Bhopal encounter: Indian Americans demand Chief Minister’s resignation, judicial probe
Shocking videos show cold-blooded execution; ATS Chief justifies killing unarmed men
By TCN News
The Indian American Muslim Council, an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding...
Muslims vote overwhelmingly for Macron
Paris, (IANS/AKI): Over 90 percent of Muslims voted for the victorious Emmanuel Macron in France's Presidential run-off, according to a survey published by Catholic...
Bangladesh, Myanmar to start Rohingya repatriation in November
Dhaka, Oct 30 (IANS) Bangladesh and Myanmar on Tuesday agreed to begin the repatriation of the 1st batch of Rohingyas from November, it was...
War against terror cost Britain $29 bn since 2001
By DPA,
London: The British government has spent in excess of 20 billion pounds ($29 billion) on fighting terrorism since September 11, 2001, according to officials figures released Sunday.
The bulk of the money has funded military operations. But the government also forked out substantial sums for its diplomatic efforts and the reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Britain spent 18 billion pounds on military operations, with cost mounting heavily in Afghanistan in recent years. By comparison, Britain's overall core annual defence budget is around 37 billion pounds.
South African rhino’s horns to be poisoned to stop poaching
By IANS,
London : A South African wildlife sanctuary plans to inject the horns of its rhinos with poison to prevent poachers from hunting the animal.
Ed Hern, owner of the Rhino and Lion Reserve near Johannesburg, hopes the measure will deter poachers who have killed more than 150 of the animals this year, Sky New reported Sunday.
"The aim would be to kill, or make seriously ill anyone who consumes the horn. If someone in China eats it and gets violently sick, they are not going to buy it again," Hern said.
Man refused job because he’s too clever
By IANS,
London: An unemployed man in Britain has been refused work because he is too clever for the job, a media report said Saturday.
Vietnam’s reformer ex-premier Kiet dies at 85
By DPA,
Hanoi : Former Vietnamese Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, who led the communist country in privatising its economy and opening its foreign relations to the West during the 1990s, died Wednesday morning in Singapore. He was 85.
Vietnamese government spokesman Le Dung said Kiet had been in critical condition early Wednesday in an intensive care unit in a Singapore hospital, and that efforts to resuscitate him had failed.
Russian Expo Arms 2008 to showcase 500 companies
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : About 500 domestic and foreign arms manufacturers will participate in an international arms exhibition to be held in Russia's Urals region next month, an official said Wednesday.
Russian Expo Arms 2008 slated for July 9-12 is the sixth biannual arms exhibition held in the town of Nizhny Tagil, considered the home of Russia's weapons industry, and is organised by the Federal Agency for Industry and the government of the Sverdlovsk region.
ITC joint venture Nepal’s second highest tax payer
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Despite growing labour trouble, tobacco giant ITC's joint venture in Nepal remains one of the top tax payers in the Himalayan republic, coming second after the state-run Nepal Telecom.
Surya Nepal, ITC's joint venture with British American Tobacco and private Nepali shareholders including members of Nepal's former royal family, was the second-highest tax payer in 2007-08, according to Nepal's apex bank Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).
In the previous fiscal, too, it had the same spot.
Russian helicopter crashes in Congo
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopter has crashed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the fate of the crew is unknown, a Russian official said Sunday.
Taliban take district in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province
Kabul: Taliban militants captured a district in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province on Saturday, the local Tolo news channel reported.
"Following heavy clashes, the Yamgan district...
Kashmiri youth protesting against militants’ killing hoist Pakistan flag over CM’s ancestral house
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: In an incident that is likely to leave Kashmir’s ruling party People’s Democratic Party and...
Pakistan airs concern over JNU arrests
Islamabad : Pakistan on Thursday reiterated its concern over the arrest of Kashmiri students involved in a controversial debate at the Jawaharlal Nehru University...
Colgate Palmolive’s Nepal officials freed after high drama
By Sudeshna Sarkar,IANS,
Kathmandu : Two senior officials of oral care giant Colgate Palmolive India Ltd’s Nepal subsidiary, who were captured by a wing of a ruling political party Thursday, have been freed and are on their way to India, Nepal police said Friday.
Russia cuts natural gas supply to Ukraine
By DPA
Moscow/Kiev : Russian energy giant Gazprom said it reduced gas supplies to Ukraine Monday because of a payment dispute.
The Russian natural gas monopoly informed the Ukrainian natural gas distribution company Ukrtranzgaz by telephone that the taps were turned down as of 0930 GMT.
The delivery reduction to Ukraine by 25 per cent potentially could cut down gas supplies to European consumers, as Ukraine in previous conflicts with Gazprom has siphoned off gas destined to Europe for its own needs.
British submarine hits Red Sea rocks
By KUNA,
London : A British nuclear-powered submarine has been damaged after it hit rocks in the Red Sea, British defense officials said Wednesday.
HMS Superb hit an underwater rock on May 26th and damage to its sonar equipment forced it to surface.
No crew members were hurt and the submarine remains watertight, according to a British Ministry of Defense (MoD) spokesman.
He said the submarine's nuclear reactor was "completely unaffected," but a full investigation was under way to determine the cause of the collision.
$121,000 put for head of car thieves’ leader
By IANS,
Manila : An official in a Philippine city has announced a $121,000 reward for the decapitated head of an alleged leader of a car thieves' gang.
