Scarlett’s mother has no faith in Goa police, wants CBI probe
By IANS
London : The mother of a British teenager murdered in Goa Monday asked for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate her daughter's death.
Fiona Mackeown told BBC Radio 4 that she has asked the chief minister of Goa for a CBI inquiry because she has no faith in the local police, whom she accused of being involved in a "cover up".
"We've had an awful lot of contact with people who have had this situation before," she said.
"I don't have any faith," in the local police, she said, adding: "We don't know how high the corruption goes."
Territorial integrity wins in Kosovo independence case
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27 Indian youth arrested in Colombo for overstaying
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan Immigration officials arrested a batch of 27 Indian youth here during the weekend for staying on though their visas have expired, a senior official said Monday.
Sri Lanka's Immigration and Emigration assistant controller William Deivendrarajah said the Indians were sent to Sri Lanka allegedly by a foreign employment agent in India and were arrested at a lodge at Maradana here for overstaying in the country.
Modi impact: Nepal man’s family reunion an online hit
Kathmandu: A photograph of a happy Jeet Bahadur Saru Magar, a man who was looked after by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has...
Putin, Obama to meet in June, September
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : President Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama will meet at the G8 summit in June and during the US president’s visit to Russia in September, a Kremlin aide said Friday.
Lashkar commander in Britain’s least-wanted list
By Dipankar De Sarkar,IANS,
London : A senior Lashkar-e-Taiba operative is among 22 people who have recently been barred by Britain from entering its borders for fostering extremism or hatred, the country's home ministry disclosed Tuesday.
Nasr Javed is said to be a Pakistan-based commander of Lashkar, the banned terrorist outfit that propagates Islamic rule across the world.
The group has been blamed for last year's 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
Biden demands courage from US Congress on gun control
By IANS/EFE,
New York : US Vice President Joe Biden Thursday demanded "courage" from Congress in approving gun control measures that would include a ban on assault rifles.
Russia’s new envoy to NATO to start work in Brussels on Jan. 28
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : The recently-appointed Russian ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said on Thursday he would start work at the organization's HQ in Brussels on January 28.
"I am flying to my new place of work on Sunday and my meeting with the alliance's secretary general is scheduled for Monday. On January 30, I will participate in my first session of the Russia-NATO Council," Rogozin said.
Colombia denies paying ransom for Betancourt’s release
By DPA,
Buenos Aires : Colombia Friday denied allegations that a ransom was paid to secure the freedom of former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three US contractors and 11 other hostages held for years by leftist rebels.
Vice President Francisco Santos told Argentine radio station America that "it was a clean, most successful operation" and attributed reports of an alleged ransom of $20 million to "counter-information" from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Myanmar, Germany sign agreement on debt relief
By IANS,
Yangon : Myanmar and Germany Monday signed an agreement in Nay Pyi Taw providing debt relief to Myanmar upto 50 percent.
Myanmar President U...
Mexico says it n-plant is safe
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Mexican officials inspected the country's only nuclear power plant following the nuclear crisis in Japan. They said the facility was safe.
Maoists shut down Kathmandu valley after cadre’s death
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Hopes that the political crisis gripping the three-week-old government of Nepal would be resolved Monday with the much-awaited expansion of the fledgling cabinet receded as the opposition Maoist party went on the warpath again, shutting down Kathmandu valley without prior intimation to protest the death of a cadre.
Rajendra Phuyal, an area in-charge of the former rebel group, had been missing for nearly a week and was declared dead Sunday.
Woman rescued 195 hours after China’s earthquake
By Xinhua,
Chengdu : A 60-year-old woman was rescued at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday from rubble in Pengzhou, southwest China's Sichuan Province, more than 196 hours after the May 12 earthquake.
Wang Liqun, a retiree from the provincial capital of Chengdu, had lived on rainwater in the past days. She, still conscious when rescuers found her, was rushed to hospital.
Wang was inside a temple when the quake struck. She was hit by a falling girder in the head and had been in coma until last Tuesday, according to the rescue team from an air force regiment based in Chengdu.
Captain of British n-sub relieved of command
By IANS,
London : The captain of a British nuclear-powered submarine that ran aground in Scotland has been relieved of his command, a media report said.
Cyber space needs rules: China
By IANS,
Beijing: Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Saturday said that "cyber space needs rules and cooperation, not war" and stressed that China is vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Now a temple vs monastery row in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Drawing strength from parliament that three years ago declared the former Hindu kingdom of Nepal a secular state, Buddhist leaders are now demanding the construction of a Buddhist shrine at a famed 12th Century archaeological site, stoking afresh a temple versus monastery controversy.
The new debate centres round Kakrebihar, a site in remote Surkhet district in midwestern Nepal that during excavation by the country's archaeological department yielded a treasure trove of sculptures and stone carvings.
Obama postpones meeting with Dalai Lama: Report
By DPA,
Washington : The White House has postponed a meeting between the Dalai Lama and President Barack Obama until after Obama's meeting with Chinese leader Hu Jintao next month, the Washington Post reported Monday.
The Post said it would be the first time since 1991 that the Tibetan spiritual leader will visit Washington and not meet the US president. He has visited Washington 10 times over that time span.
Nation sleeps out in open, aftershocks add to misery
By Joseph Nathan,
Kathmandu : Almost everyone spent the night outside as tremors kept hitting Nepal's capital Kathmandu and most of the Himalayan nation throughout...
Canadian minister resigns after being caught over-speeding
By Gurmukh Singh,IANS,
Toronto : Imagine even a junior minister in India driving his own vehicle and being booked by cops. But the home minister of Canada's British Columbia province resigned Monday after he was caught and fined for over-speeding.
John van Dongen stepped down as British Columbia's solicitor general (equal to home minister in an Indian state) Monday, saying his driving record meant he should no longer serve as the province's top cop, according to the Vancouver Sun newspaper.
Hillary Clinton Owes 20 Million Dollars
By Prensa Latina,
Washington : The campaign of US Democrat presidential aspirant Hillary Clinton has reached a debt of 20 million dollars.
