Myanmar activists launch ‘vote no’ campaign for referendum
By DPA
Yangon : Myanmar pro-democracy activists Friday launched a "vote no" campaign, urging the population to reject the military-drafted constitution in a referendum planned in May.
A statement issued by The 88 Generation Students urged Buddhist monks, students and the people to vote against the constitution in the referendum planned for a still undisclosed date in May, on the grounds that the country's new charter was drafted without public participation and will perpetuate military rule in the country.
UK unemployment rises for first time in more than a year
By IRNA,
London : Unemployment in the UK rose by 14,000 to 1.61 million in the three months to March, representing the first increase in more than a year, according to official figures released Wednesday.
Data from the Office for National Statistics also showed that the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance climbed by 7,200 to 806,300 last month.
The latest figures reverse a recent trend, which still shows that the number of unemployed has fallen over the past year to March by around 14,000, reducing the rate by 0.3 per cent to 5.2 per cent.
Obama visits former Nazi concentration camp
By DPA,
Weimar (Germany) : US President Barack Obama paid his respects to victims of the Holocaust Friday when he toured a former Nazi concentration camp during a visit to Germany.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel accompanied the president on his stroll around Buchenwald, where 56,000 prisoners died before the camp was liberated by US forces April 5, 1945.
Earlier, the two leaders held talks in Dresden where they vowed to redouble their efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East and pledged to work together to resolve the nuclear dispute with Iran.
20 killed, 47 injured in heavy clashes in N Sri Lanka
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The military in Sri Lanka said on Saturday that nine Tamil Tiger rebels and 11 soldiers were killed while 27 rebels and 20 soldiers injured in heavy clashes in the north on Friday.
Officials from the Ministry of Defense said the confrontations erupted when the government troops came under resistance from LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) rebels at Tunukkai town and Mallavi town in the rebels' controlled area Wanni on Friday morning.
The rebels deployed hundreds of mortars in order to slowdown the advancing troops, the military said.
New Yemen Al Qaeda chief calls for attacks on US
Sanaa : The new leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Qassim al-Raymi, released his first audio message on Friday in which...
Salute passing cars, students told in Chinese town
By IANS,
New York : Students at a Chinese town have been told to salute each passing car while on their way to and from school, a media report said.
The students at Luolang Elementary School in southern China know the rules -- do not run in the halls, take your seat before the bell rings, raise your hand to ask a question.
And "salute every passing car on your way to and from school", The New York Times reported Sunday.
Sri Lanka Steps up Security
By Prensa Latina
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government tightened security measures in the protection of all the Parliament members after evaluating a death threat against deputies
The President of the highest legislative body W.J.M. Lokubandara said in Colombo that each parliamentarian will have four policemen in charge of their protection instead of the two that were previously devoted to that service.
Lokubandara told the press that the new measure was adopted after analysis of security of those legislators, as earlier this year two parliamentarians were murdered.
South Africa’s new president has risen from the ranks
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Pretoria : Jacob Zuma, who will be sworn in as South Africa's third democratic president at the Union Buildings here Saturday, has been deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC) for the past decade and a former deputy president of the country.
Chinese army recruitment to go online
By IANS,
Beijing : China will start online recruitment for graduates in its army, a media report said.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the ministry of education plans to recruit some 150,000 college graduates this year, Xinhua news agency reported Thursday quoting a PLA statement.
The age limit has also been extended to 24 years for those with a bachelor degree. The PLA usually recruits men aged between 18 and 20 and women aged 18 or 19.
Everest heroine, Nepal’s pride, perishes in Himalayas
By Sudeshna Sarkar
IANS
Kathmandu : Pemba Doma Sherpa, who rose from an impoverished set-up to become the first Nepali woman to summit Mt Everest from Tibet, has perished in an accident in the Himalayan ranges that also killed two more sherpas.
Chinese PM to visit Russia
By IANS,
Beijing : Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will visit Russia Nov 6-8, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Clinton reaching out to muslims with Indonesia visit
By ANTARA,
Washington : New US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has chosen to visit Indonesia as part of her first overseas trip because she wants to "reach out" to the Muslim world, a spokesman said Thursday.
"It`s the biggest Muslim country in the world," State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters asked why she included Indonesia on her visit to Asia. "The secretary feels it`s important to reach out."
Obama praises ‘historic’ end to ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama praised the "historic" Senate vote Saturday that all but assured a repeal of the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military.
Myanmar releases 17 detained students
Yangon : Seventeen students, who were detained in Myanmar for taking part in protests and demanded education reforms in Latpadan town, have been released.
According...
Chinese aviation giant establishes defence branch
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China's largest aircraft maker, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), has opened a defence branch in Beijing that will take over most of the military-related business of building combat aircraft, including China's own third generation fighter J-10.
The defence branch will primarily develop and make training aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
It will also conduct research and manufacture business jets as well as sell its products internationally, a statement released by AVIC Thursday said.
Bush to Iran: Come clean on nuclear programme
By DPA
Washington : US President George W. Bush Wednesday urged Iran to "come clean" about its nuclear activities or face further international isolation.
Bush said Iran should halt uranium enrichment and enter negotiations with the US and Europe to end the dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
"The Iranians have a strategic choice to make," Bush said. "They can come clean with the international community about the scope of their nuclear activities and fully accept a longstanding offer to suspend their enrichment programme and come to the table and negotiate."
Colombian rebel commander may have died, says report
By DPA,
Bogota : The commander of Colombia's rebel guerrilla group, Pedro Antonio Marín alias Manuel Marulanda, may have died, according to unconfirmed reports Saturday.
The Semana magazine quoted Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos as saying the government had been informed by a reliable source that the leader of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) known as "sureshot" had died of a heart attack at the age of 77 in late March.
Colombian officials were however trying to confirm the report that originated from one of its own sources, Santos said.
