Kindergarten teacher jailed for pricking students with needle
By IANS,
Beijing : A teacher in a kindergarten school in China was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for pricking more than 60 children with a hypodermic needle.
A county court in Yunnan province announced its verdict after Sun Qiqi, a teacher at Xihu Kindergarten in Jianshui county, pleaded guilty to pricking 63 children, aged from three to five, with a needle attached to an empty syringe as a punishment in October last year, Xinhua news agency reported.
The assault by the teacher caused panic among children and parents in the county, the court said.
Over 150 stranded in Everest camps
Kathmandu : More than 150 mountaineers are still stranded in two camp sites of Mt. Everest following a powerful earthquake in Nepal on Saturday,...
Kim Jong-il promotes youngest son, grooming as successor: Report
By DPA,
Seoul : North Korea's communist leader Kim Jong-il has promoted his youngest son to a key post, in a possible sign of grooming him as a successor, South Korean media reports said Sunday.
The secretive family dynasty has ruled the nuclear-armed north of the peninsula since 1948, with increasing speculation at the health of the 67-year old Kim Jong-il, who is believed to have suffered a stroke.
With Tamil Tigers gone, Sri Lanka opens the Ramayana trail for Indians
By Rahul Dass, IANS,
Ella (Sri Lanka) : With a quarter-century of ethnic conflict and terrorism in Sri Lanka left behind, the island nation, known for its sun-kissed beaches and rolling tea gardens, is wooing Indian tourists like never before by developing a Ramayana trail to enable them to visit the Lanka of demon king Ravana.
The Sri Lankan tourism department has identified about 50 sites that are said to be connected to the Ramayana that tells the tale of the Hindu god Rama, whose wife Sita was kidnapped by Ravana and taken to 'sone ki Lanka', or the golden kingdom of Lanka.
Death toll from Bus Crash in Spain reaches 9
By SPA,
Madrid, Spain : The death toll from the crash of a bus filled with Finnish tourists in southern Spain has reached nine, the Finnish Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
The bus collided with another vehicle and overturned on the AP-7 coastal highway, near the resort town of Benalmadena, late Saturday. The dead included a 7-year-old girl.
NATO fighters accompany Russian bombers near Alaska
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : NATO fighters accompanied Russian Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers on a regular strategic patrol flight on Wednesday, a Russian Air Force spokesman said.
Two Bear bombers and two Il-78 aerial tankers conducted a 16-hour patrol mission on Wednesday over the Arctic and the Pacific Ocean and performed aerial refueling.
"During the flight over neutral waters near Alaska, the Russian planes were accompanied by NATO fighters," Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky said.
Riots in Greece’s Athens leave 16 banks, 20 shops burned
By RIA Novosti,
Athens : The riots that have erupted after police shot dead a teenage boy in Athens have left 16 banks, 20 shops and 12 cars burned in the Greek capital, the police said on Sunday.
The riots began in the Greek capital late on Saturday soon after the shooting in the central Exarchia district where youths threw petrol bombs at police, burned cars and smashed shop windows.
The riots, the worst violence in years, quickly spread to Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, and other towns in the north of the country.
Police station raided in west China’s Xinjiang, terrorist plot suspected
By Xinhua,
Urumqi : The raid of a border armed police division, which killed 16 policemen and injured 16 others, in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Monday morning was suspected as a terrorist attack, according to the local police.
Two attackers drove a tip lorry to hit a team of policemen who were jogging outside the police division in a morning exercise in Kashi at about 8 a.m., police witnesses said.
Fourteen policemen were killed on the spot and two others died on the way to hospital.
Nawaz-Modi meeting to have far-reaching impact on peace’
Islamabad : The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif will definitely augur well for the foreign secretaries' level talks...
Bushfires in Australia: Two held for suspicious activity
By Xinhua,
Melbourne : Australian police have arrested two people for suspicious activity in the aftermath of the deadly bushfires, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported Thursday.
The police said detectives responded to a report of suspicious activity Thursday morning, but did not reveal details about the arrests.
The investigations were in their initial stages and the two people were assisting with their inquiries, the police said.
UN panel extends mandate for Sudan peacekeepers
By DPA,
New York : The UN Security Council Thursday extended the mandate of UN peacekeeping troops in Sudan's troubled Darfur province for another year.
That means that UNAMID, the joint UN and African Union peacekeeping operation in Darfur, will stay at least until July 2010.
In the unanimously-adopted resolution, the UN's highest decision making body emphasized that protection of civilians and the free access by aid workers to the region continues to have highest priority.
Tibetan who died to be cremated in Dharamsala
By IANS,
Dharamsala : A 27-year-old Tibetan who burnt himself in Delhi demanding freedom for Tibet will be cremated here Friday, the hub of the Tibetan government-in-exile.
Two Iranian suspects in Bangkok blast released
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Bangkok : Police in Thailand have released a married Iranian couple detained for suspected involvement in bombings in Bangkok earlier this month.
US governor admits affair after mystery trip
By DPA,
Washington : The governor of the US state of South Carolina, who had been missing for a week, finally turned up Wedensday and admitted to an affair with an Argentinian woman.
Mark Sanford, a Republican, vanished June 18 without telling either his family or staff where he was headed. In a press conference after his return Wednesday morning, Sanford said he went to Buenos Aires to end an affair with an Argentinian woman.
"The bottom line is this: I've been unfaithful to my wife," Sanford said with tears in his eyes. "I hurt my wife, I hurt my boys."
US stocks fall as quarterly earnings reports filed
By DPA,
Washington : Wall Street indices continued their decline in midday trading Wednesday, adding to the gloomy mood on European markets as US investors reacted to depressed earnings reports.
Wall Street opened down 2.5 percent and stocks slid in Asia, Europe's blue-chip Stoxx 50 index dropped 5 percent to 2235 in late trading as concerns set in about the outlook for the global economy and profits.
Chavez and Spanish king shake hands to normalize ties
By DPA,
Palma de Majorca (Spain) : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Spain's King Juan Carlos shook hands and chatted relaxedly Friday in a sign that relations had returned to normal eight months after the monarch told Chavez to shut up.
