Russia, Mongolia To Jointly Extract Uranium In Republic
By Bernama,
Krasnokamensk (Transbaikal Region) : The Mongolian government has taken a positive decision on joint work with Russia in the peaceful use of atomic energy, Mongolian Prime Minister Sanzhiin Bayar, who is staying in the Transbaikal Region together with general director of the state corporation Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko, told journalists on Tuesday.
"Russia and Mongolia will jointly extract uranium at a number of uranium deposits on the territory of Mongolia," Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted Bayar as saying.
Emission reduction issue foot-dragging climate negotiations in Bali
By Gao Hanqing, Xinhua
Bali, Indonesia : The pace of negotiations for an international agreement on climate after 2012 quickened Tuesday. Security was tighter, lines were long and the crowds were thicker as ministers and a handful of presidents are starting to arrive for Wednesday's "High Level Segment" of the conference.
US adventurer Steve Fossett dead
By Xinhua
Los Angeles : US adventurer Steve Fossett, who set 116 world records in sailboats, powered aircraft, balloons, airships and gliders, has died.
The multimillionaire aviation and sailing world record holder had been missing since taking off alone in a single-engine plane from a private Nevada airstrip in early September, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Fossett was declared dead by an Illinois court Friday. He was 63.
Mother Teresa to be canonised on September 4: Pope
Vatican city: The Pope during consistory of cardinals on Tuesday announced September 4 as the date for Mother Teresa's canonisation, the media reported.
After months...
US Aligarh Alumni Federation strongly condemns attack on AMU, Jamia; call for an end...
By Newsdesk, TwoCircles.net
The Federation of Aligarh Alumni Associations (FAAA), on behalf of its member associations across the United States, strongly condemn the use of...
China launches online map service
By IANS,
Beijing : China has launched an official online mapping service as internet giant Google is yet to apply for a licence to provide a similar service in the country.
S Korean president vows fresh start to overcome crisis
By Xinhua,
Seoul : South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Wednesday that he is determined to make a "fresh start" following collective resignation offers by his Cabinet ministers and senior secretaries over the past week.
Lee also said he felt relieved to see Tuesday night's massive street rallies in protest of the U.S. beef import deal end peacefully.
Former chief of Philippines Armed Forces commits suicide
By IANS,
Manila : The former chief of Philippines' Armed Forces Angelo Reyes shot himself Tuesday in front of his mother's grave at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City.
US calls for restraint on n-arms, NSA to visit Pakistan
Washington : As tensions between India and Pakistan continue to escalate, US National Security Advisor Susan Rice is expected to arrive in Pakistan...
Rave reviews greet Obama’s Denver show
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : If spectacles could win elections, Barack Obama has made it. The Denver show where the first African American to lead a major party ticket accepted the historic Democratic presidential nomination won rave reviews from the media as much for style as for substance.
A number of media reports proclaimed his Thursday night acceptance address as "something close to a home-run for Obama", seeing his sharp criticism of Republican rival McCain as a shrewd political move, while praising his poise and delivery, as the US News and World Report put it.
Report Card: Obama gets C+, Biden C, Clinton B-
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Americans think Barack Obama's overall performance as president deserves a grade of C+ or just about average, according to a new national poll. He was graded C+ on foreign affairs too.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Thursday as the president approaches 200 days in the White House, asked respondents to use a grading scale of A, B, C, D, and F, where A is excellent and F is very poor.
US plane crash kills four
By Xinhua
Washington : At least four people have been killed when their small plane crashed in Florida's Martin County region, the police said.
According to officials, three of the dead are from the Florida Atlantic University. The fourth victim was the pilot.
After reports of the crash came in at 9.04 a.m. Thursday, fire-fighters were rushed to the scene, who found a Cessna Skyhawk aircraft lying upside down near a stand of trees, with four bodies inside.
Hillary, Obama supporters may vote for McCain
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : Many supporters of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are ready to switch sides and vote for Republican John McCain in November if their candidate doesn't win the Democratic nomination, according to a new poll.
A second poll out Wednesday shows most voters - including 85 percent of Democrats - believe there's a chance that the battle between rival party presidential hopefuls, Clinton and Obama, will not be resolved before the party convention in August.
Canada hails Asean charter as ‘a new chapter’
By IANS,
Toronto : Continuing its "look east" policy, Canada has welcomed the signing of a charter by member-nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to usher in a European Union-style union by 2015.
The charter was signed by the 10 member nations - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - in Jakarta Monday.
Canada has been a dialogue partner with Asean for more than three decades and its trade with the bloc exceeded $13 billion last year.
Women will have to wait 57 years for equal pay
By IANS,
London : Working women will have to wait 57 more years before they start earning pay equal to men, a survey in Britain has shown.
The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) observed that the pay of women bosses rose 2.8 percent in the past 12 months, compared with 2.3 percent for men.
At this rate, it would take until 2067 for women to catch up with men, Daily Express reported Thursday.
The survey result also means that 40 years after the 1970 Equal Pay Act, women were earning on an average 10,031 pounds less than male counterparts.
Brazil donates $500,000 to quake-hit Japan
By IANS,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazil has said it would donate $500,000 to help in relief measures in Japan that has been hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Japan protests over U.S. nuclear submarine’s uninvited port call at Okinawa
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : Japan lodged a protest Monday over an unannounced port call by a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine at Okinawa.
At a press conference, Vice Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka demanded measures be taken by the U.S. Navy to ensure no repeat of such an incident.
"I have been told that the U.S. side said there has been insufficient communication (within the U.S. Navy) and we have strongly demanded that measures be taken to ensure this will not happen again," said the top diplomat, adding that there is no evidence of any radioactive leakages.
French National Assembly approves ban on burqa
By DPA,
Paris : The lower house of the French parliament, the National Assembly, Tuesday passed a bill banning the wearing of the Islamic all-body veil, or burqa, in all public places.
If approved in the fall by the Senate and then by the Constitutional Council, the law would impose a fine of 150 euros ($190) or a lesson in citizenship on any woman caught wearing the burqa outside her home.
A man convicted of forcing a woman to wear the garment, meanwhile, would be liable to a fine of up to 30,000 euros and a one-year prison sentence.
US consumer credit goes up
By IANS,
Washington: US consumer credit increased at an annual rate of 8 percent in August, following an unexpected decline in July, the US Federal Reserve announced.
