Nepal Maoists call indefinite general strike from May 2
By IANS,
Kathmandu : On the eve of the 16th SAARC Summit scheduled to kick off in Bhutan from Wednesday, Nepal's volatile political situation worsened rapidly Monday with the former Maoist guerrillas announcing an indefinite general strike from May 2.
Indian national dies working in Singapore shipyard
By DPA,
Singapore : An Indian national who fell into a water tank became the ninth worker to die since June in Singapore's beleaguered shipyard industry, news reports said Saturday.
Sathiyamoorthy Siva, 21, fell into the 21-metre-deep tank on the Japanese-registered oil tanker, the Eneos Breeze.
His body was found Friday at the bottom of the tank.
Sathiyamoorthy was working for a subcontractor at Keppel Shipyard, one of the world's largest shipbuilding and repair companies.
The Ministry of Manpower said that investigations were ongoing.
Sri Lanka agrees to allow relief ship
By IANS,
New Delhi : Sri Lanka has agreed to allow a ship to off-load its contents, relief material sent by Tamil diaspora, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said here Wednesday after meeting a delegation from the island.
Krishna told reporters he had urged Sri Lanka to give permission to the relief ship as a "humanitarian gesture".
"The Sri Lankan delegation kindly agreed to our suggestion and the ship would now be routed to Sri Lanka through the Indian Red Cross," he said.
LTTE can’t withstand three-pronged attack: official
By IANS
Colombo : Tamil Tiger rebels will not be able to withstand the ongoing three-pronged attack on their strongholds in north Sri Lanka though they are putting up fierce resistance, a top Sri Lankan official has said.
"The LTTE would not be able to successfully resist troops on three different fronts," Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told The Island daily Monday, even as he acknowledged that the rebels were putting up stiff resistance.
Three killed in US courthouse shooting
By IANS,
Washington: Three people were killed in a shooting incident at a county courthouse in the northeastern US state of Delaware, police said.
Hispanics favour Obama: survey
Washington, Sep 20 (IANS) Fifty-five percent of Hispanic voters, who constitute an important segment of the US electorate, prefer Democrat presidential hopeful Barack Obama to his Republican rival John McCain, EFE news agency reported Saturday quoting a new poll.
The latest figures from a survey by the Pew Hispanic Center put Obama well ahead of McCain.
Twenty women die in accident in China
By Xinhua
Shenyang (China) : A motor tricycle overturned on a mountain path in a Hengren Manchus autonomous county in northeast China's Liaoning Province, leaving 20 women dead and four injured.
Police said that all the women on board were farmers and were on their way home from picking potherb Sunday when the accident occurred.
Support for Brown dips to historic low: Poll
By Xinhua,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's personal appeal dipped to a historic low as speculation over his future ran wild, said a poll published in Daily Telegraph Friday.
Some 15 percent interviewed believe Brown is fit for the job of prime minister, according to the YouGov survey conducted among 2000 people across the country.
Obama to meet security chiefs in wake of Detroit plot
By DPA,
Washington: One day after returning from a winter vacation in Hawaii, US President Barack Obama was to host a critical meeting Tuesday with his top security chiefs at the White House.
Obama will gather leading officials from intelligence agencies, homeland security, justice and others to discuss policy changes in the aftermath of the Christmas Day plot to blow up an airliner over Detroit.
Obama returned to Washington on Monday after a two-week break in Hawaii, the state he once called home.
Russia’s presidential poll begins
By Xinhua
Kamchatsky (Russia) : Russia's far eastern region of Kamchatka kicked off Sunday the presidential election in which four candidates are vying to replace Vladimir Putin, who is barred constitutionally to stand for a third consecutive term.
The candidates running for the highest post of the country are: First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, nominated by the ruling United Russia party, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Andrei Bogdanov, the leader of the Democratic Party.
U. S., Indonesian navies hold joint exercise
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : The United States and Indonesian navies started a five-day joint exercise in East Java province on Monday, Antara news wire reported here.
The exercise so called "Naval Engagement Activity or NEA 2008",involved 100 personnel from the U.S. Navy and 150 others from the Indonesian Navy, Commander of the Eastern Fleet Command Commodore Slamet Yulistiyono said.
Yulistiyono said, the U.S. Navy deployed four warships namely USS Tortuga, Ford, Jarret and USNS Safeguard.
Washington paralysed as massive winter storm hits America
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Life in the American capital was virtually paralysed Thursday as a massive winter storm moving north walloped the Washington...
Rice in Israel to advance Mideast peace process
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Israel Monday to give another push for the sluggish peace process between the Jewish state and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Ha'aretz daily reported on its website.
Hours before Rice's arrival, Israel released 198 Palestinian prisoners at Beitunya checkpoint north of Jerusalem in the morning as a goodwill gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Sarkozy to run for second presidential term
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced his plans to run in the forthcoming presidential election for a second term in the office.
Plagiarism case against Spanish Nobel laureate could be reopened
By DPA,
Madrid : A decade-old plagiarism case could be reopened in Spain against 1989 Nobel Literature Prize winner Camilo Jose Cela, the daily El Pais reported Tuesday.
As Cela died in 2002, the judicial complaint now targets Jose Manuel Lara, head of the Planeta publishing house who is being accused of helping Cela plagiarise Maria del Carmen Formoso's 1994 novel "Carmen, Carmela, Carmina".
Cela's novel "La Cruz de San Andres" (Saint Andrew's Cross) won the Planeta Literature Prize shortly after Formoso's novel was published.
British woman who married bin Laden’s son fears for their lives
By DPA
London : A British woman who married one of Osama bin Laden's son was Wednesday reported to have applied for a divorce because the couple feared for their lives.