China coal mine accident toll reaches 30
By IANS,
Beijing : The toll in a coal mine gas leak accident in southwest China has risen to 30, a media report said Sunday.
ईशनिंदा पर हत्याएं : माइ फुट!
नैय्यर इमाम सिद्दीक़ी
मशहूर पाकिस्तानी क़व्वाल अमजद साबरी को बुधवार दोपहर कुछ लोगों ने कराची के लियाक़ताबाद इलाक़े में गोलियों से भून दिया और उनकी...
Two communist rebels killed in clash in Philippines
By DPA
Manila : Two communist rebels were killed in a clash with government troops in an eastern Philippine province, an army commander said Saturday.
Colonel Ramon Baldemor said the fighting erupted Friday when patrolling troops encountered about 15 guerrillas in Mercedes town in Camarines Norte province, 225 km southeast of Manila.
Baldemor said the troops recovered three assault rifles, four backpacks and subversive documents left behind by the fleeing rebels.
There were no casualties on the government side.
Lithuanian psychic called in to clean up credit crunch
By DPA,
Vilnius (Lithuania) : There was nowhere to hide for anyone owing money in Lithuania Monday after one of the Baltic country's main debt collection agencies said it was using a renowned clairvoyant to track down debtors and identify secret business crooks.
Vilija Lobaciuviene is well known in Lithuania for her supernatural powers. The self-styled witch employs techniques including spells, herbal medicine and the reading of auras in her work, which has helped make her a television favourite.
Syria, France sign economic cooperation agreements
By KUNA,
DAMASCUS : Syria and France signed on Sunday seven agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in the fields of oil, natural gas, electricity, railroads, water and transport.
The agreements were signed by Syrian Minister of Economy and trade Amir Lutfi, Minister of Industry Fuad Al-Jouni, and the Secretary of State in charge of Industry and Consumption Luc Chatel, with the attendance of Syrian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Abdullah Al-Dardari.
This Russian mathematician had ‘calculated’ global slowdown
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Viktor Maslov, a mathematician who is known for his accurate predictions on Russia's 1998 financial crisis and the break-up of the Soviet Union, had also long back predicted the current global economic slowdown through his calculations.
Maslov, a member of Russia's Academy of Sciences, said the processes now taking place in world economics are similar to certain phenomena in physics, Russia's government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported Thursday.
Warrant for Indian student who ran over man in Australia
By IANS,
Melbourne : An Australian court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Indian student Puneet who ran over a teenager while estimated to be travelling at almost 150 km/hour in a 60 km/hour zone.
The County Court heard Thursday that Puneet had not reported to police as part of his bail conditions since June 12, the Herald Sun reported.
Dean Hofstee, a 19-year-old from Queensland, was killed when Puneet, a 19-year-old cookery student, lost control on City Rd, Southbank, in October last year.
119-year-old woman dies in Mexico
By EFE,
Colima (Mexico) : Ana Maria Perez Gonzalez, said to be one of the oldest women in the world, died here this week. She was 119.
The spokesman for the state employees benefits agency in the western state of Colima, Jose Armando Naranjo, told EFE that Perez died Tuesday from "generalised septicemia, pneumonia and cardiac problems".
She was buried Wednesday in the community where she lived, La Cofradia de Juarez, in a ceremony attended by some of her 266 descendants.
Small Aircraft Causes Few Evacuations by White House
By SPA
Washington : A small aircraft entered restricted airspace near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, causing some concern, and evacuations in the area.
The commotion was due to a small aircraft that entered into the airspace, but then abruptly turned around, and was not considered a threat, according to the U.S. Homeland Security Department.
British lottery winners gift home, car to house cleaner
By IANS,
London: The British couple who scooped a 56 million pound ($96.24 million) jackpot have rewarded their hardworking house cleaner with a home worth $4 million and a luxury car.
Nigel Page, 43, and Justine Laycock, 41, rewarded Denise Kelso with their four-bedroom home which she helped them keep spotless for years.
The generous couple, who won the Euromillions jackpot two weeks ago, also gifted her a black Honda Civic to thank her for cleaning their home every week, the Daily Mirror reported.
Upper-caste Sikhs denied membership of Dalit temple in Canada
By IANS,
Vancouver : In a strange case of reverse caste discrimination, two upper-caste Jat Sikhs have been denied membership of a gurdwara run by the Dalit Indo-Canadians in the city of Burnaby near here.
Gurshinder Sahota and Sohan Shergill, who had applied for membership of the Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Temple in February 2007, were rejected by the management reportedly without giving any reason.
Muslims in Belgium celebrate Eid al-Adha
By KUNA,
Brussels : Muslims in Belgium thronged to mosques Monday morning to offer Eid al-Adha prayers. One of the biggest congregations was held in the Islamic Centre in Brussels, close to the EU headquarters, where the khateeb (preacher) in his sermon underlined that Islam is essentially a religion of peace and that a Muslim is a person who does not harm any creature unjustly.
He noted the continued suffering of peoples in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan and condemned the double standards being applied today regarding human rights issues.
Bus passenger beheaded in Canada, cannibalism feared
By IANS,
Toronto : In a shocking incident described as "one-of-a-kind in Canadian history", a bus passenger stabbed to death and beheaded the man sitting beside him, and then waved the 20-year-old victim's severed head in front of other passengers.
