Russian planes in Venezuela a warning to US: Chavez
By ANTARA News,
Caracas : The presence of two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers in Venezuela is a "warning" to the US "empire," President Hugo Chavez said Thursday, as Washington said it was monitoring the deployment.
"It's a warning. Russia is with us ... we are strategic allies. It is a message to the empire. Venezuela is no longer poor and alone," Chavez was quoted by AFP as saying during a public event Thursday.
Aid agencies’ removal from rebel-held areas temporary: Rajapaksa
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that pulling out aid agencies from areas held by the Tamil Tigers in the island's north was "only a temporary measure to ensure their own safety" and assured that they would be allowed to return once the region is cleared of rebels.
British supermarket launches dental service
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : Mary Gilfoyle's teeth were troubling her and her NHS dentist wouldn't see her for another two days. She braved the pain and went shopping, where she had a surprise in store.
A freshly enclosed section of the Sainsbury's supermarket in Greater Manchester drew her attention. She went inside and entered Britain's first ever supermarket dentistry. By the time she checked out, the 51-year-old's toothache was gone and she had to pay much less than at her NHS surgery.
Four injured after suspected LTTE bus bombing in Colombo
By IANS,
Colombo : An alert conductor ordered passengers to quickly get off a bus here Tuesday after noticing a suspicious parcel, which later exploded injuring four people, the military authorities said, blaming the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the blast.
A huge explosion rocked the bus at Horton Place in the upscale Colombo 7 region around 1.50 p.m.
Russia to address militarization of space at UN General Assembly
By RIA Novosti,
United Nations : The demilitarization of space and preventing the glorification of Nazism will be top priorities for the Russian delegation at the UN General Assembly, Russia's envoy to the UN said.
"For us, our draft resolution against militarization of space will be of particular importance," Vitaly Churkin said Tuesday as the 63d session of the General Assembly opened Tuesday at the UN headquarters in New York.
Russia seals ties with Georgia rebels, igniting Western protests
By AFP,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday signed broad cooperation pacts with two rebel regions of Georgia, prompting charges of "annexation" by Tbilisi and fierce condemnation from Washington.
"We will give each other all necessary support, including military support," Medvedev said, after a pomp-filled Kremlin signing ceremony flanked by the separatist leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Ugandan rebels attack villages, military base in Sudan
By DPA,
Nairobi/Juba : About 100 militants of the Uganda Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) attacked a military base and three villages in southern Sudan, kidnapping about 50 children, the BBC reported.
The children were taken to rebel hideouts after the attack which occurred Friday, a Catholic priest was quoted as saying. A UN spokesman said the attack was an indication that the LRA was trying to increase its troop levels.
A four-year-old child and one soldier were killed in the attack, regional information minister Joseph Ngere told DPA.
Russia opposes new UN sanctions on Iran
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia is opposed to any new UN measures against Iran over its disputed nuclear programme for now, the foreign ministry said Saturday.
The statement came after six world powers met Friday to discuss a fourth round of UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic suspected of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
The meeting in Washington brought no agreement.
Tehran insists it pursues nuclear research to generate electricity.
"We spoke out against extra measures by the UN Security Council at the current stage," the ministry said.
Dangerous chemical found in Nestle milk
By DPA,
Hong Kong : The melamine industrial chemical added to milk that has killed four babies and affected hundreds more in China has been found in Nestle-brand milk sold in Hong Kong, officials said Sunday.
Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety announced Sunday evening that a sample of Nestle Dairy Farm Pure Milk made in China and sold in the city of 6.9 million was found to contain a low level of the chemical.
Canadian faces $1.2 mn fine for depleting ozone layer
By IANS,
Toronto : A Canadian faces $1.2m in fines for releasing ozone-depleting Halon-1301 from a fire-suppression system at his property in Burnaby near Vancouver.
Halons, used in fire extinguishers, are the most dangerous form of ozone-depleting substance.
Scientists say Halon-1301 not only eats the ozone layer, but is also a deadly greenhouse gas "thousands of times more powerful" than carbon dioxide. Although Halon-1301 is a liquid, it vapourises instantly on release.
Found: A reef, 650 million years old
By IANS,
Sydney : Three scientists have located in the middle of a desert the remains of a giant underwater reef - with a plateau 10 times higher than the Great Barrier Reef - in the Northern Flinders Ranges in outback South Australia.
The 20-km wide reef is about 650 million years old and is the only known reef complex of this age. The next closest aged series of reefs found to-date are around 800 million years old and located in Arctic Canada.
Chinese president hopes US moves will stabilise market
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Chinese President Hu Jintao Monday spoke to his US counterpart George W. Bush over the phone and expressed his confidence that Washington would overcome the financial market crisis being felt worldwide.
Bush briefed Hu on the latest development of the US financial market, saying his government was well aware of the scope of the problem, and had taken necessary measures to stabilize the domestic and world markets.
France to help Brazil build nuclear submarine
By RIA Novosti,
Rio de Janeiro : France will help Brazil build a nuclear-powered submarine to protect vast oil reserves off its coast, the Brazilian defence minister said Tuesday.
Speaking during a large-scale military exercise involving the army, navy and air force, along the Brazilian coast, Nelson Jobim said France will transfer technology to Brazil for building a nuclear submarine.
"We will build the nuclear submarine together. Brazil will be responsible for the conventional part of the project," he said.
‘Washington Chalo’ by Indian Americans for n-deal
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : A key Senate panel's approval for the India-US civil nuclear agreement came amid hectic efforts by Indian American community leaders on Capitol Hill to get the deal done before lawmakers break for the Nov 4 elections.
Community leaders from across America gathered here Tuesday for "A Day of Advocacy" organised by the US-India Friendship Council, an umbrella group of all of the community's political, social and professional organisations.
Chavez backs Sarkozy’s call for financial summit
By IANS,
Paris : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has backed the proposal by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to hold a "heads of state summit" in December to deal with the global financial crisis, EFE news agency reported Saturday.
Chavez made that statement after meeting Sarkozy afternoon at the Elysee Palace Friday.
The Venezuelan president expressed his wish that the summit proposed by Sarkozy "not be confined to the Group of Eight (G8)", which includes the seven richest countries in the world and Russia.
Dalai Lama ‘saddened’ over lives lost in Tibet quake
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has expressed grief over the lives lost in the strong quake that rocked Tibet Monday, an official statement of the Tibetan government-in-exile said here Tuesday.
In a message to the quake-hit families, the spiritual guru said: "I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and property as a result of the earthquake that struck Damxung county and neighbouring areas west of Lhasa."
US weapons deal ‘poisoned’ military ties: China
By DPA,
Beijing : China's foreign ministry Tuesday said a US arms deal for Taiwan had "poisoned" military ties between Washington and Beijing, but it did not confirm US reports that China had cancelled some bilateral meetings.
"The United States ignored the opposition of China to sell military arms to Taiwan, which poisoned the Sino-US relationship and also harmed the sound atmosphere between the two militaries," ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.
Chinese plans to reduce contact ‘unfortunate’: US
By DPA,
Washington : China's decision to reduce contacts with the US over weapons sales to Taiwan is "unfortunate", the US State Department said Tuesday, while pledging to continue working with Beijing.
"It's an unfortunate decision that the Chinese have taken," deputy spokesman Robert Wood said.
China strongly opposed the plans announced last week to sell $6.4 billion in arms to Taiwan, and said US-Chinese military relations would be "poisoned" over the deal.
Presidential election begins in Maldives
By Xinhua,
Male : The first-ever multi party presidential election began Wednesday in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Maldives with six candidates contesting the presidency.
The incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has been the president since November 1978, will run for the presidency representing the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party).
