Nirupama Rao begins talks with Dalai Lama
By IANS,
Dharamsala: Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao began talks with Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama here Saturday, an official said.
"The talks between the Dalai Lama and the officials of the external affairs ministry, including Rao, began at the official palace of the Dalai Lama at around 4.15 p.m. At the closed-door meeting, high-ranking officials of the government-in-exile including its prime minister Samdhong Rinpoche are also participating," the official said.
Researchers deluged with online information, but seldom use it
By IANS,
Washington : Although the Internet provides scientists an instant access to thousands of academic journals and research papers, they are citing fewer papers and that too from more recent publications.
This trend may be limiting the creation of new ideas and theories, said James Evans, a sociologist at the University of Chicago, who, focussing on the nature of research, analysed a database of over 34 million articles.
He compared their online availability between 1998 and 2005 to the number of times they were cited from 1945 to 2005.
Obama wins in Wisconsin, surges ahead of Hillary
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Barack Obama decisively beat Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin primary, his ninth win in a row, increasing his lead over the former first lady in the race for the Democratic nomination for president.
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.
FIFA chief Blatter to visit Cuba
By IANS,
Havana: FIFA president Joseph Blatter is expected to arrive in Havana Tuesday on a two-day work visit for meetings with national sports officials.
Haiti cholera toll reaches 3,651
By IANS/EFE,
Port-au-Prince : At least 3,651 people have died in the cholera epidemic that broke out in October last year in Haiti, according to figures released by the public health ministry.
After Nepal PM, president to go next?
By Sudeshna Sarkar,IANS,
Kathmandu : With Nepal's first Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda exiting from power Monday following a protracted bitter row with the army chief, is it now the turn of Nepal's first President Ram Baran Yadav to go?
The 61-year-old former health minister became embroiled in the dispute after he allegedly stepped out of his constitutional limits and reinstated the chief of the army, Gen Rookmangud Katawal, who had been sacked Sunday by the ruling Maoist party.
Lufthansa pilots suspend strike after talks
By DPA,
Frankfurt : A pilots' union has suspended till March 8 a strike that has badly disrupted Lufthansa flights, telling a labour court Monday it would resume talks with the German airline.
The union, the Cockpit Association, had ordered more than 4,000 pilots off the job from Monday to Thursday in the biggest strike ever to hit the airways in Germany, but has now aborted the strike after only one day.
Swaminarayan sect celebrates centenary in US
By Parveen Chopra
East Rutherford (New Jersey) : Festive air mixed with spiritual solemnity as the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a leading Hindu sect, held a regional round of its centennial celebration here.
The grand show Saturday was held in the presence of the sect's spiritual leader Pramukh Swami Maharaj at the 20,000-capacity Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Dignitaries who addressed the audience included New Jersey Governor John Corzine, US Senator Robert Menendez and India's ambassador to the US Ronen Sen.
US attacking Iran would be ‘murderous folly’ – warns UK archbishop
London, Oct 6, IRNA , Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has criticized the neoconservatives of the Bush administration and accused them of "potentially murderous folly" for suggesting military action against Syria and Iran.
"We do hear talk from some quarters of action against Syria and Iran. I can't understand what planet such persons are living on, when you see the conditions that are already there," the archbishop told the BBC after returning from a visit to Syria and Lebanon.
Bhutan holds historic parliamentary elections
By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS
Sarpang (Bhutan) : The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan Monday made a historic leap towards democracy with voting for the first ever parliamentary elections, marking the beginning of an end to the nation's 100-year-old monarchy.
"Polling has ended and the response was quite enthusiastic. This is a historic moment for all of us," Bhutan's chief election commissioner, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, said by telephone from capital Thimphu.
Sikhs in US say Vienna violence setback to their image
By IANS,
New York : The Sikh community in the US has condemned the violence in a Vienna gurdwara that led to the killing of a religious leader and triggered large-scale violence in Punjab, calling it a "major setback" to the community's image.
In a statement Tuesday, prominent Sikh leaders said they were saddened by the tragedy and the subsequent violence.
UN Secty General: Act on Climate Change
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called on Wednesday to maintain the push given by the Conference of Bali to fight climate changes, and urged practical actions.
In his message to the Monaco conference of 100 nations seekingfinancing for technologies to fight climate change, Ban Ki Moon said ó We ó ve got22 months before the convention in Copenhagen,where we hope we get a new agreement in our struggle against climate change. ó
Powerful undersea quake hits off East Timor, no casualty
By DPA,
Jakarta : An undersea earthquake registering 6.0 on the Richter scale struck Sunday morning off East Timor, but there were no reports of injury or damage, Indonesia's seismology office said.
The quake struck at 7 a.m. Sunday Jakarta time (0000 GMT), about 159 km south-east of Dili, the capital of East Timor, according to the National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.
The event was centred only 10 km beneath the seabed but did not trigger a tsunami, the agency said.
East Timor, a former Indonesian province for nearly 25 years, gained independence in 2002.
Zimbabweans want change, says EU chief
By DPA
Brussels : Saying Zimbabweans want change, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso Wednesday urged the country's President Robert Mugabe to favour a "peaceful transition" towards full democracy in his poverty-stricken country.
"One thing should be made very clear to Mugabe and his entourage: the people of Zimbabwe want a change," Barroso said in Brussels.
"They want democracy, they want freedom", and a government that is able to tackle poverty and "the economic chaos that they are living through", Barroso added.
Ambedkar King Study Circle conducts its first Annual Conference in California
A report By TCN:
California: The first annual conference of Ambedkar King Study Circle took place in Cupertino, the Bay Area Silicon Valley, California on...
Hafeez suspended from bowling for one year
Dubai: Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez was on Friday suspended from bowling in international cricket for the next 12 months following an independent assessment of...
