IMF warns Asia of spillovers from European crisis
By DPA,
Singapore : A top International Monetary Fund (IMF) official Wednesday warned Asia of possible spillovers from the European debt crisis, but said the region was in a good position to take up challenges from the shockwaves of the global recession.
"Adverse developments in Europe could disrupt global trade, with implications for Asia given the still important role of external demand," IMF's Deputy Managing Director Naoyuki Shinohara told a seminar here.
Travel firm, Unesco join hands to protect heritage sites
By IANS,
Paris: A travel company has donated $1.5 million to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to support its work to conserve world heritage sites.
TripAdvisor, an online travel giant, and Unesco have signed a two-year agreement to protect the heritage sites, the Paris-based organisation said in a statement Friday.
According to the statement, the donation will be used in the conservation work of the 890 natural and cultural sites enrolled on the world heritage list, Xinhua reported.
After 25 years, cornered LTTE faces deathly crisis
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
New Delhi : Over a quarter century after Tamil militancy erupted in Sri Lanka, the once formidable Tamil Tigers are in dire straits, vanquished but not crushed by a rampaging military.
Less than seven years ago, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its founder leader Velupillai Prabhakaran looked like the masters of Sri Lanka's northeast after virtually bringing Colombo to its knees.
Serbia requests international legal opinion on Kosovo independence
By DPA,
New York : Serbia has submitted a request for the UN General Assembly to debate Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence and for the body to ask the UN world court to rule on the issue.
Belgrade would respect and abide by an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague on whether Kosovo's declaration of independence in February was legal under international law, Serbia's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said Friday.
Over 14,000 British policemen may lose jobs
By IANS,
London : Over 14,000 policemen may lose their jobs due to budget cuts in Britain, a media report said Tuesday.
Serbia withdraws ambassador from Czech Republic
By DPA,
Prague : Serbia has withdrawn its ambassador from the Czech Republic after Prague's recognition of independent Kosovo.
Serbian ambassador to Prague Vladimir Veres delivered a protest note to the Czech government ahead of his planned departure Sunday, the Czech foreign ministry said Friday.
"We believe it is a temporary step," spokeswoman Zuzana Opletalova said in a statement.
Hillary Clinton rules out another White House run, ‘probably’
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Hillary Clinton has all but ruled out running for US president in 2012 and said she wasn't interested in any high-level positions if one time Democratic rival Barack Obama becomes president.
The former first lady, who fought a long and bitter primary battle with Obama for the Democratic ticket, told Fox News Channel Tuesday that her chances of making another bid for the White House were "probably close to zero".
UN to send 300 peacekeepers to Syria by May-end
By IANS,
United Nations: The UN will send its 300 international unarmed observers to Syria by the end of May, said Herve Ladsous, the head of the UN peacekeeping body.
UN General Assembly to Host Climate Change Conference
By SPA
United Nations : UN member states from the developed and developing world and representatives from businesses, the media, governments, non-governmental organizations, and cities will assemble at the United Nations Monday, February 11 for a two-day conference to discuss and debate the impact of climate change.
The U.N. General Assembly will be sponsoring the conference as a part of continued discussions following the Bali, Indonesia climate-change conference in December.
US, Sri Lanka call for stronger defence ties
By IANS,
Washington : The time has come for Sri Lanka and the US to build military relations on a stronger footing.
Ban welcomes World Bank grant to ease food crisis around the globe
By KUNA,
United Nations : Secretary-General Bank Ki-moon late Friday welcomed the World Bank announcement of a USD 1.2 billion rapid financing facility as an "important" step in providing quick support to those most affected by the current food security crisis, his press office said in a statement.
This and other initiatives to respond to the food security situation, closely coordinated between the UN system, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, "are intended to provide a coherent response in the short, medium and long term," the statement said.
New Zealand, China to sign free trade agreement in April
By Xinhua
Wellington : New Zealand and China plan to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in early April, New Zealand Trade Minister Phil Goff announced Tuesday.
"Being the first developed country to negotiate a comprehensive FTA with China will present New Zealand with a unique platform for profiling our businesses in China and for strengthening commercial relationships," he said in a press release.
"Finalising this FTA will be a significant achievement for New Zealand. We must make sure we take full advantage of the opportunities it will open up in China," he added.
Suspected US missile kill four children in Pakistan
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Four children were killed by missiles fired from a suspected unmanned US plane targeting militant hideouts in Pakistan's tribal area Friday, Geo TV channel reported.
The pilotless drone plane fired three missiles and targeted two houses in the North Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan, leaving four children dead and several others injured. It was the third such attack in as many days, according to the channel.
Ex-Interpol chief convicted of corruption
By DPA,
Johannesburg : South Africa's former top policeman and ex-head of Interpol Jackie Selebi was found guilty of corruption Friday after being found to have been in the pay of a convicted drug smuggler.
Selebi, 60, was convicted in the South Gauteng High Court of corruption but found not guilty of a separate charge of defeating the ends of justice.
He was freed by the court pending his sentencing, set for July 14. The maximum sentence for corruption is 15 years in prison.
In handing down his judgement, Judge Meyer Joffe said Selebi showed "complete contempt for the truth".
US project to map role of bacteria in human health
By IANS,
Washington : Some patients fail to respond to treatment for intestinal infections perhaps because they are lacking certain protective bacteria, found in the human gut.
Our gastrointestinal tracts are teeming with trillions of bacteria, where they make essential amino acids and vitamins, help regulate our immune systems and break down starches and proteins.
Unfortunately, the interaction of man and bacteria is a grey area for scientists, who have surprisingly little idea about this symbiotic relationship, reports the Telegraph.
Two killed, seven injured during riot in Panama jail
By ANTARA News/Xinhua
Panama City : Two prisoners were killed and seven people injured in a riot in a Panamanian prison on Tuesday.
The Panamanian police said the riot occurred in a prison 350 km west of the capital Panama City and the situation was under control after the riot squad used tear shells.
Two inmates, who were in their 20s, were killed during the riot. Police said the two were indicted for crimes related to drug trafficking, therefore they did not rule out the possibility that the riot was related to organized crimes.