Britain announces $87 bn bailout plan for banks
By DPA,
London : The British government Wednesday announced a major rescue package for leading banks of 50 billion pounds ($87 billion) to stabilize the banking system, according to a statement to the London Stock Exchange.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, detailing the plan in a written statement to the London stock market Wednesday, has said it was aimed at placing the banking industry on a long term "sound footing."
A government spokesman said the plan was aimed at securing the "substantial restructuring of banking."
Ukrainian president dissolves parliament, calls snap elections
By RIA Novosti,
Kiev : Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko dissolved parliament on Wednesday evening and announced snap elections in the country.
The step was taken due to a failure by members of parliament to form a new ruling coalition.
Yushchenko, currently on a visit to Italy, announced the former Soviet republic's third general elections in less than three years during a pre-recorded speech on national television. No date was set for the polls.
North Korea bans IAEA monitors from all nuclear facilities
By DPA,
Vienna : North Korea has banned inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from all facilities at its nuclear complex in Yongbyon, the agency said Thursday.
According to an IAEA document sent to member states, Pyongyang told inspectors Thursday: "Since it is preparing to restart the facilities, Agency monitoring of the shut down and sealing of these facilities ... is no longer appropriate."
The reclusive communist regime also announced it had stopped disabling its nuclear facilities.
Report: Russian strategic bombers launch cruise missiles
By Xinhua,
Moscow : Russia's Tu-95MS strategic bombers launched cruise missiles Saturday following an earlier report that it test-launched a long-distance ballistic missile in the same day, the Interfax news agency reported.
"The Tu-95MS aircraft of Russia's Long Range Aviation took off from tactical airfields and successfully launched training cruise missiles in the Arctic region of the country," Col. Lieut. Vladimir Drik, aide to the Russian Air Forces commander said.
The missiles accurately hit training targets at the firing range, he said.
Islamophobia escalating in UK prisons, says human rights group
By IRNA,
London : The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) Saturday expressed deep concern about an ever-increasing complaints it as been receiving from Muslim prisons suffering from Islamophobia in British jails.
"The problem is widespread, our caseload is not limited to Whitemoor, Belmarsh and Frankland (top security prisons)," IHRC chair Massoud Shadjareh said.
Complaints ranged from the desecration of the holy Qur'an, strip searching male inmates in the presence of female guards armed with video cameras, removal of legal papers and use of dogs amongst other mistreatment.
Europe must go beyond G7 in finance crisis: EU
By DPA,
Paris : The European response to the global financial crisis must go beyond the proposals made Friday by the G7 finance ministers, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Sunday in Paris.
"The G7 finance ministers took some good decisions. They expressed important general principles. But we must go beyond that ... by offering a more detailed plan for the euro zone and Europe," Barroso said before the start of a summit meeting of the leaders of the euro-zone nations in the French capital.
Eurozone governments propose massive bank rescue
By DPA,
Paris : The leaders of the 15 eurozone countries Sunday proposed a wide-ranging rescue plan, which includes a measure for governments to guarantee interbank loans, to restore confidence in Europe's banking system.
The loan-guarantee measure, decided at the first-ever eurozone summit, is intended to convince banks to lend money to each other.
The reluctance of banks to give loans is at the heart of the financial crisis and has pushed industrial nations to the brink of recession.
Germany to inject $95 bn in finance rescue scheme
By DPA,
Berlin : Germany is to inject 70 billion euros ($95 billion) into the banking system this week as part of a rescue plan for the world economic system, officials said Monday.
Up to 400 billion euros more would be offered in government guarantees.
A copy of the draft legislation obtained by DPA indicates Germany will set up a government fund that will inject money into the banks while accepting troubled assets from the banks as security.
EU to establish strategic partnership with Mexico
By KUNA,
Luxembourg : The European Union Foreign Ministers Council gave the green light here today to the proposal by the European Commission to establish a strategic partnership with Mexico. The Council in a statement noted that since 1960 the European Union and Mexico have maintained unbroken relations which have been constantly consolidated and deepened.
Economics Nobel for Paul Krugman of the US
By IANS,
Stockholm : The Nobel Prize in Economics for 2008 was Monday awarded to Paul Krugman of the US for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity.
Krugman, 55, 1953 is professor at Princeton University.
British government defeated over controversial anti-terrorism bill
By DPA,
London : The British government was forced Monday to drop controversial plans to allow terrorism suspects to be detained for up to six weeks without charge after the measure was defeated in the upper house of parliament, the House of Lords.
Home Secretary Jacquie Smith said after the vote, which rejected the measure 309-118, that the proposal to extend detention from currently 28 days to 42 days would be taken out of a package of anti- terrorism legislation.
Hannah Foster murder trial begins, Kohli denies charges
By IANS,
London : It is a sordid drama spanning five years and two countries, but the law has finally caught up with Indian Maninder Pal Singh Kohli who is being tried In Britain for raping and murdering 17-year-old Hannah Foster in 2003.
Kohli, 40, who had escaped to India immediately after the murder, was extradited to Britain last year. He went on trial at the Winchester Crown Court Tuesday but denies all charges.
G8 leaders call for global summit on financial crisis
By DPA,
Brussels : The leaders of the world's seven richest countries and Russia called Wednesday for a global summit to address the current financial crisis and a revival of world trade talks.
"While our focus now is on the immediate task of stabilizing markets and restoring confidence, changes to the regulatory and institutional regimes for the world's financial sectors are needed to remedy deficiencies exposed by the current crisis," a joint statement from the leaders said.
Formulation Of Coastal Policy In Namibia Ongoing
By Bernama,
Windhoek : The Namibian coast is viewed as a zone with multiple uses, where conservation and development can go hand-in-hand, hence the public and other stakeholders are invited to attend meetings to finalise the formulation of a Coastal Policy, co-ordinator of the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management (NACOMA) project in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), Timo Mufeti said on Wednesday.
`I`m not President Bush,` says McCain
By ANTARA News,
Hempstead : Republican White House hopeful John McCain angrily distanced himself Wednesday from the current administration saying he was not President George W. Bush.
"Senator Obama, I'm not President Bush. If you want to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago. I'm going to give a new direction to this economy and this country," McCain was quoted by AFP as telling his Democratic White House rival Barack Obama.
Credit crunch slowing down global peace efforts: Ahtisaari
By DPA,
London : The credit crunch is slowing down peacemaking in the world's conflict zones by undermining the economic development of war-torn countries, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari said here Friday.
"It will not help us solve conflict with no economic development in those countries. We are avoiding taking the tough decisions that are needed," the former Finnish president told foreign journalists.
However, the 71-year-old said he basically remained optimistic about the future of world peace.
China gives foreign journalists more freedom
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China has issued new rules on reporting activities by foreign correspondents on its territory, allowing them to interview without application to foreign affairs departments.
"The new rules follow the major principles and spirits of the media regulations introduced for the Beijing Olympics," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a late night press conference Friday.
US economy in recession, does not bode well for the world
By Oleg Mityayev, RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The US economy appears to be in a recession, Janet L. Yellen, chief of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, has said. By admitting this, she stated the obvious: the US gross domestic product (GDP) was down 0.2 percent in the third quarter of 2008, with US economists forecasting a 0.8 percent fall in the fourth quarter.
Britain reveals close encounters of the weird kind
By IANS,
London : The British defence ministry has released hitherto-secret files revealing a string of unexplained UFO sightings, including a near-miss encounter between a passenger jet and a brown missile-shaped object.
Nineteen files containing details of a host of unexplained close encounters with and sightings of UFOs between 1986 and 1992 have been made available online by the National Archives - with another 200 expected to be released over the next four years.
Zimbabwe talks delayed because of opposition leader’s absence
By Xinhua,
Nairobi : Zimbabwean parties' talks on forming a unity government were delayed by a week because the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai refused to attend a summit held in Swaziland Monday, according to reports of agencies.
Tsvangirai did not attend the meeting of the security committee of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to seek a breakthrough in Zimbabwe's deadlock over allocation of ministries, because he was denied a passport, agencies reported.
