U.S., Czech Republic set to conclude missile shield deal
By RIA Novosti
Washington : Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek may finalize a deal on the deployment of a U.S. radar in his country during a meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington on Wednesday.
The U.S. is planning to modify its X-band radar on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific and relocate it to the Czech Republic, and to construct a base for 10 missile interceptors in Poland as part of a European missile shield, which the U.S. claims is needed to deter possible strikes from Iran and other "rogue states."
Venezuelan parliament moves to impeach opposition lawmaker
Caracas : The Venezuelan National Assembly has agreed to investigate the involvement of opposition lawmaker Maria Machado in recent protests that have left 29...
Kyrgyzstan violence mounts refugee crisis
By DPA,
Osh (Kyrgyzstan)/Moscow : Ethnic Kyrgyzs and Uzbeks clashed again overnight in fighting which included the use of grenades, the interim government said Wednesday, as the estimated refugee crisis in the strife-torn central Asian republic escalated rapidly.
With an official death toll of 179 from nearly a week of intercommunal violence, but suspected to be far higher, the number of civilians fleeing the violence is now put at 275,000.
Angola Grateful to Cuban People
By Prensa Latina
Luanda : Angolan media headlined Wednesday the words of National Assembly President Roberto de Almeida expressing the most sincere thanks to Cuba for all the blood shed in the struggle for the sovereignty and independence of this African country.
During an act organized by the Cuban Embassy in Angola on the eve of the 49th anniversary of the triumph of the revolution, De Almeida declared that the support of Cubans in crucial moments in the history of Angola has been glorious, and expressed deep gratitude to the Caribbean island.
Melbourne pub under fire over ‘no underwears’ promotion
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : A pub in Melbourne's posh St. Kilda suburb is facing criticism from women's groups, the hotel industry and the state government for offering free drinks to women who would remove their underwear.
State of Victoria's liquor licensing director Sue Maclellan Thursday ordered Saint Hotel licensee Cameron Manning to cancel the "No Undie" event scheduled for Sunday.
If the pub defies the ban, it risks incurring a fine of Australian $13,000 ($10,300) and losing its licence.
Violent incidents mar Australian election campaign
By DPA,
Sydney : Two violent incidents have marred the start of the Australian election campaign.
Police have charged two men in Adelaide after a Liberal Party candidate was allegedly punched during an argument over the treatment of asylum-seekers.
Jassmine Wood told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that two men approached her and an assistant as they campaigned at a shopping centre. She said they criticised her party's border protection policy before throwing punches.
Five women shot dead in US shopping mall
By IANS
Chicago : A gunman shot dead five women in a suspected robbery at a store in a suburban Chicago strip mall Saturday and fled, police said.
Police said they were looking for the suspect who went on shooting spree around 11 a.m. in the Lane Bryant apparel store for plus size women in Tinley Park.
The authorities have not identified the victims - which may include one or more employees besides shoppers-- while their families are being contacted.
Investigators are not clear of the shooter's motive, but believe it could be a case of botched robbery attempt.
Obama accepts Nobel Peace Prize
By DPA,
Oslo : US President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize Thursday at a ceremony in this Norwegian capital.
The prize was awarded to Obama in October for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".
"Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize... my accomplishments are slight," Obama said in his acceptance speech at Oslo's City Hall.
Changes in Cuba spark frustration and hope
By Silvia Ayuso, DPA
Havana : With their noses stuck to the shop window, a group of Cubans stared at shiny electronic appliances whose sale had just been liberalised by the government: DVDs, rice cookers, electric scooters and, soon, computers and microwaves.
But most cannot go beyond looking.
"I don't have a computer, I don't have a cellphone ... I cannot buy, my salary won't let me. I have to sell my car or the house to buy the computer," Ernesto, 45, complained as he looked.
Georgians start to cast votes in presidential election
By Xinhua
Tbilisi : Georgians started to cast votes in the snap presidential election Saturday morning, during which former President Mikhail Saakashvili is vying for the nation's top job with six other candidates.
A polling station at a kindergarten on the Shanidze Street in downtown Tbilisi opened at 8 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) as scheduled, and voters are trickling in to cast ballots.
The early election was called by Saakashvili last November, who resigned the same month after serving as the Caucasian nation's president for nearly four years.
NATO to assess implications of missile shield
By Xinhua
Brussels : North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) defence ministers agreed here Thursday to assess the political implications of the US plan to deploy a missile defence shield in Eastern Europe.
No sign of success in Kenyan election mediation
By DPA
Nairobi : Ghanaian President John Kufuor ended his mediation efforts in the Kenyan election dispute without any visible success as newly elected President Mwai Kibaki began swearing in his new cabinet in Nairobi.
Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan would chair further talks, Kufuor said Thursday before flying back to Accra.
There were "no signs of success" after the two-day talks between Kufuor, controversial President Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, a government spokesman in Nairobi said.
Obama seeks national policy to protect oceans, coastline
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Friday ordered federal agencies to come up with a common national policy to protect the country's coastlines, oceans and major lakes.
US coasts and oceans - as well as the Great Lakes along the northern border with Canada - are currently managed by a patchwork of state laws and agencies.
Obama issued a presidential memorandum instructing a new taskforce to come up with recommendations for a comprehensive national policy within 90 days.
Coalmine explosion kills 13 in China
By Xinhua
Chongqing (China) : At least 13 people were killed in an explosion in a coalmine in southwest China, local sources said Friday.
The incident occurred at 5:15 a.m. Friday at the Gaoqiao coal mine in Nanchuan district. No further information was immediately available.
A task force headed by vice mayor Zhou Mubing rushed to the scene and the cause of the accident was under investigation.
11 trapped miners in China still alive
By IANS,
Beijing: Eleven of the 16 trapped miners in a flooded coal mine in China were alive three days after the accident, authorities said Sunday.
Belgium’s most enduring export: Tintin’s adventures and politics
By Vikas Datta,
Comic books, like many products we know, are an American invention. The US and Japan (manga) account for most since the form appeared in the 1930s, but neither can lay claim to having produced the most famous comics ever - an honour which goes to two hugely popular Franco-Belgian series translated into over 100 languages.
