Somali gunmen demand $4 mn to free aid workers
By Xinhua,
Mogadishu : The Somali gunmen holding two foreign aid workers hostage in southern Somalia have demanded a ransom of $4 million for releasing the captives.
"We are the people holding the hostages, a Dutch and a Belgian, working for MSF (Medicins Sans Frontieres) and we demand that anyone with a pity for these men should pay us $4 million," Ibrahim Ali Hassan, the self-proclaimed gang leader, told Shabelle Radio in Mogadishu Tuesday.
The two hostages were abducted Monday by a group of armed men as they travelled in the southern Somali region of Bakool.
Flooded farmers toast Australia’s whacky weather
By DPA,
Sydney : More rain fell in north Australia Saturday raising the spirits of drought-depressed farmers, engorging already swollen rivers and putting dusty cattle ranches under water.
Queensland's Cloncurry river has gone from a trickle to seven metres in the past week and the Albert River is racing through Burketown at a height of 6.5 metres.
Mount Isa, the region's biggest urban centre, is cut off by floodwaters that have severed road links between Brisbane and Darwin.
Rick Britton, mayor of Boulia Shire, said the spike in rainfall had raised the spirits of farmers.
UK ‘planning to cut embassies’ due to fall in pound’s value
By IRNA,
London : The British government was accused Thursday of drawing up a secret hit list of embassies to be closed as a result of the sharp fall in the value of the pound.
Conservative shadow foreign minister David Lidington claimed an internal Foreign Office memorandum ordered officials to work out plans for substantial cuts "which could be implemented soon after the election," due in May.
The memo stated that further cuts "should not be achieved by salami-slicing but instead by stopping activity, closing posts and reducing staff numbers", according to Lidington.
Osama plotted attack on 10th anniversary of 9/11
By IANS,
London : Osama bin Laden was plotting an attack on the US this year on the 10th anniversary of the Sep 11, 2001, deadly attacks, a media report said.
Lobsang Sangay is new Tibetan PM-in-exile
By IANS,
Dharamsala : US-based Lobsang Sangay, a 42-year-old who considers India his second home after Tibet, was Wednesday elected the new Kalon Tripa, or the Tibetan prime minister-in-exile.
Russia declassifies WWII documents
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia's defence ministry has declassified military documents from the 1941-1945 period, the director of the archives service said Thursday.
Mekong countries fighting against human traffickers
By NNN-KPL,
Vietiane : The six great Mekong sub-region (GMS) countries gathered here Wednesday to discuss on cooperation to fight against human trafficking that currently poses a threat to the region.
The six Mekong sub-region countries made up Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam attended the 6th Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) at Don Chan Palace Hotel, Vientiane which will run till Friday.
27 killed in Myanmar
By Xinhua
Yangon : A total of 27 people were killed and 11 wounded in two shooting incidents by insurgent groups in Myanmar's Kayin and Kayah states last weekend, a state-run newspaper reported Monday.
We didn’t sink South Korean warship: North Korea
By IANS,
Pyongyang : In the first press statement two months after the sinking of the South Korean warship "Cheonan" in March, North Korea Friday said it was not involved in the incident, and asked Seoul to conduct an "objective and fair" probe.
Whether or not South Korea received the inspection group from North Korea was the key to judging the "Cheonan" incident, Pak Rim Su, head of the policy bureau of North Korea's National Defence Commission (NDC), was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
Quake hits Japan
Tokyo : An earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale jolted a part of Japan Sunday evening, the US Geological Survey said. No tsunami,...
Cuban Electoral Tools Up and Running
By Prensa Latina
Havana : Cuba has activated all the mechanisms of its electoral system, one week from the general elections on January 20.
On election day, Cubans will vote for 1,201 delegates to the 14 provincial assemblies, renewable every 2.5 years, and 614 parliamentary deputies, who will assume their posts for five years.
On election day, Cubans will vote for 1,201 delegates to the 14 provincial assemblies, renewable every 2.5 years, and 614 parliamentary deputies, who will assume their posts for five years.
Greene joins campaign against domestic violence
By IANS,
London : "Twilight" star Ashley Greene has been roped in to lead a new campaign aimed at stopping domestic violence.
Zimbabwe detains foreign diplomats
By DPA,
Harare/Johannesburg : Police in Zimbabwe detained a group of Western diplomats for a brief period Tuesday after the ambassadors travelled to rural areas to visit the victims of post-election violence.
The ambassadors of the US, European Union, Britain and Japan travelled to the towns of Mvurwi and Chiweshe, north of Harare, to gather information on attacks on mainly opposition supporters by supporters of President Robert Mugabe.
Six dead, 24 injured after truck hits car, bus in Beijing
By ANTARA News/Xinhua
Beijing : Six people were killed and 24 others injured after an ore-loaded truck collided with a car and a bus on the outskirts of Beijing Friday afternoon, The Beijing News reported on Saturday.
The accident occurred around 2 p.m. in Zhuangtouyu village, Miyun County, about 100 meters north of the Zhuangtouyu checkpoint of National Highway 101 when the truck slid and knocked a car to roadside, and then slammed into a bus head-on, according to the local police.
Worried over China, Japan adopts new defence policy
By DPA,
Tokyo : Japan Friday adopted a more proactive defence policy as concerns grow in Tokyo over terrorist threats, North Korean aggression and China's military rise.
80 Injured in Mexico train crash
By EFE,
Mexico City : At least 80 people were injured when two commuter trains collided on the outskirts of Mexico City, officials said Sunday.
The accident occurred around 10:20 p.m. Saturday and was "pretty complicated" to deal with because there was "much chaos, much disorder", said Elias Miguel Moreno, the head of Mexico City's emergency management secretariat.
Up to 100 people may have been injured in the accident, and at least six were taken to hospitals with injuries that were not life threatening, Moreno said.
World’s first 660 KV power cable in China
By IANS,
Beijing : A 660-kilovolt direct current power transmission system, said to be the world's first, began to supply energy Monday to a province that is located over 1,300 km away.
Israeli navy to turn back boats sailing to Gaza
By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : The Israeli navy has been ordered to turn back two boats sailing to Gaza by U.S.-based activists in an attempt to challenge Israeli blockade, the Jerusalem Post reported on its website Monday.