A media outlet reported that the killer allegedly cannibalized his victim, though police didn't confirm it. Passengers said the killer carried the severed head of his victim around the bus before dropping it on the floor of the bus Wednesday night.
‘Anarkali’ dresses a hit as Malaysian Indians go Diwali shopping
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Elegant 'Anarkali' churidar-kurta women's dresses in layered fine cloth, a throwback to India's Mughal era, are becoming a big draw with Malaysian Indian women as they begin shopping for Diwali.
The shops here in Brickfields, Jalan Masjid India and other avenues popular with ethnic Indian shoppers are stocking up on Anarkali Suits, named after the beautiful Mughal era courtesan Anarkali, with whom Prince Salim, who later became Emperor Jehangir, fell in love.
Death toll in Brazil floods rises to 84
By IANS,
Rio de Janeiro : Eighty-four people have died and more than 50,000 have been forced out from their homes following days of downpour, blamed on environmental degradation, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, EFE reported Wednesday.
Mudslides and flooding caused by the storms have blocked almost all highways in the region and have cut off water and electricity to thousands of homes.
Close to 1.5 million inhabitants had been affected by the rains, which prompted the state government to declare a state of emergency.
Indian American boy fails to spell his plight
By Arun Kumar
IANS
Washington : Kunal Sah, the 13-year-old Indian American boy who hoped a strong showing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee contest might somehow reunite him with his deported parents, was eliminated in the preliminary rounds.
Have gone through turbulence all my life: Dalai Lama
By IANS,
New Delhi: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Saturday said he has gone through turbulence all his life.
Kenya’s Kemboi to take part in Olympics despite assault charges
By IANS,
Nairobi: World steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi is still in the Kenyan London Olympics team after Team Kenya CEO Stephen Soi termed the assault charges against him a plot.
14 die in China bus crash
By IANS,
Beijing : Fourteen people died in China Sunday when two passenger buses collided with each other, authorities said.
Chinese police officer who owns 192 houses sacked
By IANS,
Beijing : Authorities in south China's Guangdong province have sacked a senior policeman who allegedly owns a staggering 192 houses.
Two jailed for killing man by pouring boiling water
By IANS,
London: Two men have been jailed for life in Britain for murdering a 70-year-old man whom they tortured by pouring boiling water over him, BBC reported Friday.
Indian national jailed for theft, molestation in Singapore
Singapore: An Indian national in Singapore was jailed for six months Thursday on charges of molestation, theft and criminal trespass.
Palanisami Mohankumar, 27, pleaded guilty...
Indian-origin man murdered in New Zealand
Wellington: A man and woman have been charged with the murder of a man of Indian-origin, Davender Singh, in New Zealand's Auckland city. He...
Modi gets Nepal’s support for International Yoga Day
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : Nepal has supported Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for an International Yoga Day enunciated during his speech at the...
Explosion outside Italian consulate in Cairo
Cairo:A powerful explosion occurred in front of the Italian consulate in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo on Saturday, a security officer said.
He said...
Efforts on to free abducted Indian woman: Family
Kolkata/Kabul : The Afghan and Indian governments are working at "various levels" to secure the release of an Indian woman development worker abducted in...
UN blames Musharraf regime for Bhutto killing
By IANS,
United Nations/Islamabad : A UN probe has blamed Pakistani authorities for their failure to protect Benazir Bhutto, saying security arrangements of the Pervez Musharraf government were "fatally insufficient and ineffective" and subsequent investigations into her death involved a whitewash.
In its devastating report, the three-member panel headed by Chilean Ambassador to UN Heraldo Muñoz, reached no conclusion as to the organisers and sponsors behind the Dec 27, 2007 assassination of former prime minister Bhutto in Rawalpindi.
Yemeni forces kill two Somali pirates
By DPA,
Sana'a (Yemen) : Yemeni navy and coast guard forces killed two pirates and injured three in a clash after Somali pirates seized a Yemeni oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden Sunday, coast guard sources said.
The sources told DPA that two navy ships were sent to aid coast guards gunboats involved in a gunfight with the pirates.
"Two pirates were killed and three others injured in the fighting so far," said one source, adding that several Yemeni soldiers were injured.
French local elections to test Sarkozy
By IRNA
Paris : French people are set to vote in local elections, in which left-wing opponents of President Nicolas Sarkozy hope to benefit from his low popularity.
The Socialists and their allies are expected to hold on to municipal power in Paris and the second city, Lyon.
The left is also seeking to capture major cities, including Marseille in the south and Strasbourg in the east.
Sarkozy, who was elected last May, has seen his popularity drop in recent months.
Illegal foreign hawkers on the rise in Singapore
By ANTARA News/DPA,
Singapore : Foreigners from India, Bangladesh, China, Mongolia and Indonesia are making up the bulk of illegal hawkers in Singapore, news reports said on Wednesday.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said so far this year, 650 of the 800 hawkers nabbed have come from abroad. Since only Singaporeans can obtain licenses to hawk legally, the activities of those from elsewhere are illegal.
Getting caught is viewed as a risk of the trade, the NEA said.
"I have been doing this all my life," a hawker was quoted as saying. "What else can I do?"
Poor construction to blame for earthquake deaths: UN
By DPA,
Geneva : Too many people were dying because of poor construction in high risk zones, UN experts said in a statement issued Friday following the earthquake in China.
