China issues statute on fraud involving quake relief
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Chinese authorities published a special statute Thursday that provides for punishment of malpractice and fraud involving relief for the May 12 earthquake in southwest China.
The quake took at least 68,516 lives, injured 365,399 people, left another 19,350 missing and rendered more than 15 million people homeless.
The new regulation was jointly issued by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the Ministry of Supervision (MOS).
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.
Anti-riot police stand by to disperse demonstrators in central Bangkok
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Several hundred anti-riot police arrived at the rally scene in central Bangkok, where thousands of people joined a continued anti-government protest organized by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) Saturday afternoon after the Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej warned protesters of the possibility of using force to disperse them.
Japan, S korea call for int’l efforts to tackle terrorism, Korea nukes
By Xinhua,
Singapore : Japanese Defense Minister ShigeruIshiba told an Asian security conference here Saturday that his country will work harder for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by exerting further efforts for continuing the Six-Party Talks.
He made the remarks at the 7th Asian Security Summit hosted by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
He said, "Japan does not have any plan whatsoever to become a nuclear power today or in the future," adding that "It is not nuclear armament that Japan should pursue."
Democrats give Florida, Michigan half-say in blow to Clinton
By DPA,
Washington : The Democratic Party of the US has voted to give Florida and Michigan a voice in the presidential nomination process after disputed January elections but with only half their normal voting power, in a significant blow to the dwindling ambitions of Hillary Clinton.
In a raucous Saturday meeting interrupted many times by heckling from the crowd, the party's rules committee, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), was unable to get unanimity on both decisions, which Clinton advisor Harold Ickes said "hijacked" the democratic process.
Political deadlock prevails among Nepali parties
BY Phanindra Dahal, Zhang Jianhua, Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Nepali political parties still remain in deadlock about the formation of new government, after the abolition of monarchy in the Himalayan nation.
"Unless the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) gathers a consensus and creates an atmosphere to form a new government, the present government will not be dissolved," Ram Chandra Poudel, a senior Minister for Peace and Reconstruction said Sunday, after a multi-party meeting attempting to end the deadlock.
Maoists give Nepal PM till Tuesday to quit
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : A fresh political crisis has begun brewing in Nepal with the former Maoist guerrillas, who hold the largest number of seats in the constituent assembly, turning their guns on Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, warning him to quit by Tuesday or face a new street stir.
Despite the successful holding of a critical election last month, Koirala and his Nepali Congress party are at loggerheads with the Maoists, who spearheaded an uprising in the former Himalayan kingdom for the abolition of its 239-year-old monarchy.
Asean, UN to help Myanmar assess cyclone damage
By Xinhua,
Yangon : A tripartite core group involving the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), UN and Myanmar is working to make a joint assessment of the damage in Myanmar'sm cyclone-hit areas, state media said Tuesday.
In preparation to carry out the assessment, the Asean Emergency Rapid Assessment Team (ERAT) is training government officials, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.
Slovenian nuclear plant leak causes EU-wide alert
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union was placed on alert Wednesday as a nuclear power plant in Slovenia reported a leak in the cooling system.
The plant in Krsko, in south-west Slovenia, issued the alert that it had begun to spill coolant from its primary cooling system at 1738 local time (1538 GMT), a message from the European Commission, the EU executive, said.
The commission instantly informed all 27 EU member states, warning them of the situation and requiring them to inform it in turn of any anti-radiation measures they would put in place.
Russian president warns of NATO’s eastward expansion
By IRNA,
Berlin : Efforts by NATO to expand eastward will negatively impact the relations between Russia and the US-led western military pact and lead to lasting political tensions, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday during a keenly anticipated foreign policy speech at a Berlin hotel.
Addressing the German-Russian Forum, the Russian leader warned that NATO's eastward extension would "damage the alliance's relations (with Russia ) in the long-term."
"The price will be high," Medvedev stressed.
