Mexico swine flu toll rises to 207
By EFE,
Mexico City : Eight more people have died of swine flu in Mexico raising the number of fatalities from the viral disease to 207, health officials said Sunday.
Till date 22,763 people have been infected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus, also known as swine flu, since the first case of the viral disease was detected in April in the country.
Kirpans out as Canadian Sikh divisions deepen over scripture
By IANS,
Toronto : Divisions among Canadian Sikhs over the ongoing controversy about the Dasam Granth reached a flash point with hardliners using kirpans to attack supporters of former Akal Takht head priest Darshan Singh Ragi who suspects the authenticity of the scripture.
After the holy Granth which carries the writings of the first nine Sikhs, the Dasam Granth is another major scripture of the community carrying the writings of the last guru Gobind Singh.
Britain to step up sanctions against Myanmarese junta
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has promised to "step up" sanctions on Myanmar by blocking trade in items such as timber if the regime there does not show signs of change.
"The Burmese regime is a repressive, illegal and undemocratic regime. Unless they change we will step up sanctions...our strategy is not only to push the regime to change but to offer to a new government support for economic development," Brown told the British parliament Wednesday.
Russia hails extention of Georgia observer mission
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia Saturday welcomed the UN Security Council's resolution on extending a mandate of a UN observer mission in Georgia and Abkhazia, saying it would help ensure stability in the region.
The UN Security Council Friday unanimously passed Resolution 1866 to extend by another four months a mandate for its observer mission in Georgia and its former region of Abkhazia, which is recognised as an independent state by Russia.
Keith Vaz demands Tory peer’s sack for the ‘nigger’ remark
By IANS,
London : Britain's most senior Asian MP has called upon the opposition Conservative Party to sack a senior member of the upper house of parliament who mentioned the word “nigger” during a debate Tuesday.
Lord Robert Dixon-Smith, Conservative spokesman for communities and local government at the House of Lords, described concerns over government housing legislation as “the nigger in the woodpile”.
The phrase, used in 19th century America to describe fleeing slaves who hid in piles of firewood, later became a metaphor for a hidden fact or problem.
Taiwan man pays $400,000 for croissant
By DPA,
Taipei : A Taiwan scam victim paid 12 million Taiwan dollars ($400,000) for a croissant which he never got to eat, a newspaper said Tuesday.
India to take up fishermen issue as Sri Lankan PM stokes row
Colombo/New Delhi: India said on Saturday it will take up the fishermen's issue during talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Sri...
China’s First Manned Space Mission
By SPA
Beijing : China plans to carry out its first spacewalk in second half of the year, an official of the nation's manned space program said here on Thursday, according to Xinhua.
The Shenzhou VII spacecraft will be launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern province of Gansu latein the year and the astronauts will leave their spacecraft for the first time, the official told Xinhua.
The spacecraft will also release a small inspection satellite, which monitors its own performance.
India condemns terrorist attack in China
New Delhi : India Thursday condemned the terrorist attack at Urumqi in China in which 31 people were killed and 90 were injured.
"We strongly...
After Pashupati, Tirupati hits headlines in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Lord Pashupatinath will have to submit his earnings to an auditing committee and have his priests appointed on the basis of a competitive exam.
As the times change in Nepal, transforming the world's only Hindu kingdom into a Maoist-ruled republic, now it remains to be seen if another Hindu religious icon, Lord Tirupatinath, will be summoned for being "accessory" to a string of daring crimes that shook Nepal's business community last year.
India, US to deepen alliance for combating tax evasion
Washington : As nations across the globe are in hot pursuit of tax evaders and terror financing, India and the US have agreed to...
Climate change adding to hunger, illnesses worldwide
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Poznan (Poland) : The Dec 1-12 climate change summit is entering its final day without any sign of substantial progress, but climate change effects have progressed dramatically worldwide, adding to hunger and illnesses worldwide, say international experts.
The 2008 drought in western Australia that contributed in a big way to the food crisis earlier this year is the first major impact of climate change, says Martin Parry, professor at the Imperial College in London and former co-chair of a working group at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Iceland’s volcanic ash cloud disrupts flights across Europe
By DPA,
Oslo/London : Air traffic across northern Europe was severely affected Thursday by ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland that forced airports including London's Heathrow airport - Europe's largest hub - to shut down.
The drifting ash from the volcano near the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier, about 120 km east of the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, poses a serious threat to jet engines, and also reduces visibility.
The duration of the closures was uncertain due to both changeable wind and weather conditions, and the actual seismic activity at the volcano.
BBC official sacked over gay harassment
By IANS,
London : A BBC picture editor has been sacked for allegedly harassing a gay colleague through emails and late-night phone calls, a media report said.
Nauru’s president declares state of emergency
By Xinhua,
Wellington : Marcus Stephen, president of the Pacific island nation of Nauru, Friday declared a state of emergency in order to dissolve parliament, Radio New Zealand International reported.
He also called a general election to be held on April 26.
President Stephen said the actions of the Speaker of the parliament David Adeang and his supporters had compromised the parliamentary process.
Amazon deforestation caused extinction of 26 species
By Xinhua,
Rio De Janeiro : The deforestation in the Amazon rainforest region has led to the extinction of 26 animal and plant species, a UN report said.
Another 644 species of animals and plants, including the red-faced spider monkey, the spectacled bear and the otter, were in danger of extinction, it said.
According to the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) report released Wednesday, the region lost 17 percent of its forest, about 857,666 sq km, nearly equal to the territory of Venezuela, by 2005.
Three-year-old buys $12,200 excavator on website
By DPA,
Wellington : Three-year-old New Zealand girl Pipi Quinlan is pretty smart on the computer - too smart for her parents, who woke up one morning to find she had bought a full-size excavating digger on an auction website for 20,000 New Zealand dollars ($12,200), a newspaper reported Friday.
