Spanish economy contracts less sharply in third quarter
By EFE,
Madrid : Spain's gross domestic product contracted again in the third quarter, although the decline relative to the previous quarter was just 0.4 percent compared with a drop of 1.1 percent in the April-June period, the central bank said.
The year-on-year decline also was not as pronounced, with the economy shrinking 4.1 percent in the third quarter relative to the same period last year, or slightly less than the 4.2 percent drop reported in the second quarter, Banco de Espana said Thursday in its latest economic bulletin.
Karmapa heads to Germany on religious tour
Dharamsala : The 17th Karmapa, the third most important Tibetan religious head, has left here for Germany on a fortnight-long religious tour, one his...
Destruction of wetlands will release massive greenhouse gases
By IANS,
Washington : Destruction of wetlands will release a staggering 771 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, with devastating consequences.
Meeting in Cuiaba at the edge of South America's Pantanal wetland on Monday, 700 experts from 28 nations at the 8th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference will prescribe measures urgently needed to manage these vibrant ecosystems.
Criminal case against Ukraine judge for suspending presidential decree
By RIA Novosti,
Kiev : The Ukrainian government has launched a criminal case against a judge who ruled to suspend the presidential decree dissolving parliament and calling early parliamentary elections, according to the Unian news agency.
"The criminal case against the judge has been opened on the charge of his knowingly passing an unlawful ruling," Unian Sunday quoted Kiev Prosecutor Yevheniy Blazhyvsky as saying.
The Kiev district court Saturday suspended the presidential decree for early parliamentary vote.
Liver cancer can be caused by excess growth hormone
By IANS,
Vienna: In a major discovery, Austrian scientists have found that the overproduction of a growth hormone can cause liver cancer.
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UAE, Nepal discuss cooperation on labour issues
Abu Dhabi, Jan 25 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has said it is keen to boost cooperation and coordination with Nepal and realising the benefits of the Abu Dhabi Declaration on ensuring labour rights, WAM news agency reported Friday.
UAE Minister of Labour Ali Abdullah Al-Kaabi and his Nepalese counterpart Ramesh Lekhak met Thursday on the sidelines of the Gulf Forum on Temporary Contractual Labor conference here.
The forum's meeting concluded here Thursday.
US stocks mixed after Monday’s surge
By DPA,
New York: US stocks were mixed Tuesday after a strong first trading day in 2010, with the S&P and Nasdaq both advancing.
The US Commerce department reported that factory orders were up 1.1 percent, more than twice as much as projected, feeding optimism in the wake of a separate positive factory index released Monday.
On the downside, contracts to buy previously owned homes plunged 16 percent, more than had been anticipated, as US consumers wait for a first-time buyer tax break to be extended, Bloomberg financial news service reported.
Islamist Abu Hamza extradited to US
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Islamist Abu Hamza al-Masri and four other terror suspects have flown out of Britain on board a plane bound for the US, the BBC reported Saturday.
At least 13 killed in train-bus collision in Slovakia
By DPA,
Bratislava : At least 13 people were killed Saturday when a local passenger train crashed into a tourist bus in central Slovakia, the police said.
The collision took place at around 9 a.m. (0800 GMT) on an "unprotected" railroad crossing near Polomka village, police spokeswoman Maria Faltaniova told DPA.
The bus came to a halt on the crossing as the driver was shifting gears, Sme daily reported on its web site sme.sk.
The police would not elaborate on the accident's cause, which is under investigation.
69 dams in danger of bursting in quake-hit Sichuan province
By SPA,
Beijing : China's Water Ministry says 69 dams are in danger of bursting in Sichuan province in the wake of an earthquake nearly two weeks ago.
The ministry gave the number in a statement before a news conference Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
Celine Dion goes topless
By IANS,
London: Singer Celine Dion has gone topless for a magazine photoshoot.
Greek programme must be realistically funded: EU commissioner
Paris : European Union (EU) Economic and Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici Monday said the reform programme that will be submitted by the Greek...
Obama seeks national policy to protect oceans, coastline
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Friday ordered federal agencies to come up with a common national policy to protect the country's coastlines, oceans and major lakes.
US coasts and oceans - as well as the Great Lakes along the northern border with Canada - are currently managed by a patchwork of state laws and agencies.
Obama issued a presidential memorandum instructing a new taskforce to come up with recommendations for a comprehensive national policy within 90 days.
Apparent stomach infection hits 11 children in east Siberia
By RIA Novosti,
Krasnoyarsk : Eleven children aged 3-6 were hospitalized with an apparent stomach infection in the East Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, a spokeswoman for the city's health department said on Sunday.
"Eleven children were hospitalized with the symptoms of yersiniosis. According to preliminary data, the infection was caused by a cabbage salad," Yulia Kryukova said.
US announces probe into mine blast; toll reaches 29
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama vowed the government would conduct a thorough investigation of the country's worst mining accident in decades after the bodies of four missing US miners were found early Saturday.
The final death toll stood at 29.
"We did not receive the miracle we prayed for," said West Virgina Governor Joe Manchin. "This journey has ended and now the healing will start."
Beckham welcome in Australia, says old pal Heskey
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Melbourne: David Beckham would be wise to move to the Australian A-League football, his former England teammate Emile Heskey said Saturday.
Violence grips Sri Lanka
By SPA
Colombo, Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka's cease-fire deal ended Wednesday in a spasm of violence, as suspected Tamil Tiger rebels bombed a civilian bus, gunned down the fleeing passengers and attacked farmers as they retreated into the bush, killing 31 people.
The attack stoked fears that the official end of the six-year-old truce -- largely ignored in recent years -- would lead to even worse violence, according to a report of the Associated Press.