It was reported by Ha'aretz Sunday that Israeli military may use force to block the two boats but the Israel Navy has not received any instructions on how to treat the vessels at that time.
Turkey President ratifies troop deployment to Qatar
Ankara, (IANS): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ratified two deals allowing Turkish troops' deployment to Qatar and training the Gulf nation's gendarmerie, according...
Chinese parents oppose children’s internet use
By IANS,
Beijing : Many parents in China are not in favour of their children using the internet and a majority of them worry that surfing the net could adversely affect children's studies, a new study has said.
Around 42.6 percent of parents surveyed "strongly oppose their children's use of internet" or "relatively oppose", while as high as 78.4 percent say they are worried that surfing the internet could negatively affect their children's studies. Another 44.9 percent said they are worried about their children's exposure to pornography, Xinhua reported.
Sri Lanka flights off tough resolution at IPU: Minister
By NNN-Govt Portal,
Colombo : Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe said that a draft resolution requesting the situation in Sri Lanka to be included as an emergency item on the agenda of the 118th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held in Cape Town, South Africa had been withdrawn.
Meeting fans is celebration, says Minaj
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Hip-hop star Nicki Minaj is always surprised by the love her fans have for her and says it always feels like a celebration when she meets them.
India must improve rights of its minorities: Pakistani daily
Islamabad : India has long struggled to protect minority religious communities or provide justice when crimes occur, creating a climate of impunity, said a...
Indian American Sikh honoured with Rising Star award
By IANS
New York : A young Indian American Sikh entrepreneur has been awarded the Rising Star award by a US magazine for his contribution in the area of political consulting in the country.
Biden administration taking a dangerous path with Modi regime
Communal violence escalates in India as the US embraces its source.
Pieter Friedrich | TwoCircles.net
Two months ago, Atul Keshap — who was then temporarily serving...
Spanish Socialists Still in Lead
By Prensa Latina
Madrid : Ten days before the general elections, the Spanish socialists still have the lead over their main rival, and the possibility of obtaining absolute majority in parliament, according to several polls published on Wednesday.
A survey by the SER information company said the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Labor Party), to which government President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero belongs, has a five point lead with 44 percent of the voters' support.
Wall Street falls on weak economic data
By Xinhua,
New York : Stock prices on the Wall Street fell Thursday on disappointing US economic data and downbeat earnings.
The US Labor Department said the number of unemployed workers drawing benefits after claiming an initial week of aid jumped to 4. 087 million in the week ended Nov 22, the highest since December 1982, from 3.998 million the prior week.
The Commerce Department said factory orders plunged by 5.1 percent in October, the steepest decline in eight years.
Spanish clinics allege ‘witch-hunt’ against abortion
By DPA
Madrid : A 31-year-old Spanish woman was bathing her children in her Madrid home when police showed up on her doorstep.
"You had an abortion in February 2007," the officers said, handing her an invitation to be questioned as a witness at a police station investigating alleged irregularities at the Clinic Isadora, which terminated her pregnancy.
"You need to understand that there is a great social alarm over the subject of abortion," the officers said to justify why they came personally to bring a document which should normally have been sent by the mail.
Volvo gives dozing drivers a wake-up call
Gothenburg, Sep 13(DPA) Swedish carmaker Volvo has announced what it claims is the world's first on-board system designed to alert tired and distracted drivers.
Volvo says the system uses sensors to assess the impact that fatigue or loss of driving control has on a car's movements rather than monitoring driver behaviour, which can vary from one person to another.
NATO puts Russia ties ahead of Georgia, Ukraine – Russian envoy
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Relations with Russia are currently more important for NATO than membership for Georgia and Ukraine, Russia's envoy to the 26-member alliance said in an interview with Kommersant on Wednesday.
NATO foreign ministers agreed on Tuesday to gradually resume contacts with Moscow, suspended after Russia's armed conflict with Georgia in August, but the alliance failed to reach an agreement on whether to allow Tbilisi and Kiev into the Membership Action Plan (MAP).
Islamic centre to be built near 9/11 Ground Zero
By DPA,
New York: A private group Tuesday won the right to build an Islamic centre, which includes a mosque, near the site of the destroyed World Trade Center despite vocal opposition from victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack.
The Cordoba Institute said it plans to spend $100 million to rebuild the site at 45 Park Place in lower Manhattan after New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted 9-0 against granting landmark status to the site.
EU ministers to push for world arms moratorium on Zimbabwe
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) was set to call for a global moratorium on deliveries of arms to Zimbabwe at a meeting in Luxembourg Tuesday, officials said.
The foreign ministers of the bloc's 27 member states "will discuss" the question of an international moratorium at their regular monthly meeting, Britain's Minister for Europe, Jim Murphy, said.
American Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard’s links with RSS condemned
TCN News
Tulsi Gabbard, the Hawaii representative from Democratic Party who will be running for the post of President of USA in the 2020 polls...
Meet highlights Chinese women’s progress
By Xinhua
Beijing : Nearly 1,500 people gathered at the Great Hall of the People here Friday to highlight progress of women in Chinese society on the eve of the 98th International Women's Day.
Addressing the gathering, Gu Xiulian, president of the All-China Women's Federation, said the past year witnessed fresh developments in the cause of Chinese women.
Progress has been made in women's participation in politics, economy, education, health and legal protection, she said.
African gene increases odds of HIV infection
By IANS,
Washington : A gene variant found only in people of African ancestry increases the chances of becoming infected with HIV-1 by 40 percent, according to a long-term study.
Interestingly, however, after infection, the same variant seemed to protect against progression of the disease, allowing those who carry it to live about two years longer.
“It's well-known that individuals vary in their susceptibility to HIV and that after infection occurs, the disease progresses at variable rates,” said Sunil Ahuja of the University of Texas Health Science Centre.
China, Japan agree to strengthen ties
By Xinhua
Tokyo : Visiting Chinese Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan and his Japanese counterpart Masahiko Komura agreed Thursday in their talks to strengthen ties, according to diplomatic officials.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the normalization of the Japan-China diplomatic ties and offers an important opportunity for the development of the two nations' relations, Cao said, adding that there were also challenges in bilateral ties.
