Many melamine-sickened infants still in hospital in China
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China Wednesday said more than 3,600 infants countrywide were receiving treatment at hospitals for kidney diseases after they were fed with melamine tainted baby milk and new cases were being admitted.
The health ministry on its website said there was no new report of melamine-related death of infants after August and that the number of babies under treatment in hospitals dropped by one-third from a week ago.
Saakashvilii calls for international peacekeepers
By DPA,
Moscow/Tbilisi (Georgia) : Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili called for international peacekeepers in the conflict zone around the country's two breakaway provinces, Georgian media reported.
"The preservation of Georgia's territorial integrity is impossible without an internationalization of the peacekeeping troops," Saakashvili said at a meeting of the country's national security council late Friday.
But the breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia are opposed to an international peacekeeping force, currently being discussed by the European Union (EU).
Over 35 killed in Philippines accident
By IANS,
Manila : At least 35 people were killed when a bus carrying 47 passengers plunged into a ravine in northern Philippines Wednesday morning.
All 35 bodies were retrieved. Six people were seriously injured in the accident which occurred in Benguet province, a police officer said.
Rescue and search operations are still going on, Xinhua said, citing reports in local media.
Environment groups welcome climate deal
By DPA,
Cancun (Mexico): Climate activists welcomed a deal reached at a UN summit in Mexico for making real progress in confronting climate change, but said there was still a long way to go.
President Patil to visit Poland amid growing business ties
By Surender Bhutani, IANS,
Warsaw : President Pratibha Patil arrives in Poland on a four-day visit Thursday, the first trip here in 13 years by an Indian head of state to a country where India's profile has gone up tremendously in the last five years.
A big agenda and a hearty welcome await Patil when she arrives in what is today the largest nation in Eastern Europe. The last Indian president to come here was Shankar Dayal Sharma in 1996.
UN chief orders envoy to Myanmar, urges cooperation
New York, Sep 27 (DPA) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has decided to send an envoy to Myanmar and the Security Council convened a meeting to discuss clashes between military forces and pro-democracy protesters that resulted in several deaths and fears of more violence.
Ban Wednesday asked Ibrahim Gambari to travel to Myanmar and called on the "senior leadership of the country to cooperate fully with the mission in order to take advantage of the willingness of the UN to assist in the process of national reconciliation through dialogue."
Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves at least 15 dead in Taiwan
By SPA,
Taipei : Typhoon Kalmaegi has left at least 15 dead, 10 missing and eight injured in Taiwan, a government report said Saturday.
The typhoon has also created 310 million Taiwan dollars (10.2 million US dollars) in agricultural damage, the National Disasters Prevention and Protection Commission said in a report on its website.
At least five low-lying areas in central and southern Taiwan were still inundated by floods brought by torrential rains caused by the typhoon, the Commission was quoted as saying by DPA.
Facebook reaches saturation point in Britain
By IANS,
London : Social networking website Facebook is nearing its saturation point in Britain and its growth in the country has gone down over the past six months.
Britain, however, has the second-largest membership of Facebook in the world, at 25 million. The list is led by the US, while Indonesia and Turkey follow Britain.
Georgian presidential poll on Jan 5
By RIA Novosti
Tbilisi : Georgian parliament Sunday announced the snap presidential elections Jan 5 after incumbent Mikeheil Saakasshvilli resigned.
Saakashvili stepped down Saturday handing over charge of the interim government to Parliament Speaker Nino Burdzhanadze as he braced himself for elections.
"From tomorrow (Nov 25), I am beginning an election campaign. During 40 days, Parliament Speaker Nino Burdzhanadze will be acting president," Saakashvili told reporters.
Bolivia bus accident kills 17
By IANS,
La Paz : Seventeen people, including children, have been killed and three others injured in a bus accident near the Bolivian capital, EFE reported Monday.
The accident occurred Saturday night on the Naciones Unidas Avenue when the bus veered off the road and fell into a deep ravine, the Bolivian highway patrol said Sunday.
At the time of the accident there were heavy showers in the region, officials said.
Most of the victims have been identified, the report said.
Myanmar opposition, ex-students group to work on constitutional amendment
By IANS,
Yangon : Myanmar's opposition party, National League for Democracy (NLD), and 88 Generation Peace and Open Society Group, a former students group formed...
Use of force by US cannot solve problems: Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Resolving world problems by force as the US is trying to do does not work, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday.
UN wants more funds to tackle climate change
By Xinhua
Vienna : The United Nations climate change watchdog called here Monday for more investment and funds to address climate changes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In a report presented to a preparation meeting for the UN climate change summit slated to be held in Bali, Indonesia in December, the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said additional investment and financial flows of up to $210 billion will be needed each year by 2030 in order to maintain greenhouse gas emissions at current levels.
Queen to pay tribute to Mumbai terror victims in Christmas broadcast
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Capping a sombre year, the British Queen is to express sympathy with victims of the global credit crunch and “extremist violence” in Mumbai in her Christmas Day message to be broadcast Thursday.
The traditional 10-minute message, broadcast on Christmas afternoon, is one of the rare occasions when the British monarch is able to voice her views by drawing upon her own experiences.
US asks India to help Pakistan fight terror
By IANS,
Washington : The US government has urged India to support Pakistan in its war against Al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents along the Afghan border, a media report said Tuesday.
"I think it will be important for India to make clear that as Pakistan takes steps to deal with extremists on its own territory, India will be supportive," the Press TV quoted Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg as saying Monday.