Obama wins Wyoming caucus
By DPA
Washington : Senator Barack Obama was the projected winner of the Democratic caucus in the western state of Wyoming Saturday, in the latest contest in the state-by-state battle to represent the party in November presidential elections.
Obama was leading with 59 percent of the vote to opponent Hillary Clinton's 40 percent, with 96 percent of the state's caucus sites reporting results, CNN said.
Full text of NPC decision on Hong Kong’s constitutional development
By Xinhua
Beijing : Following is the full text of the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Issues Relating to the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and for Forming the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the Year 2012 and on Issues Relating to Universal Suffrage:
Advantage Obama after Wisconsin and Hawaii victories
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Barack Obama decisively beat Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin primary and Hawaii caucuses, registering 10 consecutive wins, increasing his overall lead over the former first lady in the race for the Democratic nomination for presidential polls.
Cutting into Clinton's support base among women and blue-collar workers, Obama Tuesday accelerated his momentum ahead of the primaries in the big states of Ohio and Texas March 4.
Maoists cross swords with Pashupatinath now
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : After declaring war on Nepal's monarchy, whose members were once regarded as incarnations of a Hindu god, the Maoist guerrillas have now crossed swords with Pashupatinath, one of the most revered Hindu deities, to the great concern of the UN.
After they signed a peace pact with the government, ended their decade-old guerrilla war and joined the ruling alliance, different units of the Maoists have begun usurping the functions of the government.
Tropical storm Nanmadol makes landfall in China
By IANS,
Beijing : Tropical storm Nanmadol with winds up to 72 kmph made landfall in southeast China early Wednesday, Xinhua reported.
Scores of civilians killed in Sri Lanka suicide explosion
By IANS,
Colombo : Scores of civilians were killed and several more wounded Monday when an LTTE suicide bomber mingling with the civilians fleeing the rebel-held war zone blew herself up Monday in the northeastern Mullaitivu district, a military official said here.
Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that a group of women soldiers were screening "the influx of female civilians when a LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) female suicide cadre exploded herself at Vishwamadhu Susanthirapuram area" in Mullaitivu Monday morning.
Troops recapture rebel stronghold on Sri Lanka coast
By DPA,
Colombo : Government troops with air cover recaptured a rebel stronghold on the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka as two soldiers and at least 18 rebels were killed, the defence ministry said Sunday.
Troops took control of Iluppaikkadavai town, 360 km north of the capital, by mid-day Sunday after one of the rebel bases in the area was captured overnight, the ministry said.
It was the second town along the coast taken by the army in five days.
US cold wave sprinkles rare snow on Florida
By DPA,
Washington : The frigid air mass holding much of North America hostage put Florida in a deep freeze early Sunday after sprinkling a rare phenomenon on the sunshine state of Florida: snow.
The state was bracing for temperatures of minus 10 to minus 4 degrees Celsius through Sunday morning as orange and strawberry growers fought to save their crops.
Large flakes of snow fell over the southern state, traditionally the refuge for sun lovers fleeing the grey winter of more northerly states.
"This is very unusual," a spokesman for the National Weather Service said.
Tony Blair takes advisory job with Zurich
LONDON, January 28 (RIA Novosti) -- Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, has signed an advisory agreement with Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich), the company said on Monday.
The company said Blair would advise Zurich's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) James J. Schiro and "provide general guidance on developments and trends in the international political environment."
Blair will specifically advise and collaborate with Zurich on its Climate Initiative and work closely with its newly launched Climate Change Advisory Council.
EU parliament wants EU to attract more students from third countries
By EuAsiaNews,
Brussels : The European Parliament adopted here Tuesday a report to help enhance the quality of university teaching and attract the best foreign students and academics from third countries to Europe .
The report on the EU's scholarship programme known as Erasmus Mundus II (2009-2013) says "Europe's higher education must be competitive to attract the many foreign university students and teachers who previously went to study in the United States.
Prachanda’s leadership questioned by Nepal Maoists
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Ahead of a critical meeting of the formerly guerrilla Maoist party starting Thursday, which is expected to have a strong impact on the ongoing peace process and the drafting of a new constitution by 2010, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's leadership is being challenged by the hawks in the party.
On Thursday, the national convention of the top leaders of the party will kick off in the capital, the first in over a decade.
Russia, NATO to discuss arms control treaty, missile shield in fall
By Xinhua
Moscow : Russia and NATO member countries will hold talks this fall on the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE), in which Russia has announced to halt obligation, and on the U.S.-proposed missile shield in Eastern Europe, officials said on Friday.
A Russian-U.S. experts panel will hold its first meeting over the missile defense plans later this month, the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Igor Neverov, director of the Foreign Ministry's department of North America as saying.
China tests first homemade amphibious plane
By IANS,
Beijing : China has started test flights of its first homemade amphibious plane dubbed Seagull 300, a media report said Friday.
The plane is built by the Shijiazhuang Aircraft Industry Co Ltd in China's northern Hebei province, China Daily reported on its website. It left the assembly line Aug 4.
The aircraft can also take off and land on water.
"The Seagull 300 is the first amphibious plane of China that has independent intellectual property rights," said Xiong Xianpeng, in charge of the plane's design.
Bristol is Britain’s first cycle city
By IANS,
London : A 100 million pounds is to be invested to make the British take to cycling. And the effort began from Bristol which Friday became the country's first official cycle-friendly city.
The transport ministry wants to kill two birds with one stone - reduce fuel consumption and popularise environment-friendly cycling.
The investment will be divided between Bristol and 11 other towns to create infrastructure for cycling.
Sri Lanka army chief meets UN peacekeeping officials
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's top most military official has had talks with the United nations agency which handles peace keeping operations in Haiti, the army said in a statement Saturday.
Villagers supported thieving postmaster
By IANS,
London : A popular sub-postmaster who stole more than 28,000 pounds (about $41,000) from Royal Mail to help keep his branch open has been spared jail after a judge heard how villagers rallied round to help him repay his employers, a media report said Friday.
For 21 years Graham Warnes was a familiar face behind the counter of the village shop with its tiny sub-post office.
But when the shop got into financial difficulties three years ago, he tried to keep it afloat by stealing money from the post office, Daily Express reported on its website.