Juan Carlos received Chavez at the Marivent palace in Palma, capital of the holiday island of Majorca, thanking him for coming.
"Why don't we go to the beach?" Chavez asked after commenting on how hot it was on the island.
Plane crashes in southeast Cambodia – official
By SPA,
Phnom Penh : An airplane has crashed in the remote province of Kampot in southeast Cambodia, a local military commander said on Tuesday.
"I can confirm there was a foreign plane that crashed in Cambodia in the province of Kampot this morning. We don't have any details," deputy Kampot military commander Kung Mony told
Reuters.
Villagers in one district told Reuters they had heard a loud explosion. Soldiers and police were searching the area.
Three killed in Denmark terror attacks, shooter shot dead
Copenhagen : At least three people were killed and five others injured in separate shooting attacks in Denmark, involving a gunman who was killed...
Ecuadorian man hospitalized after brutal neo-Nazi attack in Germany
By IRNA,
Berlin : An Ecuadorian man was hospitalized following a vicious neo-Nazi attack in the eastern German city of Magdeburg, the weekly news magazine Der Spiegel reported Sunday.
US stocks tumble on falling home prices
By DPA,
New York : US stocks retreated Friday, capping the worst week since February on new reports of falling housing prices and automaker Ford warning that energy costs were impacting sales.
The National Association of Realtors said existing home sales fell one percent in March, sparking a sell-off of homebuilders.
Ford Motor Co, the second-largest US carmaker, blamed falling truck sales on the surging price of petrol in the United States.
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.
Wildfire death toll rises as Bush visits California
By DPA
Los Angeles : The death toll rose to 12 from California fires as President George W. Bush visited the devastated area and authorities confirmed that one of the worst fires was the result of deliberate arson.
The deadly Santa Ana winds that had fuelled the fires died down to be replaced by ocean breezes that carried moisture to the parched landscape.
Hurricane Ike tore into Cuba’s northeastern coast
By SPA,
Miami, Florida : Hurricane Ike tore into Cuba's northeastern coast Monday on a path that could take it over Havana on Tuesday morning and then toward the storm-weary U.S. Gulf Coast later in the week, CNN reported.
At least 73 people in Haiti were killed by rains and flooding from Hurricane Ike, and a journalist on Grand Turk Island compared the destruction there with a "Twilight Zone" episode.
Cuba Seeks Changes in UN Security Council
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : Cuba reiterated on Friday that a true UN reform will be impossible without changes in the Security Council, based on a broad, comprehensive approach.
Speaking before the working group of the UN General Assembly to discuss the reform of the world body, Cuban Ambassador Rodrigo Malmierca reiterated the full cooperation of his delegation in this regard, which is a priority of the current 62nd period of sessions of the UN.
As climate warms, birds are migrating earlier: study
By IANS,
New York : Many birds are arriving earlier each spring as temperatures warm along the US East Coast, says a new study that looked at global warming and bird migration.
The study, however, found that the farther those birds journey, the less likely they are to keep pace with the rapidly changing climate, according to ScienceDaily.
These are the conclusions of the study by scientists at Boston University who analysed changes in the timing of spring migrations of 32 species of birds along the coast of eastern Massachusetts since 1970.
Alcoholic workers costing Australia $400 mn
By IANS,
Melbourne : Colleagues of heavy drinkers in Australia are being forced to do extra work to cover up for their alcoholic co-workers, and this extra labour is costing the economy over $400 million per year, new research has found.
About one third of workers have experienced negative effects from their co-workers' drinking habits.
"Our findings show that the experience of having a heavily drinking co-worker is common in the Australian workplace," Michael Livingston, from the Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, was quoted as saying by Perth Now.
Only parliament can change law on assisted suicide, British court rules
By IANS,
London : The London High Court has said that only the parliament has the right to change current suicide laws wherein a person assisting a terminally ill patient in committing suicide is not prosecuted.
The high court ruling came Wednesday after Debbie Purdy, a wheelchair bound Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patient from Bradford, England, wanted a legal clarification if her husband, Omar Puente, will be prosecuted in case he assisted her in ending her life.
Purdy's case was that current laws do not clarify on the issue which constituted for violation of her human rights.
Myanmar government, armed groups resume peace talks
Yangon : Negotiators of the Myanmar government negotiators and ethnic armed groups resumed their peace talks in the capital on Tuesday to finalise a...
Dalai Lama on way to US, Karmapa to follow
By IANS
Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama reached Japan Thursday on his way to the US. The Karmapa Lama, the only major monk reincarnate recognised by both the Tibetan leader and China, is also set to visit the US.
Several dozen Japanese devotees and Tibetans were present at the Narita airport near Tokyo to welcome the Dalai Lama, a spokesman for the Tibetan government-in-exile said.
In Seattle, the Dalai Lama will take part in a series of lectures during a five-day conference on 'Seeds of Compassion' starting April 11, the spokesman said.
Sri Lanka war report presented to parliament
By IANS,
Colombo : A report on the three-decade-long ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka was Friday presented to parliament, making it a public document, an official said.
Obama seeks national policy to protect oceans, coastline
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Friday ordered federal agencies to come up with a common national policy to protect the country's coastlines, oceans and major lakes.
US coasts and oceans - as well as the Great Lakes along the northern border with Canada - are currently managed by a patchwork of state laws and agencies.
Obama issued a presidential memorandum instructing a new taskforce to come up with recommendations for a comprehensive national policy within 90 days.
British neighbours spend $64,000 on feud over bin
By IANS,
London: Two British neighbours went on to spend a whopping 40,000 pounds (about $64,300) in a legal dispute over a moveable garbage bin.
China quake death toll, now 15,000, continues to soar
By DPA,
Beijing : Military helicopters flew aid Wednesday to settlements cut off near the epicentre of a devastating earthquake in southwest China that killed some 15,000 people and left tens of thousands missing in toppled buildings.
Heavy rain had initially prevented the helicopters from flying emergency aid to Wenchuan county, Sichuan province, while troops were still trying to restore the badly damaged main road to the county.
