‘Turn your words into deeds’: US lawmakers write to Modi on growing ‘religious intolerance’
By TCN News,
Conveying their serious concern over violence against religious minorities in India, 34 top American lawmakers that include Eight U.S. Senators and 26...
Russia’s UN draft Kosovo statement greeted with skepticism
By RIA Novosti
United Nations : A draft statement on Kosovo proposed by Russia to the UN Security Council was met with skepticism by Western nations.
The statement, which aims to preserve Serbia's territorial integrity and calls for further talks on the Albanian-dominated region's status, was rejected by the countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence - including the United States and Britain - declared on February 17.
New Orleans meeting 15-16 January to strengthen existing Satellite systems
GENEVA, Jan 11 (KUNA) -- The World Meteorological Organization announced Friday that a high-level meeting, attended by the world's space agencies, will take place in New Orleans, USA, on 15-16 January to has developed a new vision for using dozens of satellites to monitor climate change and other impacts of global warmingweather.
Greenpeace Activists against Whalers
Canberra, Jan 22 (Prensa Latina) Activists from ecologist organization Greenpeace continue deterrent actions Tuesday against the Japanese whaling fleet operating in the Antarctica maritime reserve.
The ecologists tried to prevent the Japanese ship Nisshin Maru from fueling from oil ship Oriental Bluebird by situating an inflatable boat between them, said Greenpeace spokesman Dave Walsh.
"It was too dangerous for us to keep blocking the operation because they were maneuvering the ships closer," Walsh said.
Simple headlines capture Obama’s momentous victory
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : American newspaper headlines captured the momentous nature of Barack Obama's election with a few pithy words that said it all.
A New York Times banner headline said simply "OBAMA". The Washington Times proclaimed "President Obama", the Washington Post declared "Obama Makes History" and USA Today said: "America makes history; Obama wins".
Cambodia appoints former Thai PM as advisor
By IANS,
Phnom Penh : Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was appointed as economic advisor to the Cambodian government, officials said Wednesday.
He will also be a private advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen, Xinhua reported.
King Norodom Sihamoni has formally appointed Thaksin to the posts on Oct 27 at the request of prime minister and in accordance with the country's constitution, a government spokesman said Wednesday.
Thaksin has been living in self-exile in foreign countries since he was toppled from power in 2006.
Dalai Lama expresses grief for China’s quake victims
By IANS,
Dharamsala: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Wednesday said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life in the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck China's Qinghai province, leaving about 400 people dead, an official statement said here.
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and property as a result of the earthquake that struck this morning. We pray for those who have lost their lives in this tragedy and their families and others who have been affected. A special prayer service is being held at the main temple here on their behalf," said the statement.
Assocham, Japanese firm sign pact on energy parks
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) Tuesday signed an agreement with a Japanese firm for transfer of technology to set up renewable energy parks in India.
The pact was signed with the Tokyo-based Eiwat that develops technologies in renewable energy, designs energy parks and promotes non-conventional energy worldwide.
According to Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat, the company will now design such parks for India to encourage eco-friendly technologies.
US golf magazine apologises to Sikhs for doctoring picture
By IANS,
New York : A leading US golf magazine has tendered an apology to the Sikh community for using a doctored image of Guru Arjan Dev in its May 2008 issue. Hundreds of Sikhs who considered the image blasphemous sent their protests to the magazine.
Golf Digest magazine has also agreed to publish a public apology in its August issue for an item which showed the Sikhs' fifth guru as a "golfing guru", holding a golf club and offering advice to the readers, something considered blasphemous.
Wildfires devastate southern California, thousands flee
By DPA
Los Angeles : A hellish front of firestorms burned across southern California for the third straight day, prompting the largest evacuation in the state's history as hundreds of thousands of residents fled for their lives.
Driven by stiff Santa Ana winds across the drought-stricken region covered by a string of wealthy cities, the series of furious wildfires are some of the worst in California's history, destroying an estimated 1,250 homes, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Andhra techie Arpana was strangulated to death: US police
By Lalit K. Jha, IANS,
New York : Arpana Jinaga, a software professional from Hyderabad who was working with a major IT company in Seattle, was strangulated to death in her apartment in the wee hours of Saturday, an autopsy report has revealed.
James Sosik, investigator at the King County Medical Examination Office who conducted the autopsy, told IANS that Arpana was strangulated to death in her apartment at about 3.30 a.m. Saturday.
After Buddha, Nepal stung by terror claims about last king
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : After the controversy over Bollywood kungfu comedy "Chandni Chowk to China", which wrongly claimed the Buddha was born in Nepal, the Himalayan republic has been stung anew by Indian media reports that a suspended Indian soldier was allegedly involved in a terror plot to establish a Hindu state with help from Nepal's last king Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah.
"We are not surprised that Indian intelligence agencies and media have been propagating groundless reports about Nepal," Nepali weekly Jana Aastha Wednesday said.
Australian PM has phone conversation with Japanese leader
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Thursday to discuss the situation in Myanmar, where millions of people have been left homeless and at risk of disease following a recent deadly cyclone.
"Both leaders agreed to continue efforts to encourage the Burmese government to allow more assistance in more quickly and speed up the distribution of aid within the country," a government spokesman said.
This was the first conversation with the Japanese leader since Rudd won the election last November.
North Korea threatens South with ‘military countermeasures’
By Xinhua
Pyongyang : North Korea Thursday said it would take "military countermeasures" against the South if the latter threatens its security, official news agency KCNA reported.
The notice, sent by the head of the North Korea's delegation to the military level talks to his South Korean counterpart, was in response to Seoul's statement Wednesday asking Pyongyang to stop provocative tactics.
Hong Kong to cut tax amid record high revenue surplus
By Xinhua
Hong Kong : Hong Kong's top financial official Wednesday proposed a list of measures aimed at returning wealth to people, including tax cuts and concessions, against the backdrop of a record high revenue surplus.