A Mauritian civil servant finds Indian roots
By Jatindra Dash, IANS,
Bhubaneswar : A Mauritian civil servant has discovered that his great great grandfather was an Indian - in all likelihood from Orissa - and was brought to Mauritius as indentured worker over 135 years ago.
Ramroop Jugurnauth, 47, is a civil servant in the Human Resource cadre in the Ministry of Civil Service of Mauritius. He lives in Beau Bassin, one of the largest towns in that country and has not been to Orissa yet.
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आस मोहम्मद कैफ़।Twocircles.net
"तबलीग़ जमात के मरकज़ हज़रत निजामुद्दीन के ख़िलाफ़ मीडिया ट्रायल और एक बडे राजनीतिक षड्यंत्र के बीच जो सबसे बुरा हुआ वो था यहां...
Two killed in Nepal bombing
By DPA,
Kathmandu : At least two people were killed and more than a dozen injured when a powerful explosion ripped through a bus stop in Nepal's restive southern plains, media reports said Sunday.
The blast happened as people were waiting for a bus in the town of Nijgarh in Rautahat district, about 120 km south-east of capital Kathmandu late Saturday evening, Kantipur daily newspaper said.
"Two people died of their wounds while being rushed to a hospital while at least 13 people including four children were wounded by the blast," the newspaper said.
NASA launches 2.7 bn-km voyage to Jupiter
By IANS,
London : NASA has launched a 2.7-billion km voyage to Jupiter that will try to discover the secrets behind the largest planet in the solar system.
22 people rescued from Ecuadorian shipwreck
By IANS/EFE,
Quito (Equador) : The Ecuadorian navy rescued at least 22 people from a shipwrecked vessel, 29 km from the nation's coast, television reports said.
The boat sank when some of the planks making up the deck got detached from the vessel, near the Ecuadorian coastal city of Esmeraldas, the Ecuavisa television said Tuesday.
Thirteen people on board the boat, which set out from Tumaco town in Colombia, were Ecuadorian nationals, regional navy commander Alejandro Vela said.
75 years on, Germany still haunted by Nazi past
By DPA
Berlin : A "leap in the dark" was how one journalist described the fateful day 75 years ago when Adolf Hitler came to power.
Within the space of a few months, Hitler's Nazi Party used violence to silence their opponents while the vast majority of Germans acquiesced as they were manoeuvred into enforced political conformity.
What began as a period of optimism and jubilation for many Germans ended in the destruction of their country, a world war and genocide against European Jewry.
BSF trooper killed in Pakistan firing on LoC in Kashmir
Srinagar : A BSF trooper was killed overnight in Pakistan firing on the line of control (LoC) in North Kashmir's Kupwara district.
"A BSF trooper...
Somalia seeks India’s help to quell piracy
By IANS,
New Delhi : In recognition of India's proactive role in combating piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the Transitional Federation Government (TFG) of Somalia has given the nod to the Indian Navy entering its territorial waters to “suppress” the scourge of piracy as mandated under international law, a naval official said here Friday.
EU to hold special financial summit Nov 7
By DPA,
Brussels : The heads of state and government of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) plan to come together for a special meeting Nov 7 in Brussels to discuss the global financial crisis, a statement from the French EU presidency said Thursday.
The meeting would be in the form of an informal lunch in Brussels to prepare for the financial crisis summit scheduled to take place in Washington Nov 15.
Prince Harry’s deployment in Iraq to be delayed
By Xinhua
London : Prince Harry's deployment in Iraq will be postponed until the rest of his unit are familiar with their new surroundings, British tabloid newspaper The Sun reported.
Harry will fly to the war-torn country later than the other soldiers in his unit, The Sun quoted an unidentified army source as saying.
If the soldiers can acclimatize themselves to their surroundings before Harry arrives, they will be far sharper to the dangers of the inevitable first attack, the source told the paper.
Russia May React to US Shield
By Prensa Latina
Moscow : The planned deployment of strategic elements of the US antimissile system in Poland and the Czech Republic has forced Russia to aim its defensive target at the shield's objectives, a parliamentary source warned.
If Washington's plans in both countries materialize, they would become an object of surveillance by Russian alert systems, according to the president of the International Relations Committee, Konstantin Kosachev.
World powers to meet again on North Korea issue
By Xinhua,
New York : The five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council and Japan are scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon on North Korea's missile launch, Japan's envoy to the UN Yukio Takasu said here Monday.
The Japanese diplomat made the statement after closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council here Monday afternoon.
"We have a tentative time but it depends on how quickly get instructions (from capitals) but probably in the course of tomorrow afternoon," Takasu said.
Gunman kills three in Switzerland village
By IANS,
Berne : Three people were killed and two injured when a gunman opened fire in a village in Switzerland in a region known for its beautiful ski resorts, BBC reported Thursday.
World’s longest sea bridge links up east China
By Xinhua
Ningbo (China) : The world's longest sea bridge that spans Hangzhou Bay near Shanghai on China's east coast was inaugurated Tuesday.
Lufthansa pilots’ strike causes 1,500 flight cancellations
Berlin : German airline Lufthansa cancelled over 1,500 flights Monday after its pilots union announced to extend the 35-hour strike to include long-haul fleets.
The...
25,000 attend India’s I-Day parade in New Jersey
By IANS
New York : Over 25,000 Indian-Americans gathered at a parade held in New Jersey to celebrate India's Independence Day that had Bollywood actress Urmila Matondakar as grand marshal.
Over 20 floats, marching bands, costumed characters and dancers were part of the parade Sunday that was held on Oak Tree Road, known as 'New Jersey's Little India'.
A cultural programme was held at St. Cecelia's Church, located at the end of the parade route.
Hurricane Gustav plows through Cayman Islands
By SPA,
George Town, Cayman Islands : Gustav swelled to a Category 2 hurricane early Saturday with winds near 100 mph (161 kph) after plowing through the Cayman Islands toward Cuba, gathering strength on a journey that could take it to the U.S. Gulf Coast as a fearsome Category 3 storm three years after Hurricane Katrina, reported
ap.
