Japan, India to hold talks on export of US2 rescue plane
Tokyo: Japan and India will hold working-level talks here Wednesday on Japan's export of US2 rescue plane to India, Japan's defence ministry said Monday.
Under...
China’s foreign trade gains momentum
By IANS,
Beijing: China's foreign trade volume grew by 15.7 percent year-on-year in April, faster than the 12.1 percent increase in March, according to customs data released Wednesday.
EU says China main source for dangerous goods
By EuAsiaNews,
Brussels : The number of dangerous products removed from the European Union market rose by 53% in 2007 compared to 2006, according to the European Commission's annual report on the Rapid Alert System (RAPEX) to spot risky goods .
This rise from 1.051 notifications in 2006 to 1.605 last year shows that EU member states' surveillance capacities are improving year on year, and that European consumers are better protected today than ever before, said the EU's executive body in a statement Thursday.
60 injured in Moscow train blast
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : At least 60 people were injured when a powerful explosion derailed an express near Veliky Novgorod in northwestern Russia, officials said, adding terrorist sabotage was the only "possible explanation".
More than 30 people were hospitalised after 12 of 13 cars and the locomotive of the four-hour Nevsky Express went off the rails Monday at 9.38 p.m. (5:38 p.m. GMT). The train from Moscow to St. Petersburg travels at a speed of 200 km/h.
The injured included two foreigners, a hospital official said.
Heavily armed police, troops deployed at Thai airports
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : The Thai government, besieged by massive protests demanding its resignation, deployed heavily armed police contingents Friday evening at Suvarnahbhumi International Airport taken over by protesters.
Armoured military vehicles were deployed near the Don Muang airport, also under siege of the protesters.
25 Sea Tigers killed, 10 boats destroyed: Navy
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : At least 25 Tamil Tigers were killed and 10 of their boats destroyed in a major clash Thursday between the Sri Lankan Navy and Sea Tigers in the sea off the northern coast, an official said.
Navy spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake said the mid-sea clash broke out around 11.00 a.m. when a fleet of navy attack craft pursued a cluster of Sea Tiger boats at Iranaitivu, five nautical miles north of Nachchikkuda. The clash lasted nearly three hours.
Pilot killed in US fighter jet crash
By DPA,
Washington : The pilot of a F-22A fighter jet was killed when the aircraft crashed in California while on a test flight, news reports said.
The pilot, 49-year-old David Cooley, was with the air force for 21 years, before he jointed contractor Lockheed Martin, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Lieutenant Colonel Karen Platt, an air force spokesperson, said the crash took place about 55 km northwest of Edwards Air Force Base, which lies in the desert north of Los Angeles.
Singapore may impose death penalty for kidnapping
By IANS,
Singapore : Singapore may impose the death penalty for serious crimes like murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking, an Indian-origin minister has said.
The penalty has a deterrent effect and will send a clear signal to drug barons about Singapore's stand, Law Minister K. Shanmugam was quoted as saying Sunday by Straits Times.
Shanmugam said it was easy for death penalty opponents to focus on the plight of the individual who faced being hanged, but the consequences of getting rid of the death penalty had to be considered.
Polish leftists seek referendum on US missile base
By RIA Novosti,
Warsaw : Poland's Alliance of the Democratic Left (SLD) has called for a national referendum on the deployment of a US missile defence base in the country, according to a party spokesman.
"The SLD will insist on parliamentary debates and demand that the government and the president inform us about their talks with the US and how the US missile would help Poland and the Poles," said Tomasz Kalita Sunday.
Asean cyclone relief talks likely to be held in Singapore
By DPA,
Singapore : Foreign ministers from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) are likely to meet in Singapore soon to discuss measures to support relief and recovery efforts in cyclone-hit Myanmar, The Straits Times reported Monday.
It is understood that Myanmar has agreed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's offer to host the meeting, the report said, and the country's foreign minister is expected to attend.
Lee's offer was conveyed in a letter that Foreign Minister George Yeo wrote to his Myanmar counterpart U Nyan Win Friday.
Sri Lanka troops find rebels’ underwater hideout
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan troops have discovered a metal structure believed to be an underwater home for the Tamil Tiger rebels in the northeastern part of the country.
"This 360-foot-long and 25-foot-wide structure, apparently compartmentalised into three sections, has been made of strong iron, and set on iron rails, like a railway carriage. In addition, a huge 300-foot-long underwater canal that leads to the high seas is connected to the metal structure," the army said on its website.
Jailed Karuna implicates Sri Lankan government
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : The controversial breakaway Tamil Tiger leader "Colonel" Karuna, who has been found guilty of being in Britain on a false Sri Lankan diplomatic passport, has implicated the Sri Lankan government.
Karuna, whose real name is Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, Friday told the Isleworth Crown Court in West London that the Sri Lankan government's defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, had "arranged everything" for him to travel to Britain on a diplomatic passport, the BBC reported.
New Zealand prime minister fights for political life
By DPA
Wellington : New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark - after nearly nine years in office one of the longest-surviving leaders in the developed world - is gearing up for the fight of her political life against a greenhorn politician bent on ousting her this election year.
If the opinion polls are correct, Clark, 58, a Labour Party member of parliament since 1981, is heading for a humiliating thrashing at the hands of John Key, 46, who became leader of the opposition conservative National Party only 16 months ago.
Congo rape toll rises to 50, says UN
By DPA,
Nairobi/Geneva : The number of women raped in an apparent revenge attack for the death of a Congolese soldier has risen to 50, according to the United Nations.
Nepal earthquake: Over 1,800 dead
Kathmandu : The earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday has killed at least 1,805 people, an official statement said on Sunday.
The earthquake, measuring 7.9...