"We know how to make buildings more resistant to earthquakes but this knowledge is still not yet well disseminated among decision-makers who enforce building codes for houses, schools and hospitals," Director of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), Salvano Briceno, said.
New gas field found in Turkmenistan
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Ashgabat : A new natural gas field has been discovered in Turkmenistan, state TV reported.
Ganso hopes to return to Brazil
By IANS,
Sao Paulo: Footballer Paulo Henrique Ganso revealed that his main priority for 2013 is to reclaim his place in the Brazilian national side.
14 killed in Bolivia bus accident
By DPA,
La Paz : Two speeding buses crashed into each other, killing 14 passengers and leaving at least 43 wounded, local media reported.
The accident took place a few kilometres from Oruro city, about 220 km south of La Paz, police said Saturday.
Buses are the lifeline of Bolivia, where few people own cars and there are few train services. However, accidents are disturbingly common as most of the buses are old and dilapidated, the drivers are reckless and the roads are of poor quality.
Outraged Nepalis force Coke to apologise for offensive pouch
By IANS
Kathmandu : Protests by outraged Nepalis have forced soft drink giant Coke to apologise for an offensive pouch for its new product and remove the source of outrage.
Sri Lankan Army captures LTTE territory in Mannar
By IRNA
New Delhi : Sri Lanka Wednesday claimed to have captured Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-held territory in
north-western Mannar following fierce clashes that left 19 rebels dead and 30 wounded.
"One sq km in LTTE controlled areas was captured by army troops yesterday in the north of Parappakandal in Mannar amidst heavy damage to the militants," PTI reported here quoting Lankan defence ministry official.
Prabhakaran: From catapult killer to ruthless insurgent
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
New Delhi : His first victims were squirrels and birds, and his first weapon a humble catapult. From such beginnings, Velupillai Prabhakaran -- who died ignonominiously Monday -- grew to be the world's most shadowy and ruthless insurgent who at one time lorded over vast areas in Sri Lanka's northeast.
The over 35 years Prabhakaran spent underground building the once unknown Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) into an awesome war and terror machine transformed the Indian Ocean island from an idyllic tourist haven into a bleeding state.
Russian MS-21 jetliner to use Rolls Royce, Pratt & Whitney engines
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's Irkut aircraft building corporation has picked Britain's Rolls Royce and Canada's Pratt & Whitney to supply engines for its new MS-21 aircraft, the corporation's president said Wednesday.
Speaking at the international MAKS air show near Moscow, Oleg Demchenko said: "The best two firms have been chosen. The technical details are being verified at the moment, and the final decision will be announced shortly."
Mexican man arrested 600 times in 10 years
By DPA,
Mexico City : A 56-year-old man from the northern Mexican city of Matamoros has been arrested 600 times in 10 years for misdemeanours, such as roaming around drunk or disturbing the public order, the daily Reforma reported Wednesday.
Since 2000, the man who sells sweets for a living, has been taken to the municipal prison at least once a week, sometimes at his own request.
"Sometimes we find him really drunk in the Capilla neighbourhood, and we take him in so that he is not run over, or he himself asks us to arrest him," one police officer was quoted as saying.
Sikhs among 19 killed in Afghan suicide blast (Second Lead)
By IANS
Jalalabad, July 2 (IANS) A suicide bomber blew himself up in an Afghan city of Jalalabad, where President Ashraf Ghani was to hold...
Rohingyas fleeing India stranded in no man’s land on Bangladesh border
Dhaka, Jan 21 (IANS) At least 31 Rohingya Muslims trying to enter Bangladesh from India have been stranded in no-man's land between the two...
10,000 spectators at naked tobogganing race in Germany
By DPA,
Braunlage (Germany) : A naked tobogganing race attracted around 10,000 people to an eastern German town in the Harz mountains Saturday.
Car parks were overflowing ahead of the popular event in the town of Braunlage, one spokesman said, while police confirmed that roughly 10,000 spectators had gathered to watch the event.
Around 30 scantily clad male and female teams had registered to compete on the 100-metre-long track.
Earlier this month, a row erupted in another winter resort, in eastern Germany, over plans to hold a topless tobogganing event.
721 inmates escape in Nigeria
By DPA,
Lagos : Nigerian officials Wednesday said four people were killed as 721 prisoners escaped from a federal prison in Bauchi, northeastern Nigeria, the previous evening.
Romania to auction over 500,000 tonnes of gold concentrate
By IANS,
Bucharerst: Romania's insolvent National Mining Company Remin will put up for auction 506,540 tonnes of gold concentrate with a high arsenic content, the company announced.
Growing voices of solidarity with Tibetans among Chinese netizens
By Vishal Gulati, IANS,
India frees 88 Pakistani fishermen for Ramadan
New Delhi: India said on Friday it has released 88 Pakistani fishermen lodged in Gujarat jails, following a decision Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed...
Tagore statue unveiled in Cuba on birth anniversary
By Prensa Latina
Havana : Indian Ambassador Mitra Vasisht called Rabindranath Tagore "an icon of humankind" at the unveiling of a statue of the acclaimed poet in the Cuban capital to commemorate his 146th birth anniversary Wednesday.