Cambodia calls in FBI to help find journalist’s killer
By DPA,
Phnom Penh : Cambodia has called on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to help find the killer of an opposition journalist and his son, who were gunned down last month during the national election campaign, a government spokesman said Saturday.
Police General Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the interior ministry, said that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Interior Minister Sar Kheng, in the interests of transparency, had decided Friday to call in the FBI over the slaying of Khim Sambo.
"We want this to be public knowledge," Khieu Sopheak said.
German MPs signal green light for renewing Kosovo military mandate
By IRNA,
Berlin : German legislators here Thursday approved extending the military mission in Kosovo for a 10th consecutive year.
Some 499 lawmakers voted for the mandate, 57 MPs opposed and three abstained.
The Left faction cast their ballots against the mission in Kosovo.
While there are presently 2,870 German soldiers deployed in Kosovo as part of the NATO-led KFOR mission, the German parliamentary mandate allows the stationing of up to 8,500 troops in the former Serbian province.
Russia to enact law limiting emissions
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday the draft of a proposed bill on permissible level of industrial emissions would be tabled in the lower house of parliament in October.
"The draft is being prepared, and I hope by Oct 1 it will be submitted to the State Duma," Medvedev told a Kremlin meeting.
"We need to draft a complete system on acceptable levels of environmental impact," he said.
‘Qatar needs to ensure better protection of Indian workers’
By Gyanendra Kumar Keshri, IANS,
Stocks plumb further as sentiments remain low
By Lalit K Jha, IANS,
New York : With investors showing little sign of confidence in the market, stocks plumbed further this week as major US companies resorted to further job cuts, mulled filing for bankruptcy and posted big quarterly losses.
Wall Street reported another low at the closing of business Friday, a few hours before the world leaders from top 20 economies, including India, sat down in Washington to discuss the current financial meltdown over a dinner at White House.
Russia’s lower house extends presidential, parliamentary terms
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The State Duma or lower house of Russian parliament Friday approved an amendment to the constitution extending the presidential tenure from four years to six and the parliamentary term to five years.
The bill, which now goes through the upper house Federation Council, was passed with 392 votes in favour and 57, all Communist Party members, against the motion.
It will gain constitutional validity when passed by both houses and at least two-thirds of the regional legislatures, and would apply to the successor to incumbent President Dmitry Medvedev.
Nepal to impose strict measures against Everest climbers
By IANS,
Kathmandu : After several breaches of rules and guidelines while climbing Mt Everest, Nepal has decided to adopt strict measures for aspirants from...
EU considers to revoke ban on Indonesian airlines
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : The European Commission plans to consider revoking the ban on all Indonesian airline companies in the session to be held on July 9 to 11.
Director General for air transportation and Indonesian Ministry of Transportation Budhi M. Suyitno said that the decision to revoke the ban will be decided by 27 members of European Union on July 10.
"We have sent all data which has been validated by the European Union," Bisnis Indonesia daily Tuesday quoted Budhi M. Suyitno as saying.
Canadian prime minister restakes claims to the Arctic
By DPA
Ottawa/New York : Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has restaked his country's claims to the resource-rich Arctic region by going on an "Arctic sovereignty tour".
Harper started the three-day tour with the announcement of an expansion of a nature reserve in Canada's far north, one of the remotest regions on the planet.
The announcement means that the Nahanni National Park in the North-West Territories would cover 28,000 sq. km in the future.
Congo rail accident toll rises to 76
By IANS,
Brazzaville (Republic of Congo) : The toll in Monday's train accident in the Republic of Congo has risen to 76, a media report said Wednesday.
The accident occurred between Pointe-Noire town and capital Brazzaville in the southern part of the country Monday night, Xinhua reported. Four rail wagons fell into a ravine near Yanga station, about 60 km from Pointe-Noire.
Initial reports had placed the toll at 60 with about 450 people being treated for injuries.
Pope meets Bush in medieval tower
By DPA,
Vatican City : Pope Benedict XVI broke with normal Vatican protocol Friday to welcome US President George W. Bush for talks in a medieval tower.
The pontiff stood several minutes waiting for Bush in the Vatican gardens outside the Tower of St. John - an unusual sight since normally it is guests who wait to be received by the pope.
Bush, accompanied by his wife Laura, arrived in a motorcade which made its way slowly through a tree-lined avenue after entering Vatican City.
Merkel congratulates Sarkozy after election victory
By DPA
Berlin : German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke with Nicolas Sarkozy over telephone Monday and congratulated him on his "great victory" in the French presidential elections.
It’s already new year in Nepal!
By IANS,
Kathmandu : While the rest of the world has begun an eager countdown to the new year, which will be ushered in from Thursday midnight, it is already 2010 in the exotic Himalayan land of Nepal.
For the Tamu or Gurung community of Nepal, an ethnic people believed by many to have migrated from western Mongolia, 2010 starts from this Wednesday, the last day of the lunar calendar they follow traditionally.
Indonesia urges S Arabia to mete out heavy punishmen on abusive employers
By NNN-Antara
Tangerang : The government of Indonesia through its foreign ministry has urged Saudi Arabian courts to mete out heavy punishment against the employers of two Indonesian female domestic helpers accused of torturing the duo to death.
"We have sent this message through our consul in Riyadh to Saudi Arabian law enforcers to heed our call for the enforcement of justice against the perpetrators," Director of the Indonesian Workers Protection at the Foreign Ministry Teguh Wardoyo told Antara here on Saturday.
India, Tajikistan ink agreements in culture, HRD
Dushanbe (Tajikistan): India and Tajikistan on Monday inked agreements in the field of culture and human resource development after talks between Prime Minister Narendra...
