Spain posts first GDP drop in 15 years
By IANS,
Madrid : Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.2 percent in the third quarter compared to the previous three months for the first time in 15 years, in the fallout of the worsening global recession, EFE reported Saturday.
The decline was due to weak domestic demand due to a lack of consumer confidence, increased unemployment and the erosion of disposable income in soaring inflation, the country's central bank Banco de España said in its October bulletin.
Spain's gross domestic product climbed 0.9 percent relative to the third quarter of last year.
UN rants US$8.8 million to aid cyclone victims in Bangladesh
By NNN-UNNS
United Nations : The United Nations has allocated $8.8 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support relief efforts in the wake of the deadly cyclone which struck Bangladesh last week, affecting more than 3 million people in the South Asian nation.
Commercialisation of air traffic improves performance: study
By IANS,
Toronto : Commercialisation of air traffic control has significantly improved performance in terms of cost, safety, and technical modernisation, according to a study.
The study by a George Mason University team examined the performance of 10 air navigation service providers (ANSPs) from 1997 to 2004 and compared them to US Federal Aviation Administration benchmarks.
Researchers carried out a quantitative analysis of data provided by the ANSPs, verified by safety regulators.
13 children injured in China wall collapse
By IANS,
Beijing : Thirteen children and a teacher were injured when a wall at a privately-run kindergarten in northwest China's Shaanxi province collapsed, an official said Wednesday.
‘Humanitarian convoys smuggled weapons in Bosnia war’
By IANS/AKI,
The Hague : Humanitarian convoys were used to smuggle weapons to Muslims during the Bosnia war from 1992-95, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, accused of genocide and war crimes, has told the UN Yugoslav war crimes tribunal.
"Everything was smuggled through these convoys - weapons, military equipment, cameras, food," Karadzic said Monday, while cross-examining a prosecution witness.
Bosnian Serb forces stopped only a few convoys, and Muslim officials stored away humanitarian aid and sold it in the black market, Karadzic said.
Obama calls Sotomayor an inspiration for Americans
By DPA,
Washington: Sonia Sotomayor, fresh off her swearing-in as the first Hispanic member of the US Supreme Court, was called an inspiration for all Americans at a White House reception by President Barack Obama Wednesday.
Obama said the success of Sotomayor, a Puerto Rican origin who was mostly raised by a single mother in New York's impoverished South Bronx, should encourage others in the US to rise out of poverty or tough circumstances.
US opens two hospitals in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : The US embassy said Wednesday it has opened two new hospitals at a cost of over $1 million to provide services in conflict affected areas in Sri Lanka's north.
Eurofighter fully combat ready, Royal Air Force
By KUNA,
London : The British Royal Air Force (RAF) was Tuesday declaring the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft capable of carrying out ground attacks, as well as its original air defence role, it was announced here.
The hi-tech fighter jets costing 67 million pounds each have been upgraded and training exercises have been taking place, the RAF said.
Critics have said the Typhoon is an outdated Cold War weapon, unsuitable for modern wars against terrorists and insurgents, but the RAF said the upgrade means the fighter will be able to operate more effectively in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Kenyan president ready to form national unity government
By SPA
Nairobi, Kenya : Kenya's president is ready to form «a government of national unity» to help resolve disputed elections that caused deadly riots, a government statement said Saturday without explaining what such a power-sharing arrangement might involve.
President Mwai Kibaki made the statement to Jendayi Frazer, the leading U.S. diplomatic for Africa, according to the director of the presidential news service, Isaiya Kabira. Kabira said he could not say whether that was a formal offer to opposition leader Raila Odinga. Frazer, who
Sri Lankans have contributed to US culture: Clinton
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankans have made several "positive contributions to American culture", said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the eve of Sri Lanka's Independence Day anniversary.
LTTE flags at Tamil rally not illegal: Toronto police
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Toronto police late Wednesday gave its clean chit to the use of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) flags by Tamil protesters at a rally here Monday.
Earlier, police had said they were investigating whether their action violated Canada's new anti-terror laws.
A police spokesman said their lawyers found "nothing illegal" about the use of LTTE flags by the protesters. "The best advice that we have from our lawyers is that it does not contravene any law," a spokesman was quoted as saying by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
UNESCO puts Cuba on Sports Committee
By NNN-Prensa Latina
Paris, France : Cuba was unanimously elected as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sports of the UNESCO, during the 34th UN General Conference.
Arnaldo Rivero, director of the Cuban National Sports, Physical Education and Recreation Institute, told Prensa Latina that this is a recognition of the country's work, dedication and efforts.
"We have presented several initiatives and strategies in the course of the years to develop sports, always well received within the UNESCO," Rivero stated.
US economy grew 3.2 percent in 2010 first quarter
By DPA,
Washington : The US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first three months of 2010, according to the US Commerce Department's first estimate released Friday, extending the US recovery from a deep recession in 2009.
The growth figure was roughly in line with analysts' estimates and together with growth of 5.6 percent in the last quarter of 2009, it marked the strongest six-month stretch in seven years.
Tamil Tigers reiterate their readiness for truce with Sri Lanka
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : The Tamil Tiger rebels, facing a fierce military thrust in the borders of their 'administrative capital' of Kilinochchi in the north, have reiterated their consent for a cessation of hostilities with the Sri Lankan government, a pro-rebel website reported Sunday.
According the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website, political wing head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) B. Nadesan made these remarks Saturday, following reports of Tamil Nadu leaders seeking clarification on LTTE's stand on ceasefire.
17 killed in terrorist attack on Kenya university
Nairobi : At least 17 people were killed and over 60 injured by armed assailants who forced their way into a university in northeastern...
Colombia’s former spy chief held for militia links
By IANS,
Bogota : Former head of Colombia's security service DAS has been arrested for the third time in less than two years on charges that he collaborated with the country's murderous right-wing militias, EFE news agency reported Saturday.
Jorge Noguera, who ran DAS from 2002 to 2004 and then served as Colombian consul-general in Milan, Italy, was arrested following a Supreme Court order over his alleged links with militia men, officials said.
North Korea, US close to nuclear compromise: Report
By DPA,
Seoul : North Korea and the United States are closer to a compromise in a last-ditch effort to salvage a nuclear disarmament deal, South Korean media said Friday.