The Sun newspaper said 51-year-old Jane Felix-Browne, who met Omar bin Laden, 27, during a holiday in Egypt a year ago, feared that both would be murdered.
When the marriage was publicised earlier this year, Felix-Browne said she had "married the son, not the father", and hoped that people would not judge her harshly.
Indonesian cleric jailed for 15 years for terror acts
By IANS/AKI,
Jakarta : Radical Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir was Thursday sentenced to 15 years in prison following his conviction for supporting a training camp for Islamist militants.
Thailand to invite all parties to discuss roadmap
By IANS,
Bangkok : Thailand's government will invite all concerned parties to discuss a a five-point national reconciliation roadmap June 12, prime minister's office said Wednesday.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will after that officially unveil the roadmap to the public, PM's office minister Sathit Wongnongtoey said.
"The prime minister will invite all Thai people to join the reconciliation creating effort and the government will regularly hold activities for the unity of Thai society," Xinhua quoted Sathit as saying in a Bangkok Post website report.
Painted solar cells can generate more renewable power
By IANS
London : A new, eco-friendly technology generating as much power as 50 wind farms could go a long way in popularising solar energy, a new study has said.
Dave Worsley of Swansea University is investigating ways of painting solar cells onto the flexible steel surfaces commonly used for cladding buildings, reported Sciencedaily.
"One of our university's engineering doctorate students was researching how sunlight interacts with paint and degrades it, which led to us developing a new photovoltaic method of capturing solar energy," he said.
300 old pilgrims stranded by Maoist strike
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Over 300 pilgrims, in their 70s and more, have been stranded in a border town near India due to the three-day general strike called by Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas that has kept the country paralysed since Sunday.
The Nepali pilgrims, packed in seven buses, were returning to Nepal after visiting various pilgrimage sites in India when they were hit by the disruption.
The buses have been stopped by Maoist protesters at the Bhairahawa border entry point in Nepal after they reached there from India's Uttar Pradesh state.
Sri Lanka says 19 rebels, 1 soldier killed in new northern battles
By SPA,
Colombo, Sri Lanka : Nineteen Tamil Tiger rebels and a Sri Lankan soldier were killed in a new round of fighting in the island's restive north, the military said Sunday.
Battles broke out Saturday on the northern front lines of the Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar and Welioya regions as soldiers tried to push into the rebel stronghold, a military official was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Police grill Israeli premier for second time over bank sale
By DPA
Jerusalem : Police questioned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for a second time in two days Thursday on suspicion that he favoured a personal friend during the privatisation sale of Israel's national bank.
The questioning at Olmert's Jerusalem residence was expected to take several hours, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, adding the premier was suspected of breach of trust.
Olmert, 62, was grilled over the affair for the first time Tuesday - for five hours.
70 percent Chinese were happy in 2011
By IANS,
Beijing : As many as 70 percent of Chinese felt happy this year, a survey showed.
Thai soldiers confess to killing Chinese sailors
By IANS,
Beijing : Nine Thai army men have surrendered and confessed to killing 13 Chinese sailors in Thailand earlier this month, the Thai police chief has said.
6.2 earthquake hits Manila
By IANS,
Manila : An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale hit the Philippine capital Thursday but there were no reports of casualties or damages.
The quake's epicentre was in northern Philippines, Xinhua news agency reported. The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake at 6.1.
German interior minister under fire for asking Muslims to spy
By IRNA,
Berlin : German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich is facing fierce criticism from the nation's Muslim community for asking Muslims to spy for the state, the press reported Tuesday.
Pakistan violates Kashmir ceasefire
Jammu: The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, triggering gun battles,...
Sole survivor of Libya air crash leaves for home
By IANS,
Tripoli : Nine-year-old Ruben van Assouw from the Netherlands, who miraculously survived a plane crash in Libya that killed all other 103 people on board, left Tripoli for home Saturday, an official report said.
Ruben left Libya after his health became stable, official Libyan news agency Jana said Saturday.
The boy was flown out of the country on an ambulance jet of Libya's health ministry, accompanied by his aunt and a medical team which has been treating him at the al-Khadraa hospital in Tripoli, Xinhua reported citing the official statement.
Nepal court sentences Sobhraj to legal labyrinth
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Charles Gurmukh Sobhraj's hope of freedom were dashed Tuesday by Nepal's Supreme Court, which sent him to a legal labyrinth by ordering a trivial case dismissed almost six years ago by a lower court to be returned there for fresh trial.
Maldivians saw ‘low flying plane’ after Malaysian flight disappeared
Male: Maldives island residents saw "low flying plane" of the morning of disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Maldivian news website Haveeru reported.
Residents...
Bush urges UN to take active role in fighting terrorism
ByIANS,
New York : Asserting that terrorism poses a challenge "as serious as any since the UN's founding", US President George W. Bush has urged the world body to take an active rule in fighting the menace.
Addressing the UN General Assembly at the opening of its annual high-level debate here Tuesday morning, the US president restated the "Bush Doctrine" of fighting terrorists before they strike, and argued that "bringing the terrorists to justice does not create terrorism. It's the best way to protect our people".
Nepali PM sends message of condolence to cyclone-hit Myanmar
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has expressed deep sadness at the news of huge death toll numbering in thousands and widespread devastation caused by the tropical cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, the National News Agency RSS reported Wednesday.
In a message sent to Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar, Koirala extended his sincere condolences to the people and government of Myanmar.
He also expressed heartfelt sympathy to all the victims and members of the bereaved families.
Gordon Brown calls for new world order sans protectionism
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for a "new global order" shorn of protectionism and he hopes that American President-elect Barack Obama would lead the way in helping build such a world.