Obama fever picks up in Kenya as US election approaches
By Michael Logan, DPA,
Nairobi : US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama's stern face stares out from the back of a rickety Matatu - a commuter minibus - as it swerves through traffic in Kenyan capital Nairobi, the slogan "The Real Change" plastered alongside the image.
By the side of the road a workman digs a trench, his "Obama 08" cap shading his eyes from the sun, while in a nearby bar, patrons chug down Senator beer, a cheap brew that has been nicknamed Obama beer.
Portugal can be a surprise, says Cristano Ronaldo
By IANS,
Lviv (Ukraine): Portugal's top star Cristano Ronaldo believes that his side has the capacity to upset the tournament favourite Germany in the Group B opening match here Saturday night.
Sri Lanka condemns attack on its Oslo embassy
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka Monday "strongly condemned" the attack on its embassy in Oslo, Norway, by suspected Tamil protesters, causing extensive damage to the mission, a government statement here said.
Nobody was injured in the attack Sunday evening.
Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said that as a host country, Norway has failed in its "legal obligation to protect the diplomatic missions" despite the fact that the mission "was under threat from sympathisers of the Tigers for several weeks".
Australia is good place to live, says Haneef
By IANS,
Melbourne: Mohamed Haneef, an Indian doctor who was falsely accused by Australian police of aiding terrorists, has said he still thinks Australia is a good place to live and work.
Three killed in Denmark terror attacks, shooter shot dead
Copenhagen : At least three people were killed and five others injured in separate shooting attacks in Denmark, involving a gunman who was killed...
Zimbabwean police violently disperse religious group in Harare
By DPA,
Johannesburg/Harare : Zimbabwean police violently dispersed a group of people aligned to the new head of the Methodist church who were attending a service in Harare Sunday and arrested a clergyman who was presiding over the service.
About 20 armed riot policemen had descended on the group aligned to the new head of the Harare diocese, Bishop Sebastian Bakare, and ordered them to disperse before arresting Reverend Farai Mutamiri. They bundled him into a police truck and drove him away.
Republican senator calls Obama’s budget ‘unconscionable’
By DPA,
Washington : Influential US Republican Party Senator Judd Gregg Sunday harshly criticised the budget proposed by President Barack Obama's administration, saying that it would bring the country into bankruptcy in a decade.
Speaking to CNN, the one-time Obama cabinet nominee said the size of the budget deficits involved in the Obama administration plan over time was "almost unconscionable."
Considered a financial expert, Gregg compared the US president to a pilot ignoring that his aircraft has 15-minutes of fuel left and planning to fly for another two hours.
Italian embassy staffer kidnapped in Yemen
By IANS,
Sana'a: A staff member at the Italian embassy in Yemen has been kidnapped by armed men from the capital city of Sana'a, Xinhua reported.
GM bankruptcy may impact US steelmakers
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The filing for bankruptcy by General Motors may have a major impact on the steel industry as the failed US auto giant owes four US integrated steelmakers nearly $35 million, including $9.55 million to Lakshmi Mittal owned ArcelorMittal.
Besides NRI steel czar Mittal's firm, GM owes to US Steel Corp, AK Steel Corp. and Severstal North America Inc., according to the automaker's filing with the Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York Monday.
White House gate crashers in less festive mood in first interview
By DPA,
Washington : The would-be reality TV couple who allegedly crashed a White House state dinner got another round in the spotlight, wearing sombre outfits and faces to tell NBC how devastated they were over the ensuing notoriety.
It was the first interview given by Michaele and Tareq Salahi, whose uninvited presence last week at President Barack Obama's first state dinner to honour Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set off a media furore.
Two killed in US chopper crash
By IANS,
Washington: At least two people were killed in the US state of Texas Monday in a small helicopter crash, said authorities.
Four killed in blast in Philippines
By DPA,
Manila : Four people were killed and several wounded when a homemade bomb exploded outside a Catholic cathedral in a southern Philippine city Sunday, police said.
The blast occurred as churchgoers were coming out of the cathedral in Cotabato City, 960 km south of Manila, said police Chief Inspector Alexander Sarabia.
He said two soldiers and two civilians died in the blast.
"The victims were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment," he added.
UN Chief Arrives At Yangon To Reinforce Cyclone Relief Efforts
By Bernama,
Yangon : United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived at Yangon Thursday morning to reinforce Myanmar's post-storm relief efforts after some parts of the country were devastated by cyclone Nargis early this month, China's Xinhua news agency reported.
Ban was greeted at the Yangon International Airport by Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win.
Europe’s top election monitor boycotts Russian poll
By DPA
Moscow/Warsaw : Europe's main vote-monitoring watchdog declared Thursday it was cancelling its mission to Russia over restrictions imposed on monitoring of the March 2 presidential vote.
"The Russian Federation has created limitations that are not conducive to undertaking election observation in accordance with it," Christian Strohal, the head of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said Thursday.
Grenade attack in Kenya injures seven
Nairobi: At least seven people were injured in a grenade attack by some unidentified men in a Kenyan town of Garissa Wednesday evening, police...
Russia offers Uruguay floating nuclear power plant
By RIA Novosti
Buenos Aires : Russia is looking for cooperation with Uruguay in the field of nuclear energy, the Russian ambassador to the Latin American state has said.
"Our countries could maintain cooperation in the sphere of nuclear energy although Uruguay's legislation bans the use of nuclear energy," Sergei Koshkin said Monday.
The diplomat said Uruguayan officials had shown interest in a floating nuclear power plant (NPP), when the project's presentation took place at the Russian embassy recently.
Hulk Hogan opens restaurant
By IANS,
London: Wrestler turned reality TV star Hulk Hogan launches his own restaurant.