Kamal Nath vows Oxford audience with focus on ‘aam admi’
By Prasun Sonwalkar
IANS
Oxford : Basking in the glory of Indian entrepreneurs striking mega deals to take over British businesses, Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath Thursday said India was committed to a strategy of calibrated economic reforms that did not lose sight of the complexities of its society.
Delivering a lecture at the University College here as part of its Global Trade Governance Project, Kamal Nath said that India's economic achievements had prompted many to declare that India could no longer be seen as a developing country.
Criticism inspired us, says Ponting
By IANS,
Sydney: Australian captain Ricky Ponting said the criticism thrown at the team inspired his boys to a sensational 36-run win against Pakistan here Wednesday.
Set a modest 176 to win, Pakistan was bowled out for 139. It was just the third time Australia has trailed by more than 200 on the first innings and won.
Venezuela sends satellite to join space club nations
By Prensa Latina,
Caracas : Venezuela has joined the space club nations by launching its first satellite, built with Chinese technology, into orbit successfully earlier this week.
Named after Simon Bolivar, the hero of South American independence, the communications satellite Venesat-1 was launched from China Wednesday.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who monitored the launch along with his fellow leftist Bolivian President Evo Morales from the eastern town of Luepa, described it as a "construction of socialism" and a "symbol of Latin American integration".
DMK condemns centre, Sri Lanka over fishermen arrests
Chennai: DMK president M. Karunanidhi Thursday condemned Sri Lanka for arresting Indian fishermen as well as the Indian government for remaining silent on the...
Russian rocket blasts off with US satellites
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia has successfully launched a Cosmos 3M rocket with six US satellites onboard from a space centre in southern Russia, a spokesman for the Russian Strategic Missile Forces said Thursday.
Col. Alexander Vovk said the rocket with Orbcomm satellites blasted off at 10.36 a.m. (0636 GMT) from Kapustin Yar, in the Astrakhan region.
Orbcomm is the world's first commercial global wireless data and messaging system.
The system uses low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide cost-effective tracking, monitoring and messaging capabilities across the globe.
Dalai Lama: At 79, living with values and hope
By Vishal Gulati,
Dharamsala : Revered by the Tibetans as a 'living god' and idolised in both the Orient and the West, the Dalai Lama,...
21 killed in China bus accident
By Xinhua
Guiyang (China) : At least 21 people have been killed and 14 injured after a passenger bus veered off the highway and fell into a river in the country's mountainous Guizhou Province, the authorities said.
The accident occurred at around 2.30 p.m. Tuesday, when the bus, on the way from Chishui to Zunyi, veered off the highway and fell into a river from a 50-metre-high cliff. There were 33 people aboard the bus when it left Chishui.
EU supports presence of int”l observers in Zimbabwe polls
By KUNA,
Brussels : The European Union said Friday night that presence of international observers for a second round of the presidential elections in Zimbabwe is very important.
The EU in a statement stressed that for any second round of the presidential election to be considered free and fair and to be a credible reflection of the free and democratic will of the Zimbabwean people, "end of violence as well as presence of the international observers is of crucial importance".
Kangaroo genome mapped for first time
By IANS,
Sydney : Researchers have launched the world's first detailed map of the kangaroo genome. The map and sequence will open up new areas of research into how genes are turned on and off during development of all mammals.
Kangaroo Genomics (KanGO) director Jenny Graves said researchers used the map to solve fundamental genetic puzzles, like discovering the gene that controls the sex of a baby, and overturning theories of the origin of our blood proteins.
Obama to meet security chiefs in wake of Detroit plot
By DPA,
Washington: One day after returning from a winter vacation in Hawaii, US President Barack Obama was to host a critical meeting Tuesday with his top security chiefs at the White House.
Obama will gather leading officials from intelligence agencies, homeland security, justice and others to discuss policy changes in the aftermath of the Christmas Day plot to blow up an airliner over Detroit.
Obama returned to Washington on Monday after a two-week break in Hawaii, the state he once called home.
Myanmar poised to defend title in ASEAN women soccer championship
By Xinhua,
Yangon : Myanmar will participate in the upcoming Fourth Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) Championship women's soccer tournament in Vietnam next month, according to the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) Sunday.
The 2008 ASEAN Championship women's soccer tournament, slated for Oct. 8-21, will feature nine teams -- eight teams from the ASEAN and newcomer Australia.
Tunisian PM’s website hacked
By IANS,
Tunis : The official website of the Tunisian prime minister was hacked Monday and thousands of confidential documents were leaked, Xinhua reported.
After Chetia extradition, India to deport Bangladeshi murder accused on Friday
Kolkata: With Bangladesh handing over outlawed ULFA's leader Anup Chetia, India on Thursday returned the favour by releasing from its prison Bangladeshi national Nur...
Russia’s proposal on Gabala ‘constructive step’: White House
By RIA Novosti
Washington : Russia's proposal to the United States about the joint use of the Gabala radar in Azerbaijan is a constructive step forward, a spokesman for the White House said.
US judge apologises over racist Obama email
By IANS,
Washington : A judge in a US state has apologised after forwarding an email to friends that contained a joke deemed racist and involved President Barack Obama's mother.
Soyuz spacecraft moved to launch pad for ISS flight
By RIA Novosti,
Baikonur (Kazakhstan) : A Soyuz-FG carrier rocket due to lift off Sunday to take a crew of three to the International Space Station has been moved to the launch pad at Kazakhstan's Baikonur space center.
The three-stage rocket with the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft was transported from an assembly facility to the launch site Thursday evening for pre-flight preparation procedures.
NATO-led drills starts in Georgia amid Russian criticism
By RIA Novosti,
Tbilisi (Georgia) : NATO started an exercise in Georgia Wednesday despite Russia's fierce criticism and following a revolt at a military base outside the capital Tuesday.
Russia has criticised the drills, to run until June 1, as a provocation in the light of the brief war last August, when Moscow sent troops to repel Georgia's attack on South Ossetia.
Bomb victims compensated in Sri Lanka
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government has begun paying compensation to the victims of Friday evening's bomb attack, which was blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels, officials said on Sunday..
"We have already paid compensation to 11 victims," A. C. N. Razak, secretary to the Ministry of Rehabilitation and Resettlement said.
