60 percent of Cuban workers shirk responsibilities : Study
By EFE,
Havana : Some 60 percent of Cuban workers shirk their job responsibilities, 46 percent of workers arrive late for work and 19 percent took more time than allowed for meals and breaks, a study said.
A Labour and Social Security Ministry monitoring study "showed that 60 percent of workers harmed the workday in one way or another," the official Communist Party daily Granma reported.
Ministry specialists conducted a study of more than 2,000 state-owned companies and institutions in May and June of last year.
Guantanamo detainee back in Britain amid torture claims
By DPA,
London : The first prisoner to be released from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, since US President Barack Obama ordered a review of all detainee cases, arrived in Britain Monday alleging that he was subjected to "medieval" torture in which British intelligence services had been complicit.
Binyam Mohamed, a 30-year-old Ethiopian national who lived in Britain before his arrest in Pakistan in 2002, touched down at a military airport near London, accompanied by a doctor and government officials.
18 terrorists jailed in Morocco
By Xinhua,
Rabat : A Moroccan court has convicted 18 terrorists and sentenced them to jail terms ranging between three and 15 years for their involvement in the 2003 Casablanca blasts, MAP news agency has reported.
A string of blasts had rocked Morocco's economic capital Casablanca in May 2003 and killed 45 people, including 12 bombers, and injured scores.
MI5 refuses historian Hobsbawm access to his file
By IANS,
London : The British government has been challenged to explain why Britain's most eminent historian has been barred from seeing a file kept on him by the domestic spy agency, MI5.
Eric Hobsbawm, one of the world's best-known historians, has been told by the MI5 he is not entitled to see the file, for which he applied under the Data Protection Act, the Guardian reported Monday.
"To the best of my knowledge I have never been involved in anything of security interest," Hobsbawm said Sunday.
Canadian survives plunge down Niagara Falls
By IANS,
Toronto : A Canadian man survived a plunge down the world famous Niagara Falls Tuesday. This is the second time in history that anyone taking an unprotected plunge down the 173-metre-deep falls has survived.
Six years ago, an American named Kirk Jones had created history by becoming the first person to survive after taking an unassisted plunge down the Niagara Falls.
An unnamed man in his 30s joined him Tuesday when he survived the plunge down Horseshoe Falls, which is the more famous and Canadian part of Niagara Falls.
Sarkozy survives no-confidence vote over plan to rejoin NATO
By IRNA,
Paris : The French government has won a confidence vote in parliament prompted by Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to rejoin NATO.
Some legislators had expressed fear that the president's plan would compromise France's independence, but following hours of heated debate, legislators voted 329 to 238 in favour of the government's foreign policy on Tuesday.
Francois Fillon, the prime minister, proposed the no-confidence motion amid heavy opposition from both the left and right to boosting ties with NATO.
One killed in Nepal explosion
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : One person was killed and another injured when a bomb exploded at a transport management office in Nepalgunj town, 365 km west of the Nepali capital Kathmandu Monday afternoon.
According to news website eKantipur, a large number of visitors were present inside the office at the time of the blast.
A motorcycle, a bicycle and rooms at the back of the office were destroyed in the explosion that took place at around 1.15 p.m. (0730 GMT).
Ford chief earned $13.6 mn despite record losses
By DPA,
New York : Despite record losses, the chief of Ford Motors, Alan Mulally, earned $13.6 million in 2008.
The money included $2 million in regular salary plus long-term stock options, the country's second largest car producer said Tuesday in a statement.
Mulally did not receive a bonus for 2008, in contrast to 2007. For the current and next years, he has agreed to a 30-percent salary reduction.
Ford reported record losses of $15 billion for 2008 - but still has enough cash reserves to survive.
Spain leads the world, followed by Germany and the Netherlands
By KUNA,
GENEVA : Accordiing to the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking Spain, who continue to race from one victory to another and are now unbeaten in 31 matches, are also breaking new ground in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. With a margin of more than 350 points to the second-placed team, they are the most dominant leader since the ranking was first published in 1993. Spain is followed by Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, Argentina, England, Croatia, Russia and France. The rankings up to date are based on 109 matches played so far. (end) hn.bz.
KUNA 081304 Apr 09NNNN
‘British police targeted Indian-origin rights campaigner’
By IANS,
London : British police targeted the country's leading human rights campaigner, Shami Chakrabarti, in a botched hunt for the source of a series of home ministry leaks on illegal immigration last year, according to a report Saturday.
The news comes after the government this week made an embarrassing U-turn and decided not to prosecute senior opposition Conservative Party MP Damian Green, who was arrested in November 2008 for receiving the leaked information.
Stephen Hawking set for ‘full recovery’ after hospital tests
By DPA,
London : British physicist Stephen Hawking is expected to make a "full recovery" after undergoing a series of tests in a hospital in Cambridge, a spokesman for Cambridge University said Tuesday.
The 67-year-old scientist, who is wheelchair-bound and speaks with the help of a voice synthesizer as a result of a motor neuron disease, was rushed to hospital Monday and described as being "very ill".
He was diagnosed with amyothropic lateral sclerosis (ASL) in 1963, when he was just 21 years old.
Microsoft sales drop for first time in 23 years
By DPA,
San Francisco : Microsoft reported a drop in quarterly revenues Thursday for the first time in the 23 years since it went public.
But investors still gave the world largest software company their approval, sending Microsoft shares higher in after-market trading as its aggressive cost cutting measures preserved profitability.
The Seattle-based company said its revenues dropped six percent to $13.7 billion, compared to the year-ago quarter. Profits of $3 billion represented a 32-percent drop from the $4.4 billion it earned in the same period last year.
With trust in Zardari waning, US wooing Sharif: NYT
By IANS,
New York : As American confidence in the Pakistani government wanes, the Obama administration is reaching out more directly than before to Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari's chief rival Nawaz Sharif, the New York Times said in a report.
American officials have long held Sharif at arm's length because of his close ties to Islamists in Pakistan, but some Obama administration officials now say those ties could be useful in helping Zardari's government to confront the stiffening challenge by Taliban insurgents, the influential newspaper said Saturday.
Protest by ArcelorMittal workers marks violent May Day rallies
By IANS,
London : Police arrested dozens of people as Europe Friday witnessed a string of recession-fuelled May Day labour rallies, including by workers of an ArcelorMittal steel plant in France.
Workers of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel plant that is owned by Indian billionaire Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, dressed in protective work suits in a march to denounce the French government's economic policies in Marseille.
Australia confident of India’s CWG security preparation
By IANS,
Melbourne: Australia Thursday said they were confident of India's security preparation for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, but would chalk out their own plan to ensure the safety of the athletes.
Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief executive Perry Crosswhite has returned satisfied from India after being assured of a top-class security for the Games that begins in 2010 October.
Crosswhite said Indian officials have informed his delegation about the hiring of more than 8,000 new policemen that form the backbone of security at the Games.
Mourning begins for Air France crash victims
By DPA,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy came to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Wednesday for a multi-denominational service commemorating the 228 victims of Monday's crash of an Air France jetliner.
