attempt seeking Tibet's independence.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu made the remarks Sunday night when asked whether China-Germany relations have overcome previous difficulties and started to turn better.
6.3 quake jolts Indonesian islands
By KUNA
Kuala Lumpur : An undersea quake registered 6.3 on the Richter Scale jolted the Indonesian islands of Mollucas early on Monday but there were no reports on losses.
The Indonesian news agency, Antara, reported that the center of the tremors was located some 67 kilometers at the sea bed off the coast of the Indonesian mainland.
The islands were jolted with a 7.7 degree quake, two years ago, prompting residents to flee to high places fearing a possible tsunami.
Over 7.3 million Britons fingerprinted
London, Jan 22, IRNA ,Britain currently holds the fingerprints of more than 12 percent of the country's 60 million population, Security Minister Lord West has revealed.
"The number of individuals with fingerprints stored on the national fingerprint database is 7,356,285," West said in a written parliamentary reply published Tuesday.
But he said that he did not know how many were from convicted criminals or were currently serving a sentence as the database does not store details of convictions.
NATO military build-up in Europe worries Russia
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : The Russian foreign minister has termed the NATO's expansion in Europe as a move aimed at building up military potential rather for strengthening European security, and said that Russia will take "appropriate measures" to counter it.
Russia has been unnerved by NATO's eastward expansion and recent US plans to deploy missile defence systems in Poland and the Czech Republic.
"We are certain that the geographical expansion of NATO cannot be justified by security concerns," Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister told a news conference here.
Rightists to form new European party
By DPA
Vienna : Rightist parties from Austria, Belgium, France and Bulgaria are to form a new "Patriotic European Party", Austria's Freedom Party announced on Friday.
The new party, consisting of the Freedom Party, Belgium's nationalist Vlaams Belang party, the French Front National, and the Bulgarian nationalist party Ataka, will, however, lack the strength to form a faction in European Union Parliament (EP).
EU foreign ministers to discuss deal with Serbia
By RIA Novosti
Brussels : Foreign ministers of the European Union's 27 member states will hold discussions on Monday on whether to sign a trade pact with Serbia opening up the Balkan country's path to EU membership.
The talks come at a critical time for Serbia, with a pro-European and a pro-Russian candidate set to face off in a second presidential election round, and the country's breakaway province of Kosovo likely to declare its independence within weeks.
Russia set to keep CFE moratorium until NATO ratifies treaty
By RIA Novosti
Brussels : Moscow's new ambassador to NATO has said Russia will maintain its moratorium on a major arms reduction treaty in Europe until NATO countries ratify its adapted version.
The Cold War-era Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, which regulates the deployment of non-nuclear weapons between the Atlantic and the Urals, has become a source of tension between Russia and NATO, with the Western alliance refusing to ratify its updated version and Russia subsequently imposing a moratorium on the treaty.
EU seeks Asian help to resolve Myanmar crisis
By DPA
Bangkok : The European Union's (EU) special envoy for Myanmar Tuesday stressed the need for close cooperation with Asian governments in speeding up a solution to Myanmar's political crisis.
"We are open to all common initiatives and actions, all common strategies with the countries of Asia," said EU envoy Piero Fassino after holding talks Tuesday with Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram.
Boat with starving African refugees found off Brazil’s coast
By RIA Novosti
Rio De Janeiro : A barge carrying 13 half-starved African refugees has been found drifting in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, local police said on Wednesday.
The Africans spent 17 days at sea after their vessel, bound for Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean, went off course. All those onboard the boat showed signs of malnutrition and dehydration.
New oil, gas reserves discovered in Argentina
By IANS
Buenos Aires : The British-Argentine joint venture Pan American Energy has announced discovery in southern Argentina of new oil and gas reserves in equivalent to 100 million barrels of crude, EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
The company, a 60-40 joint venture of British Petroleum and Argentina's Bridas, also said in a press release that it will invest $1 billion in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the country.
Nuclear decommissioning costs in UK rise to Dlrs 145 bn
London, Jan 30, IRNA ,The estimated cost of decommissioning the UK's 19 ageing nuclear power plants had risen to Pnds 73 billion (Dlrs 145 bn), almost a third higher than five years ago, a parliamentary watchdog has warned.
The National Audit Office (NAO) said the cost has jumped from Pnds 61 bn in the last two years and could land British taxpayer with even higher bills in the future.
In a report into the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), set up by the government to take responsibility for cleaning up sites, the NAO was critical of the inconsistencies in official estimates.
11 children killed in a claymore attack on school bus in Lanka
New Delhi, Jan 30, IRNA ,Seventeen civilians, including 11 children, were killed in a claymore attack on a school bus in Mannar district.
The territory is held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The military and the LTTE blamed each other for the tragedy. The forces did not operate in the area. "The blame for the attack on the military is a cheap propaganda tactic by the Tigers cornered in the battlefield", an Indian english daily reported here today quoting Sri Lankan military spokesperson.
South African Troops to Stay in Burundi
By Prensa Latina
Johannesburg : The entire 1,000 South African military contingent will extend their presence in Burundi as guarantors of the peace process in this central African country, said local Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Aziz Pahad on Wednesday.
According to Pahad, this decision should be debated in the African Union Summit scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Addis Abeba, capital of Ethiopia.
China formally charges dissident with subversion
By DPA
Beijing : China has formally charged a well-known dissident with subversion, despite appeals from the European Union (EU) and the US for his release, a rights group said Friday.
The family of Hu Jia was told that prosecutors had decided to charge him with "inciting subversion of state power", Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said.
The state prosecutors notified the family in writing Wednesday, just two days before the statutory limit for detention without charge, the group said.
Chad rebels accept truce, accuse France of intervening
By DPA
N'Djamena/Paris : A spokesman for rebel groups seeking to overthrow Chad President Idriss Deby told a French radio station Tuesday that they had accepted "in principle" an immediate ceasefire.
"We now want a national dialogue and a peaceful resolution to the conflict," Abderaman Koulamallah told RFI radio. "We want to stop the war and start a dialogue." He said rebels would investigate reports of French intervention in the conflict.
He said that a ceasefire would provide the opportunity to build "a real democratic government."
Battle rages over African author’s war story
By DPA
Sydney : African author Ishmael Beah is untroubled by claims that his autobiographical "A Long Way Gone" is not the true story of a child soldier in Sierra Leone.
The Australian newspaper alleges Beah was 15 not 13 when he was recruited and that his war service was a couple of months rather than two years. It says a gun battle described in the book that left six dead inside a UN-supervised rehabilitation camp in Freetown, the capital of the west African country, was made up by the 27-year-old author.
Italian president prepares for general elections
By Xinhua
Rome : Italian President Giorgio Napolitano began on Tuesday procedures to dissolve parliament and set the country on the path to general elections, according to Italian News Agency ANSA.
