Foreign journalists robbed by armed men in hotel
By DPA,
Johannesburg : Three foreign journalists -- two Portuguese and one from Spain -- in South Africa to cover the June 11-July 11 World Cup were robbed Wednesday by armed men in their guest lodge.
One of the journalists was forced at gunpoint to lie on the ground as the robbers ransacked the room at a holiday chalet in Magaliesburg, north-west of Johannesburg, a police spokesperson said.
The other two were asleep when the early morning incident took place, the spokesperson, Hangwani Mulaudzi, told DPA.
Nobody was injured during the robbery, Mulaudzi said.
US charges drugmaker with overseas bribery
By IANS,
Washington : The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Thursday charged Eli Lilly and Company with violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
‘Backstabbed’ Maoists want Nepal polls deferred
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Even as Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala pledged that the twice-deferred critical election would be held without fail in November, Maoist guerrillas said the polls should be put off till next year as they had been "backstabbed" by the political parties.
With less than three months left for the Nov 22 constituent assembly election, Maoist chief Prachanda has proposed that the exercise be now held in April 2008 so that it would be "real" instead of being a mockery it would be if held this year.
Cameron reveals official duties of deputy Clegg
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The Times calls him the "Prime Minister's Office Wife", but Nick Clegg took no offence as Prime Minister David Cameron outlined his deputy's duties for the first time in parliament.
Clegg will oversee the introduction of fixed-term parliaments and bring in legislation for a referendum on changing the voting system, according to a written statement of the prime minister.
China backs India on emissions cut stance
By IANS,
Beijing: China Thursday said it supported Indian measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions and was ready to strengthen cooperation with India on climate change.
"We understand the current situation in India. China supports India to take adaptation and mitigation measures based on its national conditions and capacity," Xinhua reported quoting Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.
"China is ready to strengthen communication, coordination and cooperation with India on climate change," he said.
Gunmen hold 10 people hostage in Paris store
Paris: Armed assailants on Monday held at least 10 people hostage in a clothing store north of the French capital, media reports said.
According to...
Federer beats Murray for 7th Wimbledon title
By IANS,
London: Roger Federer came back from a set down to record a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Andy Murray Sunday for his seventh Wimbledon title and 17th career Grand Slam.
Has Obama’s election changed race relations in US?
By Chris Cermak, DPA,
Washington : There were tears of joy and a real sense of history in the making. For many African-Americans, Barack Obama's election in November 2008 as president of the US was an undeniable landmark in race relations. One year on, it is not clear just how Obama's unlikely journey to the White House has changed the underlying dynamics between white and black Americans.
‘Increasingly confident that wreckage is from MH370’
Paris/Kuala Lumpur: Experts are getting increasingly "confident" that the plane wreckage found on Reunion island is part of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370,...
War with LTTE rapidly nearing its end: Rajapaksa
By IANS,
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday said the fight-to-finish military campaign against the Tamil Tigers was fast nearing its end as the troops are gaining ground into the last rebel strongholds.
"The war with the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is rapidly nearing its conclusion and it is my hope that this will create the space for democracy to flourish in the north again," Rajapaksa said in an address to the Colombo-based diplomatic community.
World Bank asks India, China, US to find Doha solution
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick wants the United States, India, and China to work with WTO Director General Pascal Lamy to come up with a compromise on the Doha round of world trade talks
Brazil, a developing country that is both a major agricultural exporter and home to many poor farmers, can help, he said in a statement Monday. Indonesia and Australia may be in a position to contribute to a solution too.
Australia lays out plan for closer ties with Asia
By IANS/EFE,
Sydney : Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard presented a strategic plan Sunday designed to strengthen ties between her nation and Asia.
UN condemns Nepal poll rally blast
By IANS
Kathmandu : The UN strongly condemned Wednesday's explosion at the last joint election campaign of the seven ruling parties in the turbulent Terai plains that left over 30 people injured, saying those behind the act should be punished.
Ian Martin, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's special representative for Nepal, said he condemned "in the strongest terms" the bomb attack during the political rally in Birgunj town as well as bombings and threats related to other recent rallies held to promote the constituent assembly election.
Aussie Minister To Boost Border Security With Malaysia
By Bernama,
Melbourne : Australia's Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, will depart for Southeast Asia tonight to to discuss regional cooperation on border security and anti people-smuggling initiatives with his counterparts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.
Darfur town where African peacekeepers were attacked burned down; UN
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 7 (APP): The South Darfur town of Haskanita that witnessed a deadly attack against African Union (AU) peacekeepers last weekend has been burned down, the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) reported Sunday.
Haskanita, “which is currently under the control of the Government, was completely burned down, except for a few buildings,” UNMIS said Sunday, after conducting a joint assessment mission to the area yesterday with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Distribution Ramp Up, But No ‘Buy China’ Policy
By BERNAMA,
BEIJING : With the global crisis depressing its growth to nine per cent with heavy job losses last year, China will ramp up distribution networks and build local heavyweight retailers like Walmart, to boost domestic demand.
However, the country will not have a 'Buy China' policy, a senior commerce official said Monday.
India withdraws tsunami alert, but emergency steps stay
By IANS
New Delhi : India withdrew the tsunami warning late Wednesday evening, hours after it sounded an alert along its coastal belt in the wake of 8.1-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia. Emergency arrangements, however, continued to be in place, officials said.
"The Indonesian tsunami warning centre has withdrawn the warning and there is no point in our keeping it. The possibility of a tsunami hitting the Indian coast was over by 8.30 p.m.," said A.K. Shukla, a seismologist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) here.
Crime student held for three prostitutes’ murder in Britain
By IANS,
London : A student of criminology who told a neighbour that he was "doing a PhD in murder and Jack the Ripper" was being quizzed for the brutal killing of three prostitutes in Britain.
The man was arrested from his home a red light area where a woman’s head inside a rucksack was understood to have been found. Hours later, a woman’s body parts were discovered in River Aire in Shipley, West Yorks, Daily Express reported Thursday.