Vancouver Indo-Guyanese to fight Canadian elections
By IANS
Vancouver : An Indo-Guyanese has been nominated by Ontario's New Democratic Party (NDP) as its candidate from the Brampton-Springdale area for provincial elections next month.
Mani Singh, 47, who moved to Canada in his late teens with his parents, is a realtor. He has lived in Brampton for 26 years with his wife Prema and four children.
The provincial elections are slated for Oct 10.
British anti-terror chief says sorry to opposition party
By IANS,
London : The police officer heading Britain's anti-terrorism efforts Monday apologised to the opposition Tory party after accusing it of trying to undermine him by mobilising the press against him.
Bob Quick, assistant commissioner of police in charge of specialist operations and counter-terrorism, apologised "unreservedly" after leading members of the Conservative party said his outburst called his judgement into question.
Putin orders new commission to regulate foreign investment
By DPA,
Moscow : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Monday called for the creation of a government commission to decide on foreign requests to buy into key sectors such as oil and gas, media and telecoms.
Under a law passed in April, the prime minister would head the commission, giving Putin final say on foreign investments into one of 42 sectors defined as "strategic" by the bill.
US company to convert Jackson’s hair into diamonds
By IANS,
London: Bosses at a US company have unveiled a bizarre new plan to produce 10 sparkling diamonds from locks of late pop legend Michael Jackson's hair.
Executives at LifeGem have obtained a sample of the King Of Pop's tresses from a memorabilia collector, who owned some of the hair Jackson burned off his scalp while filming a 1984 Pepsi commercial and now LifeGem founder Dean VandenBiesen plans to create a limited edition set of 10 diamonds using a laboratory process that takes carbon from hair and turns it into high-quality gems, reports contactmusic.com.
Tulsi Gabbard gets married in Hindu ceremony
Washington : US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, the only Hindu member of the House of Representatives, married her fiance Abraham Williams in a traditional Hindu...
Cuba to restructure food marketing
By IANS,
Havana : Cuba is moving to restructure the system for marketing food products to revitalize the farm sector, Spain's EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
"We are working hard on the idea of restructuring the marketing of agricultural products," said Orlando Lugo, chief of National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) Tuesday.
The current system "has many problems, has many catches, we lose a lot of resources that are produced by the producers", Lugo said in a television programme.
Cuban man sets fifth Guinness record
By IANS,
Havana : A Cuban man has set a new Guinness record, his fifth overall, by rolling an 81.8-metre-long cigar, the longest in the planet, Prensa Latina news agency reported.
South Korea demands North apologise for fatal dam release
By DPA,
Seoul : South Korea Tuesday demanded an apology from North Korea for what it said was the unannounced release of water from a dam that created a wave of water that swept away six people in the South.
About 40 million tonnes of water was released Sunday from the dam on the Imjin River located 40 km north of the inter-Korean border, said South Korea, whose flood alert system also failed.
Three bodies of campers have been found in the Imjin while the remaining three people remained missing.
Tamil rebels say they are silencing their guns
By DPA,
Colombo : The embattled Tamil rebels have declared that they have decided to silence their guns in north-eastern Sri Lanka where the military says the rebels have been cornered into an area of less than one sq km.
Tamil rebel International Relations spokesman Selvarasa Pathmanathan told the pro-rebel TamilNet website that they had given up their fight and decided "to silence our guns".
Muslim group break Ramadan fast with Irish LGBT community
Dublin : A Muslim group aimed at fostering peace and integration in Ireland has joined members of the country’s LGBT community to break fast...
US rejects referendum in Ukraine’s eastern regions
Washington : The United States Sunday rejected the referendums being held in two regions of eastern Ukraine over their future status, saying it would...
Solidarity with the Five from Himalaya, Nepal
By Prensa Latina,
Kathmandu : More than 200 students and professors from the Engineering College of Battapur, a small Nepalese city near the Himalaya Cordillera, showed their solidarity with the five anti-terrorist fighters now imprisoned in the US, mostly known as the Cuban Five.
An activity organized by the Nepalese Workers and Farmers Party let participants demand the liberation of Fernando Gonzalez, René Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Gerardo Hernandez and Ramón Labanino.
Cuba celebrates first Christmas Eve after reconciliation with US
Havana: People in Cuba celebrated the first Christmas Eve after their government agreed to reconciliation with the US.
Without lavish Christmas decorations on the streets...
Doctor-cabbies will be finally allowed to practise in Ontario
By IANS,
Toronto : The government of Ontario province, the economic engine of Canada, will soon make a law that will allow foreign-trained doctors - so long left to drive cabs - to practise their trade.
Since foreign credentials are not recognized in Canada, most foreign-trained doctors and professionals are left to drive cabs and do odd jobs. In fact, Ontario province and its capital Toronto have more foreign-trained doctors, including from India, driving taxis than any other place in the world.
Veiled Muslim women barred from entering France
By IANS,
London : Three Saudi women were barred from entering France for refusing to remove their face veils, it was reported here Wednesday.
Sri Lanka’s ex-militant party to propose devolution plan
By Xinhua,
Colombo : An ex-Tamil minority militant group is to submit a power devolution proposal to an all political party forum aimed at resolving the island's long drawn-out separatist armed conflict, a top Sri Lankan government official said Tuesday.
Tissa Vitharana, the minister of Science and Technology and the chief of the All Party Representatives' Committee (APRC) told reporters that the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) would submit the proposal soon to the APRC.
16 killed, infiltration attempts in Sri Lanka
By DPA
Colombo : Two civilians and at least 14 Tamil rebels were killed in the northern part of Sri Lanka where guerrillas have been making repeated attempts to infiltrate military-controlled areas, a military spokesman said Wednesday.
The civilians were killed Tuesday when suspected Tamil rebels blew up a roadside claymore mine in Sitthankerny, Jaffna, 390 km north of Colombo.
A group of soldiers passing by were believed to be the targets, and three were injured in the blast.
White House sends n-deal text to Congress for approval
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : In a race to beat the clock, the White House has sent the text of the proposed India-US civil nuclear deal to Congress for final approval after three days of hectic wooing of the lawmakers.