The package of initiatives and concessions aims at helping the disadvantaged, enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness and ensure sustainable development, said John Tsang, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, while delivering his budget speech at the Hong Kong Legislative Council.
Danielle Mitterrand for Evo Morales
By Prensa Latina,
Paris : President of the NGO France-Libertes Danielle Mitterrand supported in France Bolivian President Evo Morales, and warned against US coup plans.
In a letter published by local media, the former first lady, widow of late French President Francois Mitterrand, demanded the current government to adopt a clear position regarding the South American country"s process.
China to invest over $313 bn in green economy
By IANS,
Beijing : China will invest two trillion yuan ($313 billion) till 2015 to promote low-carbon economy, a media report said Sunday.
Bush, Britain’s Brown agree to keep pressure on Myanmar
Washington, Oct 6, SPA -- President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown agreed on Friday to keep international pressure on Myanmar’s military rulers, and the White House condemned the crackdown there as “barbaric.”
Bush and Brown spoke by video link about “the need for countries around the world to continue to make their views clear to the junta that they need to refrain from violence and move to a peaceful transition to democracy,” said Scott Stanzel, a White House spokesman. “The crackdown on peaceful protesters there is quite barbaric.”
Indonesian plane crash: 142 body bags taken to site
Jakarta: A total of 142 body bags have been taken to the site where an Indonesian military plane crashed on Tuesday in Medan city,...
Taiwan chief administrator resigns
Taipei : Taiwan chief administrator Jiang Yi-huah announced his resignation after the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) Party suffered a defeat in local elections held Saturday.
Jiang...
Syrian chemical weapons under control: Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Munich : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said the Syrian authorities were keeping chemical weapons under control.
Moscow sends protest note to China over border area chemical spill
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's Natural Resources Ministry has sent a protest note to China over a spillage from a chemical facility in northeast China, near the Russian border, which killed at least three people earlier on Friday.
Local authorities have not yet given details on the facility, the cause of the spill, or the type of chemicals that have leaked into the surrounding area, located in the Heilongjiang province.
At least 38 dead in Peru bus crash
By DPA,
Lima : At least 38 people were killed and 56 others injured Monday when two buses collided in the northwestern Peruvian region of La Libertad, police said.
Officials were unable to provide a reason for the accident, which took place on the Pan-American road, in the province of Viru. There were a total of 150 people on both buses, and the number of casualties could increase, local media reports said.
Over 4,000 Taiwan men reported abuse by wives
By DPA,
Taipei : More than 4,000 Taiwan men sought help after being abused by wives last year, the Central News Agency said Sunday.
In 2009, 4,428 men called the family abuse hot line set up by the interior ministry to seek help, after being abused by their wives, up from 1,325 in 2002, it said.
Russia to buy range of new army vehicles
By IANS,
Bronnitsy (Russia) : The Russian defence ministry is to purchase a range of new vehicles, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Tuesday during a visit to a military test center.
Four killed in plane crash in Canada
By Xinhua,
Ottawa : Four people were killed Tuesday when a helicopter crashed in a residential area in western Canada's British Columbia province, local media reported.
All three people on board the chopper died, including two passengers and the pilot. A pedestrian on the ground was also killed, Canadian Television quoted the Transportation Safety Board(TSB) as saying.
The accident happened in Cranbrook, a small community about 840km east of Vancouver. It went down in a residential neighborhood and burst into flames.
Russian military plans to buy foreign choppers
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The Russian defence ministry is planning to buy at least 45 light multipurpose helicopters from a foreign manufacturer, the Vedomosti daily reported.
Blast in fast food outlet in Australia
By IANS,
Sydney : A home-made device exploded in the rest room of a fast food outlet in this Australian city. No one was injured in the blast, police said Monday.
US in secret talks to secure Pakistan’s nuclear materials: Report
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington: United States and Pakistani officials have begun behind-the-scenes talks aimed at achieving a greater US role in securing Pakistan's nuclear materials, according to a US media report.
This includes a proposal to ship some highly enriched uranium to the US for disposal, the Boston Globe reported Tuesday citing two unnamed "administration officials with direct knowledge of the discussions".
Two Canadians injured, six still hostage in Mumbai
By Gurmukh Singh,IANS,
Toronto : Though Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon Thursday refused to confirm whether any Canadian was killed or injured in the terror attacks in Mumbai, two Canadians are reported to be among those injured and six among those still being held hostage.
According to reports here, the injured Canadians were part of a meditation group that was staying at the Oberoi-Trident hotel.
Manmohan to examine Gilani’s request for exporting power from Punjab
By Vishnu Makhijani, IANS,
Heavy rains kill 15 in Sri Lanka
By XinhuaÂ
Colombo : Death toll in Sri Lanka's floods and heavy rains over the last two days has risen to 15, relief officials said Friday.
Hundreds of fossils found outside Argentina’s capital
By IANS/EFE,
Buenos Aires : Paleontologists found about 300 well-preserved fossils of pre-historic animals at two quarries outside Buenos Aires, Argentine officials said.
Parents influence child’s pursuit of math, medicine
By IANS,
Washington : Parental influence and access to math courses are crucial to their children's pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering, math or medicine (STEMM), according to new research.
Jon Miller, Michigan State University (MSU) professor of integrative studies who led the study with colleagues, said the education of more researchers, engineers and others in the field of science is critical.
Web addresses become multilingual
By DPA,
Seoul : Plans are in motion to create fully "internationalised" Web addresses - those completely in non-Latin scripts like Korean or Arabic, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, announced Friday.
"We just made the internet much more accessible to millions of people in regions such as Asia, the Middle East and Russia," Rod Beckstrom, ICANN's president and CEO, said in a statement.
ICANN's board of directors voted to approve the decision before an audience of some 200 attendees of the organisation's 36th International Public Meeting in Seoul.