In line with constitutional rules on the closure of a legislature, the head of state summoned the speakers of the Lower House and Senate to see him in the Quirinal Palace in the early evening on Tuesday.
North Korea has broken nuclear pledge: US intelligence
By RIA Novosti
Washington : North Korea has broken the pledge it made last year to halt all nuclear activities, the US intelligence service has said.
Mike McConnell, director of National Intelligence, Tuesday told a Senate hearing that Washington was "uncertain about Kim Jong Il's commitment to full de-nuclearization as he promised in the six-party agreement".
"While Pyongyang denies a programme of uranium enrichment and they deny their proliferation activities, we believe North Korea continues to engage in both," he said.
Chinese schools to have psychologists, counsellors
By Xinhua
Beijing : By 2010, 40 percent of middle and elementary schools in cities, and 10 percent in rural areas, will have professional psychological teachers and mental health counselling officers, according to an eight-year national plan on mental health work (2008-2015).
In addition, mental health recovery services will be provided in 70 percent of cities, counties and regions across the country by 2010.
The stress of living in a highly competitive and fast-paced society is perturbing a growing number of Chinese.
EU regrets Russian restrictions on European election observation mission
By KUNA
Brussels : The European Union voiced Thursday its regrets that due to the restrictions imposed by Russian authorities the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has called off its election observation mission to monitor March 2 Russian Presidential elections.
The EU expressed its full support to the election observation activities of Europes main election watchdog, according to a statement released today by the EU Presidency held currently by Slovenia.
Putin visions new development plans for Russia
By Xinhua
Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined a series of new development strategies for the country at a State Council session here on Friday.
The president, who will step down after eight years in office following the March 2 presidential elections, said that Russia has so far failed to get rid of an 'inert' dependence on natural resources, the RIA news agency reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said here Friday that the world is facing a new arms race, RIA news agency reported.
German UNICEF chief quits over financial mismanagement crisis
By IRNA
Berlin : The head of the German section of the UN children's agency (UNICEF), Dietrich Garlichs stepped down from his post in the wake of a widening financial mismanagement crisis, a UNICEF spokeswoman said on Friday in the western German city of Cologne.
Garlichs had faced intense public criticism in recent days for squandering financial donations.
The scandal has deeply tainted the image of UNICEF in Germany, sparking a drastic decline in nation-wide donations.
West blasts Russian election, Putin warns of ‘arms race’
MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia's presidential election came under new attack Friday from a Western democracy watchdog, as President Vladimir Putin warned in a major speech that his successor will have to compete in a new "arms race." In a fresh blow to the credibility of the March 2 poll to replace Putin, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said that "an election where there is not a level playing field for all contestants can hardly be considered as fair."
Bird flu claims second life in Vietnam since start of year
By RIA Novosti
Hanoi : A man has died in Vietnam of the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu, the local Thanh Nien daily said on Thursday, citing the country's health ministry.
The 40 year-old man, from the northern province of Hai Duong, 50 km (31 miles) southeast of Hanoi, died after six days of treatment for severe pneumonia and multiple organ failure. His death was the second known fatality to be attributed to avian influenza in 2008.
Strong earthquake rattles Greece, no casualties
By DPA
Athens : A strong earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale rocked southern Greece Thursday and was felt as far away as Cairo, but there were no reports of injuries or damage, the Athens Geodynamic Institute said.
The underwater earthquake, which took place at 12:09 p.m. (1009 GMT), had an epicentre about 225 km southwest of Athens, in the area of Methoni, near the southern Peloponnese city of Kalamata.
Seismologists said the quake struck at a depth of 30 km, which probably minimised the damage, and lasted for about 15 seconds.
Hindu prayer in senate of Mormon dominated US state
By IANS
New York : Utah, a state dominated by Mormons, created a religious milestone when its senate opened with a Hindu prayer with the chanting of Sanskrit mantras for the first time.
Rajan Zed, a prominent Hindu chaplain who has earlier read Hindu prayers in the US senate and state senates, read the opening prayer Wednesday from ancient Hindu scriptures before the Utah senate in Salt Lake City. After first delivering the prayer in Sanskrit, he read its English translation.
US calls for restraint after Kosovo declares independence
By Xinhua
Washington : The US Sunday urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any provocative act after Kosovo declared independence.
"The US is now reviewing the issue and discussing the matter with its European partners," the state department said in a statement, without immediately declaring its support for Kosovo independence as it is strongly opposed by both Serbia and Russia.
Instead, it called on all parties in the region to "exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from any provocative act".
China concerned over Kosovo declaration of independence
By IRNA
Beijing : China is deeply concerned about the declaration of independence by Kosovo, Foreign Ministry said Monday.
China, a UN Security Council member, is worried that the move will harm peace and stability in the Balkan region and undermine moves to create a multiethnic society there, Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Azerbaijan says will not recognize Kosovo”s independence
By KUNA
Moscow : Azerbaijan announced Monday that it would not recognize independence of the province of Kosovo stemming from its adherence to international law and principles.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim in a statement carried by by Interfax news agency said that the independence of Kosovo is a violation of international law and Azerbaijan will not recognize such independence.
He explained that Azerbaijan adheres to its national interests over the issue of Kosovo's independence and does not want its position to be in favor or Russia or the West.
Bomb blasts and rallies as Serbs protest Kosovo’s independence recognition
By SPA
Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo : Sporadic explosions echoed Tuesday in northern Kosovo as Serbs protested the newborn republic's recognition of independence by the United States and major European powers.
According to AP,Three loud explosions shook this tense northern Kosovo town overnight after Serbs angrily denounced the West and urged Russia to help Serbia hold on to the territory that Serbs consider the birthplace of their civilization.
Australia recognizes Kosovo
By DPA
Sydney : Australia formally recognized Kosovo and would soon establish diplomatic relations, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Tuesday.
Belgrade is expected to respond by recalling Serbian Ambassador to Australia Milivoje Glisic.
Glisic said he did not anticipate a permanent severance of diplomatic relations between Australia and Serbia.
"We are sorry about that decision, and such hurry, since we have traditionally good relations with Australia," he said.
Spain calls Castro’s resignation as ‘great news’
By DPA
Madrid : Spain's governing Socialist Party Tuesday described the resignation of Cuban leader Fidel Castro as "great news" if it led to a "democratic opening."
Castro, 81, who has led Cuba since 1959, Tuesday renounced his presidency and military leadership after more than a year of illness and absence from the job.
"From Spain, we will work for that to happen," said Jose Blanco, organizational secretary of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist Party.
Army helicopter crash kills seven in South Korea
By DPA
Seoul : Seven people were killed Wednesday in South Korea when an Army helicopter crashed after completing a medical emergency mission, news reports said.
The UH-1H helicopter, carrying seven military personnel, crashed in the early morning near a mountain east of Seoul, national Yonhap news agency said, citing army officials.
