Indian American president possible in 10 years: Jay Goyal
By Manish Chand, IANS
New Delhi : It may sound fantastic now, but Jay Goyal, a 27-year-old legislator from Ohio, is confident that an Indian American will be in the race for the US presidency in another 10 years or so .
"Within 10-12 years, you can expect an Indian American to be in the US presidential race. I won't be surprised when it happens," Goyal, who is in India to catch up with his friends and extended family, told IANS in an interview here.
Strong quake, flood hits Indonesia’s Papua province
By NNN-Antara
Jakarta : A strong 6.2-magnitude quake struck Indonesia's Papua province on Monday, damaging about 25 houses and sparking fires but causing no human casualties, the meteorological agency, officials and residents said.
The earthquake was centred eight kilometres (five miles) northwest of the town of Manokwari, prompting residents to flee their homes and other buildings, many clutching belongings, ElShinta radio said.
Local policeman Ari said that some 20 floating houses belonging to fishermen had caught fire following the quake.
Sri Lankan opposition accuses government of “war-mongering”
By IRNA
New Delhi : Accusing the government of "war-mongering", Sri Lanka's main opposition party Monday claimed the decision to scarp the ceasefire had benefitted Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) aspirations for a separate state, weakened the country and "disappointed" the international community, including India.
Sarkozy Non-responsive to French Issues
By Prensa Latina
Paris : The French Socialist Party stated Tuesday that the first speech delivered in 2008 by President Nicolas Sarkozy failed to respond to the main problems of the French people.
In a release following the president's a press conference Tuesday morning, Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande noted the absence of important results for the population after eight months in power.
EU monitoring team confirms Georgia vote fraud
By DPA
Frankfurt : The head of a European monitoring mission confirmed Thursday that voting fraud had taken place in the elections which saw Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili returned to power.
"There was crass, negligent and deliberate falsification during the vote counting," said Dieter Boden of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
UK nuclear decision criticised
LONDON, Jan 10 (APP)- The British Government’s decision to construct a new generation of nuclear power stations to meet its future energy requirements has been criticised.
The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, in a statement branded the Government’s decision as the ‘mistake of a generation.’
He said new nuclear power stations will do little to combat climate change, but will poison Britain’s future with a legacy of radioactive waste for which the government has advanced no serious strategy for dealing with.
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.
Colombian hostage seeks Castro’s help, jail in Cuba
By DPA
Bogota : An ailing former Colombian senator held hostage by leftist rebels since 2002 has asked Cuban President Fidel Castro to intervene on his behalf, saying he would be willing to remain a prisoner in Cuba in order to receive medical treatment.
Jorge Gechem's request comes from a letter made public Tuesday.
Former legislator Consuelo Gonzalez - released last week after more than six years as a hostage of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - Monday handed letters and photographs to the families of Gechem and seven other hostages.
Flood alerts as more rain forecast
By KUNA
London : Emergency services in the UK are on high alert Thursday as deluges threaten flooding across England and Wales, police said.
Forecasters have predicted steady rain today with some localised downpours and thunder storms.
And tomorrow promises to bring more of the same.
The UK Environment Agency said despite drier weather yesterday, the ground remained saturated in some areas.
The agency has urged people to remain vigilant.
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.
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.
Global gas cartel likely by June
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia and other major natural gas exporters could announce a cartel similar to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries or OPEC in Moscow in June, a Russian business daily said Thursday.
However, the gas cartel might not immediately achieve a comparable level of global influence as enjoyed by the OPEC, following the opposition of the US and the European Union, the Kommersant newspaper reported citing analysts.
At least 100 feared dead in Congo boat accident
By DPA
Nairobi/Kinshasa : At least 100 people are believed to have drowned after their boat sailing off the coast of Congo capsized on Lake Tanganyika, reports said Wednesday.
It was unclear what caused the accident but a Congolese maritime official told the BBC all passengers were thought to be dead. Some 10 bodies had been recovered.
The boat was sailing from the town of Kalemie to Moba in the south-east.
Italy Seeks to Surmount Govt Crisis
By Prensa Latina
Rome : Franco Marini, president of the Italian Senate, continued consulting sessions Friday to form a transition government to approve reform to the electoral law, as ordered by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.
After a meeting with Marini, Democrat Christian Union (UDC) leader Pier Ferdinando Casini said he would support transformation of the electoral legislation if a temporary cabinet with a wide consensus is formed.
However, Casini refused to participate in a ministerial team with members of the Italian center-leftwing.
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.
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.
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.
Six killed in Colombian military plane crash
By DPA
Bogota : Three members of the crew and three soldiers were killed when a Colombian military aeroplane went down in the mountains south of the country, El Tiempo newspaper reported Sunday, citing a military spokesman.
The cause of the accident was not immediately known.
The military has not ruled out the possibility that rebels could have shot down the propeller plane, which crashed Saturday, but General Jorge Octavio Ardila Silva would not confirm this.
Ukraine, Gazprom hold last-ditch talks to avoid gas cutoff
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Ukrainian and Russian energy companies will hold talks on Monday aimed at resolving their latest gas debt row that has prompted Gazprom to threaten a supply cutoff on February 12.
The Russian gas monopoly said on Friday it would halt natural gas supplies to the ex-Soviet country if it fails to pay its outstanding bill, currently at $1.5 billion and rising.
Ukraine's national oil and gas company Naftogaz denied it has any debts to Russia, and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko blamed an intermediary firm supplying gas for the debt.
Bosnia’s peace accord original missing from archives
By DPA
Sarajevo : The original copy of the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina is missing from the country's presidency, media reported Thursday.