Steinberg said that New Delhi has a "huge stake" in making sure both Pakistan and its neighbour Afghanistan is stable.
Drew Barrymore becomes advocate for UN World Food Programme
TwoCircles.net newsdesk
The American actress Drew Barrymore was named today as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and charged with the task of using her celebrity status as a film star to advocate for school feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Ms. Barrymore, 32, becomes the latest Ambassador for the WFP, joining Kenyan world marathon record-holder Paul Tergat, himself a former recipient of school feeding programmes, among others. Last year WFP fed 19.4 million children across 71 countries through such projects.
Released Canadian, Australian journalists to fly to Kenya
By DPA,
Mogadishu : A Canadian journalist and an Australian photographer freed after 15 months of captivity in Somalia were Thursday due to fly to Nairobi, the capital of neighbouring Kenya.
Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan were set free Wednesday night and stayed overnight in a Mogadishu hotel.
"They were released last night," Dahir Mohamoud Gelle, Somalia's information minister said. "They are in good condition right now, but imagine how someone who has been in prison for over a year can feel... they are very tired."
Afghan Taliban commander arrested
Kabul: A key Taliban commander in Afghanistan has been arrested, intelligence agency National Directorate for Security (NDS) said on Wednesday.
"Qari Salahudin Ayubi, the shadowy...
Indian-American rapper performs in Paris post attacks
Paris: An Indian-American rapper, Himanshu Suri, performed in Paris after questions were raised over safety in the French capital following November 13 terrorist attacks.
Amid...
Modi treated to special veggie banquet by President Park
Seoul : Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Monday treated to a special vegetarian dinner at the banquet hosted by President Park Geun-hye at...
‘Tibet movement falls victim to financial crisis’
By IANS,
London : A recent little-publicised decision by Britain to recognise Chinese sovereignty over Tibet may have been motivated by the need to bring Beijing into a new economic order, the BBC said Saturday.
The Chinese minister who is leading negotiations over Tibet welcomed British recognition of Beijing's direct rule over the territory, saying it brought Britain “in line with the universal position in today's world”.
"I think this is a recognition of an already existing objective fact," Zhu Weiqun said in an interview.
Australian school apologises to Sikh boy
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : A private school in Brisbane has apologised to a 12-year-old Sikh boy it had refused to admit earlier this year because his turban breached the uniform code.
The boy's family, who can't be named for legal reasons, had in February complained to the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland (ADCQ). They alleged that Ormiston College discriminated against their son and his religion in imposing a requirement that he cut his hair and not wear a 'patka' (turban) for enrolment.
Russia: No pretext for not putting Bushehr Nuclear Plant to use
By IRNA,
Tehran : Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko emphasizing that Iran has observed entire security standards regarding Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (BNP) has said here no pretext remains for not putting BNP to use on schedule.
Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohsen Delaviz announced the news in an interview with IRNA Monday night, adding the Shmatko and AEOI Head Reza Aqazadeh held talks in Tehran on Monday afternoon focusing on broad potentials on both ends for cooperation, particularly in energy field.
Berlusconi attacker transferred to psychiatric hospital
By DPA,
Milan : The man who last month assaulted Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was transferred Tuesday from prison to the psychiatric ward of a Milan hospital, news reports said.
Magistrate Cristina Di Censo ordered that 42-year-old Massimo Tartaglia be moved to the San Carlo hospital, following recommendations from doctor's at Milan's San Vittore prison, the ANSA newsagency said.
December 13, Tartaglia struck Berlusconi with a statuette replica of Milan Cathedral, breaking the premier's nose and several teeth.
Scientists create wonder alloys for aerospace industry
By IANS,
Washington : Scientists have created titanium based metallic-glass composites - wonder alloys that are not only lighter, tougher and cheaper than existing compounds, but can be bent into any shape and are ideal for use in aerospace applications.
Earlier this year, the work by the same Caltch (California Institute of Technology) group had resulted in "alloys with unrivaled strength and toughness," noted Douglas Hofmann, visiting scientist and co-author of the current study.
Bullet train in France evacuated over terror threat
Paris : French bullet train operator TGV had to evacuate all the passengers from a Paris-Lyon train Friday after a customer, a Syrian immigrant,...
Pakistani foreign minister assures US on terrorism
By DPA,
Washington : Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has assured the US that his country will work with Washington to fight terrorism.
Qureshi met US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Tuesday as part of a series of meetings this week in Washington, and as the US is engaged in a strategic review of the situation in Afghanistan and cross border raids from Pakistan.
"Pakistan is willing to work with the American administration to fight extremism and terrorism," Qureshi said. "We are determined to defeat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations."
Nearly 700 fishermen rescued from floating ice
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A total of 675 fishermen stranded on a block of floating ice off Russia's far eastern region were rescued Sunday.
UN reports surge in Darfur fighting, high fatalities
By DPA,
New York : Fighting in Sudan's Darfur region has increased in recent weeks, creating a serious hindrance to peacekeeping efforts, United Nations and African officials said Monday.
Speakers addressing the UN Security Council since last week have reported a surge in the conflict between the Sudanese government and rebel groups.
The fighting in Darfur killed 447 people in May, which UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari termed as an "unprecedented" number of fatalities.
Chechens not fighting in Syria: Kadyrov
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Leader of Russia's Chechnya region Ramzan Kadyrov has rejected media reports about Chechens allegedly taking part in the Syrian conflict.