After delivering an emergency patient to a military hospital near Seoul, the chopper was returning to its base when the accident occurred.
Investigators were looking for clues about what caused the predawn crash.
Bush arrives in Liberia, last stop of Africa tour
By SPA
Monrovia : President George W. Bush arrived on Thursday in Liberia, the United States' staunchest ally in Africa, on the fifth and final stop of his visit to the world's poorest continent, Reuters reported.
Air Force One, carrying Bush and his wife Laura, landed at Monrovia's Spriggs Payne airport. It was the first visit in 30 years by a U.S. president to Liberia.
US military stands to gain by destroying satellite
By DPA
Washington : Top US officials have said the main reason for shooting down a spy satellite as it slipped from orbit was to protect humans from its hazardous fuel, but analysts say that the military stands to benefit in many other ways by taking out the inoperable spacecraft.
The controversial decision to hit the satellite allows the military to learn how adaptable its sea-based missile-defence system is for destroying enemy satellites, while protecting sensitive technology and thus sending a clear message to Beijing.
New dinosaur species identified in east China
By Xinhua
Hangzhou : Chinese and Japanese scientists have confirmed that a dinosaur fossil unearthed in eastern Zhejiang province in September was a new species of the dominant vertebrate animal.
The fossil, measuring five metres tall and 15 metres long, basically was a sauropod, or a large long-necked herbivorous dinosaur, in the Cretaceous period about 60 million years ago, said Jin Xingsheng, deputy curator of the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History.
The fossils were unearthed at the foot of Hugong Mountain on the outskirts of Dongyang city.
Britain: Migrants as Second-Class People
By Prensa Latina
London : British plans for immigrants outside the European Union have been attacked here as potentially discriminatory and degrading, reports Ekklesia newsletter online.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave strong backing to the new approach in a speech on the "rights and responsibilities" of British citizenship, which he likened to a premium product.
India ‘very friendly country’, says Sri Lanka
By IANS
Colombo : Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake has described India as a "very friendly country" and said his government will never do anything that harms longstanding bilateral ties.
US welcomes Russia’s willingness to discuss missile defence
By Xinhua
Washington : The US is encouraged by Russia's willingness to discuss missile defence system, White House spokesman Tony Snow has said.
Tributes paid to Indian origin anti-apartheid leader
By IANS
Durban : Rich tributes were paid to George Sewpersadh, the anti-apartheid leader of Indian origin, with mourners describing him as a people's hero during the dark days of apartheid.
WHO to create global stockpile of H5NI vaccine
By IANS
Geneva : The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it is working with vaccine manufacturers to create a global stockpile of vaccine for the H5N1 avian influenza virus.
Indian American woman gets US tech award
By IANS
New York : An Indian American has become the first person of Indian origin to win the Engelberger Robots Award for Technology Development this year.
Ousted Thai premier vows to fight “unfair” treatment in televised address
By Xinhua
Bangkok : Thailand's ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra delivered a televised speech from overseas to his supporters who rallied in central Bangkok Friday evening to demand step-down of the Council for National Security (CNS), who staged a military coup d'etat on Sept. 19 last year to oust Thaksin.
    The speech began at about 9 p.m.(1400 GMT) and lasted about 30 minutes, transmitted on a big screen set up at Sanam Luang, or Royal Field square, in front of an audience of over 40,000 demonstrators who were holding a rally there.
North Korea could shut down reactor in weeks: US envoy
By DPA
Beijing : North Korea could shut down its main nuclear reactor within a few weeks and allow negotiations on ending its nuclear weapons programme to make up time lost to a protracted bank transfer, US negotiator Christopher Hill said Monday.
Israeli nuclear spy sent back to prison
By DPA
Jerusalem : Israeli nuclear spy Mordechai Vanunu is returning to prison after a Jerusalem court convicted him Monday to six months jail for violating the terms of his parole, Israel Radio reported.
Britain’s medical community stunned over arrests
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : Britain's medical community, including doctors and health professionals of Indian origin, is stunned by the arrest of at least five doctors allegedly linked to the attempted car bomb attacks here and Glasgow.
Investigators have got to ‘bottom’ of terror cell: Brown
By DPA
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday he believed investigators had "got to the bottom of the cell" responsible for the attempted car bombings in London and Glasgow a week ago.
London holds big bash for Tour de France
By DPA
London : Still tense after the British police prevented a potentially bloody terrorist attack, the city of London Friday officially opened the 2007 Tour de France, which began Saturday with a grand ceremony in Trafalgar Square.
Nuclear talks resume as IAEA says five facilities shut down
By DPA
Beijing/Kuala Lumpur : Officials from six nations resumed negotiations Wednesday on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programme as the UN's nuclear watchdog chief confirmed that all five nuclear facilities had been shut down at the Yongbyon complex.
Formal negotiations between delegation heads from North Korea, the United States, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea began at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and were scheduled to continue into Thursday.
Merkel reaffirms support for atomic energy despite nuclear incident
By IRNA
Berlin : German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday reiterated her backing for the use of civilian atomic energy despite mounting public criticism over the handling of a recent fire at a north German nuclear power station.
Addressing a news conference in Berlin, Merkel made clear that she would still vouch for the peaceful use of nuclear energy in her country.
"Compared to other international nuclear power station operators, Germany has high standards and demands," the German leader said.
British arms exports to Israel continue unabated
By IRNA
London : British arms sales to the Zionist regime continued unabated last year despite Israel's month-long reinvasion of Lebanon, according to the latest annual report on strategic export control published by the Foreign Office.
The report revealed that 112 Standard Individual Export Licences, (SIELs) were issued to British companies applying to sell military equipment to Israel in 2006 and that a further 17 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were approved or amended.
London : British arms sales to the Zionist regime continued unabated last year despite Israel's month-long reinvasion of Lebanon, according to the latest annual report on strategic export control published by the Foreign Office.
The report revealed that 112 Standard Individual Export Licences, (SIELs) were issued to British companies applying to sell military equipment to Israel in 2006 and that a further 17 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were approved or amended.
Former French PM indicted over Clearstream scandal
By Xinhua
Paris : Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin was indicted Friday for "complicity in a case involving false accusations" over the infamous Clearstream scandal, according to one of his lawyers.
The former prime minister Friday appeared before judges, who are charged with handling investigations into the scandal, in which a plot was hatched "to tarnish the names" of prominent French politicians.
Ban announces appointments of 3 top UN officials
By Xinhua
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Friday the appointments of three top UN officials, all in the ranks of assistant secretary-general.
Guatemala's Edmond Mulet, a senior diplomat and former lawmaker, who currently serves as the secretary-general's special representative in Haiti as well as head of the Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), will become the assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, effective 1 September.