International conference opens on banning cluster bombs
By SPA
Wellington : Delegates from more than 120 countries opened negotiations Monday on an international convention that would ban the use, production, trade and storage of cluster bombs that cause unacceptable harm to civilians, AP reported.
Talks on the convention, first launched by Austria, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Peru and the Vatican last year, aim to define which cluster bomb weapons should be banned and which, such as those dispensing chaff used to deflect airborne missiles, can continue to be used.
1/10 of young Chinese netizens suffers Internet addiction
By Xinhua
Beijing : About 9.72 percent of Chinese netizens between the ages of 13 and 30 suffer Internet addiction, a survey revealed on Friday.
The survey defines an Internet-addicted as one whose life, career and interpersonal relations are harmed by Internet use, said the report issued by the China Youth Association for Network Development (CYAND).
Brazil’s Lula says Obama victory would be extraordinary thing
By IANS,
Havana : Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said a victory of Democratic Party contender Barack Obama in the US presidential poll would be "an extraordinary thing" and equated it with the leftist victory in some Latin American countries, EFE reported Sunday.
America goes to poll Tuesday to elect their president between Barack Obama, the first black American to get a party nomination for the highest office of the country, and Republican John McCain.
Indian, Israeli prime ministers discuss defence, trade
New York: With India-Israel ties on the upswing after Narendra Modi's election, the prime ministers of the two countries met Sunday to discuss boosting...
Fresh attempts to rescue Copenhagen climate summit
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Copenhagen : A fresh attempt to rescue the collapsed climate summit in this Danish capital started Thursday, after the host Denmark gave up its insistence on pushing a Copenhagen Agreement it had drafted. The agreement drafted by 192 countries together will now form the basis of discussions.
Honduras most dangerous country for journalists
By IANS/EFE,
Paris: With the killing of five journalists in March, Honduras has become the world's most dangerous country for media professionals, a new report says.
The report by Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres Borders (RSF) said Friday "no one has been brought to justice for any of the murders or any of the physical attacks or acts of intimidation or censorship of journalists and human rights activists" in the country in recent months.
Closest UK elections in over 35 years
By IRNA,
London : Britons go to the polls next month to cast their votes in what could be the closest general election in over 35 years and the lowest turnout in almost a century.
The date of the elections on May 6 was confirmed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown Tuesday as the latest opinion polls show the opposition Conservatives leading the ruling Labour Party but perhaps by not enough in marginal seats to win an overall parliamentary majority.
Eight militants killed while attacking conference venue in Somalia
Mogadishu: Eight gunmen, believed to be Al Shabaab militants, died in an attempted suicide attack on a conference venue in the town of Adado...
Nepal to start flights to more than 18 Indian cities soon
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : The Nepali government will soon start regional flights linking to more than 18 destinations in Indian metros, The Himalayan Times reported on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion of International Civil Aviation Day, Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Hisila Yami said, "Nepal will soon launch regional flights from Biratnagar, Jhapa, Lumbini and extend to 18 more destinations of India like Gaya, Patna and other cities."
China expects world’s ‘return gesture’ for opening up
By IANS,
Beijing : Beijing wants "something in return" from other countries, including the US, for further opening up its market for their products.
Cash-strapped Zimbabwe postpones economic summit
By DPA,
Harare : A summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) due to take place in Zimbabwe has been postponed for the second time this year, fuelling speculation the cash-strapped country cannot afford to host it.
The 13th summit of the 19-nation COMESA, which had been scheduled to take place from November 25 to December 8 in the resort town of Victoria Falls has been postponed to next year, Zimbabwe's government announced in a statement Wednesday.
Zimbabwe is due to take over the rotating chairmanship of the body from Kenya at the summit.
And now, a marijuana vending machine
By DPA
Los Angeles : Authorised medical marijuana users in Los Angeles no longer have to worry about running out of their medicine in the middle of the night.
Two licensed marijuana dispensaries in the west coast city this week unveiled 24-hour medical marijuana vending machines.
The machines are filled with small sachets filled with glistening buds of different sizes and strains. Though they might seem like a stoner's hallucination, access to the machines is strictly controlled by round the clock security guards.
Progress needed in North Korean nuclear talks: ministers
By DPA
Seoul/Jeju : The foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea said Sunday that the stalemate in negotiations on North Korea's nuclear programme had to be overcome urgently.
Over 50 Indian-origin candidates in UK general election
London : Over 50 candidates of Indian origin are contesting in Thursday's British general election, the outcome of which should be known by Friday...
Germany’s imams fear hate attacks
By DPA,
Bonn (Germany) : Imams have told a top German official that Muslims in Germany fear they may suffer hate attacks.
China bans foreign words in local media
By IANS,
Beijing : China has banned the use of foreign words, particularly English ones, in the Chinese media.
Dutch government approves burqa ban
By IANS,
The Hague: The Dutch government Friday approved a ban on face-covering clothing, such as a burqa, a niqab, a forage cap, or a full face helmet, reported Xinhua.
Japan urges openness from N.Korea to move nuclear talks forward
By RIA Novosti
Tokyo : Japan urges North Korea to provide full information on its nuclear activities to enable six-party agreements to be implemented, Kyodo news agency quoted a top government official as saying on Tuesday.
Under an agreement reached last October between the United States, Japan, Russia, China, and North and South Koreas, Pyongyang was to provide complete information on its nuclear programs by the end of 2007 in exchange for economic and political concessions. However, the North missed the deadline, causing the six-way negotiations to stall.
Bhutanese woman civil servant to contest elections
By IANS,
Thimphu : Tshewang Tashi is the first Bhutanese civil servant this year to have decided to join politics, saying it's "payback" time.