BP agrees $20 bn claims fund
By DPA,
Washington : Oil giant BP has agreed to set up a $20-billion fund to compensate local Gulf Coast businesses and fishermen devastated by the ongoing oil spill, US President Barack Obama said after a meeting with BP's top executives Wednesday.
BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg also announced that the British firm was suspending all dividend payments to shareholders this year as it works to clean up the worst oil disaster in US history.
Ship with 22 Chinese crew missing after typhoon
By
Qingdao (China): Twenty-two Chinese crew of a Panama-registered freighter have been missing after the vessel was hit by Typhoon Morakot east of Taiwan, officials said Sunday.
The search for the missing seamen is under way, the officials in Qingdao City said.
Changying was caught in the typhoon Aug 8 while it was on its way from Indonesia to Taiwan.
The officials did not reveal whether the ship was found.
The crew was employed by Datong International Shipping Management Company Ltd. based in Qingdao.
Last bodies found on shipwrecked Ukrainian tugboat
By RIA Novosti,
Kiev : Rescue workers have located the last two bodies on board a Ukrainian tugboat that sank off Hong Kong on March 22, Ukraine's TV Channel Five said on Tuesday.
A total of 15 sailors were listed as missing after the Naftogaz-67 tugboat sank in the South China Sea after colliding with a Chinese vessel. Out of the 25 sailors on board, most of them Ukrainians, only seven were plucked to safety in the subsequent rescue operation. The bodies of three sailors were also found by divers during the operation.
Berlin close to identifying two Germans killed in Mumbai
By DPA,
Berlin : German police pathologists were close to identifying the remaining two of the three Germans killed in last week's Mumbai terror attacks, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday.
India has already said three have died, but Germany normally declines to say someone has died in a disaster until it has unquestionable proof.
Ralph Burkei, a Munich television executive, died from injuries he suffered in a fall as he attempted to escape down the facade of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
First Ebola patient diagnosed in US dies
Washington: The first Ebola patient diagnosed in the US died Wednesday at a hospital in Dallas, a city in the northern part of the...
Goa businessmen look to Australia for tourism development
By IANS,
Panaji : Australian firms could soon partner Goa for using its waterways and jungles for tourism purposes, a top official of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) said Friday.
Praying for wrong doers makes you forgive them
By IANS,
Washington: Praying for those who have wronged you can actually help you forgive them, research says.
Florida State University (FSU) psychologist Nathaniel Lambert was faced with the question: Is it possible that directed prayer might spark forgiveness in those doing the praying and in the process preserve relationships?
Lambert and his colleagues decided to test this scientifically in two experiments.
Nine killed in China factory burst
By Xinhua
Zouping (China) : Nine people were killed and 64 injured following a deadly molten aluminium burst in an east China plant, company sources and the government said Monday.
Molten aluminium about 900 degrees Celsius spilt from its container at around 8.10 p.m. Sunday at a plant affiliated to the Weiqiao Pioneering Group Co Ltd in Zouping county of Shandong province.
The spill, while encountering the cooling water in the workshop, produced a strong airflow that threatened around 82 people in at least two adjacent workshops.
China deports 10 pro-Tibet activists
By DPA,
Beijing : China has deported all 10 of the pro-Tibet activists it arrested for protesting or helping to organize protests during the Beijing Olympics, releasing them before the end of their 10-day detention following pressure from the US embassy in Beijing, a US-based Tibet rights group said Monday.
"All 10 have been deported. They were deported at 9:20 a.m. Sunday New York time (Sunday evening in Beijing) right before the end of the closing ceremony," said Heather Reddick, an international operations director for the New York-based Students for a Free Tibet.
New Zealand PM to auction arm cast for charity
By Xinhua,
Wellington : A cast worn by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on his broken arm will be auctioned for charity, New Zealand media reported Thursday.
Key said Wednesday that he will put the cast on the TradeMe website and the money it fetches will go to a charity in Solomon Islands, the reports said.
He made a day-long visit to Solomon Islands capital of Honiara on his way back to New Zealand from a special Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Papua New Guinea. At that meeting, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had signed Key's cast.
Doomed sub not meant for India: Russian official
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A Russian defence industry official denied Wednesday that talks had been held with India on the delivery of the nuclear submarine which caught fire during sea trial last weekend in which 20 people on board were killed.
"Russia did not launch talks on a contract to supply India with the Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine," the official said.
The tragedy occurred late Saturday while the Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine was undergoing trials in the Sea of Japan.
Smuggler stopped with pigeons in his pants
By DPA,
Sydney : An Australian man was stopped at the Melbourne airport Tuesday with two pigeons concealed in his underwear.
The 23-year-old arrived on a flight from Dubai and was discovered to be wearing tights that held a bird tightly to each leg.
A customs check found he had also broken quarantine rules by trying to smuggle birds' eggs, plant seeds and eggplants in his suitcase.
Chinese military stresses peaceful aims, closer US ties
By DPA,
Washington : China's second highest-ranking military officer offered assurances that Beijing's military build-up was entirely for peaceful purposes, at the start of a visit to the US.
Speaking at a Washington-based think-tank ahead of a private meeting with US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, General Xu Caihou said Monday that China had no intentions of regional hegemony or starting an arms race in Asia.
Man held for reaching out to wife on Facebook
By IANS,
New York : A man in the US has been arrested after he sent his estranged wife a friendship request on social networking site Facebook, despite a court's restraining order.
Harry Bruder of Hudson, Florida, was served with a restraining order in June from his wife, Carole Jean Bruder, over allegations of domestic violence, the Herald Sun reported Tuesday.
The restraining order prohibited Harry from having face-to-face contact with his wife as well as electronic communication.
Seven killed in Somalia car bomb explosion
Mogadishu : At least seven suspected militants were killed Saturday in Somalia when a car bomb exploded outside the country's parliament here, a police...
Obama halts 40-year Republican dominance of remote US town
By DPA,
Washington : In a departure from 40 years of Republican loyalty, 21 voters in remote northern New Hampshire gave a resounding "yes" to Democrat Barack Obama early Tuesday.
With 15 votes for Obama and six for McCain reported by broadcasters, the opening of the Dixville Notch polling station Tuesday just after midnight marked the opening of US elections that could put produce the first-ever African-American president.
Indian American tourist found dead in Mexico
Mexico City: An Indian American man reported missing earlier this week in the central Mexican state of Morelos has been found dead, an official...