The bomb which went off on a crowded bus in the Colombo's populated suburb of Piliyandala on Friday night killed 26 and injured 72 passengers.
Opec crude price falls below $60 despite output cut
By DPA,
Vienna : The price for crude oil produced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) fell below $60 Friday, despite the cartel's decision to curb production.
Growing recession fears sent stock markets and oil prices downward, with one barrel (159 litres) of Opec crude standing at $57.57 Friday, $2.70 lower than on the previous day, according to data provided by Opec Monday.
Chavez warns US after receiving Russian warplanes
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced the receipt of 24 Russian Sukhoi fighter jets and warned the US that his country is ready to defend itself.
"We've received the 24 Sukhoi aircraft," he said Sunday. "They're for defensive purposes. We're not going to attack anybody."
The jets are part of a recent $4 billion deal with Moscow. Russia will also provide Sukhoi missiles to the Andean nation.
Chavez said the Sukhoi missiles have far greater range than those of the US F-16 fighter jet, and warned the US Fourth Fleet to keep out of Venezuelan waters.
Polish president appoints new government
Warsaw : Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski appointed the new Polish government led by the newly sworn-in Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz at the presidential palace...
Bush arrives in Romania for NATO summit
By Xinhua
Bucharest : Unites States President George W. Bush arrived in Bucharest on Tuesday afternoon, for an official visit in Romania and to attend the NATO summit held in the eastern European country.
The NATO summit is to take place in Bucharest on April 2-4, with the enlargement, operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo as its main topics.
Al Qaeda set Europe’s forests on fire: Russian official
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Al Qaeda is responsible for the recent spate of forest fires in Europe, Russian security service chief Alexander Bortnikov claimed Wednesday.
UAE-Vietnam discuss economic relations
By IANS,
By WAM,
Dubai: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Vietnam Thursday discussed their relations and ways to strengthen economic cooperation and coordination.
US judge lifts oil drilling moratorium
By DPA,
Washington : A US judge Tuesday lifted a government moratorium on offshore oil drilling that President Barack Obama put in place in response to the ongoing BP Plc spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Judge Martin Feldman of the US District Court in New Orleans granted a preliminary injunction against the moratorium, finding it overly broad and insufficiently justified.
The administration would appeal the ruling, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
Indian youth indicted for killing two after drunken driving
By Lalit K Jha, IANS,
Jersey City (New Jersey) : A New Jersey grand jury Friday indicted an Indian youth of killing his two roommates in a case of drunken driving in July this year.
If convicted, Kapil Goel, 24, face imprisonment that could last as much as 60 years.
The police said the incident occurred on July 3 when Kapil Goel was drunk and speeding his car with two of his roommates, Amarinder Cheema and Karam Bhandari.
1,000-year-old tombs found in Mexico
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Mexican archaeologists have discovered a group of millennium-old basalt tombs in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit, said authorities.
Gang war leaves eight dead in Colombia
By EFE,
Bogota : Eight people were killed and four wounded in clashes between two rival gangs in the northwestern Colombia, the police said Wednesday.
Members of La 39 and La Galeras gangs, which work for drug traffickers, clashed between them in the city of Medellin following an attack on a salon in the La Pradera neighborhood that killed two youths and injured one, the police said.
After the attack, some unidentified gunmen shot dead a former paramilitary in the same area in the afternoon. The victim was shot several times while sitting in an SUV.
US consul-general’s media event disrupted
By IANS,
Mumbai: US Consul-General in Mumbai Paul Folmsbee was heckled and his media interaction disrupted here Wednesday afternoon by a group of people who loudly protested the conviction and sentencing of an IIT alumnus in the US.
The protesters, under the banner of Bharat Bachao Andolan, shouted slogans against the US government for Vikram Buddhi, a former IIT alumnus, being convicted and sentenced by a US court to five years' imprisonment for allegedly posting hate messages against former president George W. Bush.
World Bank to invest in bonds of poor countries in local currencies
WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (APP): The World Bank will start a $5 billion fund to invest in local-currency denominated bonds in poor nations.
A report in the Wall Street Journal said the fund’s goal is to increase investment by western pension funds and Asian nations with bulging reserves in countries in that are considered relatively risky bets.
The Bank also hopes to boost the ability of poor nations to borrow in their own currencies rather than in dollars or euros.
Litvinenko murder suspects to speak to British journalists
By IANS
Moscow : Two Russians suspected by Britain of involvement in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko will speak to British journalists through a radio programme to be aired live Wednesday.
The radio news conference is being jointly organized by Moscow Radio and the Russian news agency, RIA Novosti.
Indian receives German award for aid to untouchables
By DPA,
Weimar (Germany) : Lenin Raghuvanshi, an Indian human-rights activist, is in Germany to receive an award in the city of Weimar for his long fight on behalf of the dalits, or untouchables.
Brazil created record 2.52 mn new jobs in 2010
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazil created a record 2.52 million new jobs last year, the most since the statistics were first registered in 1992, the labour ministry has said.
A third of the Chinese population uses internet
By IANS,
Beijing : The number of Chinese people who use the internet has gone up to 420 million - about a third of the populaton - boosted by the rising number of cell phone connections.
This number recorded at the end of June 2010 shows an increase of 36 million from the number of internet users in December last year, a report by the China Internet Network Information Centre said.
The proportion of internet users to the total population in the country also rose to 31.8 percent at the end of June, compared to 28.9 percent at the end of 2009, Global Times reported.
Snow and cold in China worsen traffic chaos, raise toll
By Xinhua
Beijing : An unprecedented cold spell hitting half of China has caused at least a dozen deaths, injured thousands, and stranded travellers in the freezing weather Sunday.
A bus carrying 41 people overturned on a slippery freeway in east China's Jiangxi province early Sunday, leaving five dead and 10 others injured. The victims included three children, two of whom were dead and one seriously injured.
The provincial meteorological bureau has warned drivers as continuous sleet has covered highways and all urban and rural roads with ice.
Nepal to deport illegal Tibetan exiles: Report
By DPA,
Kathmandu : Nepal's Maoist-led government has threatened deportation of Tibetan exiles staying in the country illegally, a media report said Thursday.