Nagasaki commemorates 62nd anniversary of atomic bombing
By RIA Novosti
Tokyo : Thousands of people Thursday gathered in Japan's Nagasaki Peace Park located near the epicentre of the 1945 atomic bombing to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the tragedy.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other officials gathered at the peace memorial and placed wreaths, where a list of over 143,000 victims was also placed. After a minute's silence, white doves were set free in the air.
The US detonated its "Fat Man" nuclear bomb over Nagasaki Aug 9, 1945.
UK remains bottom of EU holiday league
By IRNA
London : British workers will continue to receive less paid holiday than their European counterparts, despite new laws to boost their entitlement, according to new research published Monday.
Staff in Britain will be entitled to a total of 28 days paid annual leave from April 2009, under legislation recently introduced to implement a change in EU rules.
Seven dead in rainstorms in China
By Xinhua
Chengdu (China) : At least seven people have died in the incessant rainstorms that have ravaged Yibin city in southwest China's Sichuan province for the past four days.
Yibin has been experiencing torrential rains since Wednesday and recorded rainfall upto 268 mm, triggering landslides and floods.
Five people were killed in landslides, two by lightning, and one was washed away by floodwaters, according to the provincial disaster relief office.
Britain favours ‘regime change’ in Sri Lanka: top official
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS
New Delhi : Britain is looking for a "regime change" in Sri Lanka because it favours the opposition United National Party (UNP) over the present ruling party, the head of the island's peace secretariat has said.
"They would be delighted if there was a regime change," Rajiva Wijesinha, secretary general of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP), said while hitting out at sections of Western human rights groups and other interest groups.
Maoists blame palace for Kathmandu blasts
By IANS
Kathmandu : As Nepal recovers from serial blasts that killed two and injured over two dozen in Kathmandu, Maoists have begun blaming King Gyanendra's followers for the violence saying the attacks were planned to sabotage the November election.
"Monarchy has degenerated into terrorism," said the Janadesh weekly, the mouthpiece of the rebels that had been banned during the 10-year communist insurgency.
Conservative party wins Morocco polls
By RIA Novosti
Cairo : The conservative pro-government Istilqal Party has prevailed in Morocco's parliamentary elections, depriving a leading Islamic party of an expected victory, the interior minister said.
Istilqal won 52 out of 352 parliamentary seats, despite widespread expectations that hardline Justice and Development (PJD) party would come out on top.
In the elections, PJD won just 47 seats in the lower house of parliament in Friday's voting, Chakib Benmussa said.
German minister apologises for racist attack
By DPA
Berlin : German Economics Minister Michael Glos made a formal apology Tuesday to Indian Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram for the racist attack on a group of Indian men in the town of Muegeln last month.
"I most deeply regret and condemn the event in the strongest terms," Glos said on the first day of a meeting of the Indo-German Economic Commission in Berlin.
"There can be no rationalising of violence and xenophobia in an open and tolerant democracy," Glos said.
Debit card cheapest way to obtain cash abroad: study
By DPA
Singapore : Debit cards are emerging as the cheapest way to pay for purchases and withdraw cash abroad, a study said Monday.
The study of the real costs of foreign currency transactions for outbound travellers in 12 markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East by MasterCard found that debit cards had the lowest overall costs among the foreign currency products.
Cash and traveller's cheques incurred high breakage costs, the amounts spent converting unused foreign currency back into local currencies, said the report published in The Business Times.
Merkel receives World Statesman award
New York, Sep 26 (DPA) Hours before her first address to the United Nations as Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel was honoured as World Statesman by a US foundation that works for religious freedom in New York.
The award by the Appeal for Conscience Foundation was given in part for her past interventions on the side of Israel. Merkel said she was grateful for the honour and that she would continue to battle the threat of right-wing extremism in Germany.
SpiralFrog takes a jump at free online music
San Francisco, Sep 26 (DPA) In the annals of online music, there have been hundreds of so-called iPod killers that have tried to challenge Apple's shiny music players and the company's equally dominant iTunes music store.
Unfortunately, almost all of them died a quick death before they even put a scratch on their targets.
But that hasn't stopped others trying. The latest hopeful goes by the name of SpiralFrog and aims to unseat Apple by offering free legal downloads of millions of tracks.
Japan rules out sanctions against Myanmar
Tokyo, Sep 28 (RIA Novosti) Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda Friday ruled out immediate sanctions against Myanmar, Kyodo News reported.
"Much of Japan's assistance (to Myanmar) is humanitarian," Fukuda told reporters. "We won't immediately impose sanctions and should rather think about how this situation can be resolved."
Government officials also called for an investigation into the death of a Japanese photojournalist who was shot while filming the ongoing Myanmar protests.
13 dissidents arrested in Cuba
Havana, Sep 28 (IANS) At least 13 opponents of Cuba's communist government who were to take part in a march here to demand better conditions for political prisoners have been arrested, said Marta Beatriz Roque, the dissident leader of the outlawed Assembly to Promote Civil Society.
Roque said Thursday that among those arrested was Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, known as "Antunez", who was released from prison in April after serving a 17-year sentence for opposing the government, reported Spanish news agency EFE.
Putin may become Russia’s prime minister
By DPA
Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to become the top candidate of the country's dominant party in the parliamentary elections due in December, fuelling speculation he would become prime minister when his presidential term ends next year.
Putin is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term as president, and speculation has been rife about the distilling of power after upcoming elections.
US readies for ‘mass exodus’ from Cuba after Castro
By DPA
Washington : The US government is prepared for a possible mass exodus of Cubans after the death of elderly leader Fidel Castro, US-Cuba transition coordinator Caleb McCarry said.
"We have contingency plans for a possible massive exodus," McCarry said in Washington. "We have the obligation to secure our borders."
McCarry is one of the most controversial political figures in US-Cuban relations. The communist island interpreted the creation of his bureau by US President George W. Bush as a clear statement of purpose to annex Cuba in the near future.
Floods, landslides kill 33 in Vietnam
By Xinhua
Hanoi : Floods and landslides sparked by torrential rain in Vietnam's northern and central regions have killed at least 33 people since Oct 4, media reported Saturday.
Central Nghe An province reported eight dead and 14 missing, northern Thanh Hoa province six dead, and northern Yen Bai province one dead and one missing, said Vietnam's Central Television.
Meanwhile, northern Son La province had 10 dead and the northern provinces of Hoa Binh and Ninh Binh reported seven and one people dead respectively, said Vietnam News Agency.
New Nobel Prize Winner to Be Chosen Thursday
Stockholm, Oct 5 (Prensa Latina) The new Literature Nobel Prize winner will be known next Thursday, as confirmed by the Swedish Academy Friday, and the announcement caused habitual fright in cultural media.
Highly qualified authors such as Mexican Carlos Fuentes return to the list of candidates, and the names of US writers Philippe de Roth and Don DeLillo have started to sound from one mouth to the other.
But with the Nobel Prize, nothing is definitely written. In 2002, the winner was Hungarian Imre Kertesz, surprisingly, a writer of minorities, almost unknown.