The nearby city of Mianyang reported more than 7,000 dead and an estimated 18,000 buried in collapsed buildings.
Bush requests for 70-bln-USD bill to fund wars in fiscal year 2009
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. President George W. Bush sent a bill of 70 billion U.S. dollars to Congress on Friday to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the first several months of the fiscal year 2009.
The request fills in the details of the budget the White House sent to Congress in February for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.
Among the requested fund, 45 billion dollars will be used to combat operations, 3 billions dollars to deal with roadside bombs and 2 billion dollars to handle rising fuel costs.
Modi promises Nepal non-interference, $1 bn credit
By Anil Giri ,
Kathmandu: Making the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister in 17 years, Narendra Modi Sunday pledged not to interfere...
Indian-origin mayor of Gloucester leads flood rescue efforts
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London, July 25 : Harjit Singh Gill, the first Indian-origin mayor of the city of Gloucester, is leading emergency rescue efforts as flood waters continued to swirl around the town amidst severe water shortage and fears of worse yet to come.
Large parts of Britain continue to be under several feet of water, causing an estimate loss of nearly 3 billion pounds. Environment Secretary Hilary Benn told the House of Commons Tuesday that the "emergency is still not over".
British PM Brown rules out early election
By DPA
London : After weeks of mounting speculation, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has ruled out holding an early general election, his spokesman confirmed Saturday.
There would be no November election as had been widely anticipated of late, the spokesman said.
Brown's Labour Party has enjoyed a surge of popularity in opinion polls over the past few weeks - only to see this drastically reduced in the past couple of days.
Coalmine blast kills 33 in Ukraine
By Xinhua
Kiev : The death roll in a coalmine blast in eastern Ukraine has climbed to 33 while the fate of 77 others is unclear, an Ukrainian official said Sunday.
The blast, caused by a methane explosion, took place at 3:11 a.m. local time (0111 GMT) at the Zasyadko coalmine in Donetsk, the main town of Ukraine's eastern coal-rich region.
Major quake hits off Papua New Guinea
By Xinhua,
Canberra : A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale rattled Bougainville island of Papua New Guinea Saturday morning but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualty, seismologists said.
The quake, which struck at 11:42 a.m. (01:42 GMT), was about 80 km west of Arawa city at a depth of 65 km, according the US Geological Survey.
"At this stage we have not received any reports of any damage," a spokesman for Papua New Guinea's national earthquakes centre said.
Blast during training kills 7 US Marines
By IANS,
Washington : Seven Marines died and many were injured in an explosion during a drill at a Nevada army base in the US Monday night, Xinhua reported.
Italian woman minister quits after gay remarks
By IANS,
London : A woman junior equal opportunities minister in Italy has resigned after allegedly saying that gay people invited discrimination by "ghettoising" themselves, BBC reported.
Emma Stone caught speeding
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Actress Emma Stone was pulled over by traffic police for speeding.
UN consolidating relief, rescue efforts in Haiti
By DPA,
New York: The United Nations has set offices to coordinate the enormous task of assisting Haitians devastated by the earthquake as international rescue teams combed Port-au-Prince for survivors, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said Friday.
The UN was also to launch on Friday a flash appeal for 550 million dollars in emergency funds to assist the quake-ravaged country. Most of the urgently needed money will go to provide food, water and medical supplies to help the quake victims immediately.
Meltdown ends US superpower status: Germany
By DPA,
Berlin : The US banking crisis is an "earthquake" that will cost the US its role as "superpower in the world financial system", German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck said Thursday.
Making a statement on government policy to legislators in Berlin, Steinbrueck said the Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers would meet in Washington next month to discuss how to tighten regulation of capital markets.
Sri Lanka’s economic growth may drop to 3 percent
By IANS,
Colombo : Making a gloomy economic forecast, Sri Lanka's Central Bank said Monday that economic growth rate might drop to as low as 3 percent in 2009 from 6 percent in 2008 if adverse conditions persist.
Releasing the annual report for 2008, the bank said that despite unprecedented and unfavourable developments globally and domestically, the Sri Lankan economy has "demonstrated its resilience by recording a growth of 6 percent for 2008".
Nepal king victim of foreign powers: royalist party chief
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's last king Gyanendra, who will have to surrender his crown, sceptre, throne and palace Wednesday, is the victim of foreign powers and has been betrayed by political parties, says the chief of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, the lone voice championing monarchy in Nepal.
Kamal Thapa, whose Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal suffered a smarting defeat in last month's election for supporting monarchy, seemed to hint southern neighbour India was behind the king's downfall.
Kosovo parliament adopts constitution
By DPA
Pristina : Kosovo's parliament unanimously passed a new constitution Wednesday, less than two months after Pristina declared independence from Serbia with Western support.
The 107 legislators taking part in the session unanimously backed the document, which would come into effect June 15. Leaders of the vastly dominant Albanian majority hailed the "historic act".
"Today is the most important day since the Feb 17 declaration of independence," President Fatmir Sejdiu said and added, "the constitution takes Kosovo to a new level of democracy".
Gas leakage kills two in Ukraine
By IANS,
Kiev : At least two people were killed and three hospitalised at a Ukrainian steel plant Friday following a gas leakage, said authorities.
Court martial of Sri Lanka’s ex-army chief postponed
By DPA,
Colombo: Two separate court martial proceedings against Sri Lanka's former army chief Sarath Fonseka were postponed Tuesday over objections by his lawyers, officials said.
General Fonseka, who ran as the opposition's candidate in Sri Lanka's January presidential elections, faces charges of "conspiracy against the government" and engaging in "fraudulent activities" while serving as the army commander. He has been in military custody since February 8.
India-Philippines partnership will strengthen further: Pranab
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said the bilateral partnership between India and Philippines will strengthen in the years to come.
In a message...
Modi’s three-nation tour: Projecting a self-confident India
By Ranjana Narayan,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-nation tour was marked by several high points - the surprise announcement on purchase of...
28 killed in China mine accident
By IANS,
Beijing : At least 28 miners were killed when an underground cable caught fire inside a coal mine in China's Shaanxi province, officials said Sunday.
