US recession easing: GDP unchanged at 1 percent drop
By DPA,
Washington : The US economy shrank 1 per cent in the second quarter of the year, a sign that the recession slowed dramatically, according to a government estimate Thursday that was unchanged from its original prediction made last month.
The Commerce Department's second estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) was better than economists had expected, according to a survey by Bloomberg News, and compares with a massive 6.4 percent contraction in the first three months of the year.
South African election a sign of mature democracy, says president
By IANS
Pretoria : South African President Kgalema Motlanthe said Tuesday that the enthusiasm showed by people ahead of the country's general election is a sign of a mature democracy.
Over 23 million South Africans have registered to vote in Wednesday's elections, BuaNews reported.
"We are of the view that the level of enthusiasm displayed during the campaigning and level of participation by young and old people indicates that our democracy is vibrant," President Motlanthe said.
Another woman says Paraguay president fathered her child
By EFE,
Asuncion : A week after Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo admitted to fathering a illegitimate child while he was a Catholic bishop, another woman claimed that she had a child from the head of the country.
"What I want is that this gentleman acknowledge my son, that's all I ask. I will wait one day for him, and if he doesn't take responsibility, tomorrow I will file a complaint," Benigna Leguizamon told reporters.
U.S. praises EU decision to freeze partnership talks with Russia
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : The U.S. has voiced its support for the EU's decision reached in Brussels at an emergency summit on Monday to postpone talks on a new partnership deal with Russia until it pulls it troops out of Georgia.
The 27-nation bloc stopped short of imposing sanctions, but pledged to strengthen economic and political ties with Georgia, and condemned Russia's decision to recognize Georgia's separatist regions as independent states. Russia rejected the EU agreement, saying it sent the "wrong political signals".
US stocks jump as oil price falls
By DPA,
New York : US stock indices recorded their biggest jump in a month as oil prices fell sharply Tuesday and the Federal Reserve opened the door to extending emergency lending into 2009.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the central bank's unprecedented lending to investment banks, set up in March at the height of the credit crisis for a six-month period, could be extended into 2009 if the financial sector's "unusual and exigent circumstances continue to prevail."
N. Korea nuclear declaration to exclude weapons — top US envoy
By KUNA,
Tokyo : North Korea's declaration detailing its nuclear programs will not include information about nuclear weapons, the top US negotiator said Tuesday, Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported in a dispatch from the Chinese capital.
Christopher Hill, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told reporters in Beijing that the document will be confined to North Korea's nuclear materials and facilities, according to Kyodo.
Indian American prefers trial in webcam spy case
By IANS,
New York : A former Indian American student accused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate's encounter with another man is set to go on trial after rejecting a plea deal.
It’s already new year in Nepal!
By IANS,
Kathmandu : While the rest of the world has begun an eager countdown to the new year, which will be ushered in from Thursday midnight, it is already 2010 in the exotic Himalayan land of Nepal.
For the Tamu or Gurung community of Nepal, an ethnic people believed by many to have migrated from western Mongolia, 2010 starts from this Wednesday, the last day of the lunar calendar they follow traditionally.
Happiness is a matter of perception: study
By IANS,
Sydney : People tend to judge your level of happiness on the basis of the picture you've chosen to represent yourself to the world, according to a study.
Queensland's University of Technology's (QUT) Benno Torgler asked 554 people to rate the level of happiness of each of the subjects in 12 colour photographs taken from websites.
The photographs were of Nobel Prize winners, top economists and happiness researchers.
Nepal situation beyond our imagination: Modi
New Delhi : The situation in earthquake-hit Nepal is "beyond our imagination", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.
Modi said he was sad that...
Mexican journalist’s killer gets 38 years in prison
By IANS/EFE,
Veracruz (Mexico) : The man convicted of killing Mexican journalist Regina Martinez has been sentenced to 38 years and two months in prison by a judge in the Gulf state of Veracruz.
World Kidney Day promotes awareness
By Xinhua
Beijing : World Kidney Day is observed Thursday to bring to the public's awareness the growing threat kidney diseases pose to peoples all over the world.
It was launched in 2006 through the joint initiative of the International Federation of Kidney Foundations and the International Society of Nephrology.
Pakistani envoy in Germany to attend Bonn meet?
By IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistani ambassador in Germany is likely to attend an international conference on the future of Afghanistan to be held in Bonn Dec 5, a media report said Friday.
Palestine city names street after Medvedev
By IANS,
Moscow: A street in the Palestinian city of Jericho has been named after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said.
Cuba for Georgia Withdrawal from S. Ossetia
By Prensa Latina,
Havana : The Cuban government issued an official statement supporting a request for Georgian military forces to withdraw from the Autonomous Republic of South Ossetia, while reiterating its peaceful policy.
Prensa Latina is posting below the full text of the Cuban Government's Official Declaration on the Situation in South Ossetia:
Cuba defends peace as an indispensable requisite for the development of all the nations of the world.
Britain can pull out of EU, says Cameron
By IANS,
London : Prime Minister David Cameron has admitted for the first time that he can imagine Britain quitting the European Union (EU), The Sun reported.
Weblin users peer over their shoulders at internet
By DPA
Hamburg : A page at eBay looks like a shop window on a high street with some pretty strange people outside when web users have a free program called Weblin installed.
There's an astronaut bobbing in apparent zero gravity and an alien with four arms scratching his head. A polar bear can say, in a speech bubble, "Where are you from?"
These tiny screen figures represent flesh-and-blood human beings.
Weblin is intended for web surfers who want to make themselves perceptible through an avatar, a kind of visual alter ego, during their internet explorations.
China’s oil, gas output goes up
By IANS,
Beijing : China's crude oil and natural gas output both marked year-on-year rises in January, new data from the country's top economic planner shows.
Another indecisive round looms in US presidential race
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : As Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama geared up for a pair of crucial primaries Tuesday, opinion polls pointed to yet another indecisive round in the unending contest for the Democratic presidential nomination.
While the former first lady appeared to have taken a clear four-point 48 to 44 percent lead in Indiana, Obama remained ahead with an eight-point 50 to 42 percent edge in North Carolina, according to new CNN surveys of several recent polls out of both states.