Essential UK assets at risk from terrorism
By KUNA,
London : The risks posed by employees linked to terrorist groups have been inadequately addressed by companies managing Britains infrastructure, according to government officials Monday.
The risk of disruption to elements of Britains critical national infrastructure remains an important official concern three years after the attacks on Londons transport network that killed 52 commuters, the Financial Times (FT) newspaper said.
Somali radio quiz winners offered grenades, guns and ammunition
By DPA,
Nairobi/Mogadishu : Winners of a Somali radio quiz show testing knowledge of the Koran are being offered prizes including grenades, Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition, according to a local report.
The prizes offered by an Islamic broadcaster in the port of Kismayo were designed to "encourage the population to fight", according to the report by independent Radio Garowe radio station.
It quoted Sheikh Abdiwali Mohammed Aden, financial head of the radical Islamic al-Shabab militia, which seeks to depose the moderate Islamic interim government of Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.
IS committing crimes against humanity in Iraq: UN
Geneva : Violence carried out by militants of the Islamic State (IS) Sunni extremist organisation in Iraq, including murders, executions, abduction, sexual violence and...
Three die in motorway car crash
By SPA
London : Three people died in an accident on the M20 motorway in Kent on Saturday after their car left the carriageway, Reuters quoted police sources as saying.
Two men and a women died after their blue Ford Focus ended up in a field by the motorway north of Junction 2, near West Kingsdown.
Two other people travelling in the same car were injured but survived the crash.
No other vehicles were involved, police said.
The road was closed after the accident, which occurred in the early hours of the morning, reopening at around 10:15 a.m.
Ban Ki-moon lauds launch of Indian lunar mission
By IANS,
New York : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated India's government and it's people for the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, which is expected to orbit the moon and carry out research during a two-year mission.
"This achievement is yet another manifestation of the importance that India attaches to the quest for knowledge and scientific advancement," Ban's spokesperson said in a statement Thursday following the launch of the unmanned spacecraft by India.
Fire breaks out at Japan’s n-power plant after quake
By IANS,
Tokyo : A fire broke out at a nuclear power plant in Japan's Miyagi prefecture after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck the northeastern part of the country Friday, Xinhua reported.
Indian-origin hoteliers face jail term for underpaying workers
Wellington: Two Indian-origin managers of New Zealand's popular Indian restaurant chain, Masala are facing up to seven years in jail or a $100,000 fine...
US welcomes China’s role in Iran sanctions talks
By DPA,
Washington : The US has welcomed China's decision to join discussions at the UN about enacting sanctions on Iran for its refusal to alleviate international concerns about its nuclear activities.
"Its a very important step," said Bill Burton, a White House spokesman, Thursday.
"The President feels that weve been able to unite the global community in a way that it hasnt been united before in putting pressure on Iran and halting their drive towards nuclear weapons," he said.
Ethnic divide marks attitude to Sri Lanka war
By IANS
Colombo : Sri Lankans are divided on ethnic lines on President Mahinda Rajapaksa's war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a survey conducted by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) shows.
Interviews with 1,600 Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Indian origin Tamils conducted in eight of the nine provinces in November revealed that 87.3 percent of Sinhalese - the majority community - were "satisfied" with the way the government was waging the war.
Quake caused huge damage: Japan PM
By IANS,
Tokyo : The massive earthquake that hit Japan Friday has caused extensive damage, said Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
US bank chiefs questioned by Congress over financial crisis
By DPA,
Washington : Wall Street's top bankers Wednesday faced a confrontational congressional panel tasked with getting to the bottom of a financial crisis that plunged the world into a devastating recession.
But they offered few apologies for the misery unleashed over the last two years.
The executives from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America characterized Wall Street's collapse as a crisis that was decades in the making. They did admit failing to heed warning signs.
US plans to sell arms to Iraq, Turkey
By Xinhua
Washington : The US Defence Department has notified Congress that it plans to sell small arms ammunition and explosives worth over $500 million to Iraq and missiles costing $71 million to Turkey.
Singapore’s protocol ex-chief pleads guilty to fraud charges
By IANS,
Singapore : Former chief of protocol in Singapore's ministry of foreign affairs, who was involved in cheating by submitting false claims, pleaded guilty...
PSOE Gains Ground for March Polls
By Prensa Latina
Madrid : The Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) gained ground in the last week and increased almost eight points against its main adversary for the March 9 general elections.
A survey published by "El Pais" newspaper Sunday presents the PSOE first with 34.6 percent of vote intention, against the Popular Party (PP) with 26.8 percent, although there is a 16.6 percent of those surveyed still undecided.
Another investigation published by SER information chain on Tuesday granted the PSOE only three points faced with the PP (43 to 40 percent).
Now, Shariah-compliant MasterCard for Muslims
By IANS,
London: A compass pointing the way to Mecca is embedded in a new MasterCard aimed at Muslims, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.
UN condemns stoning to death of teenage girl in Somalia
By DPA,
New York : The United Nations Friday condemned the killing of a 13-year-old girl under an order by local Somali leaders, who accused her of adultery after she was raped and sought their protection.
Unicef, the UN Children's Fund, said Aisha Duhulow was stoned to death in a stadium in Kismayo Oct 27 while thousands of people watched.
EU faces stagnation in 2009, Brussels says
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) said Monday its economy is set to grind to a halt in 2009 and only start picking up in 2010, with a deep recession looming in Britain.
According to the latest forecasts from the European Commission, EU's executive arm, the economy of the 27-nation bloc is set to grow by just 0.2 percent in 2009, while the 16 countries which use the euro are set for growth of just 0.1 percent.
Growth in 2010 should pick up to around 1.1 percent for the EU and 0.9 percent for the eurozone.
Vietnam To Introduce 3G Technology In 2009
By Bernama,
Hanoi : Telecommunications industry insiders are predicting that 3G (third generation) technology will be introduced in Vietnam this year, the Vietnam news agency (VNA) reported.