Report: Russian-donated MIG-29 to Lebanon “unsafe”
By Xinhua,
BEIRUT : A well-informed source Saturday advised the Lebanese government to "wait" before accepting the Russian-donated MIG-29 jet fighters that are possibly "unsafe", Lebanese daily Al-Nahar report.
A report in Russian Kommersant business daily quoted military sources as saying that "one third of the MIG-29 should be written off as obsolete because they are too rusty to take off without crashing."
A pilot was killed during a MIG-29 fighter crash in southern Siberia on Dec. 5 and another MIG-29 crashed in October last year, the report added.
One killed, two injured in Budapest air show crash
By DPA,
Budapest: A 60-year-old man was killed and two others injured Saturday when a light aircraft crashed amid sudden high winds at an airshow here in Hungary.
The victim was a member of security staff at the Dunakeszi airstrip, five kilometres north of the Hungarian capital.
The 30-year-old pilot of the Zlin 142 aircraft was seriously injured, but in stable condition on the evening of the accident.
A child, who was among the spectators at the show, was also helicoptered to hospital with serious injuries.
BBC spends 50,000 pounds a day on taxis
By IANS,
London : The BBC spent an astounding 18.2 million pounds in 2008-09 on taxis and hired cars, with the daily expenditure coming to almost 50,000 pounds, a media report said Sunday.
Much of the cost was incurred taking celebrities to and from news studios and driving presenters home when public transport stopped for the day.
Gerry Morrissey, general secretary of Britain's media union Bectu, said he was stunned with the figures.
Yemeni minister resigns over killing of protesters
By IANS,
Sana'a: Yemen's Human Rights Minister Huda Al-ban resigned Saturday in protest against the shooting deaths of protesters in the Yemini capital, Xinhua reported.
Japan toll is 11,620
By IANS,
Tokyo : The death toll in Japan's earthquake and tsunami of March has climbed to 11,620 people with 16,464 people still missing, Xinhua reported Friday.
Dinosaur dance floor! Really?
By IANS,
Washington : Scientists who hiked recently to the northern Arizona wilderness site touted as a "dinosaur dance floor" found no sign of the extinct creatures but plenty of eroded potholes.
They saw dinosaur tracks en route, but none in the pockmarked "dance floor".
One of them, paleontologist Brent Breithaupt, director and curator of the University of Wyoming's Geological Museum, said "there simply are no tracks or real track-like features at this site. We will be investigating the formation of these features in the upcoming study."
Obama says, fight against racism in US not ove
Washington : US President Barack Obama said Saturday that the fight against racism in the US is not yet over, during a speech in...
Indian expats in Kuwait write to FM for setting up a joint investment fund
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Kuwait: Indo – Kuwait Friendship Society has written a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley urging him to take initiatives...
For Abe, its business in Delhi and spirituality in Varanasi
By Mohit Dubey
Varanasi : With bilateral talks and business meetings wrapped up in New Delhi earlier in the day, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe...
Attacks on Africans: Britain’s African Asian Organisations demand action
Accuse Indian Government of ‘Implicitly’ Justifying the Murder of Congolese National and Attacks on Africans in India, Demand Action
By M Ghazali Khan
Britain’s South Asian...
Muslim pupil not allowed to pray at German school
By DPA,
Berlin : A Berlin pupil does not have the right to perform 'namaz', Islamic prayer rituals, at school, an appeals court in the German capital ruled Thursday.
In a decision that overturned a lower court ruling, the appeals court said that a curtailing of the teenager's right to religious freedom was justified as it would protect the constitutional rights of other pupils and their parents.
Those rights include freedom of belief and entitlement to a calm educational environment, it said.
Discotheque to change its name after Muslim protests
By DPA,
Murcia (Spain) : A Spanish discotheque called Mecca which has angered Muslims will change its name, a Muslim representative said Thursday in the southern city of Murcia.
Found: World’s oldest living tree, age 9,550
By IANS,
London : A 9,550-year-old spruce, the world's oldest living tree, has been found in Dalarna province of Sweden.
The tenacious specimen has survived by growing between erect trees and smaller bushes in pace with the dramatic climate changes over time.
For many years the spruce tree has been regarded as a relative newcomer in the Swedish mountain region.
"Our results have shown the complete opposite. The spruce is one of the oldest known trees in the mountain range," said Leif Kullman, of Umeå University.
Last bodies found on shipwrecked Ukrainian tugboat
By RIA Novosti,
Kiev : Rescue workers have located the last two bodies on board a Ukrainian tugboat that sank off Hong Kong on March 22, Ukraine's TV Channel Five said on Tuesday.
A total of 15 sailors were listed as missing after the Naftogaz-67 tugboat sank in the South China Sea after colliding with a Chinese vessel. Out of the 25 sailors on board, most of them Ukrainians, only seven were plucked to safety in the subsequent rescue operation. The bodies of three sailors were also found by divers during the operation.
First transgender choir strikes gay rights chord in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar,IANS,
Kathmandu : Bhakti Shah faces an uphill struggle to get her job back a year after Nepal's army sacked the physical training instructor for being involved in a lesbian relationship with a trainee.
"I have filed a case in the Supreme Court," says the 24-year-old, who looks like a teenaged boy with her close-cropped hair and wiry frame.
"But the hearing can't start until the army has completed its procedure and the army is deliberately prolonging it."