GMR project halted in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : A year after it broke the ice in Nepal's politically charged hydropower sector by becoming the first Indian company to win a major power project, GMR Energy is now facing the pricks experienced by other foreign investors with work obstructed by villagers in remote western Nepal.
GMR Energy's associate vice-president (hydro business) Harvinder Manocha flew down to Kathmandu from New Delhi Tuesday to firefight the obstruction to the 300-MW Upper Karnali hydropower project that spans three remote districts.
US, South Korea call for early six-party talks on North Korea
By Xinhua
Seoul : South Korean and US negotiators participating in the six-nation talks on North Korea's denuclearisation have called for an early resumption of negotiation.
Following 90-minute talks with US chief nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill, South Korea's Chun Yung-woo Tuesday said the two sides agreed on the need of an early resumption of the six-party talks.
"You can't rule out the possibility of the talks being held in January," Chun said.
Hill arrived here Tuesday to meet South Korean officials including President-elect Lee Myung-bak.
Sri Lankan Navy kills 23 rebels
By Xinhua,
Colombo : At least 23 Tamil Tigers were killed when the Sri Lankan Navy destroyed their boats off the coast of northeastern Mullaitivu district, an official said Friday.
Navy spokesman Mahesh Karunaratne said two rebel suicide boats and an attack craft were destroyed at around 1 a.m.
The defence official said 58 underage rebels had given themselves up to the army at Kilinochchi, which was the former headquarters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
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.
US astronauts vote from space
By DPA,
Washington : Two NASA astronauts did not let their distance from Earth deter them from voting in the US presidential election Tuesday.
Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff voted from their current home in the International Space Station - 322 km above Earth and orbiting at 28,200 km per hour - and beamed back a message urging others to exercise their franchise.
Russia helicopter crash kills three
By IANS,
Moscow : A helicopter with five people on board crashed in Russia Monday, killing three and injuring the other two, a media report said.
China strongly condemns CNN for insulting Chinese people
By KUNA,
Tokyo : The Chinese government has lodged a complaint against CNN's Beijing office, condemning the TV network as "without any professional reputation," state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao, who is also the Director-General of the ministry's Information Department, said that a statement issued by CNN on Tuesday failed to apologize for its host Jack Cafferty's remarks, which attacked the Chinese people and seriously violated the professional ethics of journalism, according to Xinhua.
Zimbabwean opposition leader announces pulling out of presidential run-off
By Xinhua,
Harare : Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has announced that he will not take part in the presidential run-off against incumbent President Robert Mugabe, local media further confirmed on Sunday.
The announcement came after the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) failed to hold its star rally in Harare on Sunday for the presidential runoff under unclear circumstances.
Syria: US Hindering Lebanese Elections
By Prensa Latina
Damascus : The Syrian government has accused the United States of hampering elections in Lebanon and contributing to fuel the current political crisis in that country.
Minister of Information Mohsen Bilal blamed the White House for thwarting Syrian and French attempts to make election of a Lebanese president possible.
On Sunday Bilal denounced that Deputy National Security Advisor Elliott Abrams and US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch, both known for their support to Israel, were in Lebanon last week.
‘Thousands’ of Islamist terrorists active in Britain: report
By DPA,
London : A report by the British intelligence services has claimed that "some thousands" of militant Islamists are active in the country, the Sunday Telegraph has said.
The document, which the paper describes as being drawn up by the intelligence service of the Ministry of Defence, the internal security organization MI5 and the police's Special Branch, identified the cities of London, Birmingham and Luton as particular centres of Islamist activity.
The country was a "high-priority target for international terrorists aligned with Al Qaeda".
Former Colombian senator seeks Costa Rican asylum
By IANS,
Bogota : Former Colombian senator Mario Uribe Escobar, a cousin of President Alvaro Uribe, has sought political asylum at the Costa Rican embassy, Spain's EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
Mario Uribe's lawyer Jose del Carmen Ortega told Caracol Radio the former senator filed an asylum request with the Costa Rican government after the attorney general (AG)'s office issued an arrest warrant on him for alleged links with right wing militia.
Ortega did not disclose on what ground his client sought the asylum.
Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano cools off
By IANS,
London : Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano, ash cloud from which paralysed much of Europe's air traffic for over a month, is showing a marked drop in activity, a volcanologist has said.
Video footage Sunday indicated that the temperature in the crater had fallen to just 100 degree Celsius, leading volcanologist Magnus Gudmundsson said.
This means Eyjafjallajokull is now producing steam, not magma, Gudmundsson was quoted as saying by the BBC.
But the volcanologist warned it was too early to say whether the eruption was completely over.
Millions mourn China earthquake dead with air sirens wailing in grief
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Millions of people in China and overseas observed three minutes silence at 2:28 p.m. Monday to mourn thousands of people killed in an earthquake which hit the nation's southwest a week ago.
Across the country, air raid sirens, cars, trains and ship horns wailed in grief as the people fell silent.
Chinese bourses and commodities exchanges also suspended trading for three minutes in remembrance of the earthquake dead.
Berlin “concerned” over North Korean missile test
By IRNA
Berlin : German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger here Friday expressed "concern" over the latest North Korean missile test.
Talking to the press in Berlin, Jaeger said his country was coordinating its assessment of the North Korean situation with other partner states.
He added that deliberations among partner countries may also focus possibly on a joint reaction to Pyongyang's missile test.
North Korea launched short-range missiles off its western coast Friday, according to South Korean media reports.
Japan’s PM says not in position to call election
By SPA,
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said on Tuesday the government had no time to call a General election, after the main opposition leader said he expected the country to go to the polls soon, Reuters reported.
"We are not in a situation where we can call an election, " Fukuda told reporters when asked about Democratic Party leader Ichiro Ozawa's comments on prospect of an early election.
"There are various problems and I think the government is too busy."
China’s manufacturing activity slows
By IANS,
Beijing: China's manufacturing activity further slid in August with the purchasing managers index (PMI) standing at 49.2 percent, the lowest pace in nine months.
Moscow mayor Luzhkov barred from Ukraine
By RIA Novosti,
Kiev : Ukraine's Security Service barred Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov on Monday from entering the former Soviet republic over his 'provocative' statements regarding the ownership of the Black Sea city of Sevastopol.
Moscow's mayor made strong calls for the disputed ownership of a Russian naval base on Ukraine's Crimean peninsula to be transferred back to Russia.