With 3G technology, mobile providers in Vietnam will be able to provide more value-added services for their mobile users such as videophone, on-line video streaming and high-speed internet and music download.
Putin, Bush differ in farewell talks
By Xinhua
Sochi, Russia : Russia's outgoing President Vladimir Putin hosted his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush on Sunday in his presidential residence in this Black Sea resort.
However, the two leaders failed to reach substantial agreements on vital issues ranging from missile shield plans to NATO expansion, but they did agree to continue dialogue to settle disputes and improve ties in a joint declaration issued after the one-day summit.
MISSILE SHIELD DILEMMA
Thai army clashes with anti-government protesters
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thai soldiers fired shots at protesters driving buses at them and used tear gas against demonstrators blocking a main road junction in Bangkok Monday in a major escalation of political violence in the kingdom.
Medical authorities said scores of people had been treated for injuries, after troops tried to clear the major central intersection at Victory Monument, which had been occupied by anti-government protesters.
Transatlantic bomb plot trial starts in London
By IRNA
London : Eight men went on trial in London Thursday accused of plotting to explode homemade liquid bombs on transatlantic passenger aircraft back in August 2006.
Prosecution barrister Peter Wright was due to begin opening the case against the defendants, facing charges linked to the alleged plot that counter terrorist police claimed to foil.
All eight have denied charges of conspiring with other.
Workshop on “Research Methods and Research Paper Writing” concludes at AMU
By TCN News,
Aligarh: The week-long workshop on “Research Methods and Research Paper Writing” organized by the Department of Business Administration of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) concluded today.
The workshop was meant to give guidelines to research scholars of Departments of Business Administration, Commerce, Economics, Psychology and Agricultural Economics and Business Management of AMU. The workshop was participated by a number of research scholars from different universities of the country.
China confirms 87 bird flu cases; 17 dead
By IANS,
Beijing: China Thursday confirmed the number of bird flu affected cases reached 87 in the country, with a total of 17 people already dead due to H7N9 avian influenza.
Amnesty asks LTTE to end child recruitment
By IANS
Colombo : Amnesty International has urged Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas to stop recruiting child soldiers.
Another student succumbs to Kathmandu blasts
By IANS
Kathmandu : After fighting for her life two days, a 12th grade school student has succumbed to injuries sustained during the serial blasts in Kathmandu three days ago, taking the toll to three.
Sandhya Khadka, a student of Vishwa Niketan Higher Secondary School in Tripureshwor area, was the second teen from the school to die in the blasts that shook the capital, being the first urban attack since the Maoist guerrillas signed a peace pact with the government last year.
21 killed in drug violence, police raid in Brazil
By DPA,
Rio de Janeiro : At least 21 people have died since Sunday in a wave of drug violence and clashes between traffickers and police in Rio de Janeiro, authorities said.
German bishop accused of hitting kids resigns
By IANS/AKI,
Vatican City, April 22 (IANS/AKI) A German bishop accused of hitting children resigned Thursday.
Walter Mixa, bishop of Augsburg in Germany, has sent his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI, offering to quit to allow a "new start" for his diocese, the Augsburg diocese said.
The bishop initially denied having hit children. Later he said he may have slapped them. He issued a statement of apology Tuesday saying "it hurts my heart that so many people have been caused grief. I ask for forgiveness."
EU sends $3.7 mn in storm aid to Central America
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union Tuesday sent 3 million euros ($3.7 million) in aid to the victims of tropical storm Agatha, which has killed at least 135 people in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
The storm, the first of the Pacific hurricane season, has caused widespread flooding and devastation, forcing at least 150,000 people to flee their homes.
Climate Change Affects Millions
By Prensa Latina
Hanoi : Climate changes will directly affect millions of persons around the world in the next 50 years, affirmed Vietnamese academician Tran Tuc.
The senior professor of the Institute of Hydro-meteorological Sciences and Environment presented the conclusion of a 10 year study in an international seminar held in Hanoi.
According to this scientist the main cause is Global Warming caused by man and has forced humanity to adapt to these changes both in the environment as in the socio-economic system.
Nepal plans to host SAARC summit Nov 14
Kathmandu : The Nepal government has decided to host the 18th SAARC summit Nov 14 this year, officials here said.
"Even though our government has...
Affluent Finland debates how to deal with beggars
By Richa Sharma, IANS,
Helsinki : With her bowed head and folded hands, 40-year-old Illish Moldovan sits in a busy street of Helsinki seeking alms as her paper glass carrying a few coins waits for more. She is among some 100 immigrant Romanian beggars who have sparked a debate in this tiny and affluent Scandinavian country about making begging illegal.
Fukushima cleanup will take decades : Japan
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Tokyo : Decommissioning of Fukushima nuclear power plant, crippled by the March 2011 quake and tsunami, will take decades, said Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan Saturday.
New Zealand to sign free trade agreement with China
By DPA
Wellington : New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark has said her government would sign a "comprehensive" and "high quality" free-trade agreement with China April 7, according to reports Sunday.
Clark told New Zealand's political television programme Agenda that she and her Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao would witness ministers sign the agreement in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and added that she would also raise the issue of Beijing's treatment of Tibetan protesters.
US woman, 80, with no training, lands plane
By IANS,
Washington : An 80-year-old woman in the US who had never flown before managed to land a small aircraft after her pilot husband passed out at the controls.
Russian Navy to get new air defence system
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The Russian Navy will soon receive a new ship-based missile air defence system, the developer of the system has said.
Factory manufacturing spurious drugs raided, four held
By IANS,
Lucknow : A factory manufacturing spurious drugs was raided Monday and the owner of the unit along with three of his aides were arrested in Uttar Pradesh, the police said.
"Acting on a tip-off we raided the factory Monday afternoon in Khakherha locality in Baghpat district, over 350 km from Lucknow and seized fake drugs worth Rs.5 million," Police Inspector Phool Singh told IANS.