Sarkozy was accompanied to the service by his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and Prime Minister Francois Fillon. Also attending were Air France executives and employees as well as relatives of some of the victims of Monday's accident.
There were 72 French nationals, 60 Brazilians and 26 Germans among the plane's 216 passengers and crew of 12.
US, China won’t slow government spending ‘too soon’
By DPA,
Washington : The US and China agreed to maintain aggressive measures to stimulate their economies until a global recovery takes hold, US officials said after talks with their Chinese counterparts Monday.
Both countries have launched massive stimulus packages to keep their economies afloat during the global recession, and each was "grappling with the timing of the withdrawal", said David Lovinger, the US Treasury Department's senior coordinator for China affairs.
We decided to kill Birendra but spare Gyanendra, says massacre ‘plotter’
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : In an incredible turn of events eight years after the stunning massacre of Nepal's King Birendra and his entire family, a 59-year-old Nepali has surfaced in the capital, claiming to have plotted the assassination in a bid to save the nation.
Nepal foreign minister set for four-day India trip
By IANS,
New Delhi: Nepal's Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala is set to arrive in the national capital for a four-day visit next week.
This is the first visit by Koirala after the new Nepal government took over about three months back. Her visit - from Aug 10 to Aug 13 - is likely to pave the way for the visit of Nepali Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal in the second half of this month.
NASA delays launch of space shuttle Discovery
By DPA,
Cape Canaveral : The launch of the space shuttle Discovery was delayed for one day Tuesday due to bad weather conditions in the area of the launch site at Cape Canaveral, NASA said.
Discovery had been scheduled to blast off at 1.36 a.m. (0536 GMT) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to transport new equipment and experiments to the International Space Station.
The safety risk for Discovery's seven astronauts and the shuttle was too high, NASA said.
The space shuttle is now scheduled to lift off Wednesday at 0510 GMT.
Toll in Indonesian quake rises to 45
By DPA,
Jakarta : At least 45 people were killed and dozens were missing and feared dead after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake devastated the western part of Indonesia's Java island, officials and state media reported Thursday.
Officials said more than 18,000 homes were damaged in Wednesday's quake and more than 5,000 people were displaced in the hardest-hit areas.
Television footage showed residents cooking food in kitchens set up outside their homes to prepare pre-dawn meals before they began their daily fasts during the Islamic month of Ramzan.
Carla Bruni to act in Woody Allen’s next
By IANS,
New York : French first lady Carla Bruni has reportedly accepted filmmaker Woody Allen's offer to star in his next movie.
Allen visited Paris back in June this year and announced his desire to sign the wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy up for a film project and now it appears his wish has come true, reports buzzhollywood.com.
The news came in effect after French newspaper Le Parisien claimed that Bruni has agreed to his request and will work with the famed director in a new movie, scheduled to begin filming next year.
New Zealand makes licence mandatory for immigration advisers
By Amandeep Sehmi, IANS,
Hamilton (New Zealand) : New Zealand has made it mandatory for immigration consultants to get a licence. A stiff penalty, including up to seven years' imprisonment, will be imposed on violators.
The law makes it necessary for people living in other countries who give advice on New Zealand immigration to be licensed with Immigration Advisors Authority from May 4, 2010.
New Zealand will not accept applications filed by people using an unlicensed immigration adviser after the law comes into effect.
Disneyland to screen Jackson movie again
By IANS,
California : The Disneyland theme park is planning to screen late pop legend Michael Jackson's movie "Captain EO" that was shown at the venue in the 1980s and 1990s at the behest of his fans.
"Captain EO", a 17-minute 3D movie starring Jackson, was about a space crew who were on a mission to take a present to an alien leader and the pop icon has sung two songs in it, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
Typhoon hurts more than 50 in Hong Kong
By DPA,
Hong Kong : More than 50 people were injured in Typhoon Koppu, a storm that roared past Hong Kong Tuesday, emergency workers said.
Most of the people taken to hospital were hit by flying objects as the typhoon, packing winds of more than 120 km per hour, whipped the city of seven million people. No one was seriously hurt.
Schools and offices were closed and ferry services suspended as high winds and heavy rain continued to pummel the city Tuesday morning as the typhoon made landfall in neighbouring southern China.
Republicans bash Obama on missile defence
By DPA,
Washington : Congressional Republicans sharply criticised President Barack Obama Thursday for cancelling plans for a long-range missile-defence shield in Europe, accusing him of backing down against Moscow.
"The administration is capitulating to Russian demands, rewarding Russia for its divisive policies and actions," Representative Howard McKeon said during a press conference with other Republicans.
Brazil tells Honduras it does not accept ‘ultimatum’
By EFE,
Porlamar (Venezuela) : Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva here said that it "does not accept ultimatums from a coup-making government". He was talking about the 10 days ultimatum given by the present Honduran government for clearing the status of expelled Honduran president Mel Zelaya who is holed up in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa.
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi pushes sanctions talks
By DPA,
Yangon : Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has requested permission from the ruling junta to talk about lifting economic sanctions with the US, Australia and the European (EU), opposition sources said Monday.
Suu Kyi, who is currently under house detention, made the request in a letter sent to junta chief Senior General Than Shwe, the National League for Democracy (NLD) opposition party revealed.
Nepal Maoists disapprove of Nobel for German author
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas have denounced the award of the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature to German author Herta Mueller by the Swedish Academy Thursday, saying it reflected the institution's growing bias towards the communists.
The 56-year-old ethnic Romanian writer experienced persecution and censorship under the repressive Nicolae Caeusescu regime in Romania and her writing focuses on living in a dictatorship steeped in corruption and intolerance.
Sri Lanka to go for early presidential elections
By DPA,
Colombo: Sri Lanka is to hold presidential elections nearly two years before scheduled, an official said Tuesday.
"The presidential elections will be held before April next year," Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said.
The announcement came two days after President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) recorded a convincing victory in a southern provincial election, receiving 67 percent of the votes.
Middle East will be an ally of US one day: Bush
By IANS,
New Delhi : Recalling how one-time enemy Japan became an ally of the US, former US president George W. Bush Saturday expressed confidence that the Middle East would also go the same way one day.
Speaking at a leadership conclave organised here by the Hindustan Times, Bush recalled his conversation with then Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi immediately after 9/11 when the latter said that Japan and the US will work together to fight the ideology of hatred and advance the cause of freedom.
Climate friendly policies pay off: Study
By IANS,
New Delhi : Climate-friendly policies not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions and bring environmental benefits, they also boost and diversify the economy, reveals a recent study analysing some 100 climate policies of G20 countries.
Carried out by think tanks Ecofys and Germanwatch for global NGOs WWF and E3G, the study evaluates climate policies of countries accounting for around three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, identifying best and worst examples and lessons learned.
19 killed in China as truck runs into crowd
By IANS,
Beijing : At least 19 people were killed when a truck ran into a crowd in northern China's Hebei province, police said Friday.