Even so, the former US First Lady rejects the calls for her to leave the struggle against her rival Barack Obama, said US newspaper The Washington Post Monday.
In its digital edition Monday, The Washington Post said the debit was confirmed by supervisors of Clinton who said the hole in her finances is not a reason to surrender to Barack Obama.
Death toll of China earthquake to exceed 80,000
By KUNA,
Tokyo : The death toll of the May's 8.0-magnitude earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province is expected to exceed 80,000, Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu said on Tuesday.
As of Monday noon, the death toll of the May 12 earthquake stood at 69,181, with 374,171 people injured and 18,498 people reported missing, state-run Xinhua News Agency quoted Hui as saying in Beijing.
More than 13,000 aftershocks were reported after the devastating quake, with the strongest measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, by Monday, according to the news agency.
S-Africa to move cautiously on biofuels strategy
By NNN-BuaNews
Cape Town : The South African Government is moving cautiously as it proceeds with its strategy for biofuels production, reducing the initial biofuels production target of 4.5 percent by 2013 to two percent in the face of increased concern at the prospect of rising food prices.
Speaking to reporters following a post-cabinet briefing by government spokesperson Themba Maseko, Minister of Minerals and Energy Buyelwa Sonjica said that concerns over food security - and the price of key staple foods - played a major role in the decision to reduce the target.
Six policemen killed in Russia attack
By IANS,
Moscow: At least six police officers were killed and several injured when unidentified assailants fired at a convoy in southwestern Russia's Ingushetia region, RIA Novosti reported.
US House majority leader to step down
Washington: US House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced Wednesday that he would resign his leadership post by July 31, after he was defeated Tuesday...
‘Old feuds hindering energy trade in South Asia’
By IANS
Kathmandu : Long-standing political disputes in South Asia have proved a major barrier to the growth of an energy market, according to a World Bank study.
The demand for energy in the region is expected to grow annually in the range of 6.6 percent to 11.5 percent during the next 15 to 20 years, the study noted.
According to the study entitled "Potential and Prospects for Regional Energy Trade in the South Asia Region", India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have energy demand growth far exceeding domestic supply.
Mass grave of World War II troops found
By DPA,
Zagreb : Croatian police confirmed that a mass grave from the Second World War was found on the outskirts of Zagreb, local media reported.
The grave is believed to contain remains of 17 men, possibly of Croatian and German soldiers executed by Yugoslav Communists at the end of the war, the Vecernji List online edition reported.
Police said forensic experts were investigating the site.
Seoul to provide $7.5 million in flood relief to North Korea
By RIA Novosti
Tokyo : Seoul will provide $7.5 million in flood relief to Pyongyang, said the South Korean unification minister Friday.
"We will prepare to send emergency aid to North Korea early next week," Yonhap news agency quoted Lee Jae-joung as saying.
Initial aid shipments will include noodles, drinking water, powdered milk, blankets and medicines, he said.
Hundreds have died in floods caused by the worst torrential rains ever recorded in parts of North Korea and a significant proportion of the country's cropland has been destroyed.
Oil pipeline in Myanmar mutually beneficial: China
By IANS,
Beijing : China has said that an oil pipeline project in Myanmar will serve the mutual interest of both the countries.
Israel denies reports on cyber attacks on Iran n-talks
Jerusalem: An Israeli official on Thursday denied as "baseless" reports that linked Israel to a computer virus that was used to spy on the...
Indian cabbie assaulted, Australia promises concrete action
By IANS,
Melbourne/New Delhi : An Indian taxi driver was Friday assaulted by a star footballer in one more attack on Indians in Australia. Victoria premier John Brumby, in India on a visit, termed the incident as "regrettable" and assured action against the attacker.
Essendon footballer Michael Hurley, 19, was briefly held for kicking and punching the unidentified Indian cabbie outside a fastfood centre after an altercation on Hoddle Street in Melbourne early Friday morning, the Herald Sun reported.
Magnitude 6 quake hits Philippines, no losses reported
By IANS,
Manila : An earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale hit the Philippines Monday, but there was no report of any casualty or damage, the US Geological Service said.
The quake was recorded at 6.16 p.m. local time with the epicentre at 45 km southwest of Cotabato city in Mindanao region, and at a depth of 33 km, Xinhua reported citing a statement from the US organisation.
The Philippines sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic activity.
Brazil to build air crash memorial
By Xinhua
Brasilia : Brazilian TAM airlines has decided to build a memorial at the company's cargo service building, nearly three weeks after an Airbus A320 crashed causing 200 deaths.
The building, which was the headquarters of the TAM airlines cargo service, was demolished Sunday afternoon with 75 kg of dynamite. A special company employed by TAM is to begin a search among the debris for remains and victims' mementos.
Brazil's state news agency Radiobras quoted Sao Paulo State police saying that a total of 151 victims have been identified.
After nuclear test, North Korea test-fires missile
By Xinhua,
Seoul : North Korea appeared to have test-fired a short-range missile Monday after it conducted a nuclear test, a media report said. The 130 km-range missile was fired from its Musudanri missile base in Southern Hamkyung province, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said.
"The US and South Korean authorities are working together to assess the missile launch," Yonhap said, quoting sources.
DPJ Execs Decide To Reject Nomination Of Watanabe As Bank Of Japan Deputy Chief
By Bernama
Tokyo : Executives of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan decided Tuesday to reject the government's nomination of Hiroshi Watanabe for the post of deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, even though some of the party's lawmakers indicated earlier that the nomination would be approved, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.
But the DPJ leadership did decide to endorse the proposed promotion of BOJ Deputy Governor Masaaki Shirakawa to governor, party lawmakers said.
Chinese petrol far below global levels even after price hike
By Andreas Landwehr, DPA,
Beijing : "Did you fill up before midnight?" one Beijing taxi driver called out to another Thursday night, making sure they all hit the Chinese capital's petrol stations before the clock struck 12.