"Although we managed to arrest the owner of the factory and three of his aides, other employees managed to escape at the time of the raid," Singh said.
Sri Lanka: Muslims, Tamils deal with the past
By NNN-IRIN,
Jaffna (Sri Lanka) : Sri Lankan Muslims displaced during the country’s decades-long civil war are slowly returning home, but the challenge of reconciling with their Tamil neighbours, and their past, remains.
About 75,000 Muslims were evicted in October 1990 from the northern districts of Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaithivu and some parts of Vavuniya by the now-defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who were fighting for an independent Tamil homeland.
Ban Ki-moon calls on people of faith to support climate change battle
TwoCircles.net news desk
People of faith can help inspire millions of others worldwide to take better care of the planet, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling for a concerted global effort against climate change.
In a message delivered on his behalf to the annual United Nations Orthodox Prayer Service in New York, Mr. Ban said slowing or even reversing the existing trends of global warming is “the defining challenge of our ages.”
He added that it was hard to contemplate success in such a challenge without the “input and energy of men and women of faith.
Ban Ki-moon welcomes agreement to resolve north-south Sudan crises
By NNN-GNA
Accra : United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the announcement by the two parties to the landmark 2005 peace accord, which ended the long-running north-south civil war in the Sudan, that they have resolved many of their outstanding issues.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ban commended the government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) "for their commitment to preserve the integrity of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) through dialogue and partnership".
Argentine, Spain Discuss Immigration Directive
By Prensa Latina,
Madrid : Foreign Ministers Miguel Angel Moratinos (Spain) and Jorge Taiana (Argentina) discussed the EU anti-immigration directive in Madrid on Monday.
According to Spanish official sources, Moratinos explained his Argentine peer details of the regulation being discussed by the EU, which has been almost unanimously rejected by Latin American governments.
Taiana travelled to Spain after Argentine President Cristina Fernandez cancelled a scheduled trip including meetings with head of the Spanish Government Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and the King and Queen of Spain.
Mongolian PM reaffirms interest in Russian-built nuclear plant
By RIA Novosti,
Krasnokamensk : Mongolia wants to cooperate with Russia in uranium production and enrichment, as well as the construction of small nuclear power plants, the country's prime minister said on Tuesday.
"We can say that Russia has no rivals in this sphere," Sanjaa Bayar told reporters after visiting Russia's largest uranium ore mining site in Krasnokamensk, Siberia.
More home-made explosives found in California
By DPA,
Washington : More home-made explosives were found in a California residence described as a "bomb-making factory" by police, US broadcaster CNN reported.
Obama to focus on securing nuclear material
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama hopes to use next week's nuclear security summit to clearly spell out how to secure world's nuclear material so it does not fall into the hands of terrorists or dangerous states.
"Our expectation is not that there's just some vague, gauzy statement about us not wanting to see loose nuclear materials," he said in an interview Monday with the New York Times ahead of the summit that would bring 47 world leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, together.
Obama offers condolences to Italy quake victims
By DPA,
Washington : President Barack Obama said the US was ready to help the more than 200 victims of a devastating earthquake in the heart of Italy and offered his condolences in a telephone call Tuesday with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
The Italian people and victims "are in the thoughts and prayers of the American people at this time," Obama told his Italian counterpart, according to the White House.
Police say 8 kg of heroin seized in Siberia, supply route cut off
By RIA Novosti,
Novosibirsk : Police in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk seized eight kilograms of heroin from three people believed to be part of a large supply route, the local drug control service said on Tuesday.
Police detained two Tajik nationals and a resident of Irkutsk, a city in East Siberia, who are believed to be members of an international crime group smuggling heroin from Tajikistan to Novosibirsk for distribution elsewhere in Siberia.
Bush, Cheney cast votes for McCain
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife as well as Vice President Dick Cheney have cast their votes for their party's presidential candidate John McCain, the White House said on Friday.
"Today the president and Mrs. Bush cast their ballots for the 2008 election during the early voting process. The ballots will be mailed back to Texas today," said spokeswoman Dana Perino in a statement.
She also said that Bush and his wife plan to be at the White House on election night.
Six dead in Philippine landslide
By DPA,
Manila : Six people were killed and seven reported missing when a landslide struck a mining village in the southern Philippines,
At least 13 homes were buried in the landslide in Masara village in Maco town, Compostella Valley province, 930 km south of Manila, Saturday.
Provincial social worker Josephine Frasco said three days of continuous heavy rains triggered the landslide.
Jovencio Angera, village council head in Masara, said six people were killed and seven others still missing in the landslide. He added that more than 100 people were left homeless by the accident.
France took part in 1994 genocide: Rwandan report
By AFP,
Kigali : France played an active role in the 1994 Rwanda genocide, a report unveiled Tuesday by the Rwandan government said, naming French political and military officials it says should be prosecuted.
The damning report accused a raft of top French politicians of involvement in the massacres, threatening to further mar relations between the two countries, which severed diplomatic ties in November 2006.
Climatic changes hastened death of ancient empires
By IANS,
Washington : Unfavourable climatic changes might have hastened the decline of Roman and Byzantine empires more than 1,400 years ago.
Based on chemical signatures in a piece of calcite from a cave near Jerusalem, a team of American and Israeli geologists pieced together a detailed record of the area's climate from roughly from 200 B.C. to 1100 A.D.
Their analysis reveals increasingly dry weather from 100 A.D. to 700 A.D. that coincided with the fall of both Roman and Byzantine rule in the region.
Mahabharat gets a new look from Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : After a novel based on the story of Karna, the tragic prince in the Mahabharata abandoned at birth, and a play from the perspective of Gandhari, the queen mother who lived life blindfolded after her marriage to a sightless prince, Nepal is now set to woo London with yet another interpretation of the timeless epic of love, treachery and war.
World’s longest sea bridge draws safety concerns
By IANS,
Beijing : Safety concerns have been raised over the world's longest sea bridge that connects China's eastern Qingdao city with Huangdao island, a media report said Tuesday.
