Senator Byrd becomes longest-serving lawmaker in US history
By DPA,
Washington : Robert Byrd, the West Virginia senator, is Wednesday set to become the longest serving member of the US Congress in history.
Byrd, who will celebrate his 92nd birthday Friday, began his legislative career in the House of Representatives Jan 3, 1953, before moving to the Senate in 1959.
The Senate was expected to commemorate the milestone with a resolution honouring Byrd Wednesday. Byrd passes former Arizona senator Carl Hayden, who was in Congress from 1912 to 1969.
North and South Korea agree to discuss family reunions
By DPA,
Seoul : North and South Korea have agreed to discuss family reunions in the latest example of a cautious improvement in relations between the two countries.
North Korea accepted a proposal for talks between representatives of each country's Red Cross from Wednesday to Friday at Kumgang mountain on North Korea's east coast, South Korea's Ministry of Unification said Tuesday.
The programme of short family reunions was discontinued due to rising tensions between the governments in Seoul and Pyongyang.
Obama surges ahead of Clinton in battle of the Potomac
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : With a clean sweep of the 'Potomac primaries' - in Maryland, Virginia and the national capital - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama surged ahead of party frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
Obama, vying to be America's first black president, stacked his wins on top of a string of victories over the weekend, pushing his record to 8-0 since he and the former first lady ended last week's Super Tuesday coast to coast battle in 22 states in a virtual dead heat.
Sri Lankan air force jet crashes
By IANS,
Colombo : A Sri Lankan Air Force MIG-27 jet Monday crashed in the country's northwestern region but the pilot ejected safely, the air force said.
Probe use of lethal force and ensure protection of human rights in Kashmir: Human...
By TCN News,
New York: India should conduct an impartial probe into the use of lethal force by police during the violent protests following the...
India off to solid start against Bangladesh
Fatullah (Bangladesh): It was a perfect toss to win for captain Virat Kohli as India openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan piled on runs...
North Korea says it is committed to nuclear talks
By IANS,
Beijing : North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has said his country is committed to ending the country's nuclear programme, Xinhua reported Friday.
The report said the North Korean leader paid an unofficial visit to China May 3-7 and held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao.
It said the two leaders agreed that the two sides will make joint efforts for "de-nuclearization on the Korean Peninsula" in accordance with the joint statement issued Sep 19, 2005 at six-party nuclear talks involving China, the US, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and Russia.
SADC leaders locked in talks as Zimbabwe unity deal proves elusive
By DPA,
Johannesburg : Southern African leaders were engaged in intense talks behind closed doors Sunday as a two-day summit in Johannesburg drew near to a close without any sign of the Zimbabwean settlement that hosts South Africa had been pushing for.
At the opening of the two-day Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting Saturday, South African President Thabo Mbeki said Zimbabwe's neighbours would "assist the Zimbabwean parties to finalize their negotiations" on a government of national unity.
From leaders on down, millions mourn quake dead
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Millions of people in China and overseas observed three minutes of silence at 2:28 p.m. on Monday as they mourned the many killed in a deadly earthquake in Sichuan Province a week ago.
President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao, and other top leaders including Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang also stood in silence in the central government compound of Zhongnanhai in Beijing.
Travolta flies to Fiji, first outing since son’s death
By IANS,
London : John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston last week flew to Fiji and Australia, the first time they left their home in Florida since their son's death in January.
Travolta's 16-year-old son, Jett, died at the family's vacation home in the Bahamas and since then the couple have gotten out.
According to contactmusic.com, the couple flew around the world together last week. They spent some time in Fiji and Brisbane.
Incoming mayor, vice mayor shot dead in N Philippines
By Xinhua
Manila : The incoming mayor and vice mayor of Lupao town in Nueva Ecija province of northern Philippines were shot dead before midnight Friday, although they had won the local officials' election in May, a local radio reported on Saturday.
    Mayor-elect Alfredo Vendivil and his cousin, vice mayor-elect Virgilio Vendivil were shot dead in an ambush staged by five gunmen in San Jose City, dzRH radio reported.
US gunman kills three
By IANS,
Washington: A 50-year-old man has shot dead three people at a lumber company in the US state of North Carolina Friday. He later shot and injured himself.
15 killed in Mexico shootouts
By IANS,
Tijuana (Mexico) : At least 15 people - most of them suspected drug-cartel enforcers - have been killed in clashes here, officials said.
The head of public safety in Tijuana, Jesus Alberto Capella, said three gunfights involved cartel gunmen fighting each other while another was between the drug mob hit men and the police, Spanish news agency EFE reported.
He attributed the incidents to an internal battle within one of the gangs that control drug trafficking in Tijuana, located across the border from the US city of San Diego, California.
Malaysian police rescue 300 pangolins from Thailand border
By Xinhua
Kuala Lumpur : More than 300 pangolins waiting to be smuggled to Thailand were seized by the Malaysian police from a mango orchard in northern Perlis state, media reports said Thursday.
A total of 248 adult and 58 young pangolins - worth $20,588 (70,000 ringgit) - were seized by a team of anti-smuggling unit (UPP) of the Malaysian police in Padang Besar, a border town. The pangolins are anteaters. Some people kill them for their meat.
The pangolins were brought from Kulim in northern Kedah state and headed for Thailand.
Colombia nabs militiaman charged with 2,500 killings
By IANS/EFE,
Bogota : A fugitive Colombian militia commander accused of involvement in some 2,500 murders has been arrested, the Attorney General's Office said.
Arnolfo Santamaria Galindo, who formerly led a paramilitary unit in the southern province of Putumayo, was arrested in the Bogota suburb of Soacha, prosecutor Luis Gonzalez told the media.
Roughly 32,000 members of the AUC militia federation demobilised between 2003 and 2006 as part of a peace process with the government of President Alvaro Uribe, but Santamaria, like many paramilitaries, declined to lay down his arms.
Philippine President to meet Bush in June visit to U.S.