In comments made ahead of this week's emergency summit of the Group of 20 (G20) developed and biggest emerging economies in Washington, the British leader also urged solutions to the global financial crisis based on a "new multilateralism".
Bold steps needed to achieve nuclear -free world, Ban says
By IRNA,
Tehran : United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday appealed to all nations to take courageous action to achieve nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation targets.
According to a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) here on Thursday, the UN chief used the screening of a documentary tracing the history of the atomic bomb.
He helped launch the screening at United Nations Headquarters in New York of Countdown to Zero, which also highlights the escalating global nuclear arms situation.
Nanocomposite material to help maintain bridges, aircraft
By IANS,
Sydney : A newly discovered nanocomposite could vastly simplify and boost the maintenance of bridges and aircraft.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) engineering lecturer Cheng Yan said a small piece of the polymer nanocomposite with carbon nanotube fillers could be placed on various surfaces to assist as an early warning system.
"It looks like a piece of thin black sheeting but it can act as a sensor to monitor the strength of infrastructure such as bridges, aircraft and ships," Yan said.
Death toll in Manila mall bombing rises to nine
By DPA
Manila : The death toll in the bombing of an upscale shopping mall in the Philippine capital rose to nine Saturday after rescuers recovered a body of a man in the rubble before dawn, police said.
Police Director General Avelino Razon said official police records also showed 113 people were wounded Friday in the bombing of Glorietta shopping centre in the financial district of Makati.
"We are sure that the explosion was caused by an explosive device," Razon said. "What we are determining now is the type of explosive used."
Pakistani shelling in Jammu for second day
Jammu : Indiscriminate shelling and firing by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district continued for the...
11 soldiers, police killed in attacks by rebels in Sri Lanka
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels launched a sudden coordinated attack on military targets in the northern town of Vavuniya Tuesday morning, killing 11 personnel of government troops and injuring 28 others, defense officials said.
Officials from the Ministry of Defense said the attack made by LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) rebels at the security forces headquarters (Vanni) and Air Force Base in Vavuniya "was completely foiled" after heavy fighting.
China begins work on high-speed railway
By IANS,
Beijing: China has begun work on a high-speed railway linking two major economic hubs in the country to boost growth.
OSCE report points finger at Georgia for S. Ossetia crisis
By RIA Novosti,
Berlin : The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has accumulated evidence pointing to "numerous wrong decisions" made by Georgian leaders that led to a military crisis with Russia, Der Spiegel said on Saturday.
In a report to be published in its Monday edition, OSCE military observers in the Caucasus described detailed planning by Georgia to move into South Ossetia which contributed to the crisis, the German magazine said.
Largest Indian contemporary art exhibition opens in Austria
By Mehru Jaffer, IANS,
Vienna : As the largest exhibition of contemporary Indian art to open in the Austrian capital in recent times, "Chalo! India" is certainly making visitors more and more curious about the South Asian giant.
"India's impressive economic progress has spurred interest in the artistic developments of the country as well," said professor Karlheinz Essl, founder of the Essl Museum of contemporary art.
Sri Lankan government rejects calls for a ceasefire
By KUNA,
NEW DELHI : The Sri Lankan government has rejected a US-led international call for a ceasefire and start negotiations with the Tamil Tiger rebels.
According to Indian Radio, SriLankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said flatly the state rejected calls for a ceasefire and remarked that the government will only accept an unconditional surrender by the rebels.
He added that the Tigers had taken advantage of a 48-hour temporary truce last week to launch suicide attacks near the frontlines using trucks loaded with explosives.
Hindi is a language of understanding and harmony: Ban Ki-moon
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised Hindi as a "language of understanding and harmony" at the inaugural function of the eighth World Hindi Conference held at the UN headquarters here.
"Hindi is a language of understanding and harmony. It unites the vast Indian diaspora, building bridges between different countries," he said Friday, accepting Hindi's growing importance in the world.
49 killed in fresh fightings in Sri Lanka
By NNN-PTI
Colombo : At least 46 LTTE militants and three Sri Lankan soldiers were killed in fierce clashes in the island nation's embattled north as the security forces captured a strategic one sq km area in the north-western Mannar, the Army said.
At least 12 Tamil Tiger rebels and two soldiers were killed Friday as the security forces captured an area south of Adampan tank in Mannar, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said on Friday.
Ban calls for more protection for women
By DPA,
New York : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Thursday called on UN members to offer more protections for women who are victims of violence and other crimes.
"Whether it is domestic violence, sex trafficking, so-called 'honour' crimes or female genital cutting, violence against women and girls continues to be a horrific and all-too common crime," Ban said.
In too many regions of the world, women still live in fear, he said in calling for stronger laws to protect women and efforts to inform men about ending domestic violence.
Iran has produced 17 kg of 20 percent enriched uranium: Official
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran has produced 17 kg of 20 percent enriched uranium and can produce as much as it needs, the head of Iran's atomic energy said Wednesday.
"We have made 17 kg of enriched uranium (at the level of 20 percent) so far, and we can produce up to five kg of the fuel in a month," Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, told ISNA news agency.
He added that Iran was not going to turn its entire uranium stockpile into 20-percent enriched fuel, but it reserved the right to enrich uranium to any percent it needed.
Chinese labourers seek $60 mn from Japan
By IANS,
Beijing : An alliance of groups representing labourers who were forced to work for Mitsubishi Materials in Japan during World War II have sought about $60 million as compensation.
Russia, China denounce US global missile defence plans
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : China and Russia Friday denounced the US moves to establish a global missile defence system, saying the plans threaten the global strategic balance.
Both countries denounced the US plans through a joint declaration signed after talks between visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in Beijing.