Gustav, which killed 71 people in the Caribbean, hit the Caymans Friday with fierce winds that tore down trees and power lines. It was expected to cross Cuba's cigar country Saturday and head into the Gulf of Mexico by Sunday.
BBC shows dramatic amateur footage of Glasgow arrests
By DPA
London : Dramatic new film obtained by a Hungarian bystander of the capture of the men who tried to ram a Jeep into Glasgow airport was shown on the BBC Friday.
Czech prime minister hopes to conclude missile defense deal in White House meeting
By SPA
Washington : Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek hopes to conclude an agreement to allow U.S. missile defense radar to be installed in his country as he meets with U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday, AP reported.
The United States and the Czech Republic moved Tuesday toward an agreement that would let Czech citizens travel to the United States without visas, perhaps as early as September.
The two issues _ visa-free U.S. travel and missile defense _ have been divisive in Europe.
Cuban Anniversity Marked in Sri Lanka
By Prensa Latina
Colombo : Ministers Amarasiri Dodangoda (Justice) and Tissa Vitharana(Science and Technology) of Sri Lanka presided over an event of solidarity with Cuba to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution.
The solidarity ceremony, held at the Russian Cultural Center of Colombo, was organized by the Sri Lanka-Cuba Friendship Association led by Dodangoda, who is also a legislator.
Vitharana, who is also a Parliament member, chairs the Parliamentary Group of Friendship with Cuba.
79 journalists killed in 31 countries since beginning of 2008
By KUNA,
Geneva : Acccording to the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), eight journalists were killed during the month of October while carrying their work as journalists.
This figure steps up the number of journalists killed since the beginning of the year to 79 in 31 countries.
The PEC said today in its monthly report that Croatia has been added to the map of dangerous media zones when two journalists were killed when their car was targeted and exploded in Zagreb. They are the first media victims in Croatia since the end of the war in 1995.
New Zealand in global sustainability list’s top 10
By Xinhua,
Wellington : New Zealand has scored seventh place out of more than 140 countries for its environmental sustainability, the New Zealand Herald daily reported on Monday.
The Environmental Performance Index, a collaborative effort between Yale and Columbia Universities in the United States, was designed as a way of quantifying and benchmarking the environmental performance of each country's policies.
Voting under way in Britain
By IANS,
London : Voting was under way in Britain Thursday to elect a new government with the leaders of the three main parties casting their ballot before noon.
Polling began across the country at 7 a.m., with voters arriving at nearly 50,000 voting centres.
Leader of the Conservatives, David Cameron, was the first of the main British party leaders to vote at a community hall in Witney, Oxfordshire, shortly after 10.30 a.m, BBC reported.
Terrorism, economy to figure high on Bush-Manmohan Singh agenda
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Terrorism and the state of the US economy will be high on the agenda when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets President George W Bush at the White House Sep 25 during his visit to the US to attend the UN General Assembly session.
The two leaders will "absolutely" talk about it, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said Monday condemning the serial bombings in Delhi over the weekend and offering to help India "in any way" to fight back against terrorists.
Obama denies link with Illinois governor
By Xinhua,
Washington : US President-elect Barack Obama has said that no one of his office were engaged in striking a deal with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich over who would fill the senate seat vacated by him.
In a press conference in Chicago Thursday, Obama said the vacant seat was not for "any politician to trade", and he had never spoken to the governor on the subject.
The president-elect also said he was confident that "no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat".
AU condemns Zimbabwe vote as Mugabe meets peers
By AFP,
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt : African Union observers condemned Zimbabwe's one-man election as undemocratic on Monday, intensifying pressure on Robert Mugabe as he faced his peers after a vote much of the world has dismissed as a farce.
Mugabe was attending an African summit in Egypt a day after being sworn in as president amid growing calls for the continent's leaders to act to resolve the crisis which some fear could destabilise southern Africa.
NRI socialite raises 100,000 pounds for street children
By IANS,
London : An Indian-origin socialite has raised more than 100,000 pounds for street children in India and other countries after holding a gala charity ball in London in the midst of a financial crisis.
"We are happy... I think we've done very well given the credit crunch," said Sunila Nirula, who named her ball Graffiti in a salute to the growing importance of street culture on the international art scene.
"People are more willing to part with their money when you have a business plan - after all, people are still going out for dinner."
Strong quake rocks China, Russia, North Korea
By IANS,
Washington : A magnitude 6.7 earthquake Thursday struck the border region of China, Russia and North Korea, Xinhua reported.
The quake struck at around 0113 GMT. The epicentre was located 110 km northeast of North Korea's Chongjin region, the US Geological Survey said.
Italy, US presidents discuss terrorism, Middle East
By Xinhua,
Rome : Visiting US President George W. Bush met with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano Thursday to discuss various issues, including terrorism and Middle East peace process, a media report said.
The two leaders reviewed the world economic situation and discussed the recent food summit in Rome and fight against organised crimes, Italy's ANSA news agency reported.
This was the third time the two presidents met since 2007. Bush will also meet Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi later Thursday.
My marriage is a miracle: Gwen Stefani
By IANS,
London: Singer Gwen Stefani has called her marriage to Gavin Rossdale a "miracle" as they prepare to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.
Chinese earthquake toll rises to 32,477
By SPA,
Beijing, China : China's official news agency says the confirmed death toll from the massive earthquake in Sichuan province has risen to more than 32,000.
Xinhua News Agency said Sunday the death toll has climbed to 32,477 and the number of injured to 220,109. The government says it expects the final death toll from last Monday's earthquake will pass 50,000.
Nepal Enters New Era
By Prensa Latina,
Kathmandu : After a ten-and-a-half-hour delay, the Constituent Assembly of Nepal started on Wednesday its first session by which this Himalayan state entered a new era in its history.