"We found out that the original copy of the Dayton Peace Agreement is missing from the archives of the presidency," President Zeljko Komsic told reporters in Sarajevo.
He said investigators would enter the presidential building to try to find out what happened to the document of great political and historic importance for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
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.
At least 15 shot in Illionis University class
Washington (ANTARA News) - A gunman wounded at least 15 people when he opened fire with a shotgun in a university classroom Chicago suburb of DeKalb, Ill. on Thursday, authorities said.
The shooting took place shortly after 3 p.m. (2100 GMT), when police received report that a white, male shooter with a shotgun and pistol opened fire in a lecture hall of the university.
Xinhua reports that the gunman is now dead, according to DeKalb police.
Meanwhile, a local hospital said it expects to receive 15 patients and have so far treated at least two.
McCain gets conservative boost from former rival Romney
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Former presidential hopeful Mitt Romney endorsed Republican front-runner John McCain on Thursday, boosting his one-time rival's chances of wooing wary conservatives and unifying the party against the eventual Democratic nominee.
Putting aside their sharp differences, Romney praised the former Vietnam war prisoner as a "true American hero" and urged the 291 delegates pledged to vote for him to switch allegiance to the Arizona senator.
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.
Nine killed in jeep accident in western Nepal
By SPA
Kathmandu : At least nine people were killed and dozens more were injured when an overcrowded jeep plunged off a mountainous highway in western Nepal, according to DPA.
The jeep plummeted off the narrow mountain road in Gulmi district, about 300 kilometres west of Kathmandu, police said.
At least 30 people were injured and many were in serious condition.
Police said they suspected overcrowding could have led to the driver losing control of the vehicle.
EU gives final go-ahead to send its mission to Kosovo
By RIA Novosti
Brussels : The European Union gave its final approval for sending a civilian and police mission to Serbia's breakaway Kosovo to replace the current UN mission, diplomatic sources in Brussels said on Saturday.
The separatist Serbian province is expected to unilaterally declare its independence on Sunday.
The sources said none of the EU member states objected to sending EULEX Kosovo mission, which comprises about 2,000 people, including 1,500 policemen.
Serbian opposition to Kosovo independence heightens
By KUNA
Sarajevo : Serbian opposition to an anticipated declaration of independence of Kosovo heightened on Saturday, at a time when the European Union called on Belgrade to forge a partnership with Kosovo and look toward a joint future within the European framework.
Kosovo, of Albanian majority and considered by Serbia as a part of its territories, is expected to declare independence on Sunday.
Belgrade TV broadcast fiery speeches by Serb President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, underscoring historic roots of Serbs in Kosovo.
Serbia Vs Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence
By Prensa Latina
Belgrade : Re-elected Serbian President Boris Tadic rejected the unilateral declaration of independence made by 109 members of the provincial Parliament of Kosovo.
Tadic said his government will never admit to the claimed sovereignty and called the world community for immediate annulment of this violation of international rights.
90 percent of genetically modified crops in developing world
By Luisa Massarani, IANS
Manila : Ninety percent of farmers growing genetically modified (GM) crops are in developing countries, according to a report.
The report, by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), said that GM crops were grown by 11 million small farmers in 2007 - 90 percent of the GM-growing farmers worldwide.
This was an increase of 18.3 percent from 2006, when some 9.3 million small farmers were represented, Scidev.net reported.
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.
Greek banks damaged in arson attacks
By SPA
Athens : More than six banks and an insurance company were damaged in a spate of arson attacks in the early hours Thursday by unknown individuals, reports said, according to DPA.
No-one was injured in the attack.
Reports said the offices of an insurance company, more than six banks and three cars were damaged when a group of hooded youths smashed windows and then hurled petrol bombs into the buildings.
Colombian navy kills senior rebel leader
By IANS
Bogota : The Colombian security forces have killed a senior member of the country's largest insurgency group in a joint operation in Meta province, EFE reported Thursday.
Isidro Cardenas Moreno, a senior member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was gunned down in Filo Gallineto village in Meta province, the navy said Wednesday.
Cardenas was the head of the finance operations of the group's 53rd front. The government constituted a taskforce called Omega to launch joint military offensives against the FARC's central command in the province.
Timor Leste President on the Mend
By Prensa Latina
Dili : The countdown for Timor Leste President Jose Ramos Horta's return to his country has started, after he underwent a successful surgical operation in Darwin, Australia.
Medical sources from Royal Darwin Hospital said that Ramos, who was shot and wounded during an attack on his home in Dili, is coming out of the induced coma.
His doctors declared they are very satisfied with his reconstructive surgery on Tuesday, the last of five the president had.
Presidential spokesman Luke Gosling added the chief of State is
China, US agree to step up constructive, cooperative ties
By KUNA
Tokyo : China and the US agreed to step up bilateral constructive and cooperative relations and handle the bilateral ties "in a long-term and strategic perspective," the state-run People's Daily reported Wednesday.
The agreement was reached in a meeting in Beijing between Chinese President Hu Jintao and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues, such as the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, the report said.
Russian tourists reported dead in Thai bus crash
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : An unknown number of Russian tourists may have been killed in a road accident in Thailand on Wednesday, a Russian Embassy spokesman said.
"A bus carrying Russian tourists from Pattaya to Bangkok was involved in a serious road accident. There were around 40 tourists on board the bus. Preliminary reports indicate there may have been deaths. Some injured tourists have been sent to local hospitals," Alexei Bulkin said.