Waking up early at their home in Stanmore Bay, near Auckland, Pipi decided to play with the computer while her parents slept in, the Rodney Times reported.
NASA’s Cassini clicks Saturn’s moon in best-ever resolution
Washington : A pockmarked, icy landscape looms beneath NASA's Cassini spacecraft in new images of Saturn's moon Dione taken during the mission's last close...
Holmes to receive $400,000 from Cruise
By IANS,
Los Angeles: As per the online leaked divorce papers of actor Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, the latter will reportedly get a sum of $400,000 annually, from ex-husband.
Castro says he’s recovering
By DPA
Havana : Ailing Cuban President Fidel Castro broke the silence he had maintained for the past few months about his health to reveal in an article that he suffered several surgeries. He said he now feels better and has gained weight although he does not mention a possible date for a comeback to power.
Drought leaves 160 boats stranded in China river
By Xinhua,
Guangzhou (China) : About 160 boats were stranded in a river in south China's Guangdong province after a drought lowered the water to a level where navigation was not possible.
The boats ran aground in the Beijiang river after levels receded by more than three meters, blocking the waterway.
"The water level has been dropping over the past three days because of a lack of rainfall in this region," said an official with the Beijiang Waterway Administration Bureau.
US nuclear experts to arrive in North Korea
By RIA Novosti
Tokyo : A second group of US officials and nuclear experts is expected to arrive in North Korea Saturday to continue work on disabling nuclear facilities, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
In a six-party deal sealed earlier this month, North Korea committed itself to disclosing and disabling its nuclear programme by the end of the year, in exchange for 950,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil or its equivalent.
German Red Cross uncovers its pro-Nazi past
By DPA,
Berlin : Joining a series of leading German institutions that have uncovered their wartime collaboration with the Nazis, the German Red Cross admitted Tuesday its failure to help concentration-camp inmates.
Launching a book about the Red Cross from 1933 to 1945, Rudolf Seiters, president of the German Red Cross and a former cabinet minister, said: "It's sad to realize how far the Red Cross departed from its humanitarian principles."
Mahatma Gandhi’s statue to be installed at Britain’s Parliament Square
New Delhi : A statue of Mahatma Gandhi would be installed by early next year in Parliament Square in Britain, the country he took...
China, South Korea hold talks
Seoul : Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se discussed bilateral relations here Monday.
Wang, who arrived in Seoul early...
Sarkozy sues website for ‘fake’ SMS to ex-wife
By DPA
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy has filed a criminal complaint against the website of the Left-wing weekly Le Nouvel Observateur for publishing an SMS he supposedly sent to his former wife a few days before his marriage to Carla Bruni, French media reported Friday.
The message to his former wife, Cecilia, read: "If you come back, I'll cancel everything." It was an allusion to his wedding with the former supermodel, which took place Feb 2. Sarkozy's divorce from Cecilia was announced in October.
France won’t give up nuclear weapons: Sarkozy
By IANS,
Washington : France will not give up its nuclear weapons because doing so would jeopardise the country's "security and safety", President Nicolas Sarkozy has said.
"A virtual world where there would be no nuclear weapons... everyone would applaud that, but I cannot jeopardise the security and safety of my country," Xinhua quoted Sarkozy as saying on the sidelines of a nuclear summit Monday.
New Afghan government to ink Bilateral Security Agreement
Kabul: Afghan presidential advisor on national security Rangin Dadfar Spanta Saturday said that the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between Kabul and Washington would be...
British premier blames global crisis for local election losses
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Friday blamed the gloomy global economic climate after his party suffered its worst election losses in four decades and the opposition Conservative Party made deep inroads into Labour strongholds in the provinces of England and Wales.
After 12 years in power, Labour took the third place behind the Conservative Party and Labour in its share of votes in elections to local authorities.
Key Cyprus crossing opens as hopes rise for settlement: UN official
By APP
United Nations : The U.N. official in Cyprus welcomed Thursday’s opening of the Ledra Street crossing in Nicosia, calling it a symbol of the renewed drive to bring together the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the Mediterranean island.
“ We all know that the opening of Ledra Street does not mean the Cyprus problem has been solved,” acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Elizabeth Spehar said at Thursday’s ceremony in Nicosia, according to a press release issued at UN Headquarters in New York.
California textbooks: new battleground for Hindutva groups
By TCN News
Every six years, the California Board of Education reviews its History and Social Science frameworks in a multi-year series of public hearings....
Another member of Nepal royal family dead
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : The malignant star stalking Nepal's royal family claimed another victim Wednesday with an aunt of King Gyanendra, who was linked to one of the financial scandals that contributed to the king's downfall, succumbing to cancer after a long, painful battle.
Princess Helen, who died in her 70s, was the widow of prince Vasundhara, the flamboyant uncle of the king, and sister of Prabhakar Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, a former business partner of the king.
Conservatives lead cut in new poll
By KUNA,
London : The ruling Labour party has cut into the main opposition Conservatives lead as voters turn to the Government to protect them from the economic storm, according to a new poll published here Wednesday.
The "ICM" survey in The Guardian newspaper showed a seven-point drop in Conservative support since last month, narrowing the gap between the two main political parties from 15 points to just five.
Saudi King issues directives to address woes of Indian workers
By Irfan Mohammed
Jeddah : In a ray of hope for hundreds of distressed Indians and workers of other nationalities rendered jobless, Saudi Arabian...
Anything can happen in Nepal: Sobhraj
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : "I am confident I will be released," said Charles Sobhraj, clutching the bars of the partition that separated the strip of the long room from visitors.
"If the judges did not think I had a good case, they would have dismissed it a long time back."
That was in late October when the final appeal in the sensational case, that saw him sentenced for murder for the first time, was expected on Nov 4.