US Senate confirms Indian-American to key trade job
By Arun Kumar
Washington: The US Senate has confirmed yet another Indian-American nominee of President Barack Obama to lead the trade promotion arm of...
Five gunned down at party in Colombia
Bogota: Five people were shot to death and another wounded by unknown gunmen who burst into a birthday party in the Colombian city of...
Sri Lankan Tamil party seeks UN probe into deaths
By IANS,
Colombo : A Sri Lankan Tamil political party said Sunday that it will continue to push for a UN mechanism to investigate alleged human rights abuses in the island nation.
Europe Withdraws Support to Kenya Govt
By Prensa Latina
Strasbourg : Skepticism over the results of December's elections and repudiation of the wave of violence were the main arguments the European Parliament used on Thursday to demand withdrawal of economic support to Kenya.
The EP unanimously adopted the resolution temporarily canceling direct financial assistance from the European Union to Kenya's government.
Two killed as small plane crashes into Peru school
By IANS,
Lima : Two people were killed when a light aircraft on an instruction flight crashed into the garden of a school in Lima, EFE news agency reported Sunday, citing Peruvian media reports.
The aircraft, which had taken off from the Las Palmas air base south of Lima, crashed into the Laura Alva Saldaña Special Basic Education School in the neighbouring district of Barranco Saturday afternoon.
The victims were flight instructor and retired air force general David Alarcon Bullon, 50, and an 18-year-old girl accompanying him onboard the plane, a police spokesman said.
British varsity to train Indian multimedia students
By IANS
Bangalore : University of Teesside, a leading British university at Middlesborough in northeast England, will train students of Takshaa Academy for the Artist in multimedia, animation and gaming under an agreement signed here Monday by the two partners.
In a statement, Teeside deputy vice-chancellor Cliff Allan said the partnership was aimed at producing graduates with proficiency in the fast-emerging areas of multimedia and gaming to meet the growing demand for skilled artists in the animation industry.
At least 50 killed in Albanian army depot explosion
By Xinhua
Tirana : At least 50 people working at an army depot have been killed in an explosion Saturday near the Albanian capital Tirana, media reported.
The depot is located near Vora, about 15 km west of Tirana. The explosion could be heard in Tirana and Durres, the biggest port city of Albania.
A witness told a local TV channel that there were at least 50 people working at the site, dismantling weapons, and they have been reportedly killed in the explosion.
New York Sikhs march to protest hate crimes
By IANS,
New York : The Sikh community here marched through the streets in Queens borough protesting a spate of hate crimes against Sikh school students and calling upon the Department of Education in the city to take proactive action to stop the menace.
Nearly 200 people Monday marched from the two gurdwaras in Richmond Hill, which has a large Sikh population, to the Richmond Hill High School, where Jagmohan Singh Premi, 18, was punched in the face June 3 after a student tried to remove his patka (smaller turban). School authorities suspended the attacker from the school soon after.
19 Killed in record downpour in Japan
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Tokyo : At least 19 people have been killed as the heaviest rainfall on record pounded Japan's southern island of Kyushu, causing flash floods and mudslides.
Indonesian ferry sinks, scores rescued, others still missing
By KUNA,
Kuala Lumpur : An Indonesian ferry carrying 250 passengers and 17 crew members sank in stormy seas off Indonesia's Sulawesi island early on Sunday.
Local media sources said that scores of people are feared dead after the accident, adding that 18 passengers were rescued and the fate of the remaining ones is sill unknown.
The ferry was about 50 kilometres (30 miles) off Majene, western Sulawesi, when authorities lost contact with it around 2:00 am (1800 GMT Saturday), officials said.
Meet Saba Haider: An Indian-Muslim woman running for DuPage county board election in US
Saba is the only candidate of Indian origin among 19 elected members from the state of Illinois. She came to the United States in...
Southwest China mine flood triggered by blast
Beijing: Preliminary investigation shows that a coal mine flood that trapped 22 miners underground in southwest China's Yunnan province Monday was caused by blasting...
Discussion with North Korea ‘more fruitful’ now: UN
By DPA,
New York : Talks between the UN and North Korea have become "much more fruitful," the UN chief of political affairs said Monday.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met on Sunday with Pak Gil Yon, North Korea's vice foreign affairs minister, to discuss a range of unsettled issues like the country's nuclear programme and humanitarian aid.
Venezuela suspends talks with US
By IANS/EFE,
Caracas : Venezuela announced Wednesday the suspension of high-level contacts with the US aimed at a thaw in bilateral ties that have been frozen since late 2010.
Quake hits Indonesia’s Sumatra island
By IANS,
Jakarta : A shallow undersea quake of 6.2 magnitude jolted Sumatra island of Indonesia early Tuesday, but no tsunami warning was being issued, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said.
Brazil defends controversial dam project
By IANS/EFE,
Brasilia : Brazil has defended its decision to build a hydroelectric power station in northern Para state, saying it is being initiated after taking all necessary environmental precautions.
When completed, it will be world's third-largest hydroelectric dam after Itaipu, which Brazil shares with Paraguay, and China's Three Gorges dam.
But environmentalists and local residents say the project will flood an area of over 500-sq-km and destroy its fragile ecosystem.
Aniston donates $500,000 for Haiti relief
By IANS,
London : Hollywood Actress Jennifer Aniston has donated $500,000 to the Haiti relief appeal.
The "Marley And Me" star gave the amount to charities Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health and AmeriCares to help aid victims of the devastating earthquake which hit the Caribbean nation Jan 12, reported femalefirst.co.uk.
Aniston also took part in Hope for Haiti Now telethon, which has so far raised $58 million for the Caribbean nation, where at least 150,000 people have died.
Obama still plans to meet with the Dalai Lama
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama still plans to meet with the Dalai Lama despite a warning from Beijing that a meeting with the exiled Tibetan religious could hit US-China relations, the White House said.