Commonwealth needs to be proactive, says media body
By Mahendra Ved, IANS,
Kuching (Malaysia) : The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA), meeting here through the last week, cautioned Commonwealth members that the 53-nation body could itself become irrelevant if the watchdogs are starved.
‘Credit tsunami’ means job losses unavoidable: Ex-Fed chief
By DPA,
Washington : Former US Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan warned Thursday that a "significant rise" in unemployment is unavoidable as the United States works through a massive financial crisis.
Greenspan, who headed the US central bank from 1987 to 2006, also accepted some of the blame for the lax regulation during his tenure, which precipitated the credit freeze now gripping the country.
"We are in the midst of a once in a century credit tsunami," Greenspan said in prepared remarks before the Oversight Committee of the US House of Representatives.
Space tourist Garriott, cosmonauts return to Earth
By DPA,
Moscow : A Russian Soyuz space capsule Friday returned to the Earth safely, carrying its crew of Russian cosmonauts and a US space tourist.
The capsule with Richard Garriott, a computer games designer and son of NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, who paid $30 million to follow in his father's footsteps, landed safely around 0330 GMT in the Kazakh steppe.
"Start and landing went according to plan. Now helicopters and search units are flying to the landing site," Valeri Lyndin a spokesman of the flight control near Moscow, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
Women’s disabled home to get Australian Diwali gift
By IANS,
Sydney : A home for mentally disabled women in India can look forward to clean fresh water this Diwali, all thanks to an Australian company, which is gifting them a solar water purifier.
Melbourne-based SunSure Water Pty Ltd will this week be installing a 12-array "Waterward" solar water purifying unit at the Banyan Centre, a home for mentally disabled women located in Kovalam village in Kancheepuram, near Chennai as part of the Australia India Business Council's (AIBC) trade mission to India led by former cricketer Max Walker.
Unions join protest against UK deaths in custody
By IRNA,
London : Britain's trade unions are joining calls to demand that the government account for hundreds of deaths in police custody.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) expressed support at the remembrance procession to the prime minister's office Saturday which has been held annually by the United Friends and Families Campaign (UFFC) for the past 10 years.
"The TUC believes that the state has a duty of care towards the people it takes into custody, and a responsibility to be open and accountable when deaths occur," said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.
Extremists to be barred from UK
By KUNA,
London : Tougher measures to prevent extremists entering the UK are to be announced by Britain's Home Secretary Mrs Jacqui Smith, Home Office officials said Tuesday.
They are designed to stop so-called "preachers of hate" stirring up tension, and in some cases the names of extremists will be made public.
There have been 230 barred since 2005 but their identities have only been revealed when they publicly complained about being excluded.
Smith is to reveal the full details of the plans in the next few days.
California Indians strongly back Obama: survey
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Indian Americans in California are the strongest Asian supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama with about two-thirds backing him as against a little over half nationally, according to a new survey.
Voting Indians in California which has more Asian-Americans than any other state, are the strongest supporters of Obama, preferring him by 62 percent to just 12 percent who favour McCain with 25 percent still undecided, it says. Nationally, 53 percent of Indians favour Obama.
IMF speeds emergency loans for cash-strapped governments
By DPA,
Washington : The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Wednesday approved a new programme to provide emergency loans to countries facing serious cash shortages in the wake of the ongoing financial crisis.
Countries with a "track record" of solid economic policies can now apply for three-month loans without the usual conditions attached, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said.
Barack Obama has rare instinct for consensus, says ex-aide
By Ashok Easwaran, IANS,
Chicago : If Barack Obama wins Tuesday's presidential election, the world will see the United States in a very different light because of his ability to be inclusive and form a consensus, a former close aide has said. It may also herald the debut of dal on the White House menu, he added.
‘Media makes infectious diseases seem much worse’
By IANS,
Toronto : Popular media coverage of infectious diseases make them seem worse than they are, according to a new Canadian study.
Diseases that surface frequently in the print media -like bird flu - are considered more serious than similar diseases that do not receive the same kind of coverage, such as yellow fever, according to the research.
"The media tend to focus on rare and dramatic events," said Meredith Young, co-author and graduate in the department of psychology, neuroscience & behaviour, McMaster University.
US markets decline after Obama wins US election
By DPA,
New York : Major US stock indices fell on opening Wednesday after the election of Democrat Barack Obama as the next president of the US.
The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1.4 percent at 1508 GMT, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 fell 1.19 per cent. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 1.23 per cent.
Obama celebrated a resounding victory over Republican John McCain Tuesday night after an election campaign that was dominated by concerns over the credit crisis and faltering US economy.
Obama’s election extraordinary step forward for US: Rice
By DPA,
Washington : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised president-elect Barack Obama for his victory and said Wednesday the US has taken an "extraordinary step" by electing the first African American to the White House.
"One of the great things about representing this country is that it continues to surprise. It continues to renew itself. It continues to beat all odds and expectations," Rice said in a brief appearance before reporters.
British car sales down, but Tata’s Jaguar up
By IANS,
London : Sales of new cars in Britain fell by 23 percent in October - the steepest fall for 17 years - but Tata-owned Jaguar bucked the trend, industry figures show.
Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed a total of 128,352 new car registrations in October, down 23 percent from a year ago.
The SMMT said 1.92 million new cars had been sold in Britain so far this year, down 8.7 percent on the same period in 2007.
HBO buys rights to Obama documentary
By DPA,
Los Angeles : US cable channel HBO has bought the rights to a documentary about president-elect Barack Obama, produced by Oscar-nominated actor Edward Norton, the Hollywood Reporter said Friday.
A crew for Norton's Class 5 Films has been following the African-American politician since early 2006 - even before he announced his intention to run for president.
UN condemns stoning to death of teenage girl in Somalia
By DPA,
New York : The United Nations Friday condemned the killing of a 13-year-old girl under an order by local Somali leaders, who accused her of adultery after she was raped and sought their protection.
Unicef, the UN Children's Fund, said Aisha Duhulow was stoned to death in a stadium in Kismayo Oct 27 while thousands of people watched.
A stimulus to jump start economy first priority: Obama
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : US President-elect Barack Obama has vowed that restoring the nation's economic equilibrium will be a major priority of his administration as it works to ease credit crisis, help American families and restore growth and prosperity.
"I do not underestimate the enormity of the task that lies ahead," Obama told reporters at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago at his first news conference since his election. "We have taken some major action to date, and we will take further action."
Yahoo shares plunge after another Microsoft rejection
By DPA,
San Francisco : Shares of ailing internet pioneer Yahoo plunged more than 10 percent Friday after Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer reiterated that his company was not interested in reviving its takeover bid.
Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang this week urged Microsoft to buy the company, just a day after Google said it was dropping plans for an advertising alliance with Yahoo, which would have boosted Yahoo's income by up to $400 million per year.
At a conference in Sydney, Ballmer said that Microsoft had moved on after Yahoo rejected its $33-per-share bid earlier this year.
Britain revokes visa for former Thai premier
By DPA,
Bangkok : Britain has revoked tourist visas for fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Pojaman, media reports here said Saturday.
Thai newspapers claimed a cancellation notification was sent to various airlines by the UK Border Agency at a time when the former first couple were travelling outside London, where they have been living in self-exile.
"Airlines are advised not to carry these passengers to the UK," said the e-mail message to airlines, signed by Bangkok-based immigration liaison manager Andy Gray.
Canada’s exports slip lower, but economy creates more jobs
By IANS,
Toronto : Despite Canada's main exports - commodities and oil - slipping lower and North America's third largest stock market here closing the last day of the week on a sluggish note, the economy has created thousands of new jobs in October.
The TSX composite index closed at 9,542.88 points. Compared to Thursday when the index fell 3.36 percent or 331.79 points, the closing day of the week saw a decline of just 12 points.