Japan commits Rs.130 crore for freight corridor
By IANS,
New Delhi : Japan Tuesday committed 2,606 million yen (Rs.130 crore) as an engineering services loan for the first phase of India's dedicated freight corridor project.
The project is expected to decongest existing railway lines, catalyse industrial investments of around $50 billion (Rs.2.4 trillion) and create new jobs along the rail route.
The commitment was given by Hideaki Domichi, Japanese Ambassador to India.
India had last month approved a Rs.17,700-crore conditional loan from Japan to help build the project.
Has Obama’s election changed race relations in US?
By Chris Cermak, DPA,
Washington : There were tears of joy and a real sense of history in the making. For many African-Americans, Barack Obama's election in November 2008 as president of the US was an undeniable landmark in race relations. One year on, it is not clear just how Obama's unlikely journey to the White House has changed the underlying dynamics between white and black Americans.
Croatia pledges to help fellow Western Balkan countries on path to EU
By Xinhua
Belgrade : Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic said on Saturday that his country is willing to assist fellow Western Balkan countries on their path to EU membership by offering them its experience and advice.
"Croatia is ready to help with its experience, advice and expertise. It has been and remains our policy," Jandrokovic told a press conference after an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers with their counterparts from Western Balkan countries in the Slovenian resort of Brdo in suburban Ljubljana.
US to raise attack on diplomats at UN Security Council
By DPA,
Johannesburg/Washington : The US Thursday blasted as "outrageous" and "unacceptable" an attack in Zimbabwe on a convoy of US and British diplomats by a group of police, soldiers and militia and vowed to raise the issue at the UN Security Council.
"It is outrageous. It is unacceptable. And while this immediate incident has been resolved, it will not be forgotten," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
McCormack said the US government had "protested vigorously" to the Zimbabwean government. "And we intend to raise this issue today in the Security Council."
Sri Lanka declares new safety zone for stranded civilians
By Xinhua,
COLOMBO : Sri Lanka's military said Thursday that another safety zone has been declared for the civilians trapped in the island's northern battle zone to come to the government controlled areas.
"The Sri Lankan security forces headquarters in Wanni, in response to the worsening plight of the thousands held hostage by LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) terrorists in Mullaittivu, has declared a new civilian safety zone, with effect from Thursday," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Morgan Stanley mulling deals with CIC, Wachovia: Reports Morgan Stanley mulling deals with CIC,...
By DPA,
New York : Morgan Stanley, one of just two remaining independent investment banks on Wall Street, was reportedly seeking protection from the financial turmoil on US markets by entering talks with Wachovia Corp and the Chinese state investment fund Thursday.
Morgan Stanley was in talks with China Investment Corp (CIC) to sell it a 49-percent stake in the firm, Bloomberg financial news reported Thursday citing insiders familiar with the talks. CIC already controls 10 percent of Morgan Stanley's stock.
Indonesian airlines to be banned from EU
By IANS
Brussels : All 51 airlines certified in Indonesia are to be banned from operating within the 27-nation European Union (EU) as part of efforts to ensure that "unsafe airlines" do not fly to the region.
Breakthrough in Hollywood strike
By DPA
Los Angeles : Hollywood directors reached a new three-year pay deal with the main producer's organisation, upping pressure on the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) to end its 11-week strike that has disrupted film and TV production.
Both writers and directors have been demanding a greater share of income from new media, but the directors were not on strike.
LTTE intelligence chief’s hideout captured: Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan troops forcing their way into the last strongholds of the Tamil Tigers have captured a hideout of the rebels' intelligence wing chief, Pottu Amman, in the north-eastern Mullaitivu district, the defence ministry said Wednesday.
It said that the 58 Division have captured "the safe house (that) was used by both Pottu Amman and (another LTTE leader) Kapil Amman" in the general area south of Iranapalai at the Mullaitivu battlefront after fierce clashes Tuesday.
Russia not losing influence in Mideast: Lavrov
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow: "The idea that Russia is losing influence in the Arab world as a result of the Arab Spring is "wishful thinking," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
Talks on to end Iran nuclear issue
By IANS,
Vienna : The three-day talks between Iran and six major world powers in Vienna are aiming to clinch a deal on a framework...
Jets pound LTTE camp in Mullaitivu: Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan Air Force jets Wednesday bombed "a transit camp" of Tamil Tigers in the northeastern Mullaitivu district, where ground troops were fighting fierce battles with the rebels tying to defend their last bastions, defence authorities here said.
The Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said the jets bombed "an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) transit camp located at Piramanathankulam area" in Mullaitivu around 4.45 p.m.
Australia moves further towards extraditing Dr ‘Death’ Patel
By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Sydney : Australia is moving towards the final stages of extraditing from the US India-born Jayant Patel who has been linked to 87 deaths of patients he treated between 2003 and 2005 at a Queensland hospital.
Dubbed "Dr Death" by the Australian media, Patel worked in the Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland and has been in the US since 2005. In what is probably the worst medical-negligence scandal in Australia, he allegedly falsified his application to practice medicine in this country.
North Korea committed to denuclearisation, Kim tells China
By DPA,
Beijing : North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has told visiting Chinese officials that his country remains committed to denuclearisation through six-nation talks.
"The sincerity of relevant parties to resume the six-party talks is very important," the official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday quoting Kim as telling Wang Jiarui, the head of the Chinese Communist Party's international department.
Seoul summons Japanese ambassador in territorial row
By DPA,
Seoul : South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung Hwan summoned the Japanese ambassador Friday over educational guidelines released by Tokyo on rocky islands claimed by the two countries.
The meeting was a repeat of a May 2008 discussion between Yu and Ambassador Toshinori Shigeieto over reports Japan planned to claim the islets as its territory in a revised manual for teachers.
In the new handbook for high school teachers released Friday, the education ministry refrained from naming the disputed islets, called Dokdo by Koreans and Takeshima by Japanese.
Europe’s central bank unlikely to change interest rates
By DPA,
Frankfurt : The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to leave interest rates on hold at an historic low of 1 percent Thursday as it faces up to a string of new challenges.
The question for the 22 members of the ECB's rate-setting council will be how to balance out concerns about deflation, tighter credit and rising unemployment against signs that the 16-member eurozone has started to emerge from the world's steepest economic slump in over 60 years.
White House gatecrashers boycott Congress invite
By DPA,
Washington : The gate crashers to a White House state dinner in the US snubbed a real invitation to a different centre of power in the nation's capital, the Congress.
