Passenger attacks pilot over delayed flight
By IANS/AKI,
Rome : An Italian passenger at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport reportedly punched the pilot of his plane to Greece after the flight was delayed for more than five hours.
Peru’s ex-president Fujimori gets eight more years in jail
Lima: Former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, who is serving a 25-year prison term for crimes against humanity, was Thursday, sentenced to eight more...
Former miss Romania elected speaker of Romanian chamber of deputies
By ANTARA News/Xinhua,
Japanese premier Abe’s successor to be picked on Sep 23
By Xinhua
Tokyo : Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) decided Thursday to hold a presidential election on Sep 23 to pick a new party president to replace Shinzo Abe, who Wednesday expressed his intention to resign, Japanese media reported.
The LDP made the decision on a general assembly of lawmakers from the party. Abe himself originally wanted to appear on the assembly to explain reasons of his resignation, but refrained from doing so on doctor's advice.
Gordon Brown offers to lecture at $100,000
By IANS,
London : Former British prime minister Gordon Brown is offering his services as a public speaker at a sum of $100,000 per lecture.
Brown has asked an agency to put his name forward for engagements in the Middle East and Asia, Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator was quoted as saying by the Independent.
Brown is also working on a book - "The Financial Crisis" - due to be published soon, and has expressed a desire to pursue charitable work and focus on development issues.
Spain for Zapatero´s Re-election
By Prensa Latina
Madrid : The leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, is today moving forward to a possible re-election as president of Spain, after four years facing up constant bombing of a fierce opposition.
Zapatero, always marked as one of the youngest elements in the environment he performs, has a delicate alternative in the Sunday general elections.
Japan upgrades nuclear accident intensity
By IANS,
Tokyo : Japan Friday raised from level four to five on an international scale the measure of the nuclear accident at its earthquake-ravaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.
US Secretary of State Visits Libya
By Prensa Latina,
Tripoli : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in this capital on Friday for an official visit to Libya that she regarded as historical, since it is the first visit by a US top official in 50 years.
Rice has scheduled two days here to talk to Libyan President Muammar Al-Gaddafi, said a television station on Friday.
Shortly after her arrival, Rice met her Libyan peer Abderrahmane Mohamed Shalgam, and later she toured the buildings of the new US Embassy to Tripoli.
Pakistan claims Indian hand in Lahore attack; India, Sri Lanka rebut
By IANS,
Lahore/New Delhi/Colombo : Lahore's police chief sprang a surprise Friday, suggesting an Indian hand in the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in the city last month, a suggestion that New Delhi and Colombo promptly trashed.
"With the help of the security agencies, we have made much progress and our investigations are continuing. But one thing I can tell you is that there is strong evidence of an Indian hand," Lahore police chief Pervez Rathore told reporters in Pakistan's cultural capital.
Nepal vice president ends Hindi row with Maithili oath
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : After festering for 18 months and deepening the rift between the hill and plains people, Nepal's Hindi row Sunday came to an uneasy end with embattled Vice President Paramananda Jha re-taking his oath of office and secrecy in his mother tongue Maithili.
Man claiming to have plotted Nepal royal family massacre arrested
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Moving quickly after a 59-year-old man claimed to have had plotted the assassination of Nepal's King Birendra and nine more members of the royal family in the tightly guarded pagoda palace in Kathmandu eight years ago, Nepal police arrested Tul Prasad Sherchan in a swoop around midnight Thursday.
Sherchan was going to a meeting in an undisclosed place when the motorcycle he was riding pillion was stopped by police in the capital and he was marched off.
Malta’s ruling Nationalists claim victory in election, Labor refuses to concede
By SPA
Valletta, Malta : Malta's election commission confirms the island's long-ruling Nationalist Party has narrowly won a parliamentary election, AP reported.
The Nationalist Party claimed victory in Saturday's vote, citing party's projection based on early vote count. But the Labor Party, which had hoped for a return to power after a decade, refused to concede, saying it was waiting for more official returns to come in.
UN Fears 200 Immigrants Die at Sea
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : The UN High Commissioner for Refugees announced on Friday that more than 200 people may have died recently attempting to get to Greece, Spain and Yemen.
The UNHCR spokesperson made a call for concerted action to prevent such tragedies.
The first disaster took place on Saturday when 51 people drowned during the illegal traffic of emigrants from Turkey to Greece, while another 35 disappeared and are believed dead.
Russia suspends alcohol import from Czech Republic
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russian consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has suspended import of strong alcohol from the Czech Republic following lethal poisoning cases in that country.
Canada: Today Kosovo, Tomorrow Quebec?
By Prensa Latina
Ottawa : Canada faces the conundrum Wednesday whether it can follow the rapid US, Britain and France recognition of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence without fueling separatist wishes among key sectors in Quebec.
Recent polls reveal that half of Quebec's seven million citizens wish to become independent from Canada.
Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier said they are studying Sunday's announcement, but provincial co-governing PQ (Quebec Party) has warned it will follow Kosovo if Canada supports that declaration of independence.
Balance of economic power shifts to developing nations
By Andrew McCathie, DPA,
Berlin : The Group of 20 (G20) is likely to face a test next year of its new-found role as the world's top economic forum.
Apart from its planned makeover of the world financial system, the G20 major industrial powers and the leading emerging economies will also begin rolling back the big fiscal stimulus packages launched by governments to counter the recession.
Russia, S.Korea meet for talks on N.Korea nuclear issue
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The Russian and South Korean chief representatives at the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament met in Moscow on Thursday to coordinate their negotiating positions.
Opening the meeting, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin told his South Korean counterpart Kim Sook: "We are now at an important stage in the six-party process - near the end of the second phase of the Korean peninsula's denuclearization. There is a range of issues that need to be discussed in order to coordinate our positions."
Russia, Venezuela to hold joint air force drills
By RIA Novosti,
Buenos Aires : Venezuela and Russia are planning to conduct joint air force exercises in 2009, the Venezuelan air force chief has said.