Both sides were ready for concessions in the disputed question of verification and inspection procedures of Pyongyang's nuclear facilities, the Chosun Ilbo newspapers said, quoting a high-ranking South Korean official.
Chinese bank employees executed for theft
By RIA Novosti
Beijing : Two employees of a Chinese bank in the northern province of Hebei were executed Tuesday in the country's biggest bank heist to date, the China Daily said.
Ren Xiaofeng, 34, and Ma Xiangjing, 37, who worked as vault managers of the Agricultural Bank of China in the Handan city branch stole some 52 million yuan ($7.3 million) from the vault.
They spent over 45 million yuan ($6.4 million) on lottery tickets in a month hoping to replace the stolen money with a jackpot.
Ethiopian PM is dead
By IANS,
Addis Ababa : Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has died, the state TV reported Tuesday.
Two minutes late, Chinese student not allowed to take exam
By IANS,
Shanghai : A student in this Chinese metropolis was not allowed to appear in his national college entrance examination as he reached the venue two minutes after the test began.
Libya bus crash kills 36 people outside tripoli
By ANTARA News/Reuters
Tripoli : At least 36 people were killed on Friday when a bus in which they were travelling collided with a car outside the Libyan capital Tripoli, the official news agency Jana quoted the Interior Ministry as saying.
Nine other passengers were injured, five of them seriously, it said, adding that the dead and the injured were from several foreign countries.
Court rejects appeal of five Islamic extremists in Australia
Sydney: Five members of a Sydney terrorist cell will remain behind bars after a court here Friday dismissed their appeals filed against convictions and...
Zimbabwe’s medical bodies implore end to political violence
By DPA,
Harare : Some 2,900 victims of political violence wracking Zimbabwe ahead of a presidential election run-off have been treated in hospital since elections March 29, medical specialists said Sunday.
The specialist doctors in Zimbabwe, comprising surgeons, anaesthetists, physicians and paediatricians, said in a statement Sunday that over 200 people had had to be hospitalized with injuries and complications as a result of injuries.
Ukraine celebrating 17th anniversary of independence
By IRNA,
Tehran : On the 24th August 1991 Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (parliament) declared Ukraine as an independent state.
At the same year (December 1, 1991) over 90% of the people of reborn Ukrainian state confirmed the independence of Ukraine at the referendum.
Germany facing ‘hot summer’ of protests over Merkel’s social cuts
By IRNA,
Berlin : Germany is facing a 'hot summer' of social protests as Chancellor Angela Merkel unveiled her tough austerity program which included unprecedented social spending cuts affecting mostly lower income people, families and elderly.
As part of Germany's biggest post-war cuts, federal spending for Europe's largest economy will be slashed 80 billion euros by 2014.
Speaking at a news conference in Berlin where Merkel announced the painful saving cuts, the German leader said, "These are serious times, these are difficult
times."
Shares plunge more than three percent in Seoul
By DPA,
Seoul : Shares closed more than 3 percent lower Wednesday on the Seoul stock exchange on rumours that South Korea may apply for bail-out funds by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The South Korean authorities denied the market rumours.
The benchmark Kospi index plunged 30.19 points, or 3.02 percent, to close at 968.97, giving up earlier gains.
Declining issues outnumbered advancers 526 to 320.
The main index of the technology-heavy Kosdaq market declined 6.84 points to 265.59.
Foreign capital flowing into real estate in Asia
By DPA,
Singapore : The inflow of capital into Asia's real estate market is accelerating on longer-term investments coming of a prolonged period of steady growth, a report said Thursday.
Returns in the region are forecast to remain higher than the global average for the coming year, said the report compiled by the Swiss firm KPMG, a global network of prefessional services and the Asian Public Real Estate Association.
Japan continues to be viewed as an attractive market for the lower-risk investor, the report said. China is also producing attractive returns.
Beyond borders: India, China must show climate stewardship
By Rajendra Shende,
Hsüan-tsang, a scholarly Chinese monk in Vedic and Buddhism studies, crossed the formidable borders and travelled to India in search of original Buddhist scriptures. Hailing from central China's Henan province, his well-known 7th century travelogue describes India as a 'knowledge country'.
Are the EU and US edging towards a new trade war?
By Nicholas Rigillo, IANS,
Brussels : People instinctively react to a threat by protecting themselves. But when it comes to international trade, most experts argue that raising barriers is not the best response.
"We all benefit from an efficient allocation of resources, so any attempt to protect national economies undermines this basic principle," says Simon Tilford, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank.
Toll rises to 213 in South Korean ferry mishap
Seoul : The toll rose Thursday to 213 in the South Korean ferry disaster in which the 6,825-ton passenger ship sank off the country's...
Tibetan spiritual leader asks Tibetans to show restraint
By IRNA
New Delhi : Asking Tibetans to show restraint, the spiritual leader of Tibet, Dalai Lama Tuesday said he will resign as leader of Tibet's government-in-exile if the situation in Lhasa and its neighbouring provinces got out of control.
"If Tibetans choose violence in their agitation, I shall resign from the leadership," the 73-year-old monk told reporters in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, PTI reported here.
Ryanair to buy 175 Boeing passenger jets
By IANS/EFE,
Dublin : Irish budget airline Ryanair Holdings said Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Boeing to purchase 175 737-800 airliners for $15.6 billion (12 billion euros).
Helicopter crash kills 8, injures 1 in Louisiana
By SPA,
Houma, Louisiana : A helicopter bound for U.S. offshore oil fields crashed in marshlands southwest of New Orleans, killing eight people and leaving a ninth with
critical injuries, officials said, according to AP.
The helicopter, operated by PHI Inc., crashed shortly after taking off Sunday afternoon from PHI's base in Amelia, Louisiana, company spokesman Richard Rovinelli
said. The cause of the crash was not clear. Rovinelli did not know the type of helicopter or its exact destination.
37 rebels killed in north Sri Lanka
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The military in Sri Lanka said Saturday that at least 37 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed and over 30 were injured Friday during clashes with government troops in the north.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that three members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were gunned down by Army snipers deployed in the Muhamalai area of the Jaffna peninsula on Friday.
Climate change: developed countries unwilling to commit to 2020 targets
By Jaideep Sarin, IANS,
L'Aquila (Italy) : Developed countries comprising the G8 are unwilling to commit themselves to reducing greenhouse gas emissions drastically by 2020, despite scientists across the world and developing countries urging them to do so.