The Russian president arrived here Friday morning on a two-day state visit in his first foreign trip outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) after assuming office early this month.
White House denies FBI chief contradicted attorney general over spying program
By Xinhua
Washington : The White House denied on Friday that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller III on Thursday contradicted the sworn testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales over the administration's internal dissent about a warrantless eavesdropping program.
Slovenia votes in parliamentary election
By RIA Novosti,
Ljubljana : Slovenians vote in a parliamentary election Sunday, with center-right Prime Minister Janez Jansa and his conservative Slovene Democratic Party facing challenge from the opposition leftist Social Democrats and their leader Borut Pahor.
According to the latest polls, Slovenian Democrats are projected to get 25% of the votes while the opposition Social Democrats are expected to claim more than 22%. Either party is likely to seek allies after the election to claim a majority in parliament.
Hindu community in Britain fights to save sacred bull
By DPA
London : The Hindu community in Britain has launched a spirited fight to save a sacred bull from slaughter, which has tested positive for tuberculosis.
Japan’s PM announces resignation
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan Friday announced his resignation as leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, Kyodo news agency reported.
Yet another Indian American joins USAID
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Sohini Chatterjee, an Indian American lawyer involved in development work worldwide, has been appointed as Senior Advisor in the Office of Donor Engagement in the US Agency for International Development's newly created Policy Planning Bureau.
Chatterjee will work closely with USAID administrator, Dr Rajiv Shah, the highest ranking Indian American in the Obama administration, and another Indian American, Nisha Desai Biswal, recently appointed as the Assistant Administrator for Asia in the agency.
Post-quake rebuilding will take three years: China
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Reconstruction work after the devastating May 12 earthquake in southwestern China will take three years, a Chinese official said Friday.
Li Chengyun, vice governor of quake-hit Sichuan province, told reporters here that the provincial government planned to build new villages, townships and cities in the quake-ravaged province in three years.
Four severed heads found in Guatemala
By IANS/EFE,
Guatemala City : Four severed human heads have been found in different parts of this city, Guatemala's interior minister said.
The heads were found Thursday, Interior Minister Carlos Menocal told reporters.
Several notes addressed to Menocal were found by the heads.
Bush, Clinton White House spokespersons find jobs in Canada
By IANS,
Washington : Two former White House spokespersons have been hired by the Canadian government to spruce up its image in the US.
According to reports, Michael McCurry, a former press secretary to Bill Clinton, and Ari Fleischer, one of George W. Bush's press secretaries, have been hired by the Canadian government to secure Prime Minister Stephen Harper interviews with US media outlets.
While Fleisher coordinated the prime minister's interviews during the recent G-20 meeting in Britain, McCurry is arranging interviews for this week's Summit of the Americas.
Nearly 8 months after fire destroyed their camp in Delhi, Rohingya refugees await basic...
Scores of Rohingya families living at a makeshift camp in near New Delhi’s Madanpur Khadar area are living a meagre existence, with poor access...
Sri Lanka’s ex-army chief ready to support ‘war crimes’ probe
By DPA,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's ex-army commander turned politician Thursday said he would support any investigations into war crimes committed during the final stages of the 26-year civil war if there were valid allegations.
General Sarath Fonseka, who is now a member of Parliament but remains in military custody on allegations of conspiracy against the government, told a news conference in the parliament complex that he would not try to hide any war crimes.
"Covering up war crimes is not patriotism," Fonseka told reporters before he was taken back into detention.
Sri Lanka Navy detains vessel carrying relief aid for displaced
By DPA,
Colombo : The Sri Lanka navy Thursday detained a vessel reported to be carrying relief aid from Britain for displaced persons in the northern part of the country, a military spokesman said.
The vessel, Captain Ali, was placed under custody some 150 km west of the capital Colombo and is currently being guided under the escort of Navy warships to the harbour in the capital for further investigations, the spokesman said.
Over 100 dead, 4,000 hit as diarrhoea hits Nepal
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Over 100 people have been killed and more than 4,000 affected as Nepal's ancient enemy diarrhoea struck remote districts, reports said.
Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), Nepal's biggest rights agency with offices in all 75 districts, Thursday said the disease, which started in Jajarkot, a neglected district in western Nepal about 325 km west of Kathmandu, has assumed epidemic proportions. It has spread to three other adjacent districts: Salyan, Dailekh and Sukhet.
36,000 Chinese officials probed for duty crimes
By IANS,
Beijing : More than 36,000 civil service officials in China are investigated annually for allegedly committing crimes while on duty, a report said.
Russian president joins Facebook
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has decided to expand his interaction with internet users by posting regular comments on Facebook.
Prominent US-based Dalit activists call for international support against caste-based violence
TCN News
India Civil Watch International has recently published an online series that was originally prepared by prominent African-American and Dalit activists as a protest against...
Indian-American community welcomes Obama as US President
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Leaders of the Indian-American community today welcomed the election of Barack Obama as the next President of the US, expressing confidence that growing ties between the two countries would be further strengthened during his tenure.
Chairman of the American Indians for Democrats Sant Singh Chatwal, a major fund-raiser for the party, said Obama along with Vice President Joseph Biden would follow a pragmatic foreign policy as they understand the reality of the global situation.
UN chief lays out challenging agenda for 2008
By Xinhua
New York : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday put peacekeeping, pre-emptive diplomacy, climate change, improving the lot of poor countries and internal reform on top of the body's priorities in 2008.
Addressing staff in a meeting held at the UN Headquarters, Ban called all UN colleagues to remember the great expectations the world placed on the organization.