Fifty years after revolution Cuba facing serious challenges
By Jose Luis Paniagua, EFE,
Havana : As Cuba prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the revolution that installed the communist government, the Caribbean island nation looks mired in a time warp.
The 1950s Chevrolets and Cadillacs on the streets of Havana, the "almendrones" (big almonds) - now used as private taxis - and the city's decrepit colonial architecture make up the daily scenario in the Cuban capital.
Son’s schooling spells trouble for Britain’s black woman MP
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : Britain's first black woman MP Dianne Abott, who is a contender for Labour's party chief post, is in the political crosshairs for using the race card to justify sending her son to an expensive private school.
Her son James went to the prestigious City of London School that costs 10,000 pounds a year and has just finished his international baccalaureate and is hoping to go to Cambridge University.
Game almost over for Prabhakaran, says Rajapaksa
By IANS,
New Delhi/Colombo : Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa Monday said the game was almost over for Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran and all efforts were being made to catch him alive. He also said if caught, the Tamil Tigers boss would face trial in his country.
Speaking to the CNN IBN television channel, the Sri Lankan president also said his government has not announced any ceasefire in the military operation against the LTTE. "We haven't announced any ceasefire," he said.
Caracas suffers worst drought since 1947
By EFE,
Caracas : The Venezuelan capital is suffering its worst drought since 1947 as is much of the country, forcing the authorities to introduce water rationing.
Environmentalist Erik Quiroga told EFE Tuesday that until Oct 22 only 508.8 ml of rain had fallen in Caracas, the lowest amount since 1947.
Quiroga said that the figures were provided by the Cagigal Naval Observatory, the nation's chief meteorological centre that began keeping records in 1891.
Mali fighting: Refugee count could rise to 700,000
By IANS,
Geneva: Predicting a worsening of West Africa's refugee situation, a UN agency says up to 700,000 people are expected to be uprooted by the ongoing turmoil in Mali.
Putin spy posters put up in Moscow
By IANS,
Moscow : Posters depicting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as a secret agent have been put up at many public places in Moscow, officials said.
China’s helping hand to minorities seeks to grasp stability
By DPA
Chong'an (China) : Every Friday, farmers descend from the mountains to make their way over dusty country roads to offer their produce at the weekly market in Chong'an, a town in China's poor southwestern province of Guizhou.
Many of them wear traditional garb and handmade shoes and carry chickens or ears of corn in baskets attached to long wooden poles that weigh on their shoulders.
Most of them are members of ethnic minorities with exotic names like Miao, Dong or Ge. Their faces are tanned and furrowed from the sun and long hours in the fields.
Philippines prepares for celebrating new presidency
By Abdullah Boqus, KUNA,
Kuala Lumpur : The Philippines is preparing to celebrate its new President on Wednesday after the 15th elected Pilipino President and the successor of Gloria Arroyo, Benigno Aquino took the oath before members cabinet, parliament and the country's representatives.
Dressed in yellow, supporters of Aquino, the son of former president Corazon Aquino, attended the celebration of the president who won May's elections with five million votes separating him from ousted president Joseph Estrada.
Java quake toll rises to 49
By DPA,
Jakarta : UN agencies and the Indonesian government were dispatching relief teams Thursday as the death toll from a magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck Java island rose to 49, officials said.
Dozens were still missing and feared dead after the quake Wednesday triggered a landslide in Cianjur district in West Java.
Fahmi Azhar, an official at the West Java disaster relief coordination agency, said 49 people had been killed in the disaster but the number was likely to rise as news of more casualties came in.
Bush says “unprecedented action” being taken to deal with financial crisis
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. President George W. Bush said Friday his administration is taking "unprecedented action" to deal with the ailing financial markets.
"America's economy is facing unprecedented challenges," Bush said in a Rose Garden statement. "We're responding with unprecedented measures."
The president said that a financial contagion that began with sub-prime home mortgages has spread throughout the financial system and led to an erosion of confidence.
UN re-appoints top environment, refugee chiefs
By DPA,
New York : The UN General Assembly Thursday approved a new four-year contract for Achim Steiner of Germany, the executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) that has been an important part in the global fight against climate change.
Steiner has been active in implementing UN programmes to prevent the deterioration of the environment and leading research and making recommendations on climate change.
3,000-year-old human remains found
By IANS
Mexico City : Six graves said to be more than 3,000 years old have been found in the northwestern Mexican state of Baja California, the Spanish news agency EFE reported.
The remains found in Cañada del Aguila "will reveal important information about the way of life of the ancient settlers of the (Baja California) peninsula", said an archaeologist of the National Institute of Anthropology and History.
New Year fire kills at least 59 at Bangkok pub
By DPA,
Bangkok : A fire that broke out shortly after midnight Thursday at a popular Bangkok pub killed at least 59 revellers, including some foreigners, and injured 212, the police said.
The fire, apparently sparked by a pyrotechnic show to ring in the New Year, broke out about 12.20 a.m. at the popular Santika Club that was packed with some 1,000 revellers.
Police Colonel Suphin Sapphuang said 59 people had been confirmed dead - 53 at the scene and six who succumbed to their injuries later in hospital, the Bangkok Post online news service reported.
10 killed in giant tornado in US
By DPA,
Washington : At least ten people were killed Saturday when a huge tornado swept through the southern US states of Louisiana and Mississippi with 240-km-an-hour winds, officials said.
The lethal twister, with its funnel measuring up to 1.2 km wide, first touched down in Louisiana, stormed across Yazoo City, Mississippi, on the Mississippi River Delta, and pushed eastward across Mississippi.