US jobless claims surge to highest in 26 years
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits last week topped 600,000, a level not seen since October 1982, according to a government report released Thursday.
The number of initial jobless claims jumped to a much-higher-than-expected 626,000 in the week ended Jan 31, according to the US Labour Department. That's up from a revised 591,000 in the previous week and the highest level since the last week of October 1982, when jobless claims reached 637,000.
‘G-20 summit core agenda is to rejig economic system’
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Outlining the core agenda of the G-20 meeting here later this month, Canada Thursday said the grouping will work to put the global financial system on a more solid footing to avoid repeat of the economic meltdown.
Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney told the International Organization of Securities Commissions meeting in Montreal that reducing systemic risk and creating a more resilient global financial system tops the G-20 core agenda.
LTTE sympathisers in Tamil Nadu, Kerala: Narayanan
By IANS
Alappuzha (Kerala) : Small groups of people who sympathise with Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers exist in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan said Sunday.
"We have reports about pockets in both these states helping the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). The state intelligence agencies and the Intelligence Bureau are working on this information," Narayanan told reporters here.
Early this month, the Tamil Nadu Police seized a boat from a boatyard in Kerala that was being manufactured for the LTTE.
Barack Obama asks Robert Gates to stay at Pentagon
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Seeking experience in a time of war, US president-elect Barack Obama has asked President George Bush's Defence Secretary Robert Gates to stay in his job at the Pentagon, if only temporarily.
Obama, who campaigned on a platform of "change" has also chosen a retired Marine general James Jones to be his national security adviser to bring years of experience to the cabinet, media reports said Tuesday citing Democratic Party officials.
Parth notches maiden international win
By IANS,
Guangdong (China): India's Parth Ghorpade continued his great start to round four of the 2012 Formula Pilota Championship when he won the first race here Saturday.
American Institute of Indian Studies gets Taraknath award
By IANS,
New York : The Taraknath Das Foundation has given its annual award for contribution to Indo-US understanding to the Chicago-based American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS), which works to advance knowledge about India in the US.
Foundation director Leonard A. Gordon presented the award plaque to AIIS president Ralph Nicholas in the presence of a dozen past recipients of the award here Friday.
Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to work for Caucasus stability
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed Sunday to work together for improving the situation in the Caucasus and instructed their foreign ministers to intensify efforts to settle the Nagorny Karabakh conflict.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to discuss a settlement to the conflict in light of the recent war in Georgia.
Warmer India-Pakistan ties to help US war on terror: Obama
By IANS,
New York : More convivial relations between India and Pakistan would help the war against militants in Afghanistan and the US should work to improve trust between the two countries, democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has said.
"A lot of what drives, it appears, motivations on the Pakistan side of the border still has to do with their concerns and suspicions about India," Obama said at a news conference in the Jordanian capital Amman Tuesday, as reported by the US print and electronic media.
Sri Lanka’s ruling alliance wins local elections
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has recorded a significant victory in the provincial and local elections held Saturday.
In the final official results declared here Sunday, President Mahinda Rajapakse led seven-party alliance has recorded a landslide victory in the central Uva province by winning 25 seats in the 34 seat council, while the main opposition United National Party (UNP) scored seven seats.
Shooting at Finnish school, casualties feared
By Xinhua,
Helsinki : A gunman Tuesday opened fire at a vocational school in northwest Finland, media said.
Police said several people were feared dead in the shooting in Kauhajoki, a small town 300 km from Helsinki.
A man with a ski mask went into the school building before the shooting took place, CNN cited a witness as saying.
The gunman, around 20-year-old, has been disarmed, news agencies quoted police as saying.
But a CNN report said the suspect has reportedly killed himself.
Kidnapped Hungarians released in Syria
By IANS,
Budapest: Three Hungarian nationals kidnapped in Syria earlier this month have been released, Hungarian officials said.
Germany, UAE set to boost bilateral trade, build business park
Germany, UAE set to boost bilateral trade, build business park
Dubai, May 25 (IANS) United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Germany have started construction of a business theme park here that will serve as a trade hub for German businesses in the gulf region, WAM news agency reported Sunday.
The business park is being built at a cost of 1.1 billion UAE dirhams (about $300 million) at the Dubai Silicon Oasis area.
Israel, US plan huge joint anti-missile test
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Israel and the US plan to test three types of defence systems in a joint military operation in Israel, an Israeli newspaper reported Tuesday.
According to the report, the exercise code-named "Juniper Cobra" is supposed to last all the year. Part of the joint military exercise could be test-firing defence missiles.
The joint exercise comes as a response to Iran's suspected nuclear armament programme, the newspaper said.
5,000 civilians flee Sri Lanka’s war-zone: Military
By IANS,
Colombo : Over 5,000 civilians Monday fled Sri Lanka's northern war-zone and entered the government-held areas as troops continued to advance towards the last stronghold of the Tamil Tigers as part of their "hostage rescue mission", a military spokesman here said.
"A record 5,000 besieged civilians in the Puthumathalan No Fire Zone (NFZ) escaped from the grip of the LTTE and reached the army-held areas in Puthukkudiyiruppu early this (Monday) morning," Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told IANS.
White House Offers $3 Million in Aid to Myanmar
By SPA,
Washington : The White House announced Tuesday it was offering $3 million in aid to help Myanmar recover from a deadly cyclone that reportedly killed over 20,000 people.
“The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has allocated an additional $3 million in funding” to help Myanmar meet “urgent needs,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters.
10,000 families homeless after huge fire in Manila
Manila : More than 10,000 families were displaced after a fire that raged for 12 hours and destroyed over 5,000 houses in Metro Manila,...