Michaele and Tareq Salahi, would-be reality TV stars, declined Thursday to show up at a House of Representatives hearing, where last week's security breach that allowed them into the hallowed centre of American might was under scrutiny.
The Homeland Security Committee had asked them to testify, as well as White House social secretary Desiree Rogers, whose role in the affair has also been questioned.
Taliban leader approves Afghan peace talks
Kabul: Elusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar on Wednesday described the peace talks with the Afghan government as "legitimate" and announced his outfit's readiness...
Namibia detonator was just a test, says Germany
By DPA,
Berlin : A suspicious parcel containing a detonator that was found at an airport in Namibia and destined for Germany was a harmless test device, the German government revealed Friday.
Medieval stained glass windows acted like nano air purifiers
By IANS,
Sydney : Stained glass windows in churches dotting Europe and painted with gold purified the air when lit up by sunlight, according to Queensland University of Technology experts.
"For centuries, people appreciated only the beautiful works of art, and long life of the colours, but little did they realise that these works... are also... photocatalytic air purifier with nanostructured gold catalyst," said Zhu Huai Yong, of Queensland's School of Physical and Chemical Sciences.
Has LTTE executed its military spokesman?
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
New Delhi : Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers may have killed their high-profile military spokesman on charges of being a "traitor" when they began suffering heavily early this year, Tamil sources say.
Speculation that Irasiah Ilanthirayan alias Marshall has been executed has been doing the rounds of Tamil circles for around a month. The sources now say that he could have been done away with in January.
Five dead in Shanghai fire
By IANS,
Beijing : A massive fire at a market selling farm produce in Chinese business hub Shanghai killed at least five people and wounded 12 others, the city government said Monday.
Respect is better motivator than pay in Asia: poll
By DPA
Singapore : Respect from the boss outranks basic pay as a motivator for getting employees in major Asian economies to do their best, a poll said Monday.
The findings of the survey carried out by consulting firm Mercer showed that employees in India and China viewed respect over their pay.
The type of work emerged as the top factor in India, with employees putting opportunities for personal growth, promotion prospects and long-term career potential before reimbursement.
Boston event links Black Liberation and Palestinian movements with the Anti-Caste Struggle
By Paul Malachi, TwoCircles.net
The #DalitWomenFight United States tour reached Boston on Saturday, September 19th, 2015 with a panel titled “Dalit Women Fight – Moving...
President leaves on six-day trip to China
By IANS,
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil Wednesday left for Beijing on a six-day state visit to China during which she will meet President Hu Jintao, inaugurate an Indian-style Buddhist temple and also visit the Shanghai World Expo.
Patil will be joined by a 60-strong business delegation comprising members of all the three apex chambers of India. Besides Beijing, she will visit Shanghai and Luoyang.
Sri Lanka turns away Swedish foreign minister
By DPA,
Stockholm : Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt Tuesday said he cancelled the trip he had planned to take to Sri Lanka along with his British and French counterparts after Colombo said it would not receive him.
Writing on his blog, Bildt said Sri Lanka had "not given any reason" for not accepting him. "No one seems to understand the reason for this very strange action. Everyone just shakes their heads."
Nigerian troops bust Boko Haram intelligence cell
Lagos: Nigerian troops said Monday that a terrorists' intelligence cell, headed by a businessman who participated actively in the abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok...
New opportunities in taxi-driving for Asian and minority ethnic communities
LONDON, Oct 7 (APP): Women and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, who are currently significantly under-represented in the taxi industry, will now have new opportunities to train to be a licensed taxi driver under a project being launched by the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.
According to a media release, the project, run by the London Development Agency, aims to address some of the barriers experienced by people from under-represented groups to work towards greater diversity in the taxi trade to reflect London’s diverse population.
Pope Benedict offers prayers for Obama’s success
By DPA,
Vatican City : Pope Benedict XVI in a telegram has offered US President Barack Obama prayers that God may grant him "unfailing wisdom and strength" in carrying out his new responsibilities.
"Under your leadership, may the American people continue to find in their impressive religious and political heritage the spiritual values and ethical principles needed to cooperate in the building of a truly just and free society," Benedict told Obama just a few hours before the inauguration ceremonies.
20 killed in Nigeria explosion
Abuja: At least 20 people were killed in a bomb explosion that rocked Zaria city in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kaduna on Tuesday, provincial...
Colombian Congress blocks Uribe’s third presidential bid
By IANS,
Bogota : Colombia's Congress, the lower house of parliament, has turned down a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed President Alvaro Uribe to seek a third consecutive term in 2010, EFE reported Thursday
Uribe still has the option of calling a referendum on changing the national charter, as his supporters have already collected enough signatures needed to hold a plebiscite.
Most Latin American nations require their presidents to sit out a term before seeking a second mandate, while Mexico's head of state may serve only one term.
17 dead in Egypt road accidents
By DPA,
Cairo : At least 17 people were killed and five were injured in two road accidents in Egypt Wednesday, police said.
A truck crashed into a minibus and flipped onto it, killing 14 people and injuring three others on a highway between Cairo and Alexandria.
Meanwhile, three members of the same family were killed in a crash between two vehicles in Qalyubiya, just north of Cairo.
Around 8,000 people die and 32,000 are injured in road accidents in Egypt each year, according to official estimates.
Victoria Beckham to be permanent judge on ‘American Idol’?
By IANS,
London: Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham is set to be offered three million pounds to become a permanent judge on reality show "American Idol" if she can prove herself to the US public.
The singer-turned-designer has impressed bosses with her two guest appearances on the judging panel for the US talent show and they think she has the right credentials to take over from ex-judge Paula Abdul, contactmusic.com reports.
Medvedev: Russia to restore friendly ties with Georgia
By Xinhua,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that his country will do everything possible to restore friendly relations with Georgia, Russian news agencies reported.
Russia and Georgia have maintained fraternal relations for centuries, Medvedev said, noting that over 1 million Georgians live in Russia and regard Russia as their homeland.
"We ... will do everything possible to restore regular, friendly relations," he said at a meeting with representatives of public organizations.
OPEC oil price stays above $51
By DPA,
Vienna : The price for oil produced by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) remained above $51 Wednesday, according to data released by the group Thursday.
One barrel (159 litres) of OPEC crude rose to $51.17, up $0.10 from Tuesday's price.