In a statement late Wednesday, the White House said it was transmitting the text of the implementing 123 agreement and other relevant documents to the Congress which reconvened Monday after its August recess and is scheduled to adjourn Sep 26 ahead of the Nov 4 elections.
Potentially fatal intestinal virus spreads in China
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : A potentially fatal intestinal virus is spreading rapidly in China, with 766 new cases registered in the past 24 hours, national media said on Sunday.
Enterovirus 71 first appeared in March when young children were admitted to hospitals in Fuyung, a city in the central Chinese province of Anhui, suffering from fever, rashes, blisters and mouth ulcers. The virus has so far killed 22 children in the province. Over 4,500 people, mostly children, have also been infected.
China's Health Ministry has now issued a nationwide alert.
Helicopter makes emergency landing in Hong Kong
By IANS,
Hong Kong : A helicopter en route to Macao made an emergency landing in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour Saturday, but all 13 people on board were safe.
The AW139 helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing at sea at around 12.04 p.m. (1604 GMT), after the pilots heard a long noise at the back of the chopper shortly after taking off, Xinhua reported.
"The pilot heard a loud bang at the back and decided to land on the waters," Leung Yu-keung, acting director general of the Civil Aviation Department, was quoted as saying.
Saturday to be observed as Sanskrit Day in US county
By IANS
New York : A US county in the western state of Nevada has proclaimed Jan 12 will be observed as Sanskrit Day.
A proclamation signed by the chairman of the Washoe County Commission says: "Proclaimed: That Washoe County recognises the importance of the Sanskrit language and Jan 12, 2008 as Sanskrit Day."
The proclamation by the county with a population of about 400,000 is to coincide with a Sanskrit language seminar-cum-class organised by prominent Hindu chaplain Rajan Zed in Reno, the seat of the county, Jan 12-13.
Top Irish surgeon who worked in India for 20 years is dead
By IANS
London : William Rutherford, a leading surgeon in Northern Ireland who spent the first 20 years of his medical career in India, has died at the age of 86.
Rutherford treated victims of some of the worst atrocities of the disturbances in Northern Ireland over the years. He worked at a mission hospital in India for 20 years at the beginning of his career. He returned to Ireland from India when his children needed to finish their education.
Jobless Indian American kills wife, kids, self
By IANS,
Los Angeles : A 45-year-old Indian American, who lost his hight-profile job to the global financial meltdown, has killed his wife, mother-in-law and three children before taking his own life, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
Karthik Rajaram, aged 45, shot the five members of his family dead and committed suicide in the gated community of Porter Ranch in the northwest San Fernando Valley, the report quoted police as saying.
12 inmates escape as attackers bust Mexican prison
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : A dozen inmates escaped from a prison in Mexico's northern state of Chihuahua after armed men rammed a vehicle through a security fence, authorities said.
US university helped save lives in Cyclone Sidr
By IANS
New York : A university in the US provided such detailed information on Cyclone Sidr that Bangladeshi officials were able to move people away and probably saved countless lives.
Almost 24 hours before the storm hit Bangaldesh's coast, emergency officials received detailed storm surge maps from the Louisiana State University (LSU) that showed the areas that would bear the maximum impact of Sidr.
U.S.: DPRK could disable nuclear reactor by end of year
By Xinhua
Washington : A senior U.S. official said here Monday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear reactor could be disabled by the end of the year.
    "If all goes well, we would hope that by the end of the calendar year '07 we will have the (Yongbyon) facility shut down and disabled, we would have a peace process -- peace mechanism talks under way on the Korean Peninsula," chief U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said at a news briefing.
Myanmar’s ethnic groups demand UN probe into Karen exodus
By DPA,
Bangkok : A coalition of Myanmar's ethnic groups Wednesday called on the United Nations Security Council to investigate attacks on ethnic Karen villages in eastern Myanmar that have forced more than 3,000 refugees into Thailand.
Since June 6, some 3,295 Karen refugees have fled from Ler Per Her camp in eastern Myanmar to Thailand, escaping attacks on the camp by the Myanmar military and their allies the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), according to border sources.
Fire damages gurdwara in Australia
By IANS,
Melbourne : A fire broke out in a partially-built gurdwara in this Australian city, causing damage to it, an official said.
Police were investigating the fire that damaged the partially-built gurdwara in Melbourne's south-east, ABC Online reported Wednesday.
Officials suspect a bonfire on the site may have started the blaze that broke out on Evans Road at Lynbrook around 12.30 a.m. They don't believe that it was targeted by arsonists.
Phillip Charles from the Country Fire Authority said the fire would have been more serious if the gurdwara had been completed.
Indian appointed to UN peacekeeping panel
By Arul Louis ,
United Nations: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has appointed Abhijit Guha, a retired Indian Army Lieutenant General, to a high-level panel...
Flood fallout: India opens office to help move Nepali goods
By IANS,
Kathmandu : The Indian government Tuesday moved to make amends for the disaster triggered by the Kosi river in southern Nepal and its adjoining Bihar state in India by opening an office in the Terai plains to facilitate the movement of Nepali vehicles and goods.
The East-West Highway that connects landlocked Nepal with India and is its lifeline, being the key route for transporting essential supplies, including food grain and fuel, to capital city Kathmandu, was damaged by the flood waters. It threw transport out of gear.
Visit China to know plight of Tibetans: Dalai Lama
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Saturday asked the international community to visit Tibet to know the plight of the Tibetans.
"I strongly appeal to the international community, especially to the media, to go to China and Tibet and investigate the reality of the situation," the spiritual leader told reporters in Japan, according to a post on the website of the Tibetan government-in-exile here.
He had started his nine-day visit to Japan Friday at the invitation of Shikoku Buddhist Association and Okinawa Mahabodhi Association.
Trinidad & Tobago to host Americas summit, taxpayers unhappy
By Paras Ramoutar,IANS,
Port-of-Spain : Trinidad and Tobago is agog as it hosts the Fifth Summit of the Americas April 17-19 that will bring together 34 leaders, including US President Barack Obama, in this tiny oil-rich nation.
Obama, who is expected to arrive here April 17, will be making his first visit to the Caribbean since he became president.