Nepal seeks donor support for economic growth
By DPA,
Kathmandu : The new government in Nepal led by the former Maoist rebels Thursday sought help from the country's key international donors for continued financial assistance.
The meeting between the government and representatives of donor countries and organisations was the first since the Maoist-led government was sworn in earlier this month.
It was also an attempt to instil confidence within the donor community, which has been apprehensive about the Maoist commitment to free economy and democracy.
Another Tamil Red Cross worker killed in Sri Lanka
By IANS
Colombo : A 40-year-old Red Cross worker was abducted and murdered in the war-torn north Sri Lankan district of Jaffna last week, taking the number of Tamil Red Cross workers kidnapped and killed in Sri Lanka this year to three, the Red Cross said Monday.
Sooroyakanthi Thavarajah was abducted by unidentified gunmen from his home in Kalia Kadu, Jaffna, in the presence of his family on Dec 14, and his body was recovered on Dec 16 at Kaithady, a Red Cross statement said Monday.
Hu meets Fidel Castro, promises better China-Cuba ties
By IANS,
Havana : Chinese President Hu Jintao met former Cuban president Fidel Castro and discussed ways to further strengthen ties with the island nation struggling to recover from three hurricanes and the effects of the ongoing global financial crisis, the EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
The Cuban leader and Hu had "a fraternal meeting" Tuesday morning, a sign of the "friendly ties" between the two countries, governments and communist parties, a Cuban government statement said.
Hindu group protests razing of temples
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : Members of a Hindu rights group in Malaysia have protested against the demolition of nearly 80 temples across the country in recent years.
Thai military chief selected as interim PM
Bangkok : Thailand's National Legislative Assembly (NLA) Thursday selected military junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha as the interim prime minister.
A total of 194 NLA members...
Greens rap Pope for backing civilian use of nuclear energy
By IRNA
Berlin : Germany's opposition Green (Gruene) party strongly criticized Pope Benedict XVI for supporting the worldwide civilian use of nuclear energy.
Green party chief Reinhard Buetikofer was quoted as saying ironically that the head of the Catholic church should be "promptly named the atomic policy advisor of the federal (German) government".
He added that the pope has discovered something that
Berlin : Germany's opposition Green (Gruene) party strongly criticized Pope Benedict XVI for supporting the worldwide civilian use of nuclear energy.
Green party chief Reinhard Buetikofer was quoted as saying ironically that the head of the Catholic church should be "promptly named the atomic policy advisor of the federal (German) government".
He added that the pope has discovered something that
Netherlands to receive 74 more MH17 bodies
The Hague : Two more planes with a total of 74 bodies of the victims of the crashed Malaysia Airline flight MH17 will reach...
OPEC President rules out need to increase oil output
By KUNA
Vienna : OPEC's President, Algerian Energy Minister Chakib Khelil, said the 13-member cartel which produces 40 percent of world oil would not consider an output hike at its official meeting in the Austrian capital on Wednesday.
OPEC ministers gathering here for an output policy meeting insisted that the cartel was not about to increase oil production, as the price of crude struck a record high of almost 104 dollars.
Modi meets Bangladesh commerce-industry chambers chiefs
Dhaka: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met the presidents of leading chambers of commerce and industry of Bangladesh here.
"Strengthening business links. PM...
LTTE asks Ravi Shankar to facilitate ceasefire
By IANS,
New Delhi : Sri Lanka's beleaguered Tamil Tiger guerrillas Monday urged Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to facilitate a ceasefire in the island nation.
The appeal was made in a telephonic conversation between Ravi Shankar and B. Nadesan, chief of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Nadesan said thousands of people "are suffering due to an acute shortage of food and medical facilities" in the narrow strip of land still held by the LTTE.
Russia to test-launch four ICBMs by year-end
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia will test-launch four inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM) by the end of the year, the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) said Wednesday.
"In accordance with an adjusted missile launch programme for 2008, we will carry out four missile launches before the end of the year," Col. Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov said.
The SMF this year had test-launched three ICBMs between June and August.
"All the launches were successful," he said.
Two U.S. men charged in plot to kill Obama
By Xinhua,
Washington : Two U.S. men were charged Monday for plotting a "killing spree" against African-Americans that would have been capped with an attempt to kill Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
The U.S. attorney's office in Jackson, Tennessee, said Daniel Cowart, 20, and Paul Schlesselman, 18, were self-described white supremacists who met online through a mutual friend.
The pair planned to kill more than 100 African-Americans, including 14 who would be beheaded.
Maoists want Nepal polls deferred again
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : With less than three months left for the critical constituent assembly election, Nepal's Maoist guerrillas Friday proposed that the polls be postponed.
Maoist supremo Prachanda delivered the bolt from the blue at a public gathering in the capital, where he said to be "real", the constituent assembly election - that will write a new constitution for Nepal - should be held in April instead of Nov 22.
12 dead in China fire
By IANS,
Beijing : Twelve people died in a fire in China early Wednesday, authorities said.
Two Indonesian pilots pose security threat: Australian authorities
Sydney: Australian authorities believe two Indonesian pilots radicalised by pro-Islamic State (IS) forces may pose an international security threat, according to a leaked intelligence...
Politician, TV host hit each other during show
By IANS/EFE,
Brasilia : A senatorial candidate in Brazil and a television show host got into a fight and punched and kicked each other when the politician became irritated with the journalist's questions.
Former Congressman Joao Correia, who is running for a Senate seat from Acre state on a Brazilian Democratic Movement Party ticket, was being interviewed on TV5 by journalist Demostenes Nascimento when the fight started.
Correia became irritated at Nascimento's line of questioning and a heated argument started, prompting the show's director to go on a commercial break.