The Vienna-based oil cartel calculates a basket price based on 12 brands produced by its members.
US denies military plane forced down by Iran
By DPA,
Washington/Tehran : The US denied reports Tuesday that a military plane carrying senior US officers was forced to land in Iran, following conflicting reports by Iranian media about an airspace violation.
"We have no reports at all of any US military aircraft or any other US military personnel flying in any aircraft that was forced to land in Iran," said Lieutenant Commander William Speaks, a spokesman for Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East.
Chavez to abolish controversial law
By Xinhua,
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced he will rescind a newly introduced law that had kept government supporters and the opposition in confrontation for 13 days since its promulgation.
"I admit that mistakes were made with this law," Chavez said Tuesday, referring to the National Law of Intelligence and Counterintelligence.
Chavez made the announcement during a meeting at the Palace of Miraflores with representatives from the Orinoco Siderurgy, an Argentine enterprise which was nationalised May 12.
Nine-year-old falls ill due to study pressure
By IANS,
Beijing : High study pressure took its toll on a nine-year-old girl in China who fell seriously ill, and her family ended up spending over $88,000 on medical expenses.
The girl, a resident of Shandong province, suffered from frequent vomiting since 2008 and was diagnosed as having nerve dysfunction which was caused by high mental stress, said Du Zhongde, a doctor at a hospital in Weifang city.
At least 70 migrants feared drowned off Malta
By DPA,
Valletta (Malta) : Two rescue helicopters Thursday were searching for as many as 70 illegal migrants reported missing off Malta.
They were reported missing by eight of their companions who were found floating on a half-submerged dinghy some 40 miles south of the Mediterranean island.
Initially there was some confusion about the number of missing migrants, with the survivors telling a fishermen who rescued them that they were in a group of 18. The number was revised late Wednesday after a top official from the UN Commission for Refugees interviewed the survivors.
Germany recognizes Kosovo as sovereign state
By IRNA
Berlin : Germany on Wednesday extended diplomatic recognition to Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia on Sunday.
The decision which was widely expected, was made at a routine weekly cabinet meeting in Berlin.
The recognition of Kosovo has to be signed by President Horst Koehler before officially taking effect.
Koehler was scheduled to send a diplomatic note, stating Germany's official recognition of Kosovo, to Kosovar President Fatmir Sejdiu in Pristina.
Berlin has also offered full diplomatic relations with Kosovo.
Tony Blair could be Europe’s first president
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : In a move that appeared to soften up British Euro-sceptics, former prime minister Tony Blair could be installed as the first president of the European Union (EU) following a campaign by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"He is a remarkable man, the most European of all the British," Sarkozy said Friday night, adding that he and Blair, who quit as prime minister earlier this year, had discussed the proposal over a meal in Paris this week.
‘Consensus needed for climate change accord in Mexico’
By IANS,
New Delhi : Ministers from around the world Saturday emphasised the need to work together to reach consensus for achieving an accord on climate change at their next meeting in Mexico in November.
"Climate change is affecting all of us. The Himalayan glaciers are melting although there is a lot of fuss about the rate at which they are melting. I had great hopes in Copenhagen but we achieved little. We should look forward and all of us should work harder for Mexico," said Farooq Abdullah, union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Resources.
From the diary of an anonymous Muslim
By Anonymous,
It is the time of hate. Everyone around is outraged by the inexplicable evil of the other. How could they walk in and...
NASA probe finds second mountain range in Pluto’s ‘heart’
Washington : The New Horizons probe has found a second mountain range situated between bright, icy plains and dark, heavily-cratered terrain on the...
Texas officials remove 52 girls from polygamist ranch
By DPA
Washington : Texas officials removed 52 girl children from the walled compound of a polygamist sect while police sealed off all roads to the ranch on suspicion that a teenage girl was raped there, media reports said.
The evacuation and lock-down came as police executed a search and arrest warrant for a 50-year-old man charged with marrying and fathering a child with a 16-year-old girl, the San Angelo, Texas, Standard Times reported online Friday.
US engineers’ body lauds low-cost Indian toilet technology
By IANS,
New York : A top American engineers' body has recognized the low-cost toilet technology developed by Indian NGO Sulabh International to improve community health, hygiene and environment in the developing world and in the process triggerring off social reform, restoring human rights and dignity to millions of downtrodden women involved in manual scavenging.
Anti-government group continues protests as security heightened in Bangkok
By Shen Min, Xinhua,
Bangkok : Thailand's anti-government group People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) carried out its street protests in central Bangkok into the 14th day on Saturday to demand the step-down of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
Meanwhile, security was heightened on Saturday around the political center on the Ratchadamnoen Avenue, a major artery in Bangkok where major government agencies and cultural landmarks are located, with dozens of anti-riot police guarding around major entries to the Government House.
Man gets death penalty for killing policemen in China
By Xinhua,
Shanghai : A Chinese court Monday sentenced a man to death for killing six policemen and injuring four others in Shanghai two months ago.
On July 1, Yang Jia, a 28-year-old unemployed man from Bejing, forced his way into a police station in Shanghai's Zhabei district and attacked nine people with a sharp weapon.
Six police officers were killed and four injured in the attack.
Yang was apprehended at the scene and confessed to the killings, the prosecution said.
60 rebels killed in Sri Lanka fighting
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Some 60 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels were killed while 28 more were injured in separate clashes in the island's north, defense officials said Monday.
Media Center for National Security (MCNS) said that the rebels were killed Sunday in Vavuniya, Welioya and Jaffna fronts. Some three soldiers were killed while 24 others had also been injured in the clashes, officials added.
US calls for end to violence in Zimbabwe
By DPA,
Washington : The US called for an immediate end to political violence in Zimbabwe on Sunday, following an announcement by the African country's opposition that its was withdrawing from upcoming runoff elections.
In a statement from the White House, the US blamed Zimbabwe's ruling party for the violence.
All parties should have the right to take part in the elections and not be targeted by government intimidation, armed militias and so-called "war veterans", the statement added.
Tourism industry worries over impact on nature, local culture
By Xinhua,
Paris : With the number of travellers expected to reach 1.6 billion by 2020, the world's tourism industry has begun to worry about its impacts on nature and local culture, according to industry watchers.
Take a walk in the rainforest of Costa Rica, stay in huts in the bush in Senegal - tourists are increasingly looking for total solitude in the midst of nature.