In mid-November, after the verdict was delayed due to one of the judges being out of station, his optimism dimmed.
Russian navy to assign 30 choppers to two assault ships
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Each of the two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships being built in France for the Russian Navy will have air wings comprising 30 Ka-52K and Ka-29 helicopters.
After anaemic 2012, Brazil sees 4 percent growth this year
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro: Brazil's government has blamed global economic woes for paltry GDP growth last year, but it expects the country to rebound in 2013 and expand by up to 4 percent.
Sri Lanka to set up community villages for ex-rebels
By IANS,
Colombo: The Sri Lankan government said Saturday it will set up community villages to rehabilitate former Tamil Tiger rebels.
Over 11,000 former cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are now sheltered in 18 state-run rehabilitation centers. The majority of them surrendered to the military during the last stages of the battle in May last year and the rest were arrested.
Remembering Abdul Sattar Edhi & Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan, two icons of Pakistan
By Nasim Yousaf for Twocircles.net
Pakistan recently lost another icon, Abdul Sattar Edhi, who died in Karachi at the age of eighty-eight. Edhi’s...
Britain police warn against cut in anti-terrorism funding
By IANS,
London : The terror threat to Britain is still deemed "severe" and slashing police funding will make the country more vulnerable to terrorist attacks, a senior anti-terrorism officer has warned.
Britain will be left vulnerable to terrorist attacks under government plans to slash funding for counter-terrorism police by 150 million pounds, said John Yates, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
Rare moon rock found on earth
By IANS,
Sydney: Scientists have stumbled upon tranquillityite, a mineral considered unique to the moon, in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia.
60 Myanmarese killed in fire at Thai refugee camp
By IANS,
Bangkok: More than 60 refugees from Myanmar have been killed and over 100 others wounded in a fire that engulfed a refugee camp in Thailand, a media report said.
Thousands attend former South Korean president’s funeral
By DPA,
Seoul : Thousands of South Koreans and international delegates attended the state funeral for former president and Nobel peace laureate Kim Dae Jung that began at Seoul's national assembly Sunday.
Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was among the guests at the memorial services for Kim, who died aged 83 last Tuesday.
During his term in office from 1998 to 2003, Kim had promoted the country's "Sunshine Policy", seeking a detente with North Korea. He received the Nobel Peace Award for his work for democracy, human rights and reconciliation with North Korea.
Gillard vows to improve Australian democracy
By IANS,
Sydney : Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has pledged to "renovate" the Labor Party's tradition to make lasting improvements to Australian democracy.
With the Australian Electoral Commission's vote count still hanging between Labor and the opposition coalition, Gillard Tuesday pledged to make changes if Labor retained power in a hung parliament, without spelling out specific details, Australian news agency AAP reported.
China now has ‘strategic nuclear deterrence’
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Two top generals of China's nuclear forces say they have successfully built a "strategic deterrence" by enhancing the capability of intercontinental strikes and creating a versatile missile inventory.
The generals said in an article published recently that their nuclear forces had developed into versatile ones, combining both nuclear and conventional missiles.
Nepal’s Macbeth: A king who was never crowned
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : As His Majesty Shri Panch Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah is reduced to a commoner with the official proclamation of once the world's only Hindu kingdom a democratic federal secular republic, the former king's life can provide the plot for awe-inspiring tales that can surpass the classic Greek tragedies.
"He is Nepal's Macbeth," former minister Gopal Man Shrestha had said of the man who brought his and his dynasty's downfall through unbridled ambition and poor judgment.
Japan posts $661 mn trade deficit
By DPA,
Tokyo : Japan posted a trade deficit of 63.9 billion yen ($661 million) in October as exports fell with the global financial crisis and the yen's continued strength against other currencies, the finance ministry said.
Exports in October declined 7.7 percent to 6.92 trillion yen from the same month a year before, posting the largest fall since December 2001, when exports fell 14.5 percent.
Imports rose 7.4 percent to 6.99 trillion yen on rises in crude oil, coal and liquefied natural gas prices.
Japan's trade deficit with China grew 27.3 percent to 228.3 billion yen.
Yoga can help India, Nepal bond: Nepali president
By IANS,
Kathmandu: President of Nepal Ram Baran Yadav Saturday said Indian yoga could help the two nations bond better.
"Yoga is an integral part of traditional Indian culture and we are trying to carry it forward scientifically. With rising addiction, corruption and stress across the world and even in Nepal, yoga and ancient ayurvedic system of medicine will help the youth of the country to hark back to tradition and strengthen the fledgling democracy with better convictions and value
system," Yadav told the Indian media early Saturday morning.
Jordan launches electoral reform
By DPA,
Amman : The Jordan government said it has set up a committee tasked with overhauling the country's electoral law in a bid to appease protesters calling for greater political choice.
Police likely to help Russia probe into murder of diplomat’s son in Moscow
By IRNA
Moscow : Two Iranian police detectives are likely to be dispatched to Russia to help Russian police track down culprits involved in the murder of the son of a staff member of Iran's Embassy in Moscow, it was reported on Sunday.
Ahmad-Reza Khorrami, the 19-year-old son of a embassy staff, was stabbed to death by unknown assailants near diplomatic residential area in Moscow in September 2007.
World gets first glimpse of Sobhraj’s sweetheart
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Nihita Biswas, whose name has been on everyone's lips in Nepal, India and elsewhere, finally made her first public appearance in Kathmandu Saturday, dispelling all doubts about her engagement to former crime genius Charles Sobhraj and defending him against the murder sentence he is serving in a high-security prison in the capital.
Merkel wants close ties with Putin successor
By DPA
Moscow : German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that she was looking forward to close cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin's successor despite differences between the two countries.
"I think there will be good cooperation with the new president," the chancellor said after an hour-long meeting with Putin at the presidential residence in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow.