Russian military intelligence chief resigns
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The chief of Russia's military intelligence GRU has resigned from his post, the Kommersant business daily reported.
Crops reflecting sunlight could offset global warming
By IANS,
London: Planting 'climate friendly' crops that reflect sunlight could help offset the effects of global warming, researchers say.
Economic recovery plan to create 2.5 million jobs: Obama
By DPA,
Washington : US president-elect Barack Obama said in a radio address Saturday that he would sign an economic recovery plan soon after taking office, to create 2.5 million jobs by January 2011.
US suspends flights from Kyrgyzstan base
By DPA,
Washington : The US military has suspended flights through an air force base in Kyrgyzstan following deadly fighting in the central Asian nation, a spokesman confirmed Saturday.
Flights to transport troops and weapons to Afghanistan will now go through another base rather than the Manas air force base in Kyrgyzstan, said Major John Redfield, a spokesman for US Central Command in Florida.
The decision was made late Friday and any move to resume flights would be made by US military personnel in the region based on developments in the country, Redfield said.
Secret documents found on British commuter train: report
By DPA,
London : Secret intelligence documents related to Britain's war on terror were left on a commuter train in Great Britain for a second time in a short period, the Independent newspaper reported Sunday.
The secret papers were found Wednesday in a train on it's way to London's Waterloo station and were passed on to the newspaper and then returned to the British treasury.
Norwegian killer sentenced to 21 years in prison
By IANS,
Oslo : Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for killing 77 people in bomb and shooting attacks last year.
100 Britons jailed in France for smuggling migrants
London: At least 100 Britons have been jailed in France in the last year for trying to smuggle migrants through the port town of...
Bad weather still in N Philippines as flooding takes place in south
By Xinhua
Manila : An inter-tropical convergence zone extending across northern Philippines will bring rains and thunderstorms over central and northern part of the country in coming days, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Sunday.
"Central and northern Luzon will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening," it said in an advisory.
39 hurt in blast in Chinese bank
By IANS,
Beijing : At least 39 people were injured Friday in a blast at a bank in northwest China's Gansu province. Authorities called it a case of arson.
Honeymoon over as Brown retreats over election call
LONDON, Oct 7 (KUNA) -- The lengthy honeymoon period Gordon Brown enjoyed as UK Prime Minister has been well and truly terminated by his decision not to call a general election, commentators said Sunday.
The opposition parties were predictably quick to cry out that he had "bottled it" (retreated) but even his own MPs stuck in the knife once it was confirmed an election was definitely off the cards.
Many said they had never wanted a poll, but criticised the way that speculation had been allowed to build up in recent weeks and how the decision was ultimately announced.
Court rejects appeal to block book critical of Sarkozy
By DPA
Paris : A book in which the former wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy calls him a philanderer who is unworthy of being president went on sale Friday after a Paris court rejected her demand to stop its publication, France-Info radio reported.
In the book, titled simply Cecilia, the former first lady is quoted by author Anna Bitton as saying, "Nicolas is a philanderer" and "Nicolas is stingy."
She also describes him as "a man who likes no-one, not even his children," and goes on to say that he is not worthy of being the president.
Colombo train blast kills eight, leaves 73 injured
By IANS,
Colombo : A powerful bomb blast, which ripped through a crowded rail coach at the edge of the Sri Lankan capital, has killed eight civilians and wounded 73 others, witnesses and officials said.
The deafening blast occurred as the train packed with people returning after work from Colombo to their homes in the country's Sinhalese-majority south neared the Dehiwela railway station around 4.45 p.m.
‘Reality’ wins grand prize at Cannes
By IANS,
Cannes : Italian satire "Reality" directed by Matteo Garrone was awarded the second-place grand prize at the closing ceremony of the 65th Cannes film festival, Xinhua reported.
Russia says Iran’s election is its own business
By RIA Novosti,
Yekaterinburg (Russia) : Russia Tuesday said that no country has any business with Iran's recent elections which were accused of voting fraud and sparked mass demonstration.
"The issue of elections in Iran is an internal affair of the Iranian people," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters in this Urals city of Yekaterinburg where Russia is hosting a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is attened by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Russia, China to resume talks on $25 bn loan
By RIA Novosti,
Novy Urengovy (Russia) : Russia and China will soon resume talks on two loans to major Russian oil companies worth $25 billion, Russian energy minister Sergei Shmatko said Tuesday.
State-controlled oil major Rosneft and pipeline monopoly Transneft suspended talks with China last week on $15 billion and $10 billion loans due to disagreements over interest rates and government guarantees.
Under the deal being negotiated, Rosneft would receive $15 billion and Transneft $10 billion.
Three killed in southern Philippines clash
By DPA
Manila : Two communist rebels and one soldier were killed in a clash in the southern Philippines, an army commander said Monday.
Colonel Jose Vizcara said the fighting erupted when some 60 guerrillas attacked Sunday an army encampment in the outskirt of Carmen town in Surigao del Sur province, 750 km south of Manila.
Vizcara added the rebels used civilians as shields in their escape towards the jungle.
Communist rebels have been fighting the government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.
‘Russia will cut weapon programmes if US drops missile shield’
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia will halt some strategic weapons programmes if the US drops plans for a missile defence shield in Eastern Europe, a senior Russian general said Friday.
Nikolai Solovtsov, commander of Russia's strategic missile forces, was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying Washington could save Russia from the necessity of investing in retaliatory measures.
"And an array of programmes, expensive programmes, would simply become unnecessary for us," Solovtsov said.
Citigroup to cut 11,000 jobs
By IANS,
New York : Citigroup has announced that it would slash 11,000 jobs, or roughly 4 percent of its current workforce, in an effort to cut costs.
Earthquake Shakes Turkey
By Prensa Latina
Ankara : A mid intensity earthquake shook this capital on Thursday without causing victims, although it destroyed 343 houses, Governor Kemal Onal reported.
The tremor, with a magnitude of 5.5 degrees in Richter's open scale, was felt at 01:47, local time (23:47 GMT on Wednesday).
Its epicenter was located by the seismologic center of Kandilli, in Istanbul, around 50 miles from Ankara's southern area, in Bala, where it reached 5.7 degrees, and damaged some 20 houses.