Some 24 reported killed in Naval attack on ship
NEW DELHI, Oct 7 (KUNA) -- At least 24 people are believed to have been killed when Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday destroyed a ship reportedly carrying arms for Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) off the countrys southern coast.
"The attack took place in the Indian Ocean, at the high seas off Dondra Head, of the southern coastal tip of Sri Lanka this morning," a top official of Sri Lankan Navy told reporters in the capital Colombo today, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
Yangon Posters commemorate crackdown victims
By DPA
Oslo : Posters commemorating victims of the recent military crackdown were sighted at a few locations in Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar, according to accounts compiled Monday by the Oslo-based opposition radio station Democratic Voice of Burma.
Military and security forces otherwise have full control over Yangon where a nightly curfew was still in force, the radio station's news editor Moe Aye said.
Seven found killed in US small plane crash
By Xinhua
Los Angeles : Rescuers have found seven bodies after a US small plane carrying 10 people crashed in the Cascade mountains of the Washington state.
Yakima County Sheriff Ken Irwin Monday said in a statement that seven of the 10 on board "have been found deceased".
The statement said recovery efforts had been suspended for the night and were to resume Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Yakima Valley Emergency Management said it believed there were no survivors and that authorities had notified the families of the victims.
Fresh Nepal poll date not in a hurry: Koirala
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal's embattled Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has ruled out announcing fresh dates for the twice-delayed constituent assembly election "in a hurry", even as pressure mounted on him from both opposition parties and the international community for an early election.
Police grill Israeli premier for second time over bank sale
By DPA
Jerusalem : Police questioned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for a second time in two days Thursday on suspicion that he favoured a personal friend during the privatisation sale of Israel's national bank.
The questioning at Olmert's Jerusalem residence was expected to take several hours, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, adding the premier was suspected of breach of trust.
Olmert, 62, was grilled over the affair for the first time Tuesday - for five hours.
Norway firm overtakes Indians in Nepal hydropower deals
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : While over a dozen Indian companies have been waiting for nearly a year now to get the nod from the Nepal government for starting new hydropower projects in the Himalayan nation, a Norwegian joint venture has sailed ahead with two new deals under its belt.
Statkraft Norfund Power Nepal, which entered Nepal's power market last year, has bagged the licence for two hydropower projects - Tamakoshi II and III - which can together generate nearly 600 MW.
16 LTTE rebels killed in northern Sri Lanka
By Xinhua
Colombo : Sixteen Tamil Tiger rebels were killed and four government soldiers were injured in two clashes between the army and the rebels in northern Sri Lanka, defence officials said Sunday.
Defence officials said that eight Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels were killed and two soldiers were injured Saturday when the LTTE launched artillery fire on the army and soldiers retaliated in the northern district of Vavuniya between 04.00 p.m. and 06.00 p.m. local time (10.30 and 12.30 GMT).
Polish PM concedes defeat
By RIA Novosti
Warsaw, Oct 22 (RIA Novosti) Poland's Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski Monday conceded that his ruling Law and Justice Party has been defeated at early parliamentary elections held on Sunday.
With a third of ballots counted, the Central Electoral Committee said early on Monday that the liberal Civic Platform Party led the polls with 41.1 percent of the vote, while the Law and Justice Party trailed with 31.63 percent.
"We have suffered a defeat," Kaczynski said. "I congratulate Donald Tusk."
US to push NATO allies for Afghan reinforcements
NOORDWIJK, Netherlands (AFP) - The United States was to press its European allies Wednesday to provide more troops and equipment to combat the insurgency in Afghanistan, at NATO defence ministers' talks in the Netherlands.
US pushes India on N-deal, rules out fresh talks
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : The US has reiterated support for the stalled civil nuclear deal with India urging New Delhi to move forward with it, but ruled out the possibility of renegotiating the accord.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated US support for the deal in a telephonic conversion with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
Opinion poll buoys Australia’s ruling party
By DPA
Sydney : Prime Minister John Howard's conservatives have halved the lead of Kevin Rudd's Labor Party and could yet win the Nov 24 general election, an opinion poll released Tuesday showed.
Halfway through the six-week campaign, support for Labor slipped to 54 percent from 58 percent a week earlier and the ruling coalition rose to 46 percent from 42 percent.
The poll perked up the Howard camp, which has been behind in opinion polling since Rudd took over the Labor leadership in December.
Blackwater security guards granted immunity during inquiry
By Xinhua
Washington : Security guards from a private US military contractor involved in a shooting incident in Iraq have been granted immunity by State Department investigators.
According to the online edition of the New York Times Monday, the guards employed by Blackwater company to protect State Department officials in Iraq gained the limited-use immunity during an inquiry by the department's investigative arm, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (BDS).
Top banker predicts multiple cities as Asia’s financial hub
By DPA
Singapore : A top London-based banker predicts that no one city will emerge as Asia's undisputed financial hub in the next decade, a news report said Tuesday.
Excluding Japan, cities such as Mumbai, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore will all come close, but no single financial centre will dominate, said Sir Brian Pitman, senior adviser to investment bank Morgan Stanley.
Brazil denies ‘arms race’ with Venezuela
By Xinhua
Rio De Janeiro : Brazil has denied it will get into an arms race with Venezuela even if the latter imports weapons.
"If Venezuela is importing weaponry, it is their problem," said Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim Wednesday.
While testifying at the Chamber of Deputies' Foreign Relations and National Defence Committee, Jobim said the government would promote military diplomacy in South America.
The Brazilian minister is scheduled to visit all the countries on the continent in the first half of 2008.
Nepal PM cornered as Maoists, communists unite
By IANS
Kathmandu : The special session of parliament debating Nepal King Gyanendra's fate promises to turn into a major embarrassment for Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who despite leading the largest party in the government, has been cornered by a new alliance of Maoists and communists.
After parleys with the Maoists failed, a vote is expected Friday, when the debate resumes for the fifth consecutive day.
Plane searched at New York airport after bomb threat
By Xinhua
New York : A plane that landed at LaGuardia Airport, New York, was searched after a bomb threat was reported to the police, NY1 news channel reported.
All 117 passengers and five crewmembers on American Airlines flight 382 safely exited the plane after landing Thursday afternoon.
The plane was from Chicago O'Hare. The Transportation Security Administration said that a man phoned and said he got the information from the Internet.
FBI agents find Blackwater shootings unjustified
By DPA
Washington : Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) believe most of the 17 fatal shootings of Iraqis in September by private security guards in Baghdad were unjustified, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The Sep 16 shootings at a major Baghdad intersection by employees of the Blackwater security firm protecting US State Department officials sparked uproar about the use of private guards in Iraq.
Death penalty moratorium wins first round in UN
By DPA
New York : A UN General Assembly committee has adopted a moratorium on the death penalty after countries that want to maintain the practice failed to push through amendments that would have derailed it.