"Joint Russian-Venezuelan air force drills have been planned for next year. We could have participated in joint naval exercises due in November if they included a simulated air attack, but this has not been included in the plans so far," Luis Acosta was quoted as saying by Venezuela's communication and information ministry on its website.
Canada warns Sikh radicals against violence
By IANS,
Toronto: In a stern warning to Sikh radicals here, the Canadian government said Monday that "threats of violence" by extremists will not be tolerated.
The warning comes after last week's threats in Vancouver by hardliner Sikhs to Indo-Canadian leader and former Canadian health minister Ujjal Dosanjh.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Deepak Obhrai, Indian-origin parliamentary secretary, said his government "strongly condemns the recent threats of violence made by extremists within the Canadian Sikh community.
This is unacceptable.''
British government under pressure over torture claims
By DPA,
London: The British government came under increased pressure Tuesday to answer allegations that its intelligence agencies were complicit in the torture of terrorism suspects abroad.
The Joint Human Rights Committee of the British parliament said in a report that there was now a "disturbing number of credible allegations" of British complicity in torture concerning suspects detained in the wake of the Sep 11, 2001 attacks in the US.
US car industry bail-out plan collapses in Senate
By DPA,
Washington : Negotiations in the US Senate on a $14 billion emergency loan for the ailing car industry have collapsed, leaving the fate of General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC uncertain.
The discussions failed late Thursday after the United Auto Workers union refused to agree to Republican demands for wage cuts and reduction in labour costs to the level of Japanese competitors operating in the US.
"It's over with. I dread looking at Wall Street tomorrow. It's not going to be a pleasant sight," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat.
Gunman attacks military helicopter in Ukraine
Kiev: A sniper fired a single shot into the fuel tank of a helicopter in eastern Ukraine, causing a massive explosion and severely injuring...
South Korea MERS cases rise to 108
Seoul: South Korea health ministry has reported 13 more cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) on Wednesday, raising the total number to 108.
The...
India hopes for US pressure on Pakistan against terror
By IANS,
New Delhi : India hopes to persuade the US to put pressure on Pakistan to come down heavily on terror groups on its soil with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon leaving for Washington Monday to meet the transition team of president-elect Barack Obama.
Menon is likely to meet influential figures in the transition team that includes Wendy Sherman, the co-chair of the state department's Agency Review Team, which is tasked with preparing policy and personnel for the soon-to-be-named secretaries.
Libya to celebrate anniversary of Lockerbie bomber’s release
By IANS,
London : Libya is preparing to mark the first anniversary of the Lockerbie bomber's release with leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi urging his countrymen to thank those who helped to free him, including former British prime minister Gordon Brown.
Gaddafi will also ask Libyans to pray for Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill, who approved Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's freedom, The Sun reported Monday.
Gaddafi has ordered prayers to mark Friday's anniversary of the decision to free Megrahi from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds Aug 20, 2009.
Two people killed in fire at Spitsbergen mine
By RIA Novosti,
Stockholm : A Russian and Ukrainian national were killed in a fire in a mine on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, the press attache of the Russian embassy in Norway said on Thursday.
At the time of the fire there were 31 miners working underground in Barentsburg, a settlement comprising mostly Russians and Ukrainians, said Yevgeny Kolesnikov.
The reasons for the fire are being investigated.
Russian govt. approves bill to settle Syria’s $3.6 bln debt
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : The Russian government approved at a session on Thursday a bill to ratify an agreement with Syria on settling the country's $3.6 billion Soviet-era debt to Russia.
In 2005, Russia agreed to write off 73% of Syria's Soviet-era debt to the sum of about $14.5 billion, and to reschedule repayment of the remainder.
Syria's debt to Russia accrued as a result of Soviet arms deliveries to Damascus.
Moscow : The Russian government approved at a session on Thursday a bill to ratify an agreement with Syria on settling the country's $3.6 billion Soviet-era debt to Russia.
In 2005, Russia agreed to write off 73% of Syria's Soviet-era debt to the sum of about $14.5 billion, and to reschedule repayment of the remainder.
Syria's debt to Russia accrued as a result of Soviet arms deliveries to Damascus.
US calls Darfur rebels to attend peace talks without preconditions
By Xinhua
Washington : The US has urged leaders of rebel groups involved in the Darfur conflict in Sudan to attend without preconditions peace talks scheduled to be held in Arusha, Tanzania.
"The United States urges all invited participants to attend the Arusha conference without preconditions, and calls on the rebel participants to include field commanders in their delegations," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday.
UK MPs face tighter rules on expenses
By IRNA
London : From next month, British MPs will be able to claim expenses of only up to pnds 25 (dlrs 50) without a receipt, a cut from the current pnds 250 limit, a parliamentary watchdog ruled Tuesday.
The (House of) Commons Members Estimates Committee also slashed the amount of petty cash MPs can use for office expenses from pnds 250 to pnds 50 per month.
UN sanctions on Iran send unmistakable message, says Obama
By DPA,
Washington : The UN sanctions adopted by the Security Council Wednesday send an "unmistakable message" that the international community will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, US President Barack Obama said.
Speaking shortly after the council voted 12-2 to impose some of the toughest sanctions on Iran so far, Obama faulted the Islamic state's leaders for failing to seriously address concerns about the country's nuclear activities.
"These are the most comprehensive sanctions that the Iranian government has faced," Obama said.
18 killed in China mine blast
By IANS,
Beijing: A coal mine gas blast killed 18 people and injured 12 in northeast China, authorities said Sunday.
US lawmakers push for aggressive diplomacy in South Asia
By Lalit K. Jha,IANS,
New York : Top US lawmakers Sunday pushed for aggressive and effective US diplomacy in South Asia to prevent the further escalation of tensions between Pakistan and India as a consequence of the Mumbai terrorist attacks that have killed 183 people, including six Americans.