The accident happened at around 8.30 p.m. Thursday in Zhaozhuangzi village when the truck hit another vehicle and then went into the crowd, Xinhua reported.
As many as 32 people were hospitalised.
The driver and the owner of the truck were arrested.
Chavez calls on citizens to prepare for war
By EFE,
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has called on citizens to prepare for war after Colombia rejected his appeal to remove the US military bases from its territory that Venezuela believe is a threat to the country.
"Let them not make a mistake, because we are ready for anything," the Venezuelan leader said, rejecting an offer by Brazil to arrange a meeting between Chavez and his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe to settle the issue.
Obama meets Chinese premier, ends `productive’ visit
By DPA,
Beijing : US President Barack Obama met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday as he wound up a first visit to China that featured pledges from both nations to develop strategic cooperation on major international issues.
"We have had very productive discussions over the last few days," Obama said.
"President Hu (Jintao) and myself agreed in our first meeting that we wanted to try to deepen the strategic partnerships and relationships between the United States and China," he said.
Sri Lanka president ‘war criminal’, try him, demand Tamils
By IANS,
Toronto : Sri Lankan Tamils in Canada have called for an international trial of the Sri Lankan president for allegedly ordering the killing of surrendering LTTE leaders during the ethnic war that ended in May.
Former Sri Lankan army chief and opposition presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka has alleged that Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered troops to kill three top LTTE leaders when they raised white flags to surrender.
The defence secretary is the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Unprotected sex leads to paralysis, costs $200,000 claim
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto: Unprotected sex led to paralysis and cost a Canadian man his $200,000 medical insurance claim.
Throwing out his hefty medical claim Friday, the Canadian Supreme Court said unprotected sex that leads to disabling diseases is not an "accident" entitling the victim to insurance benefits.
Randolph Gibbens, a former high-pressure water blaster in Vancouver, contracted genital herpes in 2003 after unprotected sex with three women.
The herpes virus later attacked his spine and paralyzed him from his abdomen down.
Yahoo to name Carol Bartz as CEO: Report
By Xinhua,
San Francisco : Yahoo Inc. is expected to name Carol Bartz, former head of software company Autodesk, as its next chief executive officer (CEO), Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
Bartz, 60, has accepted Yahoo's offer, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the situation.
The offer caps Yahoo's two-month search for a leader to succeed Jerry Yang, its co-founder and former CEO, who oversaw the company through an acquisition offer from Microsoft and activist investor Carl Icahn's failed attempt to replace the Yahoo board.
Heavy rain hits flood-stricken Fiji again
By DPA,
Wellington : Torrential rains lashed flood-stricken Fiji again Wednesday and weather forecasters warned that worse was to come as another tropical depression settled over the Pacific island state.
The town of Nadi, where the country's international airport is situated, was reported to be cut off under 1.5 metres of water after a nearby river burst its banks for the second time overnight.
The police updated to eight the death toll from flooding, but said all the bodies had not been recovered, Radio New Zealand reported from Fiji's capital Suva.
Sudan peace agreement in peril, UN warns
By DPA,
New York : The comprehensive peace agreement between the Sudanese government and southern Sudan would unravel unless the two sides take steps to implement it, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday in an progress report.
The 2005 agreement ended a decades-long civil war between the Muslim-led Khartoum government and Christian groups in the south, with the inclusion of southern leaders in the Khartoum government. But key benchmarks in the deal remain unfulfilled, including north-south border demarcation, disarmament and census.
EU praises Obama opposition to protectionism
By DPA,
Brussels/Washington : The European Union (EU) Wednesday applauded US President Barack Obama for warning against protectionist measures in the midst of a global economic crisis.
Obama, in interviews with US television networks Tuesday night, said he was worried about the US Congress sending signals that could trigger a trade war between the US, the EU and other countries.
14 killed in Chile helicopter crash
By IANS,
Santiago : Fourteen firefighters and other emergency personnel died when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed in Chile's Chanco area, the local media reported Monday.
The accident occurred about 5 p.m. (2000 GMT) Sunday in Chanco, 440 km south of the Chilean capital, when employees of Celco firm were being transported to the La Vega sector of the Maule region to fight a forest fire there, EFE reported.
The acting governor of the Maule region, Maria del Carmen Perez, and the Cauquenes attorney general, Hector de la Fuente, confirmed the incident.
Indo-Canadian MP in steamy controversy
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Young Indian Canadian MP Ruby Dhalla, listed third on the list of sexiest women politicians in the world by Maxim magazine, is in the centre of a steamy controversy.
Dhalla, who is the MP from the Brampton-Springdale constituency on the outskirts of Toronto, is in a legal battle to stop distribution of DVDs of a Bollywood movie she acted in in 2003 before her election to parliament.
In the film "Kyon Kis Liye", Dhalla is shown in some steamy scenes with the film's producer and co-star Charanjit Sihra.
Israeli forces open fire at farmers, journalists
By KUNA,
GAZA : Israeli Army forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers and foreign journalists and supporters in the southern parts of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
The attack, which took place in the small town of Absan near Khan Younis, did not cause casualties, head of the Ambulance and Emergency Department in the Palestinian Health Ministry Moawiya Hasanain told KUNA.
Foreign supporters had accompanied Palestinian farmers to their farms to harvest their crops.
World powers agree UN draft statement on North Korea
By RIA Novosti,
New York : The world powers have agreed on a UN Security Council draft statement condemning North Korea's rocket launch, diplomats said Sunday.
The five permanent members of the council and Japan agreed Saturday to the draft statement seen as a compromise between the supporters of tough measures against North Korea and restrained response to the communist regime's rocket launch.
According to the draft, the UN Security Council condemns the rocket launch by North Korea, which is in contravention of Security Council Resolution 1718.
Tamils protest outside Australian PM’s home
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Over 100 Tamil protesters converged outside the Australian prime minister's Canberra residence Tuesday and demanded that Australia play a greater role in efforts to end violence in Sri Lanka.
The protesters wanted Australia to use diplomatic channels to push for a permanent cease-fire in the conflict between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil rebels.
"We have the right to ask the (prime minister) to stop the genocide," said the group's spokesman, Mahendran Ratmam.
Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said the situation in Sri Lanka was terrible.
ANC celebrates victory in South Africa polls
BY DPA,
Johannesburg : Champagne flowed on the streets of Johannesburg Thursday evening as South Africa's ruling African National Congress celebrated its expected victory in Wednesday's general elections with a mass street party, even as votes were still being counted.
Nomura Holdings sees record net loss for 2008-09
By DPA,
Tokyo : Japan's largest brokerage house, Nomura Holdings Inc, incurred a record net loss for the year ended March March 31, the firm said Friday.
The record loss amounted to 709.44 billion yen ($7.24 billion) after the firm was hit hard by the global financial turmoil and the burden of taking over part of the US investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc in September last year.
Nomura had posted a net loss of 67.85 billion yen in 2007-08.