Clinton to be at forefront of election battle: Obama
By ANTARA News,
Washington : Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama said Saturday he was honored to have won the endorsement of Hillary Clinton and vowed she would be at the forefront of the party`s November election battle.
"No one knows better than Senator Clinton how desperately America and the American people need change, and I know she will continue to be in the forefront of that battle this fall and for years to come," Obama said in a statement, quoted by AFP.
Most Australians believe they are worse off since election
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Over half of Australians believe they have become worse off economically since the Labor government came to power last November, a new survey showed on Monday.
An online poll conducted last month by mortgage brokers Loan Market and X Inc Finance Group found just 17 percent of respondents felt their financial position had improved since Laborre turned to power after 11 years in Opposition.
Some 54 percent of respondents believed things were worse than before Kevin Rudd became Prime Minister last November.
South Korea’s cabinet offers to resign on beef deal
By DPA,
Seoul : South Korea's cabinet and Prime Minister Han Seung Soo offered to resign Tuesday after a government deal to lift a ban on US beef imports led to massive street protests, presidential officials said.
The collective resignation offer by the three-month-old cabinet is unprecedented, according to Yonhap news agency.
A record one million people were expected to hold nationwide demonstrations Tuesday night to protest President Lee Myung Bak's decision in April to allow US beef imports despite people's concern about mad cow disease.
EU-US summit opens in Slovenia with packed agenda
By DPA,
Brdo (Slovenia) : Top European Union (EU) officials were holding talks with US President George W Bush Tuesday at the start of his final European tour, designed to affirm trans-Atlantic ties before he leaves office in January.
Iran, Afghanistan, climate change and rising global food prices were on the agenda for the EU-US summit, held this year at a secluded resort in the shadow of the Slovenian Alps.
"We've got a lot to talk about," Bush said as he left Washington Monday.
US stocks decline on fresh financial woes
By DPA,
New York : US stocks were led lower Tuesday by financial firms still struggling with the effects of the ongoing mortgage crisis.
Goldman Sachs said banks and lenders may need to raise another $65 billion to combat further writedowns in mortgage-related assets. Plunging home prices have prompted a record number of mortgage defaults by US homeowners since the summer of 2007, sparking a widespread crisis in the financial industry.
Shares of all 23 banking institutions in the Standard & Poor's 500 index declined.
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.
Rice in Seoul to review North Korean nuclear programme
By DPA,
Seoul : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Seoul Saturday for talks on North Korea's nuclear programme, a day after Pyongyang destroyed a cooling tower at its Yongbyon plant in a move to show it will dismantle its controversial programme.
Rice arrived from Japan where she had attended a meeting in Kyoto of the foreign ministers of the Group of Eight, the world's seven leading economies and Russia.
Many New York teenagers victims of sexual violence: survey
By IANS,
New York : A survey of 1,300 high school students here has revealed that 16.2 percent of them have been subjected to sexual violence, and in most cases the victims knew the perpetrators.
The three-year, comprehensive survey of students aged between 13 and 21 years, with 15 or 16-year-olds being in the majority, found that 16.2 percent of the teenagers had suffered sexual violence - a much higher figure than the national average of 7 to 10.2 percent.
Film downloads help buffs discover movies at home
By DPA,
Darmstadt (Germany) : A perfect couch potato set-up, with chips and the remote in easy reach, is pointless when there's nothing good on TV. But where a lack of good TV would have once meant running to the video store, nowadays home viewers can turn on their computer to download one of their favourite movies.
Mail movie rentals via online services have been around for a while. But now those services are diversifying into direct downloads onto personal computers.
Britons worried about financial future
By IRNA,
London : British families are more worried about the financial future than at any time over the last 26 years, according to the latest findings of a barometer poll on consumer confidence.
All five measures used by the monthly poll conducted by GfK NOP reveal public fears amid spiraling household bills as well as the lowest confidence about economic conditions over the next 12 months since 1982.