Koirala quits as Nepal PM
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : More than two months after constituent assembly elections, Nepal's embattled Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Thursday tendered his resignation following mounting pressure by the Maoists, paving the way for a new government under the former guerrillas.
The octogenarian leader made a rare appearance in the assembly after zero hour, announcing his resignation in a short speech heavy with emotion.
"When you take a decision, you are relieved of tension and feel light," Koirala told the house. "I have appeared before you feeling lighter."
China bans online ‘mafia’ games
By Xinhua,
Beijing: China's culture ministry has issued an order to all websites prohibiting them to run, publish or offer links to online games featuring mafia-like gangs, and threatened "severe punishment" for those who violate the ban.
Such games violated regulations on Internet administration, because they "advocate obscenity, gambling, or violence", and "undermine morality and Chinese traditional culture", said a circular posted on the ministry's website.
Russian FM questions NATO current policies
By NNN-KUNA
Moscow : Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov renewed Saturday his country's concerns towards the North Atlantic Treat Organization's (NATO) intentions from massing troops on Europe.
He told INTERFAX News Agency that the geographic region which NATO's troops settled in made it very difficult for Russia to conduct military maneuver to the east.
Lavrov questioned the presence of the NATO troops, saying that the numbers were huge.
The numbers should be set, said the Russian official who claimed that NATO disregarded this call.
Sri Lankan rebel’s defense line captured by gov’t troops
By Xinhua
Colombo : A rebel's defense line in the north western district of Mannar was captured by the Sri Lankan government troops in a battle with the Tamil Tigers, a military spokesman said on Sunday.
Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the military spokesman said the troops launched a 4-pronged offensive at the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forward defense line at Mannar on Saturday.
"We attacked them from 4 different positions north of Yodawewa (giant tank) and Adampan. The LTTE fled the area as we kept on firing them", Nanayakkara said.
Acehnese Tsunami Refugees In Malaysia To Return Home
By Bernama,
Jakarta : The deportation of 24,000 Acehnese tsunami refugees in Malaysia to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province will be conducted in stages, Indonesian news agency, ANTARA, quoted the Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman as saying.
"The Indonesian government hope their deportation could be carried out in stages until the end of this year," Teuku Faizasyah, the spokesman said here on Friday.
Previously the number of Tsunami victim card holders reached 30,000, and some of them had already gone home, he said, adding that there are still 24,000 of them in Malaysia.
Myanmar democracy still in ‘infancy’, says junta chief
By DPA,
Naypyitaw (Myanmar): Myanmar's democracy is still in its "infancy" and requires safeguarding by the people, the country's outgoing junta chief said Saturday.
Dengue kills at least 67 people this year in Philippines
By SPA
Manila : At least 67 people have died from dengue in the first three months of 2008 in the Philippines, up 36 per cent from the same period last year, the health department said Tuesday.
A total of 6,653 people were afflicted with dengue from January to March 2008, compared to 5,453 cases in the same period in 2007, the Department added.
In the same period in 2007, 49 people died from the disease, DPA reported.
New super explosives pack a wallop without polluting
By Ernest Gill, DPA,
Hamburg : A new generation of super-powerful conventional explosives will soon be able to reduce the risks of accidental detonation and pollution of the environment, according to a team of German researchers.
The researchers from the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich say the new explosives are safer to transport than TNT and less toxic to the environment, apart from being more powerful.
Greek prime minister to arrive in Moscow on official visit
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis will arrive in Moscow on Monday on a two-day visit for talks expected to focus on energy cooperation and an arms deal.
On Wednesday the premier will meet with President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.
A Greek government spokesman told a press briefing in Athens that the meeting with Putin would address "a broad range of bilateral issues, with a focus on the energy sector."
Nearly 1,000 Ukrainian troops killed in clashes with rebels
Kiev : Nearly 1,000 Ukrainian troops were killed in fighting with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, authorities in Kiev said Tuesday.
Ukrainian chief military prosecutor...
US funding for population work will help women, says UN
By DPA,
New York : The restoration of funding of UN population programmes by the Obama administration will help women, girls and their families around the world, the global organisation has said.
US President Barack Obama signed a $410-billion budget for the rest of the fiscal year Wednesday that included restoring US contribution of $50 million a year to the fund.
20 killed in Haiti road accident
By IANS,
Port-au-Prince : At least 20 people were killed and a dozen injured when two buses collided on Haiti's National Highway near Leogane, 35 km from Port-au-Prince.
The accident occurred Tuesday in the town of L'Acul when one of the buses tried to avoid a patch of the highway damaged by the Jan. 12 earthquake. The bus driver, who was speeding, lost control and hit another bus.
The injured were taken to the Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, hospital in Leogane and to the public hospital in Petit-Goave, a city 68 km southwest of the capital.
‘Empires of the Indus’ tops non-fiction bestseller list’
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Empires of the Indus" is the new bestseller in the on-fiction group this week, while "Brisingr" by Christopher Paolini is on the top of the charts in the fiction category.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non-Fiction
1. Title: "Empires Of Indus"
Author: Alice Albinia
Publisher: John Murray
Price: Rs.550.00
2. Title: "Descent Into Chaos"
Author: Ahmed Rashid
Publisher: Allen Lane
Price: Rs.495.00
3. Title: "The Way of The World : A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of
Extremism"
Author: Ron Suskind
Chrysler receives $4 bn US government loan
By DPA,
Washington : US car maker Chrysler confirmed Saturday that it had received an initial infusion of $4 billion from the US government.
In statement from its corporate headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, Chrysler head Robert Nardelli said the funds would "allow the company to continue an orderly restructuring, while pursuing our vision to build the fuel-efficient, high-quality cars and trucks people want to buy".
Dengue kills 60 in Myanmar
Yangon: Dengue fever has killed 60 people in Myanmar as of July 10 since its outbreak in January, the media reported on Sunday.
The disease...