US consumer credit jumps up
By IANS,
Washington: US consumer credit grew at an annual rate of 7.8 percent in February, indicating expanding consumer spending and ongoing economic recovery, the US Federal Reserve reported.
The girl child is well cared for in America
By Vishnu Makhijani, IANS,
Los Angeles : Wherever you look in Los Angeles, termed the surf city of the world, you'll find more girls than boys. It's a trend that continues up the line.
Not only this. If you count the number of men and women driving on the roads, the numbers even out.
This should not be surprising, given that the census for 2000 counted 281.4 million people in the US - 143.4 million of them female and 138.1 million male.
Over 50 Indian-origin candidates in UK general election
London : Over 50 candidates of Indian origin are contesting in Thursday's British general election, the outcome of which should be known by Friday...
Death toll in Siberian mine incident rises to three
By RIA Novosti,
Kemerovo : The bodies of two more miners that were trapped in a coalmine in west Siberia, have been found, bringing the death toll to three, a deputy regional governor said on Sunday.
The incident at the mine named after Lenin in Mezhdurechensk in the south of the Kemerovo Region occurred on May 30. A total of 17 miners worked in the coalmine at the time of the rock collapse.
Greenpeace member denied entry into India, says NGO
New Delhi: A member of Greenpeace International, Aaron Gray-Block, has been "barred" from entering India despite having a valid business visa and necessary documents,...
17 killed in Mexico jailbreak attempt
By IANS,
Mexico City : Eleven inmates and six guards of a Mexican prison were killed Tuesday after police tried to prevent a jailbreak attempt, Xinhua reported Wednesday.
Magnitude-5.9 quake hits Japan
By IANS,
Tokyo : An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale Tuesday hit Japan off the east coast of Honshu, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
‘Moscow has no territorial dispute with Tokyo’
By IANS,
Moscow: Russia does not see any territorial dispute with Japan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
"We don't see that situation as some...
Belgian firm withdraws garment offensive to Hindus
By IANS
Brussels : A Belgian garment company has apologized and withdrawn from circulation an undergarment with the picture of a Hindu goddess, following strong protests from the Indian community here.
Suspected toxic gas leak affects 9 detenus in China
By IANS,
Kunming (China) : A suspected toxic gas leak near a detention facility in southwest China caused the poisoning of nine inmates Monday night, local officials and witnesses said Tuesday.
Michelle Obama to open Special Olympics in Los Angeles
Los Angeles: United States First Lady Michelle Obama will come here next month to attend the opening ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics World...
Russia Favors Kosovo Solution at Security Council
By Prensa Latina
Moscow : Russia repeated on Tuesday that a legitimate solution to the statute of the Serbian province of Kosovo can only be found at the UN Security Council.
Precisely, the Council must make a definite decision based on a commitment between Serbia and the Albanian-Kosovars, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko.
He told a news conference here that only the ruling of that international body could be legitimate.
Senior militant killed in Indonesia shootout
By DPA,
Jatiasih (Indonesia) : One of Asia's most-wanted men, Islamic militant Noordin Mohammed Top, was killed after 18 hours of armed standoff with Indonesian anti-terrorism police in Central Java Saturday, local television reported.
Police believe Malaysian-born Noordin was the mastermind behind bomb attacks on two Jakarta luxury hotels last month, which killed nine people including two suicide bombers.
TV One channel, citing police sources at the scene, said Noordin was killed in a raid on a house in a remote village in Temanggung district after a siege that lasted 18 hours.
Canadian general sees no Taliban resurgence
By IANS,
Toronto : The new Canadian armed forces chief does not agree with the US assessment that the Taliban is regrouping.
Gen Walter Natynczyk, who took as the armed forces chief just days ago, said Saturday that increased insurgent activity following a jailbreak that freed hundreds of militants does not mean the Taliban is regaining strength.
Canada, which joined the NATO-led forces in Afghanistan to fight Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in 2002 and was put in charge of the volatile Kandahar region, has suffered 85 casualties so far - the largest since the Korean war.
No German crime rate increase after removal of border control
By IRNA
Berlin : Contrary to press reports there has been "no rise" in the crime rate in Germany after the recent removal of border controls with Germany's eastern European Union neighbors -- Poland and the Czech Republic, Interior Ministry spokesperson Stefan Paris said.
"Our numbers show there is no rise in crime," the security official said.
Paris also stressed that there were no "stepped up controls" in the German border region with Poland and the Czech Republic.
He pointed out there had been "better controls" near the borders.
Sri Lanka Condemns EU investigation of human rights
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government has condemned the decision of the European Union to subject the island for an investigation of human rights record in order to qualify for EU trade concessions, a government minister said Monday.
"We unequivocally reject this condition and it is a violation of our sovereignty as an independent nation," G. L. Peiris, the minister of Export Development told reporters here Monday.
Kids safe and secure with grandparents around
By IANS,
Washington : Kids are safe, secure and protected from injuries when grandparents are around, a boon for working parents, according to a new study.
Compared to organised daycare or care by the mother or other relatives, having a grandmother watch a child was associated with a decreased risk of injury for the child.
According to researchers, the odds of injury were significantly greater among children whose parents never married, compared with children whose mothers stayed married.
Russia for further development of trade with Jordan – Medvedev
By RIA Novosti,
Sochi : Russia is interested in the further development of trade and economic ties with Jordan, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday after talks with King Abdullah II.
Opening the talks with the Jordanian monarch, Medvedev noted that this was already their third meeting in six months, adding that the fact was evidence of good relations between the countries.
Did a woman’s rejection trigger Cumbria killing spree?
By IANS,
London : Did Derrick Bird, the Cumbria killer, go on the rampage because he lost his mental balance after a girl he was fixated with ditched him? As the police leave no stone unturned to understand what made the taxi driver kill 12 people, the rebound effect is not being ignored.