With the issue of climate change becoming significant during the G8-G5 summit here, especially in the run-up to the UN climate change summit to be held in Copenhagen this December, emerging economies of the G5 are exerting pressure on the G8 to commit to earlier targets on reducing emissions.
Russia does not agree to immediate OSCE mission to Georgia
By DPA,
Vienna : The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) failed to green-light a military monitoring mission to Georgia Monday, a Finnish diplomat said, indicating that Russia does not want observers to be deployed immediately.
"We would like the deployment immediately of up to 100 monitors so that we can witness and observe the implementation of the ceasefire," said Aleksi Harkonen, the envoy of the Finnish OSCE chairmanship.
‘Cooperate more, contain less, in Sino-US ties’
By IANS,
Beijing : There should be more cooperation and less "containment" in Sino-US relations, an official said here Tuesday.
"The Americans need to understand that the China-US relation is like a car that has two drivers instead of one. The Chinese and Americans both have wheels and brakes, so they have to discuss with each other to drive the car forward on the right track," said Zhao Qizheng, spokesman of the third session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Obama, McCain trade charges on economy
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : A war of words has started between rival US presidential candidates with Barack Obama and John McCain trading charges on the economy which is emerging as the No. 1 election issue.
If Democrat Obama has dubbed McCain's economic plan as amounting "to a full-throated endorsement of (President)George Bush's policies," the Republican is attempting to paint Obama as a typical Democrat who wants to raise taxes and regulate government.
Climate change threatens Asia’s farming, energy security
By IANS,
New Delhi : Climate change poses fundamental threats to Asia's food and energy security which, if left unchecked, will result in an upsurge of migration into already overburdened mega cities, according to three major new studies funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
"The food and energy security of every Asian is threatened by climate change, but it's the poor -- and especially poor women -- who are most vulnerable and most likely to migrate as a consequence," said ADB Vice-President Ursula Schaefer-Preuss as the studies were released Friday.
At least 2 injured in blast in central Philippines
By Xinhua
Manila : At least two people were injured in a blast in Batangas, central Philippines on Tuesday morning.
The blast took place at 10 a.m. local time (0020 GMT), a Xinhua reporter said.
Local TV network GMA News said that a M/T Shogun chemical tanker was docked at a private facility in Batangas province when the blast occurred.
Police said the chemicals aboard the tanker did not appear to leak as the explosion occurred.
Space Shuttle Discovery lands in Florida
By DPA
Washington : The Space Shuttle Discovery touched down at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida after a 15-day mission that focussed on construction of the International Space Station.
Discovery, with a seven-member crew led by Pamela Melroy, the second woman to command a shuttle, landed at 18:01 GMT Wednesday.
"Well hello there, it's nice to be back in Florida," Melroy, who steered the craft to the runway, said over the radio after the safe landing.
Obama signs new spending bill to ease sanctions on Cuba
By Xinhua,
Washington : US President Barack Obama has signed into law a $410-billion spending bill that will ease some of Washington's economic sanctions on Cuba.
Obama, who signed the bill Wednesday, however said it was "imperfect" as the Congressmen had added pet projects to the $410 billion package, which is aimed at funding government spending until September 2010.
"I am signing an imperfect omnibus bill because it's necessary for the ongoing functions of government," Obama said at the White House. "But I also view this as a departure point for more far-reaching change."
12 killed in Mexican nightclub stampede
By Xinhua,
Mexico City : At least 12 people have been killed in a stampede at a night club after hundreds of young revellers rushed for the exit during a police raid here, the police said.
The incident took place at the News Divine disco in Nueva Atzacoalco district Friday evening. Around 18 people were injured.
People rushed for the exit after the club management announced over a microphone that a police operation was underway, police chief, Joel Ortega, told the Televisa network.
US vows to help Iraq retake lost territories
Washington: US Vice President Joseph Biden has pledged "full support" for Iraqi efforts to retake territories lost to the Islamic State, as Baghdad bristled...
Indonesia seizes money from Suharto’s youngest son
By DPA,
Jakarta : The Indonesian government seized more than $133 million from a company run by the youngest son of late dictator Suharto, local media reports said Saturday.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyanu Indrawati said state-run Bank Mandiri was ordered to seize 1.225 trillion rupiah ($133.5 million) from accounts of Timor Putra Nasional, a controversial car company owned by Hutomo Mandala Putra, better known as "Tommy Suharto," the Jakarta Post reported.
"(The transfer) is an effort to help secure state assets," Indrawati was quoted as saying.
British Airways to cut pension deficit
By DPA,
London : British Airways (BA) said Tuesday that it has reached agreement on a plan to cut its massive pension deficit of 3.7 billion pounds ($5.4 billion), which would pave the way for its planned merger with Spain's Iberia airline.
The embattled British airline said its agreement with pension trustees would avoid the closure of its two company pension schemes, which together serve nearly 100,000 members.
"This plan is a significant and positive step forward for British Airways," said the airline's financial officer, Keith Williams.
Microsoft to push ahead with Yahoo! takeover bid
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Undeterred by the Yahoo! board's rejection of its $44.6 billion offer, Microsoft Corp has said it will "pursue all necessary steps" to ensure the takeover deal is completed.
While Yahoo! rejected Monday the software giant's unsolicited offer at $31 a share as too low, Microsoft has described its proposal as "full and fair", suggesting that at least for now, the Redmond, Washington based company is not willing to raise its price.
India Inc hails Obama win, sees upswing in India-US ties
By IANS,
New Delhi : With a slowdown hitting world economies and the US facing a recession, India Inc has hailed Democrat Barack Obama's historic win in the race to the White House with the hope it will strengthen US ties with India.
"Bilateral and economic relationships between India and US would further improve and intensify," said Sajjan Jindal, president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), a leading industry lobby.
Millionaire found living in garbage-strewn room
By RIA Novosti
Rome : An Italian pensioner who lived in an apartment littered with garbage and excrement, and was often seen eating in the company of the homeless, was apparently the owner of over 400 bars of pure gold, Italy's Ansa agency reported.
The man's neighbours said they had no idea of his wealth until they contacted social services to report a strange odour emanating from his room.
India ready to help Nepal raise $20 bn for hydropower sector
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The third Power Summit, with "harnessing power" as its theme, kicked off here Tuesday with India pledging to help Nepal develop its potentially rich hydropower sector and Nepal providing an assurance of security and investment protection.