The taxi drivers are affected by a 16-percent increase in petrol prices, in force since Friday, and can only hope that their companies will pick at least part of the increased tab.
But in the end, many may face earning losses from 10 to 20 percent.
"Can't be helped," one driver said, shaking his head. "It always hits us small fish."
Bioengineering aids a landslide victory in Nepal
By Badri Paudyal, IANS
Kathmandu : Five years ago, landslides on highways made frequent headlines in Nepal. Today the worry in people's minds as they travel by road has changed to relief, reports science site Scidev.net.
This is a result of bioengineering technology, which, along with conventional civil engineering, has helped combat landslides in Nepal.
When landslides occurred in Krishnabhir, some 80 km from here, they were a nightmare for those travelling on the Prithvi highway, the main transport artery of the nation.
Fire at World Trade Center in New York
By IANS,
New York : A fire broke out at the One World Trade Center tower in New York Saturday but firefighters managed to put it out in about an hour, media reports said Sunday.
Spanish artist Pablo Palazuelo dead
By IANS
Madrid : Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Palazuelo died Wednesday in Madrid at the age of 90.
Immediately after the news of his death, Spanish Culture Minister Cesar Antonio Molina said Palazuelo was "one of the most important figures in abstract art of the second half of the 20th century" and that his death constitutes "a great loss for the world", Spanish news agency EFE reported.
Palazuelo, born Oct 6, 1916, studied architecture in Madrid and later at Oxford before deciding to fully devote himself to painting in 1939.
Party leader: Nepali Congress wants to lead gov’t
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : A leader of the Nepali Congress (NC) has said that his party still wants to lead the coalition government even after its defeat in the Constituent Assembly poll, The Kathmandu Post reported on Saturday.
Talking to journalists on Friday, former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said the NC should continue to lead the coalition government
Chinese PM meets Obama
By IANS,
Phnom Penh : Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao met US President Barack Obama Tuesday on the sidelines of the seventh East Asia Summit in Cambodia.
Chocolate’s grandfather would have sent you high
By IANS
New York : The ancients discovered cacao -- the source of cocoa and chocolate -- much earlier than believed. And they first used it to brew alcoholic beverages, a new study has found.
Recent chemical analyses of residues on pottery excavated at Puerto Escondido in Honduras suggests that the cacao seed was first used somewhere between 1400 and 1100 BC, Sciencedaily.com reported.
Poland should follow Obama’s lead on missile defense – FM
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Poland should not lobby the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on missile defense but should accept any decisions Washington takes, the foreign minister has told a Polish newspaper.
"We should accept any U.S. government decision [on missile defense] instead of playing the role of a Pentagon faction lobbyist. We should not interfere in somebody else's business," Radoslaw Sikorski said in an interview published in Gazeta Wyborcza on Monday.
Most European nuke sites insecure: US report
By DPA,
Washington : A US Air Force investigation concluded that "most sites" used for deploying nuclear weapons in Europe lack the minimum security requirements of the US Department of Defence, according to the Federation of American Scientists that pushed for release of details of the report.
A summary of the report was released in February, but declassified details obtained by the federation reveal "a much bigger nuclear security problem in Europe" than was previously known, the group wrote on its website.
Former police chief in Mexico arrested for kidnapping
By EFE,
Mexico City : The former police chief in the Gulf coast port of Veracruz was among 11 people arrested for the kidnapping of Mexican customs official Francisco Serrano Aramoni, who remains missing and is feared dead.
Jose Osiris Cruz was detained Wednesday by military police, the Mexican Attorney General's Office said.
A Veracruz state judge issued warrants for the arrest of Cruz and 10 other suspects on charges of racketeering, drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession, AG office spokesman Ricardo Celso Najera said.
Another Indian Canadian killed in drug gang war?
By IANS,
Vancouver : Yet another Indian Canadian man appears to have perished in the drug gang war here, but police are yet to confirm if this is indeed the case.
Twentynine-year-old Sarbjit (Steve) Nagra Friday drove his bullet-riddled SUV to a hospital in Maple Ridge, about 40 km from here, after he was shot.
Dragging himself to the emergency room of the hospital, he told the doctors that he had been shot. After initial treatment, he was shifted to the Royal Columbian Hospital near here.
But Nagra succumbed to his gun shots.
Two years after 7/7, Britain still top terror target
By DPA
London : The recent failed car bomb attacks in Britain have reinforced the findings of terrorism experts that two years after the 7/7 suicide bombings in London, Britain is Europe's top target for Al Qaeda-linked terrorism.
Dalai Lama welcomes appointment of US coordinator for Tibetan issues
By IANS,
Dharamsala : The Dalai Lama Sunday welcomed the appointment of an official by the United States to promote substantive discussion between the Tibetan spiritual leader's representatives and the Chinese government.
"The Dalai Lama welcomes the decision (of the US) to appoint Under Secretary Maria Otero as the special coordinator for Tibetan issues and he is looking forward to working with her," said a statement posted on the Central Tibetan Administration website.
Israel to build world’s biggest seawater desalination plant
By IANS,
Jerusalem:Israel is planning to build the world's largest seawater desalination plant, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
The 300,000-sq-metre Sorek desalination facility, to be constructed near the coastal city of Ashkelon, will supply 150 million cubic metres annually, a quarter of the country's needs, Xinhua reported citing a statement released by Netanyahu's office Sunday.
The Israeli cabinet discussed the desalination plant and related infrastructure projects, including connecting Israeli army bases to a wastewater treatment network, the statement said.
Sonia condemns attack on Afghan parliament
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday condemned the terror attack on Afghan parliament, calling it a "heinous attempt by fundamentalists to subvert...
Obama says he won”t tolerate excuses in US response to Haiti quake catastrophe
By KUNA,
Washington : President Barack Obama on Thursday said his national security team understands that he will not put up with any excuses for the United States not doing the very best in this time of tragedy in Haiti.