Apparently Bird became fixated with a woman whom he knew only as Hon. He met her while on holiday in Thailand in 2007. She reportedly agreed to move to the UK and live with him.
Dalai Lama on a visit to Japan
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Friday reached Japan where he will deliver a two-day lecture series on spirituality, beginning Nov 4.
"He (the Dalai Lama) reached Japan Friday where a warm welcome was accorded to him by Tibetans, Japanese well-wishers and Buddhist monks at Narita airport near Tokyo," Tenzin Taklha, the spokesman of the exiled leader, told IANS.
"The spiritual guru will visit southwestern city of Fukuoka to deliver a talk on 'Compassionate Mind: Key to a Happy Life'," he added.
On Nov 7, he will deliver a public talk in Tokyo.
Thai, Cambodian foreign ministers discuss temple dispute
By RIA Novosti,
Jakarta : The foreign ministers of Thailand and Cambodia have resumed discussions at the Cambodian town of Siem Reap to resolve a military standoff in a border area near the ancient Hindu Preah Vihear Temple.
The 11th century temple was dedicated to god Shiva.
In the past few weeks, both countries have moved troops into the area near the temple, which lies on disputed land.
Thailand's Tej Bunnag and Cambodia's Hor Namhong are attempting to end a border row that began a century ago.
Sri Lanka’s ruling party wins parliamentary elections
By DPA,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's ruling alliance secured a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections, according to official final results announced Wednesday after a re-vote in two districts.
The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa secured 4.8 million of the votes, or 60.3 percent. The United National Party (UNP) received 2.3 million or 29.3 percent, marking it the worst defeat for the opposition since 1977.
Farmer wants ousted Nepal king’s cash cows
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Even after losing his crown and being turned out of the palace, Nepal's dethroned king Gyanendra continues to face demands for more.
Now, a Nepali farmer is laying claim to the dozens of cows herded in the former Narayanhity royal palace, saying they were promised to him.
Less than two weeks of being officially proclaimed a republic, Nepal is discovering new things about the former palace that was once prohibited land for the government, let alone common people.
US urges Russia, China to lift pork import ban
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Washington has urged Russia and China to lift a ban imposed on imports of raw pork from the US, an official said.
Russia imposed a ban on raw pork imports from a number of US states as part of emergency measures to try and contain the deadly swine flu virus. Russia and China import around 20 percent of all US pork exports.
US trade secretary Gary Locke said government actions during this time of economic uncertainty and international concern about influenza must be based on scientific evidence. There should be no restrictions on trade without cause.
Nobel laureate Irwin Rose passes away
Washington: American biochemist and Nobel laureate Irwin Rose has died at the age of 88, said the University of California, Irvine (UCI), where Rose...
Dependence on e-mails damages trust in business
By IANS,
Washington : Firing off e-mails and cueing up video conferences speeds up work manifold, but only at the cost of damaging trust, says a new research.
Gregory Northcraft, business professor, University of Illinois says, high-tech communication cuts down the personal interaction needed to build trust, a key ingredient in getting workers to pull together and carry their share of the load.
President Saakashvili sees no parallels between Georgia, Serbia
By RIA Novosti
Tbilisi : Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on Tuesday he could see no parallels between the situation in his country and Serbia, where Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on Sunday.
The United States and some European countries have already recognized Kosovo's status, while the president of the breakaway Georgian Republic of Abkhazia said on Monday that his country was planning to ask Russia to recognize its independence. South Ossetia, another de facto independent Georgian republic, is likely to follow suit.
U.S. police release surveillance images of Omaha mall gunman
By Xinhua
Washington : U.S. police released Friday surveillance images of the 19 year-old gunman who went on a shooting rampage in a shopping mall in Omaha, Neb. Wednesday, killing 8 people before committing suicide.
The images show Robert Hawkins walking into the Westroads Mall unarmed, unmasked, in a black sweat shirt and pants and glasses, according to TV and wire news reports.
Hawkins returned 6 minutes later with an apparent bulge under his sweat shirt.
23 dead, 90 trapped after China coal mine explosion
By DPA,
Beijing: A gas explosion at a coal mine in north-eastern China killed at least 23 workers, and trapped 90 early Saturday, media reports said.
Some 528 miners were working when the explosion occurred at 2.30 a.m. in a mine in Hegang City, Heilongjiang province, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the provincial coal mine safety watchdog.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, an evacuation was already underway before the explosion, because the mine's dispatch centre had received a warning about gas levels in the shaft.
Putin tests every meal before eating: Former chef
By IANS,
London : Vladimir Putin is so paranoid about being poisoned that he has his every meal tested by qualified food tasters, a former chef of the Russian president has claimed.
US to impose new sanctions on Myanmar
By DPA
Washington : US President George W. Bush will impose new sanctions on Myanmar's military regime and its financial backers in a bid to support pro-democracy protesters, a senior aide said.
Bush plans to lay out the measures Tuesday in a United Nations speech meant to step up international pressure on Myanmar's rulers as they face the biggest anti-regime demonstrations in two decades.
Wife searches for missing Iranian mountaineer’s body in Nepal
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Six months after an Iranian doctor went missing while attempting to climb a Himalayan peak in northern Nepal, his wife has returned to the Himalayan republic in a bid to find his body.
Saed Bahaeloo Horeh, a doctor, had been part of an Iranian team attempting to summit the Tilicho, a 7135-metre high peak in northern Manang district last autumn.
He went missing Oct 28 and his companions feared he could have fallen into a crevasse.
Ganso rejects new Santos offer
By IANS,
Rio de Janerio: Brazil international midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso has rejected an improved contract offer by his club Santos.