Yahoo’s second-quarter earnings drop 18 percent
By DPA,
San Francisco : Yahoo! reported an 18 percent drop in second-quarter profits Tuesday putting more pressure on the company in the aftermath of a shareholder revolt and the controversy over Microsoft's aborted attempt to buy the company.
The Silicon Valley internet services company said it earned $131.2 million, or 9 cents a share, compared to $161 million , or 11 cents a share a year ago. Revenue for the three months ended June 30 was $1.8 billion, compared with $1.7 billion in the same quarter a year earlier.
Chinese court jails Rio Tinto employees
By IANS,
Beijing : A court in China Monday gave jail terms to four people, including an Australian, in the Rio Tinto case for bribery and stealing commercial secrets.
The Intermediate People's Court in Shanghai gave jail terms ranging from seven to 14 years to the four defendants, including Australian Stern Hu, in the case, court sources said.
On July 5, 2009, four employees of Rio Tinto, a multinational mining and resources group with its headquarters in London and Melbourne, were arrested in Shanghai for corruption and espionage.
Two teenagers killed in Colombian `military error’
By EFE,
Bogota : Two Colombian teenagers died after soldiers opened fire at them in the northwestern province of Antioquia, in what the soldiers' commanding officer called a "military error".
The commander of the army's 5th Brigade, Gen. Jairo Aponte, told reporters that the incident occurred Saturday night in the town of Yondo.
Aponte said that the teenagers, aged 13 and 15, who were riding a motorcycle, were hit by rifle shots fired by the soldiers, but denied that the latter were under the influence of alcohol.
Hariri’s allies pledge to install Lebanese president soon
By DPA
Beirut : The allies of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, who gathered here to commemorate his third death anniversary Thursday, intensified their position against the opposition led by Hezbollah, and vowed that Lebanon would soon have a consensus president.
"No matter what the consequences will be, we will have a president soon," Saad Hariri, son of the late premier and head of the ruling majority, told the huge crowd at a mass rally in downtown Beirut.
Kosovo to hold early parliamentary polls
Pristina : A day after the assembly's dissolution, Kosovo leader Atifete Jahjaga Thursday set June 8 as the date to hold early parliamentary elections.
"Based...
Journalism more than ‘rough draft of history’
By IANS
New York : The Washington Post's Donald Graham once famously said that journalism is the "first rough draft of history" - but a new study claims that it goes well beyond that.
It contends that the media, in fact "significantly influences" the very shaping of history.
The study, by a University of Missouri researcher, scanned the use of historical references by journalists in the 19th century, a time when the US had little or no published history records.
Abkhazian border guards in shootout with ‘Georgian saboteurs’
By RIA Novosti,
Sukhumi : Abkhazian border guards were involved on Saturday in a shootout with a group of "Georgian saboteurs" in the Gali district of the rebel republic, a police spokesman said.
According to Lourens Kogoniya, at around 1:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT), a border guard patrol came across an armed group of six people near the village of Saberio, on the de facto border with the undisputed part of Georgia.
"A shootout took place. According to unconfirmed information there were deaths on the Georgian side," he said, adding that the group had then fled back across the border.
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.
Stellar blast gamma ray was aimed at earth: NASA
By Xinhua,
Washington : Data from satellites and observatories around the globe show a jet from a powerful stellar explosion witnessed March 19 was aimed almost directly at the Earth, the US space agency NASA has reported.
NASA's Swift satellite detected the explosion - formally named GRB 080319B - and pinpointed its position in the constellation Bootes. The event, called a gamma-ray burst, became bright enough for human eyes to see.
Observations of the event are giving astronomers the most detailed portrait of a burst ever recorded.
British Airways to cut pension deficit
By DPA,
London : British Airways (BA) said Tuesday that it has reached agreement on a plan to cut its massive pension deficit of 3.7 billion pounds ($5.4 billion), which would pave the way for its planned merger with Spain's Iberia airline.
The embattled British airline said its agreement with pension trustees would avoid the closure of its two company pension schemes, which together serve nearly 100,000 members.
"This plan is a significant and positive step forward for British Airways," said the airline's financial officer, Keith Williams.
Chinese air force trains 300 women pilots
By IANS,
Beijing : A total of 328 women pilots have been trained by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force over the past six decades, according to government figures.
Ecuador faces worst flooding in decades, 3 mn people affected
By IANS
Quito (Ecuador): More than three million people, who make up a quarter of Ecuador's population, have been afflicted by the worst floods the Andean nation has known for decades, according to a security ministry official, EFE news agency reported Sunday.
The official said 265,000 people have been evacuated, as many as 60,000 of them finding refuge in government shelters set up in the coastal provinces of Guayas, Los Rios, El Oro and Manabi.
Civil Defence has put the toll at 12 nationwide but media and other sources said the actual figure was much higher.
Vellu brings temple demolition issue to the fore
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Senior Malaysian Indian leader S. Samy Vellu has once again spoken out against the demolition of a Hindu temple a week before Diwali last year, saying that it caused the Indian vote to swing away from the government.
Vellu Sunday blamed the then chief minister of Selangor, Mohamad Khir Toyo, for refusing to heed his plea that the Hindu temple in Padang Jawa in Shah Alam not be demolished following a long dispute between the temple management and the civic authorities.
Russians go to polls to elect president
By IRNA
Moscow : Voting is under way in Russia's presidential poll, bringing to a close Vladimir Putin's eight years in office.
Main contender Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is on the list against three challengers.
If elected, Medvedev, the Kremlin's preferred candidate, has promised to make Putin his prime minister.
Saturday was declared an official "day of silence" with no campaigning allowed across Russia's 11 time zones.
‘FBI broke own rules seeking information in terror cases’
By DPA
Washington : The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) broke the law or its own rules more than 1,000 times while searching for information relevant to terrorism cases in domestic phone calls, e-mails and financial records, the Washington Post reported Thursday.
Six dead, 420,000 affected by rain in China
By IANS,
Beijing: At least six people have died and over 420,000 affected in south China's Guangxi Zhuang region due to floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain , Xinhua reported.