ASEAN Welcomes DPRK’s nuclear breakthrough
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) expressed its welcome to the progress made by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on dismantling its nuclear facilities.
"DPRK has been a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) since2000. We certainly hope that this positive development will relax tension and anxiety in our region," said Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan in a statement issued here Tuesday by the ASEAN Secretariat.
Heavy rainstorms ravage China, leaving at least 12 dead and 3 mln affected
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Heavy rainstorms that swept through most parts of China since Tuesday have left at least 12 dead, seven missing and about 3 million affected.
The casualties were reported after the rainstorms and flooding killed 252 people across China in June.
The new wave of rainstorms have caused suspended shipping service in the Three Gorges section of the Yangtze River, blocked traffic in cities, delayed flights, destroyed homes, and flooded farmland.
Qantas, SIA Seek Removal Of Curfew Hours At Sydney Airport
By Bernama,
Melbourne : Qantas and Singapore Airlines are seeking for the removal of the curfew hours from 11pm to 6am at the Sydney Airport to allow flights throughout the night.
The two airlines are lobbying the Australian government for the change, saying a cap of 80 flights an hour, and the curfew were restricting growth at the airport, the Australian Associated Press reported.
Both argue that quieter planes make it possible to scrap the night curfew, with Qantas saying jets should be allowed to land but not take off.
Mob burns 11 ‘witches’ to death in Kenya
By DPA,
Nairobi : An angry mob has burned to death 11 elderly people accusing them of practicing witchcraft in Kenya's western Kisii district, according to reports Thursday.
The mob went from house to house and pulled the victims out into the street before setting fire to them and their houses, BBC reported, citing police.
The victims were largely women and were all in their late eighties or early nineties.
Local villagers justified the attack by saying they had found the minutes of a "witches' meeting," which listed the next targets for bewitching.
Russia to launch its first weather satellite
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia is set to launch its first weather satellite, Meteor-M1, in the fourth quarter of 2008, the satellite's manufacturer said Wednesday.
Russia currently has no weather satellites and gets its information from foreign sources.
The Russian state research and development company VNIIEM said its specialists had assembled the satellite and launched "the final stage of complex tests".
The 2.7-tonne Meteor-M1 will be put into a 830-km orbit by a Soyuz-2 launch vehicle and a Frigate upper stage.
Its service life will be five to seven years.
US Sikh held, turban snatched over kirpan
By IANS,
New York : A Sikh truck driver was arrested and his turban forcibly removed after marshals in a Connecticut court found his kirpan on him when he went to contest a traffic violation.
Sachdev Singh, 47, a New Jersey resident, entered the State of Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford June 18. While passing through security, he told the officers that he had a five-inch kirpan under his clothing.
The kirpan, or blade, is a religious symbol that all Sikh men wear.
WHO chief sees food safety as a ‘big challenge’
By Xinhua
Geneva : Food safety is a big challenge for the whole world, which must be tackled through better regulation, Director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) Margaret Chan has said.
"I have to say that food safety is a big problem for both developed and developing countries," Chan told a news briefing in Geneva Tuesday.
She said with a world population of 6.4 billion, a huge amount of food is consumed daily, so ensuring food safety is a big challenge.
SpiralFrog takes a jump at free online music
San Francisco, Sep 26 (DPA) In the annals of online music, there have been hundreds of so-called iPod killers that have tried to challenge Apple's shiny music players and the company's equally dominant iTunes music store.
Unfortunately, almost all of them died a quick death before they even put a scratch on their targets.
But that hasn't stopped others trying. The latest hopeful goes by the name of SpiralFrog and aims to unseat Apple by offering free legal downloads of millions of tracks.
Pressure mounts on Brown to call early general election
By IRNA
London : Pressure mounted on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to call an early general election next week with the opposition Conservative Party saying it would show "political cowardice" if he failed to do so.