Amazon deforestation caused extinction of 26 species
By Xinhua,
Rio De Janeiro : The deforestation in the Amazon rainforest region has led to the extinction of 26 animal and plant species, a UN report said.
Another 644 species of animals and plants, including the red-faced spider monkey, the spectacled bear and the otter, were in danger of extinction, it said.
According to the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) report released Wednesday, the region lost 17 percent of its forest, about 857,666 sq km, nearly equal to the territory of Venezuela, by 2005.
India’s Independence Day celebrated in Kazakh capital Astana
By IANS,
Astana: India's 63rd Independence Day was celebrated in this Kazakhstan capital Saturday with a flag hoisting by Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar and the singing of the national anthem and patriotic songs.
Indian nationals living in Astana and cities like Karaganda (250 km), Atyrau (3,000 km), Pavlodar (500 km), officials of the embassy along with their families and children participated enthusiastically in the celebrations.
Brazilian court suspends massive Amazon dam construction
By IANS,
Rio de Janeiro : A Brazilian court has ordered to suspend the construction of the world's third largest dam until affected indigenous communities get a hearing in Congress.
UAE,Canada discuss relations
By IANS,
By WAM,
Ottawa: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Canada have held talks here to discuss their relations and ways to strengthen them in different areas.
Two killed in Philippines gold tunnel collapse
By IANS,
Davaoo City (Philippines) : Two miners have been believed killed when a gold tunnel collapsed in southern Philippines, officials Sunday said.
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.
Lula Invited to Visit Vietnam
By Prensa Latina
Hanoi : Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung affirmed on Tuesday the country is willing to officially welcome Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva soon.
Dung confirmed the invitation during a meeting with Brazilian ambassador in Hanoi Alcides Gastao Prates, whose mission has ended.
Dung recognized Prates' contributions to the promotion of friendship ties and bilateral cooperation, likely to increase with Lula's possible official visit.
18 killed in Nepal plane crash
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : A small plane carrying 19 people Wednesday crashed in Nepal's remote mountainous north, killing all but the pilot and turning the celebration of the country's biggest festival Dashain into mourning.
The 18 victims included 12 Germans, two Australians and four Nepalis.
Co-pilot Bikash Pant and cabin attendant Sunita Shrestha were killed in the early morning crash while pilot Surendra Kunwar was the lone survivor.
Three Indians nabbed in Nepal’s anti-sleaze drive
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Three Indians were among the first foreigners to feel the pinch of the anti-sleaze drive begun by Nepal's new Maoist government, landing behind bars for allegedly having sex in a restaurant in a border town.
The three men, all of whom are from Bahraich town in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, were caught in Nepalgunj town on the India-Nepal border, police said.
Pushkar Gupta, Vinay Rastogi and a third man, whose name was given only as Salman, were caught "redhanded" from the New Restaurant in Nepalgunj Sunday with three women.
Malta alerted Libya of 1986 US bombing: ex-premier
By DPA,
Valletta (Malta) : It was Malta, and not Italy, which tipped off Libya of the US bombing raid in April 1986, former Maltese Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici insisted Sunday.
He told Malta Today newspaper: "An hour before the bombing, we had informed Libyan air traffic controllers that unidentified, unauthorised planes were approaching their region."
The attack killed Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi's 15-month old adopted daughter and some 40 civilians, and injured 226 other people.
Deported eight times, conman kept returning to Canada
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS
Toronto : Imagine someone being deported eight times but still managing to sneak back into Canada. A 39-year-old Nigerian national is in police net here for not only coming illegally but also duping Canadians to the tune of $10 million.
An undisclosed number of fake passports, credit cards, chequebooks, social security and health cards, and driver's licences have been seized from him.
Edmund Ezemo would defraud people by setting up fake companies for which he bought goods on fake but certified cheques.
US military arming ex-terrorists in Kosovo: Russia
By DPA
Moscow/Brussels : Russia's firebrand envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said Thursday that US military aid to Kosovo amounted to arming "former terrorists".
Responding to news of US President George W. Bush's approval of military aid to Kosovo, the Russian ambassador warned that such a move could lead to "new terrorist clashes in the Balkans".
"To give former terrorists weapons for the war against terrorism appears at least amusing if not worse," the Interfax news agency quoted Rogozin as saying from Brussels.
Swiss police search HSBC’s Geneva office
London: Swiss police searched HSBC bank's office in Geneva as part of an inquiry into alleged money-laundering, a media report said Wednesday.
Prosecutors said they...
India’s crackdown on dissent may stall reforms, says NYT
Washington : Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and its political allies of trying to silence dissent, the New York Times Tuesday suggested that...
President greets Khameini on Iran revolution anniversary
New Delhi, (IANS) : President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday greeted Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, on the 38th anniversry of Islamic...
Colombian drug trafficker nabbed at father-in-law’s funeral
By EFE,
Bogota : A suspected drug trafficker was arrested in the Colombian city of Cali while attending his father-in-law's funeral, the police said.
Gennie Alberto Moreno Valencia was arrested Monday on murder, criminal conspiracy, arms possession and other charges.
Valencia, 29, was the main individual responsible for "drug trafficking activities and for smuggling large quantities of drugs into Central America and the US", police said.
Chinese fan drinks gasoline to become a hero
By Xinhua,
Beijing: A 14-year-old boy in China's Sichuan Province has been drinking gasoline to become a "valiant fighter" like his hero Optimus Prime in the movie "Transformers: Revenge of the fallen", a media report said.