British Army to probe Prince Harry’s racist ‘Paki’ remarks
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The British army will inquire into Prince Harry's alleged racist remarks about his fellow trainees in a video, in particular, calling a Pakistani officer as a 'Paki'.
The defence ministry indicated that the prince, who is third in line to the British throne, could face disciplinary action, though the inquiry will not be a formal one as no complaint has been filed.
US asks Sri Lanka to focus on reconciliation, power sharing
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : With the end of the war with Tamil Tigers, the US wants Sri Lanka to quickly complete resettlement of displaced people, pursue national reconciliation and power sharing and deal with the issue of possible war crimes.
States sign cluster-bomb ban in Oslo
By DPA,
Oslo : A global ban on the use of cluster bombs blamed for maiming and killing thousands of civilians moved closer to reality Wednesday with the formal signing ceremony of a treaty banning the weapons.
The treaty, which was negotiated in Dublin in May, bans the production, use and trade of cluster munitions. The Convention on Cluster Munitions will enter into force when ratified by 30 nations.
‘US not doing enough to keep nukes out of unwanted hands’
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : A US intelligence official suggests Washington is not doing enough to keep nuclear material out of the hands of terrorists, as others downplayed new revelations about "notorious" Pakistani scientist A. Q. Khan's nuclear black market.
"We must take urgent action to scoop up any nuclear material outside state control before terrorists do," Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, energy department's intelligence director, said in a speech at the Washington Institute Monday.
Communists ready to form new Nepal government
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu: The crisis gripping Nepal since the fall of its first Maoist government eased slightly Saturday with the third largest party, the Communists, officially declaring their readiness to take the plunge.
The Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) Saturday formed a nine-member committee, headed by its chief Jhalanath Khanal, to try and muster a simple majority in the interim parliament if its efforts at forming a coalition of all the major parties failed.
National Federation Party ready for 2014 Fiji elections
By IANS,
Sydney : Fiji's National Federation Party (NFP), comprising mostly of Indian-origin members, says it is ready for the elections scheduled for 2014 in that south pacific island nation.
Belarus opposition fails to win single seat in parliament
By RIA Novosti,
Minsk : Opposition candidates have so far failed to gain a single seat in parliamentary elections in Belarus, the head of the election committee said on Monday, citing preliminary results.
"No one from the opposition has made it into parliament," Lidiya Yermoshina told journalists.
She said that 99 seats out of a total of 110 had already been decided and had all gone to pro-government candidates.
Happy Diwali, says Obama at White House event
By IANS,
Washington : Barack Obama lit a traditional silver Diwali lamp at the White House and wished everyone a "Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak" to become the first US president to personally join an event celebrating the Indian festival of lights.
"This coming Saturday, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, here in America and around the world, will celebrate this holiday by lighting diyas, or lamps, which symbolise the victory of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance," said Obama at a ceremony in the East Room.
US woman climber Boskoff’s body found on Chinese mountain
By Xinhua
Chengdu : The body of American woman mountaineer Christine Boskoff has been found on a remote mountain in China's Sichuan Province, the Sichuan Mountaineering Association said Monday.
Boskoff, 39, and fellow climber Chirlie Fowler, 52, disappeared in November 2006 while attempting to scale the Genyen peak and were officially reported missing in December when they failed to return to the US as planned.
Nepal concludes historic poll, world hails
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal closed its crucial poll hurdle Thursday with over 60 percent voters turning up to cast their vote in the historic constituent assembly election - despite the fear of violence and an indefinite closure call by armed groups in the southern plains.
"Nepal has set an example in front of the world," Chief Election Commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokhrel said as polling ended in 239 constituencies without any major incident of violence.
US Congress to reconsider immigration reform bill
By DPA
Washington : Leaders in the US Senate have agreed to reconsider an immigration reform bill pushed by President George W. Bush that had appeared to die last week.
Passengers injured as trains collide in Belgium
By DPA,
Brussels : Two passenger trains collided Monday in the Belgian town of Halle, south of Brussels, leaving several people seriously injured and more trapped in the coaches, police reported.
The two trains ran into one another head-on approximately one kilometre from Halle station, police in the town told DPA. Several people were "heavily injured", but there was as yet no confirmation of how many.
The accident happened during the morning rush hour and after overnight snowfall.
New US ambassador takes office in Myanmar
By IANS,
Yangon: Newly-appointed US Ambassador Derek J. Mitchell presented his credentials to Myanmar President U Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday.
Vietnam to use lethal injections for death penalty
By DPA,
Hanoi : Vietnam's National Assembly has voted to replace firing squads with lethal injections in enforcing the death penalty because it is "more humane", officials said Friday.
Officials said the new law, passed Thursday, was prompted in part by concern over the damage firing squads cause to the bodies of those executed.
Lethal injection will "reduce psychological pressure on the executioners" and "help the criminal's families to receive their bodies intact", said Nguyen Si Dung, deputy chair of the Office of the National Assembly.
Bank of Japan to further ease monetary policy
By IANS,
Tokyo : The Bank of Japan (BOJ) Wednesday decided to further ease its monetary policy.
No bar on Indian workers to Saudi Arabia: embassy
Riyadh: The Indian government has not put curbs on sending workers to Saudi Arabia, the Indian embassy here has said.
A report published by a...
Fresh tremors hit Nepal on Sunday
Kathmandu : A week after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake jolted Nepal, three tremors were recorded on Sunday in different parts of the Himalayan nation.
According...
Kristen Stewart dating co-star Robert Pattinson
By IANS,
London: "Twilight" stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are dating each other, confirms director Catherine Hardwicke.
The actors, who play onscreen lovers in the vampire movie franchise, have repeatedly denied that they are more than friends. But rumours heated up earlier this week when they were pictured holding hands in Paris.
Now their director has let the cat out of the bag, reports imdb.com.