"The president told China's leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama and he intends to do so," Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters aboard Air Force One Tuesday on way to Nashua, New Hampshire.
Australian police uncover multi-million dollar marijuana crop
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Tens of millions of dollars worth of cannabis has been seized by police on a Queensland property in one of the state's biggest hauls of the drug, police said on Wednesday.
Chief Superintendent Ross Barnett of Queensland said that about 4,000 six-to eight-month-old plants were found on the 1,618-hectare property named Kinvarra on Hollybank Road at Waroo in the state's south-east, during a raid on Tuesday after a tip-off.
Russia’s presidential race has barest semblance of free vote
By Alissa de Carbonnel, DPA
Moscow : Russia has a healthy political system at first glance at the political poles represented in the upcoming presidential elections.
There is the Communist Party headed by veteran Gennady Zyuganov, the far right represented by another stalwart, ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and liberal voters have been given Andrei Bogdanov, head of Russia's Democratic Party.
But no observer doubts that the only ideological differences in the upcoming elections are pro-Kremlin or contra - the latter having been pressured from the race.
China to investigate school buildings’ collapse in quake
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has ordered the local authorities to investigate the reasons why school buildings collapsed in Monday's earthquake, an official said.
"If quality problems exist in the school buildings, we will deal with the people responsible for this and give the public a satisfying answer," said Han Jin, head of the development and plan department of the Ministry of Education in an interview.
Japan eager to establish stronger ties with Obama
By DPA,
Tokyo : The Japanese government plans to set up a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Taro Aso and US President Barack Obama at an early date before the financial summit scheduled in April, Japanese media reports said Wednesday.
After the president's inauguration ceremony, Japan's Aso administration was hoping to strengthen the Japan-US alliance and seek cooperation in resolving the global financial crisis as well as assistance in fight against terrorism in Afghanistan.
Chinese policeman donates $16,000 given to him
By IANS,
Beijing: A Chinese police officer has donated 100,000 yuan ($16,000) to the Beijing Police Foundation which he had received by a philanthropist after being injured on duty.
Floods affect some 1.5 million people in Africa: UN
By Xinhua
Nairobi : At least 1.5 million people across a swathe of sub-Saharan African countries are suffering from the effects of severe floods reported to be the worst in decades in some places.
The World Food Program (WFP) said in its operational update on Wednesday that the floods have extended in an arc from Mauritania in the West to Kenya in the East.
US unemployment rate falls
By IANS/EFE,
Washington: The US unemployment rate fell two-tenths of a percent in February to 7.7 percent, as 236,000 net jobs were created, the Labor Department said Friday.
Ex-Slovenian president and premier Drnovsek dead
By DPA
Ljubljana : Slovenia's former prime minister and president,Janez Drnovsek, died Saturday after a long battle with cancer. He was 57.
Drnovsek was the man behind Slovenia's transformation from a federal unit of the Communist Yugoslavia to a successful market-driven country that currently presides over the European Union.
He had served as Slovenia's representative in Yugoslavia's last collective presidency and was, as an outspoken critic of the federation, strongly disliked by the old-guard communists who considered the federation sacred.
Russia New Missiles Reinforce Defense
By Prensa Latina
Moscow : Two new silos of intercontinental strategic missiles Topol-M will increase the Russian Federation's dissuasive arsenal in 2008, a military source asserted on Saturday in this capital.
The Strategic Missile-Troop Regiment of Tatischevo, in the Saratov province, will have the current year two new land positions of Topol-M missiles in combative readiness, said spokesman of that weapon Colonel Alexander Volk.
The military group already has eight silos of that kind, and will have 40, said the officer.
Medvedev proposes competitive selection of officials
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Wednesday said deputy ministers as well as chiefs of federal services could be appointed on a competitive basis.
Australian jets intercept civilian plane in APEC no-fly zone
By RIA Novosti
Sydney : Australian Air Force fighter jets intercepted a small civilian airplane that breached a no-fly zone over the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit Sunday.
The small Cessna plane flew into the restricted airspace over Penrith, near Sydney, in violation of a flight ban in force during the summit.
It failed to respond to repeated radio calls and was intercepted by two FA-18 fighters who reportedly fired flares at it.
Citing economic crisis, Argentine president wants early polls
By EFE,
Buenos Aires : Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has proposed to hold Congressional elections four months earlier than scheduled to allow the government focus more on fighting the economic crisis. But analysts and opponents have called it a political gimick.
"We cannot be in elections (mode) until October, in a permanent debate when the world is falling to pieces and the pieces are falling on us: it would be suicide," Fernandez said at a public event Friday.
Disaster Threatens Black Sea
By Prensa Latina,
Strasbourg, France : The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stated today the Black Sea is seriously threatened by an ecological disaster of unpredictable consequences.
Water contamination, indiscriminate exploitation, spillage of toxic substances and eutrophication (increase in the concentration of nutrients in fresh water), are the main causes the upcoming natural catastrophe.
According to the text, the first step to be taken is to encourage riverside States to intensify cooperation, that is, Georgia, Rumania, Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.
Ramdev camp kicks off in Kathmandu after security scare
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Indian yoga guru Swami Ramdev's much-awaited training camp finally kicked off in Kathmandu early Sunday after being put off the previous day due to security fears.
Thousands of fans braved fears of bomb attacks and other disruptions to turn up at the capital's most prominent public ground at Tundikhel from the wee hours of Sunday for a glimpse of the miracle man whose yoga and breathing techniques are believed to help combat a wide range of diseases.
EU parliamentary delegation in Mumbai safe
By IANS,
Brussels : A delegation of 13 European Parliament (EP) representatives who were caught in the terror attacks in Mumbai are safe and will return home soon, EUAsia News reported Thursday.
EP president Hans-Gert Poettering said he was in touch with the French consulate in Mumbai, which was arranging for the return of the delegation members.
France is the current president of the European Union.
The delegation was in Mumbai as part of the EP International Trade Committee.