European Greens call for boycotting Olympic’s opening ceremony
By DPA
Brussels : Europe's Green lawmakers were set Wednesday to call for a boycott of the Olympic Games' opening ceremony by European government leaders, athletes and journalists.
Sarkozy sues website for ‘fake’ SMS to ex-wife
By DPA
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy has filed a criminal complaint against the website of the Left-wing weekly Le Nouvel Observateur for publishing an SMS he supposedly sent to his former wife a few days before his marriage to Carla Bruni, French media reported Friday.
The message to his former wife, Cecilia, read: "If you come back, I'll cancel everything." It was an allusion to his wedding with the former supermodel, which took place Feb 2. Sarkozy's divorce from Cecilia was announced in October.
Strong link between mobile use and road accidents found
By IANS,
Toronto : Canadian doctors have warned that using cell phone while driving adversely affects the brain's capacity to identify the danger, its visual concentration, the speed to process information and hence its reaction time.
Basing their research on various studies from around the world, the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) doctors here say that there is a strong link between mobile use by drivers and road accidents around the world.
Russia warns US on Georgia support
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia has warned the US over the latter's support to Georgia in its efforts to spread propaganda.
FC Barcelona president Rosell to visit China
By IANS,
Madrid : FC Barcelona president Sandro Rosell will lead a club delegation to China in a bid to strengthen "institutional and commercial" links between the club and the country.
Demonstration outside US Embassy in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : A demonstration was held outside the US Embassy in Sri Lanka Thursday against the US sponsored resolution scheduled to be discussed at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Beijing mayor resigns
By IANS,
Beijing : Beijing's Mayor Guo Jinlong resigned from his post Wednesday following a meeting of the city's municipal congress.
Ecuatorial Guinea President Ends Cuba Visit
By Prensa Latina
Havana : Ecuatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo winds up Sunday an over 48-hour visit to Cuba, in which he inked two accords and met with First Vice President Raul Castro.
"We and our peoples are greater friends, and we help each other,"
Raul Castro told press after signing two agreements between both governments.
They were the reciprocal lifting of visa requirement in diplomatic, official and service passports, and cooperation between the foreign affairs ministries of Cuba and Equatorial Guinea.
Myanmar officials sentenced to death for secret leak
By DPA,
Yangon : A court in Insein Prison sentenced two officials to death and a businessman to 15 years in jail for revealing state secrets, officials said Friday.
Army Major Win Naing Kyaw and Foreign Ministry official Thura Kyaw were sentenced to death by the prison court Thursday for leaking information last year about a trip to Pyongyang by a senior general, said the source who asked anonymity.
Myanmar businessman Pyan Sein was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment for his involvement in the case.
‘Dr Death’ to return to Australia to face charges, patients relieved
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : Justice seems closer home Thursday for the families and loved ones of former patients of India-born American citizen, Dr Jayant Patel, as he decided to forego his fight against extradition from the United States and return to Australia to face charges.
Australian authorities have been hoping to bring Patel to Queensland to face charges for 16 offences, including manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and fraud, relating to his employment as director of surgery at regional Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005.
Now Madonna to adopt from Lesotho?
By IANS,
London: After a failed attempt to adopt a baby girl from Malawi recently, pop diva Madonna is now eying to adopt a child from Lesotho, landlocked country surrounded by South Africa.
The 50-year-old singer, who is in the process of appealing a court ruling that she cannot adopt four-year-old Mercy James from Malawi, is said to be considering giving a child from the impoverished African kingdom a home as she is desperate to become a mother again, reports dailymail.co.uk.
Construction of Caspian gas pipeline in 2008
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russian prime minister Mikhail Fradkov said Friday the construction of a pipeline to pump Central Asian gas along the Caspian Sea coast and through Russia would begin in the second half of 2008.
U.S., Russia to announce deal on launch services by end of week
By RIA Novosti,
Mission Control (Moscow Region) : Russia and the United States will announce a preliminary deal on Russian transport services to the International Space Station for the U.S. by the end of the week, NASA said.
Russian space specialists are currently in Houston to discuss contracts for 2011-2013, Mark Bowman, the manager of NASA'S Moscow Technical Liaison Office, said after the U.S. Discovery shuttle's launch to the ISS on Monday.
Any deals reached will be subject to approval from Congress, which will announce its decision later in the summer, he said.
Maldives president promises to implement reforms
By IANS
Male : Asia's longest-serving leader, Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has said that the political reforms initiated in the Indian Ocean island nation four years ago will be implemented in full and will be his "legacy".
"I firmly believe that the political reforms that I proposed in June 2004 can be implemented in full in a few years from now," Gayoom told Hamaroalhi Daily, a Maldivian newspaper last week.
Colombia announces major oil discovery
By IANS,
Bogota : In what could be its most important hydrocarbons find in 10 years, Colombia has announced the discovery of a huge oil reserve in the eastern plain region, EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
British firm Emerald discovered the the petroleum deposit in the eastern plains region which is home to a number of oil rigs and natural gas extraction plants, Energy Minister Hernan Martinez announced Tuesday.
He told Caracol Radio that the field located in Meta province, 200 km east of Bogota, could contain reserves of about 100 million barrels of heavy crude.
Somalia sends troops to release ship with Russian seamen
By SPA,
Pretoria : Somalia’s authorities have sent troops to release the Amiya Scan cargo ship with four Russian seamen, a local official said , according to Itar-Tass.
The dry cargo ship Amiya Scan, belonging to a Dutch company and sailing under a Panamanian flag was on its way to the Romanian port of Constanta, when pirates in the neutral waters of the Gulf of Aden attacked it. It was traveling from Kenya’s Mombassa port.