Nepal crown prince hits headlines anew over boxer’s claims
By Sudeshna Sarkar
IANSKathmandu : Nepal's Crown Prince Paras has hit the headlines anew, with a boxer claiming he bailed out the royal but was rewarded with accusations for his act of good samaritanism.
Nepal Maoists to go on warpath from Wednesday
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's former ruling party, the Maoists, will go on the warpath from Wednesday and enforce 'token' strikes to force the interim parliament into calling a vote on a contentious issue that brought the fall of their government.
The former guerrillas, who had fought a 10-year war to transform the feudal Himalayan kingdom into a federal republic, Sunday said they would also keep up their siege on the house till it agreed to a vote that is targeted against the republic's first president, Ram Baran Yadav.
Countries rush aid to El Salvador, as flood toll rises to 157
By EFE,
San Salvador : Relief materials from different countries and aid organisations have begun to arrive for the flood affected people in El Salvador, as the toll has risen to 157 following a devastating storm last weekend.
Officials said 58 people are still missing days after Hurricane Ida hit the country.
Thousands of people have also been displaced in floods and mudslides caused by the storm.
Brazil to launch bullet train soon
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazil will soon start a bullet train and companies from Japan, South Korea, China, France, Austria, Spain and Germany have expressed interest to build and operate it for 40 years.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched the bidding for the construction of the high-speed rail service between the country's two biggest cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro - a project expected to cost 33 billion reais ($18.75 billion).
Dalai Lama says his Britain visit ‘non-political’
By DPA,
London : The Dalai Lama, exiled Tibetan leader, sought to calm controversy over his current visit to Britain Wednesday by saying that his trip was "non-political."
"Basically my visit is non-political. The media politicizes," the 72-year-old spiritual leader told a news conference in London.
He was referring to widespread criticism over a decision by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to meet the religious leader at a venue outside Downing Street, the seat of the British government.
Obama voices concern to Putin over Ukrainian sovereignty violation
Washington: US President Barack Obama expressed his "deep concern" over the "clear violation" of Ukranian sovereignty and territorial integrity during a 90-minute telephonic conversation...
11 killed in plane crash in Poland
Warsaw: Eleven people died in a plane crash Saturday afternoon in Topolow, near Czestochowa, in southern Poland, authorities said.
Only one person survived the crash...
Karadzic trial opens without his presence
By DPA,
The Hague : The trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity including genocide, started Monday without the defendant being present.
As announced in his six-page letter Friday, Karadzic refused to attend the trial, arguing that he would be insufficiently prepared.
"I establish that Mr. Karadzic is not present," presiding judge Kwon O'Gon said at the start of the session, before inviting the prosecution to make its opening statement.
Take care of Earth: Ban
By IRNA,
Tehran : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message on International Mother Earth Day, April 22, 2010, urged all governments, businesses and citizens of the world to give the Mother Earth the respect and care she deserves.
According to a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) here on Wednesday, the full text of his message reads:
China must probe self-immolation cause: Dalai Lama
By IANS,
Dharamsala: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has asked China to investigate the causes behind a string of self-immolation in Tibet.
EU urged not to wage economic war with Russia
Brussels: Hannes Swoboda, leader of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament, Thursday urged leaders of the European Union (EU) not...
Kenya uses helicopters to airlift terror attack victims
Nairobi : The Kenyan government has provided four helicopters to airlift scores of victims who were critically injured in Thursday's terrorist attack on the...
US says no to Cuba’s request for embargo suspension
By DPA,
Rabat (Morocco)/Washington : The United States has rejected a request by the Cuban government that it lift its decades-old embargo for a limited time to allow relief goods and reconstruction materials into the hurricane-struck island.
Hurricane Ike was headed for landfall on the communist island in the Caribbean Sunday evening, little more than a week after Hurricane Gustav left 100,000 homeless.
Over the weekend, Cuba evacuated at least 250,000 people to safety from its eastern regions from the newest storm.
Seven die in US college shooting
By IANS,
Washington : Seven people were killed and three wounded in a shooting spree at a college in northern California, CNN reported Monday citing police.
British family killed in Pakistan
By IANS,
London : Three members of a Pakistani-origin British family, who were on a trip to Pakistan, have been shot dead in what is believed to be honour killing.
Mohammed Yousaf, 51, his wife Parviaz, 49, and their daughter Tania, 21, were killed Thursday when they were on their way to a wedding, The Sun reported Friday.
The killings took place near Pakistan's Jaurah town in Punjab province.
The family, who had been in Britain for the past 30 years, was living in Nelson, Lancs.
EU warns water shortage in Central Asia could spark conflicts
By RIA Novosti
Brussels : The severe impact of climate change in Central Asia is causing water and food shortages that could lead to regional conflicts, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned.
Solana delivered a climate change and security report from the High Representative and the European Commission to leaders at the European Union summit held on Thursday and Friday.
"An increasing shortage of water, which is both a key resource for agriculture and a strategic resource for electricity generation, is already noticeable" in Central Asia, the report said.
American Express chief executive seen as Vikram Pandit’s replacement
By IANS,
New York : American Express chief executive Kenneth Chenault is among those being considered to replace Vikram Pandit, the Indian American chief of Citigroup Inc - the banking giant that Sunday received a massive bailout package from the US government.
Federal officials did not "push" for the immediate ouster of Pandit as part of the pact with Citigroup but the Wall Street Journal indicated in a front page report that he was not insulated completely and that several names were being touted as his replacement.
UN blames Musharraf regime for Bhutto killing
By IANS,
United Nations/Islamabad : A UN probe has blamed Pakistani authorities for their failure to protect Benazir Bhutto, saying security arrangements of the Pervez Musharraf government were "fatally insufficient and ineffective" and subsequent investigations into her death involved a whitewash.
