Ban launches commemoration of 60th anniversary of Human Rights Declaration
By KUNA
United Nations : Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he would launch on Monday a year-long commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to make sure it becomes an integral part of everyone's life.
In a message to mark Human Rights Day, to be observed Monday December 10, Ban said the entire UN family will take part in a campaign to promote the Declaration's ideals and principles of justice and equality for everyone.
Belgian PM resigns
By IANS,
Brussels : Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme Thursday resigned after the Flemish Liberal Open VLD party withdrew its support for the ruling coalition.
Finance Minister Didier Reynders told reporters that there was no other choice for the prime minister but to resign after the Flemish liberal party quit, Xinhua reported.
With the withdrawal of the party, Leterme's government holds only 76 of the 150 seats in the lower house of parliament, a slim majority but would be hard for him to govern.
Obama faces stormy waters as 44th US president
By DPA,
Washington : No US president in recent memory has entered office facing such huge crises or such enormous expectations as Barack Obama.
The Democratic president-elect is to be inaugurated Jan 20 as the country's 44th president, elected with a strong 53 percent majority by voters disillusioned with eight years of Republican George W. Bush.
Italian lady bequeathes $2.5 mn to her dog
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Rome: An Italian lady has given away all her property worth about 2 million euros ($2.5 million) to her beloved dog.
China, South Korea, Japan move to strengthen ties
By DPA,
Seoul : The heads of three of Asia's leading nations agreed Saturday to create a liaison office to help cement their international cooperation.
The new office, based in Seoul and focusing on the interests of South Korea, China and Japan, should "strengthen, institutionalise and facilitate cooperation among the three nations".
The agreement was made during a three-way summit by South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
Putin accuses US of plotting war in Georgia
By DPA,
Moscow : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Thursday accused the United States of plotting this month's war in Georgia.
Putin told CNN the fighting was triggered by politicians in Washington in an attempt to give an advantage to one of the competing US presidential candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama.
The former president gave no evidence to support his statements, which he called "conjecture", but said the US action forced Russia's hand.
Some 34 Thai anti-gov’t protestors injured in grenade explosion
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Some 34 Thai anti-government protestors at Government House were injured in a grenade explosion here early on Sunday, local TV reports said.
News reports said the grenade landed near the prime minister's offices, which have been occupied by protestors led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) since August.
The blast occurred near at Government House where thousands of PAD supporters, who are demanding Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawatto step down, were holding a rally.
Nine killed in tractor accident in Nepal
By DPA,
Kathmandu : At least nine people were killed and nearly two dozen others injured in a tractor accident in south-western Nepal, the police said Monday.
The accident happened in Kapilvastu district, about 200 km south-west of here, early Monday morning.
The tractor, which was tugging a trailer carrying passengers, lost control, overturned and crushed the victims, the police said.
Nine people died instantly while 23 others injured in the accident were rushed to hospital, many in serious condition, the police said.
Tamim Iqbal becomes Bangladesh’s highest run scorer in Tests
Fatullah (Bangladesh): Left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal became Bangladesh's highest Test run-scorer after scoring seven runs on the fourth morning against India here on Saturday.
Tamim,...
SADC backs Mugabe over powersharing; to assist Congo Army
By DPA,
Johannesburg : The suffering of Zimbabweans looked set to continue for some time to come after a summit of Southern African leaders Sunday tried but failed to breathe life into Harare's floundering power-sharing agreement.
After more than nine hours of talks among leaders of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai remained far apart on how to divide power.
Beijing to check air pollution
By Xinhua
Beijing : Environmental officials in China have said 144 gas stations and nine oil depots in the capital region would be closed by the end of May because of cost or safety issues connected with air quality regulations.
There are 1,442 gas stations in Beijing. So the closure will affect nearly 10 percent of the total.
Canada’s ruling party voted back to power, Indians win
By IANS,
Toronto : Canada's ruling Conservative Party has returned to power with a larger tally in the general elections, but short of the 155 mark needed for a simple majority in the 308-member House of Commons.
The party, which held 126 seats in the dissolved House of Commons, was on target to win 144 seats, at least 11 short of the majority mark. But it made inroads into areas where it had no presence till now.