Nepal PM to be elected on Saturday 19
By Prensa Latina,
Katmandu : The Constituent Assembly (CA) consultation Committee in Nepal agree to elect prime minister of this new born Himalaya Republic next Saturday 19.
The members of this panel, who met at the International Convention Center in this capital, took that decision in moments in which the parties intensify negotiations over the process to elect the dignitary.
NASA spots pyramid-like structure on Mars
New York: Fuelling speculation that advanced civilisation once thrived on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover has found a pyramid-like structure on the Red Planet, media...
South African president in Zimbabwe for fresh talks
By DPA,
Johannesburg : South African President Thabo Mbeki returned to Zimbabwe Friday for talks with President Robert Mugabe on the country's post-election impasse as foreign ambassadors visited the victims of attacks carried out by Mugabe-loyal youth militia.
Mbeki is under pressure to take a tougher stance with the 84-year-old leader than on his last visit to Zimbabwe in April, when the South African leader declared he saw no evidence of a "crisis" in Zimbabwe.
German train strike estimated to cost euro 100m a day: press
By IRNA
Berlin, Aug 7, IRNA The upcoming strike by German train drivers is estimated to cost German businesses around 100 million euros per day, news reports said Tuesday quoting the Berlin-based economic think-tank, the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW).
Germany's state-owned rail network Deutsche Bahn (DB) reiterated that no new offer will be made to the train drivers' union GDL ahead of a strike ultimatum, set to expire later in the day.
Americans more likely to elect a woman than a black president
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Americans think the country is more ready to elect a woman as president rather than a black person, a recent poll has shown.
The candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have brought up the question of electability based on race and gender to the forefront in the ongoing presidential election campaign.
The latest nationwide New York Times-CBS News poll posed the question to Democratic primary voters.
Of those surveyed, 65 percent said the country was ready for a woman president. Slightly more men than women think so.
Britons hit – on air, rail and road
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : British travellers and commuters were hit hard on a chaotic Friday after the collapse of one its largest tour operators and a fire in the rail tunnel connecting Britain with mainland Europe.
Some 85,000 Britons were reported to be stranded abroad after the XL Leisure Group, Britain's the third largest package holiday group, went into administration.
11 inmates escape from Greek prison
By IANS,
Athens: Eleven foreign prisoners escaped from a jail in Greece during an exchange of fire with guards, Greek authorities said.
Chilean police arrest 36 protestors from cathedral
By IANS
Santiago : At least 36 people have been arrested as the police evicted a group of protesters from a cathedral in northwestern Chilean city of Concepcion, the police said.
The city's archbishop Ricardo Ezzati had called for the eviction after talks failed with protestors, who had occupied the cathedral since last week to support local activist Patricia Troncoso, who has been on a hunger strike since Oct 10, 2007, Spain's EFE news agency reported Monday.
CPI-M denounces ‘pro-US, pro-Israel shift’
New Delhi : The CPI-M on Tuesday denounced India's decision to abstain against Israel in a UN Human Rights Council vote as a sign...
A week after: It was an unforgettable Saturday
By Shweta Sharma,
Kathmandu : "It looked like the walls of the house were converging and I would get trapped between them," recollects Sudha Upadhaya,...
EU works to restore security in Caucasus — German FM
By KUNA,
Berlin : German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday the European Union (EU) will spare no effort to restore security and stability to the Caucasus region.
World must unite against slavery: Ban Ki-moon
By IANS
New York : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed hope that past injustices will inspire the world to fight against the modern forms of slavery such as forced labour and human trafficking.
He said this at a special ceremony organised at the UN headquarters Tuesday on the occasion of the first International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, WAM news agency reported Thursday.
Walking speed may reveal old people’s life span
By IANS
New York : The speed of walking may reveal how long an elderly person will survive, says a new study by scientists in the US.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh analysed data of 492 adults aged 65 and older for a decade and found that faster walkers are substantially more likely to outlive the slower ones.
The study adjusted for gender, race, age, chronic illness and hospitalisation and found that walking speed appeared to be an independent predictor of longevity.
China lashes out at US for ‘politicising Beijing Olympics’
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : China sharply criticised Thursday "odious attempts" by US lawmakers to politicise the Olympics and to interfere in its internal affairs.
The US House of Representatives passed Wednesday by 419 votes to one a resolution "calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to immediately end abuses of the human rights of its citizens...to ensure that the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games take place in an atmosphere that honours the Olympic traditions of freedom and openness."
Nepal’s last king bows out of palace
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu ; Amidst jubilation from hundreds of people who lined up before the Narayanhity royal palace to witness the final exit of deposed monarch Gyanendra, the last king of Nepal bowed out of the palace, handing it over to the state along with his crown, sceptre and throne.
The 61-year-old, who entered the palace as king in 2001 following the assassination of his brother Birendra, made his exit as a commoner Wednesday night, using the west gate instead of the main one in the south.
Neighbours voice support for Iraq’s security
By DPA,
Amman : Iraq's neighbouring countries have pledged their support for the restoration of security to the violence-torn country.
According to a joint communique, issued at the end of a one-day ministerial meeting in the Syrian capital Thursday, the participating countries agreed to "cooperate bilaterally or collectively and to take all necessary measures to prevent terrorists" from using their territories as bases for mobilization, training or financing.
China’s telecommunication sector revenue up
By IANS,
Beijing : The main business revenue of the China's telecommunication sector reached 988 billion yuan ($157 billion) in 2011, up 10 percent year-on-year, authorities said Tuesday.
Six killed in Kenya stadium stampede
By IANS,
Nairobi : At least six football fans died and several were injured in a stampede at the gate of a stadium here in the Kenyan capital.
Extraordinary finds on China’s Silk Road origins revealed
By DPA
Berlin : The sensational recent archaeological finds from Xinjiang, China's most northwestern province, are on show for the first time in Europe at the Origins of the Silk Road exhibition here. Some 190 objects recovered from the Tarim Basin in Central Asia are featured in the show, which brings together extraordinary archaeological finds dating from around 2000 BC - among them items from the Bronze and Early Iron Age as well as the Han Period.