Speaking on Thursday evening before the US House Democratic caucus at their retreat on Capitol Hill, the President said the Haiti earthquake crisis was "a moment for American leadership."
Blast kills two soldiers in Ecuador
By IANS
Quito (Ecuador) : Two Ecuadorian soldiers have been killed and another was wounded when a bomb they were defusing exploded at a military base, Spain's EFE news agency reported Friday.
The blast occurred Wednesday afternoon at the Santa Cecilia military base near the San Miguel River, which serves as the natural boundary with Colombia.
An army patrol found several caches of explosives and military hardware apparently belonging to illegal Colombian armed groups, the defence ministry said.
Former Peruvian President Fujimori extradited to stand trial
By Xinhua
Santiago : Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was extradited Saturday to stand trial in Peru on human rights and corruption charges.
Fujimori was flown in the morning by a Chilean helicopter from his house north of Santiago to a military airport near the city, where he boarded a Peruvian propeller-powered plane and left for his home country.
China hosts 1st visit by Iraqi president, cancels debt
By XinhuaÂ
Beijing :Â China and Iraq on Thursday signed four agreements in Beijing, including one that canceled some Iraqi debt, as Iraqi President Jalal Talabani paid his first state visit to China.
    Chinese President Hu Jintao and Talabani attended the signing ceremony of the agreements after talking for an hour in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.
    No information was available about how much Iraqi debt would beset aside by China.
North Korean media reports public appearance by Kim
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Amid widespread speculation over the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, state-controlled media of the communist state Sunday reported the public appearance of the leader.
Sunday's report that Kim, 66, attended a military art performance was the latest to quell rumours that he has been incapacitated following a stroke he suffered in August.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim "warmly waved back to the cheering performers and congratulated them on their successful presentation."
Obama hits back at Bush over appeasement comments
By DPA,
Washington : Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama lashed out at President George W. Bush Friday for carrying out an "appalling attack" by suggesting the Illinois senator would appease terrorists.
"After eight years I did not think I could be surprised about anything George Bush says," Obama said at a campaign rally in Watertown, South Dakota.
"That's exactly the kind of appalling attack that divided our country and alienates us from the world," he added.
About 2 mn people traded as slaves every year: report
By Xinhua
Luanda (Angola) : Some two million people, mainly children and women, are sold every year as slaves across the world for prostitution and forced labour, a report says.
Joao Lourenco, deputy speaker of Angola's national assembly, was quoted by the country's official news agency Angop as saying that in addition to those sold as slaves, about 15 million people were subjected to conditions comparable to prostitution and forced labour.
Sugar buying fraud found in Russia’s prisons
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russian investigators have uncovered new fraud schemes inside the country's prison system involving buying sugar for prisons at inflated prices.
20,000 phone lines cut in New Jersey
By IANS,
New York : Over 20,000 government telephones in New Jersey have been disconnected after an audit found they were lying useless and costing the economy over $3 million.
Telecommunications authorities disconnected the phones that "no one was using", after the audit report was released.
New Jersey State Comptroller Matthew Boxer said the Office of Information Technology will "generate periodic reports of lines with zero usage to ensure agencies are disconnecting their unused lines", Fox News reported.
White House spokesman departs on day of change in Egypt
By DPA,
Washington: US President Barack Obama's spokesman Robert Gibbs held his final White House briefing after more than two years on the job.
UN special envoy starts Myanmar shuttle diplomacy in Bangkok
Bangkok,(DPA) United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari started a regional tour in Bangkok Monday to push Myanmar's neighbours and regional partners to help resolve the Myanmar crisis.
The trip comes only weeks after the military junta there cracked down on peaceful protestors in late September and early October and imposed draconian security measures including a curfew, closing of Internet access and arresting more than 1,000 protestors.
Obama to reverse ban on stem cell funding
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama plans to reverse a ban on government funding for embryonic stem cell research next week, fulfilling a campaign promise on what has long been a divisive moral issue in the US, media reported Friday.
Obama will sign an executive order to that effect Monday, ending a policy adopted by former president George W. Bush during his first year in office, the Washington Post reported.
Stem cell research has long been a controversial ethical issue in the US, along the lines of abortion rights.
Helicopter crash kills three in Mexico
By IANS,
Mexico City : At least three people were killed when a police helicopter crashed in Mexico, Xinhua reported Thursday.
Ruling party accuses Maoists of killing a member
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : A ruling party in Nepal Monday said the Maoists - who are part of the coalition government - had killed one of its members in gross violation of the peace pact.
China, Portugal to boost strategic partnership
Beijing : Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday held talks with his Portuguese counterpart Anibal Cavaco Silva to promote bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.
Recalling their over...
Accurate quake forecast still not possible: Experts
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The earthquake on May 12 in China's southwest took less than two minutes to kill some 70,000 people and injure many more, mostly in Sichuan province.
Shock turned to grief and then to anger as people began to look for someone to blame.
The target of the anger is China Earthquake Administration (CEA). The chief mission of the CEA's Institute of Earthquake Science is to make short and medium term earthquake predictions.
Protesters attacked at Pashupatinath temple
By Sudeshna Sarkar,IANS,
Kathmandu : After a week of simmering tension, violence erupted on the hallowed premises of Nepal's Pashupatinath temple Sunday as a mob, alleged to be Maoists, attacked a rally by temple helpers who were protesting the ouster of three Indian priests and the controversial appointment of two Nepalis in their place.
Cuba, Venezuela sign joint projects worth over $3 bn
By RIA Novosti,
Havana : Venezuela and Cuba have signed agreements on 285 joint projects totalling about $3.16 billion at the summit of a regional trade bloc in Havana.
Speaking after the signing of the documents, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that the countries began intensifying cooperation "in 2000 with 17 modest projects worth some $30 million".
"This is a mechanism of cooperation, which has no other precedents in the world. It is unbelievable how it grew up in the last 10 years," he added.
Water scarcity will create global security concerns: Pachauri
By IANS,
Washington : Water scarcity as a result of climate change will create far-reaching global security concerns, Nobel laureate and Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Rajendra K. Pachauri has warned.