Spain to offer 500,000 euros in aid to cyclone-hit Myanmar
By Xinhua,
Madrid : The Spanish government said on Tuesday that it would contribute 500,000 euros (775,000 U.S. dollars) to the World Food Program to help cyclone-hit Myanmar.
The announcement was made during a meeting at Spain's International Cooperation Agency for Development (AECID) on the situation in Myanmar which was hit by Tropical cyclone Nargis recently.
What most urgently needed in Myanmar included blankets, drinking water and food, according to reports from Spain's embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, and from some non-governmental organizations.
Taiwan premier resigns
By DPA,
Taipei : Taiwan Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said Monday that he submitted his resignation to the president to take the blame for a disaster triggered by last month's Typhoon Morakot that left close to 700 dead and thousands homeless.
Liu said his resignation was approved by President Ma Ying-jeou Saturday ahead of a cabinet shuffle Thursday.
Magnitude of human tragedy in Myanmar
By IRNA,
Kuala Lumpur : The Myanmar government put its tally of deaths since Cyclone Nargis struck early Saturday at 22,500 and said 41,000 people were missing.
Such early estimates often prove inaccurate, and the wide path of this cyclone, which destroyed homes across the fertile Irrawaddy Delta and into Yangon, the nation's main city, left a large area of destruction, complicating rescue efforts and damage assessments for days or weeks to come.
Strong quake rocks eastern Indonesia
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : A strong earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale Saturday rocked the eastern Indonesian province of Maluku, the country's meteorology agency said.
The quake occurred at 07.04 a.m. (0004 GMT) Saturday. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, officials said.
The epicentre of the quake was located 97 km northeast of the provincial capital Ambon, according to officials.
The National Disaster Management Agency said there were no reports of damage so far.
4 US police officers shot dead
By DPA,
Washington : Four US police officers were shot dead by unknown gunmen near an air force base in Washington State in what police said was an ambush, US media reported.
The uniformed officers were sitting at a coffee shop in Tacoma, near the McChord Air Force Base, when two men stormed in and opened fire Sunday, broadcaster KING-TV reported.
Investigators believe the officers were targeted and that it was not a robbery. "This was a targeted, selected ambush," Pierce County police spokesman Ed Troyer told journalists.
Lavrov to leave for Mideast June 26 for talks
By IRNA
Moscow : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will leave for Israel and Palestine on June 26-27 for talks on prospects for the stabilization of the situation in the Middle East, experts said on Monday.
Lavrov is also planning to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"The talks will focus on the situation in Palestinian territories, in particular its humanitarian aspect.
Henry finally signs for Barcelona
By DPA
Madrid : Thierry Henry has finally signed for FC Barcelona - exactly a year after turning down the Catalan giants.
OSCE chairman condemns use of force in Armenia, calls for dialogue
By RIA Novosti
Vienna : The OSCE chairman-in-office, Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva, has condemned the use of force against peaceful demonstrators in Yerevan earlier on Saturday.
Armenian riot police broke up a protest rally in the capital Yerevan by several thousand people protesting the results of the February 19 presidential election in the Caucasus republic.
US says energy cooperation with China to benefit both
By Xinhua,
Washington : Cooperation between the US and China in the energy field will benefit both countries, a senior US official has said.
"Working cooperatively with the Chinese to both develop new energy technologies and increase the energy efficiency of our economies is a worthy goal that we believe will contribute to a stable bilateral relationship," said Katharine Fredriksen, acting assistant secretary of US Energy Department at a hearing in Congress Wednesday.
Lottery held to pick new patients in Canadian clinic!
By IANS,
Toronto : A Canadian medical clinic held a lottery this week to choose patients for its two newly appointed doctors.
According to Canadian Television, the clinic in the town of Gander in New Foundland, was forced to resort to this exercise as it could accommodate only 2,000 out of the 4,000 patients seeking a doctor. Those rejected will have to wait for another time.
The manager of the clinic said they faced chaos last time a new doctor joined the clinic.
More protests outside Tibet
Beijing, March 24 (DPA) Hundreds of Tibetans protested at the weekend in two north-western Chinese provinces despite deployments of security forces, exile groups said Monday, as the government announced charges against five protesters arrested on suspicion of causing fatal fires.
Saturday's and Sunday's demonstrations took place in areas of Gansu and Qinghai provinces with ethnic Tibetan populations, the groups said, adding that witnesses said a number of demonstrators were injured in clashes with security forces during a protest by about 1,000 people in the Gansu city of Xiapagou.
Russia not complying with ceasefire agreement: US
By DPA,
Washington : Russia has not complied with a declared ceasefire that calls for the withdrawal of soldiers on Georgian soil outside of the disputed breakaway regions, the White House said Friday.
"We are not seeing that they are in compliance right now," Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman, said in Crawford, Texas, where President George W. Bush was vacationing.
"They have not completely withdrawn from areas considered undisputed territory. And they need to do that," Johndroe said.
Chilean law mandating equal pay for men, women takes effect
By EFE,
Santiago : Chilean companies are required to pay men and women the same wage for doing the same job, thanks to the equal-pay law that came into effect Saturday.
"Nothing justifies a woman being paid less than a man for doing the same work," the minister of the national woman's service (Sernam), Carmen Andrade, said Saturday when presenting the statute.
Austria bans 14 for life over doping scandal
By Xinhua
Vienna, The Austrian Olympic Committee (AOC) imposed lifetime bans on 14 officials due to the blood doping scandal at last year's Turin Winter Olympic Games.
AOC president Leo Wallner said Tuesday after a special executive board session the 14 would be denied accreditation for all future Olympics.