Dubai’s food, rental prices among world’s highest
By IANS,
Dubai: Housing and food prices in Dubai is similiar to some of the world's costliest cities like New York and Zurich, a Swiss study revealed Sunday.
Former Garuda Chief Indra Setiawan A Free Man Again
By Bernama,
Jakarta : Former Garuda Indonesia president director Indra Setiawan who was sentenced to one year in jail for complicity in human rights activist Munir's murder left prison on Monday morning as his jail term had expired.
"Indra Setiawan left the National Police Headquarters' detention centre at 2am on Monday," Antara news agency quoted Indra's lawyer, Antawirya, as saying.
Antawirya said Indra's family had told him his client would be set free at 11 p.m. on Sunday but it was delayed until the morning.
Matteo Renzi named new Italian prime minister
By IANS,
Rome : The leader of Italy's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), Matteo Renzi, was appointed as the country's new prime minister Monday.
Renzi, the 39-year-old...
24 die in Nepal landslides
By Xinhua
Kathmandu : At least 24 people were killed and many injured in landslides in Nepal's two western districts Thursday night and Friday morning, local media reported.
As many as 10 people were killed in a landslide in Bajura district Friday morning, nepalnews.com reported.
All those killed in the calamity were labourers working for a road construction project in the area, some 240 km west of Kathmandu.
The labourers, sleeping in their tents, were buried under the landslide that hit at around 3 a.m. local time (0915 GMT) Friday morning, according to the website.
Plane with 150 on board crashes in Comoros
By DPA,
Paris : A Yemenia Air plane with 150 people on board crashed in the Indian Ocean island of Comoros early Tuesday, French radio station RFI reported.
It was unclear whether there were any survivors, Comoros government officials were quoted as saying by broadcaster CNN.
Comoros is located off the eastern coast of Africa between Madagascar and Mozambique.
No further details were immediately available.
British immigration staff had links with far right organisation
By IANS,
London : Authorities have launched an investigation after revelations that two immigration staff were members of the extremist British National Party (BNP), the UK Border Agency confirmed Wednesday.
The links were revealed when a list of BNP members was put up anonymously on the Internet in November last year, leading one of the staff members to resign and the other to be suspended, a spokesman for the government agency said.
ASEAN launches Human Rights Commission
By NNN-PNA,
Cha-Am, Hua Hin, Thailand : The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) adopted on Friday the Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration launching the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).
The declaration emphasizes the commitment of ASEAN member-states to the promotion and protection of human rights in the region.
Some US$ 200,000 will be provided by ASEAN leaders as seed capital for AICHR during its first year of operation.
Additional funds will be provided by ASEAN member-states and other external sources.
Former Chinese official jailed for corruption
By IANS,
Beijing : A former Chinese official was sentenced Friday to 11 years in jail for taking bribes.
Yan Shunjun, a former deputy environmental protection official, was deprived of political rights for two years and received a fine of 100,000 yuan. He was sentenced by the Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, Xinhua news agency reported.
The court heard that the 63-year-old official took bribes worth 1 million yuan between 2003 and 2008 from seven contractors.
Clinton ends presidential bid, endorses Obama
By Xinhua,
Washington : US senator Hillary Clinton Saturday formally ended her presidential bid and endorsed senator Barack Obama, who beat her in the epic...
Australia to impose stronger sanctions on Zimbabwe
By DPA,
Sydney : Australia Monday will consider imposing stronger financial and travel sanctions against Zimbabwe as violence escalates in the lead up to the June 27 presidential run-off election.
"I've made it clear that we are open to consider more sanctions. We are currently giving active consideration to the issue," Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio.
Australia has already imposed financial sanctions and suspended non-humanitarian aid, and defence and ministerial links, besides travel bans on members of the Zimbabwe regime.
Russia ready for new arms reduction talks with US
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia was ready to hold talks with the new US administration on cuts in strategic offensive weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
"We are ready for talks, which will allow us to preserve the mechanism of limitations and reductions of strategic offensive weapons and we are glad that the new US administration is paying priority attention to this subject," Lavrov said in an interview with Russia's Vesti-24 TV news channel.
Pollution could be turning you obese
By IANS,
Washington : A pollutant might be triggering obesity by influencing gene activity, according to a new study.
For example tributyltin, a chemical is used in antifouling paints for boats, as a wood and textile preservative, and as a pesticide on high-value food crops, among many other applications.
Tributyltin affects sensitive receptors in animal cells, from water fleas to humans, at very low concentrations - a thousand times lower than pollutants that are known to interfere with sexual development of wildlife species.
Myanmar to host ASEAN leadership forum in May
Yangon: Myanmar will host the ASEAN Leadership Forum related to the 24th Summit of the ASEAN in its capital Nay Pyi Taw in May,...
Measles outbreak kills 110 in Zambia
By IANS,
Lusaka (Zambia) : An outbreak of measles in Zambia has affected over 6,200 people and claimed at least 110 lives, the Zambian health ministry has said.
Currently, the total number of people affected by the disease in the country stands at 6,252, ministry of health spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe was quoted as saying by the Zanis news agency Thursday.
Mbewe said the capital city of Lusaka was the most hit with 106 deaths recorded out of 4,928 cases, Xinhua reported.
Sikhs explain meaning of turban to US lawmakers
By Arun Kumar,
Washington : Sikhs have to explain to American people what the turban means because that is the immediate source of their identification,...
Palin choice as running mate hurting McCain chances: poll
By IANS,
New York : A majority of US voters believe Sarah Palin is not qualified to be vice-president, and that choosing her as his running mate has hurt the chances of Republican nominee John McCain entering the White House, a new opinion poll has shown days before the Nov 4 election.
As many as 59 percent of voters surveyed in the latest New York Times/CBS News poll said the Alaska governor was not prepared for the job, up 9 percentage points since the beginning of October.
China, Maldives pledge closer cooperation on climate change
By IANS,
Urmuqi (China) : Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met Maldives President Mohammed Waheed Hassan Sunday and pledged to boost cooperation on climate change between the two nations.
Kindergarten teacher jailed for pricking students with needle
By IANS,
Beijing : A teacher in a kindergarten school in China was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for pricking more than 60 children with a hypodermic needle.