"At one level the world's water is like the world's wealth. Globally, there is more than enough to go round. The problem is that some countries get a lot more than others," said Pachauri, co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, Tuesday.
Ukraine PM Tymoshenko to meet Putin in Moscow
By SPA
Kiev : Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko heads for talks in Moscow on Wednesday, including a meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, Reuters quoted her office as saying, a week after
Ukraine clinched a deal to avoid a cut in Russian gas supplies.
Gas rows between Ukraine and Russia, which supplies a quarter of Europe's gas needs, have been a big issue since a dispute between the two states disrupted export in January 2006.
Nepal PM poll headed for failure again
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Nearly 50 days after Nepal's Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned under Maoist pressure, the Himalayan republic is yet to get a new premier with a fifth round of election in parliament scheduled Wednesday heading for failure yet again.
As Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda contests the election against Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel, neither is likely to garner the support of half the lawmakers in the 601-member parliament mandatory to form the new government.
Accidents kill 2,000 children worldwide every day
By Xinhua,
Manila : More than 2,000 children are killed in accidents or as a result of unintentional injury every day, while tens of millions are left with life-long disabilities every year, a report on accidental deaths of children by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has said.
Cyprus detains ship with military cargo
By IANS,
Nicosia : Cyprus has detained a vessel loaded with unspecified military cargo reportedly meant for Sudan and Singapore.
The ship named "Santiago", carrying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, was detained when it anchored off Cyprus' southern port of Limassol, requesting permission to enter for refuelling.
14 killed, 27,000 homeless in Madagascar storm
By DPA,
Antananarivo: A storm in Madagascar left 14 people dead, 27,000 homeless and thousands of houses damaged after ravaging the tropical island, national television reported Saturday.
The region around the town of Mananjary was hit the hardest Friday, the report said.
A quarter of the town was flooded and electricity and water supplies were disrupted, local authorities said.
Blocked and flooded roads were hampering relief efforts, officials said.
Three rescued miners released from hospital in Chile
By DPA,
Copiapo (Chile) : The first three of the rescued San Jose miners were released late Thursday from hospital after routine tests, Chilean media reported.
Obama unable to solve economic problems: Fidel Castro
By RIA Novosti,
Havana : Former Cuban president Fidel Castro has said that Barack Obama is incapable of solving the problems faced by the US.
In his Monday newspaper column, Reflections, Castro also suggested that other countries would be the real victims of the US financial crisis.
"Neither (Barack) Obama, nor (Rahm) Emanuel, or any of the other brilliant politicians and economists that he has gathered together can solve the growing problems of the capitalist North American society," Castro wrote.
12 killed in clashes in Kyrgyzstan
By IANS,
Bishkek : At least 12 people were killed and over 100 injured in overnight clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan, a health ministry official said Friday.
Armoured vehicles have been sent in to stabilise the situation after hundreds of youths smashed windows, looted shops and set fire to cars in the city.
Earlier, the Kyrgyzstan interim government declared a state of emergency in the southern city of Osh due to the turmoil there, Xinhua reported.
Nepal bus ‘blast’ kills seven ahead of polls
By IANS
Kathmandu : As Maoist chief Prachanda was warning of violence and possible assassination of political leaders ahead of the April election, a blaze in a packed bus, reportedly caused by a blast, killed seven passengers in trouble-torn south Nepal and injured nearly two dozen more.
Krishna Moktan, who along with his wife and two kids had Friday boarded the bus heading towards the frontier town of Birgunj from Janakpur in the Terai plains, said the vehicle stopped at one place where two women passengers got down.
Indian toll in Haj stampede rises to 81
New Delhi : The toll of Indian pilgrims killed in the stampede near Makkah in Saudi Arabia during Haj has risen to 81, the...
“No ordinary storm” hits New Zealand
By SPA,
Wellington : What weather forecasters warned would be "no ordinary storm" hit New Zealand on Saturday, bringing down power lines, toppling trees and ripping roofs from houses as torrential rains flooded the Northland region, DPA reported.
Winds gusting to 165 kilometres an hour were recorded at Cape Brett in the Bay of Islands and officials warned people to leave the centre of Whangarei, the region's biggest city with a population of about 50,000, as floodwaters swollen by high tides threatened.
China quake toll goes past 62,000
By Xinhua,
Mianyang (China) : China Sunday said over 62,000 people were killed in the May 12 earthquake in the southwestern province of Siachun as the government stepped up measures to prevent landslides and floods in the quake hit areas.
More than 350,000 were injured in the quake and some 24,000 people were still missing. A total of 638,305 people had been rescued and resettled to safer places by the military and civilian rescuers, said Guo Weimin, director of the information office.
Komagata Maru apology amid ‘Bole So Nihal’ slogans
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Vancouver : Amid shouts of "Bole So Nihal", Canada's British Columbia provincial assembly in Victoria city formally apologised for the Komagata Maru tragedy involving immigrants from India 94 years ago.
The Komagata Maru was a Japanese ship that was hired by a wealthy Sikh, Gurdit Singh (from Malay, now Malaysia), to bring 376 Indians to Vancouver from Hong Kong to challenge Canada's racist 'continuous journey' policy of that time.
Under that policy, only those immigrants could enter Canada who came directly from India without breaking their journey.
Radiation detected in Japanese cars imported in Russia
By IANS,
Moscow : High levels of radiation have been detected in at least 20 cars imported from Japan to a Russian port city, a media report said Tuesday.
China’s 30 years of reform and opening up
By Wu Qi, Xinhua,
Beijing : This autumn was a season of revelry and national pride for the Chinese. Still basking in the glory of spectacular summer Olympics in August, the whole nation had something else to celebrate as its astronaut became the first Chinese to perform a space walk.
Zhai Zhigang Sep 27 emerged from the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft and walked the space for about 20 minutes, seen by the whole nation in a live telecast.