The expanded loss was seen to be the largest among Japanese firms last fiscal, according to analysts.
Swine flu outbreak a ‘concern’ not alarm: Obama
By DPA,
Washington : President Barack Obama said he was closely watching an outbreak of swine flu in the US, where 20 cases have so far been identified, but urged people to remain calm.
"This is obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert, but it's not a cause for alarm," Obama said in a speech at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington.
Obama said he was getting "regular updates" from US authorities about the disease, which is believed to have killed more than 100 people in Mexico and prompted health alerts across the globe.
Bush’s 100 days: $100 mn raised for library
By IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama has achieved a lot in 100 days but his predecessor is not sitting idle either. Former president George W. Bush's supporters have raised more than $100 million for a library that will house his official papers.
His longtime financial backers have raised the money for a presidential library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas that will house his official papers, the web edition of the Time newsmagazine said, quoting sources close to the 43rd president.
Handwriting can unravel real you with help of computerised tool
By IANS,
Washington : Down the ages, experts and laymen have been trying to crack the handwriting code in a bid to detect one's personality traits or gauge their innocence in criminal cases.
Although once dismissed as a pseudo-science, now researchers are discovering that a computerised tool can help them gauge handwriting characteristics more effectively.
Researchers led by Gil Luria and Sara Rosenblum of University of Haifa utilised a computerised tablet that measured the physical properties of the subject's handwriting, which are difficult to consciously control.
Yushchenko registers candidacy in Ukraine presidential election
By RIA Novosti,
Kiev : Ukraine's Central Election Commission on Thursday registered incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko as a candidate for presidential elections scheduled for early next year in the ex-Soviet republic.
Yushchenko did not attend the commission's meeting on Thursday although he came to the republic's central electoral body on October 27 to personally submit his documents for registration as a candidate for the presidential elections scheduled to be held on January 17, 2009.
IOC, Brazil to draw up plan of action for Rio 2016
By DPA,
Rio de Janeiro : Less than a month after Rio de Janeiro was chosen to host the 2016 Olympics, International Olympic Committee (IOC) representatives are meeting with Brazilian authorities to draw up a plan of action to prepare the Games.
The two-day meeting started Friday at the traditional Copacabana Palace hotel here.
Before getting started, those in attendance watched a video message from IOC president Jacques Rogge, who congratulated Brazilians for having been chosen as Olympic hosts and reminded them of future challenges.
US, Europe must accept climate change obligations: German chancellor
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made an impassioned plea to the US and European nations to accept binding obligation on climate change to influence countries like China and India without whom no agreement was possible.
"There can be no agreement without India and China," she said in an historic address before both houses of the US Congress on Tuesday. "No doubt about it, in December, the world will look to us, to the Europeans and to the Americans. And it is true, there can be no agreement without China and India."
Universal health coverage close to reality: Obama
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington: As the Senate passed a historic $871 billion health care reform bill Thursday, President Barack Obama said the vote, seen as a Christmas Eve victory on his top domestic priority, had brought a goal that has eluded several presidents "incredibly close to reality."
The Senate passage of the health care bill means the nation is near the "end of a nearly century-long struggle to reform America's health care system," he said in nationally televised remarks from the White House shortly after the 7 a.m. vote.
Obama condemns Iran for crackdown on demonstrations
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Monday condemned Iran for violently cracking down on demonstrations, warning the Islamic state it will not succeed in denying people their universal rights.
"The United States joins with the international community in strongly condemning the violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens," Obama said while on winter vacation in Hawaii.
Up to 1 million revellers at Times Square to usher in 2010
By DPA,
New York : Hundreds of thousands of New Year's Eve revellers braved freezing temperatures and snow mixed with rain to sway to John Lennon's "Imagine" before counting down the New Year as the traditional crystal ball dropped above Times Square.
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.
Plane crash pilot to go on trial this week
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : A pilot of a plane crash in Yogyakarta province of central Java last year that killed 21 people will be tried at a district court of the province on Thursday, prosecutor and court said on Tuesday.
Deputy Attorney General for General Crimes Abdul Hakim Ritonga said that Captain Marwoto Komar, who was arrested in February this year, would be charged under Indonesian criminal and aviation laws.
"He can be charged under both criminal and aviation codes," Ritonga told Xinhua.
Russia puts fifth German spy satellite into orbit
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A Russian carrier rocket has successfully put into orbit a fifth German SAR-Lupe reconnaissance satellite, a Russian Space Forces spokesman said Tuesday.
"A Cosmos 3M carrier rocket, launched at 0240 GMT from the Plesetsk space centre in northern Russia, has successfully orbited a German SAR-Lupe satellite," Lt. Col. Alexei Zolotukhin said.
The German SAR-Lupe satellite is designed to provide high-resolution radar images to NATO military commanders in Europe. It offers spatial resolution of less than one meter, and allows imaging at night and through clouds.
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.
Indonesian President: Cultural approaches effective way to solve problems in ASEAN
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : Indonesian President Susilo BambangYudhoyono said the cultural approach conducted by some ASEAN member countries could become an effective way to solve problems arising among them, the Antara news agency reported on Sunday.
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".
Prachanda begins power stint with China trip
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's new Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda will make his first visit abroad with a trip to Beijing this week to attend the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.
The Maoist leader will fly to the Chinese capital Saturday, marking a diplomatic victory by China over India, that had in the past been the first destination abroad for Nepal's top leaders.
Prachanda's predecessor Girija Prasad Koirala had made New Delhi his first port of call abroad after assuming the reins of government.
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.
Russia to freeze cooperation with NATO: Report
By DPA,
Oslo : Russia has decided to freeze and cancel all military cooperation with Norway and other NATO members, the online edition of Oslo daily Aftenposetn reported Wednesday.
The newspaper, citing Norwegian foreign ministry sources, said Moscow was due to send a diplomatic note to that affect to Norway and other NATO members.
The move comes the day after NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels and strongly criticised Russia's actions in the ongoing conflict in Georgia and breakaway region of South Ossetia.
Former London mayor is Venezuela’s town-planning adviser
By Xinhua,
London : Former London mayor Ken Livingstone will act as an adviser to the Venezuelan government in refurbishing the country's capital, Caracas.
Livingstone, who has long been a supporter of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, will advise officials in Caracas on urban planning, the BBC reported Thursday.
Following a meeting with Chavez in Caracas Wednesday, Livingstone said he was "proud and honoured" to participate in the city's transformation.
South Korea urges North to stop nuclear work
By DPA,
Seoul : South Korea Thursday expressed concern after knowing that North Korea has started to reassemble its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, and urged Pyongyang to stop turning back the "progress of denuclearisation".
"We've confirmed North Korea has actually started the work to reassemble its reactor. And we urge North Korea to stop the work and not to further worsen the situation," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement released overnight.
10 killed, 40 injured in Los Angeles train accident
By DPA,
Washington : At least 10 people were killed and 40 injured Friday in a train accident near Los Angeles, KTLA news channel reported, citing rescue teams which said the toll could be even higher.