The day's major losers were the metals sector that fell by 2.3 percent and consumer commodities which slipped 2.1 percent.
Hurricane Paloma weakens over Cuba
By IANS,
Miami : Tropical Storm Paloma was downgraded to a depression with winds of 35 miles per hour as it was moving away from central Cuba overnight, the EFE news agency reported Monday.
According to the US National Hurricane Centre, or NHC, the centre of the hurricane was located 15 miles south-southwest of Cuba's eastern central city of the Camaguey, some 534 km southeast of capital Havana, and was moving just one mile per hour to the north Monday morning.
Banking lobby calls for more measures to avert recession
By DPA,
Washington : The world's largest banking lobby has called for additional government intervention to help avoid a global recession, but warned that any state takeover of the private sector must be temporary.
In an open letter to US President George W. Bush, who will host a summit of the world's 20 leading economies in Washington on Saturday, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) Monday called on world leaders to better coordinate their efforts to stabilise the financial system.
Teenaged girls strip every night at Kathmandu dance bars
By Sahil Makkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Sixteen-year-old Hema wants to be a nurse. But to fulfil her dream, she performs at a dance bar every evening - even if it means gyrating around a pole, stripping and giving company to strangers at night.
At a dimly lit dance bar in Thamel in the heart of Kathmandu, she performs to foot-tapping Bollywood numbers in front of customers seated on chairs around an elevated dance floor.
‘Russia, US, EU may agree on common security deal’
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia, the US and the European Union (EU) can still agree on ways of ensuring security before Moscow and Washington deploy their rival missile defence shields in Poland and Kaliningrad, the Russian foreign minister has said.
Sergei Lavrov said a security agreement based on respect for common interests would negate the planned deployment of a US missile shield in Central Europe and the possibility of tactical missiles in Russia's western exclave of Kaliningrad bordering Poland.
British Telecom announces 10,000 job cuts, India left untouched
By IANS,
London : UK-based telecom major British Telecom Group (BTG) Thursday announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs at home and overseas, but said this would not affect the Indian operations of the company.
"The Indian operations would not see any retrenchment. The majority of the job cuts are UK based. It is too early to know country specific job cuts", a company spokesperson said.
British Telecom has 600 employees in India.
Stop financial crisis from becoming human tragedy: Ban to G-20
By Lalit K. Jha, IANS,
United Nations : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged the G-20 member-countries, including India, to work with "the fierce urgency of now" to prevent the current global financial crisis from becoming a human tragedy.
If immediate preventive measures are not taken now, the present crisis threatens to pose a grave security and political challenge, Ban told the leaders of the G-20 countries in a letter written Wednesday and released to the media Thursday.
Stocks plumb further as sentiments remain low
By Lalit K Jha, IANS,
New York : With investors showing little sign of confidence in the market, stocks plumbed further this week as major US companies resorted to further job cuts, mulled filing for bankruptcy and posted big quarterly losses.
Wall Street reported another low at the closing of business Friday, a few hours before the world leaders from top 20 economies, including India, sat down in Washington to discuss the current financial meltdown over a dinner at White House.
Bush seeks continuation of free and open market policies
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies began a summit on the global financial crisis with US President George W. Bush seeking a continuation of policies of free and open markets.
"The surest path to that growth is to continue policies of free and open markets. Free market capitalism has been an engine of prosperity, progress, and social mobility in economies all over the globe," he said in a welcome toast at the White House.
New Nepali constitution to be introduced by May 28, 2010
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : A new constitution for the Federal Republic Nepal will be introduced by May 28, 2010, if everything goes as planned, The Kathmandu Post reported on Monday.
According to the daily, the working schedule passed by the Constituent Assembly (CA) on Sunday, which includes various procedures to be followed for the next 18 months while roughing out the awaited constitution from Sunday onwards, mentions that the new constitution will be promulgated within the last week of May 2010.
Indonesian quake kills three
By DPA,
Jakarta : A powerful undersea earthquake that struck off Indonesia's North Sulawesi province early Monday killed at least three people, injured nearly 40 and damaged more than 1,500 buildings, officials said.
The quake struck at 1.02 a.m. (1702 GMT Sunday) and measured 7.7 on the Richter scale.
Its epicentre was located about 138 km north-west of Gorontalo on North Sulawesi, about 1,900 km
north-east of Jakarta. It occurred about 10 km beneath the seabed.
The US Geological Survey recorded the quake at 7.5 on the Richter scale.
Mudslides kill four in Colombia, higher toll feared
By IANS,
Bogota : At least four people were killed in two mudslides in the aftermath of heavy rain in western Colombia, EFE reported Monday quoting officials who said the toll might rise.
Three people died when they were buried under mud in Tolima province while another person was killed and 12 people were reported missing when a mudslide hit a neighbourhood in Medellin city, the capital of the northwestern province of Antioquia, officials said.
Medellin Mayor Alonso Salazar said the mudslide occurred in the upscale Cola del Zorro neighbourhood in southeast section early Sunday.
British children being demonised
By IANS,
London : A third of adults think British children behave like animals, revealing a perception that experts say is at odds with reality.
A YouGov poll for a children's charity has found that 49 percent of adults regard children as dangerous to each other and to their elders, while 43 percent feel that “something has to be done” to protect society from children and young people.
More than a third of the 2,000 adults who were interviewed for Barnardo's charity agreed that “it feels like the streets are infested with children”.
Former Indian president suggests focus for transformation of Nepal
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Visiting former Indian President Dr. A P. J Abdul Kalam suggested to focus on five key areas for societal transformation of Nepal -- agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure and tourism development, local newspaper The Rising Nepal reported Tuesday.
Kalam, who arrived Nepali capital Kathmandu on a two-day visit on Monday, spoke in a talk program on "Dynamics of Societal Transformation" shortly after his arrival. The colloquium was organized by the B.P Koirala Foundation and Kathmandu University.
Obama, McCain Pledge ‘New Era of Reform’
By SPA,
Washington : President-elect Barack Obama and his defeated Republican rival John McCain on Monday pledged a “new era of reform” to solve the U.S. economic crisis, transform energy policy, and safeguard national security.
Two weeks after the November 4 election, the two candidates said in a joint statement after talks in Chicago, Illinois that Americans of all political parties wanted their leaders to come together and “change the bad habits of Washington.”
Brazil rejects US interference in South American Defence Council
By Xinhua,
Rio De Janerio : Brazil has rejected possible US interference in the South American Defence Council which will be formed next year.
"It is not necessary for South America to import the US model and the region is capable of creating its own defence system," Brazil's Defence Minister Nelson Jobim told reporters Thursday after the 5th International Security Conference in Rio de Janeiro.
The South American Defence Council will be formed among the member countries of the South American Union of Nations (Unasur) in early 2009 following the ratification of the Unasur members.
‘Steps to stabilise Somalia needed along with naval efforts
By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS,
Dubai : The spate of ship hijacks off the coast of Somalia not only calls for joint naval efforts to combat piracy in the region but also offers a good opportunity for regional cooperation in helping stabilise Somalia, say experts.
Observers here feel combating pirates alone will not solve the problem as the basic source of the phenomenon lies in Somalia having broken down.
British police officer suspended for membership of far-right party
By IANS,
London : A British police officer has been taken off duty after his name figured in a list of the far-right British National Party (BNP) that was put up anonymously on the Internet.
Steve Bettley of the Merseyside Police in northwest England was among the 12,000 people whose names were published on the Internet earlier this week. Policemen are barred from membership of the BNP.
The BNP’s anti-immigrant stand and whites-only membership policy are criticised by all other British political parties.
Osama number plates banned in Britain
By IANS,
London : Britain’s vehicle licensing agency has banned offensive number plates that could be read as Osama and other words supporting terrorism.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has banned hundreds of potentially offensive plates, the Sun reported Friday quoting an MP.