By Xinhua,
Manila : The Philippine government on Thursday announced that President Gloria Macapagal-Arryo will meet U.S. President George W. Bush in her working visit to the country next month.
In a statement dispatched to media, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said on the president's June 23-29 visit, Arroyo will discuss with Bush the issues surrounding benefits given to the Filipino World War II veterans.
They will also touch on a broad range of topics including food security, environmental protection and human rights.
Russia, US to cooperate despite disagreements
By RIA Novosti,
Lima : The Russia and US have agreed to continue cooperation despite existing disagreements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his US counterpart George W. Bush met in the Peruvian capital Saturday as part of a two-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum.
Russia to increase defence spending by 60 percent
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russian defence spending will increase by a staggering 60 percent by 2013 to $66.3 million from $42 million in 2010, a media report said Friday.
The government made the decision during a meeting Thursday. The largest growth is planned for 2013, when the figure will rise by 0.5 trillion rubles ($16.6 million), Russian business daily Vedomosti reported.
Navy, aviation and space industries are reported to top the list of priorities in defence spending.
At least 7 killed, 7 injured in south China mine blast
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : At least seven people were killed Friday and another seven injured in a coal mine gas blast in southern China, the Xinhua news agency reported.
The agency quoted a local safety official as saying that the accident happened in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Friday morning when around 100 miners were underground.
Eighty-four people have been safely brought to the surface.
EU foreign ministers to discuss deal with Serbia
By RIA Novosti
Brussels : Foreign ministers of the European Union's 27 member states will hold discussions on Monday on whether to sign a trade pact with Serbia opening up the Balkan country's path to EU membership.
The talks come at a critical time for Serbia, with a pro-European and a pro-Russian candidate set to face off in a second presidential election round, and the country's breakaway province of Kosovo likely to declare its independence within weeks.
For Sri Lanka, mega shipping hub status long way off
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : Colombo Port has been a major trans-shipment hub in the Indian Ocean region for a long time. But the 'mega shipping hub' status that Sri Lanka is seeking is still a long way off, shipping experts say.
Former ports minister Dilan Perera said Sri Lanka had the "advantage of location" to be a "mega hub" of the South Asian region. "There is a yawning gap in South Asia which Sri Lanka is well qualified to fill," he said.
Faith groups warn against voting for fascists at UK elections
By IRNA,
London : Faith organisations have joined minority community bodies in issuing a pledge against supporting extreme right-wing candidates at next month’s general elections in Britain.
The pledge, signed by nearly 50 groups, urged every British citizen to “use their vote to support any party of their choice which stands opposed to the destructive politics of hatred, to vote for freedom not fear, partnerships not prejudice, and hope not hate.”
China opens digital library for blind
By Xinhua,
Beijing : A digital library where the blind can listen to music or on-line lectures for free has opened in the Chinese capital.
Housed in the National Library, the facility has been jointly set up by the information centre of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, the National Library and China Braille Publishing House.
It was opened on the eve of the International Day of the Blind Wednesday.
Women kill friend over lice
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Two women in a Russian town are charged with killing their female friend on suspicion that she was the source of their lice infestation, authorities said Tuesday.
Dalai opens conference on compassion, doesn’t mention Tibet
By NNN-PTI,
Silicon Valley : Making his first US trip since China's crackdown on pro-independence protesters in Tibet, the Dalai Lama refrained from speaking about the turmoil in his Himalayan homeland as he opened a conference on compassion.
Education, social work, economics -- "every human action" -- could be improved through compassionate action, 72-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader told a gathering of around 6,500 people while addressing the five-day 'Seeds of Compassion' conference in Seattle yesterday.
Africa to dominate UN Security Council’s work this month
By TwoCircles.net newsdesk
The United Nations Security Council will have a “fairly heavy programme� this month, dominated by African subjects and including a visit to the continent, its President for June said today.
Briefing reporters at UN Headquarters on the 15-member body’s schedule, Belgian Ambassador Johan C. Verbeke said the focus on African-related subjects is due partly to the fact that Africa is an important topic within the Council, and also because its members will embark on a week-long, five-nation visit next week.
Teenager arrested in Netherlands over cyber attacks for WikiLeaks
By DPA,
The Hague : A 16-year-old suspected hacker has been arrested in the Netherlands for allegedly having attacked the websites of Mastercard and Visa, Dutch authorities said.
Intel to pay $1.25 bn to settle AMD dispute
By DPA,
San Francisco: Computer chip giant Intel is to pay smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices $1.25 billion to settle claims that it violated anti-trust and patent laws, the companies said Thursday.
The move comes just days after Intel was sued by New York state for anti-trust violations and follows a $1.5 billion fine slapped on Intel by the European Commission for anti-trust offences.
In addition to the financial settlement with AMD, Intel also agreed to abide by a new set of business practices provisions and to a cross licence agreement for five years.
SCO leaders pledge to enhance anti-terrorism efforts
By Xinhua,
Dushanbe : Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states Thursday pledged to strengthen the organisation's regional anti-terrorist structure and raise thier cooperation in the field of security to a new height.
The leaders of SCO member states, who kicked off their summit in Tajik capital Dushanbe Thursday, expressed their satisfaction with the increased cooperation among themselves in their fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
Former White House security chief to head UN children’s agency
By DPA,
New York : Anthony Lake, a Clinton administration national security adviser, was appointed Tuesday as executive director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which provides healthcare and assistance to children and women worldwide.
"He brings with him a wealth of experience after a long and distinguished career with the United States government," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in appointing Lake.
Ecuador Rebuffs US Charges
By Prensa Latina,
Quito : Ecuador rejected statements by Dell Dailey, Coordinator for Counterterrorism of the US State Department, on an alleged government link with Colombia's guerrilla.
The local Foreign Ministry considers the statement meddlesome in Ecuadorian domestic affairs and an aggresive attempt to adjust national security policy to foreign dictates.