Raul Castro’s visit to Russia ends
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Cuban President Raul Castro has ended a week-long visit to Russia, the first by any Cuban leader to the former Soviet Union since 1985.
During his visit Castro and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a memorandum on "strategic" cooperation and reached an agreement to grant the Caribbean state a $20 million loan tentatively to buy Russian-made construction, electricity-generating and agricultural equipment.
Sri Lanka finds bombed plane’s wreckage after 14 years
By IANS,
Colombo: Sri Lanka said Friday that it has found the wreckage of what is believed to be a passenger plane shot down by Tamil Tigers 14 years ago.
China shuts down 84 more sites in porn crackdown
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China Wednesday shut down 84 additional websites for containing "pornographic and lewd content" in its month-long campaign against online porn, bringing the number of blocked sites to 175.
The Special Operation Office said in a statement that government departments would step up efforts to continue to close illegal websites and "severe penalties" would be meted out to violators of law.
Public distribution of pornography is illegal in China.
Air France flight recorders located in Atlantic
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Signals from the flight data recorders of the Air France jet that crashed into the Atlantic killing all 228 people on board have been located, a media report said Tuesday.
The Le Monde newspaper said French naval vessels had picked up a weak signal from the flight recorders at the site of the June 1 crash. The paper did not give the source of the information.
Death toll rises to 39 in Tunisia attack
Tunis: The death toll has risen to 39 in the deadly attack on a tourist resort in Tunisia's Sousse district, the health ministry said.
The...
Zapatero, Obama discuss closing Guantanamo
By DPA,
Washington : Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero assured US President Barack Obama that Spain is willing to take some detainees held at Guantanamo Bay in a sign of friendlier ties between the two countries.
Meeting with Obama at the White House, Zapatero said there has not been an agreement on a final number of detainees who can be transferred to Spain, adding that is part of ongoing discussions.
"The Spanish people are most satisfied about the very positive relations and the good atmosphere between our two countries," Zapatero said through a translator.
Former Swedish police chief sentenced to prison for rapes
By DPA,
Stockholm : A former Swedish police chief was convicted Friday on several counts of sexual crimes, including rape, and sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.
Goran Lindberg is guilty of aggravated rape, rape, assault, purchasing sexual favours on 28 occasions, and as an accessory to attempted prostitute procurement, the Sodertorn district court said.
The court ruled that he on two occasions in 2007 raped a 17-year-old girl whom he bought sex from. He also tied and beat her, according to testimony.
U.S. envoy in Pyongyang for discussions on nuclear declaration
By Xinhua,
Pyongyang : A team of U.S. nuclear specialists arrived Thursday in Pyongyang for discussions on a declaration on the country's nuclear programs.
The five-member team, lead by the State Department Korea Office director Sung Kim, arrived Thursday afternoon by land from Seoul, where they arrived the previous day.
After their arrival, the team held talks with officials of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Kim declined to say whether his trip was for final discussions on the declaration on the DPRK's nuclear programs.
China confirms 87 bird flu cases; 17 dead
By IANS,
Beijing: China Thursday confirmed the number of bird flu affected cases reached 87 in the country, with a total of 17 people already dead due to H7N9 avian influenza.
Ukrainian PM announces resignation
Kiev : Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk announced his resignation Thursday over parliament's "ineffectiveness" after two political parties withdrew from Ukraine's ruling coalition.
"I am...
Two killed in China earthquake
By Xinhua,
Chengdu : Two people were killed and three injured in a 5.0-magnitude earthquake that shook southwest China's Sichuan province early Wednesday, authorities said Thursday.
Two miners working in a coal mine in Guangyuan city were crushed to death when a portion of the shaft collapsed on the impact of the quake, said Jia Quande, an official with the city's emergency management office.
In Lizhou district, three residents were injured as they fled their homes, he said.
China launches documentary website
By IANS,
Beijing : The Chinese government Tuesday launched an official website that will showcase outstanding domestic as well as foreign documentaries.
750,000 people may die in East African famine: UN
By IANS,
London : About 750,000 people could die in East Africa over the next four months due to famine, if enough aid didn't reach the famine-stricken region, the UN has warned.
Georgia’s breakaway republics aim for recognition
By RIA Novosti
Tbilisi : Governments in Georgia's breakaway republics, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, are stepping up efforts to get their claims for independence recognized by the international community.
The parliament in South Ossetia, a tiny territory with a population of less than 100,000, has sent an appeal to the UN, the European Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Russia.
Protesters in Thailand ask Britain to refuse ex-premier asylum
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thousands of Thai protesters marched on the British embassy here Tuesday to demand that Britain refuse asylum to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Pojaman, who fled to London last week to escape pending corruption cases against them.
About 2,000 protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy, a loose coalition of anti-Thaksin groups, stopped traffic on Ploenchit road, a major artery in central Bangkok, as they marched to the embassy, where they shouted slogans and delivered a letter to the ambassador.
Myanmar government, ethnic groups agree on 4th draft ceasefire accord
Yangon : The Myanmar government and the ethnic armed groups Friday agreed on a fourth draft nationwide ceasefire accord after five days of talks...
Sri Lanka’s ex-army chief leaves US without facing questioning
By DPA,
Colombo : General Sarath Fonseka, who was Sri Lanka's army commander when it defeated Tamil rebels in May, left the US without being questioned by US authorities about the final phase of military operations against the guerrillas, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.
It was believed the expected questioning concerned suspected human rights abuses committed during the final campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Twentieth Indian jailed for Singapore riots
Singapore : An Indian man Thursday was awarded a jail term of 25 months for his involvement in the Dec 8, 2013, riots in...
India, Britain ink MoU on cultural cooperation
New Delhi: India and Britain Wednesday inked an agreement on cultural cooperation for the next five years.