Unemployment in California hits 70-year high
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Unemployment rate in California, a favourite stomping ground for Indian IT professionals, hit its highest point in nearly 70 years amid early signs of economic recovery in the United States.
While job losses continue to fall, the state's new unemployment rate of 12.2 percent, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, is far above the national average of 9.7 percent and places California, Americas's most-populous state, fourth behind Michigan, Nevada and Rhode Island.
Top US democrat says detainees tortured
WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (KUNA) -- US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday interrogation techniques used against terror suspects were clear evidence of torture.
Pelosys remarks with FOX news channel was seen as a stepped up campaign against President George W. Bushs Administration over its foreign policy.
President Bush, already under pressure to change course in Iraq, has repeatedly denied that his Administration has tortured terror suspects during interrogations saying that techniques and tactics used during interrogations were legitimate.
Canada cuts interest rate to lowest in five decades
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : With the Canadian economy - most robust among all the G7 industrialized nations - officially entering a recession, the country's national bank has cut its interest rate to the lowest level in half a century to ease borrowing to spur economic activity.
Amid recession, the Toronto stock market also slipped by two percent to end the day at 83,97.56.
DPRK vows to ensure world peace and stability as NAM member
By Xinhua,
Puongyang : The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will make positive efforts to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, in Asia and the rest of the world, the official Rodong Sinmun daily said on Monday.
The DPRK, which became a member of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) 33 years ago, will preserve the movement's basic idea, principle and purity, the Rodong Sinmun said in a signed article.
The DPRK will also develop the NAM and boost its function and role and advance the cause of global independence, the article added.
Three killed in Kenya mosque collapse
Nairobi : At least three people were killed Wednesday when a mosque collapsed in the coastal town of Lamu.
Lamu County Commissioner Miiri Njenga said...
Wen urges cooperation to address trade imbalance with US
By IANS,
Beijing : Cooperation is the way to address trade imbalance between China and the US as well as the difficulties and frictions arising from it, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Wednesday.
Britain to withdraw from Iraq in a year: report
By Xinhua
London : The British military is planning to pull its troops out of Iraq in a year or so as to strengthen its combat capability in Afghanistan, the Sunday Telegraph reported citing a senior military official.
Indonesia threatens to ban BlackBerry over porn content
By IANS,
Jakarta : Indonesia has threatened to close BlackBerry service in the country if it refuses to block pornographic content.
Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said Tuesday that he had requested the Canada- based Research In Motion, the maker of BlackBerry, to block adult content for its service in the country, Xinhua said, citing local media reports.
"If they are still not responding to our request, we have to close it down," the minister said.
110 rebels killed by Sudanese army
Khartoum: Sudanese army killed 110 rebels of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector in Al-Atmoor area in South Kordofan state, the Sudanese Armed Forces...
Partial recount of votes in Zimbabwe election underway
By DPA,
Harare/Johannesburg : A controversial recount of votes cast in last month's Zimbabwean elections, in which opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is claiming victory over incumbent President Robert Mugabe, got underway Saturday in the presence of regional observers.
The recount is of votes cast in 23 out of 210 constituencies, both for president and the lower house of parliament (House of Assembly).
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change won the parliamentary vote but the official results of the presidential election, also held March 29, have not yet been released.
Government, ethnic groups close to agreement in Nepal
By DPA
Kathmandu : The Nepalese government and an ethnic group Monday said they were close to clinching a deal to end nearly two weeks of crippling general strike in southern Nepal and to address demands of the ethnic Madhesi community living there.
Leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Front, which spearheaded the general strike in the southern plains known as Terai, said most of the issues had been resolved.
Sri Lanka Fighting Kills Over 500
By Prensa Latina
Colombo : The Sri Lanka army announced on Tuesday that 501 members of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Tigers (TLTE) and 54 government soldiers died during a 20-day battle in the northern region of the country.
Army spokesman, general Udaya Nanayakkara affirmed in a press conference in Colombo that an indefinite number of rebels and 223 soldiers were also wounded during clashes between March 5 and 24.
Military operations continue in Mannar, Vavuniya and Jaffna districts in Muhamalai area, said Nanayakkara.
Lehman Bros sitting on enough uranium to make a bomb
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Apart from its "toxic assets", the bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers' is sitting on as much as 500,000 pounds of uranium yellowcake - enough to make a nuclear bomb, said alarming reports in media here.
But like the toxic sub-prime mortgages that brought down the storied Wall Street icon, it can't get rid of the ore, because with the possible exception of North Korea, nobody is willing to cough up the price it wants, the New York Post said Wednesday.
Nine trapped in China building collapse
By IANS,
Beijing : Nine workers were buried under the rubble of an under-construction building that partially collapsed in an east China city, Xinhua reported Monday.
French court convicts 10 neo-Nazis in mosque burning
By IINA,
Toulouse, France : A court has convicted 10 members of a neo-Nazi group for an April mosque burning outside Toulouse and sentenced them to prison terms of up to 18 months. The 10, who are aged 18 to 28, all belonged to a small neo-Nazi group with the name "LW." The entrance hall of the Colomiers mosque was set afire before dawn April 20 and the room reserved for ritual washing was sacked.
What does axing of NSA talks mean to Kashmiris
By Sheikh Qayoom
Pakistan's decision to call off the NSA-level talks with India proves an old maxim for the people of Jammu and Kashmir:...
UNGA president arrives Monday for three-day visit
By IANS,
New Delhi: United Nations General Assembly president Ali Abdussalam Treki will arrive in India Monday for a three-day visit during which he will discuss UN reforms with Indian officials.
A career diplomat, 72-year-old Treki has been Libya's minister in charge of African Union affairs. He was elected at the 64th UNGA in June last year.
A press release said that the visit provides "timely opportunity" for Treki to hold talks on wide ranging issues on the UNGA agenda, including development, peace and security, UN reforms and a number of international and regional issues.
Seven killed in wall collapse in Myanmar
Yangon : At least seven people were killed when a wall collapsed in northeastern Myanmar, officials said Monday.