The incident occurred at around 8.10 p.m. Saturday at the Xiaonangou coal mine in Hancheng city, Xinhua reported citing a provincial government statement.
Strong quake hits Indonesia
By Xinhua
Jakarta : An earthquake with magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale hit western part of Indonesia on Wednesday, but there was no tsunami warning, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said here.
The quake struck at 22:43 Jakarta time (1543 GMT) with epicentre at 149 km of southwest Painan town of West Sumatra province and at 70 km under sea-bed, an official of the agency, Ali Imron, told Xinhua.
Sand image on Orissa beach to congratulate Obama
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar: Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik Saturday created a four-foot high sand sculpture on Orissa's Puri beach to congratulate US President Barack Obama on winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
Pattnaik created images of Obama and the Nobel Prize bearing the message "Let peace prevail" on the beach in his home town Puri, 56 km from here, using about three tonnes of sand.
"I believe in peace and harmony and I take this opportunity to greet the US president for promoting world peace," Patnaik told IANS over the phone.
One killed, 6 injured by lightning in western Canada
By Xinhua
Ottawa : One person was killed and six others were injured when a lightning struck Saturday in a park in western Canada's Alberta province, local media reported.
    Seven people were taking shelter Saturday afternoon from a thunderstorm under a tree at a Pigeon Lake Provincial Park when the tragedy happened. The park is located about 80 km southwest of provincial capital Edmonton.
    A 26-year-old man was declared dead at the scene, with the other six suffering a variety of injuries, including burns, police said.
Surveying the German angst: terrorism in foreground
By DPA
Berlin : The risk of being bombed by terrorists is surging within Germans' generalised angst, that chilling feeling that something awful is about to happen, according to a survey by an insurance company.
R und V Versicherung, which offers policies to insure against many of those risks, regularly takes the pulse of German fears, and says the greatest worries for the average German are inflation, ending up paralysed or incontinent, and being hurt in a natural disaster.
Chile hit by 7.7 magnitude earthquake
By DPA
Santiago/Washington : An earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck northern Chile Wednesday, prompting panic and power cuts in the region.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, but Chilean authorities were still awaiting data from remote areas.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) in Denver, Colorado, said the epicentre of the quake that hit at 1540 GMT was located 40 km southeast of Tocopilla near the western coast, and more than 1,000 km from capital Santiago. The quake was also felt to the north in Bolivia's capital La Paz.
Obama, first lady, set new tone for black families in US
By DPA,
Washington : The US civil rights movement of the 1960s opened up economic and social opportunities for African Americans, but it was accompanied by an erosion of the black family that continues to cause debate in the US.
On Jan 20, Barack Obama, the nation's first black president, will move into the White House with a traditional nuclear family: First lady Michelle, an accomplished professional; daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7; his mother-in-law Marian Robinson; and even the promise of a first dog.
Tokyo stocks fall six percent on economic worries
By DPA,
Tokyo : Japan's stock market ended six percent lower Thursday as renewed economic concerns wiped away gains brought a day earlier by Senator Barack Obama's victory in the US presidential election.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average plunged 622.1 points, or 6.53 percent, to close at 8,899.14.
The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also lost 57.61 points, or 5.96 percent, to 909.3.
On currency markets at midday (0300 GMT), the dollar traded at 98.07-12 yen, down from Wednesday's 5 p.m. quote of 99.37-38 yen.
New tech improves voice clarity on mobile phones
By IANS,
London : A technology that improves voice clarity on mobile phones by filtering out unwanted sounds is on offer.
High Definition (HD) Voice claims to reduce the background noise and 'hisses' that often mar mobile phone calls and offer users 'crystal clear' sound.
HD Voice, which went live Wednesday, should help those people who frequently make calls from trains and noisy workplaces, reports the Daily Mail.
The firm also claims that HD voice is able to 'eliminate the perceived distance between callers making it easier to hear the emotions in people's voices.'
Ken Livingstone to fight 2012 London mayoral election
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Ex-mayor Ken Livingstone invoked the spectre of resurgent racism at an event packed by Indian-origin Labour supporters here to declare his intention to fight the 2012 London mayoral elections.
“I actually support the government policy that we should work longer - I intend to. And I intend to apply for another job in four years' time - and it's the one that Boris Johnson's got,” Livingstone told an applauding dinner audience of more than 500 people in the west London suburb of Ruislip.
Narendra Modi arrives in Vancouver
Vancouver : Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Vancouver, and is scheduled to offer prayers at Gurdudwara Khalsa Diwan and Laxmi Narain Temple here.
Earlier while...
Myanmar opposition leader discusses sanctions with US official
By DPA,
Yangon : US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joseph Yun Friday discussed sanctions with recently released Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Spain’s recovery to start by early 2010, says PM
By EFE,
Madrid : Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has said that Spain's economy would begin emerging from recession "at the end of this year or the beginning of 2010", though he acknowledged that unemployment - now nearly 18 percent - would remain high for some time.
The premier discussed the measures taken by the government, noting that they served to "alleviate the crisis" but had not yet yielded net employment gains.
Kadima’s limited edge omens intense political jockeying for Israel’s premiership
By Xinhua,
JERUSALEM : Preliminary results of Israel's general elections released on Wednesday morning showed that the centrist Kadima party won the most seats in the new parliament, but its edge is seen too limited to send its chief Tzipi Livni to the prime minister's office for sure.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni waves to supporters. Livni's Kadima party won a razor-thin victory in the Israeli election Wednesday, gaining one more seat than right-wing rival Likud, according to a final ballot count.
Former NASA head in crashed plane; five killed
By DPA,
Washington : Sean O'Keefe, the head of EADS' North American unit and a former NASA administrator, was on board a small private plane that crashed in Alaska, aerospace firm EADS confirmed Tuesday.
Five people died, one person was seriously injured and three others were unaccounted for as the plane went down Monday night in a secluded south-western part of the state, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
Tropical storm Arthur heads for central American coast
By DPA,
Washington : A new tropical storm, Arthur, was heading toward the central American coast of Belize and the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
At 02.00 GMT, the storm was centred over the southern Yucatan Peninsula, with winds of 65 km per hour. The Mexican coast from Cabo Catoche, Mexico, south to Belize was also in the storm's cross-hairs, the hurricane centre said Saturday.