Floods kill seven in Vietnam
By Xinhua
Hanoi : At least seven people have been killed and two are reported missing in heavy floods in central Vietnam, officials said Monday.
The provinces of Quang Ngai, Khanh Hoa and Binh Dinh reported two fatalities each, while one lost his life in Quang Nam province.
According to Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention, the floods also damaged over 46,500 houses, submerged many hectares of subsidiary crops, irrigation works and aquaculture ponds in the region.
Zimbabweans continue flocking to S Africa despite xenophobic attacks
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : Zimbabweans appear to be undeterred about migrating to South Africa, despite 30,000 of their compatriots having returned to their home country in the wake of xenophobic violence across South Africa in the past month.
With 15,000 new Zimbabwean migrants arriving monthly, there has been no change in the average movement across the border, according to the NGOs monitoring the situation.
US reporter requests privacy after release
Washington: The US journalist, who was freed this week by the miltants in Syria after two years in captivity, Wednesday thanked everyone for their...
Brazil’s Lula says Obama victory would be extraordinary thing
By IANS,
Havana : Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said a victory of Democratic Party contender Barack Obama in the US presidential poll would be "an extraordinary thing" and equated it with the leftist victory in some Latin American countries, EFE reported Sunday.
America goes to poll Tuesday to elect their president between Barack Obama, the first black American to get a party nomination for the highest office of the country, and Republican John McCain.
Thailand’s Deputy PM to be charged with electoral fraud
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban is in trouble as the Election Commission has decided to file electoral fraud charges against him for distributing towels carrying his and his party's name, a media report said Friday.
If found guilty, Suthep, who is also secretary-general of the ruling Democrat Party, could be stripped of electoral rights for 10 years and face jail for up to 10 years.
Thailand's Court of Appeal has given the go ahead to the Election Commission to file the charge against Suthep, the Nation newspaper reported.
A. Q. Khan world’s greatest proliferator: US
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The United States has branded disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist as "probably the world's greatest proliferator" but appears reluctant to link aid to Islamabad with getting information from him about his activities.
"We do think that there need to be the right kind of conditions," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee responding to a question from Republican Michael McCaul.
China’s president to attend G8 summit in Japan
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit Japan in July to attend the G8 summit, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The annual summit of the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations - the U.S., the U.K., Italy, Canada, Russia, France, Germany and Japan will be held in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on July 7-9.
Hu Jintao is expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings, including with U.S. President George W. Bush.
Leaders of other non-G8 members India, South Korea, Australia, Brazil and several African countries have also been invited to attend.
Egypt to extradite detained Libyan officials
By IANS,
Cairo: Egypt's Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah has decided to hand over two former Libyan officials to the Egyptian Interpol for extradition to Libya, state news agency MENA reported.
Mandela speaks out for the poor on 90th birthday
By DPA,
Johannesburg : Former South African president Nelson Mandela Friday expressed sympathy for his country's poor on the occasion of his 90th birthday.
"There are many people in South Africa who are rich and who can share those riches with those not so fortunate who have not been able to conquer poverty," he said from Qunu, his ancestral village in Eastern Cape province, where he is celebrating his birthday privately with family and friends.
"Poverty has gripped our people. If you are poor, you are not likely to live long," he said in an interview.
One more self-immolates in Tibet
By IANS,
Dharamsala : One more self-immolation occurred Tuesday in Tibet calling for the return of the Dalai Lama and freedom from China, the Tibetan government-in-exile said here.
Pilot killed in French jet crash
By IANS,
Paris : A Taiwanese pilot was killed in France Wednesday after his fighter jet crashed, Xinhua reported.
Gates meets Hatoyama, Defence Chief over Futemma, Afghanistan
By NNN-KYODO,
Tokyo : Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates held talks Wednesday with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, as Tokyo reviews the planned U.S. forces realignment and studies alternative support plans for Afghanistan in a manner that could cause friction with Washington.
At the outset of the meeting, Hatoyama told Gates that his government places "great importance on and cherishes" the Japan-U.S. alliance and expects the two countries will further develop their security ties as uncertainties remain in the Northeast Asian region.
Mexico renews diplomatic ties with Honduras
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : The Mexican government has said that its ambassador to Tegucigalpa will return to Honduras next week, as it wants to renew diplomatic ties with the Central American nation.
Saturday's announcement came hours after the Chilean government decided to send back its ambassador to that country.
Mexico's Foreign Relations Secretariat (SRE) said there was a "significant progress" in the situation in Honduras after the June 2009 coup against the then president Manuel Zelaya. Porfirio Lobo is the current president of Honduras.
Clinton urges party to back Obama
By IRNA,
New York : Hillary Clinton has called on Democrats to unite behind Barack Obama as the party's presidential candidate, saying she was his "proud supporter".
Speaking at the party's nominating convention, Mrs Clinton said they could not afford to lose to the Republicans.
"Whether you voted for me or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose."
Obama, who beat Mrs Clinton in the primary race, will formally accept the party's nomination on Thursday night.
Russia freezes Su-30 fighter jet deliveries to Algeria
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia has postponed deliveries of Su-30MKI fighter jets to Algeria over non-payment, following the North African country's decision to return 15 MiG-29 fighters, a business daily said on Friday.
According to Kommersant, Algeria failed to transfer payment for 28 aircraft in early February. It froze all payments under military contracts with Russia in October 2007, requiring that Moscow first take back 15 MiG-29 fighter jets over their "inferior quality."
Cuban cancer vaccine to be tested in Britain
By IANS/EFE,
Havana : A therapeutic vaccine for advanced lung cancer, which was created by scientists at Cuba's Centre for Molecular Immunology, will be tested in Britain.
36 Tiger rebels, five soldiers killed in Sri Lanka clashes
By DPA,
Colombo : At least 36 Tamil Tiger rebels and five soldiers were killed in fighting in northern Sri Lanka as troops further expanded their area of control, military officials said Thursday.