Myanmar population increases by over 200,000 in seven months
Yangon : Myanmar's population increased by 237,975 in the first seven months (April-October) of the 2014-15 fiscal, media reported Thursday.
The number of births during...
Sentence upheld against armpit fetishist in Singapore
By DPA,
Singapore : A 14-year prison sentence was upheld against a 37-year-old Singaporean with an urge to sniff and suck the armpits of women he molested, a newspaper reported Friday.
Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong called Mohammed Ismail Arifin a "big risk to society - not only to the adults but also the young girls" and upheld the prison term imposed in June by a district court on 10 charges, the Straits Times said.
But Chan reduced Mohammed Ismail's caning sentence to 12 strokes from 18 because, Chan said, he did no real violence to his victims.
Americans more likely to elect a woman than a black president
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Americans think the country is more ready to elect a woman as president rather than a black person, a recent poll has shown.
The candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have brought up the question of electability based on race and gender to the forefront in the ongoing presidential election campaign.
The latest nationwide New York Times-CBS News poll posed the question to Democratic primary voters.
Of those surveyed, 65 percent said the country was ready for a woman president. Slightly more men than women think so.
Indian set ablaze in Melbourne, Australia denies racist angle
By IANS,
Melbourne/New Delhi:Days after India asked Australia to take urgent action against those behind the murder of an Indian student a week ago, a 29-year-old Indian was set ablaze Saturday by four unidentified attackers in Melbourne, putting bilateral ties under strain. The victim was admitted to hospital, where his condition was described as "not critical".
The Australian government condemned the incident but insisted that it was not racially motivated.
China deports 10 pro-Tibet activists
By DPA,
Beijing : China has deported all 10 pro-Tibet activists it arrested for protesting or helping to organise protests during the Beijing Olympics, releasing them before the end of their 10-day detention following pressure from the US embassy, a US-based Tibet rights group said Monday.
"All 10 have been deported. They were deported (Sunday evening in Beijing) before the end of the closing ceremony," said Heather Reddick, an international operations director for the New York-based Students for a Free Tibet.
Non-Aligned Movement calls for nuclear disarmament
By SPA,
London : Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) called for the disarmament of nuclear weapons as the only guaranty to prevent the danger posed by nuclear weapons to the survival of human beings, according to Antara.
Such an appeal was extended in the second preparatory committee meeting of the nuclear weapons non-proliferation conference in Geneva which happened to be part of a review conference of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapon to be held in 2010.
Modi gifts ‘Tree of Life’ painting to Hollande
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted French President Francois Hollande a painting titled 'Tree of Life', reflecting traditional societal respect for nature...
China arrests 12,000 for selling drugs online
By IANS,
Beijing : Over 12,000 suspects have been arrested in China in a nationwide campaign against the sale of narcotics on the internet, the government said Sunday.
Russia’s upper house recognizes Georgia’s rebel regions
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia's upper house of parliament voted unanimously to recognize Georgia's rebel regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia Monday.
After an emergency meeting of the house, lawmakers issued a statement to President Dmitry Medvedev urging recognition of the two provinces that are ethnically separate from Georgia.
Gulf traffickers network in Nepal exposes slack Mumbai vigilance
By IANS,
Kathmandu : A newly exposed Gulf trafficking network in Nepal Friday also revealed chinks in the security armour in Mumbai, where terrorists launched an audacious attack two days ago.
Since last year, at least 250 women from one disadvantaged community in south Nepal were trafficked to Saudi Arabia via Mumbai, mostly using fake passports. But the Indian aviation authorities at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport failed to detect the deception.
Ex-Tamil Tigers to enter politics in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : Former Tamil Tigers who have completed rehabilitation programmes have expressed interest in entering politics, the Sri Lankan media reported Thursday.
Shanghai residents opt for ‘BMW’ to beat traffic
By IANS,
Beijing: Frustrated with traffic jams, Shanghai residents are increasingly leaving behind their cars and adopting "BMW" -- bus, metro,walk.
Britain’s Labour Party suffers losses in local polls
By DPA
London : Britain's ruling Labour Party suffered marked losses in local and regional elections, the last of the Blair era, but results Friday showed that the party steered clear of an "electoral disaster" that had been widely predicted.
Austrian man survives 250-metre, head-down chairlift ride
By DPA,
Vienna : Hanging on with one leg, an Austrian ski-lift worker survived a 250-metre ride dangling upside down from a chairlift Saturday, Austrian broadcaster ORF reported Sunday.
The man had loaded a sledge onto the lift in the Tyrolean ski resort of Imst, when his leg caught in the sledge's strap. He was rescued unhurt after skiers noticed his plight and informed the lift operator.
The ski-lift worker would likely have died had he fallen off during the ride, the lift's manager, Bernhard Schoepf, told ORF.
North Korea alleges US planning surprise attack
By Xinhua,
Pyongyang : North Korea Thursday accused the US of planning a surprise pre-emptive attack on the communist country as the fallout of its denuclearisation programme.
"The US imperialists are now massively beefing up their naval and air forces and rapid task forces in South Korea and around the Korean Peninsula to stifle North Korea by force of arms," the official KCNA news agency quoted a military source as saying Thursday.
British government to become main shareholder in two banks
By DPA,
London, Oct 12 (DPA) With the implementation of its 500 billion pound ($850 billion) rescue package, the British government will on Monday become the biggest shareholder in two of the country's largest banks, a report said Sunday.
The government was due to launch a rescue plan Monday for Britain's two largest banks, which need a collective 35 billion-pound injection.
China makes world’s fastest supercomputer
By IANS,
Washington: A Chinese scientific research centre has built the fastest supercomputer ever made, replacing the US as maker of the swiftest machine, a media report said Thursday.
Obama to publish list of White House visitors
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama announced Friday he will publicize a list of most visitors to the White House to provide more information about who has access and influences policy.
The move was meant to satisfy demands by watchdog groups who have insisted on greater public transparency about the role of lobbyists in decision-making.