In its devastating report, the three-member panel headed by Chilean Ambassador to UN Heraldo Muñoz, reached no conclusion as to the organisers and sponsors behind the Dec 27, 2007 assassination of former prime minister Bhutto in Rawalpindi.
Cambodia shuts border with Thailand at Preah Vihear temple
By Xinhua,
Phnom Penh : Cambodia has closed its border with Thailand at the disputed Preah Vihear temple after a group of Thai protesters rallied near the ruins, officials said here on Tuesday.
The border crossing was closed on Sunday evening when a group of Thai protesters rallied near the checkpoint, said Var Kimhong, chairman of the Cambodian government's border committee.
10 killed in Indonesia train, van crash
By IANS,
Jakarta : At least 10 people were killed Sunday when their van stalled at an unmanned railway crossing and was rammed by a train in Indonesia, police said.
Latin America expects 4.9 percent growth in 2008
By DPA
Santiago : The economy of Latin America as a whole is to grow by 4.9 percent in 2008, which would complete its sixth consecutive year of economic expansion and will have pulled some 30 million people out of poverty, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has said.
Panama is expected to lead the pack with a growth rate of 8.5 percent, ahead of Argentina (6.5 percent), Peru (6.5 percent), Uruguay (6.5 percent) and Venezuela (6.0 percent).
7 Tamil Tigers killed in a clash in Sri Lanka
By IRNA
New Delhi : Seven cadres of the Tamil outfit have been killed in Jaffna on Monday as confrontation between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan security forces continue to surge.
The fighting took place in the morning at Muhamalai in south eastern part of Jaffna peninsula, Indian national TV news portal reported here quoting spokesman at the Sri Lankan's Media Centre for National Security.
Meanwhile Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse's Senior Advisor on peace process Mr.Jayantha Dhanapala has resigned.
US ran $1.42 trillion deficit – biggest since 1945
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Battling the worst recession in decades, President Barack Obama's government ran a $1.42 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2009 making it the worst year on record since World War II.
The huge deficit was nearly a trillion dollars greater than the $455 billion deficit a year before and the largest shortfall relative to the size of the economy since 1945, data from the Treasury and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released Friday showed.
Adolf Hitler, a lover of books who quoted from Hamlet
By IANS,
London : Better known for burning books rather than collecting them, Adolf Hitler owned an estimated 16,000 volumes and was a voracious reader who loved Shakespeare, says a new book.
"It was by any measure an impressive collection: first editions of the works of philosophers, historians, poets, playwrights and novelists," historian Timothy W. Ryback writes in his "Hitler's Private Library: The Books That Shaped His Life".
IMF warns Asia of spillovers from European crisis
By DPA,
Singapore : A top International Monetary Fund (IMF) official Wednesday warned Asia of possible spillovers from the European debt crisis, but said the region was in a good position to take up challenges from the shockwaves of the global recession.
"Adverse developments in Europe could disrupt global trade, with implications for Asia given the still important role of external demand," IMF's Deputy Managing Director Naoyuki Shinohara told a seminar here.
India-Pakistan flag meeting ahead of Sufi festival
Jammu: A commander-level flag meeting was held on Sunday between India's BSF and Pakistan Rangers to discuss arrangements for the forthcoming festival at the...
Samsung chairperson resigns after indictment
By DPA,
Seoul : Samsung Group chairperson Lee Kun Hee Tuesday announced his resignation, less than a week after he was indicted for tax invasion and breach of trust.
Lee, 66, apologised for the distress that the three-month investigation of South Korea's largest conglomerate had caused and took full responsibility, "both legally and morally", for the scandal.
"I pledged to make Samsung as a top-class company about 20 years ago, but I'm really sorry for not living up to the promise," Lee said at a nationally televised news conference.
शेरदिल भारतीय पत्रकार दानिश सिद्दीकी अफगानिस्तान में शहीद
न्यूज डेस्क। Twocircles.net
भारतीय फोटो जर्नलिस्ट दानिश सिद्दीकी शुक्रवार को अफगान सुरक्षा बल और तालिबानी लड़ाकों के बीच चल रहे मुठभेड़ की कवरेज करते...
Two die in mid-air crash in Britain
By IANS,
London : A mid-air collision between two light aircraft taking part in a competition in Britain killed two people.
One of the planes crashed into a dense woodland near Ryde town in the Isle of Wight, killing both on board. The other aircraft crashlanded at Bembridge airport without casualties, the Daily Telegraph said Sunday.
The collision took place Saturday during a race for the Rolls Royce Merlin Trophy, a precursor to the Schneider Trophy.
G-20 to act on aiding quake-hit Haiti: Seoul
By NNN-Yonhap,
Seoul : The world's top 20 advanced and emerging economies plan to issue an emergency statement vowing to actively aid Haiti as it struggles with the aftermath of a massive earthquake, South Korea's presidential office said.
Fed grants GM’s financial arm to avail bailout funds
By Xinhua,
Washinton : The US Federal Reserve Wednesday approved General Motor's financial arm GMAC Financial Services' request to become a bank holding company, allowing it to tap into the $700 billion federal bailout funds.
As a bank holding company, GMAC Financial Services will also be able to get emergency loans directly from the central bank of the US.
Analysts had speculated that without financial help, GMAC would have had to file for bankruptcy protection or shut down.
Chinese, Japanese PMs discuss bilateral ties in phone conversation
By NNN-Xinhua,
Beijing : Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had a telephone conversation with his new Japanese counterpart, Yoshihiko Noda, on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations.
Cuba hails end to suspension by Organisation of American States
By EFE,
Havana : The Cuban government has hailed the decision by the Organisation of American States (OAS) to "unconditionally" reverse its 47-year-old suspension of the communist-ruled island.
"On an historic day and one of vindication for the peoples of our Americas, the general assembly of the OAS today unconditionally repealed the resolution by which Cuba was expelled from that organisation," the government said in a statement read on state television.