The chancellor said "all doors were open" to Dmitri Medvedev, who scored a landslide victory in the March 2 presidential elections and takes over as head of the state from Putin May 7.
South Korean trade pact with India going into effect
By DPA,
Seoul : An India-South Korea trade agreement going into effect Friday would immediately eliminate tariffs on 7,044 goods traded between Asia's third and fourth-largest economies.
South Korea and India signed their comprehensive economic partnership agreement in August after three years of negotiations as Seoul seeks to ink trade deals with the world's largest economies.
Nepal Maoist chief skips statute meet for resort rest
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the revolutionary who as Prachanda had led a 10-year war demanding a people's constitution in Nepal, skipped a key constitution committee meeting Monday because he had decided to take a break in a resort in the cooler climes of northern Nepal.
Pandit’s Citi takes surprise swing to net profit
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington : Ailing banking giant Citigroup, led by Indian American chief executive Vikram Pandit, has surprised Wall Street to deliver its first profit in more than a year, helped by strength within its investment banking division.
Taking something of a break from the financial crisis with strong results reflecting a rebound in capital markets, the bank swung to $1.6 billion first quarter profit from a $5.1 billion loss a year earlier and a $17.5 billion loss in the fourth quarter.
Fire in London’s tower block kills six
By DPA,
London : Six people, including three children, have died in a fire in a block of flats in London, the fire brigade said late Friday.
Three children, one just three weeks old, were among the victims of the blaze in the 12-storey block on a housing estate in Camberwell, in south London.
The victims were among at least 18 people taken to hospitals in the area. At least 30 people were rescued from the building.
According to London Fire Brigade (LFB), the blaze was brought under control by about 100 firefighters.
Community support wins higher wages for lowest paid cleaners
By IANS,
London : Community spirit is not yet dead, bringing about positive changes like winning higher wages for some of the London's lowest paid.
A new Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded study highlighted "against the odds" success of a coalition of faith groups, unions and organisations in winning a "living wage" for thousands of low-paid migrant office cleaners who had been struggling to support themselves and their families.
White House Offers $3 Million in Aid to Myanmar
By SPA,
Washington : The White House announced Tuesday it was offering $3 million in aid to help Myanmar recover from a deadly cyclone that reportedly killed over 20,000 people.
“The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has allocated an additional $3 million in funding” to help Myanmar meet “urgent needs,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters.
Uproar in Britain over 19mn pounds bill for Euro history museum
By IANS,
London : Taxpayers in Britain will have to share the burden of a spiralling bill for a European history museum that will see them shelling out a whopping 19 million pounds.
Typhoon Halong kills 12, displaces 34,000 in Philippines
By DPA,
Manila : Twelve people were killed and more than 34,000 displaced after Typhoon Halong hit the Philippines, the Civil Defence Office said Monday.
Nine people were also injured in accidents brought about by Halong, which struck Sunday and has accelerated as it moved away from the country toward Japan.
The Civil Defence Office said five people were killed when they were struck by tin sheets torn from roofs by Halong's strong winds in the northern provinces of La Union and Pangasinan.
Security Council to act on North Korea missile launch
By DPA,
New York : Held back from stronger steps by China and Russia, the UN Security Council was preparing later Monday to consider chastising North Korea for its rocket launch earlier this month.
China and Russia, which have veto power on the council, had objected to a harsher reaction in the form of more sanctions as suggested by Japan and the United States, citing their concern that it would undermine the six-party talks aimed at getting Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear programme.
South Korea MERS cases rise to 108
Seoul: South Korea health ministry has reported 13 more cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) on Wednesday, raising the total number to 108.
The...
Myanmar arrests US citizen for visiting Aung San Suu Kyi
By DPA,
Yangon : A US citizen arrested while swimming in a Yangon lake is under investigation for having spent three nights at the compound of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's state media reported Thursday.
John William Yeattaw, 53, was arrested at 5.30 a.m. Wednesday at Inya Lake, which rims Suu Kyi's family home, where she has been kept under house arrest for the past six years.
UK MPs criticize new gagging rules on former diplomats
By IRNA,
London : The British Foreign Office was accused Tuesday of wanting to impose wide-ranging, even draconian restrictions on former diplomats to prevent them from discussing anything that draws on their experience in the diplomatic service.
The Public Administration Select Committee condemned new rules to prevent former civil servants and diplomats speaking out about their experience of government have been condemned as an attack on free speech.
US Hard up, Covets Venezuela Oil
By Prensa Latina
Caracas : Questioning and attacking sovereign Venezuelan policy are part of US strategy against President Hugo Chavez, which is also part of the US oil agenda, a Latin American parliamentary source noted.
For Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO) vice president Carolus Wimmer, Washington's aim is "the occupation and domination, via the use of military force, of the world´s largest oil fields."
Obama to initiate peaceful dialogue on faith with world leaders
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Noting that no religion, be it Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism, teaches hatred, President Barack Obama Thursday said he will reach out to world leaders to foster a more productive and peaceful dialogue on faith.
"No matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate," he said during a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. "There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know."
Meghalaya CM bats for more sea routes with Bangladesh
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Sunday favoured more sea routes via Bangladesh to promote trade and business in India's north-eastern states.
"With increased...
Obama, Hillary laud India, tricolour goes up at NASDAQ
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington/New York: US President Barack Obama called India "a natural friend" and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sought a "stronger partnership" as both leaders greeted India on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of its independence even as NASDAQ, the world's largest stock exchange, marked the day with display of the Indian flag on an electronic board at Times Square in midtown Manhattan.
Taiwan’s incoming president pledges to halt dollar diplomacy
By DPA,
Taipei : Taiwan's incoming President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday that Taipei will stop using dollar diplomacy to win recognition from foreign countries as the practice has tarnished Taiwan's image.