A county court in Yunnan province announced its verdict after Sun Qiqi, a teacher at Xihu Kindergarten in Jianshui county, pleaded guilty to pricking 63 children, aged from three to five, with a needle attached to an empty syringe as a punishment in October last year, Xinhua news agency reported.
The assault by the teacher caused panic among children and parents in the county, the court said.
Iran’s Security Official talks with top Chinese, Russian negotiators
By SPA,
Geneva : Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili in separate meetings with the top Chinese and Russian nuclear negotiators on Sunday called for final settlement of Iran's nuclear dossier which was discussed with representatives of Group 6+1 in Geneva.
Group 6+1, which included high ranking representatives from Britain, Germany, France, China, Russia and the US and EU top negotiator Javier Solana, met with the Iranian envoy on Saturday and discussed various issues such as Iran's modality plan for continued talks.
China will execute hundreds during Olympics — Amnesty
By KUNA,
London : An estimated 374 people will be executed in China during the Olympic Games, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
A new league table of the world's top executioners shows China used capital punishment 470 times last year, but campaigners believe the true figure may be 8,000.
The human rights group called on Olympic athletes and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to press for greater openness about executions by the controversial host country.
Vietnam flood toll rises to 70
Hanoi(DPA) : Ongoing floods in central Vietnam have killed at least 70 people and left seven missing in 10 days as another tropical storm threatened to bring more rain to the area, officials said Wednesday.
Phu Yen province suffered the most human loss with 20 people killed, said Duong Van Huong, an official with the provincial flood and storm department.
"Though the rain has stopped and the floodwater has lowered, the death toll keeps rising," Huong said. "Many communes are still isolated by flood water, so communication with them has been slow."
Meteors injure over 150 in Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : More than 150 people have sought medical help in one of three Russian regions hit by a meteorite shower Friday, the interior ministry reported.
China condemns US Gold Medal award to Dalai Lama
By DPA
Beijing : China Thursday criticised the US for its planned award to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama of a Gold Medal at a ceremony that US President George W. Bush is scheduled to attend next week.
"China has made solemn representations to the US and clearly stated our position that we oppose the award of the Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said.
"We are against any country and any people using this issue to interfere with China's internal affairs," Liu told reporters.
China, US discuss bilateral ties
By IANS,
Washington : Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan Thursday discussed bilateral ties with US President Barack Obama at the White House.
Post-Sandy woes force New York to cancel marathon
By IANS/EFE,
New York: Two days after announcing the annual New York Marathon would take place Sunday as scheduled, Mayor Michael Bloomberg reversed course and cancelled the event.
Three out of four Americans think Obama will do a good job
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : As US President-elect Barack Obama visited the White House to discuss transfer of power, a new poll found two-thirds of all Americans view him positively and three-quarters think he will do a good job as president.
But illustrating the daunting challenges he faces when he takes office Jan 20 was the new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey's finding that only 16 percent of those questioned say things are going well in the country today. That's an all-time low.
Eighty-three percent say things are going badly, which is an all-time high.
Sydney pines for Melbourne’s dolce vita
By DPA
Sydney : It's not often that a service industry boss boasts that his customers are an uncouth lot who prefer swilling beer, eating sausages and dancing to drinking wine, chatting and reading books.
But that's the view of John Thorpe, president of the Sydney branch of the publicans' lobby group. He's fighting a move by Lord Mayor Clover Moore for Sydney to copy Melbourne and legislate to have café-style liquor outlets where people can have a quiet drink.
PM to visit Britain, Turkey
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a visit to Britain from November 12 and visit Turkey from November 14 for the G-20...
Construction of Caspian gas pipeline in 2008
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russian prime minister Mikhail Fradkov said Friday the construction of a pipeline to pump Central Asian gas along the Caspian Sea coast and through Russia would begin in the second half of 2008.
UN, Viet Nam speed up cooperation on human rights
By IRNA-VNA
Ha Noi : The United Nations has committed to continued support to help Viet Nam to further implement its human rights commitments so that people from all walks of life will fully benefit from the nation's development fruits.
The commitment was made on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day on December 10 and the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to be held next month.
Four die in chopper crash in Haiti
By IANS/EFE,
Port-au-Prince: Four crew members of a Spanish navy helicopter were killed when their aircraft crashed in a mountainous area of Haiti near the border with the Dominican Republic, authorities said.
Spain's defense ministry said in a statement that the helicopter belonged to the navy vessel Castilla, which has been in Haiti since February on a humanitarian mission to aid victims of the Jan 12 earthquake that left more than 200,000 dead and around a million people homeless in the impoverished Caribbean nation.
CIA tapes show 9/11 suspects in secret prisons
By DPA,
Washington : The US Central Intelligence Agency has videotapes made at a secret prison in Morocco showing the interrogation of a conspirator in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, CNN reported Tuesday.
The tapes were reportedly found three years ago under a desk at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and may offer insights into the controversial role that some foreign countries played during former president George W Bush's war against terrorism.
US urged to help rebuild historic gurdwara in Iraq
By IANS,
New York : An American Sikh leader has urged Washington to rebuild a historic Sikh shrine in Iraq, destroyed by extremists three years ago.
Rajwant Singh met Secretary of Defence Robert Gates Wednesday during a White House ceremony to welcome the Pope and requested him to help reconstruct the gurdwara in Baghdad that was erected to mark the visit of the Sikh religion founder Guru Nanak to the city in the early 16th century.
Sarah Palin to join Fox News
By DPA,
Washington : Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has reached a deal to join Fox News as an occasional contributor, the New York Times reported Monday.
The Republican former governor of Alaska will not have a regular programme, but will host a series that will air from time to time, the newspaper reported.
Palin ran on John McCain's ticket in the 2008 elections, losing to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Camilla does a Diana in army camouflage
By IANS,
London : Duchess of Cornwall Camilla took part in an army war game wearing a camouflage jacket, evoking memories of a similar royal venture by the late Princess Diana over two decades ago.
Camilla, 60, did not flinch from the weighty uniform as she gamely leapt up into a 15-tonne Bulldog armoured vehicle for a spin around Bulford camp in Wiltshire.