US Navy missile hits spy satellite
By SPA
Washington : A missile launched from a U.S. Navy cruiser soared 130 miles (210 kilometers) above the Pacific and smashed a dying and potentially deadly U.S. spy satellite, the Pentagon said. Two defense officials said it apparently achieved the main aim of destroying an onboard tank of toxic fuel, AP reported.
Early maturity linked to pesticides, say experts
By IANS,
Beijing : Chinese experts have claimed that early maturity in children is linked to pesticides even as parents across the country are concerned over milk powder produced by a Chinese company that is alleged to have caused three girls to grow breasts.
Three female infants Aug 9 in Wuhan of central China's Hubei province were reported suffering abnormal sexual development. Doctors and parents suspected the milk powder they had been using contained sex hormones, China Daily reported Wednesday.
China confirms six infant deaths in tainted milk scandal
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Chinese authorities have confirmed death of six infants from consuming melamine-tainted milk powder, after the scandal that broke out four months ago hit some 300,000 infants.
Four of the six deaths occurred in eastern part of the country while two cases occurred in the northwestern province of Gansu, the country's Ministry of Health (MOH) said without giving further details.
More than 800 infants have been receiving treatment for kidney problems after they were fed with melamine tainted baby food, the ministry said.
90,000 email addresses hacked from US military contractor
By IANS,
London: Hackers have attacked the computer network of a US military contractor and stolen 90,000 email addresses, the Telegraph reported.
Sri Lankan rebels to announce independent Tamil state
By IRNA
New Delhi : Sri Lankan rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is planning to announce the formation of an independent Tamil state at the beginning of next year, the government said on Wednesday.
LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran will announce a 'unilateral declaration of independent state of Tamil Eelam' on January 18, 2008, Zeenews portal reported here quoting Lankan political affairs spokesman Jeyraj Fernandopulle as saying.
"We have firm reports of the development. We will not allow it.
US Catholic church paid 615 mln dlrs for abuse cases in 2007: report
By AFP
Washington : The Roman Catholic church in the United States paid out 615 million dollars (400 million euros) last year for child sex abuse cases involving members of the clergy, or 54 percent more than the previous year, an official report showed Friday.
Of the monies paid out by the church, 526 million dollars went to settling cases -- almost double the amount paid out in 2006, the annual report on how well the church is implementing a charter to protect youngsters said.
HSBC to cut 330 jobs in Britain
By IANS,
London : Global banking giant HSBC will cut 330 jobs in Britain due to "the very challenging economic environment".
Big turnout of Tamil devotees during Thaipusam in Malaysia
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : The Sri Bala Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Port Klang, Malaysia, saw the largest-ever gathering in its 160-year history as more than 100,000 Tamil devotees converged there to observe the Thaipusam festival Wednesday.
The two million-plus Tamils in Malaysia enthusiastically celebrated the festival, which was declared a public holiday in many parts of the country. The festival marks the wedding of Hindu deity Murugan to gypsy girl Valli.
Will protect rights of our people: South African government
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : Sending out a clear message to its security forces of zero tolerance of violence, the South African government has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights of those who sought refuge within its borders or chose to live there.
Want to go north? Ask a cow
By IANS,
London : The cow is considered sacred in India. Now scientists know it is also a dependable, navigational compass.
Scientists watched thousands of Google images of the humble quadruped in India, Britain, Ireland, USA to conclude cows automatically point to the north because they have their own inbuilt compasses aligning with the earth's magnetic field.
Although, in many cases, the images were not clear enough to determine which way the cattle were facing they were aligned on a north/south axis.
Microsoft, Yahoo meet for merger talks
By DPA
San Francisco : Senior executives from Microsoft and Yahoo met for the first time this week to discuss Microsoft's takeover offer for the internet company, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The meeting reportedly took place Monday near Yahoo's headquarters in Silicon Valley and was the first face-to-face talks between the two companies since Microsoft tabled its unsolicited bid for Yahoo on Jan 31.
Malaysia: GE sees incresing interest in renewable energy in Asia
By NNN-Bernama
Kuala Lumpur : Global technology powerhouse General Electric (GE) sees a lot of interest in renewable energy in Asia with high oil prices and concerns about the environment.
Its president for Southeast Asia, Stuart L. Dean, emphasised that while thermal fuel sources like oil, gas and coal will remain dominant for a very long time, the energy market is moving towards increased use of renewables.
Four killed, seven missing in Guinea plane crash
By ANTARA News/AFP,
Malabo : At least four people were killed and seven went missing when a plane crashed Wednesday into the sea off the Equatorial Guinea island of Annobon, the Malabo government announced.
"A tragic air accident happened today at 1423 (1323 GMT). It concerns an Antonov-32 of the air force of Equatorial Guinea which left Bata for the insular province of Annobon with five crew members and six passengers," government spokesman Santiago Nsobeya Efuman said on public radio.
China, Iran vow to deepen defence cooperation
Beijing : China and Iran Monday held bilateral talks here aimed at deepening defence cooperation between the two countries, officials said.
Chinese Defence Minister Chang...
Withdraw sanctions, release patriots: Cuban envoy tells US
By IANS,
Agartala : Cuban Ambassador to India Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos has urged the US to withdraw the embargo on Cuba and release five of its citizens, who have been in American jail for the past 11 years.
"My country has lost more than $92 billion in trade and commerce since the embargo started in the early 1960s," Ramos said while addressing a seminar here Friday night on 50 years of Cuban revolution.
25 Sea Tigers killed, 10 boats destroyed: Navy
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : At least 25 Tamil Tigers were killed and 10 of their boats destroyed in a major clash Thursday between the Sri Lankan Navy and Sea Tigers in the sea off the northern coast, an official said.
Navy spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake said the mid-sea clash broke out around 11.00 a.m. when a fleet of navy attack craft pursued a cluster of Sea Tiger boats at Iranaitivu, five nautical miles north of Nachchikkuda. The clash lasted nearly three hours.