The new Maoist government's intention of generating 10,000 MW of power in the next decade would require about $20 billion, Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh said at the inauguration of the summit, which has brought over 300 investors, mostly from India.
Prabhakaran sends his wife, younger son abroad by sea: report
By IANS,
Colombo : Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, facing an unprecedented military thrust into his very last stronghold in northeast Sri Lanka, has sent his wife and the younger son to an undisclosed location abroad, a media report said Sunday.
The state-run Sunday Observer, quoting the intelligence reports, said that Prabhakaran, 54, has sent his wife Madivadani and his younger son, 10-year-old Balachandran, abroad by sea.
New Google service allows virtual pilgrimage
By EFE,
Santiago de Compostela (Spain): Internet users can now take a virtual pilgrimage in Spain thanks to Google's Street View service.
The virtual re-creation of the "Road to Santiago", one of the most famous pilgrimage routes in Europe, is one of the features of the service, which also showcases the Alhambra in Granada, the Toledo Cathedral, the aqueduct in Segovia, the mosque in Cordoba and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
Prince Charles ignorant about Green Revolution, say intellectuals
By Rajeev Ranjan Roy, IANS,
New Delhi : Agricultural scientists, economists and activists have criticised Prince Charles for trying to undermine India's Green Revolution and asserted that the agri-movement saved scores of people from starvation in the 1960s.
For them, Charles's comment that Green Revolution worked only for a "short time" emanates from his ignorance that the revolution not only saved millions from starvation, but also made India self-sufficient in food grains.
Zuma promises to unite all South Africans
By IANS,
Pretoria : South Africa's president-elect Jacob Zuma has said his government will work to unite the nation.
"Working together we will make it a government for all South Africans," Zuma said, while addressing the media shortly after the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced the election results Saturday night.
Zuma's African National Congress (ANC) got 65.9 percent votes of the total 17,680,729 valid votes cast. The ANC secured 264 seats in the national assembly, BuaNews reported.
Denzel Washington to play Barack Obama in new movie
By IANS,
London: Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington has reportedly landed the role of US President Barack Obama in a new movie.
The 54-year-old has long voiced his interest in playing Obama, 47, in a film but feared he would be too old for the role by the time a picture of the politician's life was eventually produced, reports imdb.com.
Washington has now confirmed he's set to portray the president as the ultimate endorsement for his starring role.
"It was at the president's suggestion. The only problem is he has bigger ears than me," said Washington.
US stocks extend monthly gains
By DPA,
New York : US stock indices continued their strong monthly showing Thursday on some positive company earnings reports, the latest in a string of better-than-expected economic news in the midst of the US recession.
US electronics chain Best Buy Co, food producer ConAgra Foods Inc and drinks maker Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc led a four-percent rally in consumer shares.
General Motors Corp surged 14 percent after about 7,500 workers accepted the company's buyout offer, helping the US carmaking giant reduce labour costs.
Number of babies born with HIV in Argentina drops
By IANS
Buenos Aires : The number of babies born in Argentina with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has fallen by 75 percent in the past 10 years.
The Spanish news agency EFE quoted Clarin newspaper as saying that the figures indicate that in the mid-1990s some 400 children were born each year with HIV, while the number now has dropped to about 100.
Some 3,000 children below the age of 14 who have AIDS live in Argentina, with about 55 percent living in the Buenos Aires metro area, 25 percent in Buenos Aires proper and the rest in the interior.
NASA declares Phoenix Mars lander dead
By DPA,
Washington : After months of dust storms and severe cold, NASA's Phoenix Mars lander has been declared dead by mission scientists, who celebrated the probe's success as the first to touch ice on the red planet.
Mission managers said Monday that Phoenix had lasted long after its planned 90 days, and they celebrated the success of the spacecraft.
"It's really an Irish wake and not a funeral," said Peter Smith, Phoenix mission principal investigator at the University of Arizona in Tucson, in a teleconference call with reporters.
Electronic voting machines not foolproof, nor safe from hackers
By IANS,
Washington : Students in an advanced computer security course at Rice University, Houston, are learning just how easy it is to break into software used in today's voting machines.
Dan Wallach, a Rice University associate professor and director of its Computer Security Lab, tested his students through a real-life experiment. They were told to do their very best to rig an electronic voting machine (EVM) in the classroom.
South African xenophobia under control: minister
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : The xenophobic violence that has wracked South Africa for the past fortnight is now under control, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said here Monday evening following a briefing with President Thabo Mbeki, even as the president came under increasing pressure for what many see as a late response to the situation.
Can a pill ease both physical and psychological pain?
By IANS,
Washington: Headaches and heartaches, broken bones and broken spirits... We often use the same words to describe physical and mental pain. But can a common painkiller ease not only the physical affliction of sore joints and headaches, but also the misery of social rejection?
A research team led by psychologist C. Nathan DeWall of the University of Kentucky has uncovered evidence indicating that acetaminophen (active ingredient in Tylenol which relieves pain, reducing fever and symptoms of allergies, cold, cough, and flu) may blunt social pain.
Sikh school in Britain reassures parents on pupils’ safety
London:A Sikh school in Britain has reassured its students and their parents that its premises are completely safe after it was claimed that the...
Doctor-cabbies will be finally allowed to practise in Ontario
By IANS,
Toronto : The government of Ontario province, the economic engine of Canada, will soon make a law that will allow foreign-trained doctors - so long left to drive cabs - to practise their trade.
Since foreign credentials are not recognized in Canada, most foreign-trained doctors and professionals are left to drive cabs and do odd jobs. In fact, Ontario province and its capital Toronto have more foreign-trained doctors, including from India, driving taxis than any other place in the world.
Four civilians killed, 23 injured in Pakistani shelling
Jammu : Four civilians were killed and 23 injured in shelling by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's...
Asean urges Myanmar to facilitate ‘expeditious execution’ of relief
By DPA,
Yangon : The Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) appealed to Myanmar's junta Wednesday to facilitate its role as a liaison between it and the international community in speeding up disaster relief to the victims of Cyclone Nargis.
Asean Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan met Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein Wednesday to explain the association's self-assigned role in a massive, but much delayed, relief effort underway in the country in the wake of Cyclone Nargis which swept over the central coast on May 2-3, leaving 133,000 people dead or missing.