The tornado was worse than most had ever seen in Mississippi, said the state's governor, Haley Barbour.
Nepal moves to measure its biggest revenue earner – Mt Everest
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Saga of accused terrorist’s escape to be revealed Monday
By DPA,
Singapore : The mystery over how an accused terrorist with a limp managed to escape from a tightly-secured detention centre in Singapore will be revealed Monday, seven weeks after Mas Selamat sparked the biggest manhunt in the country's history.
Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng is scheduled to deliver a statement in parliament disclosing the findings of an inquiry committee amid public criticism and ridicule on the Internet about how the suspected leader of the city-state's wing of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) militant group managed to get away.
‘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).
Japanese PM set to reshuffle cabinet
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Tuesday said he would reshuffle his cabinet Sep 3, the first time since 2012 when he took...
China launches largest ever Tibet cultural relic preservation
By Xinhua,
Xigaze, Tibet : China on Friday launched a 570 million yuan (81.43 million U.S. dollars) project to preserve 22 historical and cultural relics in the southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region.
The project, China's largest protection move in the region, will last until 2010. It included 15 monasteries under state-level protection and seven historical sites proving the rule over Tibet by central governments through history, said Yudawa, the Tibet Autonomous Regional Cultural Heritage Bureau director.
Old structures of terrorism remain: Modi
Antalya (Turkey): Without making a direct reference to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that old structures of terrorism remain and some...
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".
Strong earthquake hits South Pacific
By Xinhua,
Wellington : An earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale jolted Kermadec Islands north of New Zealand early Monday, the US Geological Survey reported.
No casualties or damages were reported. The Kermadec Islands are uninhabited apart from Raoul, where the department of conservation maintains a field station.
The quake occurred at 3.11 a.m. New Zealand local time Monday (1411 GMT Sunday), some 80 km south of Raoul Island, and 1, 005 km northeast of New Zealand's largest city Auckland.
Cuba, Caricom to strengthen ties
By Prensa Latina,
Havana : A summit meeting of the leaders of Cuba and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries will be held here next week aiming at building closer ties.
The Dec 8 summit of the 15-nation grouping would also focus on "implementation of gradual reforms including encouragement to private-sector business initiatives”, a Caricom secretariat release said Wednesday.
High on agenda are economic integration, coordination of the member states' foreign policy, common services and cooperation in the region.
Foreign Secretary backs legal rights for Guantanamo Six
By KUNA
London : Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband has admitted he has "some concerns" about the way that the United States plans to try six men accused in relation to the September 11 attacks.
US prosecutors have said they will seek the execution of Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the plot, and five other Guantanamo Bay detainees they believe were involved in the 2001 atrocity that killed nearly 3, 000 people.
Nuclear energy not needed in Scotland, say nationalists
By IRNA
London : The Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) is leading a campaign to prevent Scotland being included in the British government's controversial plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations.
"The case for new nuclear power stations has not been made," the SNP's environment spokesman Mike Weir said in an Early Day Motion to parliament.
Romanian PM resigns
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc announced Monday the resignation of his government, media reported.
EU trade chief lambasts Sarkozy
By KUNA,
London : EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has accused French President Nicolas Sarkozy of undermining him and Europe's position at world trade talks.
Mandelson was speaking to BBC TV, late on Tuesday, after Sarkozy accused him of trying to force a trade deal on the EU that would undermine European jobs.
Sarkozy's comments came just days after he said Mandelson had been a factor in Ireland's referendum rejection of the EU's Lisbon Treaty.
France took over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU yesterday.
Miss Malaysia-India worked her way up
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : Coming from a financially weak background, Fiona Zuzartee, this year's winner of Miss Malaysia-India Pageant, worked in radio contests to earn pocket money.
Her Portuguese father, a charity logistics manager, and her Indian mother, an IT project manager, did not give her an allowance until she was in secondary school. This led Fiona to value money at an early age.
"I used to earn money from radio contests. The RM100 ($45) or RM200 ($90) I won, I would stretch it for a month," she said.
Singapore wants to learn lessons from India’s ‘growth story’
By Prashant K. Nanda, IANS
New Delhi : National University of Singapore (NUS) is inviting Indian civil servants to teach the 'growth story' to other Asian counterparts and in turn learn the best practices in public administration from global experts, all for free.
"Many countries in the world want to know about India's growth and we wish Indian civil servants to teach the developing countries. We are inviting them to do a course in our institute for free," said Kenneth Paul Tan, assistant dean of NUS' Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP).
Dalai Lama backs major Tibet research at British varsity
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : The Dalai Lama has extended his support to a major 10-year research project at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, that will explore the close relationship between religion and politics in Tibet.
The project is considered to be the largest historical project in the world on the subject, and will be led by Mario Aguilar of the university's School of Divinity. The focus will be on developments in Tibetan Buddhism between 1931 and the early years of the 21st century.
Anti-government rally in Bangkok targets royal advisors
By DPA,
Bangkok : More than 50,000 red-shirted anti-government protestors swarmed Bangkok's government quarter Wednesday in a demonstration of support for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
At midday the masses of people were calm, enjoying a break from recent rains, but many protestors were moving towards the home of chief royal advisor Prem Tinsulanda who they blame for hatching the military coup that toppled Thaksin in September 2006.
A key orator for the pro-Thaksin Red Shirt movement, Jatuporn Promphan, said the country did not need royal advisors like Prem any more.