G8 agrees to fund programme for fighting AIDS, TB, malaria
By DPA
Heiligendamm (Germany) : The Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations, at a summit meeting here, has agreed to fund a new global programme to combat infectious diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Brazil’s oil reserves will last 50 years: Minister
By EFE,
Brasilia : Brazil will have crude for half a century and become a leading oil exporter and "an important player in international geopolitics", the country's energy minister has said during a congressional hearing.
Edison Lob�o said Wednesday that thanks to the vast potential of its pre-salt region, so-named because the estimated 50-80 billion barrels of oil equivalent it contains are located in the sea bed beneath an unstable salt formation, Brazil could produce some 3.8 million barrels per day within 10 years, or double its current output.
US presidential candidates in final push
By DPA,
Chicago/Washington : US presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain planned one final race across the country Monday as state officials braced for record turnout in Tuesday's general election.
As Chicago prepared for a throng of one million people at a public park in anticipation of Democrat Obama's victory Tuesday, Republicans were wishing them bad weather and a surprise electoral victory for the underdog McCain.
US rejects North Korea’s call for peace treaty
By IANS,
Washington : US Monday rejected North Korea's proposal to discuss a peace treaty saying Pyongyang should first take steps towards denuclearisation.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Pyongyang has to come back to the six-party talks and take steps towards denuclearisation for peace treaty issue to advance, Xinhua reported.
"If they're willing to live up to those obligations, then we will make progress in those talks," Gibbs said in a media briefing. This is not a step for the US to take, but rather a step for North Korea, he said.
Number of atheists, non-believers increases in Spain
By IANS/EFE,
Madrid : The number of non-believers and atheists has grown significantly in Spain during the last decade while the percentage of Catholics has come down by 10 percent, a government survey has said.
At present, 13.6 percent of the people said they were "non-believers" while 7.7 percent identified themselves as atheists, a survey released Wednesday by the Sociological Research Centre said.
The survey said 75 percent Spaniards define themselves as Catholics, down from nearly 85 percent a decade ago.
Greek PM to miss EU summit for eye surgery
By IANS,
Athens : Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will not attend the June 28 EU summit in Brussels as doctors have advised him to rest following eye surgery.
15 British nationals killed in Tunisia attack
London: At least 15 British nationals have been killed in Friday's attack in Tunisia, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said on Saturday.
In...
Russian parliament approves extension of presidential terms
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : All of Russia's 83 regions have approved Constitutional amendments to extend presidential and parliamentary terms, the upper house of the country's parliament said in a resolution Monday.
In line with the Constitution, the approval of at least two thirds of regional legislatures was required to extend the current four-year presidential and parliamentary terms to six and five years, respectively.
"We will submit the resolution for signing to the president," Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov said.
‘Pilot error caused Brazil plane crash’
By IANS
Sao Paulo : Investigators have found that the plane crash this month in Sao Paulo that killed some 200 people was the result of human error, Brazil's weekly news magazine said.
According to Veja, the investigation revealed that one of the levers that control the TAM airlines jet's turbines was in the wrong position, which meant that while one of the turbines was helping the plane slow to a halt, the other one was making it to continue accelerating, the Spanish news agency EFE said.
‘Let obese eat less to ease demand for fuel, food’
By IANS,
London : It's not exactly a response to US President Bush's comments on the global food price hike, but a respected medical journal has said if the obese in the West took to walking or cycling, it would dramatically reduce global oil and food demand.
A study appearing in the Lancet has pointed out that “motorised transport is more than 95 percent oil dependent and accounts for almost half of world oil use. Since oil is a key agricultural input, demand for transportation fuel affects food prices”.
Two-headed snake born in Argentine wildlife centre
By IANS
Buenos Aires : A two-headed snake was born at a wildlife centre in northern Argentina, marking the first such case in an area that is home to numerous species of the reptiles.
The pit viper was born at the Jorge Washington Abalos Venomous Animals Institute, a unit of the health ministry of Santiago del Estero province, EFE news agency reported Monday.
Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S. to hold talks in Seoul
By Xinhua,
Seoul : South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates will meet here this week for talks on a variety of issues, including the sharing of costs to maintain U.S. forces here to strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance, Defense Ministry officials said Monday.
The meeting, the first of its kind since President Lee Myung-bak administration was inaugurated in February, will be held on Tuesday at the Defense Ministry building, they said.
Immigrants miss out on Australia’s best jobs
By DPA,
Sydney : Immigrants from non-English speaking countries are finding that a university degree is not a passport to a well-paid job in Australia, a study released Tuesday showed.
Language difficulties relegate two-thirds of immigrants to jobs not commensurate with their qualifications, compared with less than half of those who arrive from English-language speaking countries, Monash University demographer Bob Birrell found.
"They're not contributing to the skilled workforce, but they're contributing to urban population growth and housing pressure," the Melbourne academic said.
Beijing mulls campus police
By IANS,
Beijing : Beijing will deploy police in schools for students' safety.
US will not ease sanctions on Cuba: Bush
By DPA,
Washington : US President George W. Bush said Wednesday the US will not ease sanctions on Cuba until the communist island's leadership enacts real reforms that will lead to democracy.
The Cuban government's recent easing of restrictions to allow the population greater access to technology like mobile phones and computers amounted to "empty gestures" average Cubans cannot afford, Bush said.
Hundreds demonstrate in Hamburg for freedom in Tibet
By IRNA
Berlin : Around 400 demonstrators, among them many exiled Tibetans, protested against China's ongoing security clampdown in Tibet, news reports said Wednesday.
The crowd carried banners calling for "Freedom in Tibet" and "Olympic peace - instead of repression".
Speakers at the rally said German trade relations with China should be linked to improving the human rights situation of Tibetans.
Germany has been the scene of of anti-Chinese protests over the past weeks in the aftermath of the Tibetan crisis.
French taxis strike for second week, causing traffic snarls
PARIS, Feb 6 (KUNA) -- For the second time in two weeks, French taxi drivers went on strike here Wednesday to protest a government plan to liberalize the sector and allow more taxis on the road to meet growing demand, union sources and drivers said.