In this historic meeting, the 601-member CA is expected to declare their country a federal democratic republic, thus putting an end to over 240 years of monarchy.
On behalf of Acting Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Acting Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula presented the proposal to implement the republic before the plenary gathered at the International Convention Center.
Russian rescuers to search 100 sq km area near Japan’s Sendai
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russian rescuers intend to search a 100 sq km area around the disaster-struck Japanese city of Sendai by the end of Thursday, the head of the search team said.
Peru airlifts relief to marooned northern districts
By IANS
Lima : Police and the Peruvian army have begun airlifting essential supplies and medicine to people marooned in the north, isolated following weeks of heavy rain, civil defence administration said Tuesday.
Heavy rain over the past several weeks caused floods in areas of the northern districts of Lambayeque, Piura, Amazonas and San Martin where more than 2000 people have been isolated from the rest of the land.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated, civil defence chief Luis Felipe Palomino, told EFE, adding that no casualties had been reported.
Pressure builds on Iran, Israel N-programmes
By DPA,
Vienna : Iran and Israel found themselves under increasing pressure over their nuclear programmes at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Monday, as both countries came under the spotlight at a regular IAEA board meeting.
While Israel's leaders feel threatened by Iran's nuclear programme, which they say is geared towards nuclear weapons, Iran frequently points out that Israel is the only nuclear-armed country in the region, albeit an undeclared one.
Prominent US-based Dalit activists call for international support against caste-based violence
TCN News
India Civil Watch International has recently published an online series that was originally prepared by prominent African-American and Dalit activists as a protest against...
US stocks mixed after Chrysler bankruptcy
By DPA,
New York : Two US stock indices retreated but a third was up after the White House announced Thursday that Chrysler, the country's third-largest car maker, was seeking protection from creditors in bankruptcy court and would take a buy-in from Italy's Fiat.
The recession has eaten away more than half of Exxon Mobil's profits, the company said, dropping earnings to $4.6 billion compared to the first quarter of 2008. Revenues dropped 45 percent to $64 billion in the first quarter.
Asean urges Myanmar to facilitate ‘expeditious execution’ of relief
By DPA,
Yangon : The Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) appealed to Myanmar's junta Wednesday to facilitate its role as a liaison between it and the international community in speeding up disaster relief to the victims of Cyclone Nargis.
Asean Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan met Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein Wednesday to explain the association's self-assigned role in a massive, but much delayed, relief effort underway in the country in the wake of Cyclone Nargis which swept over the central coast on May 2-3, leaving 133,000 people dead or missing.
Focus on South Asian nations for disabled: UN
By IANS,
New Delhi: South Asian countries will continue to be on the United Nations's agenda for improvement in conditions for disabled people, a UN member said here Wednesday.
I screwed up: Obama
By Arun Kumar,
Washington, Feb 4 (IANS) As two more of his cabinet nominees bit the dust over tax troubles, threatening to derail his agenda of change, President Barack Obama admitted in a series of TV interviews he screwed up.
At CBS, Obama plainly said: "I screwed up". At CNN he was a little thoughtful: "I think I screwed up, and I take responsibility for it." And at NBC he wondered: "Did I screw up in this situation? Absolutely. And I'm willing to take my lumps."
US entrepreneur to head UN campaign against malaria
By DPA
New York : Ray Chambers, a US entrepreneur, was appointed as the first UN special envoy for malaria tasked with bringing the number of deaths from the disease to zero within five years.
Chambers was appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Thursday upon recommendation by Margaret Chan, the executive director of the World Health Organisation.
The UN has had envoys for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, but not malaria, which kill 3,000 children a day in Africa alone with an estimated 500 million people infected each year.
Tougher airport measures, more restrictions on air passengers
By IANS,
Toronto : Canada Saturday introduced tougher security measures at its airports following a failed attempt to blow up a flight in Detroit by an al-Qaeda-linked Nigerian man Friday.
All passengers flying to the US will now be subjected to a second physical search at the airplane boarding gate.
"This includes 100 per cent physical search of person and 100 per cent physical search of carry-on baggage and personal items,'' said an official of the airport screening authority.
NRI held for stabbing two at Manhattan
By IANS
New York : An NRI gem importer has been held for stabbing two men at their jewellery business office in Diamond District of Manhattan.
The police said Pritam Sharma, 38, of New Jersey, entered NFS Diamonds, Monday afternoon and argued with the firm's owner, Eyal Yehiel, demanding some money he claimed Yehiel owed him.
In the heat of the argument, he whipped out a kitchen knife and stabbed the man in the chest, according to the police.
Chinese man kills himself, injures eight in blast
By IANS,
Beijing: A Chinese man killed himself and injured eight others in an explosion Friday over a labour dispute he had with the company he used to work for, police said.
Modi to attend BRICS meet; India to take up UNSC reforms
New Delhi: In his first participation in a global meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the sixth summit of BRICS countries in Brazil...
Modi arrives in Washington for summit meeting with Obama
Washington: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington Monday evening for his summit meeting with US President Barack Obama.
US Deputy Secretary of State...
New Zealand, Australia to attend PIF ministerial meetings in Fiji
By Xinhua,
Wellington : The chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) has confirmed Australia and New Zealand will be allowed to participate in ministerial meetings in Fiji next week, the Suva-based Pacnews regional news agency reported Wednesday.
Tongan Prime Minister Fred Sevele said that Fiji's interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama was aware the Australian and New Zealand foreign ministers would be in Fiji next week to take part in the Ministerial Contact Group meeting on Fiji's progress toward elections.
Unbearable pain for family of Indian boy who died in Australia
By IANS,
Melbourne : The family of three-year-old Gurshan Singh Channa is dealing with "unbearable pain" over his death, a councillor said Monday while paying respects to the boy whose body was found far from his home in this Australian city.