She jumped up when the firing began at the war game, but soon settled into an animated chatter with the soldiers.
Russian fleet reaches Venezuela for joint manoeuvres
By IANS,
La Guaira (Venezuela) : A Russian naval squadron docked at this port near Caracas to start joint manoeuvres with the Venezuelan navy in the Caribbean, EFE reported Wednesday.
The fleet, which included the heavy nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Veliky (Peter, The Great), the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko, a tanker and a tugboat arrived at a naval dock in La Guaira, some 30 km north of Caracas.
The Chabanenko and the two support vessels entered the port and shot off a 21-gun salute to its Venezuelan hosts, who responded with an equal number of welcoming salvos.
Chile to build first Antarctic museum
By Xinhua
Santiago : Chile will build the world's first Antarctic museum in the southern city of Punta Arenas, according to a local media report.
At the museum, people would be able to know more about the Antarctic and how it affects the world, the report quoted Jose Retamales, director of the Chilean National Antarctic Institute, as saying.
The Antarctic museum will be built in the heart of the city, facing the Strait of Magellan. It will cost $20 million and is expected to open to the public in three years.
Thai king endorses Samak as new prime minister
By Xinhua
Bangkok : Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej endorsed Samak Sundaravej, leader of People Power Party (PPP), as the country's new prime minister, PPP spokesman Kudep Saikrachang said Tuesday.
The royal endorsement came after the House of Representatives (lower house of parliament) elected the former Bangkok governor by 310 to 163 votes Monday to lead the new government.
Kudep said that party members would congratulate Samak at his residence Tuesday afternoon.
Nepal Parliament fails to elect PM 10th time in a row
By IRNA,
New Delhi, Oct 6, IRNA – Nepal Parliamentarians on Wednesday failed again to elect a Prime Minister.
Two killed in Indonesia volcano eruption
By IANS,
Jakarta : Two people were killed and 100,000 others displaced after Mount Kelud in East Java, Indonesia, erupted, an official said Friday.
The two...
California Orgs to Demand Iraq War End
Washington, Jan 1 (Prensa Latina) Peace organizations led by Cindy Sheehan will demand in Los Angeles on Tuesday the end of the war in Iraq, and dismissal of US President George W. Bush and Vice president Richard Cheney.
According to a communique by the anti-war groups, the demonstration will be carried out in the context of the traditional New Year's Parade of the Roses, in Pasadena, a locality in Los Angeles.
ASEAN summit in Thailand postponed
By ANTARA News,
Bangkok : Crisis-hit Thailand has postponed a summit of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN scheduled for mid-December, a senior government official said Tuesday.
News of the delay came shortly after the country's constitutional court dissolved Thailand's ruling party and barred Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from politics for five years.
"The cabinet has agreed to the proposal by the foreign ministry to postpone the ASEAN summit. The next date of the summit will be decided in consultation with ASEAN members," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
ATM inventor dead
By IANS,
London : John Shepherd-Barron, who invented the world's first automatic cash dispensing machine, better known as ATM, is dead. He had come up with the idea after wondering why banks couldn't operate a system like a chocolate-vending machine.
John had also thought of the four-digit Pin number.
He died in a hospital in Inverness Saturday after a short illness, Daily Express reported Thursday. He was 84.
John had reached his bank a little late and then thought as why there could not be a system to get cash on the lines of the chocolate-vending machines.
Former Uruguayan dictator condemned to 25 years in jail
By DPA,
Montevideo (Uruguay) : Former Uruguayan dictator Gregorio Alvarez was condemned Thursday to 25 years in jail for his involvement in the deaths of scores of leftist activists during the 1973-85 dictatorship.
Judge Luis Charles also condemned retired Navy official Juan Carlos Larcebeau to 20 years in jail.
In Dec 2007 Alvarez had been sent to jail to await trial over the killings of 37 activists, while Larcebeau was being tried over 29 deaths.
Alvarez, 86, did not attend the hearing Thursday due to alleged health problems.
UN chief praises women’s role in advancing peace
By IANS,
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday praised women's role in advancing peace after this year's Nobel Peace Prize were awarded to three women.
US Navy agrees to limit sonar use
By DPA,
San Francisco : The US Navy has agreed to further limit use of low-frequency active sonar to prevent possible harm to whales and other creatures, according to reports.
The new limits were included in a federal court-approved settlement with environmental groups and would ban the use of the low-frequency active sonar in areas in the Pacific Ocean known to be whale breeding grounds and key habitat, such as the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary off Hawaii.
The Navy must also limit testing seasonally and in coastal areas.
Britons spend ‘million pounds a minute’ in Christmas shopping
By IANS,
London : Britons thronged high streets and shopping malls across a nation facing a recession in what commentators said was the busiest Boxing Day sales in living memory.
Shoppers began queuing up for bargains at 5 a.m. Friday as major stores slashed prices by up to 90 percent, making light of predictions by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) that the British economy could shrink by more than 2.5 percent next year - the biggest slump since 1946.
According to one newspaper, sales were expected to touch an astonishing one million pounds a minute Friday.
Crude prices fall further with Iran n-deal
New Delhi: As Iran and the six world powers reached a nuclear agreement by their deadline, crude oil prices fell further on Tuesday, pulled...
Strong magnitude earthquake rattles Taiwan
By DPA,
Taipei : An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale occurred off southeast Taiwan Sunday, but there were no reports of casualties.
The quake struck at 9.57 a.m. with its epicenter 296 km southeast of Taitung on the southeast coast of Taiwan.
The location of sthe earthqake was 46.5 km under the seabed.
Taiwan sits on the earthquake belt and most of the tremors occur off Taiwan's east coast, caused by the friction between the Eurasian and Philippine Plate.
Taliban militants overrun Afghan valley
Kabul: Taliban militants on Tuesday overran a strategically important valley in Afghanistan's Faryab province, a security officer said.
"More than 1,000 Taliban militants attacked Qarain...
Five killed in Ecuador helicopter crash
By IANS,
Quito : Five Ecuadorian soldiers were killed when an army helicopter crashed near the capital Quito, EFE news agency reported Saturday quoting military sources.