"Since the boy watched the film, he started drinking gasoline to become a valiant fighter," the West China Metropolis daily said citing his father.
He also likes to inhale the liquid gas in lighters, his mother said. He would steal gas lighters from her grocery store.
Russian MiG-31 aircraft hulls sold at $5 each, probe ordered
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russian investigators in Nizhny Novgorod are probing the alleged sale of four MiG-31 Foxhound aircraft hulls for $5 each against their combined value of $14.8 million, the prosecutor general's office said.
The sale came to light after an anti-corruption check was carried out to see whether regulations were followed during the sale of items from the Sokol Aircraft Construction plant located in the Russian Volga city of Nizhny Novgorod.
Three dead in Peru helicopter crash
By EFE,
Lima : Three people were killed when a helicopter crashed in Peru's southern province of La Convencion, a media report said.
On board the chopper were pilot Luis Miguel Gonzales Aguilar, mechanic Sandro Tello Rios and the manager of the air company, Reynaldo Espinosa Fonseca, Radio Programas del Peru said Sunday.
Emergency rescue personnel located the crash site Saturday and found the bodies of the three men in the wreckage. The aircraft had been reported missing last Thursday, the El Comercio newspaper reported on its website.
Congress votes 220-215 to approve massive sweeping health care reforms
By KUNA,
Washington : With a vote of 220-215, Congress passed a 10-trillion-dollar health care reform plan late Saturday that would extend health coverage to more than 36 million uninsured Americans.
Democrats and one Republican, Joseph Cao from Louisiana, in the House of Representatives narrowly passed the legislation which is the most sweeping change to the nation's health care system in a half-century.
The bill would create a government-backed insurance plan to compete with private firms and would end denial of coverage based on preexisting medical problems.
Amritraj’s Chennai Open consultancy fee twice the winner’s prize money
By Anand Philar, ians,
Chennai: Vijay Amritraj received a "consultancy fee" of $140,000 (about Rs 6.5 million) each year for his association with the ATP Chennai Open - twice of what the winner received. The money paid to the former Indian Davis Cupper was declared in the budget estimates submitted to the central home, external affairs and sports ministries for clearance of foreign exchange, documents show.
Sri Lanka to formulate political solution: Tamil party
By IANS,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government has agreed to formulate a political solution to the ethnic issue very soon, a key minority Tamil political party said Saturday.
Now, a ‘No-Go zone’ between former East, West Germany
By IANS,
Berlin : A part of the border between erstwhile East and West Germany may be declared a "no-go zone" as dozens of minefields have remained uncleared since the Cold War, an official said.
Cher Lloyd launches perfume
By IANS,
London: Singer Cher Lloyd has launched her own perfume range.
Report: Sir Syed Day Mushaira & AEEF benefit dinner in the San Francisco Bay...
By Ras H. Siddiqui for TwoCircles.net,
China’s rural home appliance subsidy drives up sales
By IANS,
Beijing: China's stimulus programme for home appliance purchases in rural areas continued to boost sales in the first 10 months, the commerce ministry said.
Ukrainian city to host beer fest during Euro 2012
By IANS,
Kiev : Ukraine's western city of Lvov plans to host a beer festival during the UEFA Euro 2012, an organiser said.
Nearly 700 fishermen rescued from floating ice
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A total of 675 fishermen stranded on a block of floating ice off Russia's far eastern region were rescued Sunday.
New York unveils digital map to help job seekers
By IANS,
New York : New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has unveiled an online map aimed at helping job applicants find employment in local technical and digital media businesses.
10 killed in Ghana plane crash
By IANS,
Accra : A cargo plane crashed into a minibus near the international airport in Accra Saturday, killing at least 10 people, authorities said.
Bengali music maestros enthral Toronto
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Bengali classical artists set the tone for Diwali festivities in Canada's largest city in a rare musical evening sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Held at City Playhouse in Vaughan near here, the evening kicked off with a vocal recital in Raga Hamsadhwani by Indian Canadian artist Gauri Guha.
Then renowned sarod maestro from Kolkata, Prattyush Banerjee, cast his spell on the Toronto audience with his immaculate rendition of Raga Patdip, followed by a small piece in Raga Maluha Kedar.
Indian jailed for Britain’s biggest fake credit card fraud
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : An India-born computer specialist who was the mastermind behind Britain's biggest fake credit card racket has been jailed for six years.
Anup Patel and his accomplices had amassed nearly 2 million pounds (over $3 million) by making counterfeit credit cards and using them in several countries in Asia and Europe. Police believe they would have cheated people of 16 million pounds by now had they not been caught.
Muslim woman jailed for false burqa complaint
By IANS,
Sydney : A burqa-clad Muslim woman was Friday sentenced to six months jail by an Australian court for falsely accusing a police officer of removing her veil, a media report said.
Paraglider survives 11 hours hanging from high-voltage cables
By DPA,
Bogota : A Colombian paraglider was rescued alive and well, after hanging from high-voltage cables for 11 hours in the northwestern province of Antioquia.
Alberto Ocampo jumped in a mountainous area in the town of Bello, near Medellin, but his paraglider was pushed by the wind and got caught in a 110,000 volt wire.