"Clearly if he were to step back from having an election now, then dithering would have turned a degree of political cowardice on top because the expectation had been raised so high," shadow foreign secretary William Hague said.
Cuba celebrates its diplomatic win against US
By IANS
United Nations : Cuba is celebrating its diplomatic victory at the UN, which urged Washington to lift an economic and trade embargo against the Caribbean country.
The appeal by the world body comes after the US President George W. Bush urged the UN General Assembly to support his policy against Cuba, the official Cuban news agency Prensa Latina reported.
The Oct 30 vote -- on a resolution to put an end to the US economic, financial, and commercial blockade of Cuba -- won for the 16th consecutive time. It had 184 votes for, four against and one abstention.
German FM hails Colombia’s ratification of nuclear test ban treaty
By IRNA
Berlin : German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier here Thursday hailed Colombia's sudden ratification of the nuclear Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
In a press statement, Steinmeier welcomed Colombia's signing of the nuclear test ban treaty (CTBT), slashing the number of countries still needed for the treaty's entry into force to nine.
The minister urged all countries which have yet to endorse the treaty, to sign the CTBT as soon as possible.
Among the holdouts are the United States, Israel, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.
Over 360 mn people live with hearing loss: WHO
By IANS,
Geneva : More than 360 million people in the world are suffering from hearing loss, a report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated.
Sri Lankan president promises land to people in north
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse said Tuesday that his government would ensure the northern people the right to own their land.
"As much as we have given the eastern people their right to own land we will soon ensure that northern people would be free to do likewise," Rajapakse told a political gathering in Colombo.
The president was referring to his government's military thrust against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.
Cindy McCain recalls her Bengal connection
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Republican presidential candidate John McCain's wife Cindy McCain recalled with pride their South Asian connection as she introduced their seven children, including a Bangladeshi girl she brought home from an orphanage begun by Mother Teresa.
"I would like to introduce you the seven reasons that John and I are so happy as a family," she said as she warmed up the Republican convention crowd at St. Paul, Minnesota, for her husband's acceptance speech Thursday.
US emergency finance rescue plan clears final hurdle
By DPA,
Washington : The US House of Representatives approved a revised financial rescue plan Friday that paved the way for the largest government intervention in capital markets in the history of the country.
The bill allows the government to acquire up to $700 billion in soured mortgage assets that are at the heart of the credit crisis.
The House voted by a resounding 263-171 in favour after rejecting an earlier version of the bill by 228-205 Monday. The Senate approved the same package Wednesday and President George W. Bush was expected to sign the bill later Friday.
Undercover cop in New Zealand lied to send 150 to jail
By DPA,
Wellington : A former undercover New Zealand police officer has confessed to lying in court testimony that sent at least 150 people to jail, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Patrick O'Brien, nearly 60, wrote to Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias, admitting perjury and saying that he was racked with guilt after carrying a "dreadful secret" for more than 30 years, the Herald on Sunday reported.
EU leaders call for international summit on financial crisis
By RIA Novosti,
Brussels : The leaders of the EU's 27 member states have supported plans for an international summit on the global financial crisis, current EU president Nicolas Sarkozy told journalists in Brussels.
"We want a financial summit to take place before the end of this year, preferably in November," he said. "Europe will not let this crisis pass without taking action."
EU leaders gathered in Brussels on Wednesday for a two-day summit.
Sarkozy said that the summit should take place in New York, "where everything started," and lead to "a new capitalism."
Russia says it’ll rebuild ties with old ally Cuba
By IANS,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said Cuba is one of Russia's "key partners" in Latin America, while announcing a renewal of economic ties and the visit to Moscow next year of Cuban leader Raul Castro, EFE reported Wednesday.
"Cuba has been and is one of our key partners in Latin America," Medvedev said after receiving Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque.