Army spokesman: DPRK not to abandon nuclear deterrence
By Xinhua,
Pyongyang : The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Monday it would not abandon nuclear deterrence if the United States maintains its troops on the Korean Peninsula at their current level.
A spokesman for the Panmunjom Mission of the Korean People's Army (KPA) made the remarks in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency after Washington and Seoul agreed to maintain U.S. troops in South Korea at their current level.
Iran advises US to hold talks in context of Group 5+1
Tehran, Jan 28, IRNA , Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki here on Monday advised his US counterpart, Condoleezza Rice, to hold talks with Iran in the context of the Group 5+1.
Talking to reporters, he said, "We have set forth our transparent and logical stand and insist on our rights regarding nuclear energy." Urging the US authorities to be realistic, he said Washington has accepted that nuclear energy is Iran's legitimate right, but they say that Tehran should suspend nuclear its program.
Acquitted ex-warlord gets hero’s welcome in Kosovo
By DPA
Pristina : Former Kosovo rebel commander and prime minister Ramush Haradinaj have returned home to a hero's welcome after being acquitted of alleged war crimes against Serbs.
A drummer group and hundreds of cheering people, some waving Albanian and US flags, greeted Haradinaj at the airport in Pristina Friday, the capital of newly independent Kosovo, when he arrived from The Hague.
"I am pleased to be...back with my family and among the citizens of Kosovo, where I belong," he said later in a televised speech.
Nepal bans anti-China activities but Dalai Lama allowed entry
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Under growing pressure from the Chinese government after six of its lawmakers met exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama in India, Nepal announced a ban on all anti-China and pro-Tibet activities from Monday, celebrated by the Tibetan diaspora worldwide as the 74th birthday of the Nobel laureate.
However, a senior minister clarified that there was no bar on the spiritual leader visiting Nepal as long as international laws were respected and the visit had no political agenda.
Anti-Hindi protests grow in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : For the fourth day in a row Saturday, tumultuous protests continued in Kathmandu, the Terai plains and other regions of Nepal with thousands of students burning the effigy of newly elected Indian-origin vice-president Parmanand Jha, and demanding an apology from him for taking his oath of office in Hindi.
Taipei Zoo’s panda website crashes under wave of curiosity
By DPA,
Taipei : A website set up by the Taipei Zoo for the two pandas given to the island by China crashed as too many Taiwanese tried to catch a glimpse of the two cute animals, zoo officials said Thursday.
"On Wednesday, the number of clicks on the Panda website surged from 17,000 on Tuesday to 37,000, causing the website to crash. We have asked the Taipei City Government to repair it and to enlarge the servers' capability," zoo spokesman Chin Shih-chieh told reporters.
Georgian opposition rallies in Tbilisi against election results
By RIA Novosti
Tbilisi : About 15,000 activists of the united Georgian opposition gathered in Tbilisi on Sunday to protest the January 5 presidential election results.
Georgia's central election commission on Sunday officially announced Mikheil Saakashvili as the winner of the early presidential poll in the South Caucasus republic with 53.47% of the vote while his nearest rival, united opposition candidate Levan Gachechiladze, won 25.69% of the votes.
32 sites in race for World Heritage status this year
By IANS,
Paris : The World Heritage Committee will consider inscribing new sites on Unesco's World Heritage List when states' parties meet July 25 - Aug 3 in Brazil, the Paris-based UN organisation said in a statement Tuesday.
The 34th session of the World Heritage Committee will see presentation of properties by 35 states parties to the World Heritage Convention, Xinhua reported.
Details of 32 new properties were submitted for inscription on the World Heritage List this year.
To date, the list recognizes 890 properties of "outstanding universal value" in 148 countries.
Communist Party of China expels top leader
Beijing : Zhou Yongkang, a retired senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has been expelled from the party and prosecutors have...
Desmond Tutu asks Israel to improve human rights record
By Prensa Latina
Geneva : Anglican Archbishop and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu has asked Israel to improve on its human rights records with Palestine before the next meeting of the Human Rights Council.
Nepal: Families want answers to cases of the disappeared
By NNN-IRIN
Kathmandu : Families of hundreds of people who went missing during the armed conflict in Nepal want the cases of their disappeared relatives to be resolved.
For the past six years, Ram Kumar Bhandari has been struggling to find out about his father, Tej Bahadur, who disappeared after government security forces arrested him in 2001 on suspicion of supporting the Maoist rebels.
Educating a rural nation
By Madi Sharma, EuAsiaNews,
London: In Europe there is a "Right" for all to have access to free education, thus leaving no excuse as to why children should not attend school.
More and more this "Right" is accepted by governments across the world and extended to their young citizens with the importance of an educated society being acknowledged as a key tool to economic development, growth and poverty alleviation.
Therefore one would ask why all children, especially in developing countries, do not attend school when a free education is provided by the State.
CPN-M decides not to join new Nepali gov’t
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) Tuesday officially decided not to join the post-election government, its chairman Prachanda announced the decision at a press conference in Kathmandu.
A meeting of the CPN-Maoist Secretariat held Tuesday came up with the decision to stay in opposition and concluded that the other political parties are forming alliance against the CPN-M.
Emerging from the meeting, Prachanda told journalists that his party decided to revoke its earlier decision to form a new government.
95 killed in Sri Lanka, Air Force bombs LTTE strong hold
By NNN-PTI
Colombo : At least 92 Tamil Tigers and three soldiers were killed in intensified fighting in Sri Lanka's embattled north as the security forces said they have reclaimed some rebel-held areas in Mannar in the offensive.
Sri Lankan Air Force also targeted the rebel strongholds of Mannar and Mullaitivu to facilitate the ground attack.
Five children killed in fire in US
By Xinhua
Jakarta : Indonesian Police Wednesday said they arrested Abu Dujana, commander of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) - a terror group operating in South East Asia allegedly responsible for Bali bombings.
Tense Calm in Timor Leste
By Prensa Latina
Dili : Calm prevails in Timor Leste on Tuesday, amid tensions over possible consequences of the recent attacks against the president and prime minister.