The Gazelle helicopter was on a routine flight from the La Balbina army base near Quito to Aerial Group No 43, when it crashed near San Miguel de los Bancos, some 100 km northwest of Quito, the army said, adding that all five soldiers aboard were killed.
The reason behind the crash was not yet clear and an investigation into the accident has been ordered.
Over 126,000 crimes against children reported in Russia
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Over 126,000 crimes against children were registered in Russia in 2008, the head of Russia's Investigation Committee has said.
"The trend (of increasing crimes against children) is alarming," Alexander Bastrykin said. "In 2008, some 2,330 children have suffered serious injuries in the attacks, 12,500 children were listed as missing."
US Senate passes biggest-ever defence spending bill
By DPA,
Washington : The US Senate Saturday approved the Obama administration's record $626 billion defence spending bill for the current fiscal.
The vote was 88 to 10. With the House of Representatives having already approved the bill, all that remains is President Barack Obama's signature for it to take effect for the fiscal year that began Oct 1.
The bill foresees spending of $128.3 billion for the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
US not in a position to move against will of American tax-payers
By IRNA
United Nations : US is not in a position to act against wishes of its tax-payers, said Foreign Minister of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki on Wednesday prior to leaving here for Tehran.
Mottaki made the remarks during a press conference held at the end of his two-week visit to New York where he attended the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly and conferred with his
counterparts from many other countries at the margins of the UN annual meeting.
Austria hopes Palestinians use aid funds “sensibly”
By KUNA
Vienna : Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plasnik is due to take part in the international conference for aiding the Palestinians due to start in Paris later on Monday in response to an invitation from French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The minister, in a statement, posted on her website on Monday, expressed hope that the donors' would allocate new financial aid for the Palestinian people to help boost efforts for resolving the Middle East crisis.
Obama picks another Clintonite as economic pointman
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington : US president-elect Barack Obama has turned to former treasury secretary Lawrence Summers, another Clintonite, to be his closest economic adviser inside the White House to spearhead the fight against the global financial crisis.
The Harvard University economist will be named director of his National Economic Council to shape Obama's response to the crisis along with New York Federal Reserve president Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary, a post that Summers held under then president Bill Clinton.
172 trapped in flooded coal mine in China
By Xinhua
Xintai (China) : At least 172 miners were trapped in a flooded coal mine in east China's Shandong province, officials said Saturday.
The flooding occurred Friday in the coal mine of Huayuan Mining Co Ltd in Xintai, about 150 km of Jinan, Shandong's capital.
A total of 756 miners were working underground at the time of the flooding and 584 managed to escape after the accident, said an official of the company.
Beijing accuses US of promoting ‘China threat’
By DPA
Beijing : China's foreign ministry Monday accused the US of continuing to spread a "China threat" in a new military report, and attempting to "interfere with China's internal affairs."
Four abducted Chinese workers freed in Sudan
By IANS,
Khartoum : Four Chinese workers who were abducted Jan 12 in Sudan's Darfur region have been released, the Chinese embassy here said Wednesday.
Super model Naomi Campbell arrested, under investigation
By DPA
London : Super model Naomi Campbell, 37, is under investigation for attacking a police officer, London police said Friday, one day after the model was arrested at Heathrow Airport following a dispute over luggage.
The model, who is known for her temper, had been handcuffed and detained on board a British Airways aircraft at Heathrow's newly-opened Terminal 5 Thursday afternoon, but was later released on bail, Scotland Yard said.
According to media reports she spat into the face of a police officer and hit him.
Zimbabwe leaders to resume difficult talks on powersharing
By DPA,
Harare/Johannesburg : Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai were due to resume talks Tuesday on a powersharing deal after the difficult negotiations were adjourned for a second time Monday without any sign of agreement.
The talks were due to resume after Defence Forces' Day celebrations in Harare where Mugabe was expected to address.
Scientists to recreate 3,500-year-old Egyptian perfume
By IANS,
Bonn : Pharaoh Hatshepsut assumed power in Egypt around 1479 BC, on behalf of her three-year-old stepson Thutmose III, and ruled for the next 20 years. One of the perfumes she used during her reign will now be recreated here.
Traces of Hatshepsut�s perfume have been found in the filigreed flagon that bears an inscription with her name. "We think it probable that one constituent of the perfume was incense - the scent of the gods," said Michael H�veler-M�ller, curator of Bonn University�s Egyptian Museum.
Spain’s GDP to contract
By IANS,
Madrid : Spain would suffer a GDP reduction of between 0.5 and 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2013, said Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos.
US helps to improve Sri Lankan military’s rights record
By IANS
Colombo : Military law professionals from the US Pacific Command have hosted a programme to improve the human rights record of the Sri Lankan military.
Officially, the Military Law Exchange Programme is being described as one aimed at exchanging "ideas on ways to improve transparency, accountability and human rights in military justice".
Latin American countries discuss global financial crisis
By Prensa Latina,
Costa de Sauipe (Brazil) : The leaders of the Latin American countries discussed steps to deal with the global financial crisis at the 36th summit of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) here.
Ecuador President Rafael Correa Tuesday proposed the formation of a Bank of the South and a joint fund of Latin American countries' foreign exchange reserves.
The bank would strengthen fiscal policies and promote employment and public investment, he said.
Indian Americans in Chicago protest against CAA, say “law discriminates against religious minority group”
TCN News
Indian diaspora in USA’s Chicago has recently come out on streets to show support to Indian Muslims over the passage of Citizenship Amendment...
Jain convention in New Jersey draws thousands
By Parveen Chopra, IANSÂ
Edison City (New Jersey) : Over 5,000 people attended a huge Jain convention here that brought together several spiritual leaders like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Gurudev Chitrabhanu and yoga guru Swami Ramdev.
Britain demands release of embassy employees arrested in Iran
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The U.K. foreign secretary voiced concern on Sunday over the arrests of several Iranian employees at the British Embassy in Tehran, accused of involvement in recent post-election riots.
Iranian media earlier reported that eight people working at the embassy had been arrested.
David Miliband told reporters: "This is harassment and intimidation of a kind that is quite unacceptable. We want to see [them] released unharmed."
He also said it remains unclear how many people have been arrested.