An assistance center has been set up at the Russian Embassy in Bangkok, with diplomats on round-the-clock duty.
Sarkozy plans whistle stop call to Chad en route to South Africa
By KUNA
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy will make a whistle stop call in Chad Wednesday for a few hours en route to a three-day official visit to South Africa, Sarkozys office said late Tuesday.
The French leader leaves Paris Wednesday afternoon and will meet later that day with Chadian President Idriss Deby, whom he has supported against a rebel coup attempt several weeks ago.
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.
Ex-German chancellor blames Saakashvili for starting conflict
By IRNA,
Berlin : Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder blamed US-backed Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili for "triggering" the conflict in the Georgian separatist region of South Ossetia.
What sparked the present combat actions was the "Georgian invasion of South Ossetia," Schroeder said Saturday in an interview with the weekly Der Spiegel news magazine.
He branded Saakashvili a political "gambler", while warning against plans for a swift NATO membership of Georgia.
Prachanda faces first crisis as PM, as floods wreak havoc
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda", who was sworn in as the republic's first prime minister Monday, faced his first crisis within 24 hours as floods ravaged the border area, leaving over 35,000 people homeless.
The 54-year-old former guerrilla chief who Monday took oath of office and secrecy in the name of the people, instead of god, strode into the Prime Minister's Office in Singh Durbar, the heart of Nepal's government where key ministries are located, at 10.30 a.m. Tuesday to combat the new crisis.
Tropical storm Fay hovers over northern Florida, dumping rain
By DPA,
Washington : Tropical storm Fay has come ashore in Florida for the third time, where the slow moving storm was dumping heavy rain in northern parts of the state near the city of Jacksonville.
The storm first came ashore in Florida Monday at its southern tip, Key West, and then crossed the southwest portion of the Florida peninsula before again moving offshore ahead of the latest landfall.
It earlier left as many as 50 people dead in flooding and landslides in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Russia keeps pulling back troops from Georgia
By Xinhua,
Moscow : Russia has kept moving troops out of Georgia and strived to fulfill its promise in a cease-fire agreement of withdrawing its forces from the Caucasus neighbor after several days of military conflicts.
RUSSIA WITHDRAWS TROOPS
All the troops will pull back to Russia's territory in ten days, Russian General Vladimir Boldyrev, the Chief Commander of Ground Troops said Thursday.
Peacekeepers' posts would open on Friday and Russian troops that are not involved in peacekeeping operations would return to Russia, Boldyrev said.
Ukraine celebrating 17th anniversary of independence
By IRNA,
Tehran : On the 24th August 1991 Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (parliament) declared Ukraine as an independent state.
At the same year (December 1, 1991) over 90% of the people of reborn Ukrainian state confirmed the independence of Ukraine at the referendum.
10 hurt in LTTE air attack on key naval base in Trincomalee
By IANS,
Colombo : At least 10 Sri Lankan Navy sailors were wounded when Tamil Tiger rebels air-dropped two bombs on a key naval base in Sri Lanka's eastern port city of Trincomalee, defence authorities said Wednesday.
The attack, from a lightwing aircraft, took place late Tuesday.
Military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had used a lightwing aircraft to drop two bombs between 9 p.m. and 9.15 p.m. on the Trincomalee dockyard area.
Miliband visits Ukraine, urges coalition against Russia
By IRNA,
London : British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is in Ukraine Wednesday to build what he called 'the widest possible coalition against Russian aggression in Georgia'.
His trip comes after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev formally recognized the independence of Georgia's regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Miliband warned was 'unjustifiable' and would 'further inflame an already tense situation'.
Suspected insurgents kill 3 villagers as Ramadan begins in Thai south
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Insurgent violence continued in Thailand's deep south on Monday as militants shot dead three villagers as the Islamic Ramadan fast began, media here reported.
In an incident, a 61-year-old Thai-Muslim village headman was killed by the gunmen while he was driving in Bannang Sata district of Yala province, according to a report by Bangkok Post website. He was shot in the head with 9mm bullets.
’80-year-old’ leads war on Kosi in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : A man, said to be in his 80s, is leading the war on the raging Saptakosi river that has been spreading death, destruction and disease in Nepal and India since last month.
Nilendu Sanyal, a former engineer-in-chief in Bihar's water resources department as well as Flood Control Commission, is the architect of the blueprint that could tame the errant river and beat it back to its old course.
Russia builds floating nuclear power plant
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : In a couple of years, a new kind of vessel will appear on the sea - the floating nuclear power plant (FNPP). The Academician Lomonosov, currently under construction in Russia, is only one project of the several FNPP being developed.
The formal keel laying ceremony took place in April 2007 at the Sevmash shipyard of the Russian State Centre for Nuclear Shipbuilding in Severodvinsk. After about a year and a half, the state-owned corporation Rosatom revoked the general contract, handing it over to the Baltiysky Zavod (Baltic Plant) Shipyard in St. Petersburg.
Teens who shun physical activity more likely to be ill
By IANS,
Sydney : Teens who shun physical activity are more likely to fall ill because of sedentary lifestyles, according to Queensland University of Technology researcher Kyra Hamilton.
Hamilton, who also has 15 years nursing experience, said the results were split fairly evenly down the middle: just under half (42 per cent) of the 423 teens surveyed were regularly active, and just over half (58 per cent) were not regularly active.
Asian policewoman in Britain complains of racism
By IANS,
London : The London Metropolitan Police (Met) may face a racism charge once again, this time from a senior Asian woman officer who is claiming she is the target of racist bullying and victimisation.