"This is the worst accident I've ever seen," Los Angeles mayuor Antonio Villaraigosa said.
"Clearly the injuries are going to mount and so are the fatalities."
Police put the death toll between 10 and 20.
At least 10 of the injured were in serious condition and the authorities feared that the number of dead might increase, the report said.
Chinese stocks sink amid global financial turmoil
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Chinese shares plunged 4.47 percent amid global financial turmoil Tuesday, as investors reacted to losses on Wall Street and the People's Bank of China's (PBOC) decision to slash interest rates.
Debt-heavy property stocks, however, bucked the powerful downtrend, while aviation issues got a lift from China's upcoming space launch.
HIV cases in Australia up by 50 percent in 8 years
By IANS,
Sydney : HIV incidence has increased by almost 50 percent over the past eight years in Australia, infecting as many as 1,051 people by 2007 from 718 in 1999, according to a report.
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) report sheds light on migrants and returning expat Australians. It shows that in 2007 one in 10 newly-reported infections in Australia were originally diagnosed overseas.
Grenade blast kills three, injures 19 in Venezuela
By IANS,
Caracas : Three people have been killed and at least 19 wounded when a man hurdled a grenade into a crowd before killing himself in a neighbourhood of Venezuelan capital Caracas, the EFE news agency reported Monday.
The incident occurred in the 23 de enero locality in western Caracas late Saturday when a man identified as Jeferson Jose Urbano, 23, threw the grenade into the crowd from the eighth floor of a building and then jumped to his death.
UK Government “rock of stability”, Brown
By KUNA,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown declared Monday that the UK Government would be the "rock of stability" amid the global financial turbulence as it injected 37 billion pounds of taxpayers' money into Britain's troubled banks.
The Prime Minister told a Downing Street news conference that the action the Government was taking was "unprecedented but essential".
"In extraordinary times, with financial markets ceasing to work, the Government cannot just leave people on their own to be buffeted about", he said.
`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.
EU, Canada support world summit on financial crisis
By Xinhua,
Quebec City, Canada : French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday they both support convening an international financial summit to discuss the current crisis by the end of the year.
The two leaders made the remarks at a press conference after a summit between Canada and the European Union. Sarkozy is the 27-member EU's rotating president.
Can we get oil from space?
By Andrei Kislyakov, RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Scientists from the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh have said that judging by the chemical composition of stars in the Milky Way, our galaxy could contain anywhere between 300 and 38,000 highly developed extraterrestrial civilizations potentially capable of contacting planet Earth.
Although current generations are unlikely to shake hands with little green men from Mars, humankind has already discovered sizeable mineral deposits on other planets. But should we pin any hopes on them?
Obama outguns McCain in Ohio
By IRNA,
New York : John McCain has targeted this wealthy area just north of Columbus as one of 15 counties in Ohio where he needs to drive up his vote tally if he is to beat Barack Obama on Tuesday in this must-win state.
But on Friday night, only nine volunteers manned the 24 phones in the McCain campaign office. The phone bank began operating on a daily basis just two weeks ago.
And since then, only five people have shown up on most weekdays to canvass local neighborhoods.
Obama's campaign, in contrast, has flooded this GOP bastion with volunteers.
Tata-owned Corus to axe 400 jobs
By IANS,
London : Corus, owned by the Tata Steel Group, has announced plans to cut 400 jobs at its distribution arm, saying it had been operating in a "volatile and fluctuating" market.
The proposed job losses will be spread across Britain, including 100 in the West Midlands, nearly 100 in North Wales, 50 in South Wales and 50 in Leeds, the steel giant said Thursday.
Over 20 injured in Albania building collapse
By DPA,
Tirana : More than 20 people were injured and three missing after a five-story building collapsed Sunday in the southern Albanian town of Gjirokaster.
According to media reports, police have arrested nine people in connection with the collapse, which was apparently caused by faulty construction.
Rescuers were still trying to recover the three missing people, Genc Ruli, the Trade and Energy Minister, told TV News 24.
The workers however were being very cautious in their efforts, as a large part of the building was still standing and threatening to fall.
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.
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.
India, Russia ink 10 pacts
By IANS,
New Delhi : India and Russia Friday reinvigorated their ties by signing 10 pacts, including an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, and decided to intensify their cooperation in combating terrorism.
The pacts were signed in diverse areas ranging from space and defence to finance, human space programme and tourism. The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
The pact on civil nuclear cooperation envisages Russia building four additional reactors at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.
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.
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.
Voting for president begins in Ghana’s key district
By Xinhua,
Lagos : Voting began Friday in a remote farming region of Ghana in an election that will decide who will be the next president of the West African country despite attempts by the ruling party to stop the election from taking place, according to new reaching here from Accra.
Voting will close at 5 p.m. in Tain district, the last of the country's 230 constituencies, which failed to hold the presidential run-off last Sunday following problems in preparations.
Aid flights turned away from Haiti
By IANS/EFE,
Port-au-Prince : Some aid-laden aircraft have been turned away from earthquake-hit Haiti due to limited space at the international airport in the country's capital, an official said.
Haiti's government has put a hold on further flights from the US, Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Laura Brown said Thursday in Washington.
The force of the temblor that rocked the Western Hemisphere country Tuesday was 35 times greater than that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, British geophysicist Roger Searle said Thursday.
Cleanup under way after oil spill from Texas tanker collision
By DPA,
Washington : Work continued Sunday to clean up hundreds of thousands of litres of oil spilled out into the harbour of Port Arthur, in the US state of Texas, after a tanker collided with a tugboat Saturday.
Initial Coast Guard estimates put the spill at 1.7 million litres, though exact levels were not yet known. Thanks to still waters and quick containment, the oil seemed to be contained in a 3.5-kilometre long stretch of the harbour, which should aid cleanup efforts.
No French citizenship to men who make wives wear veil
By DPA,
Paris: French Immigration Minister Eric Besson said Tuesday that he had transmitted a decree to the government that would ban from French citizenship any man who makes his wife wear the all-body Islamic veil.
In a statement, Besson said that preventing a spouse from going around with her face unveiled would be equivalent to rejecting "the principles of secularism and equality between men and women".
The measure is the latest move in the continuing attempt by the French government to limit or ban women from wearing the garment, which is known here by the Afghan term burqa.
US authorities demand more information on Toyota recalls
By DPA,
Washington: US authorities sought documents from Toyota Tuesday over its handling of a series of safety recalls, part of a fresh investigation into the beleaguered carmaker's conduct.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into whether Toyota Motor Corp acted quickly enough in responding to safety concerns over sticky accelerator pedals and faulty brakes in a number of models.
"Safety recalls are very serious matters and automakers are required to quickly report defects," US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement.
Ban calls for protection of people with autism
By IRNA,
Tehran : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that we can provide adults and children with disabilities such as autism the protection, support and full membership of an inclusive society by combining research and awareness-raising efforts.
He made the remarks in his message on World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, 2010, while emphasizing that the day is dedicated to creating greater understanding about autism.