Ma, who will be inaugurated May 20, made the remark at a seminar while commenting on Taiwan's recent diplomatic blunder in which $30 million designated to get Papua New Guinea (PNG) to drop China and recognise Taiwan was embezzled by two middlemen.
At the seminar, Ma said the PNG scandal was widely reported by foreign media and has hurt Taiwan's international image.
Terror in Moscow Metro: 37 killed in twin bombings
By IANS,
Moscow : At least 37 people were killed and 65 injured Monday when women suicide bombers struck two metro stations in this Russian capital within 40 minutes of each other during peak rush hour.
The first blast took place at 7.52 a.m. at the Lubyanka station close to the Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters, killing at least 23 people, RIA Novosti reported.
Even before the injured could be rescued, a second bombing ripped through the nearby Park Kultury station about 40 minutes later. The station is within walking distance of the Kremlin.
A ‘fortress Europe’ in the offing?
By IANS
Brussels : Human rights bodies accused the justice commissioner of the European Union of trying to create a "fortress Europe" after he called for a register of fingerprints and pictures of all visitors in order to keep out illegal immigrants.
Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini urged the adoption of a hi-tech satellite surveillance system, saying member-states had to use "the most advanced technology to reach the highest level of security".
Sacrificing Justice under the veil of Nationalism
By Somnath Mukherji
Nationalism cannot be the last word. An evolving sense of justice can be. Justice cannot be sacrificed at the altar of nationalism....
Some questions, but Australia won’t sell uranium to India
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : Australia's Labour Party government led by Kevin Rudd is unlikely to reverse its refusal to export uranium to India, though new questions are being raised on the rationale behind the refusal.
US, Pakistan pledge to cooperate on Afghanistan
By IANS,
Washington: The US and Pakistan have pledged to work together to confront challenges facing Afghanistan.
46 killed in landslide in Myanmar
By IANS,
Yangon : At least 46 people were killed and four injured in a landslide triggered by heavy rains in Myanmar in the past four days, state media reported Thursday.
Heavy rains and strong wind, that swept Myanmar's western Rakhine state since the weekend, damaged houses, roads and bridges in five major cities, Xinhua reported citing the official daily New Light of Myanmar.
Last month, strong wind struck Myanmar's Mandalay and Sagaing divisions, killing two women and destroying hundreds of buildings.
33 killed in Nigeria attack
By IANS,
Abuja : Suspected Boko Haram members Tuesday killed at least 33 people in Konduga, a village 35 km from Maiduguri, capital of northeast...
Hillary Clinton projected to win Kentucky presidential primary
By DPA,
Washington : Hillary Clinton was headed for a convincing victory in the Kentucky Democratic presidential primary Tuesday over front-running rival Barack Obama in the final weeks of the party's nomination battle.
The former first lady's victory was projected as soon as polls closed across the southern state. Early official results gave her a lead of 65 percent to 31 percent with 69 percent of precincts reporting.
Pentagon’s weapon spending surges to $1.6 trillion in 2007
By Xinhua
Washington : The U.S. Defense Department's spending on weapon systems has surged to 1.6 trillion dollars in 2007, doubling from 790 billion dollars in 2000, said a congressional report released on Tuesday.
According to the report by the Government Accountability Office(GAO), the acquisition costs were 26 percent higher than the original estimates in 2007, and the spending on research and development were 40 percent over the budget.
Burglar to get his 83,000 pounds from police
By IANS,
London : A burglar in Britain has been allowed to keep 83,000 pounds (about $132,000) found at his home after he convinced the judge that it was the proceeds of car boot sales.
UAE, Panama sign tax agreement
By IANS/WAM,
Tokyo: The UAE and Panama Saturday signed here an agreement on avoidance of double taxation on income to boost bilateral trade.
LTTE on brink of defeat: Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : Claiming that the fight-to-finish military campaign against the Tamil Tigers in the island's north "is going on successfully", a government spokesman Thursday said that the rebel outfit was facing an "imminent defeat".
"The government troops have now successfully confined the terrorists to an area of 21 sq km where 20 sq km of that area has been allocated as the safe zone. Therefore, it is apparent that the LTTE is now at the imminent brink of defeat," defence spokesman and Minister of Foreign Employment Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters Thursday.
Colombian vice-president to discuss bilateral ties in Moscow
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos is arriving in Russia on Sunday to discuss political aspects of bilateral relations, and also economic and cultural cooperation with Russian leaders.
Santos who will stay in Russia until June 9 will hold meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia Alexy II and other officials to strengthen the climate of trust existing in relations between the two countries, Colombia's ambassador to Moscow Diego Tobon said.
Singapore monk shuns Middle Path for fast lane
By DPA,
Singapore : Singapore's top Buddhist monk has lived a lavish lifestyle with name branded goods and nine gold credit cards, according to a report in the Sunday Times.
"We are living in a modern world," the newspaper quoted monk Ming Yi as telling auditors and police during an investigation into a charity hospital that he had headed.
The report said Ming Yi was a high-end shopper who spent on brands like Louis Vuitton and Montblanc, and had given three supplementary credit cards to his friends including a monk based in Hong Kong.
First batch of foreign aid workers move in Myanmar
By Xinhua,
Yangon : Six foreign aid experts of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have moved in Myanmar's deep cyclone-devastated areas in Ayeyawaddy division to assess the relief and resettlement situation, according to the UN agency here Tuesday.
The UNICEF's aid workers' team is the first team allowed into the disaster areas after an ASEAN-UN international pledging conference held in Yangon last weekend.
US economy grew 3.2 percent in 2010 first quarter
By DPA,
Washington : The US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first three months of 2010, according to the US Commerce Department's first estimate released Friday, extending the US recovery from a deep recession in 2009.