Gurshan's body was found on Wildwood Road Thursday night after a massive search following a complaint by his parents who were staying in Lalor, over 20 km away.
Darebin councillor Tim Singh Laurence said charges laid Sunday night against part-time taxi driver Gursewak Dhillon had helped ease the family's pain.
Conmen found selling passes to Russian parliament
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Two fraudsters were Wednesday caught selling entry passes to the Russian parliament at 150,000 rubles ($4,765) each, police said.
The two conmen were caught selling seats in an expert council committee on construction and land affairs in the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, police spokesperson Filipp Zolotnitsky said.
US unemployment rate drops to 8.5 percent
By IANS,
Washington : The US unemployment rate dropped to 8.5 percent in December, the Labour Department said Friday.
New Zealand police launch anti-terrorist raids
Wellington, (DPA) A New Zealand police anti-terrorist squad launched a series of raids Monday throughout the country on members of an armed paramilitary group, making several arrests including a militant Maori activist.
Police commissioner Howard Broad told a news conference that the group had set up camps and was training participants to use firearms and other weapons for "military-style activity".
Civil groups to protest against US troops in Peru
By Prensa Latina,
Lima : Non-governmental organisations in Peru have called for a general strike to protest against the government's decision to allow US troops helping the civil administration to carry arms.
Earlier, the government had urged the US troops to help civil administration construct water-wells and classrooms in the country's restive southern province of Ayacucho where illegal armed groups operate.
The government's decision has been criticised by the opposition politicians who say the authorities have bent laws to allow foreign soldiers to carry guns.
New internet security system no longer secure
By IANS,
London : Researchers have cracked the so-called McEliece encryption system, to potentially secure Internet traffic during the age of quantum computing in future.
The attack succeeded last month by means of a large number of linked computers throughout the world, informed Eindhoven University of Technology (EUT) Netherlands professor Tanja Lange.
Sudan elections April 13
Khartoum : Sudan's presidential and parliamentary elections polls are set to take place April 13, authorities said.
"The poll process will last for three days...
Troops kill five rebels in Colombia
By IANS
Bogota : Five Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels have been killed in fighting with the army in a mountainous area in western Colombia, the army said.
The clashes between the rebels and troops occurred Sunday in a rural area near Chaparral, located 300 km west of Bogota, the Army News Agency said.
Troops seized two rifles, three pistols, 13 field tents, five uniforms and ammunition in the operation.
The FARC, Colombia's oldest and largest leftist guerrilla group, was founded in 1964 and today operates across a large swath of this Andean nation.
Parents influence child’s pursuit of math, medicine
By IANS,
Washington : Parental influence and access to math courses are crucial to their children's pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering, math or medicine (STEMM), according to new research.
Jon Miller, Michigan State University (MSU) professor of integrative studies who led the study with colleagues, said the education of more researchers, engineers and others in the field of science is critical.
Post-Mumbai, India still a safe investment bet: Germany
By IANS,
New Delhi : Rejecting speculation about India's dwindling appeal as a business destination in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, Germany Friday said that this country remained “a safe place for investment” for European countries that are facing a global economic crunch.
“India remains a safe conduit for investment,” visiting German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble told reporters here when asked whether the Mumbai terror attacks will affect foreign investment in India.
Every second German views Israel as”aggressive” country: poll
Berlin, Jan 14, IRNA -- Every second German views Israel as an "aggressive" country, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Hamburg-based stern news magazine.
Some 59 percent of Germans said Israel is ruthlessly pursuing its own national interests without even considering the interests of other countries.
Only 30 percent of those questioned said Israel was actually respecting human rights.
Asked about Israel's right to exist, 13 percent opposed it.
EU deadlocked over funding climate change fight
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) Wednesday hit a deadlock over the question of how to fund the fight against climate change in the developing world, EU diplomats said.
The bloc is committed to supporting climate-change mitigation measures in poorer countries as part of a bid to win global acceptance for strict limits on emissions of greenhouse gases at a meeting in Copenhagen in December.
But representatives of the EU's 27 member states meeting in Brussels failed to agree on how their countries should share the bill, diplomats close to the talks told DPA.
Sri Lanka Navy kills 25 Tamil Tigers
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lanka Navy Wednesday said they had killed at least 25 Tamil Tigers and destroyed six of their boats in a pre-dawn attack.
Navy spokesman Capt D.K.P. Dassanayake said the navy had spotted six boats of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels at 4 a.m. off the northeastern coast of Mullaithivu.
At least four of them were on a suicide mission.
The military says they are in the final phase of a campaign to crush the rebels who have been fighting for an independent homeland for minority Tamils for the last 25 years.
Top Tamil Tiger intelligence official killed
By SPA
Colombo : Sri Lankan troops infiltrated Tamil Tiger rebel territory and blew up a car, killing a
top rebel intelligence official and three others who were inside, a pro-rebel Web site reported Sunday.
The official, Shanmuganathan Ravishankar, also known as Col. Charles, was in charge of the rebels' ground troop intelligence, the TamilNet Web site reported. He was killed by the roadside blast Saturday in northern Mannar district, it was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Nepal cabinet finally moves to take over king’s property
Kathmandu(IANS) : Almost 10 months after Nepal's new constitution laid down that King Gyanendra would forfeit all the property he had inherited from his slain brother and the royal palaces would be put to public use, the cabinet finally passed an ordinance, beginning the legal process.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala held a meeting of his cabinet to pass an ordinance for establishing a trust that would in future administer the six royal palaces and land measuring over 25 million sq ft, which are to be eventually put to public use.
Creditor banks agree to JAL bankruptcy proceedings
By DPA,
Tokyo : The creditor banks of indebted Japan Airlines Corp (JAL) have abandoned their opposition to state-led bankruptcy proceedings.