New study shows way to fourth-generation biofuels
By IANS
London : In a finding that paves the way for fourth-generation biofuels and dramatic crop improvements, scientists have got a fix on how plants regulate the amount of carbon dioxide they use after taking it in from the air.
For instance, when there is not enough sunlight, plants put the brakes on the amount of carbon dioxide they use to make food. But as sunlight increases, the brakes are rapidly released, in a process called the Calvin cycle.
Slain air hostess’ credit card recovered: Noida police
By IANS,
Noida : The Noida police have recovered the credit card of Sheeba Thomas, a former air hostess who was gunned down by criminals here earlier this month. A third accused in the case has, meanwhile, surrendered before a city court.
The main accused, Mukesh alias Mukhia, during police interrogation confessed that he had hidden Sheeba's credit card in bushes at an abandoned plot in sector 37, Gajendra Shrotriya, station offficer of sector 20 police station, said Wednesday.
Crimea referendum outcome will not be recognised: EU
Brussels: The referendum in Crimea is "illegal and illegitimate" and its outcome "will not be recognised ", a joint statement by the European Council...
Ukraine troops, militants clash in eastern city
Kiev : Government troops clashed with armed activists at the airport in Ukraine's eastern city of Donetsk Monday, one day after presidential elections were...
China unconvinced about Iran’s nuclear capability: study
By DPA,
New York : China, one of the veto-wielding UN Security Council permanent members, does not believe Iran has short-term capability to make nuclear weapons, the International Crisis Group said in a study released Wednesday.
China is also opposed to imposing additional sanctions against Iran, which some Western governments believe are necessary to counter Iran's advanced programme to produce weapon-grade uranium.
Nepal government to claim vacated palace Sunday
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's best-known historical monument, the royal palace, which was vacated Wednesday by the last king of the former Himalayan kingdom, will be formally taken over Sunday by the government.
At a ceremony to which the heads of Nepal's diplomatic missions, chiefs of the political parties, ministers, bureaucrats and eminent personalities have been invited, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who now holds deposed king Gyanendra's position as head of state, will formally hoist Nepal's national flag at the Narayanhity royal palace.
German Social Democratic Party hits all-time low: poll
By IRNA
Berlin : Germany's co-governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) dropped to a historic low in approval ratings in the wake of the controversy over a rapprochement with the radical leftist the Left (Linke) party.
According to an opinion poll, released jointly Monday by the weekly stern news magazine and the private RTL television network, the SPD fell to 23 percent, down a percentage point from the previous week.
The Christian Democratic Union of Chancellor Angela Merkel still heads the poll with 38 percent.
School student splashes acid on 18 classmates
By IANS,
Beijing : A student of a middle school in China splashed sulphuric acid on 18 of his classmates after he was involved in a quarrel with them, a media report said.
The 18 students of Jiadong Middle School in Lufeng city in Guangdong province are suffering from different degrees of burns after a student named Cai splashed sulphuric acid he had with him during a quarrel, Xinhua reported Saturday.
Of the 18 students, 12 were sent to hospitals for treatment, while the rest six have been sent home after medication, officials from the Lufeng publicity department said.
One in four Asian banks hit by online scam attempts
By DPA,
Singapore : More than 25 percent of banks in the Asia-Pacific region have been hit by attempts to steal online information over the last 12 months, but beefing up security is still not viewed as a prime concern, a study said Monday.
The survey by security software specialist ReadiMinds was conducted by Web and telephone polls across 11 economies including Malaysia, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore.
Brazilian goalkeeper given 22-year jail term for murder
By IANS,
Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes de Souza has been sentenced to 22 years in jail for ordering the murder of estranged girlfriend Eliza Samudio in 2010.
Japan’s cabinet approves 5.09-trillion-yen stimulus package
By DPA,
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan's cabinet approved a 5.09-trillion-yen ($62.9 billion) stimulus package Tuesday to address the yen's rise and counter deflation.
Two killed in California airport explosion
LOS ANGELES, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and four others seriously injured in a large explosion at an airport in the Californian desert on Thursday, authorities said.
The blast occurred at what officials called a remote section at the southeastern edge of the airport at the Mojave Air and Space Port, a flight research center in the Mojave desert about 90 km north of Los Angeles.
Over 200,000 fish die in Argentine lake
By IANS/EFE,
Buenos Aires : More than 200,000 silverside fish were found dead last week in a lake in northern Argentina, but the cause has not been determined, a media report said.
Environment officials are analysing the possible causes of the deaths, which occurred in Lake Ipizca, located in Catamarca province at some 1,000 km northeast of Buenos Aires.
Investigators are working on several theories, including the possibility that some poisonous substance was dumped into the lake, which supplies several nearby towns, the Critica newspaper said.
China firmly opposes U.S. military report
By Xinhua
Beijing : China on Tuesday expressed its resolute opposition to a report by the U.S. Defense Department on China's military strength.
The report disseminates the China military threat theory, severely distorts the truth, interferes with China's internal affairs and violates norms of international relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press conference when asked to comment on this annual report.
China had lodged solemn representations to the U.S. side, Qin noted.
Indonesian Military Training Helicopter Crashes, One Killed
By Bernama
Jakarta : An Indonesian Air Force training helicopter Bell 47G Soloy of the Squadron 7 of the Subang Air Force Base in West Java crashed on Tuesday at 00.30 pm, killing one of its crew members, Indonesia's Antara news agency reported.
The ill-fated helicopter crashed at Sukamandi village in Subang district.
A source at the Air Force Headquarters said the dead victim was identified as First Lt Hengky. The identity of another crew member who was injured remained unclear. However, he has been rushed to the Subang Hospital for further treatment.