18 killed in Brazilian jail fight
By DPA,
Rio de Janeiro : A 30-hour prison house melee that ended Tuesday claimed the lives of 18 inmates at the Sao Luis jail in the northern Brazilian state of Maranhao.
Free elections 100 years away for China’s communists
By Bill Smith
Beijing, (DPA) Faced with calls for democratic reform from dissidents, rights activists, retired cadres and Western governments, China's ruling communist party occasionally responds, at least indirectly.
The party says yes, but urges patience. It points to its commitment to develop village elections, greater openness in governance and democracy within the party.
It calls on all Chinese people to unite behind the party's "socialist modernisation" drive and wait for democracy - for about 100 years.
Nepal cabinet adopts agreement to abolish monarchy
By IRNA
New Delhi : Nepal Cabinet has adopted the agreement signed by the top leaders of the six ruling parties and the Maoists to declare the country federal democratic republic subject to implementation by the first meeting of the elected Constituent Assembly.
The Constituent Assembly elections are scheduled in mid-April next year.
The Cabinet meeting was held Monday at Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's residence in Baluwatar, Nepal, ANI reported here.
South Africa rejects UN criticism of its human right record
By IANS
Pretoria : South Africa has rejected the UN Watch report that ranked its human rights record as one of the worst in the world, South African news agency BuaNews reported Tuesday.
In response, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) was adamant that the promotion and protection of human rights remains one of the pillars of South Africa's foreign policy.
According to newspaper reports, UN Watch ranked South Africa's human rights record alongside those of China, Russia, Pakistan, Algeria and Saudi Arabia.
Russia’s Sukhoi to cooperate with China
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : Russia's Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer is ready to cooperate with China in civilian aircraft development projects, the company said Friday.
"China has shown an interest in the modification of the Superjet 100 medium haul passenger airliner," Mikhail Pogosyan, chief executive officer of Sukhoi, said.
"The Chinese market is so vast that [we] have a good chance of finding potential customers without competing with China's ARJ-21 regional airliner programme," he added.
Spain’s Savater launches new political party
By IRNA
Madrid : The Spaniard Fernando Savater has founded a new political party, called Unity, Progress and Democracy.
He is a professor of European philosophy and literature and a liberal thinker on politics and religion.
He is best known for his role in fighting terrorism in the Basque Country.
In the year 2000, the founder of the Basta Ya (Enough already) movement was the first recipient of the Sakharov prize, awarded by the European Parliament, for his defence of human rights.
Sikh driver’s death turns spotlight on Canada’s health plan
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS
Toronto : The death of a Brampton Sikh bus driver in a new hospital allegedly due to negligence has snowballed into a controversy, with calls for a thorough probe into it and a P-3 scheme under which the hospital operates. Brampton is a South Asian-dominated suburb of Toronto.
Harnek Singh Sidhu, 52, who worked as a bus driver with Brampton Transit, was brought to the emergency wing of the hospital Nov 3 when he complained of a severe stomach pain.
OANA Executive Board Meeting kicks off in Baku
By ANTARA News/AzerTaj,
Baku : The 30th OANA Executive Board Meeting "News for Everybody in the Globalizing World" organized by the AzerTAc has started Tuesday in Baku.
The meeting is attended by OANA President, ANTARA CEO Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf, heads and top representatives of national news agencies from 21 countries.
It also gathered Wolfgang Vyslozil, EANA President, CEO of the Austrian news agency APA, heads of national news agencies of Bulgaria, France and Jordan.
German paper attacked for carrying Charlie Hebdo cartoons
Berlin : A German newspaper became the target of an arson attack early Sunday following a terrorist attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie...
Zimbabwe’s opposition to decide on weekend about run-off
By DPA,
Johannesburg/Harare : Zimbabwe's opposition leaders denounced government demands for a run-off election as "grand theft" and insisted they had "won the elections", but said they would decide over the weekend whether to participate in another round of voting.
Tendai Biti, Secretary General of the Movement for Democratic Change, was speaking late Friday in neighbouring South Africa, where many MDC supporters have fled seeking refuge from violent attacks by President Robert Mugabe's supporters since the March 29 elections.
1000 global rights orgs, individuals urge US govt to impose “targeted sanctions” against India...
TCN News
Owing to the increase in communal violence and hate speech in India, over a thousand Indian American civil rights organizations, academicians and human...
China to create 400,000 jobs for ethnic minorities
By IANS,
Beijing : China will create 400,000 jobs this year for ethnic minorities in the country's western Xinjiang Uyghur region, the government said Thursday.
Extremists may hijack Russian parliament polls: Minister
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Extremist groups may attempt to disrupt Russia's upcoming parliamentary election campaign, a minister said Thursday.
Deaths in one Japanese prefecture to top 15,000: Police
By IANS,
Tokyo: The toll in Japan's Miyagi prefecture alone is expected to top 15,000, media reports said Sunday.
Democrats seek unity ahead of Florida-Michigan battle
By DPA,
Washington : Democratic Party leaders focused on the need to retake the White House in November amid a passionate and at times acrimonious battle Saturday between supporters of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton over the disputed primaries of Florida and Michigan.
"We are strong enough to struggle and disagree, and even be angry and disappointed, and still come together at the end of the day and be united," Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), said in opening a special meeting of the party.
42 African refugees drown off Yemeni coast
Sana'a: About 42 African refugees drowned Sunday evening off the Yemeni coast when their boat capsized in the Gulf of Aden, the Yemeni government...