Medvedev announced Russia's intention to increase its political and trade relations with Cuba, a country almost forgotten by the Kremlin in the decade after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
China urges Sarkozy to cancel meeting with Dalai Lama
By DPA,
Beijing : China Tuesday called on French President Nicolas Sarkozy to cancel his planned meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
It was time for the French side to make a choice, foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in Beijing.
He also warned that political and economic ties between Paris and Beijing would suffer if Sarkozy pursued the planned talks.
France, which currently holds the EU presidency, should respect China's concerns and take concrete measures, he said.
Bushfires in Australia: Two held for suspicious activity
By Xinhua,
Melbourne : Australian police have arrested two people for suspicious activity in the aftermath of the deadly bushfires, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported Thursday.
The police said detectives responded to a report of suspicious activity Thursday morning, but did not reveal details about the arrests.
The investigations were in their initial stages and the two people were assisting with their inquiries, the police said.
Foreign investment in China plunges in January
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China's actual use of foreign investment plunged 32.67 percent year on year to $7.54 billion in January, an official said Monday.
Foreign investment use has seen consecutive falls in China since October, when a 2.02 percent annual drop was recorded, Yao Jian, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), said at a press conference.
El Salvador flood toll rises to 144
By EFE,
San Salvador : The toll in floods and mudslides caused by Hurricane Ida in El Salvador has risen to 144, officials said.
Thousands of people have been displaced after the storm hit the country last weekend.
Emergency officials said Tuesday 144 people have been killed in the deluge and 13,000 affected people have been shifted to temporary relief shelters.
Heavy rains continued in five of El Salvador's 14 provinces days after the devastating storm.
Italian PM’s wife seeks 43 mn euros a year in divorce
By IANS/AKI,
Rome: The wife of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Veronica Lario, is reported to be seeking 43 million euros a year in divorce proceedings.
Lario, a former actress, announced her intention to divorce Berlusconi in May, after reports surfaced about his friendship with Noemi Letizia, the 18-year-old Naples lingerie model.
According to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Lario is seeking more than 3.5 million euros a month to maintain the lifestyle the couple shared prior to their separation.
US Senate approves $15-billion jobs package
By DPA,
Washington : The US Senate Wednesday approved a $15-billion package aimed at reviving the sluggish labour market in the US.
The Senate voted 70-28 in favour of the legislation, the bulk of which involves a tax incentive for businesses to start hiring again. It also extends some federal subsidies for infrastructure spending.
Myanmar opposition party to sue junta over election laws
By DPA,
Yangon : Myanmar's main opposition party decided Friday to sue the military-run government for issuing unfair election laws, opposition sources said.
An executive meeting of the National League for Democracy (NLD) - which is headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi - decided to sue the government over election laws promulgated last week, NLD Rakhine member Aye Tha Aung said.
He said the NLD found clauses that excluded the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners from the election process as unlawful.
South Africa’s ex-police chief sentenced for corruption
By IANS,
Johannesburg : South Africa's former police chief and ex-president of Interpol was sentenced to 15 years in prison for taking bribes, local judicial sources said Tuesday.
In the sentence, the judge said Jackie Selebi was found guilty of taking bribes from drug traffickers, Xinhua reported.
Selebi, who was awarded an International Human Rights Award in 1997, served as Interpol president from 2004 until Jan 12, 2008.
Libya to celebrate anniversary of Lockerbie bomber’s release
By IANS,
London : Libya is preparing to mark the first anniversary of the Lockerbie bomber's release with leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi urging his countrymen to thank those who helped to free him, including former British prime minister Gordon Brown.
Gaddafi will also ask Libyans to pray for Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill, who approved Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's freedom, The Sun reported Monday.
Gaddafi has ordered prayers to mark Friday's anniversary of the decision to free Megrahi from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds Aug 20, 2009.
Parcel bomb addressed to Sarkozy found in Greece
By IANS,
London : Greek police have detected explosive packages addressed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and three foreign embassies in Athens, a media report said.
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