The growth figure was roughly in line with analysts' estimates and together with growth of 5.6 percent in the last quarter of 2009, it marked the strongest six-month stretch in seven years.
Impose ‘congestion pricing’ to decongest airports, says expert
By IANS,
London : 'Congestion pricing' could be one way to decongest airport runways and overcome the problem of rampant flight delays.
In London, motorists pay a fee to drive into certain locations during peak traffic hours, and the idea has been considered for implementation in New York as well.
Now Itai Ater, an economist from Tel Aviv University (TAU) faculty of management, is suggesting that 'congestion pricing' at airports could save travellers time and airlines money.
Japan to double development aid to Africa by 2012
By DPA,
Yokohama : Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda vowed Wednesday to double Japan's official development assistance (ODA) to Africa by 2012.
Fukuda in Yokohama opened a three-day Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) with an announcement of Japan's ODA plan, which includes up to $4 billion in soft loans to improve infrastructure in the region.
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation would also provide $2.5-billion aid to businesses in Africa in the next five years, Fukuda said.
Dalai Lama congratulates Obama on Nobel prize
By DPA,
Washington : The Dalai Lama congratulated US President Barack Obama on his award of the Nobel Peace Prize, ignoring criticism over Obama's refusal to meet with him before he travels to China.
The letter from the 1989 peace prize winner late Friday said it was important for American leaders to adopt "principled" leadership based on the country's founding ideals of "freedom and liberty".
"Such an approach will not only enhance the reputation of the US, but also contribute tremendously to reducing tension in the world," he wrote.
Over a third of babies born in England, Wales are non-white
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The number of babies born to immigrants has for the first time crossed the one-third mark of all births in England and Wales, eliciting mixed reactions to questions related to the government's immigration policy and race integration.
Fewer than two-thirds of babies born in England and Wales are now registered as White British. Of 649,371 babies born in 2005, 64.4 per cent were recorded as White British, according to the Office of National Statistics.
Lightning kills five in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : At least five people were killed by lightning and many were missing due to floods triggered by torrential rains in different parts of Sri Lanka, officials said.
South Korea’s president vows to make new start
By SPA,
Seoul, South Korea : South Korea's president said Wednesday his government intends to make a fresh start, after his entire Cabinet offered to resign in response to weeks of rallies against the planned resumption of U.S. beef imports.
His remarks came hours after about 80,000 people demonstrated into early Wednesday morning in Seoul in the largest demonstration yet against the beef deal, part of nationwide protests tied to the anniversary of pro-democracy protests in 1987.
Pilot killed in Russian chopper crash
By IANS,
Moscow: A military helicopter crashed in central Russia's Saratov region Tuesday, killing a pilot and prompting the air force to ground all Mi-8 choppers.
Venezuela may shut industries due to power shortage
BY IANS/EFE,
Caracas: Hit by a severe power crisis, Venezuela has announced that it may shut down a few aluminium and steel plants as part of the country's electricity conservation measures.
US cartoonist distances herself from Prophet cartoon row
By IANS,
Washington : Seattle-based cartoonist Molly Norris has distanced herself from the raging row over "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!", saying: "I never created a facebook page for EDMD. A stranger to me did so."
Norris has written on her webpage: "Hello, I never created a facebook page for EDMD. A stranger to me did so. Thank You, Molly."
Japan to cut civil servant’s pay by 7.8 percent
By IANS,
Tokyo : The salaries of Japanese government employees will be cut by 7.8 percent for two years from the 2012 fiscal year, a media report said Sunday.
The day Kerala devouts remained glued to TV
By IANS,
Kozhikode : The melody of Gregorian chants invited visitors to catholic institutions in Kerala Sunday afternoon, as the devout remained glued to TV channels bringing live the canonisation ceremony of Sister Alphonsa in Vatican.
The mood was solemn at rectories, convents and in ashrams, as they watched in silence the first Indian native, a Keralite nun, being elevated to sainthood.
At Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) convents, the mood was of subdued euphoria, which was palpable as nuns solemnly watched the ceremony. Sister Alphonsa belonged to the FCC congregation.
Chinese scholars come to listen to Dalai Lama
By Vishal Gulati, IANS,
Dharamsala : A growing number of Chinese scholars from Taiwan, Tibet as well as mainland China are coming here to listen to discourses by the Dalai Lama.
German gov’t to press ahead with partial privatization of railway
By IRNA,
Berlin : German Transportation Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee hopes to complete the partial privatization of the state-owned railway company, Deutsche Bahn (DB) by the end of the year, media reports said Tuesday.
"We still hope to finalize the privatization deal by "November- December 2008." Tiefensee was quoted as saying on radio.
If market situation is not suitable at the end of the year, the privatization could also take place "one, two or three months" later, the minister added.
Chinese billionaires own 200 jets
By IANS,
Beijing : Nearly 200 planes in China are owned by billionaires even though the country's low-altitude airspace is banned for private flying, a media report said Tuesday.
Low-altitude flying is under strict control of the Civil Aviation Administration and the Air Force, and any operation of such aircraft needs approval from government.
Prague Renews Talks on US Missile Shield
By Prensa Latina
Prague : Discussions on the legal aspects of the installation of radar for the US missile shield in the Czech Republic began in Prague on Monday.
Issues discussed at the Ministry of Defense include legal status and criminal responsibility of US military officials, who will operate the radar Washington intends to station in this European country.
Disregarding the competence of The Hague International Court of Justice in handling extraterritorial crimes, the US insists that its courts, rather than Czech's, are to judge any accused soldiers.
EU sends envoy to mediate in Armenian unrest
By DPA
Moscow/Yerevan : The European Union Monday offered to mediate in the post-election crisis and violent unrest in Armenia that has left at least eight dead in the Caucasus republic, local media reported.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, after speaking with Armenian President Robert Kocharian Sunday, has asked his special envoy for the south Caucasus, Peter Semneby, to go to Yerevan on his behalf.