Indonesian oil pipeline blast kills five
By IANS,
Jakarta : At least five people were killed and 18 injured after an explosion caused fire in an oil pipeline in Indonesia's South Sumatra province Wednesday, Xinhua reported.
Sri Lanka has highest inflation in South, Southeast Asia
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : The inflation rate in Sri Lanka has been reaching dizzying heights lately. It was 21.6 percent on an average in 2007. In November it touched an all-time high of 26.2 percent.
Sri Lanka also has the highest rate of inflation in South and Southeast Asia, points out Harsha de Silva, chief economist of LIRNE Asia, a regional development economics think tank.
Spain’s GDP to contract
By IANS,
Madrid : Spain would suffer a GDP reduction of between 0.5 and 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2013, said Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos.
Cuban weekly warns of more austerity
By EFE,
Havana : The weekly publication of Cuba's only legal labour union says residents of the communist-ruled island will have to get used to belt-tightening "with intelligence" amid a severe recession and little prospect of improvement in the short term.
Cuba is struggling to cope with the effects of the global slump at a time when it has yet to recover from the $10 billion in losses left by three hurricanes in 2008, Trabajadores said in an editorial Monday.
"Let us tighten our belts, but with intelligence: that is the alternative," the union weekly said.
At least 100 feared dead in Congo boat accident
By DPA
Nairobi/Kinshasa : At least 100 people are believed to have drowned after their boat sailing off the coast of Congo capsized on Lake Tanganyika, reports said Wednesday.
It was unclear what caused the accident but a Congolese maritime official told the BBC all passengers were thought to be dead. Some 10 bodies had been recovered.
The boat was sailing from the town of Kalemie to Moba in the south-east.
World Bank pledges aid boost for poor nations
Washington, Sep 28 (DPA) World Bank member countries have pledged to more than double the bank's aid to the poorest countries and agreed to make loans for developing nations cheaper.
The lender's governing board approved plans to offer $3.5 billion in 2008-2010 for grants and loans to help the 81 poorest nations, especially in Africa, up from $1.5 billion in the current three-year effort, bank president Robert Zoellick said.
Argentine transport minister resigns
By IANS,
Buenos Aires : Argentine Transport Minister Juan Pablo Schiavi has resigned due to ill health, the official media reported.
Controversial school drug tests get under way in Hong Kong
By DPA,
Hong Kong : The Hong Kong government Tuesday began a controversial trial project to test 22,000 secondary school pupils for drug use.
From Tuesday, urine samples were being taken from pupils in 23 schools and results shared between teachers, police and social workers in a move to tackle a growing tide of youth drug abuse.
The scheme, described as voluntary, has triggered criticism with academics and youth welfare groups saying it unnecessarily infringes civil liberties.
Ruling party to nominate Putin for presidency Nov 27
By IANS,
Moscow : The ruling United Russia party will formally nominate Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as its presidential candidate next month, a party leader said Wednesday.
US concerned about Sri Lanka democracy
By IANS,
Colombo: The US has voiced concern about "threats to freedom of expression" in Sri Lanka.
Thousands of policemen protest pay cuts in Spain
By IANS,
Madrid: Thousands of policemen marched through the Spanish capital city Saturday to protest cutbacks in their salaries, Xinhua reported.
Catch a bus to see Singapore’s lush rainforests
Singapore, Oct 10 (DPA) "The last tiger was killed here in 1930, so there's nothing to worry about," says Benjamin Lee, a ranger in Bukit Timah rainforest near Singapore's centre, to a group of tourists.
This Southeast Asian metropolis is one of the few big cities in the world where you can catch a bus or taxi to a real rainforest. That explains why Bukit Timah, one of Singapore's green lungs, is always packed with families, young couples and mountain bikers at the weekend.
China’s large hydropower plant starts operation
By IANS,
Beijing: China's third largest hydropower station became operational Monday, Xinhua reported.
Obama fires top Afghanistan commander McChrystal
By DPA,
Washington: US President Barack Obama Wednesday removed Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top NATO commander in Afghanistan over a magazine article that portrayed him as dismissive of senior US officials for their concerns about the ongoing war effort.
McChrystal was summoned to Washington for a meeting with Obama that lasted less than 30 minutes Wednesday morning.
Obama tapped General David Petraeus, currently the head of Central Command and the former commander of US forces in Iraq, to replace McChrystal.
Ecuadorian journalist gets jail for insulting official
By IANS/EFE,
Quito : An editorial writer for Ecuadorian daily El Universo was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for insulting the head of a government agency in one of his columns.
As part of Friday's sentence, which is subject to appeal, Judge Carmen Arguello also ordered Palacio to pay $10,000 in legal costs.
The judge said prosecutors proved the journalist was guilty of "crimes against honour: libellous insults and serious non-libellous insults" against Camilo Saman, with "no extenuating circumstances".
240 injured in Shanghai subway trains’ accident
By IANS,
Shanghai : Over 240 passengers were injured Tuesday when a subway train rear-ended another train here, authorities said.
Modi to visit UAE Aug 16-17 in first PM visit in 34 years
New Delhi/Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to visit the United Arab Emirates on August 16-17, in the first visit by an Indian...
Indian-American among math, science teachers honoured by Obama By Arun Kumar
Washington : Darshan Jain, an Indian American teacher is one of the 108 teachers named by President Barack Obama as recipients of the...