Six SAARC leaders attending Modi swearing-in, Pakistan yet to confirm
New Delhi: Six SAARC neighbours have confirmed their attendance at the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, but Pakistan has yet to confirm...
New constitution in two months: Nepal Deputy PM
By Prashant Sood
Kathmandu : Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Bamdev Gautam has expressed confidence that a new constitution will be promulgated in the country in...
Kenya passes anti-terror law
Nairobi : Kenyan lawmakers have passed the amendments proposed in the Security Laws (Amendment) Bill by two parliamentary committees amid a shouting match, name...
First Muslim elected to UK’s shadow cabinet
By IRNA,
London : Former Transport minister Sadiq Khan has become the first ethnic-minority MP to be elected to Labour’s shadow cabinet after winning the vote of 128 of his colleagues.
Quit smoking to increase longevity
By IANS,
London: Women who give up smoking before the age of 30 can cut 97 percent of the health risks associated with the habit, according to a British study.
Typhoon batters northern Philippines
By DPA,
Manila : A powerful typhoon Saturday battered extreme northern Philippines with forceful winds and heavy rains, but spared the capital and surrounding areas still recovering from devastating floods.
Typhoon Parma toppled trees and ripped off rooftops in Cagayan province, 405 km north of Manila, hours before it was set to make landfall in the town of Santa Ana Saturday evening.
"Angry winds are now battering our area and it would be disastrous if the impact would be stronger," police regional commander Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian told DPA by telephone.
90 African refugees rescued off Malta
Valletta: Some 90 African refugees have been rescued at sea off Malta by a Maltese armed forces patrol vessel, a government statement said.
The refugees,...
Kenyan police killed more than 8,000: rights group
By DPA
Nairobi : A Kenyan human rights group Monday charged the country's police with killing more than 8,000 people over the last five years in connection with an outlawed sect accused of gruesome beheadings.
Some 8,040 alleged members of the banned Mungiki group were killed in execution style or tortured to death, while more than 4,000 others went missing, the Oscar Foundation Free Legal Aid Clinic-Kenya group said.
It said its findings were based on interviews with relatives, autopsy reports and police records.
Vuvuzela gets entry in Oxford English Dictionary
By DPA,
London : The vuvuzela, the horn instrument which became the sound of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, has won an entry in the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary due to be published Thursday.
The dictionary, which is based on how language is really used, defines the horn as a long plastic instrument, in the shape of a trumpet, that makes a very loud noise when you blow it and is popular with football fans in South Africa.
Philippine left-wing rebels claim 32 gov’t troops killed in 2 months
By Xinhua,
Manila : The Philippine left-wing rebel force New People's Army (NPA) claimed on Sunday its members have killed 32 government troops in Mindanao, southern Philippines, over the past two months, reported local television network GMA News.
The TV report quoted NPA spokesman Rigoberto Sanchez as saying that dozens more government soldiers were also wounded and two captured in Mindanao in the past two months.
FARC releases two hostages
By IANS,
Bogota : Colombia's leftwing group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has released two male hostages kidnapped seven weeks ago, Spain's EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
The rebels released the two because their families were too poor to pay a ransom, Caracol Radio reported Tuesday.
The FARC, Colombia's oldest and largest leftist guerrilla group founded in 1964, has an estimated 8,000 to 17,000 fighters and operatives across the country.
Cost-cutting measures fall short: Italy’s central bank chief
By IANS/AKI,
Rome : Italy's recent efforts to put its public finances on a healthier footing are falling short, according to the head of the Bank of Italy, Mario Draghi.
Congressional panel approves Hagel for US defense secretary
By IANS/EFE,
Washington: The Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday approved the nomination of former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel as the country's new defense secretary.
APEC meeting ends with message of ‘confidence and faith’
By DPA,
Lima : The leaders of the 21 economies that make up the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum ended their annual meeting Sunday in Peru with a message of "confidence and faith" at a time of global economic crisis.
Dressed in typically-Andean brown ponchos and standing in front of a giant photograph of the ancient ruins of the Machu Picchu Inca citadel, APEC leaders looked ahead and sought to inspire hope at a time of financial turmoil.
Eurasia’s tallest building in Moscow on fire
By DPA
Moscow : The tallest structure in Europe and Asia, Ostankino Tower, caught fire Friday afternoon in Moscow, Russian emergency officials said.
British schools will be forced to build multicultural links
By IANS
London : To promote community relations, 'all-white' schools in Britain will have to send their children to multiethnic schools from September so they can mix with other races and religions.
EU to send new mission to Kosovo after Serbia polls
By RIA Novosti
Brussels : The European Union's (EU) foreign policy chief said Tuesday that the 27-nation grouping will dispatch a police force to Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo after the country's presidential election.
"The EU will be ready to give a formal go-ahead to the mission a few days after the election," Belgian media quoted Javier Solana as saying.
The bloc plans to send a 1,800-strong mission, including lawyers and police, to the Albanian-dominated region, which is expected to unilaterally declare its independence within weeks.
7 die in New Zealand school river trip
By Xinhua,
Wellington : Six students and one teacher died on Tuesday after being swept away in a swollen river on a school adventure course in New Zealand's central North Island, according to an official of the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Center (OPC) Wednesday.
The students from Elim College, in Howick, were part of a group of 40 on the Mangatepopo River in storm-lashed weather, the head of the OPC said.
Urgently required: Climate emergency back-up plan
By IANS,
Washington : Steep cuts in carbon emissions are a must for stabilising global climate, but a backup plan is also urgently required.
Geo-engineering solutions like injecting dust into air are risky, but may become necessary if emissions cuts are insufficient to stave off catastrophic warming.
Climate scientist Ken Calderia of Carnegie Institution urged that research into the pros and cons of geo-engineering (climate change engineering) be prioritised.