French warship foils attacks by Somali pirates
By Xinhua,
Paris : A French warship Sunday foiled attacks by Somali pirates on two commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden, the French president's office said.
Patrolling off the Somali coast, the French warship "Jean de Vienne" captured 19 Somali pirates when they tried to seize a Croatian freighter and a Panamanian cargo ship. They will be transferred to Somali authorities, said the French president's office in a statement.
The waters off Somalia have become a hotspot for piracy in recent years. More than 100 attacks by pirates in the area were recorded in 2008 alone.
French countermine system can clear 150 km a day
By Sahil Makkar, IANS,
Paris : French defence major MBDA has developed a counter-mine system it says can clear up to 150 km of mine fields in a day, enabling the rapid movement of troops in a battle.
Souvim 2 is based on a combination of mine decoying subsystems, company officials say.
"It is designed for clearing all types of mines to permit fast movement of convoys. It can also be deployed for creating safe routes for evacuation of civilians," Patrick de La Reveliere, MBDA vice president for exports, told a group of visiting Indian journalists.
Lawrence to get fierce in 2013
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Actress Jennifer Lawrence plans to stand up for herself in the coming year.
The 22-year-old wants to learn how to be more assertive without upsetting other people.
US Congress approves economic stimulus bill
By DPA
Washington : Both chambers of the US Congress overwhelmingly approved a $152-billion economic stimulus package called for by President George W. Bush to prop the slowing economy.
The Senate passed the bill 81-16 Thursday after Democrats agreed to a compromise scaling back the size of the package of tax breaks and benefits.
The stimulus package now heads to Bush's desk, where it is expected to be signed into a piece of legislation.
Industrialised countries water down commitment to fight climate change
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS
Bali : Industrialised countries Monday significantly watered down their commitment to fight climate change by getting a draft statement changed so that there is now no talk of them having to use a 25-40 percent reduction of greenhouses gas (GHG) emissions as the reference point for a post-2012 world.
As the UN conference on climate change here got into hard-nosed negotiations at the start of its crucial second week, Canada was suspected by international NGOs to be behind the major change in the draft statement between Sunday and Monday.
SCO Members Signs Agreements On Illegal Migration, Natural Resource Usage
By Bernama,
Astana : Representatives of the supreme courts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states agreed to exchange their cooperation of judicial bodies in issues of illegal migration and natural resource usage.
In a two-day meeting here, the participants also agreed to exchange their corresponding legal declarations taken by the Supreme Courts, Kazakhstan's Khavar Agency reported Wednesday.
Nigerian military denies claims rebels killed 29 soldiers
By DPA,
Abuja (Nigeria) : The Nigerian military Sunday dismissed claims that a militant group had killed 29 soldiers in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
"Between last Sunday and today, we have not had any encounters with militant groups in any part of the Niger Delta," Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa, an army spokesman in Rivers State, said. "It is all propaganda, total falsehood."
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said Saturday that it had killed the soldiers in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states in "three separate coordinated attacks."
Jordan: Iraqi government calls for refugee visa fine waiver
By NNN-IRIN
Amman : Iraqi government officials are trying to persuade their Jordanian counterparts not to impose fines on Iraqi asylum-seekers who have overstayed their visitors’ visas - in a bid to ease their financial plight and encourage them to return home, officials from both sides said.
"Certainly the high fines imposed on the poor class of Iraqis in the kingdom represent a major obstacle to their return," the Iraqi ambassador to Jordan, Saad Hayani, told IRIN.
Myanmar to handover more boat people to Bangladesh
Yangon : Myanmar authorities are slated to handover 165 verified Bangladeshi boat people, an official report said on Thursday.
A total of 733 boat...
Guatemala convinces gang members to go straight
By IANS
Guatemala City : After the lynching of two men by vigilantes, elders of an indigenous community in Guatemala convinced comrades of the slain criminals to hand over their weapons and undergo rehabilitation.
"It was a lot of work but we did it. We talked to them (the gang members) and warned them that we weren't prepared to tolerate more harm done to our village and didn't want any more bloodshed," community leader Julio Luna told the Spanish news agency EFE.
Turtle thought extinct sighted
By DPA,
Hanoi : A species of giant turtle once thought extinct has been sighted in a lake in northern Vietnam, conservation officials said Thursday.
Nguyen Xuan Thuan, a field biologist and coordinator of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Asian Turtle Programme, said he had photographed a specimen of what he believed to be Rafetus swinhoei, commonly known as the Shanghai soft-shelled turtle, at a lake some distance west of Hanoi in June 2007.
On Wednesday, the Cleveland Zoo's renowned turtle expert Peter Pritchard confirmed the identification.
High security continues at Chinese embassy
By IANS,
New Delhi : Five months after the Chinese embassy here was turned into a virtual fortress with barbed wire and barricades around its precincts to prevent anti-Olympics protests by Tibetan activists, there is no let up in the security arrangements, though the games are over.
However, the additional personnel and equipment like water cannons deployed around the area for the duration of the Olympics have been withdrawn.
Obama urges UN to punish North Korea for missile launch
By IANS,
Prague : US President Barack Obama has said that North Korea violated international rules when it tested a rocket capable of sending weapons at long range, and called on the UN Security Council to take action, a media report said.
"This provocation underscores the need for action, not just this (Sunday) afternoon at the Security Council but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons," Obama said.
"Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something," the New York Times quoted Obama as saying Sunday.
Moscow’s graffiti artists come out in summer
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: After a long winter, Russian graffiti artists have come out to change Moscow's eternally grey urban landscape into something brighter even, if it is illegal.
Winter in Russia is a dead season for graffiti artists because the paint does not cover the surface properly and the artists risk freezing their fingers off.