Among them are: O54MA (Osama), HO57AGE (hostage), BU58OMB (bus bomb), MA56ACA (massacre), and HE58OLA (Hezbollah).
‘AIDS cure’ good for only one percent of patients: experts
By DPA,
Hamburg : Physicians in Germany who say they have "functionally cured" a patient with HIV/AIDS are warning that their accidental breakthrough is effective for only about one percent of patients who suffer from AIDS.
Headlines in November heralded an "AIDS cure" after Gero Huetter and Eckhard Thiel, blood-cancer specialists at Charite Hospital in Berlin, reported that they had seemingly cured a 42-year-old US patient of HIV/AIDS by giving him a bone-marrow transplant whilst treating him for cancer.
Economic crisis hits upcoming convention of Indian doctors in US
By Lalit K. Jha, IANS,
Orlando (Florida : The affluent community of Indian American doctors too has started feeling the pinch of the current economic meltdown the US is facing.
The financial crisis has thrown a big challenge to the leadership of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) to raise funds for their prestigious annual convention, slated to be held in Orlando, Florida next June.
Chinese stocks plunge as rate cut fails to materialise
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China's benchmark stock index finished 3.67 percent lower Monday, declining for a third straight day after an expected lending rate cut failed to materialize over the weekend.
The key Shanghai Composite Index opened 0.42 percent lower before briefly entering positive territory minutes into the morning trade. But weak buying interest and profit-taking drove it to close 72.33 points lower at 1,897.06.
The smaller Shenzhen Component Index dropped 245.15 points, or 3.65 percent, to 6,466.19.
Russia signs accords with Peru in new Latin American thrust
By IANS,
Lima : Russia has concluded a series of treaties with Peru on defence, trade and scientific cooperation, in what is being seen as a sign of its renewed Latin American thrust, EFE reported Tuesday.
The accords, signed Monday during the state visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the Andean nation, are intended to launch "a second chapter" in the post-Soviet era in their bilateral relations and promote future trade, according to Peruvian President Alan Garcia.
World’s costliest kennel coming up in Britain for $380,000
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : A dog's life? It will probably be the object of envy in Britain, which will soon have the world's costliest dog house, pegged at 250,000 pounds ($380,000).
The luxury house is coming up on the property of a lady surgeon in a private estate near Cirencester in Gloustershire for a pair of pet Great Danes.
It has been designed by leading British architect Andy Ramus and will be built from materials such as zinc, glass and limestone. When completed, it will be a quarter of the size of the main three-bed house.
American Jewish Council writes to Manmohan on Mumbai attack
By IANS,
New York : Expressing outrage at the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the American Jewish Council (AJC) has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, expressing the community's solidarity with India.
"We strongly condemn these senseless and cowardly attacks and stand in solidarity with the people and the government of India at this time, as we have long stood with India and its sister democracies in the struggle against hatred and violence," the AJC said in the letter to the prime minister.
Thai premier ready to talk with protest leaders
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said Saturday that he was willing to talk with protest leaders holding Bangkok's two airports hostage in their bid to topple his government but would not resign or dissolve parliament.
Pollution could be turning you obese
By IANS,
Washington : A pollutant might be triggering obesity by influencing gene activity, according to a new study.
For example tributyltin, a chemical is used in antifouling paints for boats, as a wood and textile preservative, and as a pesticide on high-value food crops, among many other applications.
Tributyltin affects sensitive receptors in animal cells, from water fleas to humans, at very low concentrations - a thousand times lower than pollutants that are known to interfere with sexual development of wildlife species.
Thailand postpones Asean summit amid political chaos
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thailand's outgoing cabinet Tuesday agreed to postpone the 14th summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), scheduled for mid-December in Chiang Mai, to an unspecified date next year.
"It has definitely been postponed, but until when, will require consultations with the other Asean members," foreign ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said.
"March is an option," he added.
The Thai cabinet met in Chiang Mai, 550 km north of Bangkok, Tuesday morning and decided to postpone hosting the summit, just hours before they lost their posts.
Cholera death toll reaches 484 in Zimbabwe: WHO
By NNN-ANTARA,
Geneva : The number of cholera cases in Zimbabwe has increased to 11,735, including 484 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
The death rate at this point is 4 percent of all cases, which is high, said Fadela Chaib, spokeswoman of the UN agency.
Chaib said the high death rate probably meant that sick people did not arrive to the medical centers quickly enough, or that even once they arrived there was a shortage of medicines.
NATO ready to pass anti-piracy baton to EU
By SPA,
Brussels : The European Union is ready to defend commercial vessels from Somali pirates once NATO's mission expires later this month, DPA quoted EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana as saying Wednesday.
"We have a responsibility to escort, deter and protect, and it will be done with very robust rules of engagement," Solana said ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.
Ruling party edges ahead as Ghana election results trickle in
By DPA,
Nairobi/Accra : Ghana's ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) edged ahead in presidential elections Monday morning as results from across the West African nation trickled in.
Early results from 18 constituencies showed that Nana Akufo-Addo had around 53 percent of the vote, compared to 44 percent for his main opponent, John Evans Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The other six candidates were, as expected, out of the race.
However, only a small percentage of the votes have been counted. Full results were expected within the next 60 hours.
Scientists design first see-through computer chip
By IANS,
Washington : Korean scientists have fabricated a functional computer chip that is almost completely clear - the first of its kind.
The technology could spur development of clear computer and TV screens, embedded in glass or transparent plastic.
Besides, see-through electronics would make your room or wall more spacious by allowing such devices to be stacked in small clear spaces.
Obama joins call for Illinois governor to resign
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday joined calls for indicted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to resign.
"The president-elect agrees with (Illinois) Lt. Governor Quinn and many others that under the current circumstances it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois," Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.
On Tuesday Blagojevich was arrested on federal conspiracy charges and went back to work Wednesday after being released on a 4,500-U.S.-dollar bond.
Sarkozy to push for climate measures at EU Summit
By KUNA,
Paris : At the European Union Summit that starts Thursday afternoon in Brussels, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, over the next two days, will seek to pressure his 26 counterparts for broad measures to tackle global warming and adopt a plan to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2020, diplomats said here.
But the French leader, who currently holds the rotating Presidency of the 27-nation EU, is likely to meet strong opposition to his proposals, despite support from the United Nations and many government and non-government actors.
Over 15,000 Indians acquired UK citizenship in 2006
By EuAsiaNews,
Brussels : In the year 2006,
735,000 persons acquired citizenship of an European Union member state compared with 722,000 in 2005,
647,000 in 2003 and 483,000 in 1998.
These new citizens in 2006 came mainly from non-EU European countries (27% of the total number of citizenships acquired), Africa (27%), Asia (22%) and North and South America (12%), according to figures released Wednesday by Eurostat, the EU's statistical bureau.
US car industry bail-out plan collapses in Senate
By DPA,
Washington : Negotiations in the US Senate on a $14 billion emergency loan for the ailing car industry have collapsed, leaving the fate of General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC uncertain.
The discussions failed late Thursday after the United Auto Workers union refused to agree to Republican demands for wage cuts and reduction in labour costs to the level of Japanese competitors operating in the US.
"It's over with. I dread looking at Wall Street tomorrow. It's not going to be a pleasant sight," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat.
China, Japan, South Korea summit to talk global meltdown
By Xinhua,
Fukuoka(Japan) : Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Saturday met South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ahead of a trilateral summit, which would also see Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso participating, to work out a coordinated strategy against the global financial meltdown.
Wen, who arrived here Saturday morning, said he attached great importance to the trilateral talks exploring how China, Japan and South Korea can work together to overcome the global financial crisis.
Thousands rally to support fugitive former Thai premier
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thousands of Thais sporting red shirts gathered Saturday at the Suphachalasai Stadium in in the capital to show their support for fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who planned to address the rally by teleconference.