The collapse of the six-metre wall was...
Russia warns Poland of US missile defence plans
By SPA
Moscow : Russia will aim to convince Poland of the strategic threat posed by US missile defence plans in the first direct talks over the controversial system, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, according to dpa.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislyak is to meet his Polish counterparts in Warsaw on Thursday marking recently improved relations between the two countries.
Obama not ready to endorse Hillary Clinton
Washington : US President Barack Obama is not ready to formally endorse his ex-secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, in her bid for the presidency...
Hillary unwinds shopping at Delhi Haat, dines at Bukhara
By IANS,
New Delhi: After a hectic day addressing events, it was time to relax in the evening. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went to Delhi Haat, a popular shopping destination in south Delhi where artisans from across India showcase their wares, and later enjoyed a quiet dinner at the Bukhara in Maurya Sheraton.
At Delhi Haat, Clinton admired the handicrafts items displayed and bought a few pieces, a security official said.
"She was there for half an hour," the official revealed.
ICRC wants respect of humanitarian law in Gaza
Geneva: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Tuesday called on parties in the Gaza conflict to respect humanitarian law to ensure effective...
Increase in manufacturing a sign of improving economy: Obama
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Tuesday said a report released showing that manufacturing is on the rise is a sign that the economy is improving.
"The steps we are taking to bring our economy back from the brink are working," Obama said.
The Institute of Supply Management released its report showing that production expanded for the first time in 19 months. Manufacturing had it's biggest two-month gain by rising by 52.9 percent in August.
Comeback kid Clinton offers shared run to Obama
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : After three dramatic comeback victories in the US presidential race, Hillary Clinton Wednesday hinted at the possibility of a joint run for the White House with Democratic front-runner rival Barack Obama.
"That may be where this is headed, but of course we have to decide who is on the top of ticket. I think the people of Ohio very clearly said that it should be me," Clinton said on CBS's "The Early Show" when asked if she and Obama should be on the same ticket.
France for global fuel bank, criteria-based reprocessing sale
By IANS,
New Delhi : France, a country that depends overwhelmingly on nuclear power, has floated an innovative proposal for setting up an international fuel bank that will address fuel supply concerns in India and other countries wishing to join global nuclear trade.
With India and France signing a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation pact Sep 30, French nuclear giant Areva has held talks with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) on selling advanced nuclear reactors to India, a reliable diplomatic source, privy to the French government's thinking on the subject, said.
Bones of last tsar’s son found
By DPA
Moscow : Russian archaeologists have claimed to have found the bones of the son of Nicholas II and heir to the last Russian tsar, who was killed with his family by communists in 1918, Interfax news agency reported.
The bones, possibly those of Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and his sister, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, were being forensically studied in the central Russian city of Yekaterinburg.
The members of Russia's ruling Romanov family was shot dead by Bolshevik forces in the middle of July 1918.
Unresponsive plane crashed off Jamaica
Kingston : An unresponsive private plane crashed in the sea off Jamaica, officials of the island nation said Friday.
It could not be immediately known...
Rare turtle travels 7,000 km to breed!
By IANS,
Toronto : How could a contemporary of the great dinosaurs survive to this day?
A rare leatherback turtle, which has existed since the time of the dinosaurs, has been found to be adept at making the longest ocean journey to breed in warmer places.
Fitted with a satellite transmitter by Canadian scientists to track its journey, the turtle - which is the also world's largest turtle growing up to two metres long and weighing up to 500 kilogramme - travelled over 7,000 km to be found on the coast of Colombia in South America.
19 killed in Nigerian building collapse
By IANS,
Abuja : At least 19 people were killed when a three-storey building collapsed in Nigeria's capital Abuja, police said Thursday.
Nineteen bodies had been recovered and 12 others were rescued, said Abass Jimoh, the Federal Capital Territory police spokesman, Xinhua reported.
The collapse occurred at about 4 a.m. (local time) Wednesday on the city's Ikole Street, Area 11.
The rescue efforts carried out by the authorities ended Thursday evening, the report said.
Nuclear energy key to combat climate change: Ahmadinejad
By DPA,
Copenhagen: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Thursday accused the US of hindering his country's efforts to combat climate change by opposing its nuclear programme.
"American leaders and their friends emphasise continued increase of fossil fuel production, whilst they resort to various coercive methods to hinder development of new technologies intended to promote the use of renewable and clean energy," Ahmadinejad said at a UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.
Russia stands firm in territorial dispute with Japan
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia has said it is ready to talk with Japan over territorial issues but insisted that its sovereignty over the southern Kuril islands north of Japan is unquestionable.
"The fundamental position of the Russian Federation is that the south Kuril islands became part of our country as a result of the World War II and Russia's sovereignty over them, which has a corresponding international legalization, is unquestionable," foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said.
French author Le Clezio wins 2008 Nobel literature
By IANS,
Stockholm : French novelist Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio has won the 2008 Nobel Prize for literature, the prize committee announced here Thursday.
A press statement from the Nobel Committee at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences described Le Clezio as "author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilisation".
Le Clezio was born in April 13, 1940, in Nice.
US, China won’t slow government spending ‘too soon’
By DPA,
Washington : The US and China agreed to maintain aggressive measures to stimulate their economies until a global recovery takes hold, US officials said after talks with their Chinese counterparts Monday.
Both countries have launched massive stimulus packages to keep their economies afloat during the global recession, and each was "grappling with the timing of the withdrawal", said David Lovinger, the US Treasury Department's senior coordinator for China affairs.
German Hypo Real Estate bail-out collapses
By DPA,
Munich : Hypo Real Estate (HRE), the German company caught up in the wave of western bank failures, said Saturday a government-backed bail-out it was seeking had collapsed.
The mortgage lender said assurances of loans from several other financial institutions had expired.
Newspaper reports said leading German banks had discovered that HRE's troubles were more serious than first thought.
HRE, which mainly lends to commercial projects and to build public facilities, is the first German casualty of the crisis that has spread from New York in the past month.
China’s health care reform focuses on public service, Premier says
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China's health care reform plan will focus on the public health service, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao here Tuesday.