Floods kill 49 in Vietnam
By Xinhua,
Hanoi : Prolonged heavy rains and floods have claimed 49 lives in northern and central Vietnam by Sunday, Vietnam News reported on Monday, citing sources with the National Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control.
In Hanoi alone, there have been 18 deaths. The total property damage for the capital city was estimated at 176 million U.S. dollars, the newspaper quoted source with the committee as saying.
Personal artefacts of Sikh saint-soldier on display in Singapore
Singapore : A two-day exhibition was put up at a gurdwara in Singapore on Saturday to display the artefacts belonging to a Sikh...
US Resumes Alleged Terrorists Trial
By Prensa Latina
Washington : A Federal Jury in Florida resumed deliberation on the trial of six men accused of planning terrorist attacks in the US.
The media comments that the debates may reach a blind alley as it happened last December when the court did not reach a decision.
Jeffrey Agron, head of the jury of the first hearing of 2007, said the attorneys will deal this time with the same mitigating circumstances the Defense Ministry submitted: it is not a terrorist plot but a conspiracy to swindle.
Myanmar allows direct aid to cyclone-hit areas
By Xinhua,
Yangon : Myanmar authorities have said it would allow personal donations from individuals and organisations directly to people in cyclone-hit areas, the state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Wednesday.
Officials have advised the donors to seek help from the National Disaster Preparedness Committee (NDPC) for donations, the report said.
"Individuals and organisations willing to donate to a storm-hit area of their choice may do so directly so that the relief operation could be carried out more effectively," NDPC announced.
Claude Monet painting fetches $41.48 mn
By DPA,
New York : A Claude Monet painting fetched $41.48 million at a New York auction, breaking the record for a work by the French Impressionist painter.
An anonymous buyer picked up "The Railroad Bridge" at Argenteuil Tuesday night at a sale at Christie's auction house, The New York Times reported.
The 1873 landscape depicting a Seine riverbank and two trains sitting on a railway bridge as sailboats pass underneath was sold by the Nahmad family of art dealers, which has galleries in New York and London.
S Korean president to attend G8 summit in Japan
By Xinhua,
Seoul : South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is planning to visit Japan on July 8-9 to attend the annual summit of Group-Eight (G8), the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae announced Wednesday.
On the sidelines of the summit to be held in Toyako, northern Japan, from July 7-9, Lee is to hold a series of bilateral summit talks with U.S. President George W. Bush, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and leaders of India and Mexico, said the office.
17 killed in Sri Lanka suicide blast
By Xinhua,
Colombo : At least 17 civilians were killed Monday morning in a suicide attack by the Tamil Tigers in the no fire zone (NFZ) in the island's north, the military said.
The defence ministry said the attack took place when troops tried to rescue about 10,000 civilians from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the less than 20 sq km NFZ area at Puttumatalan.
The government says that 120,000 people live in the area that the LTTE still controls. More than 70,000 people have died in Sri Lanka's civil war since 1983.
Requiem for Earth, Red Alarm is On
By Prensa Latina,
Washington : No scientific obituary has been published, but according to a recent report resumed by Mike Davis of alternative media Tomdispatch.com, humanity is entering the “Anthropocene”, epoch defined by the emergence of urban-industrial society as a geological force.
The Geological Society of London defines that the new age shows a heating trend and a radical instability expected of future environments.
Medvedev seeks faster military reforms
By RIA Novosti,
Vilyuchinsk (Russia) : Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev Thursday called for faster modernization of the armed forces and improvement of service conditions in view of the perceived security threats.
"We have a general development plan, but even it needs amending," Dmitry Medvedev said, adding that due to external pressures, its implementation has to be accelerated.
Two important aspects of the proposed modernization are advanced weaponry and equipment and improving social and financial status of the services personnel.
Some 10,000 people displaced by unrest in Ukraine: UNHCR
United Nations: The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimated Tuesday that the tension in Ukraine has displaced an estimated 10,000 civilians.
UNHCR said that the number...
Thai troops surround Bangkok protest site
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thai troops Friday secured roads around a protest site in the heart of Bangkok in their ongoing crackdown on a two-month demonstration that has led to the loss of 30 lives.
There were clashes Friday morning between soldiers and protesters on the major artery Rama IV Road, which had been seized by demonstrators Thursday night.
By midday, the troops had secured the area although protesters set fire to barricades of rubber tyres to try to drive them off.
Major points of Indo-Bhutan joint statement
India and Bhutan issued a joint statement at the end of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first official visit to the Himalayan nation. Major...
Russian minister proposes abolishing visas for Indian citizens
New Delhi: Russian authorities are discussing abolition of visas for Indian businessmen and tourists, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov told TASS news...
Japanese PM begins South Asia trip
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Saturday in a move to boost Japan's trade and investment in...
Sri Lanka assures it would push political solution
By IANS,
Colombo/New Delhi : With the end of a decades-long insurgency led by the Tamil Tigers, India and Sri Lanka Thursday agreed that the time was "opportune" to focus attention on relief, the resettlement of over 200,00 displaced civilians and finding a lasting political solution that addresses aspirations of Tamils in the island country.
60 injured in US light-rail collision
By DPA,
Washington: At least 60 people were injured when two light-rail trains collided at a station in San Francisco Saturday, local media reported.
One train slammed into the back of another train standing at a platform at about 3 p.m., the CBS 5 television news reported.
The front car of the train that drove into the other train was smashed in and its windshield shattered, reports said.
At least three people were seriously injured, a transit spokeswoman was quoted as saying. Dozens more were treated on the scene and in hospital.
Court refuses to hear Indo-Canadian killer’s appeal
By IANS,
Toronto: Canada's Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal by convicted Indo-Canadian killer Raminder Bhander who claimed that his rights were violated by the police.