According to a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) here on Wednesday, the full text of his message reads:
Dalai Lama expresses grief for China’s quake victims
By IANS,
Dharamsala: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Wednesday said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life in the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck China's Qinghai province, leaving about 400 people dead, an official statement said here.
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and property as a result of the earthquake that struck this morning. We pray for those who have lost their lives in this tragedy and their families and others who have been affected. A special prayer service is being held at the main temple here on their behalf," said the statement.
20 countries to participate in Cuba’s cultural fest
By IANS,
Havana : More than 200 artists from 20 countries will participate in an international cultural festival in the eastern Cuban city of Holguin in May.
Artists from Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Canada and the Caribbean countries will participate, Prensa Latina reported Thursday.
Poets, folklore groups and fine arts creators will take part. Exhibitions, film shows and musical programmes will be organised.
Non-crew members were in cockpit of crashed Polish plane
By IANS,
Moscow : Non-crew members were in the cockpit of the Polish presidential plane that crashed in April near the western Russian city of Smolensk, killing everyone on board, the head of the Interstate Aviation Committee said Wednesday.
"It was proven that non-crew members were in the cockpit," Tatyana Anodina said.
She said the voice of one person was identified while the others are being identified by Polish officials.
Anodina did not specify the number of people in the cockpit or their identities.
Total burqa ban presented to French cabinet
By DPA,
Paris : French Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie presented Wednesday a draft bill that would ban the all-body Islamic veil in all public areas in the country.
If the bill becomes law, any woman wearing the veil, called a burqa, in public would be liable to a fine of 150 euros ($184), or be obliged to take a class in citizenship, or both.
In addition, anyone forcing someone to conceal her face because of her gender would face a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to 15,000 euros, because it demeans the dignity of a human being.
Peninsula heading towards war: North Korea
By DPA,
Seoul : North Korea Friday charged South Korea with creating an atmosphere in which war could break out at any time, a day after an international inquiry found that a North Korean torpedo caused the sinking of a South Korean warship.
South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, meanwhile, called a national security meeting to discuss his government's response after he vowed Thursday to take "resolute countermeasures" against what he called the North's "military provocation".
Polish Air Force chief was in cockpit before crash
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Polish Air Force Commander Andrzej Blasik was in the cockpit of the presidential plane that crashed near the Russian city of Smolensk in April, an official said Tuesday.
The Soviet-made Tu-154 aircraft crashed April 10 when it attempted to land in thick fog, killing 96 people on board, including President Lech Kaczynski and other top state officials.
Earlier, investigators said non-crewmembers were in the cockpit of the plane and their voices were being identified by Polish officials.
Obama vows to make BP pay for oil spill
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama has vowed to make oil giant BP to pay all clean-up costs and damages from what he called "the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced."
Expressing the hope that 90 percent of the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico will be captured within weeks, Obama used his first Oval Office address to the nation Tuesday to call for a new energy policy to end US dependence on fossil fuel.
US passes final version of financial reform overhaul
By DPA,
Washington: The US House of Representatives Wednesday approved a final version of legislation that marks the largest overhaul of financial regulation since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
A key priority of President Barack Obama, the measure now moves back to the Senate, which will have to approve it one last time before it can be sent to Obama's desk for signature.
Obama compared to Hitler, Lenin
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama has been compared to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin in a billboard by a local protest movement in Iowa state.
The North Iowa Tea Party in a billboard in Mason City shows photographs of Obama, Hitler and Lenin with the statement: "Radical leaders prey on the fearful and naive".
The Tea Party movement, taking its name from the Boston Tea Party that opposed British tea in 1773, started in the US in 2009 to oppose federal laws.
Buddhist monks learn firefighting in China
By IANS,
Beijing : Buddhist monks in China are undergoing training to combat fires so that they can handle emergencies in their temples.
More than 60 monks from 11 temples and Buddhist institutes displayed their skills on how to operate fire extinguishers, hoses and other modern equipment at the first Hangzhou Buddhist Firefighting Competition held Friday at a temple in east China's Zhejiang province.
Hangzhou, the picturesque city near West Lake, is the home of Buddhist culture housing many temples and pagodas.
Mind-reading machine can convert thoughts into speech
By IANS,
London : A mind reading machine has edged closer to reality after scientists found a way of converting thoughts into words.
Venezuela will not let in designated US envoy
By DPA,
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Friday that he will not let Larry Palmer, the designated US ambassador to Venezuela, into the country.
First Muslim elected to UK’s shadow cabinet
By IRNA,
London : Former Transport minister Sadiq Khan has become the first ethnic-minority MP to be elected to Labour’s shadow cabinet after winning the vote of 128 of his colleagues.
Police, strikers clash at French oil refinery
By DPA,
Paris : Violence erupted Friday between police and strikers at an oil refinery near Paris as the French government tried forcibly to restore the flow of fuel to the country.
Thousands protest ahead of G20 summit in Seoul
By DPA,
Seoul : Thousands of anti-globalisation protesters rallied in Seoul Sunday against a summit of the world's leading economies taking place in the South Korean capital this week.
Sri Lankan opposition demands release of ex-army chief
By DPA,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's main opposition party Wednesday staged a protest in the capital demanding the release of former army commander General Sarath Fonseka.
Japan tsunami waves reach New Zealand
By IANS,
Wellington: Waves from the Japanese quake-generated tsunami that lapped New Zealand Saturday peaked at about one metre, a media report said.
Colombian rebels set to release four hostages
By DPA
Caracas : Two helicopters identified with Red Cross symbols left Venezuela Wednesday and were heading for Colombia, to pick up four hostages set to be released by the Colombian guerrilla group.
Venezuelan television reported that the helicopters took off from Santo Domingo, in the Venezuelan state of Tachira - bordering Colombia. Venezuelan Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin and Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba were part of the delegation, the TV channel Globovision said.
Nepal’s Terai leaders optimistic of deal with government
By Xinhua
Kathmandu : United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), an umbrella organization of parties of Nepal's Terai region agitating for autonomy, Thursday expressed optimism of reaching an agreement with the government.
Talking to reporters as they prepared to hold talks with government representatives, leader of Terai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Hridayesh Tripathy said: "We hope not to return empty handed today but bring the package (of agreement) with us."
Bush denounces Venezuela, supports Colombia in crisis
By DPA
Washington : US President George W. Bush has backed Colombia in a standoff with neighbouring Venezuela over a leftist rebel group.
Bush denounced Tuesday Venezuela's moving of troops to the Colombian border as "provocative" and said the government of Colombia was under a "continuing assault by narcoterrorists".
Bush had telephoned Uribe who had earlier said that the long-awaited Congressional approval for the US-Colombia free trade act would be the most important sign of US support.
Politician shot ahead of Spanish poll
By DPA
San Sebastian (Spain) : A former Socialist councillor was shot dead Friday in the Basque town of Arrasate two days before Spain's general elections, officials said.