Through the reform plan, the country will ensure the non-profit nature of its public medical service, and speed up building a health insurance network in both urban and rural areas, improve the public health service and set up a state catalog, production and distribution of basic medicines, Wen said at a meeting held by the State Council.
Turn from ‘death and terror’ to love of God, says Pope
By DPA,
Fatima (Portugal) : Pope Benedict XVI Thursday urged humanity to turn away from selfishness, death and terror to the love of God, as he spoke at a gigantic open-air mass in Fatima.
"At a time when the human family was ready to sacrifice all that was most sacred on the altar of the petty and selfish interests of nations, races, ideologies, groups and individuals, our Blessed Mother came from heaven," Benedict told thousands of pilgrims.
Dow falls below 7,000
By DPA,
New York : The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell below 7,000 points for the first time since 1997 in early trading on Wall Street Monday.
The US' deepening recession and financial crisis mean the blue-chip Dow has now lost more than half its value since reaching a record high of 14,000 points in October 2007. US stocks had already plunged last week to their lowest level since 1997.
China detains dozens of Tibetan monks after protest
By DPA
Beijing : Chinese police have detained dozens of Tibetan monks who undertook a protest march demanding the release of imprisoned supporters of the exiled Dalai Lama, US-based Radio Free Asia said Tuesday.
The monks were among up to 300 who left Drepung monastery Monday to walk 10 km into Lhasa, the capital of China's Tibet region, the broadcaster quoted local sources as saying.
Petrobras signs $10 bn loan deal with China
By EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazilian state-controlled energy giant Petrobras said that it has signed a contract finalising a 10-year, $10 billion loan from China Development Bank (CDB) Corp, the biggest-ever financing deal between a Chinese entity and a Brazilian firm.
"This funding is relevant not only due to the amounts involved, but also because it represents a new phase of relationship between developing countries," Petrobras CFO Almir Barbassa said in a statement Wednesday.
The executive represented Petrobras at the signing ceremony Tuesday in Beijing, the statement read.
Cleric rapped for claiming rape impossible within marriage
By DPA,
Sydney : A Melbourne cleric was urged Thursday to retract a ruling that Muslim men were free to rape their wives and hit them if they disobeyed.
"Australia will not tolerate these sorts of remarks," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said. "They don't belong in modern Australia, and he should stand up, repudiate them and apologize."
In a lecture posted on the internet and titled The Keys to a Successful Marriage, Samir Abu Hamza said Muslim men could force their wives to have sex and were entitled to hit them if they were disobedient.
Thai Supreme Court to try former premier for corruption charges
By DPA
Bangkok : Thailand's Supreme Court Tuesday said it would proceed with a trial against deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Potjaman for alleged involvement in a corrupt land deal in 2003.
Unidentified gunmen attack private TV station in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : A group of unidentified gunmen Tuesday torched a leading Sri Lankan private television and radio station on the outskirts of the national capital, drawing strong condemnation from the US, rights groups and media organisations.
According to officials, the gunmen came in a van without number plates and attacked the studios and the main control room of the Maharaja Television/Broadcasting network (MTV/MBC) at Depanama, Pannipitiya, near Colombo.
British cops arrest man, make controlled explosion
By IANS,
London : The police carried out a controlled explosion in the city of Bristol, 200 km from London, early Friday morning following the arrest of a 19-year-old man on charges of terrorism.
The Avon and Somerset police said some 30 people in a cul-de-sac in the Westbury-on-Trym area of the city were evacuated at 2 a.m. as the controlled explosion was carried out in the suspect's home.
The suspect, said to be from the area, was being questioned by detectives at an undisclosed location.
Material from the blast was retrieved for analysis, the police said.
Oil patches spotted near Singapore coast
By DPA,
Singapore : Singapore's port authority Wednesday said that patches of oil and sheen have been sighted at a naval base on its coast after 2,500 tonnes of crude oil leaked from a damaged tanker following a collision.
However, "other than this, the oil slick has not affected Singapore's coastlines", the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in a statement, adding that the water in its anchorages was reported to be clean.
The Malaysian-registered tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3 collided Tuesday with a bulk carrier about 13 km south-west of Singapore.
China shares our concern about Iran’s N-programme: US
By IANS/AKI,
Washington : China has agreed to work with the US to pressure Iran to give up its nuclear programme that western countries believe is to build atomic bombs.
Chinese President Hu Jintao held a private meeting with US President Barack Obama Monday before the start of a two-day Nuclear Security Summit, with the focus on Iran's opposition to the nuclear nonproliferation agreement.
Kerry reaffirms US commitment to Syria peace talks
By IANS,
Washington: US Secretary of State John Kerry Sunday reaffirmed his country's commitment to the Geneva process and called for more efforts to find...
Britain presents territorial claim to UN
By Xinhua,
London : Britain Wednesday formally presented its territorial claim over south Atlantic Ascension Island to the UN.
The Island is already part of the British overseas territory of St Helena.
According to international law, countries have rights over their resources, including oil and gas reserves, up to 200 nautical miles from the shoreline.
Britain said the island's landmass reaches much further underwater, BBC reported.
The success of its claim would depend whether it could prove that fact scientifically, the report said.
British army begin training Ukrainian military
London : British military personnel have begun training members of the Ukrainian army fighting pro-Russian rebels, a media report said on Thursday.
The decision to...
Indian fire tenders to douse Ghana flames
By Francis Kokutse, IANS,
Accra: Ghana, which was scorched by nearly 4,000 fires last year, hopes to battle the flames with 75 new fire tenders from India.
India has changed stance, no change in our position, says Pakistan
Islamabad : If India has a right to impose its stance on "talks on terrorism only", then Pakistan has a right to insist...
Magnitude-6.4 quake jolts Bali, injuring seven
By DPA,
Bali (Indonesia) : An earthquake registering 6.4 on the Richter scale struck off the Indonesian resort island of Bali Saturday, triggering panic among tourists and residents.
At least seven people were injured, most of them with broken bones, said Rusyam Pakaya of the Health Ministry's crisis centre. He said no deaths had been reported.