The UN human rights committee Thursday voted 99-52, with 33 abstentions, to approve the moratorium, which proponents said should ultimately lead to the abolition of capital punishment. The death penalty has already been abolished by 130 countries.
Stress at work? Elders handle it better
By IANS
New York : Guess it's because they have seen it all before -- older and more experienced employees display lower levels of stress than their younger colleagues, says a new study.
The study, by researchers at the University of Michigan, also found that, unlike younger workers, only two percent of the older employees said their personal lives interfered with work.
Findings of the study were presented Monday at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America.
11 people killed in landslides, flash floods in Philippines
By DPA
Manila : At least 11 people were killed in landslides and flash floods triggered by several days of heavy rain in the Philippines, officials said Tuesday.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council said more than 3,000 people have been displaced by the rains brought by Tropical Storm Lando.
Several cities in the eastern, central and southern Philippines have been flooded.
Five of the victims were buried when a mine tunnel collapsed Monday in Placer town in Surigao del Norte province, 965 km south of Manila.
Oil rises above $99 a barrel in Asian trading
By DPA
Singapore : The price of crude oil hit a record Wednesday in Asian trading, surpassing $99 per barrel.
The price of light US crude, which is seen as a reference point for worldwide oil prices, rose to $99.20 per barrel in Singapore.
The hike in Asia came after the price of light, sweet crude for January delivery also surpassed $99 for the first time in New York.
It rose as high as $99.29 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Global warming could trigger wars, economic meltdown
By DPA
Hong Kong : Global warming could trigger wars, economic upheaval and population shifts, scientists in Hong Kong have said following a study of the effects of extreme temperatures.
Researchers from the University of Hong Kong have found that extreme cold weather in the past centuries has coincided with wars, population collapse and economic crises. The ratio of wars in a cold climate was almost double the ratio of wars in a warm climate and periods of social turmoil over the centuries coincided with extreme weather, they found.
Our moon uncommon, say astronomers
By IANS
New York : Though moons are common enough in the universe, ours is rather uncommon, according to a new study by US astronomers.
The Earth's moon, the subject of much art, myth and poetry, was formed out of a tremendous collision, a rare event seen in less than 10 percent of moon formations, Sciencedaily.com reported.
The study, based on new observations by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, was undertaken by researchers at the University of Florida and appears in the latest edition of the Astrophysical Journal.
EP Austrian member criticizes Sarkozy
By KUNA
Vienna : An Austrian member in the European Parliament (EP) criticized on Friday President Nicolas Sarkozy's recent speech to the EP.
Austrian National News Agency (APA) quoted Vice Chairman of the Socialist Group at EP Hannes Swoboda as saying France was not expected to make a serious contribution to improving the social situation in Europe after Sarkozy's speech.
UN envoy calls for halt to arrests in Myanmar
By DPA
Hanoi : The UN special envoy to Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari expressed concern Monday over fresh reports of arrests of opposition leaders by the military junta, and sought the help of the Vietnamese communist government to persuade the military regime in Myanmar to engage in dialogue.
Last week, Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy reported the arrest of at least one of its senior leaders. Other dissidents reported that a Buddhist monk and a labour-rights leader had been detained two months after the bloody crackdown on mass protests in September.
U.S. police release surveillance images of Omaha mall gunman
By Xinhua
Washington : U.S. police released Friday surveillance images of the 19 year-old gunman who went on a shooting rampage in a shopping mall in Omaha, Neb. Wednesday, killing 8 people before committing suicide.
The images show Robert Hawkins walking into the Westroads Mall unarmed, unmasked, in a black sweat shirt and pants and glasses, according to TV and wire news reports.
Hawkins returned 6 minutes later with an apparent bulge under his sweat shirt.
EU-Africa summit sets up roadmap for new partnership
By Xinhua
Lisbon : Heads of state and government to the second European Union (EU)-Africa Summit, which closed here on Sunday, endorsed a joint strategy aimed at a new partnership between the two continents.
Four main objectives are included in the joint strategy, with reinforcing and elevating the EU-Africa political partnership as the priority. The partnership envisages strengthening institutional ties and addressing common challenges, especially peace and security, migration and development, as well as environment protection.
Spanish prince, Chavez exchange pleasantries
By IANS
Buenos Aires : Spain's Crown Prince Felipe and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez greeted each other here at a gala dinner hosted by the Argentine government for dignitaries attending the swearing-in of President Cristina Fernandez, an official Spanish source was quoted by EFE news agency as saying.
The greeting - the first personal exchange after a spat between Chavez and the prince's father, King Juan Carlos, at the Ibero-American Summit in Chile - came Sunday before dinner.
Sri Lankan human rights situation criticised
By IANS
Geneva : The rights situation in Sri Lanka came in for sharp criticism here Tuesday from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour.
"Regrettably, the various national institutions and mechanisms that could be expected to safeguard human rights have failed to deliver adequate protection," Arbour said addressing the 6th session of the Human Rights Council.
Arbour was on a mission to Sri Lanka recently from Oct 9-12 at the invitation of Persident Rajapakse.
Cuba, Russia Review Trade Ties
By Prensa Latina
Moscow : Cuban Minister of Government Ricardo Cabrisas concluded a working visit to Russia on Monday, part of consultations between the two countries" foreign ministries, a diplomatic source informed.
During his stay in Moscow, Cabrisas, who presides over the Cuban-Russian Inter-Governmental Committee for Economic Cooperation, was received by Russian Finance Minister and Vice President of the Ministerial Cabinet Alexei Kudrin.
Chavez slams US media war
By NNN-Prensa Latina
Buenos Aires : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez denounced that the US government is jacking up its media war against his country and other peoples.
"Venezuela has a media bombing and we did not really know how to fight it," said Chavez in the "Culture Meeting for Integration of Our America Peoples" held in Buenos Aires on Dec 11.
The statesman said that the current administration in Bolivia also faces an arbitrary manipulation of media, which is a front of very hard ideas, which we sometimes do not know how to counterattack.
Nepal government buys time with April poll promise
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Faced with the possibility of the constitution becoming null and void after midnight Saturday, the Nepal government put together a show of solidarity just hours before the deadline, promising parliament that it would hold the twice postponed election by mid-April.
Russians detained in Georgia are not peacekeepers – commander
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Three Russians detained by Georgian military police in western Georgia are not peacekeepers, the commander of the CIS peacekeeping force in the Georgian -Abkhazian conflict zone said on Sunday.
The Georgian defense ministry said earlier on Sunday that three Russian peacekeepers from the contingent of collective peacekeeping forces in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone were detained on the night of December 22-23 in the town of Poti for breaching the 12-km (7.5-mile) security zone along the Inguri River where UN blue helmets are stationed.