Culture Minister Shripad Yesso Naik and visiting British...
50 people in hospital after drinking holy water
By RIA Novosti,
Irkutsk (Russia) : Some 50 people were poisoned in the east Siberian city of Irkutsk after they drank "holy water" from wells during religious ceremonies of Epiphany, a local consumer watchdog said Monday.
The regional Investigation Committee, which is looking into the mass poisoning, said all the victims complained of "symptoms of acute intestinal infection" and high temperature, and 40 of them, including 22 children, have been hospitalised.
Nepalese At Risk Of Starvation:WFP
By Bernama,
Kathmandu : Hundreds of thousands of Nepalese in desperate need of food aid, particularly those suffering from severe drought in the Himalayan state's far-west, are at risk of starvation, according to a report by Press Trust of India (PTI).
Quoting the United Nations World Food Programme (W.F.P.), it said strikes and shutdowns in the country has limited its ability to provide vital humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of Nepalis in desperate need of food aid. It has resulted in suspension of its food deliveries to the needy.
Climate change hits poor in Africa, South Asia hardest: World Bank
By DPA,
Istanbul : Climate change could depress the economic output of Africa and South Asia by as much as five percent per year, the World Bank warned Sunday.
The effects of a warming of the Earth's temperature by even two degrees Celsius could put up to 400 million people at risk of hunger and leave up to two billion lacking enough water resources.
IAF gets new base for aircraft near China border
By IANS,
Jammu : Coinciding with reports of Chinese intrusions into Indian territory, the Indian Air Force (IAF) Friday said it had converted a landing ground meant for helicopters into an air strip for aircraft.
The Advanced Landing Ground at Nyoma in Ladakh, about 25 km from the border, Friday morning received its first fixed wing aircraft in the form of an AN-32.
Russia, Ukraine set to resume gas talks
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia and Ukraine are expected to resume talks on Tuesday on their long-running natural gas dispute, which has sparked concerns among European consumers.
The former Soviet allies partially resolved their dispute on Thursday, agreeing that Ukraine would pay off about a $1 billion of its debt and that talks would continue on a supply scheme for 2008, after Russian gas monopoly Gazprom restored supplies, which were cut by 50% early last week.
American pleads guilty to 1984 hijacking
Miami : A New Jersey man who returned to the US after nearly three decades in Cuba to face trial for hijacking a plane...
South and North Korean leaders hold historic talks
By Xinhua
Pyongyang/Seoul : South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il concluded their first round of formal summit talks in Pyongyang Wednesday.
The talks began at around 9.30 a.m. at the Paekhwawon State Guest House in Pyongyang and lasted more than two hours.
In Seoul, presidential spokesman Cheo Ho-seon said in a press release that the two leaders have agreed to hold another around of talks at 2.30 p.m.
One man survives, 32 dead in UN plane crash in Congo
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
United Nations : One out of 33 people on board a UN aircraft, which crashed Monday at an airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has survived, a UN press service said.
India, China should play role in global financial system: Expert
By IANS,
Chennai, Sep 19 (IANS) With the collapse of two major US financial institutions sending global markets into a tailspin, it is time the Indian and Chinese central bankers demand a greater say in global financial systems, an economic expert says.
"The two big Asian economies are not part of the global financial regulatory system, now a preserve of the G10 countries. Sufficient importance and weightage should be given to this region in the global financial regulatory system," Ian Harper, a senior consultant with Melbourne's Access Economics, said at a seminar here Friday.
US central bank cuts interest rates by 0.75 percent
By DPA
Washington : The US Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by 0.75 points to 2.25 percent Tuesday, the latest of a series of dramatic attempts to boost the sagging US economy and temper volatility in global financial markets.
"Recent information indicates that the outlook for economic activity has weakened further," the Fed said in a statement explaining its decision. "Growth in consumer spending has slowed and labour markets have softened."
Mercedes-Benz sales race ahead on China, US demand
By DPA,
Stuttgart : Luxury German carmaker Mercedes-Benz said Friday its sales last year jumped by 15.3 percent on the back of strong demand from China and the US.
UK MPs voice concern at speculators driving up energy prices
By IRNA,
London : MPs are calling on the British government to examine the scale and impact of speculative commodity trading in driving up energy prices.
An Early Day Motion in the British parliament, raised by leader of the Irish nationalist SDLP Party, Mark Durkam, expressed concern that "speculation for profit could be a significant factor driving energy price rises."
Kostunica: Possible Coalition with Socialists
By Prensa Latina,
Belgrado : Serbian Interim Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica held talks on Wednesday with SPS (Socialist Party) leader Ivica Dacic, about formation of a possible coalition with the government.
The conversations were constructive and will continue on Thursday, said Dacic after the meeting with Kostunica, who heads the DSS (Serbian Democratic Party), which obtained over 11 percent of the votes in the elections on Sunday.
Kidnapped US journalist’s mother pleads IS to release son
Washington: The mother of a US freelance journalist, who was kidnapped in Syria by the Islamic State(IS), Wednesday released a video in which she...
No survivors from plane found crashed in Cameroon
By DPA,
Sydney: Searchers have found the wreckage of a plane chartered by an Australian mining company in West Africa, former Sundance Resources chairman George Jones said Tuesday.
"We've been told by our operatives in Cameroon that the aircraft has been located, there are 11 bodies that have been found, and there are no survivors," Jones told Australia's ABC Radio.
Jones said it was too early to say what caused the Casa C212 twin turbo-prop to go down in jungle halfway through a one-hour flight from Yaounde, the Cameroon capital, to Yangadou in the Congo Republic.
China tries two Tibetans for self-immolations
By IANS,
Beijing: Two Tibetans stood trial Saturday in a court in southwest China's Sichuan province for inciting eight people to self-immolate, three of whom died, reported Xinhua.