Post poll violence in Kenya claims 250 lives
KUWAIT, Jan 2 (KUNA) -- At least 250 people were killed, including 30 who were burned to death at a church in ethnic violence in Kenya, the BBC monitored here said on Wednesday.
The violence has been raging since last Thursday when Mwai Kibaki was officially re-elected president. He along, with the defeated opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who contested the poll, has called for cessation of the violence.
Leading US Banks can go Red
Washington, Oct 8 (Prensa Latina) US banks JP Morgan, Chase and Bank of America can report losses for about three billion dollars for mortgaged property and loans, said the British newspaper Financial Times.
That daily quotes the analyst of Sanford Bernstein, Howard Mason, who believes that JP Morgan can pass to losses on loans for the value of 1.4 billion dollars and another 700 million due to mortgages and securities supported by them.
Sarkozy urges US, Russia to delay missile plans
By IRNA,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for a temporary moratorium on stationing US missile systems in Europe and said deployment of a planned US system would do "nothing" for security on the continent.
Speaking after a regular summit meeting of top European Union officials and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Nice, France, Sarkozy backed Russian calls for a summit in mid-2009 to discuss security arrangements in Europe.
Airport scanner can damage diabetes device
By IANS,,
Washington : Full-body scanners used at airports can damage the insulin pump or continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device used by diabetics, caution experts.
22 drown as boat sinks off Guinea-Bissau
By IANS,
Bissau: At least 22 people were drowned and about 70 others were missing Friday after their boat sank off the west African nation of Guinea-Bissau.
Nepal leaders vow to hold free, fair elections
By Xinhua
Kathmandu : Top leaders of three major Nepali political parties vowed Tuesday to hold the April 10 constituent assembly (CA) elections in a free and fair manner.
The leaders in a statement released after a meeting here called on all political parties and people to make the elections a success and consolidate democratic institutions in the country.
Bus plunges into raging river killing 16 people
By SPA,
Kathmandu : At least 16 people were killed and nearly a dozen remained missing after a passenger bus plunged off a mountain highway, Nepalese police said Saturday.
The bus, on its way to the south-western town of Bharaihawa from the capital Kathmandu, reportedly fell about 100 meters off a highway into the swollen and fast-flowing Trishuli river early Saturday in Dhading district, about 50 kilometers west of the Nepalese capital.
Police said they had recovered 16 bodies but at least 12 people were still missing.
South African government websites hacked
By IANS,
Cape Town : Hackers have attacked several websites of the South African government in the past few days, a media report said Tuesday.
Tombstone used to smuggle drugs into Canada!
By IANS,
Vancouver : Canadians police have seized a record quantity of drugs hidden inside a tombstone that was imported from Iran.
Though drug smugglers have always been deploying newer methods of smuggling to beat police, this novel method has left many dumbfounded.
Police revealed Tuesday that they seized 56.8 kg of opium from the 550-kg tombstone when the shipment landed at Vancouver airport earlier this month. The contraband was seized when the officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) inspected the tombstone.
Myanmar parliament session to start Oct 22
By IANS,
Yangon: Myanmar parliament will commence its 5th session Oct 22.
Armenia’s prime minister wins presidential polls
By RIA Novosti
Yerevan : Armenia's Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan won Tuesday's presidential elections, securing 53 percent of total votes polled, the central election commission said Wednesday.
According to Central Election Commissioner Garegin Azaryan, Sarkisyan got 52.86 percent of votes with about 99 percent of ballots counted so far.
A candidate has to cross the threshold of 50 percent of total polled votes to hold the highest office of the country.
26 killed in Indonesia floods
By IANS,
Jakarta : Flash floods in Indonesia have left at least 26 people dead, while many people were missing, officials said.
Russia downplays Tu-142 flight over U.S. aircraft carrier
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : The Russian Navy is surprised by the commotion raised in Western media over the flight of a Russian military plane in the vicinity of a U.S. aircraft carrier, the Navy spokesman said on Thursday.
Western media earlier cited U.S. officials as saying that a Russian bomber came within three to five nautical miles and flew 2,000 feet (610 meters) above the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier off the Korean coast. A similar incident occurred less than a month ago.
Nepal’s sole rail service closes indefinitely
Kathmandu, Nov 5 (IANS) As Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala remained busy in an emergency cabinet meeting Monday, a day after averting a clash with Maoists in parliament, workers supported by the guerrillas indefinitely shut down Nepal's only railway service.
The narrow gauge rail service connecting Janakpur town in Dhanusha district in southern Nepal with Indian frontier town Jaynagar is the sole railway service in Nepal.
Nepal has asked India for assistance to convert the track into broad gauge and extend it further from Janakpur to Bardibas in Mahottari district.
Aftershocks keep jolting quake-hit areas in China
By Xinhua,
Beijing : A moderate aftershock measuring 5.69 on the Richter scale jolted the Lixian County in China's quake-hit south-western Sichuan Province Friday, the seismological bureau reported.
This was the latest aftershock in a series of 20 tremors, each measuring above 5 on the Richter scale, recorded in the Sichuan region.
As of midnight Thursday, 122 aftershocks, measuring above four on the Richter scale, had been monitored in the Wenchuan County. The quake epicentre was in south-western Sichuan province.
One injured in London building collapse
By DPA
London : At least one person was injured when the top of a building next to Scotland Yard police headquarters in central London collapsed Tuesday, leaving the streets strewn with rubble and causing extensive damage to parked cars and motorbikes.
At least 24 people dead as plane crashes in Brazilian river
By RIA Novosti,
RIO DE JANEIRO : At least 24 people died after a small passenger plane crashed into a river in Brazil's Amazon jungle, the country's firefighting service said on Sunday.
The plane crashed amid heavy rain into the Manacapuru River some 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, on Saturday.
Four people, including a 9-year-old girl, have been rescued. It is yet to be clarified how many passengers were on board the plane.