The world leaders will discuss a host of issues, including climate change, terrorism and poverty.
Taxpayers, however, are not happy with the huge amount of money being spent on the summit.
Last US troops out of Iraq
By IANS,
Kuwait City: The last batch of US combat forces in Iraq crossed into neighbouring Kuwait Sunday, ending its nearly nine-year presence in the country.
Bin Laden’s son-in-law sentenced to life in prison
Washington: A son-in-law of Osama bin Laden was Tuesday sentenced to life in prison after being convicted on terrorism charges.
US district judge Lewis Kaplan...
Fighting continues in northern Sri Lanka
By DPA,
Colombo : Heavy fighting continued in the northern part of Sri Lanka, claiming the lives of at least 23 rebels and eight soldiers as government troops took control of more rebel held areas, military officials said Sunday.
Fighting was reported from the Welioya, Janakapura, Wanni and Mannar areas, over 250 km north of the capital Colombo, Saturday and Sunday.
In one of the confrontations in Welioya seven rebels were killed and 21 were injured while the army lost two soldiers and four more were injured, officials said.
‘China, India can complement each other while competing’
Beijing : As Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his three-day official visit to China, a leading daily here said in an opinion piece that...
Chinese, U.S. presidents hold telephone talks on ties, Iranian, Korean nuclear issues
By Xinhua
Beijing : Chinese President Hu Jintao and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush discussed bilateral relations and the Iranian and Korean Peninsula nuclear issues during a telephone conversation Thursday.
Hu said China-U.S. relations have moved forward in 2007, adding that the two sides have continued deep dialogue and exchanges at a strategic level.
China quake toll could reach 50,000 – Xinhua
By IRNA,
Beijing : The death toll from China's massive earthquake could reach 50,000, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.
The government issued a rare appeal to the Chinese public calling for donations of rescue equipment including hammers, shovels, demolition tools and rubber boats.
The public request is emblematic of China's relative openness in dealing with the tragedy, as compared to past crises.
"This is only a beginning of this battle, and a long way lies ahead of us," Vice Health Minister Gao Qiang told reporters in Beijing.
75 dead in Philippine landslides
By DPA,
Manila : At least 75 people were killed in a series of landslides brought about by days of heavy rains in the northern Philippines, officials said Friday.
Seventy two remained missing in the landslides, which occurred in Benguet and Mountain provinces since Thursday.
The northern Philippines has been battered by heavy rains brought about by weakened typhoon Parma, which has been hovering over the area since the weekend.
Bomb explosion in southern Thailand kills three policemen
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : A huge bomb was triggered by insurgents in Thailand's southernmost province of Pattani on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least three policemen.
Police said the explosion occurred in Pattani's Yarang district. Before the bomb attack, insurgents set fire to a telephone booth to lure the policemen to inspect the scene where the bomb was planted.
Philippines factory fire toll rises to 72
Manila : The toll in the fire on Wednesday at a footwear factory in Valenzuela municipality, in the Philippines capital Manila, has risen to...
Accused Hindu-born jihadist lacked `fervour for terror plot’
By IANS,
Toronto : At the on-going trial here of a Hindu-born youth who converted to Islam and was arrested two years ago as part of a terror plot, his lawyer said Thursday that his client had no knowledge of any terror plot.
He said the 20-year-old youth also lacked the religious fervour to carry out a terror plot.
In a major operation in June 2006, the Canadian police had unearthed what later came to be known as Toronto-18 terror plot - because of the alleged involvement of 18 Al Qaeda linked persons to it.
British university trains future Indian research leaders
By IANS,
London : A group of Indian students has just returned home after visiting Queen's University, Belfast, as part of a unique scholarship programme to develop Indian scientific research leaders of the future.
The 32 students from the Jahwaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) and Amity University spent three weeks at Queen's University, which is a member of the Russell Group comprising Britain's top 20 research-intensive universities.
Mourning in Nepal over Kabul attack
By IANS,
Kathmandu : There was mourning Tuesday in Nepal over the terrorist attack at the Indian embassy in Kabul, especially as one of the slain Indian officials had served in Kathmandu.
Press counsellor V. Venkateshwara Rao, who was among the four Indians killed in Monday's blast, had headed the political affairs section at the Indian embassy here from November 2000 to July 2003.
He and his wife Malathi, who had worked in the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kathmandu, were popular for their warm, outgoing nature.
Long-term truce with Hamas impossible: Israel
Jerusalem: Israeli government Sunday said it is not possible to have a long term truce with the militant Palestinian organisation Hamas.
Speaking in a press...
Poland’s Lepper slams PM, plans return to cabinet
By RIA Novosti
Warsaw : Andrzej Lepper, Polish deputy prime minister and agriculture minister, whose recent dismissal by president Lech Kaczynski has provoked a government crisis, has said he plans to return to the cabinet.
Sri Lankan Muslim party joins opposition
Colombo : Sri Lanka's main Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Sunday joined the opposition to oppose President Mahinda Rajapaksa's bid to...
Two killed in New York shooting
By IANS,
New York: Two people, including a gunman, were killed and many others wounded in a shooting near the Empire State Building in New...
Thai police circulate arrest warrants for Thaksin and Pojaman
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : The Royal Thai Police on Thursday started distributing two arrest warrants for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Pojaman, according to a report of local news network The Nation.
The warrant for Thaksin has a time limit of 15 years and the one for Pojaman is enforced for 10 years, said the report.
The Supreme Court issued the warrants on Monday after Thaksin and Pojaman jumped bails and failed to report themselves on the Ratchadapisek land case.
Russian, Georgian armed forces in direct combat in Caucasus
By DPA,
Moscow/Tbilisi (Georgia) : Russian and Georgian armed forces were locked in combat Friday over control of Caucasus region of South Ossetia, with hundreds of civilians reported killed or injured.
The escalating crisis prompted calls for restraint from international governments and bodies, including the US, European Union (EU), NATO and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Modi a threat to democracy, say Indian-origin academics
London: A group of Indian-origin academics in Britain has slammed the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for his authoritarian nature which they said...