About 10,000 Thaksin followers gathered at the stadium Saturday afternoon and more were pouring in for the event, the highlight of which would be a phone-in from their leader, from "a country close by," according to organizers.
U.S. delegation to visit Moscow for strategic security talks
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : A U.S. delegation will visit Moscow next week for talks on missile defense in Europe, arms reduction and other strategic security issues, the State Department said.
The acting undersecretary for arms control and international security, John Rood, will lead the team of political and technical experts to Moscow on December 15, the State Department said on Friday in a statement.
The delegation will discuss "transparency and confidence-building measures regarding the proposed U.S. missile defense deployments in Europe," it said.
Latin American countries discuss global financial crisis
By Prensa Latina,
Costa de Sauipe (Brazil) : The leaders of the Latin American countries discussed steps to deal with the global financial crisis at the 36th summit of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) here.
Ecuador President Rafael Correa Tuesday proposed the formation of a Bank of the South and a joint fund of Latin American countries' foreign exchange reserves.
The bank would strengthen fiscal policies and promote employment and public investment, he said.
Global economic downturn putting migrants at risk: Ban
By IANS,
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed that migrants were highly vulnerable to the global economic crisis.
"The world's more than 200 million migrants are especially vulnerable to the financial downturn shaking the global economy," Ban said on the occasion of the International Migrants day.
12 killed as bus plunges into ravine in Indonesia
By DPA,
Jakarta : At least 12 people were killed and more than 20 injured after a bus carrying a marriage party plunged into a deep ravine in southern Indonesia, media reports said Saturday.
The accident occurred Friday when the bus with 38 people on board was en route from Muaradua district of Lampung province to Manna of the adjacent Bengkulu province, the state-run Antara news agency reported.
The bus plunged into a 60-metre-deep ravine at Tebing Batu sub-district in the Bukit Barisan National Park, bordering the Lampung and Bengkulu provinces.
Cheney defends policies during “war on terror”
By KUNA,
Washington : Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday defended the Bush administration's controversial policies on detainees, terrorist surveillance and intelligence gathering as justified during the "war on terror.
" In an interview on Fox News, Cheney said the Bush administration's policies were the main reason the country has not had a terrorist attack in seven years. He said he believed President George W. Bush exercised legitimate constitutional authority to help defend the nation and disagreed with calls to limit presidential authority.
China asks India, Pakistan to probe Mumbai attacks
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China Tuesday called on India and Pakistan to probe the Mumbai terror attacks through peaceful consultations.
"We hope to see improvement in the India-Pakistan relations," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a press conference in responding to questions on the South Asia situation.
He said improvement in the relationship between India and Pakistan, both important nations in South Asia, will help to maintain regional peace and stability.
Demonstration delays launch of new Thai cabinet
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thousands of anti-government demonstrators Monday delayed the launch of Thailand's new cabinet by surrounding parliament building in Bangkok, barring legislators from entering the premises in the morning.
Thailand's new Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was forced to delay the delivery of his cabinet's policy statement, a necessary requirement for launching a new administration.
It was unclear whether the session could be opened later in the day, or if the protest would force postponement until after the new year.
Stewardess convicted of stealing 168 items from flight trolley
By DPA,
Hong Kong : A former Hong Kong flight attendant who stole 168 items from the plane's trolleys on a single flight was Tuesday sentenced to community service.
Kwong Man-fong, 43, purloined biscuits, beer, mineral water, wine, chocolates, a sewing kit, pens, instant noodles and shaving cream on the Cathay Pacific flight from Auckland to Hong Kong July 27.
Two junior colleagues spotted Kwong, who had worked for the Hong Kong airline for 23 years, and reported her to the captain. She resigned and was prosecuted for theft by the airline.
Russia celebrates New Year’s Eve 11 times
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The largest country in the world, Russia, has seen in the New Year 11 times, from Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean to Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea.
Most Russians celebrate New Year at home with family or friends, cracking open bottles of champagne on the first chime of the clock at midnight, while sitting at a table laden with Russian delicacies and salads.
Russia's New Year holidays last until January 10.
Battle over Pashupatinath begins in Nepal’s court
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The battle for control of Nepal's revered Pashupatinath temple has now reached the republic's apex court with the pro-Nepali lobby crossing legal swords with the pro-Indian group.
A week after three separate groups of people moved Nepal's Supreme Court, asking for a stay on the appointment of new priests at the 17th century shrine, the trust that runs the temple has now retaliated, asking the court to vacate the stay order.
Europe’s inflation plunge adds to rate cut pressure
By DPA,
Berlin : European inflation plunged to its lowest level in more than two years in December, data released Tuesday showed, adding to the pressure on the European Central Bank (ECB) to deliver further cuts in interest rates.
Preliminary data released by the European Union's (EU) statistics office showed annual inflation in what was then the 15-member eurozone dropped from 2.1 percent in November to a lower-than-forecast 1.6 percent last month.
Woman who set husband afire charged with murder
By IANS,
Sydney : An Australian-Indian woman who set her husband's genitals afire for alleged infidelity has been charged with murder.
Rajini Narayan, 44, allegedly doused her husband Satish with a flammable liquid while he was sleeping Dec 8. Satish jumped out of bed after being set ablaze and knocked over the substance, causing the fire to spread.
Rajini told an Adeliade court that she wanted to punish her husband for his alleged infidelity and did not mean to kill him.
French bank BNP Paribas sees Asian economic recovery in 2010
By DPA,
Singapore : French bank BNP Paribas has predicted a faster Asian economic recovery next year, citing aggressive government spending and region-wide interest rate cuts, according to a news report Thursday.
The scale of the global policy response, monetary and fiscal, should ensure the recovery is more V-shaped, indicating a steep rise after a decline, than a slower, U-shaped recovery, said BNP Paribas economist Richard Iley.
New practice changes a ‘window of opportunity for South African Indians’
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Chennai : The announcement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here Thursday that overseas Indian professionals can practise in India was cautiously welcomed by Durban Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo.
"It opens up a window of opportunity for many South African Indians, but we must remember that we have been very reliant in recent years on Indian nationals assisting in the development of post-apartheid South Africa," Naidoo, who is also a speaker at the annual gathering of the diaspora, told IANS.
Historic mission to quantify greenhouse gases in real time
By IANS,
Washington : HIAPER, one of the most advanced existing research aircraft, will be embarking on a historic mission spanning the globe from pole to pole.
The HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) mission will cover more than 38,400 kms as an international team of scientists makes a series of five flights over the next three years, sampling the atmosphere in some of the most inaccessible regions of the world.
EU Parliament to discuss gas supply dispute with Russia, Ukraine
By KUNA,
Brussels : The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament will hold an extraordinary meeting later Thursday on the Ukraine-Russia gas supply dispute with chairmans of Gazprom and Naftogaz.
An EP statement said that Chair of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee Jacek Saryusz-Wolski would be holding a press conference with Gazprom Chairman Aleksey Miller and Naftogaz Chairman Oleh Dubyna after the meeting.
Miller is also expected to meet with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso here today.
ASEAN adopts 2011-2015 tourism strategic plan
By Xinhua,
Hanoi : Tourism ministers of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries agreed here Thursday on the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan of ASEAN Tourism with an aim to promote tourism cooperation among its member countries.
The plan was adopted at the Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers, held during the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2009.
‘600,000 workers left south China due to unemployment’
By Xinhua,
Beijing : An estimated 600,000 migrant workers have left China's southern Guangdong Province in 2008 due to unemployment after the worldwide financial crisis hit the region, a government official said Thursday.
Guangdong Province Vice Governor Huang Yunlong revealed the statistics at a press conference after the country's top economic planner released a long-term plan to develop the Pearl River Delta.