Thai People’s Power Party Seeks Allies
Bangkok, Dec 24 (Prensa Latina) The People's Power Party, winner of Sunday's elections in Thailand, confirmed on Monday that it won the majority of seats in the House of Representatives, after an alliance with minority parties.
General Secretary Surapong Suebwonglee said the PPP and its associates can have between 280 and 290 seats of the 480 in Parliament, enough to shape the coalition Minister Council.
Search for 14 missing sailors continues in South Korea
By RIA Novosti
Seoul : South Korea's Navy and Coast Guard are searching for 14 missing sailors after a freighter sank on Tuesday off the South Korean coast, the Yonhap news agency said.
The Taiwan-bound vessel, Eastern Bright, with a crew of 15 - 12 Koreans and three Myanmarese - left the South Korean port city of Yeosu late Monday carrying toxic chemicals. Early on Tuesday it sent a distress call and disappeared from radar screens.
Killings, accidents mar Christmas celebrations in Guatemala
By IANS
Guatemala City : At least 11 people have been killed and more than 20 injured in shootings and accidents during the Christmas holiday in Guatemala, emergency service officials have said.
Six people have been gunned down in separate incidents while accidents claimed five lives across the country, Spain's EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
According to the emergency services department, all the accident fatalities were reported from western and southern coastal region of the Central American country.
Canada wants Musharraf not to stop poll process
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS
Toronto : Canada joined the international community in condemning the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper calling it an attack on democracy and stability in the South Asian region. Harper urged Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf not to let the terrorists derail the elections set for Jan 8.
"This cannot be allowed to permit any delay in the return of Pakistan to full democracy...something the people of Pakistan have been waiting for, for far too long."
Oxford Union to debate secularism in Bhutto’s honour
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : The Oxford Union, which calls itself the world's most prestigious debating society, is to hold a special debate next month in memory of a famous past president - slain former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto.
Bhutto was president of the debating society in 1977, the first Asian woman to hold the post.
Tensions rise as 2008 White House votes loom
DES MOINES, Iowa (AFP) - White House candidates battled in duelling rallies and airwaves saturated with attacks ads Saturday, five days before Iowa activists make their picks in the first 2008 nominating contests.
Democratic hopeful Barack Obama turned his fire on rival John Edwards, and kept up the heat on former first lady Hillary Clinton, in the latest hostilities in a running soundbite joust over who can best spark change.
Norway mulling alternative energy — Petroleum Minister
By KUNA
Oslo : The Norwegian government is seriously considering use of alternative energy resources to reduce reliance on oil, revealed Petroleum Minister Aslaug Haga in an interview with a paper here Wednesday.
The minister told the widely popular daily, "Aftenposten," the ministry is very keen on implementation of environment safety measures throughout oil production. However, Haga stressed this is not the sole source of CO2 emissions and an overall strict environment safety system is the world's best means to bring about improvement in environment conditions.
U.S. Justice Dept. opens criminal probe into CIA tape destruction
By Xinhua
Washington : The U.S. Justice Department opened on Wednesday a criminal investigation into the destruction of interrogation videotapes by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
"The Department's National Security Division has recommended, and I have concluded, that there is a basis for initiating a criminal investigation of this matter, and I have taken steps to begin that investigation," Attorney General Michael Mukasey said in a statement.
PDRK Slams Wall between the Two Koreas
By Prensa Latina
Pyongyang : Democratic Korea criticized on Sunday a concrete wall that divides the nation in two, to the South of the military demarcation line, which has been instigated by the US occupying forces.
A comment in the Rodong Sinmun, official organ of the KLP (Korean Labor Party), said this symbol of confrontation and division should be demolished immediately.
It is a national disgrace that this physical wall remains in the current reunification era, a witness of the opening of wide paths for development of inter-Korean relations, the article said.
Sri Lanka will consider talks if LTTE lays down arms
By IANS
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government said Thursday that it would consider peace talks if the guerrillas laid down arms and came to the negotiating table.
"We have not closed the door for talks," cabinet spokesman Anura Priyadarshana Yapa told the media here.
"In future, if the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) lays down arms and comes for talks, the government will reconsider its stand," he said.
Obama, Huckabee score upset wins in US presidential race
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : Democrat Barrack Obama, hoping to become the first black American president, won the first of the 50 US presidential nomination contests delivering an unexpected setback to former first lady Hillary Clinton.
On the Republican side too, underdog Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and a Baptist preacher, surged past former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney as the two major party's supporters kicked off the 2008 presidential race with caucuses in Iowa Thursday.
North Korea Ready for US N-Promises
By Prensa Latina
Pyongyang : The People ó s Democratic Republic of Korea Friday denounced the US delays in the fulfilment of the agreements signed in the six-party talks on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
According to a report by the government Minju Joson newspaper, though the PDRK has fulfilled its commitments, it has been forced to reduce the pace in the closure of the nuclear facilities.
Key Nepal election rescheduled for early April
By DPA
Kathmandu : The Nepalese government Friday fixed April 10 as the date for a key election to choose a constituent assembly that will rewrite the country's new constitution and ratify parliament's decision to abolish the monarchy.
"The decision of the cabinet is in line with the decision of the top leaders that includes Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and the Maoist Chairman Prachanda to hold the elections by mid-April," Minister for Information Krishna Bahadur Mahara said following the cabinet decision Friday.
Rescuers recovering gas blast victims in Zheleznovodsk
By IRNA-Itar-Tass
Yessentuki (the Stavropol territory) : A strong blast went off at about 2. 30 a. m. Moscow time Monday at a fire- storey apartment block in Lenin Street in Zheleznovodsk, the Stavropol territory, a source in the municipal authorities told Itar-Tass on Monday.
One wing of the apartment block was destroyed, another part of the house was strongly destroyed, the roof was partially damaged. Eight people were hospitalized in grave condition, at least six people are entrapped under the debris. Some casualties are possible.
Nepal Maoists want poll process deferred by 15 days
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : As the countdown to Nepal's ill-fated critical national election started, the Maoist party that had earlier opposed the exercise urged that the poll process be postponed by a fortnight.
Prachanda, chairperson of the once banned Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, that had prevented the crucial constituent assembly election from being held last November, has asked the multi-party government to put off by 15 days the implementation of the election code of conduct, which was to have been enforced from Wednesday.
European Parliament calls for fresh polls in Kenya
By DPA
Strasbourg : The European Parliament Thursday urged that new presidential elections be held in Kenya in view of the controversy and unrest following the election outcome.
If new elections were not possible, then at least there should be a fair re-counting of the ballots by an independent body, a resolution passed by parliament in Strasbourg said.
It also said that in the future, Kenya needed a truly independent election commission that would assure free and fair voting.
Nicholas Burns, US pointman on n-deal, quits
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : Nicholas Burns, Washington's key negotiator of the India-US nuclear deal, has decided to quit the Bush administration for what were described as personal reasons.