Anti-war march banned during Bush visit to London
By IRNA,
London : The Stop the War Coalition (STWC) said Wednesday that it had been informed by London's Metropolitan Police that a proposed march to protest against US President George W Bush's visit to the UK will not be allowed.
"The Coalition has organised scores of marches on this route, including during Bush's last visit in 2003," Britain biggest peace campaign network said.
100 Nepalese workers vanish from US factory
By IANS
New York : About 100 temporary workers from Nepal hired by a factory in Alabama state have vanished into the blue and efforts in the past two days to track them have failed.
Immigration agents were trying to find out what happened to the Nepalese workers, among hundreds brought to the US to work at a DVD factory operated by Cinram Inc. in Huntsville, a spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Homeland Security said.
Advance of int’l justice pre-eminent legacy of Annan: Ban Ki-moon
By APP
United Nations : Honouring Kofi Annan at the conferral of a new MacArthur Award, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the acceptance of the principle of the responsibility to protect stood out as the culmination of his predecessor’s tenure.
New MPs take oath in South Africa
Pretoria : South Africa's Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng Wednesday presided over the swearing-in ceremony of the country's 400 new members of parliament who won...
Blasts shake Kathmandu on eve of crucial poll
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : On the eve of a crucial election in Nepal, two bombs went off in two crowded public places in the Nepal capital Wednesday afternoon, spreading panic. However, no casualties were reported.
A bomb went off before Bishwajyoti, one of the oldest cinema halls here, while a second blast occurred in the nearby Ratna Park area in front of the Bir Hospital, Nepal's oldest.
Though the two explosions took place in crowded areas, no one was injured, said Nepal Police spokesman Sushil Barsingh Thapa.
People are living longer, but what does it mean?
By IANS,
Washington : People in developed nations are living in good health as much as a decade longer than their parents did, not because aging has been slowed or reversed but because they are staying healthy to a more advanced age.
"We're living longer because people are reaching old age in better health," said demographer James Vaupel, author of a review article appearing in the March 25 edition of Nature.
South Africa braces for BRICS summit
By IANS,
Johannesburg : As part of preparations to host the BRICS summit next month, South African has launched a road show to educate its citizens about the importance of the meet.
Donald Trump considers US presidential run
By DPA,
Los Angeles : Celebrity businessman Donald Trump says he is seriously considering running for US president in 2012.
China deports 10 pro-Tibet activists
By DPA,
Beijing : China has deported all 10 of the pro-Tibet activists it arrested for protesting or helping to organize protests during the Beijing Olympics, releasing them before the end of their 10-day detention following pressure from the US embassy in Beijing, a US-based Tibet rights group said Monday.
"All 10 have been deported. They were deported at 9:20 a.m. Sunday New York time (Sunday evening in Beijing) right before the end of the closing ceremony," said Heather Reddick, an international operations director for the New York-based Students for a Free Tibet.
Power tower blasted in S Philippines
By Xinhua,
Manila : A transmission tower of the National Transmission Corp. was "bombed" on Wednesday in the southern Philippine province of North Cotabato, local media reported.
National news network ABS-CBN News said the unidentified assailants used two improvised explosives to topple the tower.
Police are in the pursuit of the suspects and there is no reports of casualties yet.
Despite abduction cases, parents still lax on children’s safety
By IRNA-Bernama
Kuala Lumpur : Despite the wide media publicity on the spate of child abduction-molestation cases of late, many parents still seem to take their children's safety for granted as observed at the city's shopping complexes.
Checks by Bernama at some hypermarkets and a departmental store showed that some parents allowed their children to run about in the premises while they were busy choosing the merchandise or talking on their mobile phones.
Nepali political deadlock broken through
By Phanindra Dahal, Zhang Jianhua, Xinhua,
Kathmandu : The political deadlock prevailing since the Constituent Assembly (CA) declared Nepal a federal democratic republic on may 28 was broken through on Wednesday.
Firstly, the Nepali cabinet approved the fifth amendment to the Interim Constitution on Wednesday evening.
The amendment will be tabled at the newly-elected Constituent Assembly (CA) on Thursday.
Death toll at 3 amid US West Coast storms
By SPA
Fernley, Nevada : Still more snow piled up Sunday in the western U.S. mountains, where at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) had fallen from a storm that contributed to flooding, killed at least three people and blacked out thousands of customers on the West Coast, according to AP.
One hiker was missing in snow-covered mountains in Southern California, and four snowmobilers were missing in heavy snow in the mountains of southern Colorado.
Bird flu toll in China rises to 24
By IANS/EFE,
Shanghai: An 89-year-old man has died in Shanghai from bird flu, raising the toll from the outbreak of the H7N9 strain of the disease to 24, media reports said.
Have a second child, government tells Shanghai couples
By IANS,
Beijing : Couples in China's glittering metropolis of Shanghai are being encouraged to have another child to overcome an ageing population due to the decades old strictly enforced one-child policy norm, an official said.
"We advocate eligible couples to have two kids because it can help reduce the proportion of the ageing people and alleviate a workforce shortage in the future," Xie Lingli, director of the Shanghai Population and Family Planning Commission, was quoted as saying by China Daily Friday.
Carter hopes Lebanese upcoming elections honest, transparent
By Xinhua,
Beirut : Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said here Wednesday after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman that he hopes the upcoming Lebanese parliamentary elections would be honest and transparent, local Naharnet website reported.
Carter said he hopes to visit Lebanon again in spring 2009 to follow up the parliamentary elections, the report said.
Carter arrived in Beirut Tuesday began his four-day Mideast tour, during which he is also scheduled to visit Syria, where he will meet with President Bashar Assad.
German Machinists Strike
By Prensa Latina
Berlin : The vice president of the German Machinistós union (GDL), Claus Weselsky, announced that they would go on strike in spite of an urgent demand imposed by the rail management.