Any Austrian found guilty of a doping offence in the future will also be banned for life from the Olympics, Wallner said.
Archer military exercise begins in Georgia
By RIA Novosti
Tbilisi : A multinational military exercise under NATO's Partnership for Peace Program (PPP) opened Monday in Georgia, Georgia's Defence Ministry said.
Sunita to stay an extra day in space
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : US space shuttle Atlantis bringing Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams home after a 194-day record space odyssey will have to stay an extra day in space with bad weather forcing cancellation of Thursday's landing.
‘No progress’ as talks in Kenya suspended
By DPA
Nairobi : Talks to end Kenya's crisis over disputed elections were suspended Tuesday after mediator and former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan said there had been a second day without any progress.
"The talks have not broken down. The talks are still on but I'm taking steps to ensure that we accelerate the process and give peace to the people as soon as possible," a visibly annoyed Annan told reporters.
Hatred of Jews spurred Nariman House attack: Israel
By IANS,
New Delhi : Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Sunday said the hatred of Jews spurred the terrorist attack at Mumbai's Nariman House, home to a Jewish organisation, and vowed to step up cooperation with Indian intelligence agencies to avert such strikes.
The Israeli leadership and sections of the Israeli media, however, criticised India for its handling of the hostage crisis in the aftermath of the Nov 26 strikes that killed at least 183 people, including nine Jews.
Cuba deports criminal to US
By IANS,
Havana : Cuba has handed over to the US an American accused of sexually exploiting children, the foreign ministry said.
Leonard B. Auerbach, who was arrested May 7 on an alert by the US authorities, was deported Thursday, EFE news agency reported.
Auerbach is accused of sexually exploiting a minor and possessing and distributing pornographic material.
Urinating in public in Sweden can cost you 115 dollars
By DPA
Stockholm : Urinating in public in Sweden can be an expensive business.
Swedish police are clamping down harder than ever on men who make indiscriminate use of street lamps, trees, bushes and kiosk walls.
"Nothing else has worked so far," police spokesman Ulf Karlsson says in the Baltic Sea town Kalmar, explaining the explosion in fines.
Israel ups pressure on Hamas as fighting enters 19th day
By DPA,
Tel Aviv/Gaza : Israel appeared Wednesday to be increasing its pressure on Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip, as its air force attacked 60 targets in the salient overnight, bringing to 160 the number of airstrikes carried out in the past 24 hours.
A military spokesman said Wednesday morning that the latest targets included police headquarters in Gaza City, rocket launching sites, nine arms depots and 35 smuggling tunnels beneath the Gaza-Egyptian border, which Israel believes are used to bring weapons into the salient.
India will not fire the first bullet, Rajnath tells Pakistan Rangers
New Delhi: India will not fire the first bullet across the border, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday during his meeting with a...
Russian grenade launcher plant opens in Jordon
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: A Jordanian-Russian joint venture to produce portable rocket-propelled grenade launchers was unveiled in Jordan Thursday, the Russian manufacturer said.
UN regroups peacekeeping mission, launches relief efforts
By DPA,
New York : The United Nations carried out house-to-house searches in Haiti Thursday in an effort to find an estimated 160 missing UN personnel.
The earthquake in capital Port-au-Prince killed at least 39 members of the UN peacekeeping mission there, the agency said in New York.
The head of the UN mission in Haiti, Hedi Annabi, and his deputy Luiz Carlos da Costa are still unaccounted for. Both were in the Christopher Hotel that housed other UN personnel when the quakes struck Tuesday afternoon and the building collapsed.
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.
More than 300 arrested in protests outside NATO
By DPA,
Brussels : Police detained 315 protesters from Belgian peace groups outside of NATO headquarters Saturday.
Members of the crowd tried to climb the fence surrounding NATO headquarters, police said. One man succeeded in doing so, but was immediately detained once over the fence.
The protest was focused on a variety of issues, including demands for the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan.
Heavy rain kill 50 in southern Brazil
By IANS,
Rio de Janeiro : At least 50 people have been killed in continuous heavy rain ravaging the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina for the past one week, with authorities saying the toll could reach much higher, EFE reported Tuesday.
More than 22,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to the floods and landslides caused by unusual rain in the state, attributed to climatic crisis by experts, over the past two months. Some 1.5 million people have been affected by the storm, the department said.
Sudanair plane makes emergency landing
By IANS,
Khartoum : Over 45 passengers survived after a Sudanair passenger plane made an emergency landing here at Khartoum airport Sunday following a technical snag.
25 dead in Kenya road accident
By IANS,
Nairobi : At least 25 people died in western Kenya when a speeding lorry rammed into a passenger van, Xinhua reported Saturday.
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Denilson to join Al-Wahda
Rio de Janeiro: Former Arsenal midfielder Denilson has announced he will leave Brazilian club Sao Paulo to join Al-Wahda in the United Arab Emirates.
The...
Five major developing nations call for joint efforts to ensure food, energy security
By Xinhua,
Sapporo, Japan : Leaders of China, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa on Tuesday called for a shared responsibility to address the world's food security and an overall cooperation by the international community to boost energy development and utilization.
"We call upon the international community to devise better ways and means of producing and distributing food," said a joint declaration signed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and the leaders from Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa after a group meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Eight Summit.
Diaspora seeks more time to exchange old notes
By Fakir Balaji
Bengaluru: The Diaspora comprising Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) has sought extension of the deadline to exchange...
Olmert fears coalition break-up
By DPAÂ
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was bracing for a possible break-up of his coalition as soon as early next month over a harsh report criticising his management of last summer's Lebanon war.
German, French scientists share Nobel Prize for Medicine
By IANS,
Stockholm : Harald zur Hausen of Germany, and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier of France Monday won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2008.