Obama daughters’ tennis instructor becomes a celebrity
By Jorge Mederos,EFE,
Chicago : Uruguay's Valentina de Yeregui, the tennis instructor of US president-elect Barack Obama's daughters, has had her own share of fame as world media showered its attention on Malia and Sasha.
Newspapers from Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Italy and her homeland, besides those in the US, have published articles about de Yeregui, a journalist by training with tennis "at heart", who emigrated in 2006 from Montevideo to accompany her husband Ignacio, an economist who attended graduate school at the University of Chicago.
Philippine: 32 Passengers On Sunken Ferry Rescued
By Bernama,
Manila : At least 32 passengers on the sunken Philippine ferry "MV Princess of the Stars" have been rescued, local police said Monday.
Superintendent Eduardo Somera of Quezon Provincial Police Office said so far, five people are confirmed death following another unidentified dead body was washed ashore.
It is believed that survivors were on rubber boats, and are bing sent to nearby hospitals to receive treatment, Somera told China's Xinhua news agency on Monday.
All the 32 survivors are adults, said Quezon disater relief officials.
Kidman, Hudson award the ordinary for extraordinary efforts
By IANS,
London: Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson and Neil Patrick Harris awarded ordinary people who have made a difference in their communities at CNN's Heroes gala ceremony.
People from across the globe were celebrated Saturday for their goodwill efforts as they were brought on stage at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles to receive awards from a host of celebrities, also including Greg Kinnear and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, reports imdb.com.
Contaminated cooking oil found in five EU states
By IRNA,
Madrid : Contaminated sunflower oil from Ukraine has been found in at least five European countries.
In Spain, sunflower oil has been taken off the shelves and consumers are being warned not to buy or use it.
IRNA reporter in Madrid said that the oil has been discovered in Britain, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.
Early tests show the oil contains hydrocarbons, although not apparently at dangerous levels.
Spanish chef Antonio Gonzalez said authorities have told him to remove the oil but he is not sure why or which ones.
Russia views US proposals on Ukraine questionable
Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday that Moscow is not satisfied with US proposals on settling the Ukrainian political crisis, and has...
Zimbabwe”s decision to halt NGO activities unconscionable act – UN official
By KUNA,
Geneva : High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said Friday that the Zimbabwe government's decision to halt food distribution by some international aid agencies until after the presidential elections was an unconscionable act.
"To deprive people of food because of an election would be an extraordinary perversion of democracy, and a serious breach of international human rights law," said Arbour.
All UN agencies concerned expressed the same worry of Arbour.
South Africa’s new cabinet sworn in
Johannesburg : South Africa's new cabinet was sworn in Monday amid criticism for being bloated.
The proceedings got underway with President Jacob Zuma swearing in...
Nepal to ease visa regime for Chinese nationals
By IANS,
Kathmandu : The government of Nepal plans to ease visas for Nepal-bound Chinese tourists, officials said Thursday.
Can the G8 live up to the climate challenge?
By Ben Nimmo, DPA,
Brussels : A year ago, the leaders of the world's eight leading industrialised nations promised that their children would fight climate change. This summer, they will have to show whether they are willing to do something about it themselves.
The leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US are set to meet during July 8-10 in the earthquake-stricken Italian town of L'Aquila, with climate change high on the agenda ahead of UN talks in Copenhagen in December.
175 years after death, Rammohun Roy’s tomb restored in Britain
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : After decades of neglect, the newly restored tomb of Indian visionary thinker and social reformer Raja Rammohun Roy was unveiled Sunday in his resting place in Bristol.
India's High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Mukherjee cut a ribbon to mark the completion of the restoration work on the tomb, which is located prominently in the Arnos Vale cemetery in the southwestern English city.
Tit-for-tat ‘Buy Canadian’ policy against US sought
By IANS,
Toronto : Labour unions in Canada, which as the biggest trading partner of the US will be worst hit by the "Buy America" clause in President Barack Obama's stimulus package, have urged their government to hit back with a "Buy Canadian" policy.
The union leaders, who took their case to the nation's parliament in Ottawa Tuesday, said they would pressurise the government to announce the protectionist policy along with the proposed $40 billion stimulus package for the Canadian economy.
Fresh tremors hit Nepal on Sunday
Kathmandu : A week after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake jolted Nepal, three tremors were recorded on Sunday in different parts of the Himalayan nation.
According...
Thailand’s 108-year-old boatman ‘Grandpa Yen’ dies
By DPA,
Bangkok : "Grandpa Yen", a 108-year-old Thai-Muslim who lived alone in a small boat on the Phetchaburi river for years, died Sunday from natural causes.
Yen Kaewmanee was found unconscious in his river boat by neighbours Sunday morning and rushed to Prachao Khlao Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10.40 am, The Nation online news reported.
To save on rent, Yen had been living in small houseboats in the Phetchaburi River since his wife died when he was in his mid-90s.
Putin wants removal of child adoption hurdles
By IANS/RIA Novsoti,
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has said all obstacles that prevent Russians from adopting children should be removed at the earliest.
Russia Exposes Georgian Invasion Plans
By Prensa Latina,
Moscow : Russia denounced on Monday the Georgian plans of invading the autonomous region of Abkhazia while Russian members of Parliament backed an Abkhazia and South Ossetia sovereignty petition.
Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff Anatali Nogovitzyn said they had enough intelligence information on Tbilisi"s intentions of seizing Sokhumi, Abkhazian capital.
Georgian forces are re-organizing and planning to return to the headquarters in the cities of Gori and Sanaki where Russia currently keeps pacification troops, said Nogovitzyn.