Mizuho Corporate Bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking as well as the Development Bank of Japan had officially accepted the court-led restructuring plan, the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported Thursday.
The state-owned Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp (ETIC), which is tasked with rescuing the airline, could now put forward a restructuring plan for JAL, planned for Tuesday.
Riot Erupts In Philippine Jail, One Killed
By Bernama,
Manila : A riot erupted in a jail in central Philippines after days of stand-off between the police and the inmates, said China's Xinhua news agency quoting a local radio report Thursday.
In a terse report, radio dzBB said one inmate, identified as Nilo Corvita, was killed in the riot after he allegedly fired handgun at police, prompting the police to shoot back at him.
The report said the authorities are investigating over how Corvita got a firearm inside jail premises.
Rescue efforts continue in Japan’s quake-hit areas
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : Rescue and relief efforts continued Sunday as some 1,200 rescue workers are still searching for 16 people who have been reported missing in Japan's earthquake-jolting northeastern areas.
Rescue workers, consisting of members of the Self-Defense Forces, firefighters and police officers, have been carrying out their rescue operations in the worst-hit Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture and other areas locations since the 7.2-magnitude quake occurred at 8:43 a.m. Saturday (2343 GMT Friday).
Over 13,000 police to ensure security at St. Petersburg forum
By RIA Novosti,
St. Petersburg : More than 13,000 police and Interior Ministry troops will ensure law and order during the three-day International Economic Forum starting on Friday in St. Petersburg, Russia's interior minister said.
Rashid Nurgaliyev said all law enforcement bodies were prepared for the forum, and that security measures would not affect the everyday routines of the city's residents.
He said the ministry was working "in close contact with the Federal Protection Service, the Federal Security Service, and the Emergency Situations Ministry."
A grateful Serbia offers its economy to Mother Russia
By DPA
Belgrade : While Tomislav Nikolic, chief of the extremist, anti-Western Serbian Radical Party, has openly said he "wished" Serbia was a Russian province, the government of more moderate Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has relentlessly been promoting the rejuvenated link with Moscow.
The pro-Russian euphoria among Belgrade politicians reflects Moscow's hardline diplomatic position on the issue of Kosovo, with Russia so far blocking the independence drive of the largely ethnic Albanian breakaway province of Serbia.
New Year’s Eve revelers to be treated to rare ‘blue moon’
By DPA,
New York : Times Square revelers will be treated to a rare "blue moon" on New Year's Eve Thursday night.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to watch the ritual descent of the crystal ball in Times Square to usher in 2010 at midnight. But what many of them may not yet expect is a special full moon above their heads, the second this month.
Brazilian cadet dies in ejection from plane
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : A Brazilian air force cadet died when he was ejected from a training plane when the aircraft was still on the ground, authorities said.
North Korea invites IAEA inspectors to Yongbyon reactor
By DPA
Tokyo : North Korea agreed to allow international inspectors to visit its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon, Japanese media reports said Wednesday.
Russian Air Force to have new test site in North Caucasus
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia will build a new Air Force training ground in the North Caucasus, set to be the country's largest, the Defense Ministry said on Monday.
The site will be built near the Black Sea port of Taganrog for the North Caucasus Air Force and Air Defense Army.
The facility will have state-of-the-art equipment to provide combat support to all types of aviation and antiaircraft systems, and will also be used to train Emergency Situations and Interior Ministry air forces.
Combination HIV prevention can avert 12 million cases by 2015
By IANS,
London : Combination HIV prevention, if thoroughly implemented by governments and communities, can avert 12 million infections by 2015, according to experts. Right now, some 7,000 people are infected daily around the world.
A report authored by Peter Piot and Michael Bartos of the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Geneva said a quarter century of AIDS responses has created vast knowledge about HIV transmission and prevention, yet some 7,000 people are infected daily worldwide.
Obama envoy holding first talks with Netanyahu government
By DPA,
Jerusalem : US special envoy George Mitchell met Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman Thursday morning, holding his first talks in Israel since the new government of hardline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office last month.
Meeting Israeli President Shimon Peres earlier in the morning, the envoy reiterated Barack Obama administration's commitment to Israeli security, but also to a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict.
Netanyahu's office has said his government is still undergoing a policy review, which will take several more weeks to complete.
Silicon Valley firms facing biggest slump since 2002: Report
By Xinhua,
San Francisco : Major companies in the Silicon Valley are suffering the biggest slump since the dot-com bust, further proving that the leading technology hub is not immune from the effects of a global economic meltdown, a new report has said.
According to rankings compiled by the San Jose Mercury News, total market capitalisation of Silicon Valley's 150 biggest public companies plunged 32 percent to about $850 billion for the past 12 months ending March 31, the worst decline since 2002.
US probes likely American connection to French bank fraud
By Xinhua
Washington : US Federal prosecutors in New York are trying to find out whether there is any "US element" to the Société Générale SA trading scandal, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
The report published Wednesday quoted a person close to the French bank as saying that prosecutors are trying to learn whether employee Jerome Kerviel, who has been blamed for the $7.27 billion trading scandal, traded on a US index or whether any transaction ran through a US broker. The bank has said it is cooperating with authorities.
Kim Kardashian wants to be skinny for a day
By IANS,
Los Angeles : Socialite Kim Kardashian says she has accepted her curvy figure, but still wishes to have a supermodel like figure.
Court rejects appeal of five Islamic extremists in Australia
Sydney: Five members of a Sydney terrorist cell will remain behind bars after a court here Friday dismissed their appeals filed against convictions and...
Mexican plane crash blamed on human error
By EFE,
Mexico City : A plane crash that killed Mexico's interior secretary and 15 others a year ago was caused by human error, investigators said in their final report.
The government Learjet 45, which was carrying then interior secretary Juan Camilo Mourino, 37, and eight others, was flying Nov 4, 2008 from the central state of San Luis Potosi to Mexico City.