The government said it would investigate the status of Tibetans involved in anti-China protests and deport them if they were staying in the country illegally, Kantipur newspaper reported.
Police and the immigration department began investigating their status following a directive from Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam to stop activities by the Tibetan refugees, the newspaper said.
US, India natural allies against terror financing: US official
By IANS,
Mumbai: The US and India are natural allies in the fight against illicit finance used to fund terror activities, said a US official here Wednesday.
Sinking ships spell ecological disaster in Black Sea
By DPA
Kiev (Ukraine) : Some 2,000 tonnes of heating oil has spilled into the Black Sea from a wrecked tanker, as a vicious winter storm slammed into the Crimean peninsula, causing an "ecological disaster", Russian environmental authorities reported Monday.
Four cargo ships sank in Sunday's storm that whipped up six-metre waves, said the head of the Russian emergency situations, Anatoly Yanchuk. Two sailors are dead and at least 23 are missing, according to broadcaster Russia Today.
India Inc hails Obama win, sees upswing in India-US ties
By IANS,
New Delhi : With a slowdown hitting world economies and the US facing a recession, India Inc has hailed Democrat Barack Obama's historic win in the race to the White House with the hope it will strengthen US ties with India.
"Bilateral and economic relationships between India and US would further improve and intensify," said Sajjan Jindal, president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), a leading industry lobby.
Gorbachev blasts Bush on missile defence issue
By DPA
Washington : Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev weighed in on the tense Russia-US situation, blasting the US president for provoking another arms race with plans to station anti-missile silos and a radar system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Africa and BRICS: A rising engagement
By Manish Chand, IANS,
Uppsala (Sweden) : It was a week of Africa in this historic Swedish university town of castles, cathedrals and itinerant scholars.
12 dead in China landslides
By IANS,
Beijing : At least 12 people were killed while 22 were missing in rain-triggered landslides in a northwestern Chinese province, officials said.
Reluctance to use seat belt kills 5,000 teens every year in US
By IANS,
Washington : Motor vehicle crashes claim nearly 5,000 teenagers every year in the US, because of their refusal to wear seat belts either as drivers or passengers.
The study comprised over 12,000 African-American, white, and Hispanic public and private high school students aged 16 or older who participated in the 2001 and 2003 National Youth Risk Behaviour Surveys.
Donations to quake-hit areas exceed $17 mn: Red Cross
By Xinhua
Beijing : The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) Tuesday said it has so far received public donations worth more than 120 million Yuan ($17 million) for victims in the earthquake-hit areas in southwest China's Sichuan province.
As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, relief supplies in both cash and goods worth 14.6 million Yuan (about $2 million) have been forwarded to the quake-hit areas, RCSC said.
Among the supplies were tents, cotton-padded quilts, food, medicine, and drinking water disinfectant.
Skeletons dating back to 1930s found near Moscow
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: The remains of 11 people buried about 80 years ago have been discovered near the Russian capital, officials said.
119 journalists killed in 2012: Report
By IANS,
Vienna: A total of 119 journalists have been killed while on assignment so far this year, the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) said.
Obama would have fired BP chief over oil spill
By DPA,
Washington : President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he would have fired BP Plc chief executive Tony Hayward for underestimating what has become the biggest oil spill in US history.
The White House said that Obama, himself under pressure for a perceived slow federal response to the crisis, will travel to the Gulf Coast region again next week to get a first-hand view of clean-up efforts.
North Korea heir apparent debuts at military parade
By DPA,
Seoul : The son and apparent successor of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il made a high-profile debut Sunday at a massive military parade through the streets of Pyongyang.
Australian police defend closing Perth airport
By DPA,
Sydney : Australian authorities Sunday defended their decision to shut Perth's international airport terminal for 12 hours after a security alert that proved unfounded.
The terminal was cleared Saturday after baggage handlers decided unaccompanied freight on a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur was suspicious. It took police nine hours to X-ray the cardboard boxes and rule that they were harmless.
Deal or no deal: that’s the question for Bush
By Arun Kumar
IANSWashington : With just 20 months to go before he leaves the White House, George W. Bush is looking for a deal, any deal that would overshadow the botched war in Iraq and be remembered as the legacy of his presidency.
Haiti quake toll tops 200,000
By DPA,
Port-au-Prince : The number of people killed in last month's earthquake in Haiti has topped 200,000, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said as protests erupted over the slow distribution of aid to survivors.
The government had previously said the magnitude-7, Jan 12 quake had killed up to 200,000 people. Bellerive said Wednesday that number had been surpassed and the new toll did not include bodies that remained trapped in the rubble or those removed by families for burial.
Two killed in Mexico earthquake
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Two people have been killed and 233 injured in the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the northwestern Mexican state of Baja California, the state's governor said Monday.
Most of the damage in the earthquake that occurred Sunday was concentrated around Mexicali, a city of nearly 1 million people that serves as the state capital, Governor Jose Guadalupe Osuna told Televisa.
U.S. says Lithuania has agreed to consider hosting missile shield
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that Lithuania has agreed to consider hosting a missile interceptor base if the U.S. deal with Poland falls through.
Poland has taken a tough stance in the missile talks with the U.S., demanding that Washington upgrade the country's air defense systems as a condition for agreeing to station 10 interceptor missiles on its territory. Russia opposes the plans as a threat to its security and the nuclear deterrence system.
Dark shadow of Ebola now a global threat: Trinidad PM
By Paras Ramoutar,
Port-of-Spain : The dark shadow of the Ebola has now become "a real and imminent global threat", Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister...
Austrian incest father Fritzl admits to murder
By DPA,
St Poelten (Austria) : Josef Fritzl, the Austrian father on trial for imprisoning and raping his daughter Elisabeth for 24 years in the cellar of his home, pleaded guilty to murder Wednesday.
At the start of day three in the trial, the 73-year-old, who had already confessed to incest, false imprisonment and had partially confessed to rape, surprisingly overturned his previous "not guilty" plea to the charge of murder through negligence.