In Paris, where the largest number of taxis are based, there were over 5, 000 cars in a protest that blocked certain areas of the capital in the 16th district near the Arc de Triomphe monument.
Attempts to go to the Paris airports were not successful, sources said.
Carter meets Koirala, pledges support for polls
By IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal's flagging peace process received fresh impetus Thursday with former US president and Nobel laureate Jimmy Carter meeting Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and pledging support for the November election.
Fresh tremors hit Nepal on Sunday
Kathmandu : A week after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake jolted Nepal, three tremors were recorded on Sunday in different parts of the Himalayan nation.
According...
We will crush Tamil Tigers completely: Rajapaksa
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has expressed confidence that his troops will crush the Tamil Tiger guerrillas “completely”, but he refused to set a time frame for a military victory.
At a dinner meeting here at his heavily-guarded official residence Temple Trees, Rajapaksa told foreign correspondents Monday that the military authorities and the service commanders “are very happy with the progress they have made” in their fight to finish the campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the island's north.
Russia’s envoy to Britain voices concern over state of relations
By RIA Novosti
London : Russian Ambassador to Britain Yury Fedotov voiced concern on Wednesday over the lack of progress being made to improve relations between London and Moscow.
Bilateral ties have plunged to a post-Cold War low since the murder in London of Russian security service defector Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 and Russia's refusal to extradite London's chief suspect, Andrei Lugovoi.
Pakistan, US call for defined strategic partnership
By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistan and the US have called for a clearly defined strategic partnership to act jointly against terrorism and for regional peace, a media report said Saturday.
48 journalists killed worldwide in 2016: Study
Washington : At least 48 journalists have been killed this year, with Syria for the fifth consecutive year topping the chart for the...
50 dead in Uganda landslides
By IANS,
Kampala : More than 50 people were killed in landslides in eastern Uganda Monday, Xinhua reported.
Hillary Clinton runs into rough weather over husband’s fundraising
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Hillary Clinton has run into rough weather over potential conflicts of interest former President Bill Clinton's fundraising could pose if she is confirmed as secretary of state, but has refused to commit to greater disclosure.
Clinton asserted before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday that government ethics officials have concluded under "well-established" rules that "there is not an inherent conflict of interest" for her in any of former president Bill Clinton's fundraising or other business dealings.
Monsanto awarded “Angry Mermaid” lobbying prize
By DPA,
Copenhagen: Biotech giant Monsanto won a dubious honour Tuesday when an online poll awarded it the "Angry Mermaid" prize for what critics see as misleading lobbying on the issue of climate change.
The award was unveiled in Copenhagen, home to an iconic statue of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale character the Little Mermaid, on the sidelines of United Nations talks on fighting global warming.
Russia to provide $9 bn to oil, gas majors
By RIA Novosti,
Msocow : Russia would provide $9 billion to the country's four top oil and gas companies, including Russian-British joint venture TNK-BP, to refinance their foreign debt, a Russian business daily reported Tuesday.
State-run oil company Rosneft will receive $4.2 billion of the sum.
According to Kommersant daily, the decision was taken Saturday during a meeting between oil and gas company representatives and deputy prime minister Igor Sechin, who oversees the energy sector.
Helicopter crashes in S Thailand, killing 3 soldiers
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : A helicopter of the Royal Thai Air Force on Wednesday crashed in Thailand's southern province of Yala, killing three soldiers.
Initial report of local police said the UH-1 Huey Helicopter crashed in Yala's Be Tong district. Three soldiers aboard were killed on spot.
Akhon Thiprooch, the spokesman of the Royal Thai Army, confirmed the report. He said the helicopter crashed on Wednesday morning while it was on its way to attend a meeting in the 4th Army Region.
Siberian hermit receives government aid
By RIA Novosti,
Novosibirsk (Russia) : The last surviving female member of a Russian Old Believer family has received aid from the regional auhorities following her request, after she spent a lifetime away from human society.
Agafya Lykova, 63, has lived in the forests of the Siberian republic of Khakasia, her father having taken his family to the wilderness in 1937 to "purge their souls of the modern world."
Aguilera steps forward for Hatit relief effort
By IANS,
London : Singer Christina Aguilera, ambassador for the UN World Food Programme (WFP), is supporting victims of the Haiti earthquake.
"A child dies every six seconds of hunger, which is a huge statistic for me. After having my own child, I just had to be part of it and do something about it and help change that situation," contactmusic.com quoted her as saying.
"I want to check on the situation and help deliver food. I want to visit orphanages and schools there and try to do my part in helping," she added.
US ready to help bring Mumbai attackers to justice
By Arun Kumar
Washington : Reiterating that it wants the perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack brought to justice, the US has offered...
India, Tajikistan agree to boost anti-terror cooperation: Modi
Dushanbe (Tajikistan): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said combating terrorism is an important area of cooperation between India and Tajikistan which are located...
UK economic crisis worst in 60 years, warns chancellor
By IRNA,
London : Britain is in the grip of its worst economic crisis for 60 years, Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling warned Saturday.
The crisis is going to be "more profound and long-lasting than people thought," Darling said in what was seen as the most astonishing admission about the economic situation facing the country following a string of bleak assessments.
Tamil Tigers on last leg declare truce, Sri lanka wants surrender
By IANS,
Colombo : The Tamil Tigers, who are now squeezed into an area of less than eight sq km in the island's north following a major military offensive, Sunday announced a "unilateral ceasefire". But the Sri Lankan government rejected it outright, saying that the rebels should lay down arms and surrender.
"The government position has been that there will be no ceasefire until the LTTE lay down their weapons and surrender. There is no change in the government stand," Lakshman Hulugalle, the director general of Sri Lanka's Media Centre for National Security, told IANS.
Indian-American named US strategic counter terrorism communications envoy
By Arun Kumar,
Washington : Rashad Hussain, of Indian heritage, has been appointed as US envoy and coordinator for Strategic Counter-Terrorism Communications to expand international...