"The concept of sustainable tourism, which respects nature and the local people, has slowly and timidly begun to gain currency across the globe," one Paris-based tourism analyst has said.
Can signs from nature presage ecological disaster
By IANS,
Washington : Scientists taking a leaf out of the social sciences are trying to read signs from nature to know whether they presage potential collapse of ecosystems.
The idea of using leading indicators in science is not new. Geologists use seismic indicators to try to predict earthquakes and physicians use measures of such things as cholesterol and blood pressure to try to predict patient health.
Japan’s PM announces resignation
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan Friday announced his resignation as leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, Kyodo news agency reported.
Israeli airstrikes kill three in Gaza
Gaza: Fresh Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip Sunday killed three Palestinians and wounded 20 others, according to medics and eyewitnesses.
Ashraf al-Qedra, health ministry...
UNESCO celebrates World Press Freedom Day
By IRNA,
Tehran : More than 300 participants attending UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day Conference in Brisbane (Queensland, Australia), have urged national governments to enact legislation guaranteeing the right of access for all to information.
The call was issued in the Brisbane Declaration1 adopted at the close of the conference, organized in collaboration with the School of Journalism of the University of Queensland on May 2 and 3 to mark World Press Freedom Day. Participants included 75 journalists from Pacific Island states, and media professionals from all other regions.
Amsterdam gays dreaming of a pink Christmas
By ANTARA News/DPA,
Amsterdam : Amsterdam's gays are planning special Christmas celebrations this year with their first "Pink Christmas" festival due to start on Thursday.
The ten-day festival organized by the Dutch ProGay Foundation includes a special Christmas fair on December 21, a manger stall with two live Josephs and two live Marys, as well as a gay church mass on Christmas day.
Most of the activities are located in and around the Reguliersdwarsstraat, known for its many gay venues, in the old city centre.
Obama tries to get above racial divide
By DPA
Washington : Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama took the racial bull by the horns in a major speech about racism, defending yet criticizing his black minister for incendiary racist remarks and urging the country to get beyond racial divisions in order to tackle the country's major problems.
Obama Tuesday spent 45 minutes speaking in the historic city of Philadelphia, where the nation's founders wrote the preamble to the US constitution in 1787, which begins, "We the people, in order to form a more perfect union..."
Boeing cuts 1,000 jobs in defence branch
By DPA,
Washington/Chicago : Boeing's Integrated Defence Systems said Wednesday it is cutting 1,000 jobs to accommodate the drop in demand in the federal defence budget.
The lost jobs represent about 1.5 percent of the 70,000 employees in the defence branch.
Branch chief Jim Albaugh told Boeing employees that the company must reduce its staff according to the size of contracts from clients, a company spokesman said.
UN calls for peaceful parliament polls in Maldives
Male : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern about the situation in the Maldives following a decision of the island nation's Supreme Court...
Taiwan says its next leader world’s most handsome
By DPA,
Taipei : Taiwan's men and women can't wait to show off their new leader Ma Ying-jeou to the world because they think he will be hands down the world's most handsome president when he takes office next month.
"Finally, we have a president who is good-looking and speaks fluent English," Li Ping, a retired professor, said. "He will be a good representative of the Taiwan people on the international stage."
"I bet he is the world's most handsome president, at least among Asian presidents," Liu Yi-hsue, a Taipei school teacher, said.
Sparks fly over ‘Buy American’ provision in US stimulus plan
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : A "Buy American" provision in President Barack Obama's $819 billion stimulus plan that bans the purchase of foreign construction materials for public works projects has set off a heated debate about its efficacy.
The contentious provision in the bill as passed by the US House of Representatives Wednesday would, with some notable exceptions, ensure that only US-produced iron and steel be used for construction.
Blast in chemical plant in China, casualties unknown
By Xinhua,
Nanning (China) : An explosion occurred in a chemical plant in southwest China Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of casualty, officials said.
The blast went off at 6 a.m. inside the plant in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents, officials said, adding that they were not sure whether there was any casualty.
Rescuers said several blasts were heard and thick smoke enveloped the plant.
The plant is located in a special development zone in Yizhou city, some 100 km from the regional capital of Nanning.
Russian state oil firm to buy back shares worth $2 bn
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's largest state-controlled oil company Rosneft will purchase 68.3 billion rubles ($2 billion) worth of shares from its minority shareholders.
44 killed, over 500 injured in China blasts
Beijing: At least 44 people were killed and over 500 injured in two massive explosives that ripped through a warehouse in China's port city...
Toll rises to 108 in Australia’s ‘hell on Earth’
By DPA,
Sydney : Australia's worst forest fires on record left at least 108 people dead Sunday, with grave fears for many more. The inferno that started Saturday in southeast Australia is the worst in the nation's history, surpassing the Black Friday blaze in 1939 that claimed 71 lives and 1983's Ash Wednesday that killed 75.
"Out there, it's been hell on earth," Victoria state Premier John Brumby said in a statement. "The scale of the tragedy defies comprehension."
EU commits to slashing farm tariffs at WTO talks
By DPA,
Geneva : The European Union (EU) is prepared to slash tariffs on agricultural imports by more than half, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said Monday on the first day of a key round of talks in Geneva aimed at reviving the World Trade Organization's Doha Round.
Mandelson said the EU was also prepared to cut agricultural subsidies to its farmers by almost 100 billion euros ($160 billion).
The trade commissioner said tariffs on agricultural imports would be cut by at least 54 percent, while his spokesman, Peter Power, put the average figure as high as 60 percent.
China, Britain expand bilateral cooperation
By Xinhua
Beijing : Chinese premier Wen Jiabao Friday held talks with his visiting British counterpart Gordon Brown here during which the two countries reached agreements on a broad range of subjects like trade and finance, education, sports, among other things.
The two sides decided to increase bilateral trade to $60 billion by 2010.
"Both sides believe in the broad prospects of future bilateral trade and agreed to strengthen cooperation in the service and technology sectors in bilateral trade and explore new areas for cross investment," an official statement said.
Goodbye US hegemony, welcome China, Europe
By Manish Chand
Book: "The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order"; Author: Parag Khanna; Publisher: Allen Lane; Pages: 466
America's moment of unbridled uni-polar dominance is over as "a multi-polar and multi-civilisational world of three distinct superpowers" - the US, China and the European Union - court and manipulate swing countries in the Second World like India and Japan to expand their global influence.