9/11 memorial at ground zero to open by 2011: officials
By IANS,
New York : Officials have said they have come out with a new plan to complete the 9/11 memorial at ground zero in time ahead of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York.
Gates Says Pentagon Tenure Open-ended
By SPA,
Washington : Defense Secretary Robert Gates has not set a deadline for the end his service in the administration of President-elect Barack Obama.
“The president-elect and I agreed that this would be open-ended and so there is no timeframe,” Gates told reporters Tuesday.
“With the country fighting two wars and our men and women in uniform at risk, if a president asks me to help, there’s no way I can say no,” he added.
I will be President for all Americans: Trump
New York : Brushing aside fears that his victory will further divide the US, President-elect Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that he will be...
Expert: Big progress in religious freedom in Tibet
By Xinhua,
Beijing : A Tibet expert on Monday defended progress in religious and individual rights in the region, saying religion had progressed from a coercive force before 1951 to a legally protected freedom.
Old Tibetan law stipulated that Buddhism was the only legal religion, and other religions were banned as heresy, said Sherab Nyima, vice president of the Beijing-based Central University for Nationalities, on the sidelines of the Beijing Forum on Human Rights.
Storms in US kills more than 20 people
By IRNA,
New York : Emergency crews searched through wreckage on Sunday from violent storms that left a path of destruction from the Midwest to the South and killed more than 20 people in Missouri, Oklahoma and Georgia.
In Missouri, tornadoes tore through small towns in the southwestern section of the state, near the border with Oklahoma, just after 6:30 p.m. Saturday, overturning cars and smashing buildings.
Venezuelans protest plans to overhaul constitution
Caracas, Nov 11 (IANS) Thousands of Venezuelans have come out on the streets to protest President Hugo Chavez's planned changes to the country's constitution that seek to give him a tenure in office for life and unlimited powers, Spanish news agency EFE reported Sunday.
Saturday's was the largest rally staged by the opposition parties since the opening of the National Electoral Council on Nov 2. A countrywide referendum is scheduled to take place on Dec 2 on the government's proposed overhaul of the constitution.
South Africa condemns Bhutto’s killing
By IANS
Johannesburg : The South African government has condemned the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto in a suicide attack Thursday.
"South African President Thabo Mbeki, on behalf of the government and people of South Africa, and on his own behalf, condemns the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and other Pakistani nationals in Rawalpindi," said foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa Thursday.
Mamoepa said South Africa condemned all forms of violence to achieve political objectives.
Haiti police shoot two food-theft suspects: CNN
By DPA,
Washington/Port-au-Prince: Haitian police shot two men who were carrying five bags of rice Friday, killing one of them, CNN reported.
CNN had cameras on the scene as or right after the altercation occurred, showing one man dying and another seriously wounded by shots in the back.
Police told CNN that the two men had stolen the five bags of rice. The surviving suspect said variously that the rice had been a gift from the driver and that the bags had fallen from the truck.
Bystanders and shopkeepers said the men were not thieves.
Uganda, Ethiopia deny selling arms to Somali rebels
By Xinhua,
Kampala : Uganda and Ethiopia denied accusations by a UN panel that their troops in Somalia have been selling weapons to local insurgents.
Earlier this week, a UN panel had accused Ugandan officers in the African Union peacekeeping force, which also groups Ethiopian and Somali commanders, of selling weapons to Islamist rebels in violation of a 1992 arms embargo.
The UN panel has been in Somalia reviewing the 1992 arms embargo placed on the country after it descended into anarchy following the ouster of military strongman Mohamed Siad Barre.
Flooding leaves 180,000 homeless in Brazil
By EFE,
Brasilia : Severe flooding in Brazil has left about 180,000 people homeless and caused at least 15 deaths.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva flew over the flood affected areas in northeast Brazil Tuesday and told people not to despair.
"This is not the time to despair," he told mayors of several cities affected by the flooding during a meeting in Teresina, the capital of the state of Piaui.
US hopes for six-nation talks with North Korea next month
By DPA
Washington : Six-nation talks to begin outlining a plan for North Korea's nuclear disarmament should begin next month after Pyongyang has completed the closing of a key nuclear facility, said a top US diplomat.
New Zealand to focus on counter-terrorism intelligence
Wellington : New Zealand will focus on enhancing foreign trade and strengthening counter-terrorism intelligence, the National Party government Tuesday asserted as it began a...
US delegation to hold talks on North Korea
By DPA,
Washington : A US delegation will travel to East Asia this week for talks with Chinese, Japanese and South Korean officials to explore ways to resume the six-nation negotiations on North Korea's nuclear activities.
Stephen Bosworth, the special US envoy for North Korea, and other US officials are due to arrive in Beijing Thursday before heading to Seoul, Tokyo and Moscow later in the week, the US State Department said Tuesday.
Dutch PM reprimands finance minister over Obama
By Xinhua
Brussels : Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has reproached Finance Minister Wouter Bos for expressing his preference for US presidential candidate Barack Obama.
"The Dutch cabinet does not have a preference for who will be the next US president and nor do individual members of the cabinet, " Balkenende said Tuesday evening.
Earlier Tuesday, Bos said on TV show RTLZ that he found Barack Obama the most inspiring candidate and hoped a Democrat would win the elections.
US warns of more sanctions against Zimbabwe
By DPA,
Washington : The US will consider more sanctions against Zimbabwe if President Robert Mugabe does not follow through on commitments to set up a power-sharing government, the US State Department said Monday.
"Should Mugabe renege on this power-sharing agreement, the US... is prepared to impose additional sanctions," State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said.
Mugabe's Zanu-PF party and the opposition leader and head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, have traded blame for the lack of progress in establishing power-sharing government.