US and Russia agree to new START treaty
By DPA,
Washington : The US and Russia have finalised the most comprehensive nuclear arms reduction treaty in nearly two decades, US President Barack Obama announced Friday.
Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed on the final details of what has been dubbed the "New START treaty" in a telephone call Friday and will meet in Prague April 8 to sign the deal.
Rohingya’s rise to militancy claimed 100 lives, says report
Naypyidaw (IANS): Members of a Rohingya militant group allegedly massacred as many as 99 people, including women and children, in Hindu villages in Myanmar's...
Death toll in Madrid plane crash rises to 153
By IANS,
Madrid : With six more survivors succumbing to thier injuries, the death toll in the Spanair plane crash at Madrid's Barajas International Airport Wednesday rose to 153, Spanish Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez said in a press conference.
The Spanair flight with numbers JK 5022 and LH 2554, heading to Gran Canaria at the height of the vacation season, veered off the Madrid-Barajas airport runway during takeoff, broke apart and burst into flames Wednesday afternoon.
Tibetan government in exile welcomes media trip to Lhasa
By IANS
Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh) : The Tibetan government-in-exile Thursday welcomed China's decision to allow a select group of foreign journalists to troubled Lhasa, but urged they be given freedom to move in Tibet.
"We welcome the decision, but the journalists should be allowed full freedom to report on the ongoing crisis in Tibet," said Kesang Takla, a spokesman of the Tibetan government-in-exile based here.
The Tibetan government-in-exile is not recognised by any nation.
David Williams tried twice to end his life
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Comedian David Williams has revealed in his autobiography "Camp David" that he tried to commit suicide twice.
An Apology
Heartfelt reflections on the passing of a legendary Black American Muslim leader
By Azhar Usman,
EU threatens to suspend talks on pact with Russia
By DPA,
Brussels : European Union leaders fired a warning shot at Moscow Monday by threatening to suspend talks on a deeper relationship with Russia until its troops withdrew from Georgia.
"The European Council considers that given the interdependence between the European Union and Russia, and the global problems they are facing, there is no desirable alternative to a strong relationship, based on cooperation, trust and dialogue," EU leaders said at an emergency meeting in Brussels.
Ex-Ukranian PM’s arrest termed illegal
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Kiev: The European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday that the arrest of Ukraine’s ex-prime minister and opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko in 2011 was unlawful.
19 Tamil rebels, 2 soldiers killed in fighting in northern Sri Lanka
By SPA,
Colombo, Sri Lanka : The Sri Lankan military says new fighting along the front lines of the civil war has killed 19 Tamil Tiger rebels and two soldiers.
Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara says fighting Tuesday along the Vavuniya front killed nine rebels and two soldiers. Fighting in Welioya killed 10 rebels.
Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be reached for comment, the Associated Press reported.
Arkansas state Democratic Party chairman shot dead
By DPA,
Washington : Chairman of the Arkansas state Democratic Party, Bill Gwatney, 48, has been shot dead at the party headquarters in Little Rock, police said.
A gunman Wednesday walked into the office, asked to speak to Gwatney and fired several shots, fatally wounding him. He died four hours later in hospital.
The shooter fled in a pickup truck, was chased by police and killed in an exchange of gunfire on a highway, the Arkansas Democrat- Gazette reported.
Police later identified the gunman as Timothy Dale Johnson. They recovered additional weapons from his truck.
South Korean delegation in North Korea for talks
By Xinhua,
Seoul : A South Korean delegation reached North Korea Tuesday morning to participate in talks amid mounting tensions in the Korean Peninsula.
"The delegation has crossed the border," a spokesman of South Korea's Unification Ministry said.
It would be the first time that South Korea and North Korea hold talks since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office in February 2008.
North Korea had last Thursday offered to hold the talks with South Korea.
Israeli firm to take broadband net to remote Nepal
By Xinhua,
KATHMANDU : The Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd of Israel would provide Nepal Telecom (NT) with a Sky Edge broadband satellite communications network covering hundreds of sites, local media reported on Wednesday.
According to myrepublica.com report, Gilat Satellite, the Israeli company, announced it has been selected by Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd, a leading telecommunications consultancy and engineering company, to provide the Nepali company with the advanced technology.
White House: Bush-Medvedev meeting possible in APEC summit
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. President George W. Bush and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev may have talks when they attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum this weekend in Lima, Peru, the White House said Wednesday.
"Although there is not a firm time yet it is very likely that President Bush will meet with the president of the Russian Federation," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
Signs of economic recovery, says top Canadian bank CEO
By IANS,
Vancouver : The head of Canada's top bank said Tuesday the global financial system seems to have begun stabilizing even as the country's finance minister urged more governments to follow the US in buying toxic assets from banks.
Speaking in Vancouver, Richard Waugh, CEO of Scotiabank, said that the global economic recovery may begin as early as the end of this year as markets are showing signs of stabilsing.
He said bond markets seemed already in the recovery mode and equity markets could follow soon.
Swine flu cases treble in Nepal
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal Tuesday sounded its first alarm for the pandemic swine flu with the health ministry publicly disclosing that the number of reported cases had jumped to 150 from the earlier 48.
However, the government media Tuesday quoted a senior official of the Avian Influenza Control Project under the ministry of health and population as saying that the actual number could be still higher since outbreaks in remote villages would not be reported immediately.
South Korea expects peace talks with North
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : South Korea hopes talks with North Korea could be started to end officially the 1950-53 Korean War when Pyongyang's denuclearization schedule reaches a 'proper stage,' Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said Thursday.
The two Koreas have been technically 'at war' since the 1950-53 Korean War. However, any formal peace treaty would require the participation of the US and China, which were also involved in the conflict.
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