US readies for ‘mass exodus’ from Cuba after Castro
By DPA
Washington : The US government is prepared for a possible mass exodus of Cubans after the death of elderly leader Fidel Castro, US-Cuba transition coordinator Caleb McCarry said.
"We have contingency plans for a possible massive exodus," McCarry said in Washington. "We have the obligation to secure our borders."
McCarry is one of the most controversial political figures in US-Cuban relations. The communist island interpreted the creation of his bureau by US President George W. Bush as a clear statement of purpose to annex Cuba in the near future.
Bush seeks Congress help to fight economic crisis
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : President George W. Bush has asked the US Congress to help fight an extended economic downturn by making his tax cuts permanent, passing free trade deals and sensibly addressing problems in the ailing housing market.
Focusing his weekly radio address on assuring Americans that his administration is taking steps to deal with what many view as a serious economic crisis, Bush Saturday pointed to the passage of a stimulus package as well as steps he has taken to help the housing markets.
African Union suspends Niger after coup
By DPA,
Nairobi/Niamey: The African Union has suspended Niger and imposed sanctions on the West African nation in the wake of a coup that toppled power-hungry president Mamadou Tandja.
Dissident soldiers stormed the presidential palace Thursday afternoon and arrested Tandja, 71, whose attempts to cling to power beyond his second term have been blamed for the coup.
The AU announced the suspension following a Friday meeting of the body's peace and security council in Addis Ababa and said it would help the nation return to constitutional order.
Mexico swine flu toll rises to 207
By EFE,
Mexico City : Eight more people have died of swine flu in Mexico raising the number of fatalities from the viral disease to 207, health officials said Sunday.
Till date 22,763 people have been infected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus, also known as swine flu, since the first case of the viral disease was detected in April in the country.
Man hid aunt’s corpse to collect her pension
By IANS,
Rome: A 43-year-old Italian man hid the body of his 87-year-old aunt in her apartment, and collected her monthly pension of 2,000 euros, AKI news agency reported.
Blast at petrol station kills four in eastern China
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : At least four people died and another four were injured on Tuesday in a blast at a petrol station in eastern China, local media said.
The incident occurred in the Anhui province after a tanker containing 200 cubic meters of gasoline exploded, the Sina news agency said.
Local authorities said the death toll could rise as two of the injured are in a critical state. An investigation into the blast is under way.
Use SAARC to improve regional cooperation: Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday spoke about how the SAARC grouping should be used to "improve regional cooperation and connectivity", Foreign Secretary...
Boeing delivers 200th transport aircraft to US Air Force
By Gulshan Luthra, IANS,
Los Angeles : Boeing has delivered the 200th C 17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft to the US Air Force (USAF).
The aircraft was flown from its Long Beach production facility here July 30 to the USAF Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, the aircraft's new home, company sources told India Strategic defence magazine.
USAF has ordered a total of 223 aircraft.
Boeing is slowing down production of C 17s, expecting some more new international orders before the facility is closed down in four to five years.
Globalisation in reverse gear as oil prices soar: Canadian report
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Trade liberalisation and technology may have flattened the world, but rising transport prices will once again make it rounder, says a report by a major Canadian bank.
In its study - "Will Soaring Transport Costs Reverse Globalization?", the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) says soaring oil prices are driving transport costs to such levels that businesses will be forced to seek supplies locally, rather than importing at huge costs from China and India.
Fidel Castro for investment in health, not arms
By Prensa Latina
Havana : In a new reflection on the dangers currently gripping humanity, Cuban President Fidel Castro called for governments of the world to invest in public health and not arms.
Putin sings, plays piano at charity event
By IANS,
St. Petersburg : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin played the piano and sang an English song at a charity event in St. Petersburg for children diagnosed with cancer.
US Republican Ranks Riddled with Distrust
By Prensa Latina,
Washington : Prominent Republicans voiced concern with the voter's distrust towards their party and the waning winning chances for Rep. presidential candidate John McCain.
So government political forces urge to recover space among the people otherwise the GOP will head to catastrophe at the November general elections.
Tom Cole (R.-Ok) admitted that the GOP poor message showed in the people's indifference and the party's failure at the primaries in Illinois, Louisiana, and more recently in Mississippi, where the Democrats won the House majority.
Commonwealth unable to address human rights issues: Ex-judge
By IANS,
Perth: The Commonwealth is facing several serious human rights issues and as an institution is unable to address it adequately, said a retired Australian judge.
Seven Latin American films among Golden Globe award finalists
By EFE,
Los Angeles : Seven Latin American entries are in the running for the best foreign-language film prize in the 67th edition of the Golden Globe Awards, Variety magazine reported.
The movies - three of them Mexican, two Chilean, one Argentine and one Bolivian - were included on a list of 69 finalists by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presents the Golden Globes.
That puts them one step away from being named as one of the five nominees for the award, which will be handed out in a ceremony in Los Angeles Jan 17.
UK expected to expel Israeli diplomat over Mossad killing
By IRNA,
London : Britain is poised to expel an Israeli diplomat as a mark of the government’s displeasure following the use of UK passports in Mossad’s latest assassination of a Hamas official, according to unconfirmed reports.
The expulsion will be announced by Foreign Secretary David Miliband in a statement to parliament on Tuesday afternoon, the Daily Telegraph said. But it stops short of blaming Israel directly for the killing.
Ancient tools show man sailed the seas 130,000 years ago
By IANS,
London : Archaeologists have discovered a set of tools that point to man sailing the seas tens of thousands of years earlier than previously thought.
Five sailors missing after Chinese boat sinks near Korea -agency
By RIA Novosti
Seoul : Five sailors from a Chinese fishing boat that collided with a South Korean cargo vessel on Saturday morning are missing, Seoul's Yonhap news agency reported.
The agency cited local coast guards as saying two sailors were rescued by the cargo ship after the accident, 370 km (230 miles) southwest of the South Korean island of Mara.
The nationality of the missing sailors has not been announced.
The Korean freighter was on its way to Singapore carrying 6,000 metric tons of steel, the agency said.
105 ‘rioters’ surrender to police in Lahasa
By NNN-PTI
Beijing : Over 100 people have so far surrendered to police in Lhasa to avail a leniency offer following the worst pro-independence violence since 1989 which rocked the Tibetan capital last week, which China says was "instigated" by the Dalai Lama.