U.S. House passes bill to ban “waterboarding” on terrorist suspects
By Xinhua
Washington : The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday to prohibit the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from using "waterboarding" and other harsh tactics to interrogate terrorist suspects.
Being voted 222-199, the intelligence bill was sent to the Senate and will take effect should President George W. Bush sign it.
Five men convicted for plotting to kill US troops
By DPA,
Washington : Five men were convicted Monday of planning an attack on a US military base in New Jersey and could face life in prison, authorities said.
Three brothers - Shain, Eljvir and Dritan Duka - and two other defendants Mohamed Shnewer and Serder Tatar plotted an assault on the Fort Dix base in New Jersey.
US authorities had been monitoring the group for months and they were arrested in May 2007 after police informants sold them the machine guns they planned to use for the attack.
Nepal’s first president begins with prayer to Pashupati
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Ram Baran Yadav, the 61-year-old physician who will be sworn in as the first president of the new republic of Nepal Wednesday and replace dethroned king Gyanendra as the head of state, embarked on his new career by offering prayers at the Pashupatinath temple here.
A close election run-off Monday saw Yadav defeat his Maoist-backed rival - 73-year-old former revolutionary and bomb maker Ram Raja Prasad Singh.
US ambassador expresses shock at Delhi blast
By IANS,
New Delhi : US Ambassador to India David C. Mulford Sunday expressed shock and sadness at the blast in a crowded south Delhi market in which two people, including a child, were killed and at least 17 people wounded.
"I am shocked by the senseless Mehrauli bombing," a statement quoting Mulford said.
The blast occurred when a low-intensity bomb went off in Mehrauli market Saturday afternoon.
"Americans share the sadness of the Indian people at the death of a child and injuries to many innocent people," he added.
UN chief calls for global push to combat climate change
By DPA,
Seoul : United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for international action to tackle the threats of climate change and nuclear weapons Monday.
The former South Korean foreign minister, who arrived Sunday on a 10-day private visit to his home country, addressed the annual meeting of the World Federation of UN Associations in Seoul to press for a safer and nuclear-free world.
Bush invites Manmohan Singh to White House Sep 25
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : After asking Congress to approve the India-US civil nuclear deal, President George Bush Thursday invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the White House Sep 25 to strengthen the bilateral partnership in other areas.
"The president is pleased to approve the US-India Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation (also known as the 123 Agreement)," the White House said hours after Bush sent the implementing accord to the legislature.
Japan issues tsunami alert after Chile quake
By IANS,
Tokyo : The Japan Meteorological Agency Sunday issued a major tsunami alert for its Pacific coast after a powerful earthquake struck Chile, Xinhua reported.
The tsunami alert is issued for the pacific coast of Aomori, Miyagi and Iwate prefectures in northeast Japan. Waves of up to three meters high are expected in the areas and "everyone near the coast must evacuate to higher ground", it said.
The tsunami is also expected to hit Hokkaido and Izu-Ogasawara islands around 1 p.m. followed by other areas, the agency said in a public broadcast.
Red Cross braces for funding cuts
By DPA,
Johannesburg : The Red Cross is starting to look at how to cut costs ahead of an expected fall-off in funding in the wake of the global financial crisis, the secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said Sunday.
"If it continues, if there is no turnaround fairly quickly, it (the financial crisis) will have a serious impact (on funding), no doubt," Bekele Geleta said in an interview in Johannesburg on the eve of a three-day meeting of Africa's 53 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.
Lobbyists’ magnet: Even fire fighters drawn to Brussels
By DPA
Brussels : If you want to achieve anything in Brussels you need an office in the city. From the candle-makers' association to the union of potato-starch factories, to the association of the crinkled-cardboard industry, there's hardly a pressure group missing from the European Union (EU) capital.
Between 15,000 and 20,000 lobbyists are said to work here for economic and professional bodies. On Tuesday, the German Association of Fire Brigades (DVF) too opened an office in Brussels.
North Korea accuses South of violating its territorial waters
By DPA,
Seoul : North Korea Thursday accused the South Korean military of sending warships into its territorial waters off its west coast on several occasions.
North Korea's naval command threatened military action if the violations were repeated.
"It is clear to everyone what consequences the third skirmish in the West Sea of Korea will entail," North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency quoted the navy as saying.
Five children killed in fire in US
By Xinhua
Jakarta : Indonesian Police Wednesday said they arrested Abu Dujana, commander of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) - a terror group operating in South East Asia allegedly responsible for Bali bombings.
Computer virus targets Russian opposition
By IANS,
Washington : Opponents of Russian president-elect Vladimir Putin are being targeted through a computer virus sent by email, CNN reported.
Lehman Brothers Asia-Pacific CEO joins USIBC
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : Jesse Bhattal, chief executive officer of Lehman Brothers Asia-Pacific, a leading investment bank has joined the board of a leading advocacy group seeking stronger US-India commercial ties.
Bhattal is the sixth high profile business executive to join the board of US-India Business Council (USIBC) representing 250 of the largest US companies investing in India and two-dozen largest Indian global companies in recent weeks.
Facebook to announce new tie-ups: Report
By IANS,
London : Facebook may announce a host of partnerships with film, TV and media companies Thursday, a media report said Tuesday.
Two killed as small plane crashes into Peru school
By IANS,
Lima : Two people were killed when a light aircraft on an instruction flight crashed into the garden of a school in Lima, EFE news agency reported Sunday, citing Peruvian media reports.