Residents and visitors ran out of their homes or hotels in panic when the quake struck Indonesia's most popular tourist destination at 6.06 a.m. (2306 GMT Friday).
Nigerian oil militants release 19 hostages
By DPA,
Nairobi/Abuja : Nigerian oil militants Sunday said they had released 19 Nigerian oil workers kidnapped two weeks ago but said they would hold on to a Briton and two Ukrainians taken at the same time.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said in a statement that the expatriates could not yet be released due to "security concerns".
Militant groups in the Niger Delta often attack oil installations and kidnap expatriate workers, saying they are fighting for a greater share of profits from oil exploitation for the poor of the region.
China at crossroads as world economy wobbles
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The global credit crisis freezing up the world's finances may be a blessing in disguise for China as it aims to modify its economic structure after three decades of breakneck growth.
With its banks shielded from the worst effects of the crisis by its capital account control, plenty of liquidity and limited exposure to sophisticated derivatives, China still faces the effects of recession on its main export markets, the United States and Europe.
Oldest mosque in Australia to get a facelift
By IANS,
Sydney : Australia's oldest mosque, located in the 'city of churches' Adelaide, will get a facelift with a government grant of A$65,000 (US$61,192).
This is the first time a council will be funding the refurbishment of a mosque.
The Adelaide City Council will fund the repairs to one of the minarets, which was added in 1903 to the late nineteenth century Gilbert Street mosque in the city.
Spanish town wants Guinness recognition for odd names
By IANS
Madrid : People known as Fredesvinda, Clodoaldo and Baraquisio can still be found in Spain, above all in rural areas, and one village wants the Guinness Book of Records to recognize it as the place with the largest number of inhabitants with uncommon first names.
A glance at the census or newspaper obituary pages of Huerta de Rey, located in the central Spanish autonomous community of Castile and Leon, is sufficient to find individuals with the aforementioned names as well as others such as Orencia, Sincletica, Tenebrina, Rudesindo, Onesiforo and Floripes.
Iran’s president urges policy changes by new U.S. administration
TEHRAN, January 15 (RIA Novosti) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday called on President-elect Barack Obama to change U.S. policy toward Iran and to end Washington's interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
"Any administration in America that takes office should make two changes in its behavior," Ahmadinejad said. "First, stop interfering in other countries' business - interference should be limited to within the borders of the United States."
Sikh group slams Canada’s no-Singh no-Kaur rule
By IANS
Toronto : A Sikh group has slammed the long-standing Canadian immigration policy that forces Sikhs with the surname Singh or Kaur to change their last names if they want to migrate to the country.
The criticism came after an Indian Canadian Sikh woman, Tarvinder Kaur, who is pregnant, said her husband Jaspal Singh's application to become a permanent resident has been delayed because of his last name.
"He has no choice but to legally change his name in India so he can be with me before I give birth next month," she said.
Touted best among G8, Canadian economy on rebound
By IANS,
Toronto: Touted as the best among all the G8 economies during the current global slowdown, the Canadian economy is set for a rebound, according to the country's top bank.
In a report Monday, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) said the economy will return to positive growth in 2010 after contracting at an average of 2.5 per cent in 2009. According to the report, the economy is likely to grow by 2.6 per cent in 2010. It will pick up further in 2011 to grow
by 3.9 per cent.
Capitol Hill Police detain Man with Gun
By SPA
Washington : A man carrying a shotgun in the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol building has been detained by police.
The man, who reportedly has a long criminal record, was not identified. He does not appear to have fired any shots and there were no reports of injuries.
Officers are currently searching a vehicle identified as belonging to the man. Some reports said that sniffer dogs detected explosives in or around the vehicle.
Police said suspicious items were found in the man’s car, though no details were given. The man has not been identified.
Eight killed in China landslide
By IANS,
Hangzhou : Eight people have been killed in a landslide in east China's Zhejiang province, a doctor said Wednesday.
The doctor with the People's Hospital in Jiande City told Xinhua news agency that the eight people, who had been buried in the landslide, had been already dead when they were sent to hospital.
The landslide buried part of a factory at 2.30 p.m. in Daciyan Town, Jiande City, trapping six men and two women workers, said Yan Weihua, of the publicity department of Jiande Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China.
Thailand to extradite prostitution ringleader to Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Bangkok: Thai authorities would extradite to Russia a man accused of running a prostitution ring involving minors.
He claims that the case is fabricated.
Women fighter pilots ‘economically not viable’, says IAF
By IANS,
New Delhi: While the country's first women President, Pratibha Patil, takes to the skies in a fighter jet Nov 25, the Indian Air Force maintains that women fighter pilots are not "economically viable".
IAF vice chief, Air Marshal P.K. Barbora said here Tuesday that inducting women pilots in the fighter stream will take a while and certain preconditions might be laid down before they are allowed to become fighter pilots.
Nepal Maoists call closure of media houses Wednesday
By IANS,
Kathmandu : The powerful trade union affiliated to the Maoists Tuesday said it would enforce a shutdown of trade and transport countrywide 24 hours later, including Nepal's media organisations.
The All Nepal Trade Union Federation-Revolutionary has called the strike Wednesday as part of the series of disruptive protests called by the parent party to force the government into agreeing to censure President Ram Baran Yadav, who the Maoists hold responsible for the fall of their government.
Kamalesh Sharma’s prescription for world traders: it’s good to talk
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : The head of the Commonwealth harnessed his considerable experience in multilateral negotiations to recommend a series of steps that he said rich countries should take following the collapse of the Doha Round of world trade talks in Geneva.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, who was the spokesman for developing countries at the previous Uruguay Round of trade talks, said his 53-nation grouping would like to see:
- The European Union meet the deadline for ending the worst of its agricultural subsidies;
Thai Govt., Parliament agree to amend Article 291 to draft new charter
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : A meeting among representatives of the Thai government and Parliament resolved Monday to amend Article 291 of the Constitution to pave way for the establishment of a new constitution drafting assembly (CDA).
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, House Speaker Chai Chidchob and representatives from the six coalition parties and Senate, according to local newspaper BangkokPost's website.
Indonesian Population Grows By Five Million Annually
By Bernama
Jakarta : Indonesia's population grows by between four and five million annually, or as much the current population of Singapore.