Finland to double troops in Afghanistan
By DPA,
Brussels : Finland is to double the number of its troops in the NATO-led force in Afghanistan to some 200 in time for elections Aug 20, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said Monday as his European Union (EU) colleagues discussed a police-training mission there.
"We will double our presence from about 100 to 200 for the elections, and in that sense I hope that we have responded to the requests (for more troops) that have come from the United States," Stubb told journalists in Brussels.
Putin praises NAM for improving global security
By IANS,
Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday praised the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for strengthening global security.
South African police probing minister’s accident
By IANS,
Pretoria : South African police are probing the accident which occured Sunday afternoon leaving Deputy Minister of Human Settlements Zoe Kota and her driver injured and two others killed, a police department spokesperson said.
The accident occurred in Leeu Gamka in the Karoo.
Western Cape police spokesperson David de Klerk said the cause of the accident is unknown.
Two people killed in the accident were a father and son travelling from Cape Town, a Bua News report quoted de Klerk as saying.
Outsourcing to India, China not reversible, says Obama
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama says he would make the US economy strong and competitive again by expanding opportunity outward rather than clamping down on outsourcing to countries like India and China.
"Revolutions in communication and technology have sent jobs wherever there's an internet connection; that have forced children in Raleigh and Boston to compete for those jobs with children in Bangalore and Beijing," he said outlining his vision of the economy in a speech Monday.
US Senate opens with Hindu prayers; protesters held
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : For the first time in US history the country's Senate opened with the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra from the Rig-Veda, the oldest Hindu scripture composed around 1,500 B.C., even as three Christian protesters who tried to disrupt the proceedings were arrested.
Rajan Zed, director of interfaith relations at a Hindu temple in Reno, Thursday sprinkled few drops of water around the podium from the Ganges river, considered sacred in Hinduism and is used at the start of Hindu religious services, before the start of the Senate prayer.
China defends rights record after Bush speech
By DPA,
Beijing : China defended its human rights record Thursday after US President George W. Bush gave a speech criticizing its lack of political and religious freedom.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said his government "puts people first" and was committed to promoting "basic rights and freedom" for the nation's 1.3 billion people.
"We firmly oppose any words or acts that interfere in other countries' internal affairs by using human rights, religion and other issues," Qin said in a statement reacting to Bush's speech in Thailand earlier Thursday.
I would love to be nursery school teacher: Hilton
By IANS,
London : Socialite Paris Hilton, who has remained in the news for her weird lifestyle, says she would have loved to be a school teacher or a veterinarian if she hadn't been famous.
Hilton starred in her own reality TV show, created several fragrances and tried her luck at singing as well.
"I have basically done everything but if I wasn't in the position I am in now I would love to be a nursery school teacher because I love kids," femalefirst.co.uk quoted her as saying.
Mobs kill 5 in Johannesburg in anti-foreigner violence
By SPA,
Johannesburg, South Africa : Mobs killed at least Five people and injured 50 in anti-foreigner violence Sunday that has spread through poor suburbs of Johannesburg, police said.
The Associated Press quoted Police as saying that the violence erupted after midnight in a slum settlement called Cleveland near the city center. Two people were burned and three others beaten to death. More than 50 were taken to hospitals with gunshot and stab wounds.
China’s defence ministry releases iPhone app
By IANS,
Beijing : China's defence ministry has launched its official iPhone app which will allow users to track the activities of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), a media report said.
Satellite images show mangroves shrinking
By IANS,
Washington : New satellite imagery shows an alarming shrinkage in mangrove forests worldwide.
The imagery reveals that approximately 137,760 sq km of mangroves exist, which is 12.3 percent less than previous estimates.
Mangrove forests are among the most productive and biologically important ecosystems of the world, including trees, palms and shrubs, reports the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography.
Japan to issue multiple entry visa to Indians for short stay
New Delhi:Japan will issue multiple entry visas for short term stay of Indians from July 3 onwards, the embassy of Japan here said Thursday.
"The...
Thailand PM criticizes group’s attempt to oppose constitutional amendments
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said on Sunday that the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), an anti-government civil group, does not support the constitutional amendments because the group is afraid that it would not be able to hold rallies again, should Article 63 be amended.
At the Prime Minister's weekly Sunday talk show on TV, Samak said the PAD is not concerned that the government will amend Articles 237, 190 and 309 to aid ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, as claimed.
Somali pirates hijack Indian vessel
By IANS,
Nairobi : Pirates have hijacked an Indian vessel off the coast of Somalia, Xinhua reported Monday.
Andrew Mwangura, the East African Coordinator of Seafarers' Assistance Program (SAP), confirmed that the vessel, Laxmi Sagar, was seized Sunday.
"The Indian boat was seized on Sunday but we received the report early today (Monday). The crew is Indian. I have not established where the vessel was heading from and its destination," Mwangura told Xinhua over phone from Mombasa, Kenya.
First synthetic tree may facilitate heat transfer, soil technologies
By IANS,
Washington : The world's first 'synthetic tree,' created by Abraham Stroock's lab, mimics the process of transpiration that helps move moisture to the highest branches.
The researchers' work bolsters the long-standing theory that transpiration in trees and plants through capilliary action, is a purely physical process, requiring no biological energy.
It also may lead to new passive heat transfer technologies for cars or buildings, better methods for remediating soil and more effective ways to draw water out of partially dry ground.
US drone, Pakistani troops kill 20 militants
By DPA,
Islamabad : At least 20 Taliban militants were killed in a suspected US drone strike and attacks carried out by Pakistani troops in the country's restive northwestern region Monday, officials said.
A missile allegedly fired by an unmanned US aircraft targeted a vehicle believed to be carrying Taliban fighters in the North Waziristan tribal district near the Afghan border.
"Four militants were killed and at least five others wounded," a local intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.
Yahoo shares plunge after another Microsoft rejection
By DPA,
San Francisco : Shares of ailing internet pioneer Yahoo plunged more than 10 percent Friday after Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer reiterated that his company was not interested in reviving its takeover bid.
Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang this week urged Microsoft to buy the company, just a day after Google said it was dropping plans for an advertising alliance with Yahoo, which would have boosted Yahoo's income by up to $400 million per year.
At a conference in Sydney, Ballmer said that Microsoft had moved on after Yahoo rejected its $33-per-share bid earlier this year.