Powerful quake strikes northern Chile
By IANS
Santiago : A powerful earthquake measuring at least 6.2 on the Richter scale has struck northern Chile, causing electric power blackouts and some minor damage but no reported injuries.
Apparently the Sunday temblor was an aftershock from the Nov 14 quake, which destroyed 80 percent of the homes in the town of Tocopilla, located about 1,560 km north of Santiago, the Spanish news agency EFE said.
Zuma sworn in for second term as South African president
Pretoria : South African President Jacob Zuma was sworn in Saturday for a second five-year term at a ceremony attended by hundreds of foreign...
Rights groups criticize conduct of dissident’s trial
By DPA
Beijing : Human rights organizations Wednesday criticized the trial of well-known Chinese dissident Hu Jia as unfair, saying his attorneys were prevented from properly defending him.
The lawyers had 20 minutes during Tuesday's four-hour trial in Beijing to present their case, were often cut off by court officials and were given just six days' notification of the trial date, China Human Rights Defenders said.
In addition, Hu's relatives and observers were barred from the proceedings, the rights group said.
I have stabbed my baby: British woman tells cops
By IANS,
London : A 23-year-old British woman stabbed her 11-month-old daughter to death, and called the police to say: "I've got a baby and stabbed her."
US climate plan must not substitute UN treaties: China
By Xinhua
Beijing : The new climate plan of the US should complement rather than substitute the Kyoto Protocol and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), China's top economic planner Ma Kai said Monday.
Software generates faces that display moods, emotions
By IANS,
Washington : A computer model developed by researchers can generate faces that display emotions and moods according to personality traits.
"The aim of this work has been to design a model that reveals a person's moods and displays them on a virtual face," said a co-author of the study, Diana Arellano from University of Balearic Islands (UIB) Artificial Intelligence Unit.
"In the same 3-D space we have integrated personality, emotions and moods, which had previously been dealt with separately," Arellano explained.
US focuses on next generation biofuel research
By Xinhua
Honolulu : The US Department of Energy (DoE) will invest up to $114 million in four years for the four next-generation cellulosic biorefineries, an official said.
This is in addition to the billion dollars that the department had committed last year in cellulosic biorefinery programming, Andy Karsner, assistant secretary of energy for Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of DoE, said Wednesday.
Russian budget deficit expected at 1 percent of GDP
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The federal budget deficit this year may come in at 1 percent of GDP, Russian Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Klepach said Wednesday.
Sri Lanka’s opposition invites Fonseka to contest polls
By IANS,
Colombo: Sri Lanka's main opposition party United National Party (UNP) said Monday that the door is still open for the defeated presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka to join it in the parliamentary elections April 8.
UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayaka told reporters that the UNP's invitation is not only for Fonseka but also for the JVP and any other party interested in bringing democracy back to the country, Xinhua reported.
Putin appoints ‘nationalist’ Rogozin as Russia’s NATO envoy
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : President Vladimir Putin signed a decree appointing Dmitry Rogozin, an outspoken nationalist ex-lawmaker, as Russia's permanent envoy to NATO, the Kremlin press service said on Thursday.
A source in Russia's mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said on Wednesday that the Western security alliance had agreed to the appointment.
Rogozin, 44, is due to arrive in Brussels to assume his new post by the end of January. NATO spokesman James Appathurai said in November that the alliance was ready to work with Rogozin.
New Zealand parliament gets first Sikh MP
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : Former New Delhi businessman Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi is delighted to have become the first Sikh Member of Parliament in the newly-elected conservative National Party government of New Zealand. “Indian immigrants will now have a voice in New Zealand parliament,” he says.
Gurkhas defeat British government in parliament
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : The British government Wednesday suffered a humiliating defeat after parliament voted to reverse regulations seeking to curtail the rights of Gurkha ex-soldiers to settle down in Britain.
MPs voted by 267 to 246 votes in favour of an amendment, moved by the opposition Liberal Democrat party, to allow all Gurkha ex-soldiers who have served in the British Army to live in Britain.
Current regulations allow such rights to only those Gurkhas who retired after 1997, when a Gurkha army base in Hong Kong was moved to Britain.
Zimbabwe opposition number two faces treason charge
By AFP,
Harare : The number-two figure in Zimbabwe's opposition was Friday facing a treason charge after his arrest within minutes of arriving back home to campaign in the June 27 presidential run-off election.
Police also detained Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai twice Thursday in central Zimbabwe, holding him for some two hours the first time, and about four hours the next, before releasing him.
Tendai Biti, secretary-general of the MDC, could face the death penalty if convicted of treason.
British soldier stole guitar during riots
By IANS,
London : A 20-year-old British soldier, who was in Afghanistan in 2010, has been charged with stealing a guitar during the London riots.
Obama signs credit card reform bill
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Friday signed into law a legislation that makes it more difficult for credit card providers to raise fees and interest rates.
The credit card reform bill received overwhelming support in Congress this week before landing on Obama's desk for his signature.
Obama said there were too many examples of responsible credit card users who have been victimized by sharp and arbitrary increases in interest rates, in some cases by more than 20 per cent.
Brazil unveils new plan against human trafficking
By IANS,
Rio de Janeiro : The Brazilian government has announced a three-year nationwide strategy to fight human trafficking with tougher laws and tighter controls.
Death toll in Ukraine mine blast reaches 72
By RIA Novosti
Donetsk(Ukraine) : Local prosecutors opened Monday a criminal investigation into a mine blast in east Ukraine's Donetsk region as the death toll rose to 72, with 28 miners still missing.
The Zasyadko coalmine was hit by a methane explosion early Sunday, causing a fire in the mine. At the time of the blast, 457 miners were underground. A total of 357 miners have since been brought overground.
Tropical storm Arthur heads for central American coast
By DPA,
Washington : A new tropical storm, Arthur, was heading toward the central American coast of Belize and the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
At 02.00 GMT, the storm was centred over the southern Yucatan Peninsula, with winds of 65 km per hour. The Mexican coast from Cabo Catoche, Mexico, south to Belize was also in the storm's cross-hairs, the hurricane centre said Saturday.