The flow of electricity was cut off Sunday afternoon to allow a rescue operation that ended successfully in the early hours of Monday.
"It is one's recklessness. There were not the best conditions for flying, and I still jumped," Ocampo told reporters.
Brahmi herb shows promise in treating Alzheimer’s
By IANS,
Sydney: Researchers are coming by evidence that herbs like brahmi, associated with the ayurveda system of medicine, can help ward off Alzheimer's disease and preserve one's mental faculties.
Although what exactly causes Alzheimer's is not known, sufferers experience inflammation of the brain, deposits of beta amyloid, traces of heavy metals and signs of oxidative stress.
Japanese expedition clears 500 kg garbage from Everest
By DPA
Kathmandu : A team of climbers have collected half a tonne of junk littered on the world's highest peak Mt Everest, expedition members said Monday.
Afghan forces kill 216 militants in 48 hours
Kabul : Afghan armed forces killed 216 militants in their latest military operations in multiple areas of the war-ravaged South Asian nation.
The announcement...
From the diary of an anonymous Muslim
By Anonymous,
It is the time of hate. Everyone around is outraged by the inexplicable evil of the other. How could they walk in and...
Amnesty International asks Chattisgarh govt to investigate rape complaints of Adivasi women
By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter
Chhattisgarh: Two weeks after rapes and assaults were reported from Chhattisgarh while security forces were conducting anti-Maoist operations, Amnesty...
Sri Lanka orders action against soldiers in leaked video
Colombo: The Sri Lankan army Saturday ordered strict action against soldiers found harassing female recruits in a video circulating on the internet.
Army spokesman Brigadier...
Sri Lankan Muslim party joins opposition
Colombo : Sri Lanka's main Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Sunday joined the opposition to oppose President Mahinda Rajapaksa's bid to...
Indian Haj pilgrims’ toll rises to 101
New Delhi : The toll of Indian Haj pilgrims in the stampede has risen to 101, from 81 announced a day ago, the government...
Modi inaugurates Torana gate, highlights India-Malaysia cultural ties
Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, the third day of his visit to Malaysia, highlighted the cultural ties of India with this...
Migrants linked to Cologne violence, assault on women
Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been forced to modify her liberal stance towards refugees, after a spate of assaults on women during New...
After 12 years, three Mangaloreans freed from Saudi jail
By TCN News
Jeddah: Thanks to the efforts of India fraternity Forum, a social organization of NRIs of Saudi Arabia, three out of four Mangaloreans,...
18 Jamaat activists arrested from Dhaka school
Dhaka : At least 18 Jamaat-e-Islami activists were arrested here on Friday from a school run by executed war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami's wife,...
This rare icy rock orbits the sun backwards
By IANS,
Toronto : In a discovery which may hold clues to the origin of comets, astronomers have found an object that orbits the sun backwards and tilts at an angle of 104 degrees - almost perpendicular to the orbits of the planets in our solar system.
They have named this unique object 2008KV42.
Canadian astronomer Brett Gladman, who is a part of the international team behind the discovery, said in a statement Friday that this unusual object with backward and tilted orbit around the sun may clarify the origins of certain comets.
Cristiano Ronaldo seeks public help to find missing child
By Xinhua
Lisbon : Manchester United's Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo has made a public appeal for information about a missing child, Madeleine McCann, who went missing last week.
British Gurkhas to start recruiting Nepali women
By IANS
Kathmandu : The British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas, regarded as a symbol of male valour for tales of unswerving loyalty and fierce courage under enemy fire, is now set for a change. It will start recruiting Nepali women as well for the first time.
271,000 Mexicans slip into poverty in US
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : About 271,000 Mexican immigrants have slipped into poverty in the US, Spanish banking giant BBVA said in a report.
It said between the fourth quarter of 2008 and the same period last year, "the number of workers of Mexican origin with jobs decreased by approximately 560,000".
For that reason, the number of workers of Mexican origin who are currently unemployed increased to about 1.8 million, "of whom around 51 percent are immigrants", according to the report Saturday.
Indian murder accused arrested in US
Toronto : An Indian, on the run for over seven years after his wife was found murdered at the couple's home in Canada, has...
Saudi Arabia appoints first Minister for Gulf Affairs
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia on Sunday announced the appointment of Thamer Al-Sabhan as the first Minister of State for Arabian Gulf Affairs at the...
UK party wants ban on burqa in public, Sharia outlawed
London, (IANS): The UK Independence Party (UKIP) has announced that it will include a pledge in its general election manifesto to ban the burqa...
Muslims urged to respect law on veils
Riyadh, (IANS): Muslims must respect the laws of the land they live in, a Muslim World League (MWL) official has said.
"A Muslim must respect...
Government must act against cow vigilantes: Human Rights Watch
New York, Feb 20 (IANS) The Indian government should prevent and prosecute mob violence by vigilante groups targeting minorities in the name of so-called...
S. Africa opposes assault on rebel Comoros island
By SPA
Plaisance, Mauritius : South Africa's president said he opposed a threatened African Union-backed assault by the Comoros archipelago's troops against the rebel island of Anjouan, saying it should be given time for a poll, according to Reuters.
Hundreds of federal troops have amassed on nearby Moheli island vowing an imminent assault on hilly, wooded Anjouan after its French-trained former gendarme leader, Mohamed Bacar, defied the national government with an illegal election last year.