It crashed into rush hour traffic in an upscale neighborhood while making its descent for landing, killing all nine people on board and seven more people on the ground.
US experts warned about Nepal quake
Washington : US experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a quake that may take thousands of lives, media reported.
A massive...
France expresses solidarity with India over Kabul terror
By IANS,
New Delhi: France Friday expressed solidarity with India in the wake of the terror attack in Kabul in which 9 Indians were killed and conveyed its condolences to the families of the victims.
"The government of France assures the Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, of its complete solidarity with India and reaffirms its common determination with New Delhi to fight terrorism relentlessly," the French embassy said here in a statement.
Russia urges power transfer for Bosnia and Herzegovina
By RIA Novosti,
UN : Bosnia and Herzegovina's High Representative office should be closed as soon as possible and all power transferred from international organizations to the country's legal authorities, Russia's UN envoy said Tuesday.
The Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina was established in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Agreement, which ended the war in Bosnia, and was created to give a mandate to international organizations to oversee the peaceful implementation of the agreement.
Calm returns as police keep vigil in Kenya
By Xinhua
Nairobi : An uneasy calm returned to the country Saturday after three days of opposition protests over last month's disputed presidential elections.
More than 20 people were killed during the three-day nationwide anti-government protests called by the main opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) across the country.
Nairobi had a semblance of normalcy with residents trying to go about their chores.
Meanwhile the police have bowed to pressure and instituted a committee to probe the shooting of two demonstrators in the lakeside city of Kisumu on Wednesday.
G8 to hold regular contacts with India, China
By DPA
Heiligendamm (Germany) : The group of the world's eight leading industrialised nations Thursday agreed to open an intensive dialogue with key emerging nations, including India and China.
Wife of rescued captain awaits his pirate tale
By DPA,
Washington : For five long days, Andrea Phillips waited far from the public eye for news of her husband, who was being held by ruthless pirates two oceans away.
With a daring rescue Sunday through the marksmanship of three Navy Seals, captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama was on the way home from a dangerous adventure on the high seas off East Africa.
By Monday, while Andrea Phillips could finally relax, she could also hardly speak, whether from emotion or laryngitis.
Qantas pilots suspended after forgetting to lower landing gear
By DPA,
Sydney : Two Qantas pilots were suspended Wednesday after forgetting to lower landing gear as they came in to land at busy Sydney airport.
The Boeing 767 was just 700 feet above the ground when alarms went off alerting the pilots the landing gear had not been deployed.
The undercarriage is normally lowered at between 2,000 and 1,500 feet.
The pilots immediately boosted power to the engines to regain altitude and flew around the busy airport before coming in to land safely.
Venezuela begins voting on statute changes
By DPA
Caracas : Venezuelans went to the polls Sunday to vote in a referendum on changes to the country's constitution, which if approved would allow a socialist form of government and the re-election of President Hugo Chavez for an unlimited number of times.
Polling stations opened at 6 a.m. local time and were scheduled to close 10 hours later.
Spain to vote in general election
By IRNA
Madrid : Polls are set to open in Spain to decide whether to return the ruling Socialists to power for another four years.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's party faces Mariano Rajoy's conservative Popular Party.
The faltering economy, rising inflation and unemployment, and immigration were all high-profile campaign issues.
The election has been marred by Friday's killing of a former Socialist councilor in the Basque Country.
Haiti quake disaster offers reconstruction opportunities: Ban
By IRNA,
Tehran : As relief efforts continue in the wake of the devastating quake which struck Haiti last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the need to rebuild the impoverished Caribbean nation and “turn disaster into opportunity.”
Russia invites Syrian opposition chief for talks
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia has sent an invitation for talks to the head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Friday.
New Zealand man killed by glass sheet
By IANS,
Auckland : A 40-year-old man was killed Tuesday after a large glass sheet crashed on him in Auckland's north shore.
The man, who worked for a company dealing with large sheets of glass, was working inside a container where glass was stored, Senior Sergeant Matt Rogers was quoted as saying by tvnz.co.nz.
The accident occurred in the suburb of Wairau Valley. It appears some sheets of glass crashed down, crushing him and causing fatal cuts, the official said.
Polls open in Brazilian election to pick Lula’s successor
By DPA,
Rio de Janeiro : Polls opened Sunday in a Brazilian presidential runoff which was to deliver the successor of the hugely popular President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Strong quake hits Andamans
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : A strong earthquake of 6.4 Richter magnitude hit the Andaman Islands Wednesday.
A Meteorological Department statement here said the earthquake hit at 12.55 a.m.
The epicentre was at 13.51 degrees north and 92.85 degrees east, about 751 km north west of Ranong, Thailand, and 1,110 km north-west of Langkawi.
No tsunami warning was issued, The Star newspaper here said.
Clintons join Biden in Pennsylvania
By IRNA,
New York : A little more than three weeks before the fall election, Bill and Hillary Clinton joined together for the first time in this critical Pennsylvania battleground to campaign for their once bitter rival, Barack Obama, at a rally with vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton explained to voters why they think Barack Obama's Democratic ticket is the best choice for middle-class families.
Myanmar says more than 133,000 dead, missing in cyclone
By AFP,
Yangon : Myanmar said Friday that more than 133,000 people were dead or missing in the cyclone disaster, nearly doubling the toll from the worst disaster in the country's history, which hit two weeks ago.
Even as the regime again rejected calls for international aid workers to help direct the massive relief effort, state media acknowledged that the scope of the disaster had prevented confirmation of the figures.
State television said 77,738 were dead and 55,917 missing -- with 19,359 people injured -- according to the latest figures confirmed on Thursday.
Six killed in Nigeria church attack
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : At least six people were killed and 10 injured in an armed attack on a church in northeastern Nigeria, international media reported.