Bush warns Obama on protectionism, defends his record
By IANS,
Toronto : In his first major speech after leaving office two months ago, former US president George Bush Tuesday defended his eight-year record and warned his successor Barack Obama against protectionist policies to pull the country out of recession.
Speaking on his "Eight years in the Oval office'' at an invitation-only luncheon for 1,500 people in Calgary, Bush also defended treatment of terror suspects in Guantanamo even as protesters shouted slogans for his arrest as a war criminal.
7,000 troops to join Afghan surge: Nato chief
By IANS,
London : Seven thousand more troops from 25 countries are to join the 30,000-strong US surge in Afghanistan, Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Friday.
This will take the total number of foreign troops in Afghanistan to around 140,000, Rasmussen said without disclosing how many of the contributing countries were members of the Nato.
Rasmussen said that a recent announcement by US President Barrack Obama giving July 2011 as the deadline for the US troops to start withdrawing did not signal a decision to quit Afghanistan.
Brazil swine flu toll 577, highest in world
By EFE,
Brasilia : A total of 577 people have died from swine flu in Brazil, putting the South American nation at the top of the list of countries reporting fatalities from the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, the health ministry said.
The mortality rate, however, is 0.29 percent in Brazil, well below the 1.08 percent rate in Argentina, the 0.75 percent rate in Chile and the 0.67 percent rate in Costa Rica, which have the highest levels in Latin America, health officials said Thursday.
Ingrid Betancourt reunited with her two children
By DPA
Bogota : With tender strokes and tears, the liberated Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt was reunited Thursday with her two children, Melanie and Lorenzo, their first contact in more than eight years.
Her children - both adults who live in France with their father and who have lobbied intensively around the world for their mother's release - arrived at the Catam military base near Bogota Thursday morning, aboard an Airbus A319 belonging to the French presidency.
Betancourt greeted her children on the plane stairs, in a long-awaited scene full of hugs, kissing and tears.
First anniversary sees Nepal peace pact in tatters
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : The peace pact signed between Nepal's ruling parties and the Maoists reached its first anniversary Wednesday, but there was little cause to cheer with mounting tales of atrocities by guerrillas, parties engaged in fighting for power and violence rearing its head in the Terai plains.
Russian coast guards return 8,000 crabs to sea
By RIA Novosti,
Vladivostok : Some 8,000 live crabs, confiscated by Russian coast guards earlier in the week, have been released into the Sea of Japan, a spokeswoman for the Coast Guard Service said Friday.
Natalya Rondaleva said that coast guards detained the Cambodia-flagged Trojana fishing vessel Aug 24 with 12.5 tonnes of live crab on board, worth some 5.5 million rubles ($174,000).
"The captain failed to provide documents verifying the legality of the catch. The Trojana was escorted by coast guards to the port of Nakhodka Thursday," she said.
Over 100 die in Kenyan pipeline fire
By IANS,
Nairobi : Over 100 people were burnt to death Monday in a fire in a fuel pipeline passing through a slum area in Kenyan capital Nairobi, officials said.
‘South Asian women need counselling before going to Canada’
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Canadian missions must begin counselling sessions for South Asian women going to Canada before they land here after marriage to stem the rising tide of domestic violence reported in the fast-growing community, a study has recommended.
In her study titled "Culturally driven violence against women" among South Asians here, Indo-Canadian social activist Aruna Papp says the fast-growing community has the highest domestic violence in Canada.
Family members of US forces men arrested in Japan
By Xinhua
Tokyo : Several family members of the Japan-based US marine and air forces personnel in Okinawa prefecture were arrested Friday for allegedly robbing a taxi driver.
Among the arrested were a 16-year-old son of a US airman and a 15-year son of a Marine.
The two were arrested for assaulting and robbing a 55-year-old taxi driver of $80 in Okinawa city March 16, Kyodo news agency said quoting police.
Authorities also issued arrest warrants on two, both sons of US servicemen at the base, the agency said and added that a US airman was being interrogated over the incident.
Sea levels might rise or fall if warming continues
By IANS,
Washington : Sea levels might rise or fall if the trend of more recent warming continues unabated, as in the past, during a period known as the Last Interglacial, they were oscillating.
Two sentenced to death for Tibet riots
By Xinhua,
Lhasa : A Chinese court sentenced two people to death after finding them guilty of starting fires during riots in Lhasa in March 2008, a court spokesman said Wednesday.
Two other people were given death sentences with a two-year reprieve, and one person was handed life imprisonment, the spokesman of the Lhasa Municipal Intermediate People's Court said.
UK delayed renditions admission undermines US ties
By IRNA
London : The British government has come under stinging criticism over its delayed admission that UK territories have been used by the US in the rendition of terrorist suspects.
The opposition Conservative's shadow foreign secretary William Hague warned that the admission, made by Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Thursday, after more than two years of denials, could damage the perception of UK-US relations.
11 killed in landslide in northern part of Myanmar
By Xinhua,
Yangon : A total of 11 people were killed in a landslide in Myanmar's northern part of Mogok, the state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Saturday.
The landslide caused by midnight torrential rain on Wednesday-Thursday, leaving seven men and four women dead in Mogok, the newspaper said.
The six-hour torrential rain from Wednesday midnight to Thursday morning at 06:00 a.m. local time reached record rainfall of 8.07 inches (0.2 meters) in Mogok in Mandalay division, and Yeni Creek over flew four wards in the town, it said.
Karunanidhi on fast over Sri Lankan Tamils, PM concerned
By IANS,
Chennai/New Delhi : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi began an indefinite hunger strike in Chennai Monday to protest "cruel acts" against Tamils in Sri Lanka, prompting a concerned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to phone him to say India was trying to influence Colombo to end its hostilities.
"I have decided to offer my life to the increasing numbers of lives lost due to the Sinhalese regime's continuing cruel acts against the Tamil ethnic minority in the war in Sri Lanka," Karunanidhi told reporters in Chennai.