Wikipedia shuts for 24 hours
By IANS,
Washington: Wikipedia, which describes itself as the largest encyclopaedia in human history, has blacked out its English-language site to protest proposed US anti-piracy laws.
Polish premier to dissolve government Monday
By DPA
Warsaw : Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski will dissolve the country's coalition government Monday, Deputy premier and coalition partner Roman Giertych said Saturday.
Law and Justice (PiS) party leader Kaczynski spoke of the decision in a meeting with him, said Giertych, chairman of the nationalist League of Polish Families (LPR) and education minister in Kaczynski's cabinet.
Floods leave two dead in Greece
By DPA
Thessaloniki(Greece) : At least two people were reported dead and a state of emergency was declared in several parts of northern Greece Monday as dozens of villages remained flooded by rising waters over the weekend.
Villages in the prefecture of Rhodopi, Thrace and Kavala in northern Greece were evacuated as army and emergency workers tried to reinforce the banks of the overflowing Evros river.
Greek officials feared more flooding in northern Greece from overflowing dams in neighbouring Bulgaria.
North Korea says ready to help in anti-terrorism fight
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : North Korea Tuesday said it was ready to be a partner in the global anti-terror campaign.
"We fully endorse the establishment of a global anti-terrorism system," a foreign ministry spokesman said in an apparent bid to have Pyongyang's name withdrawn from the US list of states sponsoring terrorism that would help it get western aid.
The spokesman said North Korea was ready to "become closely involved in international efforts to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of terrorists or the organisations sponsoring them".
EU pledges over $5 mn aid to Asia’s flood victims
By Xinhua
Brussels : The European Union (EU) Thursday pledged humanitarian support, which could include 4 million euros ($5.5 million) in financial aid, to South Asian countries devastated by one of the worst monsoon flooding in the region's history.
The Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) of EU's executive arm the European Commission "is now preparing a funding decision in the region of four million euros to meet the urgent needs of vulnerable communities affected by the floods in South Asia," said the Commission.
Church trying to convert Obama’s grandmother, say Kenyan Muslims
By IANS,
London : Barack Obama's 87-year-old step-grandmother has become the subject of a tug-of-war between Muslims and Christians in Kenya. Muslims have accused Christians of trying to convert Sarah Obama to Christianity, a media report said.
Sarah Obama, a figure of substance in her homeland since her grandson was elected US President, was reported to have been stopped from going to a Seventh Day Adventist Church by Muslims because they thought the church would try to convert her.
High unemployment in eurozone
By IANS/DAPD,
Luxembourg: The economic slowdown in Europe has kept unemployment in the eurozone at a record high.
German May Day riots continue
By DPA,
Hamburg/Berlin : Leftist radicals rioted in three German cities overnight into Friday, clashing with riot police which had anticipated trouble in the traditional May Day parades.
The clashes tended to centre on opposing rallies by the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD).
In the worst violence in the northern port city of Hamburg, police said they detained 250 rioters.
Nepal Maoists were never called a terrorist outfit: US
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The US now says Nepal's Maoist party had never been designated a "foreign terrorist organisation" and the basis of its relations with the new government in Nepal will depend on the actions of individuals there.
"First of all, the Maoists in Nepal never have been a 'foreign terrorist organisation,' as designated. That is one category under law," State Department spokesperson Tom Casey said, indicating a rethink in Washington's Nepal policy following the once underground party's victory in last month's elections there.
Desi Obama can cook dal, but finds naan tough
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama considers himself a "desi" who is an expert at cooking dal and other ethnic dishes, though he isn't that good at making naan, the Indian bread.
"Not only do I think I'm a desi, but I'm a desi," he said using a colloquial term that describes South Asian immigrants at a San Francisco fundraiser Sunday. The remark was greeted with laughs. "I'm a homeboy."
US would consider ‘any Iranian proposal’
By DPA,
Washington : The US would be willing to consider any proposal presented by Iran as long as it addresses international concerns about the Islamic state's nuclear activities, the US State Department said Wednesday.
"We've said we're willing to have a direct dialogue with Iran," spokesman Robert Wood said. "And if they come up with some new package with regard to their nuclear programme, we'll have to take a look and see what it is."
Missing Malaysian airliner: Chinese passport holder did not board aircraft
Beijing :East China police confirmed Sunday that a Chinese national from east China's Fujian Province, whose passport number G25****18 is on the boarding list...
15 killed in truck blast in Cameroon
By IANS,
Yaounde : At least 15 people were killed in a truck explosion in Cameroon, the state radio reported Monday.
Europe: No More Expired Visas
By Prensa Latina
Brussels : European Commission Vice President Franco Frattini announced the European Union intention of preventing foreigners to remain in country members' territories after their visa date expires.
Frattini told media on Friday that the means to do this will be through an electronic registry of entrance and exit that will allow location of people in that situation and avoid the presence of illegal immigrants.
Funeral for Polish president, first lady planned for Sunday
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The funeral for late Polish president Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria will be held on Sunday.
"The memorial service is planned for Saturday and the burial of the presidential couple will take place Sunday," Deputy Chief of the Chancellery of the President of Poland Jacek Sasin told a Polish radio station.
The bodies of Kaczynski and his wife will be kept in the Polish capital of Warsaw until Saturday so that people could pay their last respects to the presidential couple.
Mangoes from India stir nostalgia in community
By IANS
New York : The arrival of Indian mangoes in the US has generated a wave of excitement and nostalgia among the Indian American community.
Wins boost Obama campaign
By IRNA
New York : Barack Obama won the Democratic presidential primaries in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia by wide margins.
John McCain is also on course for a clean sweep in all three Republican contests, beating Mike Huckabee.
Obama's wins are set to put him ahead of Hillary Clinton in the race for delegates to select the party's candidate for the presidential poll.
Mrs Clinton must now focus her efforts on races in Ohio and Texas on 4 March.
Antonis Samaras sworn in as Greece prime minister
By IANS,
Athens : Antonis Samaras, leader of the New Democracy party, was Wednesday evening sworn in as the new prime minister of Greece.
Russian probe finds 5,315 harmed by Georgia attack on S.Ossetia
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian investigations into Georgia's attack on South Ossetia last August have found that the onslaught killed, injured or damaged the homes of a total of 5,315 people, Russia's chief investigator said on Friday.