"The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has today decided to award The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2008 with one half to Harald zur Hausen for his discovery of human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer and the other half jointly to Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier for their discovery of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)," a statement issued by the Nobel Foundation said.
Honduras fires immigration chief for expelling Brazilian diplomat
By IANS/EFE,
Tegucigalpa : Honduras' new government has fired its top immigration official after a Brazilian diplomat was denied entry into the country.
"In light of the undignified treatment offered to this diplomat from Brazil, the decision was made to dismiss Nelson Willy Mejia as immigration director," Interior Minister Africo Madrid told reporters Friday.
He said the diplomat arrived at Tegucigalpa's Toncontin International Airport Friday on a flight from Miami, but immigration officials denied her entry and put her on a flight back to the US.
Russian authorities resume talks with doomsday sect hardcore
By RIA Novosti
Penza : Russian authorities have resumed talks with the members of a doomsday sect still remaining underground in central Russia amid reports that two of the group have died.
Twenty-four members of the group, which went underground in November to wait for the end of the world, which they say will come in May or June, have left the dugout in the Penza Region in the last two weeks after most of the shelter's roof caved in following heavy rain.
‘Russia trained 4,000 Myanmar nuclear officers’
By DPA,
Bangkok : Russia has trained 4,185 Myanmar military officers in nuclear sciences over the past decade but only a "sprinkling" of scholars have pursued the positive uses of the energy source, a Myanmar academic said Friday.
Myanmar's nuclear ambitions have been a subject of concern in recent years after allegations by defectors that the pariah regime is keen to develop nuclear weapons in cooperation with North Korea.
Myanmar's ruling junta, however, claims that its nuclear ambitions are purely medical in nature.
US to aid Sri Lanka in demining
By IANS,
Colombo : The US is providing training and equipment to the Sri Lanka Army to assist its efforts to demine areas in the island's north where the Tamil Tigers were crushed in May.
The training will build additional military capacity to clear mines in the Northern Province and expedite the safe return of people displaced by the war to their homes, a US embassy statement said Wednesday.
The training is being conducted at the Sri Lanka School of Military Engineering at Embilipitiya.
EU-Russia summit to focus on security, economy
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The European Union (EU)-Russia summit that opens Thursday will focus on steps to draft a European security treaty and ways of meeting global economic challenges, a Russian presidential aide said Wednesday.
The two-day summit in Khanty-Mansiisk, western Siberia, is the first with the EU since Dmitry Medvedev won presidential elections in March. The summit is widely expected to lay the groundwork for talks on a long overdue comprehensive security cooperation pact.
China, Russia seek ban treaty on space arms race
By Xinhua
Geneva : China and Russia Tuesday tabled at a UN-sponsored disarmament conference a joint proposal for an international treaty to ban deployment of weapons in outer space.
The draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space (PPWT) was presented here at a plenary session of the Conference on Disarmament, the world's sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations.
Bush wishes Indian Americans ‘uplifting and hopeful’ Diwali
By IANS,
Washington : US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush have wished the Indian American community an "uplifting and hopeful" Diwali saying "the candle's flames represent the light of hope and the blessings of life".
The first couple sent their greetings to the community in a message read out at a function in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House Friday to celebrate the festival as has been the tradition during the Bush presidency.
Annual reviews and licence curbs proposed for British doctors
By IANS,
London : For the first time in the world, Britain is planning to conduct annual reviews of doctors to weed out poor performers and make their licences to practice renewable every five years.
A report by Britain's Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson, "Medical Revalidation: Principles and Next Steps", outlines how senior doctors will be appointed to assess the competence of general practitioners (GPs) and hospital consultants in their area to ensure that patients' lives are not being put at risk.
Anti-government newspaper shuttered in Sri Lanka
By DPA,
Colombo: A Sri Lankan anti-government newspaper was shuttered Saturday after its editor was arrested on allegations of publishing details of an ongoing investigation against a former Tamil rebel now in custody, police said.
The Lanka newspaper, published by the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (The Peoples Liberation Front), was raided Friday and its editor Chandana Sirimalwatte was arrested Saturday for questioning by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
Palin’s lecture demands – private jet, suite, bendable straws
By IANS,
Washington : Sarah Palin, former Alaska governor who was John McCain's vice-presidential candidate in 2008, has sought a private aircraft, a deluxe suite and bendable straws at the lectern when she delivers a speech at a California university, a media report said.
State authorities have begin a probe into California State University's finances after officials refused to part with details of the perks Palin has demanded when she delivers a June speech, Boston Herald reported Thursday.
Chad president announces state of emergency
By Xinhua
Yaounde (Cameroon) : Chad's President Idriss Deby Itno has declared a state of emergency in the country, according to reports reaching here from the Chad capital N'Djamena.
The measure was to tighten security after a rebel attack on N'Djamena this month, said the reports, quoting an address by Deby on TV and radio.
"These are exceptional measures which I must take to assure the normal functioning of the state," said Deby.
Protesters shut down oil pipeline in Peru
By IANS,
Lima : Hundreds of people Monday took over an oil station in Peru's Amazon region to protest the government's decision to implement a trade accord with the US, Spain's EFE news agency reported.
The head of the Interethnic Association for Development of the Peruvian Jungle, Alberto Pizango, said that some 800 Indians peacefully took over an oil-pump operated by the state-owned Petroperu in Loreto province.
Pizango said the group also took control of a section of the Camisea gas reserve in the southeastern province of Cuzco.
China, Taiwan launch first cross-Strait flights
By Xinhua
Beijing : For the first time, China and Taiwan will launch cross-Strait charter flights for the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 19 this year.
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