The case of Yasmin Rehman comes close on the heels of two recent cases of race discrimination filed by senior Asian officers Shabir Husain and Tarique Ghaffur. The employment tribunal dismissed Husain's case while police chief Ian Blair suspended Ghaffur even as his case is yet to come for hearing.
New Thai PM Has To Wait, Parliament Postponed
By D. Arul Rajoo, Bernama,
Bangkok : A crucial parliament session to pick Thailand's new prime minister was postponed to next Wednesday after about two thirds of the MPs, including those from the ruling People Power Party (PPP), staged a boycott due to dissatisfaction over the renomination of Samak Sundaravej who was sacked three days ago by the Constitution Court.
Namibia President Calls Raul Castro
By Prensa Latina,
Havana : President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Army General Raul Castro received a phone call from his Namibian counterpart Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba, who supported the island"s people after the passing of the devastating Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
In their talk, Raul expressed gratitude for the Namibian president"s concern and offered extensive information on damages caused by the meteorological events over the last 11 days, Granma newspaper reported Friday.
First Hindu school in Britain ready to begin term
By IANS,
London : Students will shortly begin their term at Britain's first Hindu school - the Krishna Avanti Voluntary Aided Primary School in Edgeware, north London, the area with the largest concentration of Hindus in the country.
The 'bhumi puja' (ground breaking ceremony) of the school was performed this June. The school will follow the national curriculum, but offer education based on Hindu values. Concepts of inclusivity and equality of all human beings, meditation, yoga and a strict vegetarian diet will reflect some of them.
US working hard to check Wall St impact on economy: Bush
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : As the US financial system reeled with the turmoil on the Wall Street, President George W. Bush assured that his administration was working to reduce disruptions and minimise the impact on the broader economy.
"As policymakers, we're focused on the health of the financial system as a whole," Bush said at the White House Monday, using the visit of Ghana President John Kufuor to reach out to the Americans "concerned about the adjustments that are taking place in our financial markets".
Engineer working to better engine performance, cut emissions
By IANS,
Washington : The five engines in Song-Charng Kong's lab have come a long way since Karl Benz patented a two-stroke internal combustion engine in 1879.
There are fuel injectors and turbochargers and electrical controls. There's more horsepower, better efficiency, cleaner burning and greater reliability.
But Kong - with the help of 15 graduate students and all kinds of sensors recording engine cylinder pressure, energy release and exhaust emissions - is looking for even more.
Nepal gives formal recognition to third gender
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : A 21-year-old lesbian has become the first person in Nepal to be officially recognised as a third gender person under the Maoist-led new government, a move being hailed as a landmark for sexual minorities in a country still dominated by a strong feudal society.
Bishnu Adhikari, who was forced to leave her home in Pokhara town by outraged relatives and neighbours, Wednesday became the first person in Nepal to be given an official identity card that described her sex as "third gender" instead of the usual male and female categories.
Russia’s Lavrov to push new European security deal at UN
By RIA Novosti,
New York : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will promote the idea of a new European security treaty this week when he attends the UN General Assembly, a RIA Novosti correspondent said Tuesday.
The General Assembly's annual ministerial session opens Tuesday amid uncertainty over the global economic outlook, continuing violence in the Middle East, concerns over Iran's nuclear program and the deterioration of relations between Russia and the West over South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Dangerously overworked doctors risk own health and patients’ too
By IANS,
Sydney : Doctors and nurses might be risking their own health and that of their patients by being dangerously overworked, in some cases labouring as many as 17 hours daily, according to a new study.
Fiona McDonald, associate lecturer at the law faculty of Queensland University of Technology, has completed an extensive study, looking at the different laws in place to regulate working hours across six countries.
Finnish school shooter planned his act for years: Police
By DPA,
Helsinki : The 22-year-old man who killed 10 people at a trade school in western Finland Tuesday had apparently planned the massacre since 2002, police said Wednesday.
The gunman, whom police identified as Matti Juhani Saari, had left messages in his flat near the trade school in Kauhajoki, about 300 km north-west of Helsinki where the shootings took place.
Saari, who was also a student at the trade school, died Tuesday of self-inflicted wounds in hospital.
US House vote on nuclear deal postponed
By DPA,
Washington : The US House of Representatives held off Friday from voting on a White House plan that would allow the US to sell nuclear material and civilian nuclear technology to India.
The House debated the measure Friday evening but deciding to delay a vote on the agreement until at least Saturday. The measure must also pass the US Senate, which has not scheduled a vote but is expected to convene over the weekend.
Canada injects billions into markets to ease credit crunch
By IANS,
Toronto : With credit squeeze hitting Canadian markets, the Bank of Canada Friday announced injection of billions of dollars into term lending markets even as the finance claimed that the Canadian economy was doing fine.
In a statement, the nation's central bank said that beginning Sept 19 it has extended $8 billion to provide liquidity to term lending markets.
Russian president to promote new security treaty for Europe
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will address an international forum on global politics and security in France to propose the creation of a new European security system, the Kremlin website said on Tuesday.
The first annual World Policy Conference is being held at the French town of Evian on October 6-8 and has gathered global leaders, heads of states and international organizations, and leading experts on international affairs. Medvedev will deliver his address to the forum on Wednesday.
French Interior Minister to hold talks with Muslim leaders
By KUNA,
Paris : French Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie is to hold talks later Tuesday with major leaders of Frances Muslim community, the Interior Ministry said.
Alliot-Marie will receive the recently-elected President of the French Council for the Muslim Faith (CFCM), Mohammed Mussawi, and she will also receive representatives of the Regional Councils of the Muslim Faith (CRCM), a statement said.