Terrorist gets 14-year jail in Canada
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : A Canadian Muslim youth was jailed for 14 years Thursday for his role in the country's first home-grown terrorist plot.
Justice Bruce Dorno of the city court in Brampton on the outskirts of Toronto sentenced 22-year-old Saad Khalid for his role in the so-called Toronto-18 terror plot to avenge Canada's participation in the Afghan mission.
The plot was unearthed in June 2006, with arrest of 18 Canadian Muslims allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda.
Greece’s new parliament sworn in
Athens : Greece's new parliament was sworn in Thursday and gathered for the first time since last month's election, which brought the left-wing to...
Former US soldier held for trying to join terror outfit
By IANS,
Washington : A former US Army soldier has been arrested and charged with attempting to travel to Somalia to join terrorist group Al Shabaab.
China may pitch for Pakistan in NSG: Chinese expert
By Manish Chand, IANS
New Delhi : China has concerns about the proposed India-US nuclear pact and may press for similar privileges for Pakistan when it comes up for consideration in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a visiting Chinese expert said here Tuesday.
Chinese woman’s diamonds recovered from garbage dump
By IANS,
Shanghai : A Chinese woman, whose 130,000 yuan ($20,000) worth of diamonds were thrown away by mistake, employed sanitary workers to go through mountains of garbage to seek them out.
10,000 agents searching for missing Mexican students
Mexico City : The search for the 43 students who disappeared in Iguala, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, continued Friday with participation of...
China seeks efficient government websites for public
By IANS,
Beijing: Government websites in China have been warned to address general public's concerns properly and keep information updated, else they will be closed down.
Russia mocks ban on European Council president’s visit
Moscow : Russia Wednesday mocked a European Council (EC) decision to bar its president from visiting Moscow.
EC President Herman Van Rompuy requested an urgent...
Wall Street dips lower on higher oil prices
By DPA,
New York : Major US stock market indices slid Friday to a three-month low, led by consumer and technology companies, as oil prices jumped and analysts said demand for electronics may weaken.
Declines came after Standard & Poor's said it may cut credit ratings on automakers General Motors Corp and Ford Motor Co because of higher fuel costs, sending GM to its lowest level since 1982.
The price of crude oil rose $2.69 to $134.62 per barrel.
Indian youth for first BRICS, SCO youth forums in Russia
Moscow : Youths from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are set to meet...
Nine bodies found hanging from bridge in Mexico
By IANS/EFE,
Monterrey (Mexico): The bodies of nine men were found hanging from a bridge Friday in Nuevo Laredo, a border city in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, officials said.
Australian author out of Bangkok jail after royal pardon
By DPA,
Sydney : Australian Harry Nicolaides arrived back in Melbourne Saturday after being pardoned by Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej and released from a Bangkok prison.
Nicolaides was arrested in August and sentenced to a three-year jail term last month after pleading guilty to a charge of insulting the royal family.
"I have been crying for eight hours," Nicolaides told reporters at Melbourne airport.
Nicolaides, 41, said a royal pardon was issued Wednesday and he had been asked to kneel before a portrait of the revered king.
Two vessels collide on Chinese river killing at least seven
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : At least seven people died and three are still missing in northwest China after a cargo and a passenger vessel collided at the weekend, the Xinhua news agency said on Monday.
The accident took place on the Hanjiang River in the Shaanxi province on Saturday afternoon. The passenger ship, which was badly damaged, sank with all 14 passengers onboard.
The agency said, citing rescue authorities, that seven bodies had been recovered by Monday morning with the search for the three missing continuing.
Scottish hacker faces US extradition after losing appeal
By IRNA,
London : A Scottish computer expert faces trail in the US hacking into computers at the Pentagon after losing an appeal Wednesday against his extradition in his final appeal to the House of Lords, Britain's highest judicial authority.
Law lords ruled that 42-year old Gary McKinnon should be extradited, but his legal team said they would be taking his case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Russia decides to end fighting in Georgia
By SPA,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that he decided to end the military operation, Russian News Agency ITAR TASS reported.
“On the basis of your report I have decided to end the operation to compel Georgian authorities to peace. The aim has been achieved,” he said at a meeting with Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces Nikolai Makarov.
“The security of our peacekeepers and civilian population has been restored ,” Medvedev said.
Myanmar warns against more mine attacks by rebel groups
By Xinhua
Yangon : The military government of Myanmar Monday warned people against more mine attacks by the Kayin National Union (KNU), the largest ethnic armed group, and called on them to remain vigilant against any such incidents.
The authorities also accused the National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB), an anti-government group in exile, of financing the KNU, to purchase arms and ammunition, official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported.
US shame still stings 40 years after My Lai massacre
By Frank Brandmaier, DPA
Washington : The soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 11th US Army Brigade, arrived in the morning. Their mission was clear.
"The orders were to shoot anything that moved," one US army officer told journalist Seymour Hersh, the investigative journalist who broke the story in 1969.
Rajapaksa warns of attempts to scuttle peace
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapapaksa Wednesday warned of local and internationally attempts to scuttle peace in the island nation.
European Space Agency plans space junk detection system
By DPA,
Darmstadt (Germany) : The European Space Agency (ESA) said Monday it hoped to set up its own detection system for space junk instead of relying on US radar to track the chunks of shattered satellites and spent rockets in earth orbit.
Last week a US satellite accidentally hit an out-of-commission Russian satellite, scattering a trail of debris in space.
Body of missing mountaineer found after 26 years
By Xinhua
Chengdu (China) : A rescue team in Sichuan province of China has discovered a body believed to be that of a Japanese mountaineer who went missing 26 years ago, the mountaineering association said Tuesday.
Brazil urges urgent reform of global financial system
By DPA,
Brasilia : Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called for "urgent" reform in international financial institutions as the ongoing credit crisis has put developing countries at risk.