Isaias Carrasco, 42, was shot at least three times in the neck and elsewhere on leaving his house.
The Spanish government had raised terrorism alert in view of a possible attack by the militant Basque separatist group ETA.
The attack occurred on the last day of the electoral campaign, during which ETA has staged two bomb blasts that caused no injuries.
Thatcher taken to London hospital for tests: official
By AFP
London : Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher has been admitted to a London hospital where she is in a "stable" condition, its spokeswoman said Saturday.
Thatcher, 82, is expected to spend the night at Saint Thomas' Hospital in central London, to which she was reportedly driven from her home in the capital late Friday for precautionary tests.
China forms top-level leading group for Olympics preparations
By APP
Beijing : China has formed a top-level leading group for the preparations of the Beijing Olympic Games headed by Xi Jinping, a senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said an official with the Games’ organizing committee on Wednesday.
Xi is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
Aid agencies highlight deteriorating situation in Somalia
By DPA
Geneva : Aid agencies worldwide appealed Wednesday to the international community to focus on Somalia, where they said the humanitarian situation in Somalia was rapidly deteriorating.
Growing numbers of people were in need, but aid agencies were less and less able to respond adequately, 39 international organisations warned in a joint letter published Wednesday.
"There is a growing climate of fear and uncertainty in most of Somalia," the letter said. "Previously safe areas are now becoming inaccessible due to spreading insecurity."
Lhasa violence part of Dalai clique’s plot: China
By Xinhua
Beijing : China said Tuesday there are proofs that the March 14 Lhasa violence was part of the "Tibetan people's uprising movement" staged by the Dalai Lama clique.
The "movement" aimed at creating a crisis in China by coordinated sabotage in Tibet, interior ministry spokesman Wu Heping told a press conference.
He said that police have captured the primary suspects who allegedly organized, planned and participated in the March 14 violence in Tibet's capital city.
"The suspects are closely connected with the Dalai clique," he said.
Court to rule on Zimbabwe result
By IRNA
Pretoria : A Zimbabwean High Court judge is set to rule on a petition by the opposition demanding the immediate release of the country's recent election results.
The judge said he would first consider the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's (ZEC) argument that his court did not have jurisdiction in the case.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said he defeated President Robert Mugabe in the presidential election.
No results have yet emerged from the March 29 presidential voting.
Nepal votes to decide fate of Monarchy
By KUNA
New Delhi : Himalayan state of Nepal Thursday voted in a historic Constituent Assembly polls that will decide the fate of the 239-year-old Monarchy.
Voting started peacefully this morning, news agency Press Trust of India reported, quoting a election official. Nearly 6,000 candidates are contesting the election under proportionate voting system while 4,021 candidates are in the fray under direct voting system, the official said.
As many as 55 political parties are contesting the polls. 17.6 million people are eligible to exercise their franchise.
Eu Parliament calls on EU to adopt common stance to attend Olympic games or...
By KUNA
Brussels : The European Parliament condemned here today the repression by the Chinese security forces in Tibet and demanded an independent inquiry.
French premier visits Japanese nuclear plant
By SPA
Tokyo : France's prime minister toured a nuclear reprocessing plant in northern Japan on Saturday, hailing the facility as a symbol of friendship between the two countries and vowing to take global leadership in promoting nuclear power as a solution to climate change.
Francois Fillon made a day trip to a nuclear reprocessing plant that uses technology from France's state-run nuclear giant Areva. The plant, located in the village of Rokkasho, is in the final phase of testing and is to begin full operations next month.
UN calls for concerted efforts to control rising food crisis
By DPA,
New York : The UN called Monday for a long-term policy on food grain production in order to avert famine amidst steeply-rising prices that threaten to undermine anti-poverty programmes.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told a gathering of Breton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and UN trade agency that the rapidly escalating crisis in food availability around the world has reached "emergency proportions".
Tibetan exiles to celebrate Panchen Lama’s birthday
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Tibetan refugees here will celebrate the 19th birthday of the Panchen Lama April 25, a spokesman of the Tibetan government-in-exile said here Wednesday.
"There will be an early morning prayer congregation in Dharamsala to be led by monks and then they will perform Sangsol (incense offering)," the official said.
UN Demands Immediate Food Actions
By Prensa Latina,
Vienna : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon demanded on Friday that the international community take immediate action to face the food crisis unleashed by the rise in prices.
He said 100 million people suffer hunger, and recalled the call by the World Food Program to release additional $775 million to finance current humanitarian missions.
The UN secretary general will preside over a closed-door meeting in Berne on Monday and Tuesday, among the director councils of 27 UN agencies and organizations to analyze that issue.
Sri Lanka bus blast kills at least 26
By RIA Novosti,
New Delhi : At least 26 people have died following a parcel bomb explosion on a commuter bus during the Friday afternoon rush hour on the outskirts of Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, and dozens are injured.
Two of passengers died in hospital on Saturday morning from injuries sustained in the explosion, which has been blamed by the Sri Lankan government and military on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatist group.
Association of Cuban Residents in Russia Created
By Prensa Latina,
Moscow : The fight against the US blockade and for the release of five Cuban anti-terrorists imprisoned in that country are permanent tasks of the Association of Cuban Residents established in Russia.
Addressing about one hundred people at the Cuban embassy in Moscow, Ambassador Jorge Marti highlighted that the defense of the country is the first duty of those morally and spiritually committed to the homeland.
He denounced the aggressive police unsuccessfully maintained by US governments for nearly 50 years, and reinforced by the Bush administration.
Russia to launch latest ballistic missiles
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia will conduct nine test launches of the latest version of its ballistic missile in the current year.
"One of the main tasks for us in 2008 is to test new (ballistic) missile systems and to extend the service life of the existing arsenals," Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) commander General Nikolai Solovtsov said Monday.
41,000 facing deportation go `missing’ in Canada
By IANS,
Toronto : Canadian authorities have no clue on the whereabouts of 41,000-odd people who face deportation from the country.
According to a report by attorney general Sheila Fraser, which was tabled in parliament Tuesday, 63,000 people currently face orders for removal from Canada.
Only 22,000 of them are known to the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA), which is responsible for stopping and detaining those who entered the country illegally.
But the agency knows nothing about the remaining 41,000 people to enforce removal orders against them.
Red cross shipment sinks on Way to myanmar disaster zone
By ANTARA News,
Geneva : The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) said its first aid shipment to cyclone-hit Myanmar sank Sunday after hitting a submerged tree while travelling by river.
The crew and four Myanmar Red Cross workers managed to reach safety but relief supplies intended to help around 1,000 people were lost, Geneva-based IFRC said in a statement.
Efforts were under way to salvage some of the supplies.
Zambian opposition says not to U-turn on reconciliation with gov’t
By Xinhua,
Lusaka : Leader of Zambia's opposition Patriotic Front (PF) Michael Sata said Friday that he will not U-turn on his reconciliation deal with Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, according to local media Saturday.