Tiny ants can teach us a thing or two about pesticides
By IANS,
Washington : Ants are not only industrious and dedicated, they are quite capable of keeping their gardens pest free, a feat still beyond human agriculturalists.
And to cap it all, they have been doing it for more than 50 million years. Leaf-cutter ants put their freshly-cut leaves in gardens where they grow a special fungus that they eat.
New material is continuously incorporated into the gardens to grow the fungus and old material is removed by the ants and dumped away from the colony.
Sri Lankan military says jets bomb rebel camp
By SPA,
Colombo, Sri Lanka : Sri Lankan air force jets bombed a rebel training camp in the north as ground forces waged new battles with Tamil Tiger rebels across the front lines, the military said Wednesday.
Air force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara was quoted as saying by Associated Press that fighter jets struck a rebel camp late Tuesday and reported accurately hitting their target.
Meanwhile, heavy fighting continued along the front lines of the rebels' de facto state in the north throughout the day Tuesday, the military reported in a statement.
Indonesia signs $889 mn power contracts with Chinese firms
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : Indonesia's state-run power firm PLN has signed two engineering procurement contracts worth $888.4 million with Chinese companies for construction of coal-fired power plants, a news report said Saturday.
The first contract worth $642 million was signed Friday for the 700-Megawatt Tanjugn Awar-Awar plant in East Java, with a consortium of China National Machinery Equipment Corp. (Sinomac), China National Electric Equipment (CNEEC) and local firm PT Penta Adi Samudra.
British energy minister resigns
By IANS,
London : British Energy Minister Chris Huhne resigned Friday, Xinhua reported.
Russia calls US missile shield ‘dead cat’
By RIA Novosti,
Brussels : Russia's envoy to NATO has compared the US missile defence system to "a dead cat", since its effectiveness can only be verified as a result of reciprocal thermonuclear missile strikes.
"The Europeans have received a 'dead cat' from the Americans," Dmitry Rogozin said, commenting on the US-Polish missile-defence deal signed Thursday.
"If the threat really comes from Iran, as the US says, it will be more logical to deploy missile defence elements on NATO's southern flanks - in Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania," he said.
29 killed in Zimbabwe road accident
By Xinhua,
Harare : Twenty-nine people have been killed and 44 others injured when the passenger bus in which they were travelling veered off the road in southern Zimbabwe, a media report said Thursday.
The accident occurred Wednesday night on the Harare-Masvingo highway after the driver lost control of the vehicle when one of the tyres burst, ZBC News said.
Three of the injured died at the Chivhu hospital in the southern Masvingo province, the police said.
William Burns new US deputy secretary of state
By IANS,
Washington : William Burns, former US ambassador to Russia, assumed Friday the post of deputy secretary of state.
Nepal crown prince hits headlines anew over boxer’s claims
By Sudeshna Sarkar
IANSKathmandu : Nepal's Crown Prince Paras has hit the headlines anew, with a boxer claiming he bailed out the royal but was rewarded with accusations for his act of good samaritanism.
Myanmar junta rejects Suu Kyi detention appeal
By ANTARA,
Yangon : Myanmar`s junta has rejected a legal appeal for the release of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose latest house arrest is due to expire on May 27, her party said on Tuesday.
Lawyers for Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate who has spent more than 13 of the past 19 years under some form of detention, were told of the regime`s decision last week, Nyan Win of the National League for Democracy (NLD) said.
Suu Kyi`s latest detention began on May 30, 2003 under Section 10 (B) of the Law Safeguarding the State from the Dangers of Subversive Elements.
World’s longest natural gas pipeline in China
By IANS,
Beijing : China's second east-west natural gas pipeline, which is the world's longest, began operation Thursday.
Chinese president, DPJ leader agree to bolster exchanges
By IRNA-Kyoda
Beijing : Chinese President Hu Jintao and the leader of Japan's main opposition Democratic Party of Japan agreed Friday to bolster dialogue and exchanges between the ruling Chinese Communist Party and the DPJ, a DPJ official said.
Hu and DPJ head Ichiro Ozawa, who is leading a visit to China by a delegation of about 450 Japanese legislators and party supporters, confirmed the importance of maintaining good ties between the two parties and the two countries, the official told reporters.
Algerian faces deportation from UK after mistaken terror arrest
By IRNA,
London : Lecturers and students at Nottingham University in central England are protesting against the sudden decision to deport an Algerian staff member after his mistaken arrest under Britain's terror laws.
Local Labour MP Alan Simpson has also written to Immigration Minister Liam Byrne, saying there was "no other reason for an emergency deportation of Mr Hicham Yessa other than to cover the embarrassment of Police and Intelligence services."
US Green Card link to collapse of immigration reforms
By NNN-Prensa Latina
Washington : US Federal bureaucracy encouraged thousands of highly skilled workers to apply for green cards (right to live and work in the United States) only to snatch away their opportunities.
The New York Times, in an report on Saturday, made the comment following a bulletin issued by the State Department in June announcing that green cards for a wide range of skilled workers would be available to those who filed by July 2.
O.J. Simpson sentenced to 15 years in jail for kidnapping
By DPA,
Los Angeles : Former American football star O.J. Simpson was sentenced to 15 years in jail Friday for his part in an armed robbery and kidnapping case in Las Vegas last year.
Lawyers for Simpson, who was controversially acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, said they would appeal.
Simpson, 61, was convicted in October of 12 charges stemming from the incident in which he and his cohorts used guns to force two sports memorabilia dealers to hand over a number of items that Simpson believed to have been stolen from him.
New Zealand’s current account deficit up in Q3
By IANS,
Wellington : New Zealand's current account deficit was 2.7 billion NZ dollars ($2.08 billion) in the third quarter ended September, up 700 million NZ dollars from the Q2 deficit.
US election campaign enters final stretch
By IRNA,
New York : "It is time to stop spending $10 billion a month in Iraq while the Iraqi government sits on a huge surplus," Obama said.
"As president, I will end this war by asking the Iraqi government to step up, and finally finish the fight against bin Laden and the al- Qaeda terrorists who attacked us on 9/11."
Obama at times seemed to vacillate between preparing the crowd for his presidency -- "It's not going to be easy, it's not going to be quick" to turn things around, he said -- and worrying about overconfidence among his supporters.