The agenda is expected to cover a variety of topics including the growing need, and chronic shortage in some areas, of more Mosques for the Muslim faithful.
Two Japanese, US scientist win physics Nobel Prize
By IANS,
Stockholm : Two Japanese and a US scientist shared the 2008 Nobel Prize for physics, according to the prize committee Tuesday.
Yoichiro Nambu, Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa were named for the year's Nobel Laureates in Physics during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences here.
Japan-born US citizen Yoichiro Nambu of the Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago was awarded "for the discovery of the mechanism of spontaneous broken symmetry in subatomic physics", a press statement said.
Russia to Launch Intercontinental Missile
By Prensa Latina,
Moscow : Russia will strengthen its strategic deterrent will during the Stability-2008 military exercise by launching a Topol-M intercontinental missile from the Plesetsk launch site, military sources confirmed here Tuesday.
The rocket will be launched from Plesetsk, in the Russian Federation's northern area, during the maneuvers from October 8-12, under command of the Strategic Rocket Forces (RSVN) Chief Nikolai Solotov, the command's press service reported.
Colonel General Solotov will mobilize about 3,000 troops and 250 weapons, the source said.
`Economic 9/11` exacting grim psychological toll in US
By ANTARA News,
Los Angeles : The murder-suicide of a Los Angeles financial manager who shot dead five members of his family before killing himself has highlighted the psychological toll of the economic meltdown.
The bodies of Karthik Rajaram, a 45-year-old business school graduate, and his wife, three children and mother-in-law, were discovered at his home in an upmarket gated community on Monday.
UN rights chief Pillay slams xenophobic attacks in South Africa
By IANS,
Johannesburg : United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has condemned the brutal slaying of a Somali family in South Africa and urged the government to take measures to protect foreigners from xenophobic attacks.
Sahra Omar Farah, her two teenage sons, one of whom was deaf and her 12-year-old daughter were stabbed to death Friday in a frenzied attack at a small store run by fellow Somalis in rural Eastern Cape province.
Initial signs showed the woman and her daughter had also been sexually assaulted.
‘Dirty, deadly dozen’ pathogens expand, thanks to climate change
By IANS,
Washington : Health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society have released a report that lists 12 pathogens that could spread into new regions as a result of climate change, potentially impacting human and wildlife health and global economies.
The best defence, according to the report's authors, is a good offence in the form of wildlife monitoring to detect how these diseases are moving so health professionals can learn and prepare to mitigate their impact.
Ukraine sent arms to Georgia during conflict -Russia’s NATO envoy
By RIA Novosti,
Brussels : Russia's NATO envoy has said that Ukrainian weapons were delivered to Georgia, and that the last delivery came as Georgian forces were attacking breakaway South Ossetia.
"The last such case [of arms supplies] took place on August 8," Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday evening.
Georgian forces began their attack on South Ossetia late on August 7, continuing it the next day. Russia subsequently launched a military operation to "force Georgia to peace." The operation was concluded on August 12.
Countries will work to avoid broader economic fallout: Bush
By DPA,
Washington : US President George W. Bush said Saturday that the world's economic powers will work closely to overcome the ongoing financial crisis and create a plan toward recovery.
"We will stand together in addressing this threat to our prosperity," Bush said. "We will do what it takes to resolve this crisis, and the world's economy will emerge stronger as a result."
Relatives of captive crew seek meeting with Ukrainian leader
By RIA Novosti,
Kiev : Family members of over 15 Ukrainians held hostage by Somali pirates for more than two weeks have gathered outside the offices of the Ukrainian president, the Unian news agency reported on Monday.
Around 20 relatives of the 17 Ukrainians on board the hijacked MV Faina said they would not leave until granted an audience with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.
The Faina, carrying at least 33 tanks and other heavy weaponry, was seized by Somali pirates on September 25.
Wall Street stages massive rally on European rescue plans
By DPA,
New York : Wall Street delivered one its largest gains ever Monday as a series of financial rescue plans around the world and efforts to boost liquidity heartened investors.
Stocks were up more than 11 percent on the major US indices.
In its largest-ever point gain, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 936.42 points, or 11.08 percent, to 9,387.61.
What warming? Climate change slips down global priorities
By Chris Cermak, DPA,
Washington : You might call it the fourth crisis. While collapsing financial institutions plunge wealthy nations into recession and developing countries grapple with surging food and energy costs, the once urgent need to fight global warming seems to have taken a back seat.
Just last year, nearly every global and regional summit put climate change at the top of its agenda. Now it seems to have become an afterthought.
Strong earthquake rattles northeastern Greece
By DPA,
Athens : A strong earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale shook north-eastern Greece early Tuesday, but there were no reports of injuries or damage.
The underwater quake took place at 5:06 a.m. and had an epicentre northeast of Athens near Halkida and the island of Evia.
Two smaller earthquakes took place a few minutes later.
The earthquake startled people in Athens.
Hillary Clinton rules out another White House run, ‘probably’
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Hillary Clinton has all but ruled out running for US president in 2012 and said she wasn't interested in any high-level positions if one time Democratic rival Barack Obama becomes president.
The former first lady, who fought a long and bitter primary battle with Obama for the Democratic ticket, told Fox News Channel Tuesday that her chances of making another bid for the White House were "probably close to zero".
Study sheds new light on dating violence
By IANS,
Washington : A new study sheds light on the lives of troubled teenagers, mostly from broken homes, who often witness violence at home, leading to them abusing their own girlfriends.