Reducing household carbon footprint helps fight climate change
By IANS,
Washington : Like charity, the battle against global warming should also begin at home, according to a new study.
The study set out to establish that going green, recycling items of daily use and reducing your carbon footprint would be easier if a household's environmental impact is monitored.
The study, which enlisted 20 families to assess how well sustainable behaviour might be inculcated among householders, compared fuel, electricity, water costs and waste generation and recommended cost-effective steps to reduce consumption.
Johansson designs bag to raise funds for Haiti
By IANS,
London : After auctioning a date with her to raise funds for the Haiti relief fund, actress Scarlett Johansson has designed an exclusive handbag to raise money for the earthquake devastated nation.
The bag is emblazoned with an ancient map of the Caribbean country, with the message "Supporting the people of Haiti" written and signed by the "Lost In Translation" star, reported dailystar.co.uk
It will be available through Mango fashion stores across the world with all profits benefiting Oxfam's relief fund for Haiti, which was hit by a massive tremor Jan 12.
13 killed in riot at Congo football match
By DPA,
Nairobi : Thirteen people, mainly teenagers, were killed when riots broke out Monday at a football match in the eastern Congo town of Butembo, the local UN-backed Radio Okapi reported.
It said 35 more youngsters were injured in the rioting, which broke out when the goalkeepers of one of the sides had tried to influence the match through witchcraft.
Vietnam flood toll rises to 80
By Xinhua
Hanoi : The death toll in the worst floods that Vietnam has witnessed in the past 45 years rose to 80 Thursday and nine people are reported to be missing.
Floods hit Vietnam's northern and central regions on Oct 4. The Nghe An province is the most severely-hit region with 34 deaths, according to the Vietnamese Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention.
The floods also damaged over 137,000 houses, and inundated nearly 150,000 hectares of subsidiary crops, said the committee.
S Korean president to meet with U.S. Secretary of State
By Xinhua,
Seoul : South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the weekend in Seoul, according to spokesman of the Foreign Ministry on Monday.
Rice is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Saturday for a two-day visit after attending a meeting of Group of Eight (G8) foreign ministers to be held in Japan.
"Secretary Rice plans to pay a courtesy call on President Lee on Saturday afternoon," Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said.
World press body condemns re-jailing of Israeli whistle blower
By IRNA
Brussels : The world's biggest journalists' group condemned Tuesday as "senseless and inhumane" the decision by an Israeli court to send Mordechai Vanunu, the man who told the world that Israel has developed nuclear weapons back to jail - three years after he ended an 18 year sentence for the original offence.
"Mordechai Vanunu has served his sentence and now he is being victimised for the crime of speaking to journalists," said Aidan White, Secretary General of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
Russia to pull out from Georgia Monday: Medvedev
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Sunday said that Russian troops would pull out from Georgia Monday.
He declared this during a telephonic conversation with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
On Aug 8, Georgia launched a major ground and air offensive to seize control of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia, prompting Russia to send thousands of troops there.
Medvedev Aug 12 signed a French-brokered plan on resolving the conflict in Georgia after a meeting between the Russian president and Sarkozy.
French FM expresses sadness on anniversary of Hariris death
By KUNA
Paris : French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner expressed sadness here Thursday on the third anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, who died in a car bomb attack in central Beirut on February 14, 2005.
"On this sad anniversary of the assassination...I want to associate myself in my own name and in the name of all French people with the mourning of all the Lebanese people, as well as with those of the families and dear ones of the deceased," Kouchner said in a statement.
Princess Diana was distant cousin of Palin
By ,
DPA
London : Princess Diana was a distant cousin of US Republican vice- presidential candidate Sarah Palin, according to a British media report Thursday.
Palin, governor of Alaska, and Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997, are 10th cousins, the Press Association said.
Both are descended from 17th century ancestors John Strong and his wife Abigail Ford, according to the report.
Strong was born in England in 1605 but later emigrated to America with his spouse.
Cabinet nod for pact with Japan
New Delhi : The union cabinet on Wednesday approved signing of a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) between India's department of industrial policy and promotion...
Letter sent 60 years ago lands in local mailbox
By IANS,
Lawrence (US) : A letter sent 60 years ago detailing the mood of the people after Harry S. Truman was elected US president has recently turned up in the mailbox of a Lawrence resident in the Midwestern US state of Kansas.
Xan Wedel opened her mailbox Friday and found the letter postmarked Nov 11, 1948 and the envelope being stamped "Return to sender" and "Found in supposedly empty equipment", the Lawrence Journal-World has reported.
Chinese student sues Microsoft for privacy violation
By Xinhua
Beijing : A Beijing university student has sued Microsoft for infringing upon his privacy, demanding 1,350 yuan ($180) in compensation and an apology published in a national newspaper.
Peking University student Lu Feng said he installed Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage software according to prompts from the Windows XP operating system on his laptop only to find the programme enabled Microsoft to gather information about his computer and him, rather than solely checking whether or not the installed Windows XP system was genuine.
Sri Lankan parliament approves constitutional reforms
Colombo : Sri Lanka's parliament on Tuesday passed a series of key constitutional reforms which include reducing the powers in the hands of the...
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UN Secretary-General stresses role of religious in building peace
By NNN-APP,
United Nations : All of the world’s great religions have a critical role to play in building and cementing global peace, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told a gathering of Asian religious figures Friday.
In a video message sent to the General Assembly of the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace, held at Manila, Ban called on the religions to work together with the UN to build peace, according to a press release issued at UN Headquarters in New York..
Boko Haram unable to disrupt Nigeria elections: UN
United Nations : Senior UN officials said on Monday that the Boko Haram militant group has been unable to disrupt the electoral process in...