Whale shark thrives in Australian eco-tourism park
By DPA
Washington : Gentle whale sharks are thriving in western Australia's Ningaloo reef area thanks to a successful eco-tourism programme, according to scientists who have been studying the "fingerprints" of the sea's largest fish.
In a study published Wednesday in the journal Ecological Applications, Australian marine scientist Brad Norman teamed up with an astronomer and computer programmer to develop pattern-recognition software to identify the unique white lines and spots on the flanks of the white shark.
Australia appoints first woman governor-general
By DPA,
Sydney : Australia is to have its first woman governor-general, the official representative of Queen Elizabeth, who remains head of state of the former British colony, the government said Sunday.
Quentin Bryce, a mother of five and currently governor of the state of Queensland, will take up Australia's highest official position for a five-year term in September, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced.
Current Governor-General Major General Michael Jeffery, whose term in office expires next month, formally tendered his resignation.
Sri Lankan troops rescue 5,000 civilians from rebel area
By DPA,
Colombo : Troops stormed a coastal village in north-eastern Sri Lanka Monday and rescued about 5,000 civilians who had been prevented by Tamil rebels from going to military-controlled areas, military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.
He said troops broke through an earthen barrier in Puthumathalan village, 390 km north-east of the capital, in the early hours of Monday and rescued the civilians, including a large number of women and children.
Zimbabwe’s opposition to brief UN Security Council
By DPA,
Harare/Lusaka : Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will take its claim of victory in last month's election over President Robert Mugabe to the UN Security Council this week, the party said Sunday.
MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti will lead a delegation to New York, where he will tell a Security Council session on Zimbabwe's post-election standoff that the party is not prepared to partake in a presidential runoff, an MDC statement said.
Relief efforts in Myanmar a battle against time
Yangon, May 13 (DPA) The rain came down so forcefully that people's skin suffered bruises. Yet they survived and are among the lucky ones in the Irrawaddy river delta region in southern Myanmar, where tropical Cyclone Nargis wreaked the most havoc May 2-3.
The survivors are left with nothing. There is no electricity, no drinking water, no medicine. Many of the traumatised victims haven't eaten for several days.
The flood wave brought on by the cyclone has made drinking water sources non-potable. Corpses still litter the jungle. The situation is a nightmare.
China urges political efforts against nuclear proliferation
By Xinhua
Vienna : China has called for political efforts to honour the principles of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), saying the international community needs to address both the symptoms and root causes of the nuclear proliferation issue.
Zhang Yan, director general of the Department of Arms Control and Disarmament of the Chinese foreign ministry made the call as head of the Chinese delegation at the general debate in the first session of the preparatory committee for the 2010 NPT Review Conference.
Language barrier leads to poor health care
By IANS
New York : There are measurable disparities in the quality of care when patients and care providers do not speak the same language, according to new studies that have implications for immigrants in the US.
The studies, published Thursday in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, examine the consequences of language barriers for patients who speak little or no English.
The studies reveal patients who speak little English are less likely to go for invasive procedures, such as surgeries.
Bahraini women demand abducted Nigerian girls’ release
Manama: Bahrain's women union Wednesday condemned the abduction of 300 Nigerian school girls by a terrorist group and called for an immediate release of...
Brosnan reminds Obama of whale promise
By IANS,
London : Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan has reminded US President Barack Obama of the promises he made about protecting marine life during his presidential campaign.
In a public service announcement for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, he said: "As a candidate, you promised to end illegal whaling, and we applauded your leadership, but recent reports reveal your administration supports an international proposal, which gives Japan, Iceland and Norway the license to kill whales," imdb.com reported.
UNESCO to hold conference on illiteracy in Europe
By KUNA,
Paris : UNESCO will be organizing a meeting for top decision makers and experts from 30 countries and the international community in Azerbaijan on May 14 to address the literacy and adult education challenges specific to Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.
Brazilian firm announces new oil finds
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazilian independent oil company OGX has said it found hydrocarbons in a block it controls in the Campos basin, off Brazil's coast.
A 46-meter column of hydrocarbons was found in a block in which the company has a 100 percent stake and had already found traces of crude, OGX said in a statement Monday.
The well is some 79 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state at a depth of 150 meters.
Drilling will continue until a depth of 4,300 meters is reached, OGX said.
Customs official killed during shooting of TV drama
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : In a tragic case of reel life getting real, a Malaysian customs official was killed during the filming of a special television drama for the department's anti-smuggling campaign.
Mohamad Noh Zainuddin, 33, was severely injured Thursday when a customs department's boat collided with one of a 'smuggler' during the shooting of a high-speed chase.
He was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital, The Star newspaper reported Friday.
Horrific lynching in India a planned uptick in Hindu supremacist violence against minorities say...
Brutal killing over mere suspicion of eating beef intended to terrorize local Muslims and polarize communities along religious lines.
By TCN News,
...
Chinese president meets Clinton
By IANS,
Beijing : President Hu Jintao met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton here Wednesday and appreciated her efforts to push forward ties between the two countries.
Seven missing after boat sinks in Indonesian waters
By DPA
Jakarta : A small boat sank in rough sea off the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua Tuesday, leaving seven people missing and feared drowned. Five survivors were rescued, local media reports said.
A small boat carrying 12 people sank mid-Tuesday in rough sea off Yapen, a small island off the Papua province. The boat was en route from Waren port on Papua to Serui, the main town on Yapen island, said Yapen district chief Daud S Betawi.
Russia slams Syrian opposition over civilian airports attack threat
By IANS,
Moscow : Russia has strongly condemned the alleged threat by an armed Syrian opposition on attacking civilian airports in Syria, saying such actions were no different from terrorists.
Norway Massacre: Should it be labelled as Christian Terrorism?
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
Egyptian Church confirms Coptic Christians’ execution by IS
Cairo: The Egyptian Orthodox Church confirmed late Sunday that the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians abducted by the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Libya...