The study advocated taking a broader view of such behaviours within dating relationships to explore environments at school, home and community - that affect boys' lives and actions.
Autistic people make more rational decisions
By IANS,
London : People with autism-related disorders are less likely to make irrational decisions and are less influenced by gut instincts, according to the latest research.
Decision-making is a complex process, involving both intuition and analysis: analysis involves computation and more "rational" thought, but is slower; intuition, by contrast, is much faster, but less accurate, relying on heuristics, or "gut instincts".
Previous studies have shown that our response to a problem depends on how the problem is posed - the so called "framing effect".
Russia to offer $26 bn rescue package for beleaguered banks
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's central bank will place a financial rescue package of up to $26.6 billion in unsecured loans Monday to bail out banks from the ongoing liquidity crisis.
Only banks rated by the international agencies Fitch Ratings, Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investors Service will be able to apply for the six-month loans.
The relief package and the eligibility criteria were approved by the Russian parliament and signed into a law Friday by President Dmitry Medvedev.
A government source said around 120 banks would be able to apply for the bailout.
Ex-MI5 chief says West over-reacted to 9/11
By IANS,
London : Former British spy chief Stella Rimington says the West's response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US was a “huge overreaction".
In an interview with The Guardian newspaper published Saturday, the former head of MI5 says Al Qaeda's attack was “another terrorist incident" - not qualitatively different from any others.
"That's not how it struck me. I suppose I'd lived with terrorist events for a good part of my working life and this was as far as I was concerned another one," she said.
AIG halts lobbying after government takeover
By DPA,
Washington : Insurance giant American International Group Inc, which was bailed out of a cash-flow crisis last month by a loan that temporarily made the US government its majority shareholder, said Monday that it would stop lobbying in Washington.
A spokesman said that the company's Washington office would continue to monitor federal lawmaking to assess impacts on AIG, but that routine work to influence congressional legislation would stop.
17 dead in bus accident in Southern Bolivia
By SPA,
La Paz, Bolivia : A bus went off a curve on a mountainous road Monday in southern Bolivia, leaving 17 people dead and 30 injured, local media reported.
The vehicle carrying a sports team plummeted 200 meters off the pavement before coming to rest, DPA reported.
Maldives’ run-off presidential election goes peacefully
By Xinhua,
Male : The run-off presidential election in the Indian archipelago of the Maldives went on peacefully on Tuesday with no major violence being reported, elections officials said.
The incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is competing with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) Mohamed Nasheed in the election.
Election officials said 209,294 people were registered to vote in 403 polling stations in the country which consists of 1,192 small islands scattered across 800 km of the Indian Ocean neighboring India and Sri Lanka.
German consul general takes serious view of minor’s rape: lawyer
By IANS,
Panaji : The German Consul General Walter Stechel has taken a "serious view" of the rape of a minor German girl allegedly by the kin of three Goa ministers and will visit Goa on Sunday to review the probe status, the victim's lawyer said Monday.
The victim's lawyer also hinted that the state machinery was conspiring to ensure that Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate's son Rohit was not arrested.
"Mr Stechel has taken a serious view of the case and he is already taking up the matter with the authorities in Delhi," advocate Aires Rodrigues said.
British government seeks more ethnic minority women in public life
By IANS,
London : Minister for women and equalities Harriet Harman says Britain needs more Black, Asian and other minority ethnic women councillors after new data showed their numbers have fallen.
Only 149 out of 19,617 elected councillors across England are minority ethnic women this year, compared with 164 in 2006.
This represents less than one per cent of all councillors, although minority ethnic women make up more than five percent of the population. To fully reflect society the number of female minority ethnic councillors would have to rise nearer to 1,000.
At least 79 dead or missing in northern, central Vietnam by flood
By Xinhua,
Hanoi : At least 79 people were dead or missing in the northern and central flood areas in Vietnam, The Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday, citing the preliminary statistics from the Central Steering Committee for Flood Control and Prevention.
The victims included 22 in Hanoi, which has suffered the most. The central provinces of Ha Tinh and Nghe An reported 17 and nine deaths respectively.
Latin American leaders welcome Obama presidency
By IANS,
Miami : Leaders across Latin America Wednesday welcomed the election of Barack Obama as the president of the US, Spain's EFE news agency reported.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva labelled the African-American senator's victory "extraordinary" and said he expected Obama to promote "stronger relations" among the US, Latin America and Africa, and to "end the blockade on Cuba".
Dispute over 25-cm land leads to murder, suicide
By DPA,
Phnom Penh : A dispute over a 25-centimetre strip of land in Cambodia ended with a man murdering his brother and sister-in-law and then committing suicide, media reports said Thursday.
Police in Prey Kanlaong province said 42-year-old Chev Thuy fatally stabbed his brother and sister-in-law and then hanged himself Tuesday after a drawn-out argument over the inherited parcel of land.
The Phnom Penh Post reported the family had previously asked the local land authority to help resolve the dispute but were unhappy with its resolution.
Palestinian militants continue rocket attacks on Israel
By RIA Novosti,
Tel Aviv/Gaza : Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fired at least three rockets at southern Israel on the third day of renewed hostilities that threaten a fragile five-month truce, the Israeli military said Friday.
The rockets exploded in deserted areas, without inflicting casualties or damage. Islamic Jihad, Gaza's second-largest militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Obama: ‘We have to act swiftly’ on economy
By SPA,
Chicago : In his first public remarks since delivering his victory speech three days ago, President-elect Barack Obama vowed Friday that restoring the nation's economic equilibrium will be a priority of his administration.