"The progress that our countries have made is at risk. The global financial crisis can affect developing countries in an unfair and particularly harsh way," he said Thursday.
"The current crisis shows us that international financial institutions are in urgent need of reform," Lula said at a lunch to honour Jordan's visiting King Abdullah II.
Former Philippines president Estrada drops appeal, seeks pardon
By DPA
Manila : Former Philippine president Joseph Estrada Monday dropped his appeal of his conviction for large-scale corruption and sought an unconditional pardon from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, an official said.
Estrada's attorneys withdrew their motion for reconsideration that sought a reversal of his conviction and life sentence handed down Sep 12 by the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court.
The former president's defence team then sent a letter to Arroyo, seeking "full, free and unconditional pardon," according to acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera.
British Minister for eradicating forced marriages
LONDON, Oct 25 (APP): A two-day conference on Tackling forced marriage through partnership working in the UK and Overseas concluded here on Thursday with calls for protecting women from the ‘appalling human rights abuse of this practice.
The Conference was organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at the historic Lancaster House in Central London in partnership with the European Commission and attended by delegates drawn from NGOs, Metropolitan Police, British High Commission in Islamabad, legal community and the European Union.
New find pushes Brazil’s oil reserves to 26 bn barrels
By IANS,
Manaus (Brazil) : Brazil has emerged as a major oil power with proven reserves estimated at 26 billion barrels and expectations that the figure will rise further, EFE news agency reported Friday quoting Energy Minister Edison Lobao.
Lobao's announcement Thursday during a press conference in this Amazon city came as the state-controlled oil behemoth Petrobras confirmed existence of recoverable crude and natural gas up to five billion barrels at a new offshore field deep below the seabed and under a layer of salt.
Viking DNA retrieved from 1,000-year-old skeletons
By IANS,
London : Scientists have extracted authentic DNA from ancient Viking skeletons, deftly skirting around many of the problems past researchers faced in preserving their purity.
Wearing protective suits, researchers removed the teeth from the jaw at the precise moment the skeletons were unearthed on the Danish island of Funen, where they had lain untouched for 1,000 years.
The drill demonstrated for the first time how DNA from ancient humans could be retrieved without contamination. They also stringently controlled lab procedures to preserve the purity of their samples.
Freed Russian spy plans to return home
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian scientist Igor Sutyagin, who has been living in Britian and is one of the spies exchanged as part of a Russia-US spy swap deal early this month, said Thursday that he plans to return to his home country.
Sutyagin was sentenced in 2004 in Russia to 15 years in prison for passing information to the US intelligence agency CIA.
"I'm going to return to Obninsk (near Moscow) and fix the rickety porch of our house," Ekho Moskvy radio quoted the scientist as saying.
"Sooner or later, I don't know yet, but this will happen," he added.
Earthquake strikes Spain
By DPA,
Washington : An earthquake measuring magnitude 6.2 struck early Monday local time southeast of Granada, Spain, the US Geologicial Service reported.
The initial report said the quake struck about eight minutes after midnight about 25 km southeast of Granada and 370 km south of Madrid.
Can hospital scanner curb nuclear waste threat?
By IANS,
London : Medical equipment used for diagnosis of patients with heart disease and cancer could be a key weapon in stopping nuclear waste seeping into the environment, according to new research.
A team of scientists from the universities of Manchester and Leeds have joined forces with experts in nuclear medicine at Manchester Royal Infirmary, using medical gamma-ray cameras to track radioactive isotopes in US soil samples from a nuclear site.
Australia removes a ‘great stain’, says ‘sorry’ to Aborigines
By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Sydney : Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Wednesday offered an historic, unconditional apology to its vast indigenous population for the wrongs committed by the state in the past.
UN General Assembly adopts Goldstone report
By DPA,
New York : The UN General Assembly Thursday voted 114-18 to adopt a controversial report on the Israel-Hamas fighting in the Gaza Strip earlier this year.
The majority voting bloc of Arab and Non-Aligned Movement countries in the 192-nation assembly easily provided the votes for passing the report drawn up by a four-member commission headed by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, which accused both sides of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Minor blast on railway track near Colombo
By IANS,
Colombo : There was a minor explosion on a coastal railway line just outside Sri Lankan capital Colombo Wednesday evening, military officials confirmed, adding that there was no damage to the railway track or human lives.
Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) exploded around 7.45 p.m. on the railway track close to De Seram road, Mt.Lavinia, 10 km south of Colombo.
Harassed husbands outnumber their counterparts: NGO
By IANS,
Chandigarh: The Domestic Violence Act, which aims to shield the rights of women, is being misused by some to harass their in-laws and extort money from their husbands, an NGO alleged here Saturday.
Representatives of Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), an organisation that is fighting for the rights of Indian husbands, said cases of men being harassed by their wives clearly outnumber the cases of harassed women.
Ukrainians robbed of 3 mn euros in Moscow
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Four Muscovites stole a bag with three million euros (about $4 million) from two Ukrainian nationals in downtown Moscow, a police source said Monday.
Only one arrest in British teenager’s murder: police
By IANS
Panaji : Only one suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of British teenager Scarlette Keeling, a top police official said here Monday.
"Only one person, a barman running a beach shack, Samson D'Souza, has been arrested. The media reports claiming four people have been arrested are false and misleading," Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kishen Kumar told IANS.
Kumar said people were summoned to a police station for questioning and waiting media persons had jumped to the conclusion that they have been arrested.
Search on for happiest person in Singapore
By DPA
Singapore : The search is on for the happiest person in Singapore following a recent survey that found nine in 10 people feel life is stressful and they need more fun, news reports said Thursday.
Led by Philip Merry, chief executive and founder of the Global Leadership Academy, the hunt will last until March 30.
Singaporeans can nominate anyone they know over the age of 18. He or she must contribute to society and be happy "no matter what life throws at them", The Straits Times quoted Merry, 58, as saying.