The Deutsche Bahn train company lodged an appeal to the Industrial Court of Frankfort.
The GDL strike is scheduled to kick off on Monday and last an undetermined length of time, paralyzing long distance, regional and local stations.
However, the union action could be stopped at the last minute if an agreement is achieved between the parts.
EU reform treaty to come into force on December 1
By RIA Novosti,
Brussels : The EU's Lisbon Treaty, now ratified by all 27 member states, will come into force on December 1, the prime minister of Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, has said.
On Tuesday Czech President Vaclav Klaus signed the document after the country's Constitutional Court ruled that the ambitious reform treaty was in line with the Czech constitution.
Beckhams named most fashionable family
By IANS,
London: Celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham and their four children have been voted the world's most stylish family.
Former South Korean president Roh found dead
By DPA,
Seoul : Former South Korean president Roh Moo Hyun has died in a mountain climbing accident, local media reports said Saturday.
Roh's body was found at the foot of a mountain near his home in the south-eastern part of the country after he apparently fell into a gorge, Yonhap news agency reported.
He was brought to the hospital with severe head injuries and later died, police said.
Police said they were investigating whether the fall was an accident or a possible suicide.
Earthquake near Reykjavik causes damage to buildings
By SPA,
Reykjavik : An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale shook the town of Selfoss, 50 kilometres south-east of Reykjavik, Thursday, causing severe damage to buildings, according to DPA.
Police said that nobody had been killed or injured in the earthquake.
However, it caused a great deal of damages to buildings in the area near the epicentre.
Reykjavik residents reported feeling houses shake in the city even though the epicentre was 50 kilometres away and 10 kilometres beneath the earth's surface.
Russian satanists sentenced for murders
By DPA,
Moscow : Six Russian satanists have been handed prison sentences ranging from eight to 20 years for murdering a group of young people and eating parts of their bodies, the Moskovsky Komsomolez newspaper reported Tuesday.
A court in the city of Yaroslavl, north-east of the capital Moscow, found the defendants guilty of luring four 17-year-olds to a construction site in August 2008 and killing them as part of a satanistic ritual. The victims were found to have been stabbed multiple times.
28 killed in Bolivia road accidents
By IANS
La Paz : At least 28 people have been killed in two separate accidents on the highway between La Paz and Copacabana town, the Spanish news agency EFE reported Saturday.
In the latest incident Friday, 13 people were killed and 22 injured when the bus in which they were travelling ran off the road and fell into a 200-meter deep ravine.
On the same highway Thursday, 15 people were killed in a head-on collision between a bus and a dump truck, a police official, Col Jorge Saravia said, adding that Friday's accident occurred just 20 hours after this accident.
UN climate change conference concludes with adoption of Bali Roadmap
By Gao Li, Gao Hanqing, Xinhua
Bali : The 15-day U.N. climate change conference ended Saturday with the adoption of a Bali roadmap, which is expected to launch negotiations on a crucial international climate change regime up to 2009.
Bali : The 15-day U.N. climate change conference ended Saturday with the adoption of a Bali roadmap, which is expected to launch negotiations on a crucial international climate change regime up to 2009.
‘EU should scrap visas with Russia, Ukraine, Georgia’
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Warsaw: Poland has supported the introduction of a visa-free regime between European Union countries and Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
Hung parliament ahead, British politicians hunt for numbers
By IANS,
London : As Britons wondered about who would be the next resident of 10 Downing Street, Conservatives, who emerged as the largest party in the British election, edged closer towards a deal with the Liberal Democrats to form the next government.
Nick Clegg, the charismatic leader of the Liberal Democrats, has held discussions with Conservatives leader David Cameron as well as Liberal leader and Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Russia’s arms industry aims to reassert itself at DefExpo
By IANS,
New Delhi: Russia, which was once India's principal source of arms imports but which has seen its market share steadily declining over the years, will aim to reassert itself at Asia's largest defence exposition here Feb 15-18, with 31 organisations, including six major companies in the field of military-technical cooperation, showcasing their wares.
Talks to end royal succession ban on Catholics, daughters
By IANS,
London : Prime Minister Gordon Brown has opened talks with the royal family to end a three century-old ban on Catholics becoming British monarchs, a government source said.
He also wants royal women to be granted equal succession rights, so that the first-born son does not automatically become king.
"There are clearly issues about the exclusion of people from the rights of succession and there are clearly issues that have got to be dealt with," Brown told the BBC during a tour of Brazil.
US markets plunge, S&P 500 sinks to 11-year low
By DPA,
Washington : US stocks plunged Thursday, with the broadbased Standard & Poor's 500 Index losing 6.7 percent to close at its lowest point since 1997 and economic indicators signalling a recession.
The S&P 500 has dropped 49 percent this year and is poised for its worst annual decline in its 80-year history.
Boko Haram renews attack in Nigeria, 21 killed
Abuja: At least 21 people were killed as suspected Boko Haram fighters renewed armed attacks on three villages in northeast Nigerian state of Borno,...
Ethiopian plane black box found, toll reaches 32
By DPA,
Beirut : Two more bodies were recovered Tuesday after an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing carrying 90 people plunged into the sea off Lebanon's coast shortly after take-off from Beirut the day before.
Officials said the find brought to 32 the number of bodies recovered from the crash in which all occupants of the plane are presumed to have died.
At various points along the coastline, Lebanese soldiers were seen carrying bodies, body parts and large pieces of the plane.
Taiwan woman dismembers unfaithful husband
By DPA,
Taipei : Enraged by her husband's unfaithfulness, a Taiwan woman killed him Friday in front of their 10-year-old grandson and then dismembered his body, police said.
Wu Ah-yin, 57, and her husband Chiang Tien-tsai, 55, were both pork sellers in Tucheng, near Taipei. The couple often quarrelled because Wu had a mistress and often stayed out late, Wang Jen-hong, spokesman for the Tucheng Police Bureau, told reporters.