Sri Lankan parliament adjourned following opposition’s protest
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lankan parliamentary sessions were halted Friday when the main opposition staged a demonstration in the chamber over the killing of a senior editor, parliamentary officials said.
Parliament sessions were suspended Friday morning as the United National Party legislators held up placards blaming the government over Thursday's gunning down of Lasantha Wickramatunga, the editor of the pro-opposition Sunday Leader newspaper.
Thai skydiver crash-lands in crowd, killing one
By DPA
Bangkok : A skydiver killed a 10-year-old girl in northeast Thailand Saturday when he accidentally crashed into a crowd gathered to observe the demonstration of skydiving skills by the army as part of International Children's Day celebrations.
The accident occurred at 10 a.m. at the army's Sixth Infantry Division in Roi Et province, about 500 km northeast of Bangkok, The Nation online news service reported.
The parachutist lost control of his landing because of strong winds and crashed into the audience, causing fatal injuries to the girl.
G-8 leaders discuss oil, food prices, world economy, global warming
By KUNA,
Toyako, Japan : Leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized nations began substantial talks here on Tuesday, aiming to find common ground on surging oil and food prices, the world economic slowdown, and global warming. The second day of the G-8 summit followed outreach dialogues with African nations on the previous day at Lake Toya resort in in northern Japan.
DPRK calls for enhanced information cooperation among non-aligned countries
By Xinhua,
Pyongyang : The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) urged developing countries to enhance cooperation to establish a new international information and communication order, the official KCNA news agency reported Tuesday.
The developing countries should exchange technology and experience on the principle of collective self-reliance, meet each other's needs and cooperate with each other, said the head of the DPRK delegation to the seventh meeting of information ministers of the non-aligned countries held on July 3.
Russian President considering response to U.S. missile defense deal
By Xinhua,
Toyako, Japan : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Wednesday said he is considering response to the U.S. deal for a missile defense installation in the Czech Republic.
At a press conference after a 3-day Group of Eight (G8) nations which closed here Wednesday, Medvedev said Russia is deeply distressed by U.S. missile plan in Eastern Europe.
"We won't go hysterical over this, but we will weigh up our response," the president said at the news conference.
He continued to say that Russia is still open to talks with the United States on the issue.
Leftist rebels attack troops in central Philippines before president visit
By Xinhua,
Manila : Suspected left-wing rebels on Tuesday morning fired at government troops in the Philippines' central province of Masbate ahead of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's visit there, military officials said.
About 7:45 a.m. Tuesday local time (1145 GMT Monday ), some soldiers on board a civilian vehicle were fired at by an undetermined number of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Mobo town, said Army 9th Infantry Division spokesman Christopher Morales, quoted by Philippine TV network GMA News.
Nepal: maoist-UML talks on govt formation end inconclusively
By NNN-PTI,
Kathmandu : A crucial power-sharing meeting between Maoists and the CPN-UML ended inconclusively here today as the two parties failed to sort out differences over the key issue of the election of the president, deepening further the three-month-old political deadlock in Nepal.
"We held extensive talks on the issue of formation of new government, election of the president and matters related to power sharing but no agreement has yet been reached," CPN-UML central committee member Bhim Rawal, who was also present at the meeting, said.
US missile shield will harm European security: Medvedev
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that the US plans to set up an anti-missile shield in Eastern Europe will harm regional security and threatens the demise of the decade-old balance of power in Europe.
"The placement of elements of a US missile shield in Eastern Europe will only aggravate the situation," Medvedev said in a sharply-worded speech to Russian diplomatic corps in Moscow.
Bush urges Congress to lift ban on offshore oil drilling
By Xinhua,
Washington : US President George W. Bush Tuesday urged the Congress to lift legislative restrictions on offshore oil drilling to help address rising fuel costs.
"It's been a difficult time for many American families," Bush told a White House news conference. "I think the system is basically sound, really."
Bush Monday lifted an executive ban on offshore oil drilling.
There are two prohibitions on offshore drilling, one imposed by Congress and the other by an executive order signed by former president George H.W. Bush in 1990.
Myanmar invites UN envoy for talks on democratic reforms
By DPA,
New York : Myanmar Tuesday invited UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari for a return visit to continue discussions on implementing the democratic process in the country.
Myanmar said Gambari's scheduled visit in May could not take place because of the widespread devastation inflicted by Cyclone Nargis, which killed an estimated 140,000 people.
Gambari was requested to visit in mid-August "to continue the good offices role of the (UN) secretary general mandated by the UN General Assembly," said the letter of invitation by Myanmar's UN Ambassador Kyaw Tint Swe.
US stocks continue to drop
By DPA,
New York : Dropping oil prices and waning investor confidence over the government's plan to save Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage firms brought the US Standard & Poor's 500 Index to its lowest level since 2005 Tuesday, despite a pitch by US President Goerge W. Bush to calm market jitters.
The NASDAQ high tech index was up slightly, but the Dow Jones also declined.
Exxon Mobil Corp slid the most since March as crude fell more than $6 a barrel amidst growing concern a slower economy will reduce demand.
Making computers more user-friendly for disabled
By IANS,
Washington : Efforts are underway to come up with a more user-friendly computer that responds to physically challenged individuals.
Current designs are particularly frustrating for the disabled, the elderly and anybody who has trouble with a mouse.
A new approach developed by Washington University researchers would put each person through a brief skills test and generate a mathematically based version of the user interface optimised for his or her vision and motor abilities.
Three runaway Indians to give details of New Zealand visa scam
By DPA,
Wellington : Three Indian men who disappeared in New Zealand while on the way to Australia to see the Pope have agreed to tell all about the swindlers who tricked them into believing they would be allowed to stay, Auckland Sikh leader Daljit Singh said Thursday.
He said the trio would meet with immigration officials to reveal who took Rs.500,000 ($12,000) each from 39 Indians who failed to catch scheduled flights to Sydney for the Catholic World Youth Day festival Tuesday, after a week-long transit stay in Auckland.
Stephen Hawking not shifting to Canada
By IANS,
Toronto : Britain's world famous physicist Stephen Hawking, who was rumoured to join a theoretical physics institute at Waterloo near Toronto, will not be shifting to Canada.
Cambridge university, where Hawking is a professor in the department of applied mathematics and theoretical physics, has denied a report in the Daily Telegraph Tuesday that he was considering moving to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics at Waterloo.
Around 100 Tibetan separatists detained in Nepali capital
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Nepali police on Friday afternoon detained about 100 Tibetan separatists involved in anti-China activities in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu.
The separatists tried to throng the visa office of the Chinese Embassy beside a street choked with heavy traffic, shouting anti-China and "Tibet Independence" slogans.
Nepali police blocked the rally, but some leaders of the separatists climbed up onto the wall of a nearby cinema, instigating the others to ignore the police's attempts at dissuasion.
Nepali Congress candidate likely to be elected new President as Maoists suffer setback
By KUNA,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) Maoists suffered a major setback ahead of the Presidential polls as two other major parties decided to support Nepali Congress' (NC) candidate Ram Baran Yadav for the top post elections for which were underway Saturday.
Nepal’s first presidential poll ends in fiasco, repoll awaited
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The political uncertainty in Nepal deepened Saturday after the Himalayan republic's first presidential election, held to elect the successor to dethroned king Gyanendra as head of state, ended in a fiasco with none of the contenders able to garner the simple majority needed for victory.
McCain meeting Jindal over VP selection: Washington Post
By IANS,
Washington : John McCain is to meet Bobby Jindal during a trip to New Orleans this week, reportedly over selection of a running mate by the Republican presidential candidate, The Fix politics blog of Washington Post said quoting sources close to the McCain campaign.
The onus of n-deal now on Capitol Hill: US media
By Parveen Chopra, IANS,
New York : With New Delhi having done its part to salvage the nuclear deal, it is now the US Congress' turn to shake India's outstretched hand, major American newspapers said Wednesday while doubting whether Congress will be able to ratify the pact before the Bush administration bows out.