"We have conclusively proved the nature of the crimes - genocide and mass killings of civilians. A total of 5,315 people have been found to have been harmed in this case," the head of the Investigation Committee at the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, Alexander Bastrykin, said.
Chinese police kill seven kidnappers, free hostages
By IANS,
Beijing : Police fatally shot seven kidnappers during a hostage rescue mission in northwest China Wednesday night, authorities said Thursday.
To fight COVID-19 crisis, Muslims of New York (MONY) distributes relief material to...
By Maariyah Siddique, TwoCircles.net
“All you need is just to initiate, even if it is the smallest act,” says Imran Pasha, an IT entrepreneur in...
British team building car to run at 1,600 km an hour
By IANS,
London : A team of British engineers plans to build a car that will run at the speed of 1,600 km an hour, outracing a handgun bullet.
The ambitious project comes from the team that holds the world's land speed record and has the full backing of the Science Minister Lord Drayson, who believes it will be an inspiration to young people looking for a career in science or engineering, The Independent daily reported Thursday.
Witnessing violence traumatic for school kids
By IANS,
London : Schoolchildren who witness violence, shootouts or hear gunshots is traumatised by them, a new study confirms.
Young people living in US cities experience and witness high levels of serious and lethal violence, which leaves lasting negative effects on their health.
Although the mechanisms are yet to be confirmed, one plausible explanation is that the body's stress-response system is involved.
Cortisol is a hormone regulated by the stress-response system. Cortisol levels are typically highest in the morning and fall gradually throughout the day.
EU rights court halts terrorist’s extradition from Britain
By DPA,
Paris : The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg confirmed Friday that it had halted the extradition of radical Muslim cleric and suspected Al Qaeda member Abu Qatada from Britain to Jordan.
The court decided to halt the extradition to examine Qatada's claim that, contrary to declarations by the Jordanian government, he would be exposed to treatment, such as torture, that was in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights if extradited.
Twitter now has 100 mn users worldwide
By IANS,
London : Micro-blogging website Twitter has announced it has reached a major landmark of 100 million users across the world.
Schoolgirls suffer more overuse injuries: Study
Washington: When it comes to overuse injuries in high school sports, girls are at a much higher risk than boys, a new study says.
Overuse...
US ready to help bring Mumbai attackers to justice
By Arun Kumar
Washington : Reiterating that it wants the perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack brought to justice, the US has offered...
232 Sri Lankans held while illegally migrating
By IANS,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan Navy has detained about 250 nationals who were trying to flee the country to Australia.
NASA delays Endeavour launch again
By IANS,
Washington: The launch of US space shuttle Endeavour on its 25th and final flight has been delayed again due to technical problems, NASA announced Sunday.
Sri Lanka conflict kills 16,700 people in three years
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan military Wednesday said 13,000 Tamil Tiger rebels and 3,700 soldiers have been killed since the armed conflict between the two sides began to escalate in July 2006.
“In the last two months alone, 1,500 Tamil Tiger rebels and 150 soldiers were killed,” military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara, said.
Anti-smoking hospital programmes successful: Indian American expert
By IANS,
Washington : Hospital-based anti-smoking programmes, along with referrals for cardiac rehabilitation, seem to help patients quit smoking after a heart attack, according to a study co-authored by Indian American cardiologist Susmita Parashar.
Blast near Colombo
By IANS,
Colombo : A bomb blast took place close to a university near the Sri Lankan capital early Friday, the military said.
The explosion occurred...
Over 5,000 dead in Nepal quake; 1,600 tourists rescued
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : The toll in the massive earthquake that devastated Nepal on April 25 crossed 5,000 on Wednesday, Sindhupalchok being the worst...
Seven held for kidnapping Nepali man
By IANS,
New Delhi: Seven people have been arrested on charges of abducting a Nepali man in a bizarre case involving a former Indian soldier who recruited people to be sent to Iraq, police said Thursday.
Former soldier Mohammad Aslam Khan, 39, Sanjeev Kumar, 30, Jabar Mal Simar, 22, Kamaljeet Singh, 33, Sultan Singh, 25, Kedar Nath, 30, and Desh Raj, 31, were arrested Wednesday from Himachal Pradesh.
Their victim, Harichand Rawal, who belonged to Tilak Nagar in west Delhi and was kidnapped Dec 8, was also rescued from the hill state.
Senator asks US to pay dues to UN
By Xinhua
United Nations : US Senator Joseph Biden has said that he was pressing the US Congress to pay in full Washington's dues to the United Nations.
Hong Kong peeping Tom took over 1,000 sneak photos of women
By DPA,
Hong Kong : A Hong Kong peeping Tom, who was caught as he snapped a picture up the skirt of a woman on an escalator with his mobile phone, had more than 1,000 similar pictures, a court report said Thursday.
Police found 346 pictures taken up the skirts of women and more than 700 photos showing the backsides of women wearing mini-skirts and shorts.
Thirtynine-year-old Chan Yung who claimed to be a university professor, appeared in court Wednesday pleading guilty to committing an act to outrage public decency.
Bethlehem celebrates Midnight Mass
By DPA,
Bethlehem (West Bank) : The top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land prayed and called for world peace on Christmas Day early Thursday as he led the traditional Midnight Mass in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
Speaking in his mother tongue Arabic and translating his own words into French to an audience that included Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal called for an end to "bloodshed and ill-treatment and humiliation".
UN urges new approach to fight Somali piracy
By IANS,
New York:A senior UN official urged a comprehensive, cohesive and broad-based strategy to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia, noting that the continued spread of the scourge points to the limits of a solely sea-based approach, WAM news agency reported.
In recent years, pirates operating from Somalia have been hijacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean and holding their crews and cargo for ransom, according to the UN.
Energy, trade to dominate Putin’s visit to Bulgaria
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : President Vladimir Putin will visit Bulgaria on January 17-18 aiming to bolster energy and trade cooperation with Russia's traditional partner in the Balkans, a presidential aide said on Thursday.
Sergei Prikhodko said economic cooperation between the countries is "long-term and balanced, and involves not only traditional areas, but also the hi-tech, transportation and tourism industries."