In his first post-election news conference, Obama said "I do not underestimate the enormity of the task that lies ahead,"
Obama told reporters at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. "We have taken some major action to date, and we will take further action."
New Zealand awakes to new centre-right government
By DPA,
Wellington : New Zealand awoke Sunday to the prospect of a new centre-right government to steer the country out of its worst recession for years after a general election dumped the Labour-led coalition that had ruled since 1999.
Saturday's election produced a sharp jump to the right, leaving prime minister-elect John Key, 47, leader of the conservative National Party, and his free market allies in the ACT party, to govern for the next three years.
Europe’s finance reforms could face resistance
By Andrew McCathie, DPA,
Brussels : After leading the way in responding to the world financial crisis, Europe could be facing headwinds as it attempts to press on with a rapid and comprehensive overhaul of the global finance sector.
Gone are the high-minded calls for sweeping changes to the international financial system as proposed only a few weeks ago by French President Nicolas Sarkozy when panic selling engulfed share markets and sent shock waves across the world economy.
China:Differences In Talks With Private Envoys Of Dalai Lama
By Bernama,
Beijing : A Chinese central government official says recent talks with the Dalai Lama's private representatives were "frank and sincere," but serious differences remain, Xinhua news agency reported.
Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council here on Monday.
13-year-old British girl wins right to die
By IANS,
London : A terminally ill British teenager has won a legal battle with her hospital to spend her last days at home with family and friends without any more treatment.
Hannah Jones, 13, who is suffering from a rare type of leukaemia, went to court when her local hospital drafted child protection officers to remove her from her parents' custody to force her to undergo a heart transplant.
The high court decided that she was old enough to make the decision for herself and the hospital dropped the case.
Russia to raise oil output by 20 percent
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Oil production in Russia will grow by up to 20 percent, and natural gas by 42 percent by 2030 in line with Russia's draft energy strategy, business daily Vedomosti reported Tuesday.
The draft, prepared by several research institutes and the energy ministry, will be submitted to the government in January after discussions and approvals.
In August the economics ministry set a task of ending the economy's dependence on raw material exports by 2020.
After Holocaust, next book on US election: Sam Bourne
By Azera Rahman, IANS,
New Delhi : Renowned author and British journalist Jonathan Freedland - whose pen name is Sam Bourne - plans to weave his next book around the US election campaign.
Having covered the polls this time when Barack Obama had his historic victory, he has enough matter in his hands to pad up his next bestseller.
"I am writing this in Chicago, after seeing Obama celebrate his election as president of the United States. My next novel will be set during a US election campaign," Freedland, 41, told IANS in an e-mail interview.
Medvedev looks forward to strong partnership with Obama
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday he hoped to overcome ongoing disputes with Washington under the future U.S. president, Barack Obama, and that he looked forward to meeting him.
"I had a good conversation with him. I hope that with the new administration we will be able to build a normal, full-fledged partnership," Medvedev said in an interview with Le Figaro ahead of his trip to France for a Russia-EU summit due on Friday.
Eurozone officially in recession: Eurostat
By DPA,
Brussels : The 15-member eurozone officially slumped into recession Friday after its economy contracted by 0.2 percent for a second quarter in a row, the European statistical office said.
Figures from Eurostat showed that gross domestic product in two of the euro area's biggest economies, Germany and Italy, fell by 0.5 percent in the third quarter of 2008, after falling by 0.4 percent in the second.
The other eurozone heavyweight, France, saw its GDP grow by just 0.1 percent in the third quarter, after contracting by 0.3 percent in the previous three months.
Americans spend big on Obama souvenirs
By Andy Goldberg, DPA,
San Francisco/Los Angeles : The US economy may be deep in the doldrums, but there's one sector where enterprising entrepreneurs are still making a fortune.
Since last week's victory by Barack Obama, souvenirs of the president-elect are selling like the crash never happened, as his supporters and foreign tourists rush to get their hands on almost anything that commemorates the election of the first African-American president.
There are some limits, of course.
Chavez says Russia to build nuclear reactor in Venezuela
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia will help Venezuela build its first nuclear reactor in the northwestern province of Zulia, President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday.
Chavez had announced on Friday that Venezuela was in talks with Russia on nuclear energy cooperation, and the issue is likely to be discussed during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit later this month.
Kalam’s visit hailed as Nepal’s pride
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's maiden visit to Nepal was hailed as a matter of pride and recognition for the new Himalayan republic that gave a rapturous welcome to the renowned scientist-scholar.
Kantipur, Nepal's biggest and most influential daily, Tuesday said Kalam's two-day visit to Nepal to address the convocation of a Nepali university, when in the past he had declined an invitation by the famed Oxford University, was not only a matter of pride and recognition for Kathmandu University but the entire nation.
US automakers plead for bail-out with skeptical Congress
By DPA,
Washington : Chiefs of the three US automakers went before Congress Tuesday seeking an emergency injection of government money to stave off bankruptcies that could cost the US economy millions of jobs.
The so-called Big Three - General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler LLC - are asking for $25 billion from the $700-billion financial rescue package passed in October, arguing that the ongoing credit crisis has pushed their already struggling industry to the brink of collapse.
White House: Bush-Medvedev meeting possible in APEC summit
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. President George W. Bush and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev may have talks when they attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum this weekend in Lima, Peru, the White House said Wednesday.
"Although there is not a firm time yet it is very likely that President Bush will meet with the president of the Russian Federation," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
ICRC, Sri Lanka spar as India hands over relief
By IANS,
Colombo : India Thursday formally handed over to the international Red Cross nearly 1,700 tonnes of relief material meant for civilians displaced by war in Sri Lanka's north, but a top government official insisted that Colombo alone would distribute the aid.
Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad handed over the gift certificate to Paul Castella, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sri Lanka, at what the envoy said was "a simple but solemn occasion".
Flash funky nail shades for impact, says British nail technician
By IANS,
New Delhi : A crazy hairdo and wacky attire are striking, but what about your nails? Colour them in funky shades too to make a statement, says British nail technician Jacqui Jefford.
Jefford says this is the right time to wear crazy nails with loads of attitude and confidence.
"I have seen people carrying crazy hair styles and dresses with confidence, but most of them play it safe with nail colours. This is the right time to add funk to your nails and make a statement," Jefford told IANS.
Russia calls shots near Georgian, Polish presidents ‘provocation’
By RIA Novosti,
Lima : Shots fired close to the Georgian and Polish presidents' motorcade on South Ossetia's de facto border with Georgia on Sunday were a "provocation", Russia's foreign minister said.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was reported as saying that Russian forces had opened fire on the motorcade.
"This is a clear provocation," Sergei Lavrov, who is accompanying the Russian president on his current Latin American trip, told reporters in the Peruvian capital, Lima.
India-Nepal border demarcated 98 percent: Pranab
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The over 1,800-km open border between India and Nepal that is one of the biggest thorns in bilateral ties is being freshly demarcated with 98 percent of the new survey completed, Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here Tuesday, adding that all "differences and divergences" on border issues would be resolved soon.
China hails Obama’s economic team, pledges cooperation
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China Tuesday congratulated Obama's economic team, saying the country would like to work with the new administration to promote bilateral ties.
"We noticed that US President-elect Barack Obama had nominated some members of his government, and we express congratulations to them," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a regular press briefing here.
"We would like to strengthen cooperation with them so as to further promote the Sino-US friendly and constructive cooperation in a wide range of fields," he said.
Israeli daily critical of India’s ‘slow’ response to terror strike
By IANS,
New Delhi : As India turned down Israel's offer to send its crack commandos to Mumbai to rescue Israeli hostages held in a Jewish centre, an influential newspaper in Tel Aviv has criticised "slow, confused and inefficient" response of Indian authorities to the terror attacks in Mumbai.
"In the first several hours after the Mumbai incidents began, the response of the Indian authorities was slow, confused and inefficient," said an article in Haaretz, entitled "Is Al Qaeda behind the Mumbai terror attacks?"
Canada’s Ahmadiyya Muslims condemn attacks in Mumbai
By IANS,
Toronto : The Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Canada has condemned the "heinous and cowardly acts of terrorism" in Mumbai, which left at least 148 people dead and over 327 injured.
The attacks against India go against the teachings of Islam, community leaders said in a statement.
"There can be no justification for the taking of innocent lives and the infliction of violence and terror upon (defenceless) civilians, no matter what the pretext," said Lal Khan Malik, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Canada.
Kenya urges UN to tackle food crisis, Nigerian piracy
By Xinhua,
Nairobi : Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki has asked the United Nations to mobilise resources to tackle global problems, including high food prices and rampant piracy along the coast of Somalia.
A statement from the presidential press service said Kibaki called on the UN to help in coordinating efforts to stabilise global food prices and ensure an efficient movement of food from surplus to deficit nations.
Thai protestors to lift siege of Government House
By DPA,
Bangkok : Anti-government protestors in Thailand decided Monday to end their three-month occupation of the prime minister's office, but remained in place at Bangkok's two airports which they have shut down for almost a week.
People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader Chamlomg Srimuang urged supporters still at Government House to move out and join others at Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Mueang Airport.
The PAD occupied Government House Aug 26, depriving the prime minister and cabinet of their offices.
Google resorting to austerity measures: WSJ
By IANS,
New York : Feeling the pinch of the global economic slowdown and the US recession in particular, Google, the internet search engine giant, is resorting to austerity measures, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
Prominent among them include cutting new projects, ratcheting back spending, chipping away at perks and reducing employee strength. Such measure from Google, which is known for its generous perks, has come as a surprise to many industry watchers.
Russia-India trade to reach $10 bln by 2010 – deputy PM
By RIA Novosti,
New Delhi : Russia and India plan to increase trade to $10 billion by 2010 from this year's expected level of $7 billion, and diversify economic cooperation, a Russian deputy prime minister said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a session of the bilateral commission on trade ahead of the Russian president's visit to India, Alexander Zhukov said: "We are not only aiming to boost the figures measuring cooperation, raising trade to $10 billion by 2010, but we also want our cooperation to reach a modern level, by expanding investment and science and research ties."
Lashkar-E-Taiba members in Germany, interior minister says
By ANTARA News/DPA,
New Delhi : Members of the Pakistan militant group blamed for the terrorist attacks in Mumbai are residing in Germany, German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Friday.
Schaeuble, who is on a visit to New Delhi, said the group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, had no organizational infrastructure in Germany, but individual members were living there.
The minister said there was no evidence to show the group was plotting attacks in Germany.
Indonesia urges EU to lift ban on its airliners
By DPA,
Jakarta : Indonesia has called on the European Union (EU) to lift its ban on the country's carriers from the 27-nation bloc's airspace after Jakarta passed a new aviation law, media reports said Thursday.
"There is no further argument for the EU not to lift the ban," Transport Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal was quoted as saying by the Indonesian daily Koran Tempo.
On Wednesday, the Indonesian parliament passed a bill to improve the country's air safety in response to demands by the EU after Indonesia saw a string of deadly air crashes.