UN chief urges Israel to freeze all settlement activity
By Xinhua,
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Israel to freeze all settlement activity in West Bank.
In a statement issued by his press office Thursday, Ban expressed deep concern on the announcement by the Israeli defense ministry of its approval to build 20 residential units in Maskiyot in the West Bank.
"The secretary-general has stressed many times before, that construction or expansion of settlements is contrary to the international law," the statement said.
Nepal President calls on Maoists to form government
By IRNA,
New Delhi : President Ram Baran Yadav has called on the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) to forge political consensus for the constitution of the Council of Ministers and appointment of the Prime Minister in accordance with Article 38 Clause (1) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007.
The President has given seven days' time for the CPN (Maoist) to forge consensus for that purpose, Nepal media reported quoting a communique issued by the Office of the President.
S. Korea To Push Forward Bilateral FTA Deals
By Bernama,
Seoul : South Korea will push forward bilateral free trade agreements (FTA) as the global trade talks under the World Trade Organization (WTO) finished without progress, South Korean Deputy Trade Minister Ahn Ho-young said Wednesday here.
"We can not help focusing on reaching more bilateral free trade deals as the multilateral Doha Round talks failed to produce major progress," China's Xinhua news agency quoted Ahn as saying here.
Nepal PM says sorry, SAARC Summit row ends
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The sword hanging over Nepal's caretaker Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's participation at the 15th SAARC Summit in Sri Lankan capital Colombo was lifted Wednesday after he apologised to other major political parties for not having consulting them about the trip.
"We decided to allow Koirala to attend the summit after he expressed regrets for not consulting the parties," said Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) leader Amrit Bohora.
Beheading on bus shocks Canada, cannibalism feared
By IANS,
Toronto : In a shocking incident described as "one-of-a-kind in Canadian history", a bus passenger stabbed to death and beheaded his seat-mate and then waved the severed head to those who had exited the vehicle Wednesday night.
A media outlet reported that the killer allegedly cannibalized his victim, though police didn't confirm it. Passengers said the killer carried the severed head of his victim around the bus before dropping it on the floor of the bus.
New Sri Lankan fighting kills 40 combatants
By SPA,
Colombo, Sri Lanka : Sri Lankan troops repulsed an attempt by Tamil rebels to retake their recently captured stronghold in heavy fighting that killed 21 rebels and three soldiers, the military said Monday.
Thirteen rebels and three soldiers were killed in other clashes Sunday in the Mannar, Vavuniya and Welioya regions, bordering the rebels' de facto state in the north, said
Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara, the military spokesman was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
S Korea to build modern history museum to mark 60th founding anniversary
By Xinhua,
Seoul : South Korean Presidential Office said Monday that a modern history museum is to be built in central Seoul to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the country.
According to the Presidential Office, the decision was announced by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at a government meeting.
"I have great respect for the South Korean people's brilliant and unprecedented achievement in economic modernization and democratization in the relatively short period of 60 years," Lee was quoted by the Presidential Office as saying.
Olympics a time for celebration, says Chinese envoy to UK
By IRNA,
London : China is ready to welcome the world to the Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing as a time for celebration, Chinese Ambassador to London Fu Ying said Monday.
"The Olympic Games will open in four days' time. Beijing will go down in Olympic history as the largest effort ever undertaken for a wonderful Olympic experience," Fu said.
"Afterwards Beijing will pass on the torch to the next host, London, which will surely stage its own spectacular Games," he said in an article for the Daily Telegraph Monday.
Cambodian official: Thai troops to withdraw from 2nd occupied border temple
By Xinhua,
Phnom Penh : The Thai side has agreed to withdraw its troops from a temple at Cambodia's border province Otdar Meanchey and reduce its total number of soldiers within the border area, an advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen said here Tuesday.
Either country will keep only 10 military personnel at the 13-century Ta Moan Thom Temple and Thailand is also to decrease its troops that have accumulated during the 22-day-long standoff with Cambodia near the border, said the advisor on condition of anonymity.
Russian, Georgian armed forces in direct combat in Caucasus
By DPA,
Moscow/Tbilisi (Georgia) : Russian and Georgian armed forces were locked in combat Friday over control of Caucasus region of South Ossetia, with hundreds of civilians reported killed or injured.
The escalating crisis prompted calls for restraint from international governments and bodies, including the US, European Union (EU), NATO and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Russian troops take control of South Ossetian capital
By Xinhua,
Moscow : The Russian army Saturday took control of the capital of Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia from Georgian forces, media reports said quoting the commander of the ground forces.
"Tactical groups have completely liberated Tskhinvali (capital of South Ossetia) from the Georgian military," General Vladimir Boldyrev was quoted as saying by the agencies.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the country's troops have started a military operation in South Ossetia to force Georgian troops to a ceasefire.
Merkel discusses S. Ossetian crisis with Medvedev and Saakashvili
By IRNA,
Berlin : German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday called for an immediate end to military clashes in Southern Ossetia during her phone conversations with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Georgian counterpart Mikhail Saakashvili, news reports said.
She urged both sides to halt all military hostilities, deputy government spokesperson Thomas Steg was quoted saying.
No one could decide this conflict by military means, Merkel was cited saying.
The German leader said both sides had to do their share to seek a "political solution".
Nepal to elect new prime minister Aug 15
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : After Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas failed to woo the other major parties and name a new government last week, the interim parliament Monday said it would hold an election Friday to choose a new prime minister.
Maoist supremo Prachanda, who had staked claim to the premiership, will face an acid test Friday with the main challenge expected to come from caretaker Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and his Nepali Congress party.
Georgia, Russia agree to French-brokered peace plan
By RIA Novosti,
Tbilisi : Georgia and Russia have agreed to a modified version of a French-brokered peace plan, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in Tbilisi.
The six-point deal, altered to meet Russia's demands, is widely seen as leaving Saakashvili in a far weaker position than before his costly attempt last Friday to seize control of South Ossetia through a military offensive.
However, Sarkozy told a briefing after talks with his Georgian counterpart that the deal also includes some changes requested by Georgia.
Dairy intake early on improves adolescent bone health
By IANS,
New York : Adolescents who had consumed two or more servings of dairy products daily as children have been found to have higher levels of bone mineral content and bone density than those who did not.
Until recently, it was unclear how long-term dairy intake contributes to bone health in children, including bone density, bone mineral content and bone area.
Lynn Moore and colleagues from Boston University School of Medicine analysed data from Framingham Children's Study to find the link between childhood dairy intake and adolescent bone health.
U.N. Airlifts Food to Georgia Conflict Victims
By SPA,
United Nations : Two cargo airplanes chartered by the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) departed early Wednesday for Tbilisi, Georgia with 34 tons of high-energy food to assist thousands of people displaced by the recent conflict.
U.N. officials say about 100,000 people have been displaced since heavy fighting began last Thursday between Georgian and South Ossetian forces, with some having fled to different parts of the country and others going to North Ossetia in Russia.
Eight killed in train collision in Indonesia
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : Eight people were killed and 32 others were seriously injured when two trains collided in Lampung province of Sumatra Island in Indonesia on Saturday morning, said Suwarno, an official of the provincial railway station.
The accident occurred at 7:30 Jakarta time near Labuan Ratu station at Kedaton town of the province when a passenger train of Sriwijaya from Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra province, struck a train carrying coal from Tarahan town of South Lampung province, said Surarno.
Two mountain climbers freeze to death in Alps
By DPA,
Rome : Two mountaineers froze to death after apparently getting lost during a storm in Italy's northern Alps region, officials said Saturday.
Bodies of the two - a Dutch and an Englishman - were found at an altitude of some 4,000 metres and were brought back to the valley, officials in the northern Alpine town of Aosta said.
Italy's northern Alps region was struck Friday by thunder and hail storms.