Tsvangirai to meet Mugabe, regional leaders on unity government
By DPA,
Johannesburg : Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai Thursday said he planned to return home for a meeting with regional leaders and President Robert Mugabe on the implementation of a unity government.
Addressing journalists in South Africa, Tsvangirai said he would leave for Zimbabwe Saturday.
The meeting in Harare was scheduled for next week, but no exact date has been set, the South African Press Association (SAPA) reported.
Cambodia asks UN to intervene imminent state of war with Thailand
By IRNA,
Kuala Lumpur : Calling a border confrontation with Thailand "an imminent state of war," Cambodia asked the United Nations and its Southeast Asian neighbors to intervene Tuesday as hundreds of soldiers faced each other for the eighth day on the grounds of a disputed temple.
A bilateral meeting on Monday failed to resolve the standoff and troops from both sides remained camped at the ancient Hindu temple, Preah Vihear, that perches on the edge of a cliff that divides the two nations.
Earthquake kills at least one, injures 23 in China
By DPA,
Beijing : An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale killed at least one person and injured 23, five seriously, as it shook a large area of southwestern China's Sichuan province Tuesday, the government said.
The quake struck at 5.49 p.m. with its epicentre on the border of Sichuan's Qingchuan county and the neighbouring province of Gansu, close to the epicentre of the devastating May 12 earthquake that killed at least 70,000 people.
Stanford University sets up $100 mn green energy centre
By DPA,
San Francisco : Stanford University is launching a $100 million energy institute to fund research into batteries, solar cells and other aspects of green energy.
The California university has spawned technologies that led to the formation of companies like Hewlett Packard and Google, and the new institute is expected to boost the ability of Silicon Valley to become a world leader in green energy. The tech region already boast a $500-million energy institute at the University of California
at Berkeley.
Prachanda not to ask India to stop Gorkha recruitment
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : When the Maoists were a guerrilla party and fought their 10-year 'People's War' to establish a secular Communist republic in the world's only Hindu kingdom, they had vowed to stop the recruitment of young Nepalis in the armies of India and Britain.
However, now facing the threat of a revolt by the same Gorkha community, Maoist chief and republic Nepal's new Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' will not raise the issue of halting the recruitment of Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army when he heads to India Sunday, a top Maoist leader said.
Nepal suffered $10 bn damage in quakes
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : Nepal has estimated that around $10 billion worth of damage been caused by the April 25 great earthquakes and the...
Terrorist escapes, massive manhunt in Singapore
By DPA
Singapore : Thousands of police and soldiers searched Thursday for an accused terrorist who escaped from a detention centre where he was being held for allegedly planning to crash a hijacked plane into Singapore's Changi Airport, authorities said.
Mas Selamat Kastari, 47, fled Wednesday afternoon from the Internal Security Department's Whitley Road centre despite armed guards, high fences topped with barbed wire and closed circuit television cameras along the perimeter.
He was not believed to be armed, said the Ministry of Home Affairs.
‘Sarah Palin’ most searched-for political term on Internet
By DPA,
San Francisco : Sarah Palin has taken the political world by storm since she was named the running mate of Republican presidential candidate John McCain last month. Now comes evidence that she's also sparking record interest in the online world.
According to online tracking firm Hitwise, "Sarah Palin" was the most searched-for political term, accounting for two percent of all political searches in the four weeks ending Sep 6, the Saturday after the Republican National Convention. At that time, the previously-unknown Palin had been in the national headlines for only eight days.
Climate change threatens 4,000 species of fish, corals
By IANS,
Sydney : Beautiful coral reefs are increasingly under threat from climate change, and so are 4,000 species of fish, critically dependent on them for food, shelter or reproduction, warns a study.
It blames global warming for the latest threat to marine biodiversity. Already many corals have died because of warmer waters associated with climate change.
Tens of thousands join pro-government rally in Bangkok
Bangkok : Tens of thousands of people from across Thailand joined a pro-government rally in Bangkok Saturday to express their support for caretaker Prime...
India-French bilateral trade set to increase: Envoy
By IANS,
Chennai: Bilateral trade between India and France is expected to rise with French firms starting to supply nuclear reactors and participating in Indian infrastructure and other projects, French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said.
"The land acquisition for the civil nuclear plant using French reactors has been completed in Jaitapur in Maharashtra. A lot of nuclear reactor components will be locally sourced," Bonnafont told reporters here on the sidelines of a seminar 'Investment opportunities in France' organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Hillary Clinton’s emails to be made public in January 2016
Washington : The US Department of State has proposed to the US District Court in Washington to make public official emails Hillary Clinton exchanged...
South Korean prime minister nominee withdraws candidacy
Seoul : South Korea's prime ministerial nominee Ahn Dai-hee offered Wednesday to resign as a candidate for the number two government post amid mounting...
Obama meets Hillary Clinton amid VP talk
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama met Hillary Clinton hours after his vanquished rival disavowed a campaign by her supporters to make her his vice presidential running mate.
Reporters came to know of the surprise meeting at Clinton's home in Washington, D.C. Thursday night when they learned that Obama was not aboard his press plane, with aides saying staff "scheduled him some meetings" in the capital, CNN reported.
Maldivians saw ‘low flying plane’ after Malaysian flight disappeared
Male: Maldives island residents saw "low flying plane" of the morning of disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Maldivian news website Haveeru reported.
Residents...
India to dispatch 3 warships to shield PM during SAARC meet in Lanka
By IRNA,
New Delhi : India will not take any chances when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Colombo early next month for the South Asian Association Cooperation (SAARC) summit.
It is looking to dispatch no less than three warships, including two frontline guided-missile destroyers, to Sri Lankan waters as security cover to the PM and his entourage against the much-feared Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Obama challenges Congress: Health care at ‘breaking point’
By DPA,
Washington : President Barack Obama has challenged US lawmakers to end a vicious dispute over health care and approve an overhaul of the system before it is too late.
Looking to regain momentum on his top domestic issue after a tumultuous summer, Obama warned in a major speech to a joint session of Congress late Wednesday that the world's costliest health care system had reached a "breaking point" and must be reformed by the end of the year.
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