The claim is made in a new book by Parag Khanna, a 30-year-old India-born, US-based foreign policy whiz kid.
Canada firm on quitting Afghanistan by 2011
By IANS,
Toronto : The Americans may have shown renewed interest in Afghanistan but Canada stays firm on its decision to end its mission in the war-torn country by 2011, says Canada's new foreign minister Lawrence Cannon.
The minister told a television channel Sunday that the tough stand by US president-elect Barack Obama on Afghanistan will have no impact on the Canadian decision to pull out of Afghanistan by 2011.
During the US presidential campaign, Obama promised to send two more US brigades to Afghanistan to go after the Al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden.
French EU presidency to seek consensus on mideast
By NNN-KUNA
Paris : France will work hard to achieve a consensus among the 27 European Union members on policy towards the Middle East region during the French Presidency of the EU, which begins July 1, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.
Speaking to the press Tuesday, Kouchner acknowledged the ongoing difficulties among the EU countries and the seemingly endless disputes over policy in the region. "It is very difficult," Kouchner remarked.
Myanmar may use force to curb riots
By IANS,
Yangon: Myanmar President U Thein Sein has warned of using force as a last resort to suppress the current rioting in the country and protect people.
China pays last respects to mechanics scientist
By IANS,
Beijing: Tens of thousands of Chinese Saturday paid their last respects to Qian Weichang, one of the country's most respected scientists, recognized for his achievements in applied mathematics and mechanics, Xinhua reported.
Qian, a senior member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former president of Shanghai University, passed away July 30, at the age of 98.
His body was cremated in Shanghai's Hualong Funeral Parlor Saturday.
Ukrainian makes flying electric car
By IANS,
Kiev : A Ukrainian student has received a patent for making a flying electric car that can remain airborne for about an hour.
Indian-born among Britain’s new-age charity workers
By IANS,
London : An Indian-born is listed among Britain's wealthy GenX, the children of the super rich who instead of jet-set partying are devoting their lives to charity.
They follow in the footsteps of Jemima Khan, the daughter of the late financier Sir James Goldsmith, who became a Unicef ambassador in 2001.
Eight of ten women killed in Mexico killed by relatives
By DPA
Mexico City : Eight out of 10 murders of women in Mexico were committed by family members, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said in a function to mark the International Day Against Gender Violence.
"The facts speak for themselves. Opinion polls reveal that over 30 million Mexican women suffered some kind of violence last year, and that over 80 percent of the homicides of women are perpetrated within their own homes," Calderon said Monday.
China, Pakistan pledge to improve military cooperation
By IANS,
Beijing: China and Pakistan Wednesday pledged to enhance strategic communication and cooperation between their militaries, Xinhua reported.
Sri Lanka troops, LTTE rebels clash in Jaffna peninsula
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan troops battled Tamil Tiger rebels in the northern Jaffna peninsula and continued to mount pressure on the rebels fighting to prevent the fall of their "political capital" of Kilinochchi, defence sources said Saturday.
The ministry of defence said the troops deployed in the Kilaly area in Jaffna had confronted cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on three occasions Friday. The deep lagoon in Kilaly, lying on the west of the Jaffna-Kandy main highway, divides the Wanni mainland from the northern peninsula.
India asks Sri Lanka to extend truce
By IANS,
New Delhi : India Friday asked Sri Lanka to extend the pause in hostilities to help civilians trapped in the war zone to move to safe areas and said that any further civilian casualties will be "totally unacceptable".
"The government of Sri Lanka must extend this pause in hostilities to prevent further casualties and enable trapped civilians to leave the area to secure locations," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a statement here.
US readies for ‘mass exodus’ from Cuba after Castro
By DPA
Washington : The US government is prepared for a possible mass exodus of Cubans after the death of elderly leader Fidel Castro, US-Cuba transition coordinator Caleb McCarry said.
"We have contingency plans for a possible massive exodus," McCarry said in Washington. "We have the obligation to secure our borders."
McCarry is one of the most controversial political figures in US-Cuban relations. The communist island interpreted the creation of his bureau by US President George W. Bush as a clear statement of purpose to annex Cuba in the near future.
US reports limited progress on Darfur deployment
By DPA
New York : "Limited progress" has been made in talks between Sudan and the European Union in Lisbon on the joint deployment of the UN-African Union peacekeeping force to Sudan's Darfur, US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said.
The meeting under the mediation of Portugal, the current EU chair, was attended by UN and African officials to try to overcome obstacles preventing a faster deployment, including a lack of helicopters. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on governments to make the aircraft available to bolster the joint peace force.
Four human heads found in Mexico
By DPA,
Mexico City : Mexican police Wednesday found four human heads lined up at the feet of a statue in Apatzingan, in the western state of Michoacan.
The attorney general's office said the heads, all of which belonged to men, had been laid at the feet of a statue of former Mexican president Lazaro Cardenas (1934-40) at a roundabout where there is typically a lot of traffic.
Messages, whose content was not made public, were left besides the heads. They were signed by the group La Resistencia, which officials link to the violent, Michoacan-based drug cartel La Familia.
Biofuels may promote, not slow global warming: report
By DPA
Washington : The US rush to plant more corn for biofuel is already being blamed for soaring food prices.
Now, two new US studies show that cultivated biofuel crops may actually increase - instead of decrease - the carbon emissions that ethanol and other biofuels were supposed to reduce.
The studies used a worldwide agricultural model to calculate how corn-based ethanol nearly doubles greenhouse emissions over 30 years.
Buddha’s ‘sons’ oppose quota, call Terai shutdown
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The decision by Nepal's Maoist government to reserve 45 percent seats in all state and public service enterprises for disadvantaged communities has begun to reap a whirlwind with a clan, regarded as the descendants of the Buddha, calling a two-day shutdown in protest.
The Tharus were one of the first settlers in the fertile Terai plains along the India-Nepal border. Once rich and powerful, they were ousted by migrants from India as well as hill people from north Nepal and were forced in bonded slavery.
Nooyi is most powerful woman in business: Fortune
By IANS,
New York : Indra Nooyi, chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo, has topped Fortune magazine's list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business for the third year in a row.
In its citation, the US magazine says, India-born Nooyi, 52, "has moved swiftly to offset slowing beverage sales in North America by expanding the international business, which now represents 26 percent of revenues. She is also pushing healthier products like orange juice with omega-3 fatty acids."