Japanese man runs library on a bicycle
By DPA
Tokyo : Kazuhiro Doi is on a one-man mission to change the world by pulling a mobile library on a bicycle around Japan.
For more than two years, the 28-year-old has been distributing books on the environment, civil disputes and other social issues on a custom-made bicycle with a waterwheel-shaped bookshelf across his native Japan.
Doi left his home in the central prefecture of Aichi in January 2005, initially to ask libraries around the country to carry a book published by a non-profit organization 'Think the Earth'.
Limit use of Taser stun guns, UK told
By IRNA,
London : The British government Tuesday was urged to limit the police use of controversial Taser stun guns in the light of a new report that says nearly 350 people have died in the US in the last seven years after being stunned by one.
"The Taser is clearly a dangerous weapon and should only be used in very limited circumstances where strictly necessary to protect life or avoid very serious injuries," said Amnesty International director, Oliver Sprague.
Political rally force Everton to reschedule
By DPA,
London : Everton have had to delay their Premier League game against Stoke City scheduled for March 14 to avoid a clash with a British National Party (BNP) rally.
The game will be played March 15, as police could not staff both the match and a mass rally by the BNP in Liverpool city centre, organised as part of their campaign for the forthcoming European elections.
The rally had already drawn criticism from community leaders and a local MP, Louise Ellman, while fans who had already made travel plans have inundated message-boards with complaints.
Aircraft crashes in Puerto Rico
By IANS,
San Juan : A small aircraft with six people on board crashed into the Caribbean near the northern coast off Puerto Rico, EFE reported Tuesday.
Three bodies and pieces of the plane were found floating in the sea during a search operation following the crash near the town of Quebradillas, authorities said.
The plane was on its way from the Dominican Republic and bound for San Juan.
The US Coast Guard stationed in San Juan said it received an emergency call about the crash Sunday evening.
What will China’s Olympic legacy be?
By Cindy Sui, DPA,
Beijing : China has poured tens of millions of dollars into staging the Olympics. It has mobilized perhaps the largest army of workers and volunteers the Games have ever seen.
It has carried out sweeping measures to ensure that Beijing is a spruced-up host city.
But whether it has left a good or bad impression depends on whom you talk to.
In a year or two, what people will remember might be little more than the star athletes.
EU condemns attacks on German, British embassies
By IANS,
Brussels: The European Union (EU) Friday condemned the attacks against German and British embassies in Khartoum.
Lankan sailor who attacked Rajiv Gandhi sells – Hindi music
By NNN-PTI
Colombo : He loathed the peace agreement signed by Sri Lanka and India strongly enough to strike former Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi with a rifle, but today the former Lankan sailor makes a living selling Hindi music.
Naval rating Wijemuni Vijitha Rohana de Silva slid into history 20 years ago today when he struck a heavy blow on Gandhi injuring his shoulder, as the Indian premier inspected a guard of honour in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.
Colombo : He loathed the peace agreement signed by Sri Lanka and India strongly enough to strike former Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi with a rifle, but today the former Lankan sailor makes a living selling Hindi music.
Naval rating Wijemuni Vijitha Rohana de Silva slid into history 20 years ago today when he struck a heavy blow on Gandhi injuring his shoulder, as the Indian premier inspected a guard of honour in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.
Thousands gather for Gay Pride parade in Israel
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Thousands gathered Friday amid a large police presence at a park here for the city's annual Gay Pride parade.
The event came one year after a masked, unidentified gunman shot dead a 26-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman at a community centre for gays in the heart of the city.
Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said hundreds of policemen, border-patrol officers and volunteers were securing the event, but said their presence was equal in size to that of previous years.
Brazil prison revolt frees 19 inmates
By DPA,
Sao Paulo : Five heavily armed men stormed into a Brazilian prison and freed 19 inmates Thursday, police said.
The attackers forced their way into the jail in Palmital, around 400 km from Sao Paulo, around 3 a.m. They overpowered two guards and locked them in a cell.
The action appeared to have been aimed at freeing a drug dealer.
"That's one of the possibilities, but we can't say with certainty yet that that was the motive for the attack. The investigation is ongoing," Marcelo Armstrong Nunes, a police officer, told local media.
Moody’s cuts Hungary’s rating with negative outlook
By IANS,
New York : Moody's Investors Service Thursday downgraded Hungary's government bond rating by one notch to Ba1 from Baa3, and is maintaining a negative outlook.
New Jersey Asians celebrate heritage
By IANS
New York : Hundreds of South Asians in New Jersey gathered over the weekend to celebrate the South Jersey Asian Heritage Festival.
Death toll of Australia’s wildfires rises to 65
By Xinhua,
CANBERRA : The death toll from bushfires in Australia's Victoria state has risen to 65 on Sunday afternoon, police said.
This figure has surpassed the worst death toll of 47 people in the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires in Victoria.
Apart from the death toll, 640 houses have also been destroyed across the state, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp..
Six of the confirmed dead have been found at Kinglake, six at Kinglake West and four each at St Andrews and Wandong, all in the north of Melbourne, the report said.
South African pupils prefer English in schools
By IANS,
Johannesburg : Even though the most common language spoken at home by South Africans is Zulu, over 60 percent of pupils have said they would like to study English in schools.
Six Hindu families leave Bangladesh after communal attacks: Daily
Dhaka : At least six Hindu families from Bangladesh's Brahmanbaria district have left the country in the wake of Sunday's communal attack in which...
North Korea prepares for underground nuclear test
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : North Korea is preparing for a third underground nuclear test, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Sunday.
China has nearly 60,000 centenarians
Beijing : A total of 58,789 centenarians are living in China, and the oldest is 128 years old, the Gerontological Society of China revealed...
Clinical Establishment Bill to be passed in monsoon session
By IANS,
New Delhi : The bill for regulating clinical establishments to ensure safer health practices will be passed by parliament in the coming monsoon session, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said.
"The bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha. It will be passed in the Rajya Sabha in the monsoon session," Azad said Thursday at the inauguration of a three-day workshop of the national initiative for patient safety (NIPS) organised by All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
Yale president wants India to join climate change fight
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : A leading US economist has called for the four economic superpowers - the United States, European Union, India and China - to participate in an international programme to fight global climate change.