UN starts food distribution in Haiti
By DPA,
Geneva: Small scale food distributions were underway in Haiti, UN officials said Thursday, while warning of health threats to the vulnerable population of the Caribbean nation.
"Food distribution started yesterday (Wednesday)," said Charles Vincent with the World Food Programme, "and today (Thursday) will start in Port au Prince."
The capital of Haiti has been one of the hardest struck areas by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the impoverished country Tuesday afternoon local time.
Indonesia eagerly awaits Obama’s brief homecoming
By DPA,
Jakarta: Indonesians were eagerly awaiting the arrival Tuesday of US President Barack Obama for a 24-hour visit to a country where he spent part of his childhood.
US unemployment rate rises
By IANS,
Washington: The US unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent in January from 7.8 percent in December 2012, the US Labor Department said Friday.
Bhutanese refugees to begin resettlement in US: report
By DPA
Kathmandu : Thousands of Bhutanese refugees living in camps in eastern Nepal will begin to be resettled in the US in March under a third-country resettlement programme, media reports said Thursday.
The US will assimilate 10,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal under the first phase of the refugee rehabilitation programme, the English language daily Himalayan Times said.
China needs to be transparent, says Dalai Lama
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Wednesday said China should be more transparent for a better relationship with India.
"China is not transparent unlike India. China should be more transparent to build better relationship between China and India," the Dalai Lama said in Bhubaneswar after wrapping up his visit to the Tibetan settlement in Gajapati district of Orissa.
Aniston donates $500,000 for Haiti relief
By IANS,
London : Hollywood Actress Jennifer Aniston has donated $500,000 to the Haiti relief appeal.
The "Marley And Me" star gave the amount to charities Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health and AmeriCares to help aid victims of the devastating earthquake which hit the Caribbean nation Jan 12, reported femalefirst.co.uk.
Aniston also took part in Hope for Haiti Now telethon, which has so far raised $58 million for the Caribbean nation, where at least 150,000 people have died.
10 killed, 82 injured in Bolivia bus crash
By IANS/EFE,
La Paz : Ten people were killed and 82 injured when two buses collided head-on in eastern Bolivia, police said.
The accident occurred around 1.00 a.m. Saturday, about eight kilometers south of Santa Cruz town of Camiri. Seven men and three women were killed in the accident.
Of the 82 injured, seven were in serious condition. All have been admitted to a hospital.
UN official calls for ending Israeli blockade on Gaza
Gaza: A UN official Wednesday described keeping an Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for almost seven years as "a collective punishment", Xinhua...
Canadian PM urges G20 Summit to restore market confidence
By IANS,
Ottawa : Prime Minister Stephen Harper has called on G20 leaders to restore market confidence with concrete policy commitments at their upcoming summit in Cannes, France.
PACE President to visit Azerbaijan
By KUNA,
Paris : The President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Lluis Maria de Puig will be making an official visit to Azerbaijan on Tuesday during which he will be holding talks with senior officials there.
UK nuclear safety concerns not yet addressed, say scientists
By IRNA
London : A group of scientists and academics Friday condemned the British government's plans to force through a new generation of nuclear power stations as undemocratic and possibly illegal.
Questions about the risks from radiation, disposal of nuclear waste and vulnerability to a terrorist attack have not been addressed, the nuclear consultation group warned in a 87-page report.
Tibet reopens to tourists next month
By Xinhua
Lhasa : Tibet will reopen to domestic and foreign tourists from May 1, tourism authorities said Thursday.
Zhanor, deputy director of the region's tourism bureau, said all travel agencies would be allowed to arrange tours, and those travelling on their own would also be welcome.
The regional government stopped issuing tourist permits to foreign travellers on March 16 and the bureau recommended Chinese travel organisations postpone tour plans after the March 14 riot in Lhasa.
India welcomes Nepal constitution amendments
New Delhi: India on Sunday welcomed the two amendments passed by Nepal's parliament as "positive developments".
"We regard the two amendments passed yesterday (on Saturday)...
Three killed in US natural gas line explosion
By IANS,
Washington : At least three people were killed and six injured while 10 others went missing after a powerful explosion in a natural gas line in Texas state, media reports said.
The explosion took place at around 2.40 p.m. local time Monday near Cleburne in Johnson County, Xinhua quoted Cleburne city manager Chester Nolen as telling local television news channels.
There was a massive flame and a huge plume of smoke, the reports said.
India for strategic partnership with US business for energy security
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington : India has suggested a strategic partnership between Indian and US business focusing on three Rs - renewables, reusables and recyclables - to meet the twin challenges of climate change action and energy security.
"If energy is not to become a constraint on our growth - the growth of India and the US and the global economy as a whole, then a relatively rapid and significant shift to renewable and non-conventional energy sources becomes inevitable," Shyam Saran, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Special Envoy for Climate Change, said here Tuesday.
Hamtramck becomes 5th US city council to oppose NRC and CAA
TCN News
Hamtramck City Council of Michigan State in the US has passed a resolution opposing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment...
Russian flour reaches Afghanistan under new aid program
By RIA Novosti,
KABUL : The first rail shipment of high-quality Russian flour has arrived in the Afghan city of Hairaton, an economic and trade advisor to the Russian Embassy in Afghanistan said on Monday.
The deliveries of food to Afghanistan, where about 300 people have recently died of hunger and cold during an unusually severe winter, have been set up by the UN World Food Program. Russia is one of the program's leading donors.
Coalition parties in Thai gov’t want PM resign to defuse tension
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Coalition parties of Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's People Power Party (PPP) have agreed to ask the prime minister to step down to defuse political tension as a civil revolt appeared out of control after four days of mass protests, media here reported Friday.
The decision was made at a meeting at the residence of Banharn Silapa-archa, leader of the Chart Thai Party, one of the five coalition partners in the Samak government late Friday evening, according to a report by The Nation website, quoting unnamed sources.
British government not to appeal HSMP judgement
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : The British government has decided not to appeal against a court verdict last week allowing thousands of skilled migrants, most of them Indians, to live and work in Britain, the group that won the judgement said Thursday.