National Family Coordination and Planning chief, Dr Sugiri Syarief said the Indonesian population reached 220 million, but the growth of 2.32 percent from 1971-1980 had slowed down to 1.3 percent.
"The population structure for those in the productive years need to be managed carefully, or else it will lead to disaster," he told Antara news agency in Bali on Tuesday.
Maoist chief denies proposing deferring Nepal poll
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Maoist supremo Prachanda Sunday denied having suggested postponement of the constituent assembly election, saying his party was committed to holding polls on Nov 22 as scheduled.
"It is a regrettable propaganda against us," Prachanda said in a statement Sunday. "It has been unleashed by the same elements who deferred the election from June to November in violation of the peace pact we had signed with the government."
Prachanda said his party had asked the government to ensure the election was held as scheduled.
Beijing considers ban on smoking near Olympic venues
By Xinhua
Beijing : Beijing is considering a ban on smoking in public areas in different venues during the Olympic Games next year.
China earthquake death toll nears 70,000
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : The death toll from the powerful earthquake that devastated China's southwest province of Sichuan on May 12 has risen to 69,185, the country's State Council said Tuesday.
An official statement said 374,171 people had been injured in the disaster, and that 18,467 were listed as missing. Chinese Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu said earlier Tuesday the death toll from the earthquake was expected to exceed 80,000.
China fog delays 150 international flights
By IANS:
Beijing : Fog in Shanghai city Wednesday delayed the departure of 150 international flights.
Officials said flights from Pudong International Airport were delayed due to fog.
Lebanon urges Israel to stop voilating its sovereignty, solidy ceasefire
By NNN-KUNA
United Nations : Lebanon has said that almost one year after Israel's "unjustified" assault on its south last July, it is time for Israel to stop violating its sovereignty in order to solidify the shaky ceasefire that has prevailed during all this period.
"Almost a year after Israel's unjustified assault on Lebanon ... it is essential to move from the precarious situation of cessation of hostilities to a permanent ceasefire."
Obama offers Mrs Clinton to be secretary of state
By IRNA,
New York : President-elect Barack Obama has met with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to discuss what role she might play in his administration.
Speculation in recent days has focused on the possibility that Obama would ask Clinton, a second-term senator from New York, to be his secretary of state.
Others mentioned for that post include Senator John Kerry, Democrat from Massachusetts and the party's presidential nominee in 2004, and Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader.
Australia’s ‘best and brightest’ talk the talk
By DPA,
Sydney : Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was regaled with ideas both wizard and wacky from the 1,000 delegates he picked for a weekend of brainstorming.
Saturday's session at Canberra's imposing Parliament House opened with Rudd, into his fifth month as the nation's leader, being told that 30 states would be better than just six.
Barrister Julian Burnside called for politicians to be legally obliged to tell the truth, and former New South Wales state leader Bob Carr said the country should follow the example of New York and ban restaurants from serving trans-fats.
French culture minister accused of paedophilia
By DPA,
Paris : A French police union said Thursday it will ask the Paris public prosecutor to open an investigation of Culture Minister Frederic Mitterand on possible charges of soliciting a minor.
"We feel it is our duty to protect society against sexual predators, even if they are ministers," the France Police trade union said in a statement.
The declaration came as a controversy escalated in France over an autobiography Mitterand wrote in 2005 in which he described travelling to Thailand to have paid sex with young men in brothels.
Bangkok Governor Resigns Over Indiction In Multi-Billion Baht Scheme
By D. Arul Rajoo, Bernama,
Bangkok : Just a month after re-election for another four-year-term, Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin has resigned, following his indiction in the 6.68 billion baht (RM1 = 9.7baht) scheme to buy fire trucks and fire boats from an Austrian firm.
Apirak told a press conference here Wednesday that he was relinquishing the coveted post to face possible charges in court after the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) decided yesterday he was involved in the alleged irregularities.
African development conference ends with food action plan
By DPA,
Yokohama ( Japan) : Threatened by soaring global food prices, African leaders and their development parties Friday called for urgent action to ramp up food production on the continent at the conclusion of a three-day development conference in Yokohama, Japan.
Participants at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) agreed that the continent must aim to double rice production in a decade and to expand irrigated land by 20 percent in five years with assistance from Japan.
Britain honours Indian soldiers’ contribution in WWI
New Delhi: Britain Thursday honoured the over a million Indian soldiers who fought in World War I, as British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon laid...
Europe determined to overcome crisis: Italian president
By IANS,
Rome : Europe is determined to overcome its current crisis, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said after meeting his German and Polish counterparts in Italy.
Injured ex-Congresswoman launches US gun control drive
By IANS,
Washington: Former US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was injured in a mass shooting, has launched a high-profile campaign against gun violence in America.
Spain will meet EU-mandated budget deficit target: Zapatero
By IANS/EFE,
Davos : Spain said it will adopt austerity measures to achieve its annual budget deficit target of 3 percent by 2013 as mandated by the European Union's pact on financial stability.
Spain is a "reliable" country which will reduce its budget deficit by 2013 in accord with the European Union's agreement, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said at the World Economic Forum here Thursday.
Russia says space disarmament plans with China cover all weapons
By RIA Novosti
Geneva : A Sino-Russian proposal for an international treaty to ban the deployment of weapons in space applies to all weapons, not only nuclear ones, Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday.
The draft treaty was presented to the UN-sponsored annual Geneva Disarmament Conference on February 12.
"Current international law does not prohibit non-mass destruction weapons from being deployed in space," Sergei Lavrov told a news conference.
EU businesses to lose one million jobs in 2009
By DPA,
Brussels : European Union (EU) businesses Monday called for a cut in interest rates amid predictions that the bloc's economic slowdown could lead to a loss of one million jobs in 2009.
BusinessEurope, which groups national business federations from 34 European countries, also called on governments to ensure a continued flow of credit and to approve structural reforms aimed at improving the continent's competitiveness.
Brown, Sarkozy want ‘supertax’ on bankers’ bonuses
By IANS,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy Thursday jointly called for urgent reforms to the global financial market in what was described as a rapprochement following a diplomat spat.