PF secretary general Edward Mumbi said the shift in Sata's policy regarding his reconciliation with President Mwanawasa represented the party position. Sata met President Mwanawasa at State House Wednesday to thank him for facilitating his evacuation to South Africa for treatment following his severe heart attack two weeks ago.
Bus falls off Nepal road third day in a row
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Another bus skidded off the road and fell into a river in Nepal Wednesday, the third such accident in as many days.
While the toll in the accidents Monday and Tuesday soared to 50, a passenger bus starting out from Gulariya, the main town in remote Bardiya district in farwestern Nepal, plunged into the swirling Karnali river.
Police and local residents rescued 25 passengers while some were still missing, private television station Sagarmatha Television said.
4 police wounded in car explosion in breakaway Georgian region
By SPA,
Tbilisi, Georgia : An official says four police officers have been wounded by an explosion in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, AP reported.
Spokeswoman Irina Gagloyeva of the region's unrecognized government says the Thursday morning blast hit a car that one of the wounded officers had received from a Georgian person.
She alleges the blast was a terrorist attack staged by Georgian security agents.
Also Thursday, a grenade hit a car carrying law enforcement officers in another part of South Ossetia, critically wounding one.
Indigenous people in Colombia release military hostages
By DPA,
Bogota : A group of indigenous people in Colombia released four military officers and six secret service agents they were holding hostage, after security forces killed two members of the indigenous community.
Columbia's Cauca province Governor Guillermo Gonzalez confirmed the releases Friday.
The 10 members of the security forces were detained Thursday, after two siblings were killed near the south-western town of Corinto by security forces fighting leftist rebels.
Macedonia’s ruling coalition leads elections
By Xinhua,
Skopje : Macedonia's ruling alliance led the country's elections with ballots from 736 of the total of 2,976 polling stations counted, initial results showed on Sunday.
The coalition of For Better Macedonia led by Nikola Gruevksi's VMRO-DPMNE has won 56,507 votes, while the opposition coalition Sun-coalition for Europe led by the Social Democrats won 26,510 votes.
The main ethnic Albanian opposition party, the Democratic Union for Integration, got 16,925 votes, while the ruling Democratic Party of Albanians harvested 22,538 votes.
UK MPs voice concern at speculators driving up energy prices
By IRNA,
London : MPs are calling on the British government to examine the scale and impact of speculative commodity trading in driving up energy prices.
An Early Day Motion in the British parliament, raised by leader of the Irish nationalist SDLP Party, Mark Durkam, expressed concern that "speculation for profit could be a significant factor driving energy price rises."
New Italian Government A ‘Boost’ for EU: Minister
By AFP,
Rome : The return to power of Italian media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi is a boon for the European Union, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Saturday.
Italy and France "can work together to reinforce the political thrust of the European Union," he told AFP nearly two months after elections returned the right-wing Berlusconi, 71, to power for a third time since 1994.
Former envoy of Indonesia to Malaysia jailed for corruption
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : Former Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia Roesdihardjo was sentenced to two years in jail here on Wednesday for having collected illegal levies on immigration documents at the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
The sentence was handed down to Roesdihardjo, the former police chief, by a panel of judges at the Corruption Criminal Court.
Presiding judge Moerdiono said Roesihardjo had been proven guilty of committing corruption by Law 20 / 2001 on Eradication of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 point (1) and Article 64of the Criminal Code.
Africans Urged to Create Bank of South
By Prensa Latina,
Yamoussoukro : President of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo proposed on Wednesday to create a Bank of the South in the continent, similar to that in Latin America, to fight world poverty.
According to Gbagbo, the body must be funded from a special tax on raw material exports by developing nations, to be created by his country.
During the summit of the G-77, the president and host said his plan would help finance the international expansion of a bank baring the same name as that launched last year by his Venezuelan peer Hugo Chavez.
Junta’s aid rules delay Myanmar cyclone relief: HRW
By AFP,
Bangkok : New guidelines adopted by Myanmar's ruling generals are further delaying emergency efforts to deliver aid to regions ravaged by the cyclone, human rights experts said.
The rules, issued on Monday, require UN and other aid groups to receive formal permission from Myanmar authorities to travel and to distribute aid.
Colombians arrested over plans to kill Ecuadorian President Correa
By DPA,
Quito/Bogota : Ecuadorian police arrested three Colombians and one Ecuadorian citizen in connection with alleged plans to kill Ecuador's leftist President Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian Attorney General Washington Pesantez said Friday.
Initial reports said the Colombians had links to extreme-right paramilitary groups in their own country. However, Colombian authorities said they are drug traffickers with ties to the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Bush team vows to work for n-deal till the last day
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The Bush administration has vowed to work till the last day to get the stalled India-US civil nuclear deal approved by the US Congress, while hoping the next administration too would want to move forward with it.
"The bottom line is, from now until Jan 20, we'll continue to work to support this agreement," said State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey Tuesday, noting that each passing day leaves less time to complete the voting process.
Zimbabwe opposition leader charged with treason
By DPA,
Johannesburg/Harare : Tendai Biti, an outspoken leader of Zimbabwe's opposition, has been officially charged with treason in a Harare court.
Arrested June 12 at Harare International Airport on arrival from South Africa, Biti was also charged with disseminating false information, slandering the country's president and undermining morale within the armed forces. He was charged after a week in detention.
If found guilty, he faces the death penalty.
Qantas Cancels Flights Over Engineers Pay Dispute
By Bernama,
Melbourne : Six Qantas flights from Sydney and Melbourne have been cancelled today (Monday) as engineers prepare to walk off the job in three states.
The airline has been forced to cancel another 18 flights tomorrow as engineers step up industrial action that threatens to continue for weeks.
Tomorrow's cancelled flights affect Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports.
Engineers will walk off the job for up to four hours at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Cairns airports today and tomorrow over a pay dispute.
Zimbabwe president says he is ‘open’ to talks
By DPA,
Harare : Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has said he is "open" to negotiations, but only after Friday's presidential run-off election, according to state media in Zimbabwe.
The state-controlled daily Herald Wednesday quoted Mugabe as saying that he was "open to negotiations with anyone, but the logical process has to be followed to its logical conclusion."
Sri Lankan military says 9,000 rebels killed in last two years
By Xinhua,
Colombo : About 9,000 Tamil Tiger rebels have been killed by government troops since the government launched its military offensive in August 2006, Sri Lankan Army Commander Sarath Fonseka told reporters on Monday.
Fonseka told a gathering of Colombo-based foreign reporters that 1,700 government troops were also killed and 4,000 injured in the past two years in the military action against the Libation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the north and east.
The commander estimated that the LTTE still has about 5000 fighters, but "their capability has gone out."
Russian opposition holds Day of Wrath protest
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian opposition activists gathered in downtown Moscow Sunday to hold a sanctioned Day of Wrath rally.
Ending poverty in Asia-Pacific’s least developed nations
By IRNA,
Tehran : A UN senior official has said that for the people of Asia’s least developed countries the past decade was marked by multiple global economic crises and setbacks.