A total of 105 rioters have surrendered for their role in the riots in Lhasa on March 14 that saw at least 13 people dead and many injured.
The Tibetan regional government had set Monday midnight as the deadline for the rioters to turn in, promising leniency to those who fell in line and "harsh" action to those who did not.
Nigeria, Chinese firm sign $1 bn power project
By IANS,
Abuja : The Nigerian government has signed an agreement with a Chinese firm for the construction of a 700 MW power plant in Niger state.
Time Warner plans to break off cable as profits slide
By DPA,
New York : Time Warner, the world's largest media company, said Wednesday that it planned to divest its lucrative cable TV unit as first quarter profits slid by 36 percent to $771 million.
"Our results this quarter, particularly the underlying operating strength at our cable, networks and filmed-entertainment businesses, gave us the confidence to reaffirm our full-year business outlook," chief executive officer Jeff Bewkes said in a statement.
Jamaica violence toll climbs to 49
By IANS/EFE,
Kingston : Four days of fighting between members of Jamaican security forces and gunmen working for a drug lord have left 49 people dead in this capital, officials have said.
Jamaica's ombudsman and public defender said they counted 44 bodies when they ventured into Kingston's strife-torn Tivoli Gardens neighbourhood late Tuesday, adding to the five fatalities - including two policemen and a soldier - reported earlier.
Over 400 suffer food poisoning in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : Over 400 people were hospitalized in eastern Sri Lanka Monday after suffering from food poisoning.
Tiny device can help build more powerful computers
By IANS,
Washington : Engineers have fabricated a tiny positioning device that will help build more compact, powerful computer hard drives and practically double the effectiveness of biological sensors.
Called monolithic comb drive (MCD), it can be potentially used as a "nanoscale manipulator" for use in watery environments to probe biological molecules, said Jason Vaughn Clark, an assistant professor of electrical, computer and mechanical engineering at Purdue University, who created the design.
Sagging? Blame smoking, not breastfeeding
By IANS
New York : Don't blame breastfeeding for sagging breasts -- a new study has found that feeding does not affect breast shape, but smoking does.
Researchers at the University of Kentucky, led by plastic surgeon Brian Rinker, arrived at this conclusion after a study with patients in Britain. The findings were presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons this week.
Russian Nobel winner Solzhenitsyn dies at 89
By DPA,
Moscow : Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel prize winner for literature who was exiled from the former Soviet Union for his graphic portrayals of life in Soviet labour camps, died here early Monday. He was 89.
The Interfax news agency reported the news quoting literary circles in the Russian capital, where he was living since 1994 after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The world famous writer and historian had not been seen in public for months, and had reportedly been seriously ill for months. He died from the aftermath of a stroke, according to unconfirmed information.
Iran-West nuclear swap still possible, says Brazil
By IRNA,
Tehran : Brazil's foreign minister says a US-drafted UN-proposed nuclear swap deal to solve Iran's nuclear issue still has the chance to be agreed upon.
Celso Amorim said Tuesday that there was a lack of confidence between Iran and some countries engaged in nuclear talks, adding that a third “faithful depository” country could solve the problem.
Obama telephones Rice, Ronen Sen on Mumbai attack
By IANS,
New York/Washington : US president-elect Barack Obama has telephoned Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen for an update on the nature of the Mumbai terror attacks that have claimed over 100 lives, his office said.
Obama, who strongly condemned the terror strikes, telephoned Rice late Wednesday night and Sen earlier Thursday, saying his thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragic situation.
Western man has stopped evolving: British geneticist
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : Man in the developed world has stopped evolving, a British genetics expert has said, because they no longer have to struggle to survive and natural selection does not come into play any more.
Going by his argument, any hopes of man evolving into something other than the current human state are left with the developing world, where tools of evolution are not thwarted in the absence of modern medi-care and higher standards of living.
Obama seeks ‘a new era of engagement’
United Nations, Sep 23 (IANS) President Barack Obama has called upon world leaders to usher in "a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect" even as he acknowledged that the US has fallen short on many fronts in the past.
Addressing the UN General Assembly Wednesday for the first time as president, Obama defended the actions of his young administration as initial steps toward progress on intractable world problems and asked other leaders too to live up to their responsibilities.
22 killed as terror attack hits Ariana Grande concert in Manchester
Manchester, (IANS): At least 22 persons, including children, died and 59 were injured in a suicide terror attack that hit Manchester Arena on Monday...
Father of dead British soldier criticises “insult” by minister
By KUNA,
London : The father of the first female British soldier to die in Afghanistan criticised a UK minister Monday for comments he made following an elite special forces officer's resignation over poor equipment claims.
Britains Defence Equipment Minister Quentin Davies said Major Sebastian Morley's accusation that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was guilty of "gross negligence" for failing to provide supply better kit was a "travesty".
He also said that casualties sometimes resulted after commanders chose the wrong kit for operations.
Recession-hit Italian hotels report fewer guests in 2012
By IANS,
By AKI,
Rome: The number of guests in hotels in recession-hit Italy fell during the first eight months of this year, according to a study.
3 Indian pilgrimd to meet New Zealand immigration officials today
By NNN-PTI,
Melbourne : Three Indian pilgrims of the 39, who have disappeared on their way to Sydney to see the Pope at the World Youth Day celebrations, are likely to meet New Zealand immigration officials today and provide leads about the alleged immigartion scam, New Zealand Sikh Society said.
Travel firm, Unesco join hands to protect heritage sites
By IANS,
Paris: A travel company has donated $1.5 million to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to support its work to conserve world heritage sites.
TripAdvisor, an online travel giant, and Unesco have signed a two-year agreement to protect the heritage sites, the Paris-based organisation said in a statement Friday.
According to the statement, the donation will be used in the conservation work of the 890 natural and cultural sites enrolled on the world heritage list, Xinhua reported.
US deputy Secretary of State to visit Ukraine
By IANS,
Washington : US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns will visit Ukraine amid prevailing uncertainty in the wake of a series of dramatic...
Former Peruvian President Fujimori extradited to stand trial
By Xinhua
Santiago : Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was extradited Saturday to stand trial in Peru on human rights and corruption charges.
Fujimori was flown in the morning by a Chilean helicopter from his house north of Santiago to a military airport near the city, where he boarded a Peruvian propeller-powered plane and left for his home country.