The two leaders, writing jointly in the Wall Street Journal, called for "a new compact between global banks and the society they serve".
"A compact that ensures the benefits of good economic times flow not just to bankers but to the people they serve; that makes sure that the financial sector fosters economic growth."
ASEAN Creates Myanmar Aid Group
By Prensa Latina,
Jakarta : The Association of South Eastern Asean Nations (ASEAN) established a special group to provide international aid to hurricane-devasted Myanmar, sources reported Wednesday in this capital.
The group is made up of 270 officials from 10 member countries of ASEAN and is led by general secretary Surin Pitsuwan from Thailand.
The economic cooperation entity is made up of Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Philippines.
US jobless rate dips to 9.1 percent in July
By IANS,
Washington : The US unemployment rate edged down to 9.1 percent in July from 9.2 percent in June, the Labour Department said Friday.
Zimbabwe Contests Elections Results
By Prensa Latina,
Harare : The government party and the opposition in Zimbabwe contested last March 29 legislative elections' results in 50 percent of the 210 districts of the country.
The National African Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) in power in Zimbabwe rejected counting in 53 centers while the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) did it in 52.
Those in charged of receiving and counting the votes have revised the ballots in 23 district suspicious of fraud.
Hundreds dead or missing in DPRK after heavy rains
By Xinhua
Pyongyang : Hundreds of people are dead or missing and thousands of houses have been destroyed as a result of continued heavy rains in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the official KCNA news agency said Tuesday.
Up to Sunday, the heavy rains had left "hundreds of persons dead or missing and destroyed more than 30,000 houses for over 63,300 families," KCNA said.
"The torrential rain that hit the DPRK from Aug. 7 has persisted, causing huge human and material damage," said KCNA.
Public woe of sacked Indian-origin minister
By IANS,
London : Parmjit Dhanda, an Indian-origin Labour MP who lost his ministerial post in the recent cabinet reshuffle, has expressed his disappointment on his personal blog.
The MP from Gloucester was a minister for communities and local government. He blogged: "I received the call that no minister wants to receive. I was told by the Prime Minster that he wanted to move me on to a non-ministerial post."
He said it "was a disappointment, but ministerial jobs come and go".
Russian kindergarten shooter killed by police
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: A man who shot at a kindergarten in Russia's Bashkiria region was killed by return fire in a special police operation Monday.
EU delighted with FARC hostage operation
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union's (EU) top officials reacted with delight at the Colombian military operation which Wednesday ended in the release of 15 hostages, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.
"I have just learned with relief and joy of the release of the hostages taken by (Colombian guerrilla movement) FARC ... I congratulate all those who worked for their release," European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement in the early hours of Thursday.
Free political prisoners in Tibet: Italian MPs
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Resume dialogue, suspend religious control regulations and free political prisoners in Tibet, a visiting parliamentary delegation from Italy said here Sunday.
Anti-Corruption Helps Vietnam Economy
By Prensa Latina,
Hanoi : Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the struggle against corruption contributed to economic growth, social benefits and stopping inflation in 2008.
In a session of the Central Board of Prevention of Struggle held Sunday official sources reported Monday that progress has been considerable in this field and will remain.
They reaffirmed society's decision in this battle to improve the mechanisms and administrative procedures on the base of public accountability in land, investments, expenses of the state sector and attorney's offices.
China strongly opposes US Senate’s Tibet resolution
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China strongly opposed a resolution Monday on Tibet adopted by the US Senate.
The resolution, proposed by a few senators in disregard to China's strong protests, "persistently favoured the Dalai clique and interfered with China's internal affairs," said foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu in a statement.
"China is strongly indignant and resolutely opposed to the resolution," she said.
Jiang urged US senators to see clearly the Dalai Lama's true nature, which she said was to engage in secessionist activities under the guise of religion.
Nepal king prays for divine intervention
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : With just 17 days left for the abolition of his two-century-old ancestral throne, Nepal's distressed King Gyanendra Monday sought divine intervention once again, offering animal sacrifices to a Hindu goddess of power.
Security was tightened at the temple of Dakshinkali on the outskirts of Kathmandu with the king and his queen Komal scheduled to offer five live animals and birds at the seat of the goddess believed to destroy the worshipper's enemies.
32 killed in road accidents in Spain
Madrid Thirty-two people were killed on Spain's roads during Holy Week celebrations, the country's traffic authority said Monday.
A total of 25 accidents took...
Chad rebels for ceasefire, Sarkozy threatens to intervene
By DPA
N'Djamena/Paris : A spokesman for rebel groups seeking to overthrow Chadian President Idriss Deby told a French radio station Tuesday they had accepted "in principle" an immediate ceasefire even as France said it would intervene, if necessary.
"We now want a national dialogue and a peaceful resolution to the conflict," Abderaman Koulamallah told RFI radio. "We want to stop the war and start a dialogue."
Sri Lanka steps up mine clearance
By DPA,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government has stepped up clearing mines in former rebel-controlled areas aimed at resettling 159,000 war refugees before the end of January, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said Thursday.
He told Colombo-based diplomats that an estimated 1.5 million unexploded landmines remained in an area of 402 sq km.
Bogollagama said the government has recently imported the latest in de-mining machinery from Slovakia and Croatia and five more machines had also arrived to speed up the mine clearance.
Sri Lanka troops find rebels’ underwater hideout
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan troops have discovered a metal structure believed to be an underwater home for the Tamil Tiger rebels in the northeastern part of the country.
"This 360-foot-long and 25-foot-wide structure, apparently compartmentalised into three sections, has been made of strong iron, and set on iron rails, like a railway carriage. In addition, a huge 300-foot-long underwater canal that leads to the high seas is connected to the metal structure," the army said on its website.
US imposes curfew on troops in southern Japan
By KUNA
Tokyo : The US military imposed a curfew Wednesday on its troops in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa following a series of incidents involving US servicemen, including an alleged rape of a 14-year-old local girl on Febbruary 11 that sparked tension.
The curfew, which took effect at 7:30 a.m. (2230 GMT Tuesday) without specifying an end date, applies to all Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps personnel as well as their families and non-military staff, the US military said in a statement.