Announcing the surprise resignation of Burns, 51, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday: "This is a very bittersweet time for us because Nick Burns had decided that it is time for him to retire.
"He has decided that it's the right moment to go back to family concerns."
Sobhraj hopes 13 will prove lucky for him
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : From his bleak cell in Kathmandu's central prison, Charles Sobhraj, serving a 20-year jail term for an ancient crime, is waiting for Feb 13, hoping the date considered inauspicious by many will prove lucky for him.
The 63-year-old, whose hope to be free was dashed by Nepal's Supreme Court last month, is gearing for a fresh legal battle with the apex court ordering a retrial.
While he waits for the Feb 13 retrial, Sobhraj is also exploring other avenues to freedom.
Polish PM’s Moscow visit may address talks on new EU-Russia pact
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : The issue of negotiations on a new EU-Russia partnership pact may be discussed during Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's visit to Moscow on February 8, Poland's foreign minister said on Monday.
Poland has blocked Russia's talks with the European Union on a strategic cooperation treaty, which expired last year, in protest against an embargo on Polish agricultural exports to the country. Russia resumed meat imports in December in a goodwill gesture to Warsaw's new center-right government.
Nepal Sherpas pray for Hillary’s rebirth
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Last nostalgic tributes are pouring in from Nepal's mountaineering community as the hardy Sherpas, Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary's closest companions, tearfully remember the New Zealander who gave them the precious gifts of education, health and livelihood.
"We Sherpas pray that Hillary is reborn," 81-year-old Chhiring Dorjee Sherpa said.
Condition of stretched UK armed forces deteriorating — MPs warn
By KUNA
London : The huge strains on Britain's armed forces are driving out experienced personnel and undermining morale, an influential group of MPs warned Monday.
The performance of the forces is "deteriorating" after five years of running at full stretch in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the all-party House of Commons Defence Committee.
It is "unacceptable" that troops are still not getting enough rest time, and budgets are being put under even more pressure by spiralling costs for major equipment projects, the committee said.
25 killed in China bus accident
By Xinhua
Guiyang (China) : At least 25 people were killed after their bus veered off a slippery mountainous road in the southwestern Guizhou province Tuesday morning, officials said.
A 35-seater passenger bus, carrying 38 people, veered off a highway in the mountainous area of Zunyi City and plunged into a 40-foot-deep valley at about 7.40 a.m., officials with the provincial work safety supervision administration said.
Two passengers were in a critical condition, while 11 people received minor injuries, doctors said.
Japan aims to halve greenhouse gas
By DPA
Tokyo : Japan may need to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than half by 2050 without a joint international effort to fight global warming, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Tuesday.
"If other countries cannot join efforts to halve global greenhouse gas emissions, advanced countries, including Japan, will be required to achieve bigger targets," Fukuda said at a parliamentary session.
Two killed in drive-by shootings in southern Thailand
By Xinhua
Bangkok : Suspected insurgents shot and killed two local residents in Thailand's southernmost provinces of Yala and Pattani on Wednesday morning, police said.
A 32-year-old government official was killed in a drive-by shooting in Yala province early Wednesday, according to the Bangkok Post's web news.
In the neighboring Pattani province, a 52-year-old security guard at a car showroom was shot dead in the morning when he was going home from night shift work.
Spain offers $44 million for projects in African Union
By IANS
Addis Ababa : Spain has offered 30 million euros ($44.3 million) to the African Union to carry out peace and political stability projects in the continent, Spain's news agency EFE reported Wednesday.
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos made the announcement after he arrived in Ethiopia, the last stop on an African tour that has taken him to Mali, Guinea Bissau and the Congo.
Moratinos' visit comes in response to Madrid's desire to express its support to the AU on the occasion of its annual summit that is being held in Addis Ababa this week.
UK students paint bleak picture of future civilization
London, Jan 30, IRNA ,British students are overwhelming pessimistic about the future of human civilization, painting a bleak picture of social and environmental degradation in the next 25 years, according to a new survey published Wednesday.
More than three quarters of students, 78 per cent, believe serious change is needed if society is going to survive into the next century.
Only 16 per cent said they believe the British government is doing 'a lot' to bring about change. Less than a quarter thought Prime Minister Gordon Brown is genuinely committed to tackling climate change.
Berlin public transportation workers to hold 39-hour warning strike
By IRNA
Berlin : Berlin public transportation employees are to hold a 39-hour warning strike effective midnight Thursday, media reports quoted union officials as saying.
Berlin's subways, busses, trams and municipal trains will be out of service as some 12,000 BVG public transportation workers will stage a walkout over demands for a 12 percent salary hike.
Most residents of Berlin as well as sightseeing foreign tourists depend heavily on the BVG to get around the city.
Germany had been the scene of repeated nationwide railway strikes over the past months.
UN: 2008 to Be Year of Planet Earth
By Prensa Latina
Paris : This year, proclaimed International Year of Planet Earth by the UN General Assembly, will be officially inaugurated February 12 and 13 in Paris, UNESCO informed on Friday.
The event, at the UNESCO headquarters, will be attended by invitees of UNESCO General Director Koichiro Matsuura and includes top level scientists and presidents and CEOs of important corporations in charge of policy.
The event will also be attended by students from many countries, rewarded for their creativity in a contest dealing with the issue organized in 2007.
Sri Lanka Dynamite Attack Kills 10
By Prensa Latina
Colombo : A bomb explosion on a bus in the convulsive northeast of Sri Lanka killed at least 10 people Monday and left an incalculable number of wounded during celebrations for the 60th anniversary of independence from British rule.
The attack occurred in Weli Oya, where fierce fights between government troops and Tamil separatists are taking place, and celebrations are being held amid strong security measures.
Bush requests $720 mn for missile defence in Europe
By RIA Novosti
Washington : In his 2009 financial year budget proposal, US President George W. Bush has requested $719.8 million to deploy elements of the US missile shield in Europe.
The US administration is planning to construct a base for 10 two-stage missile interceptors in Poland, modify its X-band radar on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific and relocate it to the Czech Republic, and to deploy a new forward-based radar to an unspecified location.
British think tank warns Russian exit from CFE would harm Europe
By RIA Novosti
London : The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a U.K.-based political-military research institute, warned on Tuesday that if Russia abandons the CFE treaty there could be serious consequences for Europe.
Russia imposed in December 2007 a unilateral moratorium on the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty on arms reduction, but said it would resume its participation after North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries ratify the document.
Spring Festival begins with millions in cold and dark
By Xinhua
Beijing : China began its weeklong Lunar New Year festival Wednesday, but millions will spend the nation's biggest celebrations in the cold and dark in the wake of the worst winter in 100 years.
Citizens in Chenzhou, a city of about four million in central China, have already prepared torches and candles as necessities for doing new year shopping, in addition to meat, beef, edible oil, vegetable, new garments, wine and tobacco.
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