UN chief warns of instability in Kosovo
United Nations, January 04, SPA -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday uncertainty and a loss of momentum in the future status process of Kosovo could lead to a risk of instability, both in Kosovo and the wider region, Xinhua reported.
Ban said in his latest report on the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in the province, "the parties are urged to reaffirm and act upon their declared commitments to refrain from any actions or statements that could endanger peace, incite violence or jeopardize security in Kosovo and the region."
Asean+3 nuclear safety forum kicks off in Thailand
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Experts and officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member countries and its three partners China, Japan and South Korea, gathered here Monday to take part in the first Asean+3 Forum on Nuclear Energy Safety.
Co-hosted by Thailand and China, the two-day forum is expected to provide an academic platform for sharing experience and technologies in a bid to promote regional cooperation on nuclear safety issue.
Sri Lanka strives to recover after end of civil war
By Anthony David, DPA,
Colombo : Months after ending a 26-year civil war in Sri Lanka that claimed over 100,000 lives, fresh hopes have been raised about building ethnic unity, although scars remain.
Government forces inched their way into the rebel-held territories in the northern part of the country in the final phase of the offensive in January this year. They eventually killed all the senior rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) including their leader commander Velupillai Prabhakaran May 18 to end the war.
Three Muslims killed in Thai south
By ANTARA News/AFP
Narathiwat, Thailand : Suspected separatist rebels have shot dead three Muslim men in separate attacks across the insurgency-hit south of Thailand, police said Sunday.
Two unidentified men on a motorcycle shot dead a 28-year-old villager in front of his house in Narathiwat province late on Saturday.
Hours later in nearby Yala province, the son of a local politician was killed by gunmen, while a third Muslim was shot dead elsewhere in the same province as he returned home from the local mosque, police reported.
Research team to explore hydrothermal vent in deep seas
By IANS,
Washington : A research team has embarked on deep sea exploration to study hydrothermal vents.
The team, which will be conducting research on scalding heat, high pressure, toxic chemicals and total darkness, is part of the National Science Foundation-funded "Extreme 2008: A Deep-Sea Adventure."
The scientists are being joined by students from around the world who have signed up for an exciting virtual field trip.
More than 20,000 students from 350 schools in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Great Britain and New Zealand are participating.
Three sentenced to death in China
By IANS,
Beijing : Three inmates, who broke out of prison last October, were sentenced to death in China Tuesday.
The prisoners were serving life sentence when they killed a guard and escaped the prison in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xinhua reported.
Iran to decide downed US drone’s fate
By IANS,
Tehran: Iran's foreign minister Ali-Akbar Salehi has said that the fate of the downed US spy drone would be decided by the country and rejected the US request of returning the drone.
Bomb injures 28 in southern Thailand provincial capital
By DPA,
Pattani (Thailand) : An explosion Monday at a crowded morning market in Yala City of southern Thailand injured 28 people, two of them critically, army officials said.
The bomb, planted inside a motorcycle that was parked near a pork meat vendor at Yala's open-air market, exploded at 7.30 a.m., injuring the civilians and three soldiers, First Army Region chief Lieutenant General Phichit Wisaijorn said.
He blamed Muslim separatists for the latest act of violence.
"We had received a tipoff to prepare for a car bomb, but they used a motorcycle instead," Phichit said.
Kosovo Albanians seek freedom without further delays
By DPA
Pristina : Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku Friday reiterated the Kosovo Albanians' intention to proclaim independence for the breakaway Serbian province before the end of the year.
"We are not going to accept any further negotiations, delays or postponements of status resolution," Ceku said.
The deadline for the Kosovo Albanian leaders is December 10, which marks the end of the 120-day period given for last-ditch negotiations on Kosovo's status between Belgrade and Pristina.
Ebola toll rises to 31 in DRC
Kinshasa : The toll from an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has increased from 13 to 31, an advisor to...
Myanmar: 84,500 confirmed dead from cyclone
By SPA,
Yangon, Myanmar : Myanmar's ruling junta has announced that 84,500 people perished in Cyclone Nargis in May, up from an earlier confirmed toll of 77,700.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw Thu told reporters Tuesday that the official death toll stood at 84,537 and 53,836 still missing.
Cyclone Nargis on May 2-3 cut a swath of destruction through the Irrawaddy river delta and in and around the country's largest city, Yangon.
Scandinavian ice hotels: A totally cool experience
By DPA
Kiruna (Sweden) : In Lapland, the winters are long and cold and if there is anything in abundance, then snow and ice are it. The stuff can be used not only to build snowmen, but entire buildings too - and not just little Eskimo-style igloos.
More and more often, real hotels of snow and ice are coming up, such as in Jukkasjarvi, in northern Sweden above the Arctic Circle. In Kemi in Finland and most recently in Hunderfossen Winterpark, near Lillehammer, Norway. The ice hotel in Hunderfossen lays claim to being the southernmost one in Scandinavia.
UAE, Sweden discuss joint cooperation
By IANS/WAM,
Stockholm: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sweden have held talks over joint cooperation and strengthening of trade and economic ties.
Most Brazilian workers now in formal employment
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro: The proportion of working Brazilians with employment contracts increased from 45.3 percent in 2001 to 56 percent last year, a statistics agency said Wednesday.
Sri Lanka steps up mine clearance
By DPA,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government has stepped up clearing mines in former rebel-controlled areas aimed at resettling 159,000 war refugees before the end of January, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said Thursday.
He told Colombo-based diplomats that an estimated 1.5 million unexploded landmines remained in an area of 402 sq km.
Bogollagama said the government has recently imported the latest in de-mining machinery from Slovakia and Croatia and five more machines had also arrived to speed up the mine clearance.