Fighting between government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was reported from Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts, more than 300 km north of the capital.
In Thunukkai of Kilinochchi district, 19 LTTE rebels and four soldiers were killed when heavy fighting erupted Wednesday, officials said.
Ostrom, Williamson, share Nobel Prize for Economics
By DPA,
Stockholm : The Nobel Prize for Economics was awarded Monday to US researchers Elinor Ostrom and Oliver Williamson, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced.
Ostrom of Indiana Uiversity in Bloomington, Indiana, was cited "for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons", while Williamson of the University of California at Berkeley, California, was cited for "his analysis of economic governance, especially the boundaries of the firm."
The two laureates were to equally share the prize worth 10 million kronor ($1.4 million).
Bhutanese entrepreneurs dreaming big, eye world bazaar
By Syed Zarir Hussain
IANSThimphu : Bhutan looks like a speck on the world map and the Himalayan kingdom generally loves basking in its pristine natural beauty and exotic culture. But with the winds of globalisation sweeping across the globe, more and more people in this nation of just 700,000 are beginning to dream big - especially the country's business community.
Former FARC captive believes rebels will free all hostages soont
By IANS,
Bogota : A former Colombian senator who has spent nearly seven years in the captivity of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has expressed his hope that the leftist guerrilla group will soon release all its hostages, EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
Luis Eladio Perez, who was freed in February by the FARC, told reporters Tuesday prior to a meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe that he was expecting an announcement soon from the rebel group about the release of other captives.
Bush, Medvedev trade barbs over Georgia
By DPA,
Washington : The US and Russia traded barbs overs Georgia Friday as US President George W. Bush accused Russia of "bullying" its neighbour, while Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia would respond the same way if provoked again.
"Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century," Bush said at the White House before departing to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, for vacation.
‘Brazil better equipped to face market crisis’
By Prensa Latina,
Brasilia : Brazil has said it is better equipped than the rich economies to face the global market meltdown and invited foreign investment as a proof of its economic stability.
"We are in better conditions to face the crisis than rich countries," President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Monday said during his Coffee with the President programme on radio.
The Brazilian president is scheduled Wednesday to visit Italy where he will meet business leaders, government officials, and the opposition, and to meet the Pope Thursday to conclude an agreement with the Vatican.
Sri Lanka rejects UN plan to form human rights panel
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka has rejected the UN proposal to set up an advisory panel in the wake of alleged human rights abuse during the final phase of armed battle between the government forces and the LTTE rebels in the country.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the intention was "unwarranted" and such move would be perceived as an "interference" in Sri Lanka's internal matter.
Sri Lanka’s radical party heading for split
By P. Karunakharan, IANS
Colombo : Sri Lanka's one-time political kingmaker, the Sinhalese nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), is headed for a split, just two and a half years after helping President Mahinda Rajapaksa to take power.
The internal rift in the closely-knit JVP surfaced with its firebrand propaganda secretary Wimal Weerawansa and the party leadership trading charges publicly.
Everest turning into world’s highest cesspool
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : A deadly peril lurks on Mt Everest, the highest summit in the world, which is far more dangerous than the freezing cold, gale winds and recently posted security forces who are empowered to shoot at the sight of political activities. The new hazard comes from human waste scattered along the mountain slopes, which could run into hundreds of tonnes.
Somalia law makers vote out PM
Mogadishu : Somalia's prime minister lost his job after members of parliament voted on a no-confidence motion against him, Al Jazeera reported.
Parliament voted Saturday...
Bush seeks $42.3 billion more for wars
By Xinhua
Washington : The Bush administration has asked for an additional $42.3 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the request for total war funding for 2008 to $189.3 billion.
The request comes on top of $147 billion already sought for in the wars.
Most of the money goes to Iraq, which is costing the Pentagon an estimated $2 billion a week.
Counter terrorism cuts in UK ‘not dangerous’, MPs told
By IRNA,
London : The outgoing Permanent Secretary at the Home Office has defended the British government plans to cut the police’s counter terrorism budget, insisting that it was not dangerous.
Strikes hampering aid deliveries to Nepali flood victims
By NNN-IRIN
Kathmandu : Strikes and political violence in southern Nepal have been hampering efforts by aid workers to distribute aid to flood victims, said officials from the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) on Aug 26.
Over 583,000 flood victims in the country’s densely populated Terai region continue to be affected by food shortages and face accommodation problems, according to the NRCS, the country’s most active relief organisation.
Senator Byrd becomes longest-serving lawmaker in US history
By DPA,
Washington : Robert Byrd, the West Virginia senator, is Wednesday set to become the longest serving member of the US Congress in history.
Byrd, who will celebrate his 92nd birthday Friday, began his legislative career in the House of Representatives Jan 3, 1953, before moving to the Senate in 1959.
The Senate was expected to commemorate the milestone with a resolution honouring Byrd Wednesday. Byrd passes former Arizona senator Carl Hayden, who was in Congress from 1912 to 1969.
Federer could have emigrated to Australia
By DPA,
Melbourne : Australia's loss a decade and a half ago was Switzerland's gain when the family of then-12-year-old Roger Federer turned down the chance to emigrate Down Under.
It came down to a decision at home in Basel, where father Robert Federer worked in the chemical industry.
After a three-month temporary assignment in Australia in the early 1990s, the senior Federer, married to South Africa-born wife Lynette, was given the chance to make the move permanent. But staying in Switzerland won out.
Russia against military strike, asks India to seek UN support
By IANS,
New Delhi : Cautioning against a unilateral Indian military strike against Pakistan, Russia Saturday said New Delhi should seek the support of the international community and present its case to the UN after collecting "concrete evidence" of the complicity of elements in Pakistan in the Mumbai attacks.
Mother of IS-held Japanese hostage calls for release of son
Tokyo: Junko Ishido, mother of a Japanese hostage held by the Islamic State (IS) militants, called Friday morning for the release of her son,...