"If any one of these four economic powers refuses to participate in an international programme to reduce carbon, we cannot succeed in stabilising global temperatures," says Yale University President Richard C. Levin, who is an economist.
Two US varsities evacuated after bomb threats
By IANS,
Washington : Two US universities Friday asked all employees and students to leave their campuses after the institutes received separate bomb threats, Xinhua reported.
Over 420,200 people visits UAE pavilion at Shanghai Expo
By IANS,
Shanghai : More than 420,200 people from China and abroad visited the UAE pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010 since the event kicked off here three weeks ago, the organisers said.
UAE's National Media Council (NMC), the organisers of the pavilion, forecast the number of visitors would cross half a million by the end of the month.
The pavilion is built in the shape of sand dunes in a desert. Daily, over 25,000 visitors from various countries visited the pavilion that highlights life, culture and heritage of the UAE.
Ten years of Gujarat violence to be recognized in the US Congress
By TCN News
Washington, DC: Keith Ellison, member of the US House of Representative has introduced a resolution marking the tenth anniversary of Gujarat violence in 2002.
3 dead, 155 injured in Tanzania blast
By Xinhua,
Dar es Salaam : At least three people were killed and 155 wounded in blast that took place at a military depot outside Tanzania's Dar es Salaam city, police said Thursday.
Twenty-eight of the wounded are reportedly in a critical condition.
Witnesses said they heard several explosions Wednesday at Tanzania People's Defence Forces base at Mbagala, which is 15 km from the Dar es Salaam city centre.
Aisha Mahita, chief medical officer at Dar es Salaam's Temeke District Hospital, said the hospital had received two unidentified bodies and over 100 wounded people.
Sri Lanka arrests 53 Indian fishermen
By IANS,
Colombo: The Sri Lankan Navy Thursday said it had arrested 53 Indian fishermen who entered Sri Lankan waters illegally.
US company to convert Jackson’s hair into diamonds
By IANS,
London: Bosses at a US company have unveiled a bizarre new plan to produce 10 sparkling diamonds from locks of late pop legend Michael Jackson's hair.
Executives at LifeGem have obtained a sample of the King Of Pop's tresses from a memorabilia collector, who owned some of the hair Jackson burned off his scalp while filming a 1984 Pepsi commercial and now LifeGem founder Dean VandenBiesen plans to create a limited edition set of 10 diamonds using a laboratory process that takes carbon from hair and turns it into high-quality gems, reports contactmusic.com.
Tropical storm expected to make landfall in northern Philippines
By Xinhua,
Manila : Most parts of northern Philippines have been placed under tropical storm alert as tropical storm "Cosme" is gaining strength and will make a landfall in Ilocos in northern Luzon Saturday, said the Philippine Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on Friday.
"Cosme is seen to make a landfall in northern part of Luzon, particularly in Ilocos area on Saturday and Cagayan on Saturday," Nathaniel Cruz, weather branch chief at the administration said.
Egyptian Islamic activist detained at Gaza border
By ANTARA,
Ismailia : Egyptian security forces detained an Islamist opposition activist on Saturday as he crossed into Egypt from the Gaza Strip, saying they believed he had entered Gaza illegally via a cross-border tunnel, security sources said.
The sources said that Magdy Ahmed Hussein, the head of the Islamist-oriented Labour party, was carrying no papers other than a driving licence when he tried to return to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing.
Chilling images of ice-shelf collapsing in the heat
By IANS
New York : A US satellite has captured chilling images of over 400 square kilometres of Antarctica's massive Wilkins Ice Shelf collapsing because of rapid climate changes.
The area is part of the much larger shelf of nearly 13,000 square kilometres that is now supported only by a narrow strip of ice between two islands.
"If there is a little bit more retreat, this last 'ice buttress' could collapse and we'd likely lose about half the total ice shelf area in the next few years," warned Ted Scambos of the University of Colorado at Boulder.
207 schoolchildren killed in China quake
By IANS,
Qinghai (China) : A total of 207 schoolchildren have been killed in the April 14 earthquake in northwest China, Xinhua reported.
About 35 percent of the deaths were caused by the collapsed school buildings, said Cering Tai, deputy director of the Qinghai provincial education bureau. Rest of them died outside the school premises.
The epicentre of the 7.1-magnitude quake was in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai province. Some 2,183 people were killed in the temblor.
US journalists admit to smear campaign, says North Korea
By DPA,
Seoul : Two US journalists jailed in North Korea have admitted their part in a "smear campaign" against the country, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday.
They entered the country illegally with the aim of making films to misrepresent North Korea's human rights policy, the report said.
North Korea's highest court has sentenced Euna Lee, 26, and Laura Ling, 32, to 12 years in a labour camp for what it described as "grave crimes against the Korean nation and illegal entry".
Neutral observers were not allowed to attend the trial.
Reacting to Obama plan, White House says it will take time to close Guantanamo
WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (KUNA) -- Reacting to reports that U.S. President-elect Barack Obama plans to issue an executive order on his first full day in office -- Jan. 21 -- directing the closing of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, White House deputy spokesman Tony Fratto on Tuesday said President George W. Bush has always advocated closing the facility "over time".
Mugabe rejects Ban’s UN envoy proposal
By DPA,
Harare : Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe rebuffed a proposal by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to send a UN envoy to the country, saying that "anything that smells of American and British influence will not be acceptable to us," Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper reported Wednesday.
Speaking after a meeting with Mugabe Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN summit on hunger in Rome, Ban said he would send a special envoy to Zimbabwe to discuss ways the UN could support a fair presidential run-off election June 27.
Iran on brink of nuclear weapon, warns UN watchdog
By IANS,
London : Iran is on the brink of developing an atomic missile, weapons inspectors of the UN's nuclear watchdog have warned.
A report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iranian scientists had made at least 22 kg of enriched uranium with at least 20 percent purity, the Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday.
Experts estimate that 20 kg of uranium is the minimum required to arm a warhead. The uranium would still need to have its purity raised to 90 percent but that is a relatively easy process.