Quake hits Japan
By IANS,
Tokyo : An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Japan's Chiba Prefecture early Friday, the meteorological agency said.
The focus of the quake was located some 30 km underground in northeastern Chiba Prefecture, Xinhua reported.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to properties.
Minister: Russia completes withdrawing troops from Georgia
By Xinhua,
Moscow : Russia has withdrawn its troops from Georgia to South Ossetia "as planned," Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Friday.
"The withdrawal of the Russian forces and units has gone by without incident and was completed by 7:50 p.m. Moscow time (1550 GMT), as planned," Interfax news agency quoted Serdyukov as saying.
Some of the forces that had left Georgia have already arrived at their bases in Russia, Serdyukov said.
11 killed as bus plunges into Caribbean Sea
By IANS/EFE,
Santo Domingo: Eleven people were killed and 15 injured when a bus in which they were travelling plunged into the Caribbean Sea off the Dominican Republic.
The accident occurred Friday evening when the bus carrying 29 people was moving on the Las Americas expressway, which connects Santo Domingo with the eastern part of the island nation, official said.
The deceased included the bus driver, women and a child, the official said adding that 15 people were injured in the accident.
EU to finalize plans for cooperation with US
By Xinhua,
Marseilles (France) : Foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) members are to gather here Monday, on the eve of the US presidential elections, for an informal meeting to finalize their plans for closer cooperation with the US.
The meeting would be chaired by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner as his country is holding the current EU presidency.
Javier Solana, secretary-general of the EU Council and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European commissioner for external relations, will also attend the one-day meeting.
Myanmar takes care of cyclone orphans, bans adoption
By Xinhua,
Yangon : Myanmar will not allow adoption of orphans left by a recent cyclone storm by any organizations or any individuals, local weekly 7-Day News quoted the Department of Social Welfare as saying Wednesday.
Instead, the survived orphans will be jointly taken care by the government, domestic non-governmental organizations and resident United Nations organizations, social welfare official U Aung Tun Hlaing, who is the acting Director-General, told the 7-Day News.
Obama arrival raises hope of a climate deal
By DPA,
Copenhagen : US President Barack Obama arrived in Copenhagen Friday, raising hopes of a deal on the final day of key United Nations talks aimed at preventing climate change.
Obama landed at Kastrup Airport at 9 a.m. and headed straight for the nearby Bella Center venue, where he was to hold bilateral talks with a handful of world leaders - among them Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and the meeting's host, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen.
Georgia, Russia agree to French-brokered peace plan
By RIA Novosti,
Tbilisi : Georgia and Russia have agreed to a modified version of a French-brokered peace plan, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after meeting Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili here.
Sarkozy said the peace plan would be discussed by European Union foreign ministers in Brussels Wednesday, and that a legally binding agreement should then be signed.
Saakashvili said he agreed to the French proposal for an immediate ceasefire and the pullback of forces to their positions Aug 7.
US hostage crisis ends as gunman shot dead
By IANS,
Washington : An armed man, who held three hostages in the Discovery Communications building in the US state of Maryland, was shot dead Wednesday afternoon, police said.
All three hostages are safe, J. Thomas Manger, police chief of Maryland's Montgomery County, was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.
Law enforcement officials fired at the suspect, James J. Lee, because police "believed the hostages' lives were in danger," he said.
Police had been negotiating with Lee for several hours. Manger said Lee displayed "a wide range of emotions" during the talks.
Russian military “considering stationing bombers on Cuba”
By ANTARA News/DPA,
Moscow : The Russian military is considering deploying long-range bombers to Cuba to counter the perceived threat of the US missile defence shield planned to be based in the Czech Republic and Poland, according to Russian media reports Monday.
"At the moment, there are just thoughts - but that doesn't mean there isn't something concrete behind it," an unidentified officer was quoted Monday as telling Izvestiya newspaper.
Lift ban on YouTube, demands Pakistani daily
Islamabad: A leading Pakistani daily on Thursday demanded that the ban on YouTube in Pakistan must be lifted and wondered whether it was "one...
British army begin training Ukrainian military
London : British military personnel have begun training members of the Ukrainian army fighting pro-Russian rebels, a media report said on Thursday.
The decision to...
UN ready to assist Japan after big quake, deadly tsunami
By DPA,
New York: The UN is ready to provide help to Japan, where tsunamis have inflicted devastation and deaths, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Friday.
Revenge killer gets government post in Russia’s North Caucasus
By RIA Novosti
Vladikavkaz : A man who recently served jail time in Switzerland for killing an air traffic controller was appointed on Friday to a government post in Russia's North Caucasus republic of North Ossetia.
The local government approved Vitaly Kaloyev as deputy construction and architecture minister following a nomination by the North Ossetian prime minister.
Vienna play blasts media coverage of Fritzl incest case
By Albert Otti,DPA,
Vienna : Journalists expecting a scandalous play about the incest case of Josef Fritzl were disappointed when Vienna theatre artist Hubsi Kramar turned the tables and offered a scathing critique of the intense media coverage of the crime.
Addressing the large group of reporters in the audience Monday, Kramar started off the premiere of his play "Pension F" by suggesting that all camera teams present should be locked into the theatre's cellar.
"And then we'll see how they are doing," Kramar said.
UN may remain for limited duration: Kosovo president
By DPA,
Pristina : Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu Tuesday told the UN that its mission would be allowed to remain in Kosovo for a "limited duration" after governing it for eight years.
"We take note of your decision to have the UN perform certain limited residual functions in Kosovo," Sejdiu told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a letter that was also released to media.
The letter was Sejdiu's response to UN chief Ban Ki-moon's proposal last week to reshape the UN presence in order to reflect the new developments in Kosovo.
Zimbabwe security forces on full alert ahead of polls
By DPA
Harare/Johannesburg : Zimbabwe's security forces were on "full alert" ahead of Saturday's combined presidential, parliamentary and local elections, police commissioner Augustine Chihuri said Friday.
Addressing a press conference in Harare Chihuri also repeated President Robert Mugabe's warnings against "Kenya-style" violence by opposition supporters in the aftermath of the election, which is considered the most important in the country since independence from Britain in 1980.