President Jose Ramos Horta was shot and wounded yesterday by a group led by former military deserter Alfredo Reinado, who died in the attack, according to Prime Minister Hanana Gusmao, who escaped unharmed in a similar action.
Ramos Horta was operated at an Australian hospital, and doctors are hopeful on his full recovery.
Obama urges action as White House sees continuing recession
By DPA,
Washington : US president-elect Barack Obama Friday called for urgent action to stem the country's economic decline, lending his backing to a $825-billion stimulus package introduced by lawmakers Thursday.
The outgoing Bush administration said it expects the US recession to continue through at least the first half of 2009 and unemployment to surge to 7.7 percent this year, according to a White House forecast issued Friday.
But Obama warned that even with a massive injection of public cash into the world's largest economy "things could get worse before they get better."
Cambodia’s apex court rules out ex-Russian billionaire’s extradition
Phnom Penh : Cambodia's Supreme Court Friday ruled out the extradition of ex-Russian billionaire Sergei Polonsky, who is wanted in his homeland for embezzlement.
"Cambodia...
ITU draws road map to connect world’s cities, villages
By Prensa Latina
Geneva : The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has drawn up a road map to reach the benefits of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to the remotest corner of the world as part of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2015.
Russia to deploy new ICBM in 2014
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russia will deploy its newest medium-weight solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in 2014, a military source said.
Pilot killed in Russian chopper crash
By IANS,
Moscow: A military helicopter crashed in central Russia's Saratov region Tuesday, killing a pilot and prompting the air force to ground all Mi-8 choppers.
Indian turmeric powder yields its healing secrets
By IANS,
Washington : Tumeric power, a spice regarded as auspicious and anticeptic in India, has finally yielded its healing secrets, according to scientists.
Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy, professor of biophysics, University of Michigan, who conducted the study along with colleagues, pointed out that turmeric has been used for centuries in Indian folk medicine to treat wounds, infections and other health problems.
Although modern scientific research on the spice has burgeoned in recent years, scientists until now did not know exactly how curcumin works inside the body.
Argentine first lady to run for president’s post
By IANS
Buenos Aires : Argentine first lady Senator Cristina Fernandez will run for the presidential post and her candidature will be announced later this month, Spanish news agency EFE said Monday.
Dalai Lama supports ban on bullfighting in Spain
By DPA,
Barcelona : The Dalai Lama has given his backing to a planned bullfighting ban in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia, the animal rights association ADDA said Friday.
There was "considerable evidence" that bullfights were "a cruel practice which publicly inflicts atrocious pain to innocent and sentient animals," the Dalai Lama said in a letter quoted by ADDA.
Tibet's spiritual leader urged Catalan regional legislators to support a bullfighting ban which has already won preliminary acceptance by the regional parliament.
Car bomb hits university in Spain
By Xinhua,
Madrid : A car bomb exploded near a university in northern Spain Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of casualty, the national radio reported.
The blast, occurred near the University of Navarre in Pamplona, smashed windows of a nearby building and damaged several cars parked near the blast site, the report said.
The city of Pamplona is close to the Basque country which has been the target of bomb attacks by ETA separatists, who are fighting Spanish government demanding independence of Basque.
Nepalese vice-president escapes bomb attack
By DPA,
Kathmandu : A bomb exploded at the private residence of Nepalese Vice-President Parmananda Jha, injuring at least one person, the police said Sunday.
The police said the bomb exploded at Jha's house on the eastern outskirts of the city Sunday evening during a power outage. The vice-president was in the house at the time.
"The bomb was thrown into the compound from outside and injured a soldier assigned for the vice-president's security," the Kathmandu district police said.
"The vice-president was at his home at the time and is safe."
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...
Global leaders take a leaf from Manmohan Singh’s book
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington : Outlining a far-reaching action plan to tackle the growing global economic crisis, world leaders have agreed to act urgently upon all the three major issues Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raised at the G-20 summit here.
Meeting in the historic summit, the presidents and prime ministers from the Group of 20 leading economies called for greater oversight of financial markets and more efforts to bolster national economies even as they agreed to start work on reshaping international financial institutions.
Over 2,000 trapped miners rescued in South Africa
By Xinhua
Johannesburg : Over 2,000 of some 3,200 miners trapped about 2,200 meters underground at a South African gold mine since Wednesday have been rescued, gold mining company Harmony Gold said on Thursday.
By 12:50 p.m. local time (1050 GMT), 2,000 miners had been brought to surface at Elandsrand mine near Carletonville, about 110 km west to Johannesburg, the company's spokeswoman Amelia Soares said, adding that the rescue work was being conducted "smoothly".
Johannesburg : Over 2,000 of some 3,200 miners trapped about 2,200 meters underground at a South African gold mine since Wednesday have been rescued, gold mining company Harmony Gold said on Thursday.
By 12:50 p.m. local time (1050 GMT), 2,000 miners had been brought to surface at Elandsrand mine near Carletonville, about 110 km west to Johannesburg, the company's spokeswoman Amelia Soares said, adding that the rescue work was being conducted "smoothly".
Ram Baran Yadav – a man who saw three revolts in two nations
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
UN calls for ‘maximum restraint’ by India, Pakistan along LoC
United Nations: Welcoming the upcoming meeting between the national security advisers of India and Pakistan, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on both countries to...
Depardieu happy to get Russian citizenship
By IANS,
London: French actor Gerard Depardieu is pleased to have been granted Russian citizenship.
Corus to cut 3,500 jobs in ‘body blow’ to British economy
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Indian-owned steelmaker Corus Monday announced it was shedding 3,500 jobs in a cost-cutting move described by a union boss as dealing a “body blow” to recession-hit Britain.
Up to 2,500 of the redundancies were expected in Corus's British plants.
The job losses were announced as part of a series of strategic and structural measures aimed at improving the competitive position of the Anglo-Dutch company that is owned by Tata Steel.