Chaco indigenous people suffer forced labour, abuse: UN
By DPA,
New York : Indigenous people of the Chaco regions in both Bolivia and Paraguay suffer forced labour, severe poverty and human rights abuses, a United Nations panel on indigenous issues said in a report released Monday.
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues said, following visits to the regions in April and May, that forced labour continued to be practised despite government efforts to stop it.
Chelsea strikers’ disco closed for racial discrimination
By DPA
Lima : Peruvian authorities have closed a Lima nightclub owned by Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro for 60 days on grounds of racial discrimination.
Tropical Storm Hanna kills 61 in Haiti, heads to U.S.
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : Tropical Storm Hanna has raged through Haiti, killing at least 61 people, and may transform into a hurricane before it hits the U.S., the National Hurricane Center in Miami warned on Thursday.
Hanna left many parts of Haiti submerged in flood waters, and the country's president, Rene Preval, spoke of a "catastrophe." The storm also cut off power supplies in the southern Bahamas on Wednesday and swept across Cuba and Puerto Rico.
India urges Togo to release detained Indian nationals
New Delhi: India on Wednesday urged the western African nation of Togo to take steps for the early release of five Indian nationals who...
Cleanup under way after oil spill from Texas tanker collision
By DPA,
Washington : Work continued Sunday to clean up hundreds of thousands of litres of oil spilled out into the harbour of Port Arthur, in the US state of Texas, after a tanker collided with a tugboat Saturday.
Initial Coast Guard estimates put the spill at 1.7 million litres, though exact levels were not yet known. Thanks to still waters and quick containment, the oil seemed to be contained in a 3.5-kilometre long stretch of the harbour, which should aid cleanup efforts.
Gunman wounds four police officers in US
By IANS,
Washington: A gunman walked into a precinct police station Sunday afternoon in Detroit and opened fire, wounding four officers before he was shot and killed by police.
Powerful quake hits Indonesia, no casualty
By Xinhua
Jakarta : A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale rattled Indonesia's Aceh province Sunday morning, but there have been no reports of injury or damage, officials said.
The quake struck at 12:30 a.m. with epicentre at 113 km northeast of the province and at 30 km under the seabed, an official of the country's meteorology agency said.
In Sinabang town, the closest with the epicentre, there have been no report of damage or casualty so far, a military officer named only Effendi at the town military command said.
Modi receives boomerang from aboriginal dancers
Sydney : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday received a boomerang as a present during a traditional welcome by aboriginal dance performers as he...
Three killed in DR Congo train derailment
By IANS,
Kinshasa : At least three people were killed and some injured when a train derailed here in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Xinhua reported Friday.
India asks Sri Lanka to extend truce, halt civilian casualties
By IANS,
New Delhi : With the humanitarian crisis aggravating in Sri Lanka, India Friday urged Colombo to extend the pause in hostilities to enable civilians trapped in the war zone to move to safe areas and made it clear that any further civilian casualties will be "totally unacceptable".
"The government of Sri Lanka must extend this pause in hostilities to prevent further casualties and enable trapped civilians to leave the area to secure locations," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a hard-hitting statement here.
Russia to Launch Intercontinental Missile
By Prensa Latina,
Moscow : Russia will strengthen its strategic deterrent will during the Stability-2008 military exercise by launching a Topol-M intercontinental missile from the Plesetsk launch site, military sources confirmed here Tuesday.
The rocket will be launched from Plesetsk, in the Russian Federation's northern area, during the maneuvers from October 8-12, under command of the Strategic Rocket Forces (RSVN) Chief Nikolai Solotov, the command's press service reported.
Colonel General Solotov will mobilize about 3,000 troops and 250 weapons, the source said.
EU FMS meet to prepare for EU summit
By KUNA,
Luxembourg : European Union foreign ministers began a meeting here Monday to be dominated by preparations for the summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday. The EU summit in Brussels will focuss on the current economic and financial crisis. The ministers are also expected to discuss relations with Russia and Belarus as well as developments in Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan and Moldova .
Cuban UNESCO for Southern Teamwork
By Marlen Borges, Prensa Latina
Paris : Cuba defended at UNESCO the need to foster South-South cooperation to counteract the inequalities caused by globalization, which work against underdeveloped nations.
In her speech at the 179th meeting of the Executive Council members, Cuban delegate Maria de los Angeles Flores called for a halt to brain drain from southern countries.
Japanese PM arrives in Hokkaido to host G8 summit
By Xinhua,
Tokyo, Japan : Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda arrived in Hokkaido on Sunday for the summit of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations.
Fukuda, host of the summit in the resort of Toyako, is expected to meet U.S. President George W. Bush in the afternoon. Japan has put talks on climate change high on the agenda of the gathering in the northern resort of Toyako to build on the outcome of last year's summit in Germany, where leaders agreed to seriously consider a target of halving greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century.
U.S. Envoy May Return to Beijing for North Korea Talks
By SPA
Washington : The U.S. envoy to multilateral talks on North Korea disarmament could return to Beijing this weekend to meet his North Korean counterpart for talks on ending Pyongyang’s nuclear program, a U.S. official said Thursday.
The official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the United States did not know whether the North Korean official, Kim Kye-gwan, would agree to go to Beijing for such talks with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill.
Russia, Bolivia pledge stronger ties, focus on energy
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia and Bolivia have pledged to strengthen their ties with a focus on cooperation in natural gas production and transportation.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who held discussion with his visiting Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales in the Kremlin Monday, announced that Russia wants a "strategic" energy project with Bolivia, which holds Latin America's second largest gas reserves, until 2030.
Sri Lanka Minister Survives Suicide Attack
By Prensa Latina,
Colombo : Sri Lanka Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maithiripala Sirisena escaped unharmed Thursday from an attack in which one of his bodyguard died, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara reported.