The aircraft, which had taken off from the Las Palmas air base south of Lima, crashed into the Laura Alva Saldaña Special Basic Education School in the neighbouring district of Barranco Saturday afternoon.
The victims were flight instructor and retired air force general David Alarcon Bullon, 50, and an 18-year-old girl accompanying him onboard the plane, a police spokesman said.
Russia says ready to reduce strategic weapons by 80 pct — Lavrov
By KUNA,
MOSCOW : Russia has expressed its readiness to move forward on the path to reducing strategic weapons, taking into account the interests of the Russian national security.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian television today that Russia is ready to continue discussions that would ensure the maintenance of a system of restrictions on arms control and reduction of strategic offensive weapons.
Lavrov expressed his satisfaction because the U.S. administration gave the issue a great deal of attention.
Australian found guilty of killing three Indian siblings
By IANS,
Melbourne: A 42-year-old Australian faces up to 45 years in jail after a jury Tuesday found him guilty of murdering three siblings of an Indian-origin family in Brisbane in 2003.
Hindu groups starved of funds in South Africa
By IANS
Durban : Hindu groups in South Africa's KwaZulu Natal province are being starved of funds by the province's arts and cultural department allegedly on racial grounds.
Obama lands in Strasbourg for NATO meeting
By DPA,
Strasbourg (France) : US President Barack Obama landed in Strasbourg Friday ahead of a NATO summit in the French city.
The presidential Air Force One plane landed in France shortly after 11 a.m. after flying from Stansted airport in London, where Obama attended the G20 meeting.
The US president, wearing a dark suit and blue tie, was accompanied by his wife Michelle, who was wearing a black overcoat with a pattern of mauve roses.
Mobile users in Sri Lanka asked to carry ownership certificate
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lanka has asked mobile phone users to carry a certificate of ownership of the cellphone and barred them from using phones belonging to others.
The Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) has taken this step “to avert irregularities and illegal activities while minimizing threats to national security created by the irresponsible use of telephones”, the government information department said.
Brazilian judge assassinated
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : A Brazilian judge who received death threats after imposing harsh sentences on vigilantes was slain Friday in suburban Rio de Janeiro, police said.
Indian-American Nikki Haley South Carolina’s first woman governor
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Iran: No Cold War with China but Win, Win for all
By Saeed Naqvi
I don't exactly gasp but am puzzled by the indifference with which the media has treated two fascinating Indo-Iranian stories. Now that...
A room of one’s own: Why Rohingya refugees keep returning to Aligarh
Meher Ali for TwoCircles.net
Aligarh:-- Guran Miya (30), a Rohingya refugee, returned with his family to Aligarh in mid-2018, just nine months after he had...
Tamil diaspora vows to bring Sri Lanka to its knees
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : The end of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) simply marks the beginning of a new phase in their struggle for independence, the Canadian Tamil Congress announced here Monday.
Confirming the deaths of top LTTE leaders, the representative body of the largest Tamil diaspora group in the world said all Tamil representative bodies in Europe and Australia will announce their future course of action Tuesday.
Uproar as new Nepal vice president takes oath in Hindi
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Within 24 hours of being sworn in as republic of Nepal's first vice president, former judge Parmanand Jha found himself at the centre of a controversy when he took the oath of office in Hindi, triggering widespread protests.
Protests erupted in Nawalparasi, Chitwan and Sarlahi districts and in parts of Kathmandu valley after Jha took his oath of office and secrecy in a grand ceremony Wednesday.
Number of pensioners in UK set to rise by over a third
By IRNA,
London : The number of pensioners in Britain is set to rise by over a third in the next 30 years despite government plans to increase the age of retirement, according to new projected figures.
According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), there are currently 12 million pensioners in the UK, around a fifth of the total population, but the number will increase to over 16 million by 2040.
Colombo-KL to jointly plug terrorist financing
By P.Vijian, NNN-Bernama
New Delhi : The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) will soon find itself short-changed by banks when Malaysia and Sri Lanka jointly combat cross-border money-laundering and terrorist financing.
This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and its counterpart in Bank Negara last Saturday.
CBSL was represented by its deputy governor Dr Ranee Jayamaha while Zamani Abdul Ghani appeared for Bank Negara.
Obama says he won”t tolerate excuses in US response to Haiti quake catastrophe
By KUNA,
Washington : President Barack Obama on Thursday said his national security team understands that he will not put up with any excuses for the United States not doing the very best in this time of tragedy in Haiti.
Speaking on Thursday evening before the US House Democratic caucus at their retreat on Capitol Hill, the President said the Haiti earthquake crisis was "a moment for American leadership."
Sri Lanka rejects UN plan to form human rights panel
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka has rejected a UN proposal to set up an advisory panel in the wake of alleged human rights abuses during the final phase of the war between government forces and the Tamil Tigers.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the UN move was "unwarranted" and would be perceived as "interference" in Sri Lanka's internal matters.
Nepal to resume direct flights to Mumbai
By IANS,
Kathmandu : First, there was a steady stream of visits to Kathmandu by Mumbai's glitterati, including Shabana Azmi, Govinda, Sukhwinder Singh and Daler Mehndi.
Now Nepal's tourism ministry has decided to cash in on the interest shown in Nepal by Mumbai-ites by announcing direct Kathmandu-Mumbai flights from May 1.
The state carrier, Nepal Airlines, will now make the trip twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. A two-way ticket will cost NRS 20,000 ($250) exclusive of taxes while for the first three months the airline is offering a discount of NRS 2,000.