Seoul, Jakarta to hold first military dialogue
By Xinhua,
Seoul : South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Kim Jong-cheon and his Indonesian counterpart will meet here this week for the first-ever official military dialogue between the two countries, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
The talks between Kim and Indonesian Vice Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin will be held Thursday, according to the ministry.
‘Iron supplements can reduce infant mortality’
By IANS,
Sydney : Iron supplements given during pregnancy are known to prevent deaths in newborns, which has been validated by studies in China.
"After comparing our results with other studies in Indonesia, India, the US and Bangladesh, it appeared the reduction in neonatal mortality was related to the increased duration of pregnancy from the iron in the supplements," said Michael Dibley of the University of Sydney, who was associated with the study.
Singapore may impose death penalty for kidnapping
By IANS,
Singapore : Singapore may impose the death penalty for serious crimes like murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking, an Indian-origin minister has said.
The penalty has a deterrent effect and will send a clear signal to drug barons about Singapore's stand, Law Minister K. Shanmugam was quoted as saying Sunday by Straits Times.
Shanmugam said it was easy for death penalty opponents to focus on the plight of the individual who faced being hanged, but the consequences of getting rid of the death penalty had to be considered.
US calls for peaceful elections in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo: The US said Tuesday that it was "deeply concerned" over the escalating violence linked to the Jan 26 presidential elections in Sri Lanka.
Referring to a fatal shooting, an American embassy statement urged the authorities "to conduct a full investigation of this and other acts of violence and to protect those exercising their democratic right to support the candidate of their choice.
"This is the first nationwide election in a peaceful, united Sri Lanka in several decades. We hope that the election is conducted freely, fairly and without violence," it said.
Former Argentine president accused in killing of protestors
By DPA
Buenos Aires : Former Argentine president Fernando de la Rua was formally charged with five homicides and 172 cases of injuries during the violent crackdown on street protestors years ago.
De la Rua, 70, resigned on Dec 20, 2001 amid large-scale protests and clashes between demonstrators and police. The police killed at least 30 protestors.
Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio did not call for preventive arrest of De la Rua, but established bail of some $6.3 million, court sources said Tuesday.
Russian jet makes emergency landing
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A passenger plane was forced to return to an airport in northern Russia Friday after the aircraft lost cabin pressure.
All people must stand against terrorism: UN chief
By IANS,
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on all people to stand against terrorism, in a special message on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack.
Obama, Sarkozy to meet next month
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama will meet his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy at the White House in March and discuss "strategic issues of mutual concern".
Obama will host Sarkozy March 30 and discuss a "broad range of strategic issues of mutual concern", According to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.
The two presidents will discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iran, Middle East peace efforts, European security cooperation and sustaining global economic recovery, Xinhua quoted Gibbs as saying.
Wider scope for dissent in Cuba: Raul Castro
By IANS
Havana : Cuba will continue with a single party system with wider scope to accommodate dissent and differences of opinion, acting President Raul Castro has said even as rights groups point out scores of dissidents are still in jail.
"If we have a single party and that represents the interests of all the people, it's good," Castro was quoted as saying Tuesday by Spain's EFE news agency Wednesday.
Cuba demands end of US embargo
By IANS
Havana : Cuba has demanded an end to the economic embargo imposed 45 years ago by the US saying the policy has cost the island nation $89 billion, Spanish news agency EFE reported Wednesday.
Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque Tuesday presented the report here that Cuba will take to the UN General Assembly next month.
The document, which will be voted on in New York on Oct 30, estimates the communist-ruled island's losses from the embargo over the past year at more than $3 billion.
Toxic dumping inspection team killed in Mexico
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Four members of an environment inspection team were tortured and shot dead and their bodies were stripped naked and buried partially at a suburban city near the Mexican capital, officials said.
The bodies of two environmental inspectors, a municipal police officer and their guide were found in a ditch in Temazcaltepec city, which forms part of the Mexico City metropolitan area, the Attorney General's Office said Sunday.
Tamil rebels kill four civilians in Sri Lanka
By DPA
Colombo : Four civilians were shot by Tamil rebels in a remote village in north central Sri Lanka Monday morning, police said.
One woman and three men were working in a field when the rebels stormed the Ahavilachchiya area, 220 km north of the capital, and opened fire at them.
The rebels escaped into the nearby wildlife sanctuary soon after the attack, police said.
The wildlife sanctuary, once a tourist destination, has now been abandoned due to rebel activities in the park and surrounding areas.
Rajapaksa seeks Tamil support in polls
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday held election rallies in a former Tamil Tiger stronghold and urged Tamils to vote for him...
Chavez, Merkel shake hands, appear to make up
By Sara Barderas, DPA,
Lima : Politics often mixes and matches the most varied and even antagonistic elements.
However, Friday, the "family photo" of heads of state and government at the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-LAC) summit in Lima showed smiling unity of purpose, despite fireworks from earlier in the week.
British government sets out deficit-tackling savings plan
By DPA,
London : The British government is to cut some 6.2 billion pounds ($9 billion) from its budget this year, in an effort to tackle its national deficit, British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced Monday.
Osborne said there would be a civil service recruitment freeze, as well as cuts to IT programmes and non-governmental organisations, the BBC reported.
Funding for schools and 16-19 year olds' education would be protected, Osborne said.
Nepal heading for local body elections
Kathmandu : Nepal is preparing to hold local body elections after a 16-year hiatus, a government minister said Sunday.
The elections for the leadership of...
Israeli police executed Jerusalem car driver in cold blood: Hamas
Gaza/Ramallah: The Islamist Hamas movement on Wednesday accused the Israeli police of executing a Palestinian car driver from east Jerusalem who ran over two...
Government comes to distressed Indian’s aid in Saudi Arabia
New Delhi : The government will extend all help to an Indian man working in Saudi Arabia without being paid his salary for the...
Finance rescue working, broader action needed: Paulson
By DPA,
Washington : US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Wednesday said the government's massive intervention in capital markets has prevented a "broad systemic event" but warned the financial system "remains fragile" and needs broader help.
Actions taken by the Treasury Department in the past weeks "have clearly helped stabilize our financial system" after it had reached a "tipping point", Paulson said at a press conference.
Obama plans to reshape US image, approach in the world
By DPA,
Washington : US president-elect Barack Obama takes office Jan 20 planning to chart a new course for foreign policy, but he will be inheriting a long list of daunting and complex challenges that may leave him with little room to manoeuvre.