Amit Kapadia, executive director for the pressure group Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSM) Forum, said a senior official of the British Home Office had written to him saying the government was "happy to take the judge's decision as final and do not intend to waste taxpayers' money with an appeal".
58 dead after boat sinks in Turkey
By IANS,
Ankara : At least 58 illegal immigrants, including nine children, trying to enter Europe, drowned Thursday when their boat sank off western Turkey, a media report said.
US condemns violence in Thailand
By DPA,
Washington : The US has urged Thai security forces and anti-government protesters to refrain from violence following a series of explosions in Bangkok.
US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley condemned the violence and called on leaders of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) to "do the same".
"We also call on Thai security forces to show restraint going forward," Crowley said Thursday.
Bangkok has been the scene for weeks of protests demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve Parliament and hold new elections.
Belgium’s Khan brothers show EU the yoga way
Brussels: Ten years back Feroze and Sameer Khan opened their yoga centre in Brussels, starting initially in the auditorium of the Indian embassy. Today,...
Cause unclear of frightening Qantas ‘altitude change’
By DPA,
Sydney : It would take a month to find out why a Qantas flight dropped altitude dramatically, injuring at least 36 passengers before it made an emergency landing, investigators said Wednesday.
The Airbus A330 from Singapore to Perth, with 303 passengers and 10 crew, put out a mayday call Tuesday before making an emergency landing at Learmonth military base, 1,260 km north of Perth.
At least 36 passengers were injured "following a sudden change in altitude" over the west Australia coast.
US actor George Clooney named UN messenger of peace
By Xinhua
United Nations : The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has designated American filmmaker and actor George Clooney as a UN messenger of peace, a UN spokeswoman has said.
Clooney will join eight other internationally renowned individuals as messengers to raise global awareness of the UN's ideals and activities, with a special focus on UN peacekeeping efforts, Ban Ki-moon's spokeswoman, Michele Montas, said Friday.
Venezuela suspends talks with US
By IANS/EFE,
Caracas : Venezuela announced Wednesday the suspension of high-level contacts with the US aimed at a thaw in bilateral ties that have been frozen since late 2010.
Maoists gag Nepal’s biggest media house
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Kantipur, Nepal's biggest private media house that had come under attack during King Gyanendra's absolute reign, faces an even greater onslaught with the current democratic government standing by as Maoists gagged it for two days in a row.
History at noon: Obama is US president
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Barack Obama made his tryst with destiny as the first black president of the United States at noon Tuesday, an epochal event that was unthinkable in his own country even two years ago and which was watched with fascination and admiration around the world.
As the clock struck 12, Obama stood on a flag-bedecked wooden special inaugural platform on the West Front of the Capitol overlooking the national monuments to take the oath of office as the 44th president of the world's oldest democracy.
Aussie PM to visit India, uranium high on agenda
By Manish Chand,IANS,
New Delhi : Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd undertakes a three-day trip to India this month - his first after assuming office - during which New Delhi is expected to make a renewed push for uranium from Down Under.
The visit will focus on enhancing economic cooperation and forming a strategic partnership between India and Australia, an official source told IANS here. Rudd is likely to fly to India Jan 28 from Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.
UN Condemns Beirut Bombing
By SPA
United Nations : United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon condemned Friday the latest bombing in Beirut, which killed at least four people and left 20 injured.
“This latest act of terror should not be allowed to undermine the security, stability and sovereignty of Lebanon,” said a statement from Ban’s spokesperson’s office.
“The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the people of Lebanon to continue exercising restraint and for those behind this and previous attacks to be brought to justice,” the statement said.
President Mugage leaves for EU- Africa Summit
By NNN-New Ziana
Harare : President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has left for Portugal to attend the European Union-African Union Summit to be held in Lisbon on Dec 8 and 9, Information and Publicity Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu says.
He added in a statement that First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe and senior government officials are accompanying the president, who left here Thursday. Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi is already in Portugal as part of the advance team.
China floods toll rises to 136
By IANS,
Beijing : Landslides and floods triggered by torrential rain have claimed 136 lives and affected over 10 million people in south China, a government office said Sunday.
A further 86 people are missing and 280,000 residents in nine provinces, including Fujian, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces have been evacuated, Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said.
The intense rainstorm that started mid-June has wrought economic losses totalling $2.1 billion in the nine provinces, Xinhua reported.
50 households evacuated as wildfire spreads in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : The municipal government of Imabari on Monday ordered the evacuation of 50 households as a wildfire spread as close as 150 meters to their homes, said reports from Matsuyama, capital of Ehime Prefecture.
The conflagration, which broke out in the mountainous area Sunday afternoon, had destroyed some 75 hectares of forest by 11 a.m. (0200 GMT) Monday, said local authorities, adding that there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to properties.
Senior Ukrainian prosecutor poisoned by mercury vapor
By RIA Novosti
Kiev : Ukrainian prosecutors have opened a criminal case into the poisoning of a deputy prosecutor general with mercury vapor, a spokesman said on Wednesday.
Mykola Holomsha, 45, has undergone intensive therapy since the poisoning, and is now back at work, continuing to head investigations into the murder of Ukrainian journalist Georgy Gongadze and the alleged poisoning of President Viktor Yushchenko in 2004.
Chinese engineer killed in Sudan
By IANS,
Khartoum : A Chinese engineer was shot dead and another wounded when a group of armed men attacked an oil field in South Kordofan province of southern Sudan, Xinhua reported Monday.
200 dead in Brazil plane accident; 54 bodies recovered
By IANS
Sao Paulo : At least 200 people, including victims on the ground, were dead after a Brazilian TAM airline jet with as many as 180 passengers on board crashed into a gasoline station while trying to land at Congonhas Airport - the country's busiest air hub.
19 killed in Iran traffic accident
By IANS,
Moscow : At least 19 people were killed and 25 injured in Iran Sunday when their bus hit a rock and turned turtle, RIA Novosti reported.
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