Cuba intensifies fight against corruption
By IANS/EFE,
Havana : Corruption and illegal activities in areas like fuel distribution are of great concern for the Cuban government, the official media reported here Monday.
US moves to seize building tied to Iranian bank
By DPA,
Washington : The US government moved to seize a New York skyscraper controlled by entities allegedly operating as fronts for an Iranian bank already under sanctions, the Justice Department said.
The Justice Department filed a complaint in civil court seeking the forfeiture of the Alavi Foundation's interest in a 36-storey office tower, located at 650 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
Two held while trying to take weapons to N.Korea
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: A man and his son have been held by the US authorities for trying to send machinery which could be used to produce weapon of mass destruction (WMD) in North Korea.
Tamil tigers, army call for truce at Omanthai crossing point
By NNN-PTI
Colombo : Following a truce between LTTE and security forces, the International Red Cross has agreed to resume duties from Friday at the vital Omanthai crossing, thus bringing relief to thousands of Tamils in the tiger rebels dominated Vanni region of Northern Sri Lanka.
After a meeting with the LTTE and the army Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) received security guarantees to resume its duties at Omanthai," ICRC spokesman Davide Vignatti said in a statement.
Nepal Maoists Out of Government
By Prensa Latina,
Katmandu : The Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (CPN-M) refused to join the new-born republic which it should have led as majority winner of the April presidential race.
CPN-M Leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal made the announcement following a meeting of the Secretariat that choose to become the opposition, climing the other three parties are colluding against it.
The CPN-M fought the monarchy from 1996 to 2006 until it joined a political agreement in 2006 and traded bullets for ballots to emerge winner of April's referendum against all odds.
Four bullet-riddled bodies found in Mexico
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Four bullet-riddled bodies were found in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, while 12 hostages were released by kidnappers in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, officials said.
The bodies of four people killed gangland-style were found along with "narcomessages" in the cities of Tecoanapa and Petatlan.
The bodies of Mario Uriostegui Hernandez, 20, and his brother, Ursulo, were found Saturday morning on the Ayutla-Tierra Colorada federal highway, the Guerrero Public Safety Secretariat said.
APEC nations back Russia’s WTO bid
By RIA Novosti
Sydney : Russia's envoy to a 21-nation Pacific Rim economic alliance said Australia and other countries in the region support Moscow's bid to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Vasily Dobrovolsky's comments came after a meeting with senior officials of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as part of the eight-day forum of the organisation, which opened in Sydney Sunday.
Myanmar army major defects, tele-links still patchy
By DPA
Oslo : While telephone and Internet connections with Myanmar remained difficult Wednesday, a former army major who fled to neighbouring Thailand said he defected since he did not want to shoot at civilians and monks.
Swedish radio news and Oslo daily Aftenposten published the interview with Major Win and his son who arrived in Bangkok Tuesday after five days on the run from Myanmar.
"If he had refused to obey orders, he would have been killed," the major's 17-year-old son said.
The father and son said they hoped to seek asylum in Norway or Sweden.
Snake in shipment from India creates panic in UK
By IANS
London : It was an immigration scare of the creepy kind.
When a plumbers' merchant in Radcliffe in north-west England received a shipment of pipes from India this week, his employees discovered a two-and-a-half foot snake that had apparently smuggled itself in and had travelled all the way here.
For a while, the snake caused panic at the merchant's offices, and one of the warehouses had to be closed for almost six hours. Some feared that it was a rare and poisonous snake, and staff were prohibited from entering the warehouse.
Toll in China coal mine accident rises to 18
By Xinhua,
Xi'an (China) : The death toll in Tuesday's shaft collapse in a coal mine in northwestern China has risen to 18 with officials confirming all 16 miners trapped inside were found dead Wednesday.
At least 28 workers were at work in the state-run Huisen Liangshuijing coal mine when the accident happened Tuesday in Shaanxi province, 600 km north of provincial capital Xi'an, according to the provincial emergency response office.
Two killed in US tornado
By IANS,
Washington : A tornado hit southern US state of Mississippi, killing at least two and damaging around 20 houses, authorities said.
The tornado razed across three counties in mid-eastern Mississippi Saturday.
Yazoo City Mayor McArthur Straughter said at least two were killed in the "devastating" fury in which 15 to 20 buildings sustained extensive damage, Xinhua reported.
The tornado was reported to be over a kilometer wide, striking Valley Park, Yazoo City and Durantand.
Ban mourns the death of Sir Edmund Hillary
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 11 (KUNA) -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday paid tribute to Sir Edmund Hillary who gave "profound meaning to the concepts of courage and exploration." Sir Edmund, who was the first person to stand atop Mount Everest, died in Auckland, New Zealand yesterday. He was 88.
"Sir Edmund not only climbed to one of the purest victories known to humankind, thereby championing and pioneering an awareness of the treasures of our Earth -- he also worked to build health and education in the communities around him," his press office said in a statement.
UN General Assembly to hold economic crisis debate
By DPA,
New York : The UN General Assembly Tuesday rescheduled its failed efforts to hold a debate on the global financial and economic crisis at the end of June, three weeks later than the original date.
Last week, the 192-nation assembly cancelled the so-called economic summit originally scheduled for June 1-3 because several government leaders could not attend even though the event had been scheduled and publicized months ahead. Another reason for the
postponement was the lack of time to negotiate an outcome document.
US asks Nepal Maoists to end or suspend strike
By IANS,
Kathmandu : With Nepal's ruling parties failing to persuade the Maoists to withdraw their indefinite strike, the US has asked the former guerrillas to end or suspend their protests as the Himalayan republic wilted for the sixth consecutive day Friday and a constitutional crisis stood only three weeks away.
"The Maoist-imposed strike in Nepal is creating serious hardships for the people of Nepal and the risk of dangerous confrontation is growing," Robert O. Blake, the US assistant secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, said in a statement issued Friday.