An alleged suicide bomber from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam attacked the delegation of the Minister in Boralasgamuwa, 6 miles Colombo, according to Nanayakkara, injuring five people.
21 dead in China accident
By IANS,
Beijing : At least 21 people were killed and seven others injured Saturday in a road accident in China, authorities said.
Events planned in UK and USA to protest Modi, communal violence
By TwoCircles.net, Staff reporter
London: A demonstration have been planned at Downing Street in London to protest Narendra Modi when he...
Chinese police teargas agitating Tibetan monks
By DPA
Beijing : The Chinese police used teargas on Tibetan Buddhist monks protesting for the second day in Lhasa to demand the release of imprisoned supporters of the exiled Dalai Lama, US-based Radio Free Asia reported Wednesday.
Paramilitary units used teargas against 500 to 600 monks from Sera monastery. About 11 monks, including nine from Sera monastery, were arrested Tuesday.
Monday, to mark the 49th anniversary of a Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, 300 monks left Drepung monastery to walk the 10 km into Lhasa, the capital of China's Tibet region.
Terrorism scare on US-bound plane
By DPA,
Washington : A flight from Amsterdam to Detroit requested emergency assistance beacuse of a disruptive passenger Sunday, two days after an attempted terrorist attack aboard the same flight.
The Nigerian passenger was questioned by investigators in Detroit after he reportedly spent more than an hour in the plane's restroom, and became "verbally disruptive" when flight attendants questioned him, CNN reported. No explosives were found on the man and he deemed not to be a threat.
Russian scientist in ‘spy swap’ flown to Vienna
By DPA,
Moscow/Vienna: A Russian scientist convicted of giving nuclear secrets to the US reportedly arrived in Vienna Thursday as part of a purported spy-swap arrangement between the two former Cold War adversaries, media reports said.
Igor Sutyagin, 45, who was convicted in 2004 of espionage, is believed to be on his way to London to be exchanged for one or more of 10 people charged in late June with spying for Russia in the US.
Bomb attack in Colombo ahead of vote
By IRNA,
New Delhi : Unidentified persons Friday lobbed a bomb targeting the home of opposition Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka's campaign manager Colombo, capital city of Sri Lanka as violence escalated with just four days left for the polls.
The bomb severely damaged the house of businessman and opposition member Tiran Alles in the Western Province and destroyed his car parked in the compound.
But Alles and his family members escaped unhurt, PTI reported.
Australia rejects military general as Myanmar’s Canberra envoy
By DPA
Sydney : Australia Tuesday rejected Myanmar's nomination of an army general as the Southeast Asian country's envoy to Canberra. The snub is in response to the brutal treatment of protesting Buddhist monks and their pro-democracy supporters.
"We made it clear to the Burmese that under no circumstances were we going to have somebody from their military regime as an ambassador, as a representative, here in Australia," Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.
Downer said the rejection of Brig. Gen. Thura U Thet Oo Maung was almost unprecedented.
Pietersen visits Dalai Lama’s residence
By IANS,
Dharamsala : England batsman Kevin Pietersen visited the Dalai Lama's residence here Friday but did not get to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader.
WTC workers suffer from lasting sensory loss
By IANS,
Washington : Workers exposed to the complex mixture of toxic airborne chemicals at the razed World Trade Centre (WTC) had a decreased ability to detect odours and irritants even two years later.
"The nose performs many sensory functions that are critical for human health and safety," said Pamela Dalton, environmental psychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Centre who led the study.
Individuals involved in rescue, recovery, demolition and clean-up at WTC were exposed to a complex mixture of smoke, dust, fumes and gases.
10 killed, over 100 injured in South Korean resort collapse
By IANS,
Seoul,: At least 10 people, nine of them college students, were injured and more than 100 injured when a resort building in a...
Rice in Seoul to review North Korean nuclear programme
By DPA,
Seoul : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Seoul Saturday for talks on North Korea's nuclear programme, a day after Pyongyang destroyed a cooling tower at its Yongbyon plant in a move to show it will dismantle its controversial programme.
Rice arrived from Japan where she had attended a meeting in Kyoto of the foreign ministers of the Group of Eight, the world's seven leading economies and Russia.
Argentina Boosts Links with France
By Prensa Latina
Paris : Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said Monday her current visit to France will boost bilateral relations.
In a brief statement after having lunch with French president Nicolas Sarkozy, the Argentine head of state said that Sarkozy has promised to visit Buenos Aires in 2009.
Our links have been constantly developed for the last few years and they continue strengthening even more, as well as those with the European Union, Cristina said.
US envoy to meet Aung San Suu Kyi
By DPA,
Yangon: US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is scheduled to meet with Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition politicians during a two-day visit to Myanmar, officials said Saturday.
"Campbell will visit here May 9-10 and he will meet both senior officials from government and opposition," an official who requested anonymity told DPA.
The envoy is scheduled to meet Suu Kyi and other politicians in Yangon Sunday, the official said.
US to give $30 mn to upgrade Kyrgyz air control system
By IANS,
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) : The US Congress has approved a fund of $30 million to help upgrade Kyrgyzstan's air traffic management system, the American embassy here said.
McConaughy busy cooking for wife
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Actor Mathew McConaughy is busy cooking for wife Camila Alves as the latter is expecting their third child.
Thailand’s senatorial poll peaceful
Bangkok : Voting for Thailand's upper house of parliament started Sunday, with no disruption from the anti-government protestors reported till noon.
The voting started at...
Yanukovich still Ukraine president: Russian speaker
Moscow : Speaker of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, Valentina Matviyenko Wednesday said Viktor Yanukovich was Ukraine’s legitimate president because...