Wipro to hire more locals in US for Atlanta operations
By IANS,
Bangalore: Global software major Wipro Technologies is expanding its US operations and will hire about 1,000 people, including more locals, at its Atlanta development facility, the IT bellwether said Monday.
"We are expanding our US operations to scale up our headcount to about 1,000 from 350 presently at our Atlanta centre," the company said in a statement here.
"About 80 percent of them are locals and includes graduates from leading academic institutions in Atlanta," it added.
Japan unveils $256 bn economic stimulus plan
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso Friday unveiled a new 23 trillion yen ($256 billion) package to stimulate economy amid global recession, bringing the government's total stimulus package to more than $550 billion.
Aso said the new package involves 10 trillion yen of fiscal measures, including 1 trillion yen for housing and other support for temporary workers who have lost accommodation provided by their previous employers.
The government will also add 1 trillion yen to the local allocation tax to facilitate local governments create new job opportunities.
Three held in Britain after pig’s head kept near Muslim centre
By IANS,
London: Two men and a woman have been arrested in Britain after a pig's severed head was left at the doors of a Muslim place of worship, the Daily Mail reported Friday.
Britain’s Gurkha soldiers to lose jobs
By IANS,
London: One in eight Gurkha soldiers in Britain will lose their job under a plan to make 4,000 members of the armed forces redundant, the Telegraph reported Tuesday.
US biologist wins Norwegian environment award
By DPA
Oslo : US biologist Gretchen Daily was Tuesday named winner of the annual Sophie Prize for her "radical and constructive involvement" in efforts to prevent the extinction of plants and animals.
Daily, professor at Stanford University in California, was the 11th winner of the prize created 1997 by Norwegian best-selling author Jostein Gaarder and his wife Siri Dannevig.
The prize worth $100,000 will be given to Daily in an award ceremony due in Oslo June 12.
Indian-American woman running for US city council
By IANS,
New York: An Indian-American woman is running for a city council in the US state of Washington, according to a media report.
Rice has High-Level Talks on North Korea
By SPA,
Washington : U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke Friday to her counterparts in the North Korean nuclear negotiations but “no decision has been taken yet” to remove Pyongyang from a U.S. terrorism blacklist, the State Department said.
Recent reports from several countries said the United States is close to removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in the hope of saving an unraveling nuclear disarmament agreement.
G20 leaders for talks on global recovery
By DPA,
Toronto : The leaders of the world's 20 most powerful developed and developing economies (G20) looked to be heading for agreement on how to strike a balance between cutting their budget deficits and boosting growth, at a summit Saturday in Toronto.
Ahead of the summit, diplomats had said that the US, European Union and developing countries were at odds over whether to prioritise budget cuts or economic stimulus. But leaders at the summit looked set to end the controversy by calling for both.
New York unveils digital map to help job seekers
By IANS,
New York : New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has unveiled an online map aimed at helping job applicants find employment in local technical and digital media businesses.
Kathak king Birju Maharaj enthrals Trinidad and Tobago
By Paras Ramoutar, IANS,
Port-of-Spain : Noted Kathak exponent Pandit Birju Maharaj mesmerised Trinidad and Tobago, capturing the imagination of the packed audience at Queen's Hall that is a premier venue for cultural shows here.
Congress of the People Leader Winston Dookeran and his wife Shirley, Leader of the Opposition Basdeo Panday, former minister Joan Yuille-Williams, Gandhi Institute for Cultural Co-operation director M.M. Sharma and broadcaster Hans Hanoomansingh and his wife Myrna were present.
After quake, Nepal parties mull national government
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : To overcome the national crisis caused by the destructive earthquake of April 25, Nepal's major political parties are now opting...
Permission sought to keep NSA phone records longer
Washington: The Obama administration has asked a special court for permission to hold on to National Security Agency (NSA) phone records for longer than...
New British homes are smallest in Europe
By IANS,
London : Britain is building the most cramped housing in Europe in a phenomenon dubbed "rabbit hutch", with every country in western Europe, from Ireland to Italy, providing bigger new homes.
"The cause is simple and shocking," said Ellis Woodman, the curator behind the British pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, which examines why the quality of British housing has fallen behind the rest of Europe, The Guardian reported.
"England and Wales are the only parts of Europe where house-building is unregulated by legally binding minimum space standards," he said.
Peru’s ex-president Fujimori gets eight more years in jail
Lima: Former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, who is serving a 25-year prison term for crimes against humanity, was Thursday, sentenced to eight more...
India will stand by Nepal for quick reconstruction: Sushma Swaraj
Kathmandu : India will continue to stand beside Nepal to help in the quick recovery and reconstruction of the quake-ravaged Himalayan country after the...
Gandhi statue near Boston faces removal
By IANS
New York : A multi-faith retreat centre near Boston that houses a life-size bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi is facing closure due to lack of state funding.
Iran seeks to improve relations with U.S. – envoy
MOSCOW, February 6 (RIA Novosti) - Iran is interested in cooperation with the U.S. and hopes for better ties with the country it has often referred to as the "Great Satan," the Islamic republic's ambassador to Russia said on Friday.
"We're interested in building cooperation with the United States and hope that this will help clear up previous misunderstandings between our two countries," Mahmoud Reza Sajadi told a news conference hosted by RIA Novosti.
Eight killed in US house fire
By IANS,
Washington : At least eight people, including six children, were killed in the US state of West Virginia during an early morning house fire, a media report said Saturday.
Radiation leaks at n-research centre in South Korea
By IANS,
Seoul : A South Korean nuclear power research centre Sunday issued a radiation leak warning, forcing its staff to immediately evacuate, the local media reported.
Astronauts install ammonia tank on space station
By DPA,
Washington : Two astronauts from the space shuttle Discovery completed a more than six-hour-long spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) Friday, installing a new ammonia tank used in the cooling system, NASA said.