G8 sends strong message on North Korea, Zimbabwe
By DPA,
Kyoto (Japan) : Strong criticism of Zimbabwe's "sham" elections and hopes for progress on North Korea's denuclearization set the tone Friday at the final day of the Kyoto meeting of the foreign ministers of the world's seven leading economies and Russia.
Heated debates among the Group of Eight (G8) foreign ministers preceded an unplanned statement on the Zimbabwe presidential election run-off, diplomats said.
A ‘human right’ to attack handicapped woman?
By Xinhua
Beijing : Is it a human right that "Tibet independence" separatists assaulted a handicapped woman? the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), questioned in a commentary to be published on Saturday.
The Dalai clique claimed they have pursued "freedom" and "human rights" on various occasions. However, what happened during the Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay revealed the nature of the "rights", the commentary said.
Heaton fears not waking up from operation table
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Singer Michelle Heaton who has been diagnosed with rare gene that causes cancer says her worst fear is not waking up after the operation is over.
China’s lawmakers endorse state leaders, government reform
By DPA
Beijing : China's parliament Saturday endorsed plans by the ruling Communist party to restructure government ministries and approved party leader Hu Jintao's second five-year term as state president.
In a single-candidate election of leaders recommended by the party, some 3,000 members of the National People's Congress also elevated Hu's heir-apparent, 54-year-old Xi Jinping, to the vice presidency.
The restructuring plan creates five "superministries" and gives a higher profile to environmental protection and energy saving.
US ambassador to China resigns, presidential run expected
By DPA,
Washington : The US ambassador to China has submitted his resignation to the White House ahead of what political observers expect to be a run for president.
After Koirala who? The question plagues Nepal
By IANS,
Kathmandu : With the death of Girija Prasad Koirala on the eve of the promulgation of a new constitution, the question of who would assume the mantle of leadership is plaguing Nepal.
Koirala, the architect of the peace process in Nepal that ended a decade of Maoist insurgency, also headed the Nepali Congress (NC), the largest party in the ruling coalition and the second-largest in parliament.
With the NC playing a vital role in Nepal's politics, the future of the country and the fate of the new constitution will depend on the politician who is declared Koirala's heir.
Kerry warns N.Korea over missile launch
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Seoul: US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned North Korea that any test of a mid-range missile would further isolate it from the international community.
US government not for new stimulus for economy
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : With the US budget deficit for the fiscal year ending September already topping $1 trillion, the Obama administration sees little room for stimulus to boost the staggering economy.
There's "not a great desire" for additional government spending, President Barack Obama's top political adviser David Axelrod said Sunday.
"Even though there's some argument for additional spending in the short run to continue to generate economic activity, there's not a great appetite for it," Axelrod told ABC.
Germany’s first driverless mass-transit train goes to work
By DPA,
Nuremberg (Germany) : Germany's first driverless mass-transit train went into operation Sunday without fanfare in the southern city of Nuremberg, with a computer in charge for the whole day.
Driverless trains are already in use in other nations, including the Singapore's North East Metro Line (NEL) operating since 2003, but Nuremberg says its system is unique because it mixes human-driven and computer-controlled trains on the same track.
US ready to help in Mumbai terror probe
By IANS,
New Delhi : The US is ready to offer "full cooperation" to India to investigate the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, US ambassador David Mulford told Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon Saturday.
Mulford said the US offer could include sending security teams.
"President (George W.) Bush has directed us to offer cooperation to Indian authorities in any way that we can. We will be doing that," Mulford told reporters after meeting Menon at South Block, the seat of India's external affairs ministry.
A new Mr. X in Air India bombing plot
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS
Toronto : A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer sprang a surprise at the ongoing Air India inquiry when he said that the plot to bomb the Delhi-bound Flight 182 in June 1985 could possibly have been solved long ago if the Canadian Secret Intelligence Service (CSIS) had not stopped his police force from pursuing a suspect just days before the tragedy.
The suspect, called Mr. X, had allegedly tested the bomb that brought down Flight 182 on June 23, 1985, off the Irish coast, killing all 329 people on board.
Astronomer busts Mayan calendar’s dire prediction for 2012
By IANS,
Washington: The world won't be coming to an end on December 21, 2012, as said to be darkly predicted by the Mayan calendar, says an astronomer.
Ann Martin, doctoral candidate in Cornell University astronomy department, points out that the Mayan calendar was designed to be cyclical, so the fact that the long count comes to an end in December 2012 is really of no consequence.
Simply, it is the end of great calendar cycle in Mayan society, much like our modern society celebrated the new millennium. It does not mean that the "world will end", says Martin.
Pope calls on US to resolve conflicts diplomatically
By DPA,
Washington : Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday during his first visit to the White House called on the US to diplomatically resolve conflicts abroad, saying Americans have historically demonstrated a firm commitment to promoting freedom throughout the world.
"I am confident that this concern for the greater human family will continue to find expression in support for the patient efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote progress," said Benedict speaking in English.
Australia Prime Minister in East Timor for crisis talks
By SPA
Dili : Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a lightning visit to East Timor's locked-down capital Dili on Friday in a show of strength after a double assassination attempt on the fledgling nation's leadership, Reuters reported.
With President Jose Ramos-Horta recovering from double gunshot wounds in an Australian hospital, Rudd shook hands with his East Timor counterpart Xanana Gusmao before meeting senior United Nations and Australian military officials.
Asian stocks ride see-saw over Wall Street dive, rate cuts
By DPA,
Tokyo : Asia-Pacific stocks ended the week mixed as Wall Street's overnight plunge prompted investors to sell but interest-rate cuts in some markets led to afternoon recoveries.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average plunged 3.55 percent on Toyota Motor Corp's sharp cut in its earnings forecast for this fiscal year, but South Korean and Hong stocks took big jumps on the rate cuts.
The Nikkei was the region's big loser as it shed 316.14 points to close at 8,583 but still managed to end the week up 0.07 percent.
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