Dhaka reels under high population growth
By IANS,
Dhaka: Dhaka has become one of the most crowded cities on earth, with a population density of 43,000 per square kilometre, making life harder for the residents.
Over 49,000 vote in Fiji pre-poll
Suva : More than 49,505 electors have cast their votes in Fiji, home to a large Indian-origin population, during a two-week-long pre-poll which commenced...
Cuban doctors manage to defect through Venezuela: Exile groups
By IANS/EFE,
Miami : Around 500 Cuban doctors have defected to the US while serving on aid missions in Venezuela, according to members of Cuban exile groups in Miami.
The latest case occurred Wednesday when seven Cuban physicians managed to leave Caracas's Maiquetia International Airport, after being held there for several hours and after paying hundreds of dollars each to officials.
No plans to reduce oil and gas flow to Europe: Putin
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia will meet its delivery obligations for gas and oil to Western Europe regardless of the conflict over Georgia, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Sunday.
There are no plans to reduce the quantity of gas and oil flowing to the West, the Interfax news agency reported Putin as saying.
Britain's Daily Telegraph had reported that Moscow has plans to reduce the supply of gas and oil if the European Union (EU) decides to impose sanctions on Russia for its recent actions against Georgia. The bloc meets for an emergency summit Monday to discuss a response.
Colombian government, FARC to resume peace talks Jan 26
Bogota : Colombian government representatives and members of the lefist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla rebels will begin their next round of...
There’s still time and space for diplomacy on Iran: US
By IANS,
Washington : The White House Monday reiterated that there was still "time and space" for diplomacy in dealing with Iran's nuclear standoff.
Rafendi Djamin elected Indonesia representative in ASEAN Human Rights Commission
By NNN-Antara,
Jakarta : The Indonesian government has appointed human rights activist Rafendi Djamin to represent it in the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), a foreign ministry spokesman said.
Director of ASEAN Political and Security Affairs Ade Sukendar made the remarks here on Friday.
‘China’s interim price control necessary, legal’
By Xinhua
Beijing : China's interim price intervention announced in mid-January is necessary and in accord with the law and should not be read as an administrative interference with market behaviour, a top macro-economic planner said Thursday.
"As a responsible government, we will not turn a blind eye to the situation," said Ma Kai, minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, referring to the price hikes since mid 2007 which further spiralled due to snow havoc before the Spring Festival.
Bush, Putin face ‘tap dance’ at G8 summit
By DPA
Washington : George W. Bush calls Vladimir Putin "my friend" but tension will be barely concealed at best when the US and Russian presidents meet at the Group of Eight summit.
Terai divided as Nepal searches for president
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : A deep rift in Nepal's Terai plains became clear Monday as the new republic held presidential polls again to choose a successor for deposed king Gyanendra after the first historic election Saturday ended in a fiasco with none of the three candidates able to pull off the simple majority required for victory.
The contest Monday narrowed down to two rivals of Indian origin fielded by the two largest parties who exhausted the gamut of poll alliances to try and wrest a win for their nominees.
Special police to handle car thefts in Moscow
By IANS,
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russia will soon have a special police unit to take care of the growing menace of car thefts in Moscow.
US drone attack kills senior jihadi leader in Libya
Tripoli/Tunis: A US drone strike in Libya has killed senior jihadi leader Abu Iyadh, who was believed to have masterminded a series of terrorist...
Two killed in light plane crash in New Zealand
By DPA,
Wellington : Two people were killed when a home-built light aircraft stalled and crashed at an Air Force base in New Zealand, news reports said Sunday.
The plane's pilot 62-year-old Wayne Matthews died instantly with his sole passenger Brent Baldwin, 46, when the Thorp S-18 crashed Saturday at Whenuapai near Auckland.
Matthews was a retired air force commander who recently set a record for a solo flight around New Zealand.
He was also reported to be vice-president of New Zealand's Sport Aircraft Association.
Sri Lankan civilians flee rebel-held areas for second day
By DPA,
Colombo : Civilians fled Tamil rebel-held areas in north-eastern Sri Lanka for a second consecutive day Tuesday, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.
He said the exact number of civilians who arrived from the rebel-held areas in Puthumathalan, 390 km north-east of Colombo were not known but people were continuing to arrive in military-controlled areas.
On Monday, a record 39,081 civilians fled the rebel-held area using land and sea routes, he said.
Spanish parliament votes to extend Libya operations
By IANS,
Madrid : The majority of Spanish parliamentary parties voted Tuesday to extend the country's participation in NATO's Libya operation by two months.
Russian ship loses timber during storm in English Channel
By RIA Novosti,
London : A Russian-registered cargo ship has lost 1,500 metric tons of timber during a storm off the south coast of England, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said on Monday.
The agency said the Sinegorsk, traveling to the Egyptian port of Alexandria, was caught in rough waters some 14 miles (22 kilometers) off Newhaven on Monday morning and the timber was knocked off its deck.
None of the 25-member crew was injured. After the accident the vessel headed for the English port city of Portsmouth, the agency said.
Payments on Ranbaxy open offer concluded: Daiichi Sankyo
By IANS,
New Delhi : Japanese drug maker Daiichi Sankyo Friday said it had made all payments worth Rs.68.186 billion (around $1.5 billion) toward the open offer to buy 20 percent stake in India's largest pharmaceuticals company Ranbaxy Laboratories.
A total of 92,519,126 shares has been accepted at a price of Rs.737 each, the company said in a statement from Tokyo.
As required by the markets watchdog, Daiichi Sankyo also agreed to pay interest to the shareholders of Ranbaxy for the delay in payment beyond the 15-day consideration period beginning Sep 19.