US astronaut John "Danny" Olivas and Swede Christer Fuglesang ended their mission successfully at 0451 GMT. They got started nearly an hour later than planned because of problems with a communications device in Olivas' spacesuit.
Cuban social workers set to improve life of the elderly
By NNN-Prensa Latina
Havana : A total of 43,000 Cuban youths are incorporated into a nationwide community social work programme first fostered by Cuban President Fidel Castro seven years ago.
Cuban newspaper Juventud Rebelde dedicated its cover to this news, as a result of current transformations in Cuba to improve quality of life of the population.
Currently, Cuban social workers are investigating the care of the elderly people, which has now reached about 1.8 million.
Nearly one in two births in China caesarean: Survey
By IANS,
Beijing : Nearly one in two births in China are caesarean, said the latest survey by the World Health Organisation as a professor pointed out that many hospitals are motivated by financial incentives to encourage unnecessary caesarean operations.
China Daily Thursday quoted experts as saying that in recent years, a growing number of women in the country have chosen C-sections over natural birth as some want to avoid the pain of labour and some want to choose an auspicious day for the baby's birth.
Nepal Sherpas pray for Hillary’s rebirth
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Last nostalgic tributes are pouring in from Nepal's mountaineering community as the hardy Sherpas, Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary's closest companions, tearfully remember the New Zealander who gave them the precious gifts of education, health and livelihood.
"We Sherpas pray that Hillary is reborn," 81-year-old Chhiring Dorjee Sherpa said.
US Fed chief named Time’s 2009 Person of the Year
By DPA,
Washington: US news magazine Time has picked Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank, as its 2009 Person of the Year.
The annual honour goes to a person, or group of persons, picked by the influential magazine as a major mover or shaker of the year coming to a close. In the last two years, Time has picked US President Barack Obama and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for the designation.
Powerful quake jolts Costa Rica
By IANS,
San Jose : A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale rocked northern Costa Rica Thursday, but there were no reports of any casualty, EFE news agency reported Friday.
The epicentre of the quake was near Poas volcano in Alajuela province, about 60 km northwest of San Jose, said Juan Segura, the head of Costa Rica's Ovisicori Seismology Institute.
The quake struck at around 1:19 p.m. and was felt throughout the country, Segura said and added that the tremor was followed by a number of aftershocks which will continue "for up to months".
Prachanda takes charge in people’s name
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” began a new chapter in the federal democratic republic's history Monday by assuming oath of office and secrecy as prime minister in the name of the people and not God.
88 killed in North Korea floods
By IANS,
Beijing : Floods triggered by torrential downpour have killed 88 people in North Korea, the official KCNA news agency reported.
Jackie Chan’s China comments come under fire
By IANS,
London : Hollywood actor Jackie Chan has caused uproar amongst pro-democracy groups after allegedly stating that the people of China "need to be controlled" by a strict government.
The action star, a Hong Kong native, reportedly spoke about the dangers of China adopting a democratic stance at a business forum in China's Hainan province April 18, reported contactmusic.com.
"I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not. I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want," said Chan.
Moldovan court acquits suspect in Russian journalist’s murder
By RIA Novosti
Chisinau : A Moldovan court has acquitted Igor Velchev, charged with the murder of Russian NTV journalist Ilya Zimin in Moscow in 2006, the prosecution said on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Valery Temirov said one of the judges had expressed a dissenting opinion in support of the accusation, but that the other two judges had outvoted him.
Strong earthquake shakes Japan
By DPA,
Tokyo : A magnitude 7.0 earthquake shook northeast Japan early Saturday. Reports of possible victims or damage were not immediately available.
The Japanese television station NHK reported that there was no danger of a tsunami, but people in the provinces of Iwate and Miyagi were warned of possible landslides and aftershocks.
At least 15 die, 35 injured in Ecuador’s nightclub firet
By Xinhua,
Quito : A fire ignited by fireworks swept through a crowded Quito nightclub Saturday, leaving at least 15 people dead and 35 others injured, local media reported.
The nightclub is located just 500 meters from the main commercial center in the southern area of the capital.
Rescue workers continued to search for bodies, while inspectors were investigating whether proper security measures had been in place, the reports said.
Zimbabwean currency reduced by trillion to one
By DPA,
Harare : Zimbabwe's central bank slashed another 12 zeroes off the country's worthless currency Monday, shrinking 1 trillion Zimbabwe dollars into a single Zimbabwe dollar.
The move by Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono comes just six months after he lobbed ten zeroes off the money in August last year. But world-record inflation estimated to be in the billions of percent quickly eroded the currency's value again.
On Sunday, one US dollar was trading for 250 trillion Zimbabwe dollars.
US envoy pays tribute to Pune blast victims
By IANS,
Pune: Stressing that the US stood "shoulder-to-shoulder" with India in its war against terror, US Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer Wednesday visited the German Bakery here and condemned the Feb 13 bombing that killed 17 people and injured 50 others.
"On behalf of the people of the United States, I extend heartfelt sympathy to the government of India and the victims of the tragic terrorist blast in Pune. The US remains shoulder-to-shoulder with India in the fight against terror and will assist as needed to help bring the perpetrators of this cowardly act to justice," said Roemer.
World Bank okays Rs.1,332 crore loan for Uttar Pradesh
By IANS,
Lucknow: The World Bank has given its nod to a whopping Rs.1,332 crore (Rs.13.32 billion) soft loan for reclamation of sodic land in Uttar Pradesh - a move that will help an estimated 250,000 farmers.
Making the announcement at a press conference here Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said, "The scheme would help reclaim a huge chunk of about 130,000 hectares of sodic land in the state."
The scheme, an extension of two previous phases of a similar exercise undertaken in the state, will benefit an estimated 250,000 farmers, he said.