Russia not releasing documents from plane crash: Poland
By DPA,
Warsaw: Polish investigators cannot complete their probe of the crash that claimed the life of president Lech Kaczynski because prosecutors have not yet received crucial documents from their Russian counterparts, Poland's Interior Minister Jerzy Miller said Monday.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he has asked the defence minister to send a formal request to Russia for all the documents relating to the April 10 plane crash in Smolensk, Russia, which killed the president and 95 others, many other high-ranking Polish figures.
Money from Tiananmen Square memorial to go to China quake victims
By DPA,
Hong Kong : All money from the annual candlelight vigil in Hong Kong next week marking the 1989 Tiananmen Square massace will go to China's earthquake victims, organisers said Wednesday.
Tens of thousands of people gather in Hong Kong's Victoria Park every June 4 to remember the students killed by Chinese soldiers in the 1989 pro-democracy movement in Beijing.
The event raises around 700,000 Hong Kong dollars ($89,688) and organiser Cheung Man-kwong said this year all money would go to the survivors of the Sichuan earthquake.
Payne gets surprise birthday bash
By IANS,
London: Singer Liam Payne was treated to a surprised birthday party by girlfriend, dancer Danielle Peazer.
Modi meets Nikki Haley
New York : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday met Indian American Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley.
Haley, one of the two Indian-American governors in...
US Tour to co-sanction $6 million event with Asian Tour
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur: After the European and Japan Tours, it is now time for the US to recognise the power of Asian golf. In a historic move, the US PGA has signed a deal with the Asian Tour to stage a new event.
To be called the the Asia Pacific Golf Classic, the event is planned to be held at the Mines Resort & Golf Club south of Kuala Lumpur. The dates, yet to be announced, is likely to be towards the end of 2010.
The event will carry $6 million as the purse, with the winner getting $1 million.
LTTE vows to carry on the ‘liberation struggle’
By DPA
Colombo : Tamil rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has vowed to carry on with the fight after one of his senior members was killed recently in an air strike by Sri Lankan forces.
Suffering one of the biggest losses at the hands of the Sri Lankan forces in its 25-year armed struggle, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has vowed to keep up the fight.
LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran was speaking to mark the death of his political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan, who was killed Friday in an air raid in Kilinochchi, 370 km north of the capital Colombo.
5.5 tremor rocks eastern Indonesia
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : An earthquake, measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale, Sunday jolted the eastern regions of Indonesia, the meteorology office said.
The quake occurred at 0942 GMT, with the epicentre at Maluku provincial capital of Ambon, some 194 km from the Indonesian capital. No damage or casualties have been reported so far, the agency said.
Indonesia sits on a vulnerable zone called "the Pacific Ring of Fire" where the two continental plates meet. This causes frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Travel bans complicated Ebola fight: WHO official
Nairobi: Travel prohibitions to Ebola-hit West African countries have undermined the fight against the pandemic that has claimed 2,500 lives, a World Health Organisation...
North Korea vows to counter enemy n-threats
By IANS,
Pyongyang : North Korea will counter enemy nuclear threats with even more powerful nuclear attacks, an official said Thursday.
No sign of success in Kenyan election mediation
By DPA
Nairobi : Ghanaian President John Kufuor ended his mediation efforts in the Kenyan election dispute without any visible success as newly elected President Mwai Kibaki began swearing in his new cabinet in Nairobi.
Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan would chair further talks, Kufuor said Thursday before flying back to Accra.
There were "no signs of success" after the two-day talks between Kufuor, controversial President Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, a government spokesman in Nairobi said.
New Zealand Sikhs challenge club’s turban ban
By DPA,
Wellington : The Sikh Council of New Zealand announced Thursday it would take legal action against an Auckland club that will not admit turban-wearing Sikhs to its premises because it bans all forms of headwear.
The Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club voted to confirm the "no hats" policy Sunday six months after prominent local Sikh Karnail Singh was refused entry to a function in his honour because of his turban.
The club premises had been hired for a private function to honour his work as a volunteer visitor to the elderly, a town ambassador and community gardener.
Astrid: Chavez Essential for Colombia
By Prensa Latina
Paris : The sister of Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian citizen in the hands of guerrillas since 2002, reiterated on Wednesday that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's participation as mediator of her sibling's release is essential.
Astrid Betancourt said on Tuesday in Geneva and repeated the words on Wednesday in Paris that Chavez is the only person capable of making possible a humanitarian exchange of detainees, between FARC rebels and the Colombian government.
Indonesia’s tourism sector to focus on emerging markets
By IANS,
Jakarta : Indonesia's tourism sector will focus on emerging markets in 2012 as they are relatively resistant to global financial crisis, a minister said here Thursday.
Myanmar to hold constitutional referendum May 10
By Xinhua
Yangon : Myanmar is to hold a nationwide referendum May 10 to vote on a new drafted constitution, the head of the referendum commission announced Wednesday.
Chief Justice U. Aung Toe, head of the commission authorised to hold the referendum, said at a meeting held in the new capital of Nay Pyi Taw that all the preparatory work for the referendum has nearly been completed.
India discusses with Sri Lanka modalities to send relief supply
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka and India have set the ball rolling to implement the agreement arrived at in New Delhi to supply food and other essentials to the war-affected people in the island's north, diplomatic sources here said.
Senior presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa, who was in New Delhi last week and held talks with Indian leaders as the special envoy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, convened a meeting here Friday to discuss the relief supply situation in the northern Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.
Jehadis could target Obama with psychological warfare
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
President-elect Barack Obama's reputedly conciliatory approach towards international flashpoints can potentially open the door for psychological warfare against the United States by Islamic jehadi groups.
Former EADS co-chief arrested
By DPA,
Paris : The former joint head of European aerospace company EADS, Noel Forgeard, has been arrested in the insider-trading scandal surrounding the company, France Info radio station reported Wednesday.
The long-term head of Airbus is currently being questioned, the radio report said, citing judicial sources.
The probe was launched after EADS executives, including Forgeard, sold shares in the company in March 2006, just three months before shares plunged after the company announced serious delays in the delivery of the A380, the world's largest jumbo aircraft.
US marines arrive in Australia
By IANS,
Sydney : The first batch of about 200 US marines have arrived in Australia's Darwin city as part of a defence deal, Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith announced Wednesday.