Since winning the November election, Obama has handpicked a formidable and seasoned group of national security advisers and cabinet secretaries, who will be charged with reshaping the US approach and undoing the damage to the US image incurred by President George W. Bush's unpopular policies abroad.
12-year-old plane crash survivor leaves hospital
By DPA,
Paris : The 12-year-old girl who miraculously survived the June 30 crash of a Yeminia Airbus A310 near the Comoros islands has left hospital care in Paris, France Info radio reported Friday.
Bahiya Bakari spent 10 hours clinging to wreckage in the water after the plane plunged into the sea. She suffered a broken collarbone and minor burns.
The other 152 people aboard the aircraft, including her mother, were killed in the crash.
Of Comoran origin, the teenager was travelling to the islands to celebrate her 13th birthday there in August.
UK earning extra Pnds 5 billion in North Sea oil-tax revenue
By IRNA,
London : The British government is earning Pnds 5 billion (Dlrs 10 bn) extra in North Sea tax revenues due to record oil prices, according to accountants, Grant Thornton.
The accountants calculated that at the current oil price of about 118 dollars per barrel, the UK Treasury receives an extra Pnds 12.75 million a day in oil-tax revenue.
‘Media makes infectious diseases seem much worse’
By IANS,
Toronto : Popular media coverage of infectious diseases make them seem worse than they are, according to a new Canadian study.
Diseases that surface frequently in the print media -like bird flu - are considered more serious than similar diseases that do not receive the same kind of coverage, such as yellow fever, according to the research.
"The media tend to focus on rare and dramatic events," said Meredith Young, co-author and graduate in the department of psychology, neuroscience & behaviour, McMaster University.
China publishes military dictionary based on US terms
By Xinhua
Beijing : China has published a new bilingual military dictionary including more than 250,000 entries of military terms, most of which are taken from US armed forces publications.
The major sources of "An English-Chinese Military Dictionary" include the DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms that was published by the Pentagon in 2002.
The Chinese dictionary has been compiled by linguists and military experts in collaboration with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) University of Foreign Languages.
Thailand government warns protesters of strong action
By DPA,
Bangkok: The Thai government Saturday told tens of thousands of protesters to leave a posh Bangkok shopping district by 9 p.m. or they would impose the draconian Internal Security Act.
"By 9 we will tell them our conditions," government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said. "If they refuse to leave there leaders will be prosecuted and subject to arrest for one year under the Internal Security Act."
Japan seeks closer energy ties with UAE
By IANS/WAM,
Tokyo: The Japan has sought to bolster energy relations with the UAE, a Japanese official said.
Market crunch must not overshadow climate crisis: WWF
By Xinhua,
Brussels : The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Tuesday asked the European Union (EU) not to backtrack on its emissions reduction commitments because of the current financial crisis.
The WWF launched the appeal through its Brussels-based European Policy Office on the eve of an EU summit, at which the leaders will discuss a climate change package.
"European countries need to reaffirm the EU commitment to cut greenhouse gases by 30 percent by 2020, without any escape clauses," said Delia Villagrasa, a senior advisor at the WWF.
France’s Carrefour rules out Brazil exit, plans investment
By IANS/EFE,
Sao Paulo : French supermarket chain Carrefour has no plans to leave Brazil and will make more investments in the South American country, said the company's top executive in Brazil, Jean Marc Pueyo.
"Why would Carrefour put so much money into Brazil if it planned to sell? No, we are not going to sell. The company is focussed on investing strongly and growing. It doesn't make sense to sell the operation in Brazil," Pueyo told the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, addressing recent reports in the media about the French company's plans.
British court turns down Hindu’s funeral pyre plea
By IANS,
London : An ageing Hindu campaigner was said to be "very very disappointed but indefatigable" after a British court Friday turned down his plea to be allowed to be cremated on an open-air pyre.
Davender Kumar Ghai, a multi-faith campaigner and founder of the Anglo-Asian Friendship Society charity, had challenged a 2006 refusal by his local council in northern England for him to be cremated on an outdoor funeral pyre.
Pope John Paul II attacker released from jail
By RIA Novosti,
Ankara : A Turkish assassin who shot and wounded Pope John Paul II in 1981 was released from jail Monday after almost 30 years in Italian and Turkish prisons.
According to his lawyers, Mehmet Ali Agca, 52, has said he will deliver a true account of his assassination attempt after he is released from prison.
"I will answer all of these questions (about the assassination attempt) in the next weeks," Agca said in a letter released by his lawyers.
Just after the arrest over the attack on St Peter's Square May 13, 1981, Agca claimed that he had acted alone.
Girls are just as good as boys in mathematics
By IANS,
Washington: Girls worldwide are just as good or bad at maths as boys, even though the latter are more confident in their abilities, according to a new international analysis.
But girls from countries where gender equity is more established are more likely to perform better on math tests, the report said.
"Stereotypes about female inferiority in mathematics are a distinct contrast to the actual scientific data," said Nicole Else-Quest, psychology professor at Villanova University in the US, who led the study.
Five killed in London light aircraft crash
By DPA
London : All five occupants of a light aircraft that that crashed in a residential area south of London Sunday were killed, the police said.
The twin-engine Cessna exploded as it crashed into a suburban residential district in Farnborough, Kent, setting a house on fire, witnesses said.
According to news reports, the occupants of the aircraft were all members of the same family.
Neighbours said they believed the residents of the house that the plane struck were away on holidays.
Train hits car near Moscow
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Two people were injured when a train collided with a car near Moscow, the Russian emergencies ministry said.
Dutch show little opposition to airport ‘naked’ body scanners
By DPA,
Amsterdam : Dutch politicians were Saturday expressing little opposition to the airport "naked" body scanners which have met with angry resistance or incredulity elsewhere in the European Union (EU).
The appliances, being tested at Amsterdam's Schipol airport, were "absolutely discreet", Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin was quoted as saying in de Volkskant newspaper and other media.
Arts and culture pump $84.6 billion into Canada’s economy
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Canada's thriving arts and culture contributed a record $84.6 billion to the nation's economy last year.
Highlighting the economic significance of the sector, a report by the private think-tank Conference Board of Canada released Tuesday said it accounted for as much as 7.4 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).
The report comes amid the government's decision to cut funding for various cultural and arts programmes by $45 million.