Indian American kills estranged wife in church
By IANS,
Jersey City (New Jersey) : An Indian American man killed his estranged wife and critically injured two others when he opened fire at a church in New Jersey whose congregation has links with the Indian state of Kerala, US police said Monday.
The incident occurred at 11.44 a.m. Sunday during the weekly mass at the St. Thomas Syrian Orthodox Knanaya Church in Clifton.
Police said 27-year-old Joseph Pallipurath had driven all the way from Sacramento in California in his green Jeep Wrangler to kill his wife, 24-year-old Reshma James, who was at the church.
Take neighbours along to fight terror, US tells Dhaka
By IANS,
Dhaka : The United States has told the new government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that Bangladesh needs to work with neighbouring countries to fight terrorism.
"Terrorism is an issue confronting both the governments in Dhaka and Washington. We hoped the incoming government would recognise that this is an issue Bangladesh needs to address and need to work with neighbouring countries to address it," US envoy James Moriarty said Thursday after meeting Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.
31 killed in Mexico prison fight
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : A fight involving several groups of inmates at a prison in Mexico has left at least 31 dead, officials said.
Two killed in China building collapse
By IANS,
Guiyang: At least two people were killed and three others injured in a building collapse in a Chinese brewery Saturday, Xinhua reported.
Michael Jackson needs lung transplant
By DPA,
Los Angeles : Former pop idol Michael Jackson is fighting for his life and will die if he does not receive a lung transplant, his biographer has told US gossip magazine In Touch.
Author Ian Halperin said that Jackson, 50, is suffering from the rare genetic illness, Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, as well as emphysema and gastrointestinal bleeding. Halperin also claimed that the singer can barely speak and is 95-percent blind in his left eye.
China demands tough punishment for Tibetan protesters in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Enraged by daily protests by Tibetans in Kathmandu since March, China Monday said the Nepal government should adopt "very severe punishment" for the ringleaders and emulate India's example in arresting them.
"The government cannot arrest them in the day and release them at night," Chinese ambassador to Nepal Zheng Xianglin said at a press conference here, staunchly defending China's annexation of Tibet and accusing the UN, "so-called" human rights organisations and Tibetans' exiled leader the Dalai Lama of trying to foment a separatist movement.
Nawaz Sharif most corrupt in Pakistan: Imran
Islamabad: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is the most corrupt person in Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan said in remarks published on Friday.
“Nawaz Sharif is...
Pakistan I-Day: No sweets exchanged by BSF, Rangers
Attari (Punjab): There was no exchange of sweets between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers at the international border here on the...
Cheryl wants beau to meet ex-hubby
By IANS,
London: Singer Cheryl Cole wants to introduce her new boyfriend Tre Holloway to ex-husband Ashley Cole.
UN Marks Democracy Day
By Prensa Latina,
United Nations : Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced United Nations' strong support for democratic institutions, noting that democracy is a political system that can neither be exported nor imposed.
In a statement published on the first-ever United Nations International Day of Democracy on Monday, the UN chief referred to the possibilities of development, peace and the defense of human rights under that system.
India-Israel ties much stronger than one UN vote: Envoy
New Delhi, (IANS): The India-Israel relationship is much stronger than one vote in the UN, Israeli Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon said on Friday, referring...
Ukraine to bid for Euro 2020
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Kiev : Euro 2012 host Ukraine has announced it would bid for the right to stage some Euro 2020 games.
Police told to protect belongings of Sri Lankan war-displaced
By IANS,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan police have been ordered to protect the belongings of thousands of war-displaced civilians who escaped fighting between the troops and Tamil Tigers in the island's north and are now housed in refugee camps, a media report said here Sunday.
According to government statistics, nearly 200,000 people have fled the war-zone and come to the government-held areas since the beginning of this year. They have been temporarily housed at refugee camps and welfare centres in the northern Vavuniya town.
US denies Russia request for convicted arms dealer
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Washington: The US Department of Justice has refused to transfer convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to Russia to let him serve his prison term at home.
Plane crash kills one in the US
By Xinhua,
Los Angeles : One person onboard a plane was killed Tuesday when the aircraft crashed on a freeway in the US state of California, the officials said.
The accident occurred at 8.05 a.m.
The US Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, Ian Gregor, said the plane tried to land on the westbound Interstate 40, some 15 km west of Needles city near the California-Arizona border. The aircraft also hit a car.
The official, however, did not reveal whether the victim was a pilot or a passenger.
The condition of the car's occupants was not immediately known.
Vietnam to use lethal injections for death penalty
By DPA,
Hanoi : Vietnam's National Assembly has voted to replace firing squads with lethal injections in enforcing the death penalty because it is "more humane", officials said Friday.
Officials said the new law, passed Thursday, was prompted in part by concern over the damage firing squads cause to the bodies of those executed.
Lethal injection will "reduce psychological pressure on the executioners" and "help the criminal's families to receive their bodies intact", said Nguyen Si Dung, deputy chair of the Office of the National Assembly.
India looks at Central Asia for hydrocarbon ventures
By IANS,
New Delhi : After Africa, India has now trained its sights on Central Asia, touted as one of world's largest oil producing regions in the future.
In a bid to tap that region's potential, energy ministers, policy makers and industry insiders from India and 16 CIS countries will be getting together next month in the Indian capital.
The two-day India-CIS roundtable on hydrocarbons is being jointly organised by the ministry of petroleum and natural gas and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, a leading industry lobby.
Indian jailed for role in riots
Singapore : An Indian national found guilty of obstructing a policeman during the December riots here was Monday sentenced to five months in jail,...
North Korea fires artillery shells near maritime border
By DPA,
Seoul : North Korean forces fired over 100 artillery rounds into the Yellow Sea near the disputed border with the South Monday, a media report said.
About 110 rounds were fired on North Korea's side of the maritime border, the Yonhap news agency reported citing South Korean military officials.
The firing followed five days of South Korean naval exercises near the sea border. North Korea had threatened "strong physical retaliations" to the manoeuvres.
Minor earthquake hits Winter Olympics host Sochi
By IANS,
Moscow: A mild earthquake measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale hit the 2014 Olympics host city of Sochi in Russia, the local seismic station said Sunday.