Thai gov’t to set up special cabinet council to deal with violence
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Thailand's weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday decided to set up a special cabinet council in an attempt to deal with the insurgent violence in some southern provinces of the country.
Thailand's restive far South mainly comprises the southernmost provinces -- Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and some parts of Songkla province.
The new cabinet council will be chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and is comprised of 16 cabinet members and two representatives of the National Economic and Social Development Board and the Budget Bureau.
Colombia stops Chavez mediation with leftist guerrillas
By DPA
Bogota : Colombia has put a stop to efforts by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to negotiate a prisoner swap with leftist Colombian guerrillas.
Conservative President Alvaro Uribe withdrew Chavez's authority as a mediator after Chavez spoke on telephone Wednesday with the head of the Colombian military, General Mario Montoyas, which broke an agreement on the negotiations, the presidential palace said in a statement.
Overwhelming win for Kevin Rudd-led Labor in Australia
By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Sydney : Australians have voted for change with Kevin Rudd-led Australian Labor Party (ALP) claiming victory on Saturday night, ending the 11-year-long John Howard era.
At 12.24 AEST (about 14.30 GMT), with 75 percent votes counted, the ALP had won 83 seats - 76 seats were required for victory - and the Coalition (Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party) have won 58 seats.
Myanmar’s protesting monks ordered to leave Yangon
By DPA
Yangon : Myanmar's military-controlled Buddhist clergy, the Sangha Nayaka Committee, Monday instructed all temples in Yangon to send visiting monks back to their townships in an effort to put an end to the anti-government marches here.
In a new form of public protest, thousands of Buddhist monks have been staging peaceful marches in Yangon daily since last Tuesday. Many of the participating monks are from temples outside Yangon, visiting the former capital for religious studies during Buddhist lent.
India has larger role to play in global affairs: Vice President
Tunis : Vice President Hamid Ansari on Friday said that India has a much larger role to play in charting a more equitable and...
Gunman kills 11 students in Brazil school
By IANS,
Rio De Janeiro : Eleven students were killed and 22 others injured when a gunman opened fire in a school classroom in this Brazilian city Thursday, Xinhua reported.
US considering more sanctions against Zimbabwe
By DPA,
Washington : The US would "take a very strong look" at the possibility of extending sanctions on Zimbabwe government following the "sham" elections that took place Friday, the US State Department said.
The US already has sanctions on Zimbabwe, some members of Mugabe's family and other "cronies" in his government and more steps may be on the way, deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.
"You will see us take a very strong look at additional measures that we might be able to take in a bilateral capacity against Zimbabwe," Casey told reporters.
Two Madrid airport bombing suspects arrested in France
By Xinhua
Madrid : Spain's Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba has said that the two men suspected of involvement in the 2006 Madrid airport bombing have been arrested by the police.
Rubalcaba Saturday confirmed that the Spanish and French police have arrested three suspected members of the Basque separatist group ETA Friday in southern France, two of who are suspects of the Madrid bombing.
The deadly bombing Dec 30, 2006, at the Madrid airport destroyed a multi-storey parking garage and killed two people.
Sikh man ousted from Donald Trump’s rally in US
Washington: A turban-clad Sikh man was ousted out of Donald Trump's campaign rally in US, after he interrupted the Republican presidential frontrunner's speech by...
US man convicted of supporting Al Qaeda
By IANS,
Washington: A federal jury Tuesday convicted a US man of conspiring to kill American soldiers in Iraq.
North Korea puts troops on alert over South Korea-US war games
By DPA,
Seoul : North Korea Monday put its troops on alert as an annual joint South Korean-US war game commenced and accused its neighbour of planning an attack.
North Korea would react to any provocation with a "merciless and prompt annihilating strike at the aggressors with all offensive and defensive means, including nuclear deterrent", state media quoted the high command of the Korean People's Army as saying.
Blatter to vote for Rio 2016, governor says
By DPA,
Rio de Janeiro : International Football Federation (FIFA) president Joseph Blatter said he will vote for Rio de Janeiro as the host of the 2016 Olympics, Rio de Janeiro Governor Sergio Cabral said Tuesday.
As a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Blatter is set to take part Friday in Copenhagen in the crucial vote to pick the host of the 2016 Games, in a race which pits Rio against Madrid, Chicago and Tokyo.
Cabral said that Blatter made his intention known Monday, on the eve of a meeting of FIFA's Executive Committee in Rio.
South Korea calls for resumption of six-party talks
By DPA,
Seoul : South Korean President Lee Myung Bak called Wednesday for North Korea's nuclear programme to be dismantled next year through stalled six-nation talks, a news report said.
Over 100 dolphins washed ashore in northern Philippines
By Xinhua,
Manila : More than 100 dolphins were found stranded at the coast of a northern Philippine town early Tuesday, the local media reported.
Bataan provincial governor Enrique Garcia Jr. said in a radio interview that at least three dolphins might have died. The stranded dolphins were found in Pilar town of the province.
Garcia said the local residents tried to push the dolphins back into the water, while he had informed the coast guard and the fisheries and aquatic resources authority to start a rescue operation.
Sarkozy dealt setback in French local elections
By DPA
Paris : In the first electoral test since he took office 10 months ago, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was dealt a stinging defeat by the opposition Socialists and their left-wing allies in Sunday's local elections.
The Socialist mayors of Paris and Lille, Bertrand Delanoe and Martine Aubry, were re-elected by comfortable margins, while Socialist challengers defeated the conservative mayors of the politically important cities of Toulouse and Strasbourg.
Tight Security around G-8 Summit
By Prensa Latina
Berlin : German authorities have reinforced security around the G-8 Summit headquarters in the Baltic spa of Heiligendamm, with about 16,000 agents deployed.
Immigration changes bad for Canada: opposition
By IANS
Toronto : Criticising the Canadian government for introducing a bill that gives it sweeping powers on immigration, the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) has proposed amendments in it before the parliamentary vote.
The immigration (amendment) bill, which gives the immigration minister powers to decide who is let in or stopped, is part of the budget bill which will seek the House vote next week.