Aquino headed for landslide victory in the Philippines
By DPA,
Manila : Philippine Senator Benigno Aquino III Wednesday headed for a landslide victory in the presidential race as the incumbent prepared to turn over the government to him.
The 50-year-old bachelor was ahead by nearly five million votes over his closest rival, former president Joseph Estrada, with results from more than 88 percent of precincts nationwide counted.
Estrada has not yet conceded the race, and Aquino has chosen not to claim victory until Congress proclaims him the winner of Monday's election.
Virgin Galactic’s spaceship crashes during test flight
Los Angeles: A passenger rocket plane developed by Virgin Galactic's crashed Friday after suffering an "in-flight anomaly" during a powered test flight over the...
UN report seeks $86 bn to halt ‘adaptation apartheid’
By Xinhua
Bali : A UN report has said that $86 billion is needed every year to halt the drift towards "adaptation apartheid", according to a statement from the authors of the study Tuesday.
The Human Development Report (HDR), titled "Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World", highlighted large disparities in adaptation financing.
It warned that the world was drifting towards "adaptation apartheid", with rich countries investing heavily in climate infrastructure and the world's poor being left to "sink or swim" with their own resources.
Tobacco kills over five million every year, says UN
By IANS,
Tehran : Some 5.4 million people die every year from tobacco-related illnesses, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday, and urged governments to address "this needless threat to public health".
In his message on the "World No Tobacco Day", he said that 80 percent of the deaths occurred in the low and middle-income countries, IRNA reported. May 31 was observed as "World No Tobacco Day".
Almost half of all smokers die from tobacco-related diseases, and science has shown smoke harms everyone who is exposed to it.
Tomic could face sanctions after complaining about match time
By DPA,
Melbourne: Local teenager Bernard Tomic has been called on the carpet by Australian Open officials after he complained that late-night scheduling was behind his second round loss to Croat Marin Cilic.
But besides a ticking-off from tournament director Craig Tiley, the young hope of the post-Lleyton Hewitt generation could also find his Davis Cup future in serious strife.
Both the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) are miffed after Tomic complained that playing in a showcase match that finished at 2 am was unfair to him.
Switzerland to represent Russia in Georgia
By RIA Novosti,
Geneva : Switzerland has agreed to represent Russian diplomatic interests in Georgia.
According to information on the foreign ministry's website, Switzerland's embassy in the Georgian capital Tbilisi will represent Russia on diplomatic issues.
Georgia broke all diplomatic ties with Russia after Moscow recognised the independence of two Georgian breakaway regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Aug 26.
Ten dead in trample incident of rock concert in Indonesia
By Xinhua
Jakarta : A trample incident triggered by crowd at a rock concert in Bandung of West Java province, Indonesia resulted in 10 people dead and some of others injured, local police said on Sunday.
"10 youngsters died with one's identity has not confirmed, at least six others were injured," Bambang Suparsono, local police chief officer, was quoted by local news website Detik as saying.
Hundreds of teenagers assembled in a hall to watch performance of local punk rock band named Beside on Saturday night.
Gas leak kills three at South Korean n-reactor’s construction site
Seoul : Three workers have been confirmed dead, while another one was wounded, in a gas leakage accident Friday in southeastern South Korea where...
UN chief visits Chilean city hit by quake
By IANS/EFE,
Concepcion (Chile) : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Saturday visited the Chilean city of Concepcion, one of the worst affected by the Feb 27 earthquake.
Ban went to Concepcion's so-called "ground zero" in the city's downtown area, and said he was "astonished" by the destruction wrought by the magnitude-8.8 earthquake in the capital of the Bio Bio region, some 500 km south of Santiago.
As of Friday, Chilean authorities had identified 452 victims out of all those killed in the quake.
Fukuda seems certain to be Japan premier
Tokyo, Sep 21 (DPA) Even before the game begins, the winner of the contest to determine who will succeed Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems to be decided.
Former chief cabinet secretary Yasuo Fukuda is the heavy favourite in the race against Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) general secretary Taro Aso to win the election to head the party Sunday and then to be chosen as the new prime minister Tuesday.
Abe announced his resignation Sep 12, ending a year-long premiership and party leadership. He is now in a hospital for a gastrointestinal disorder caused by stress and fatigue.
Chaco indigenous people suffer forced labour, abuse: UN
By DPA,
New York : Indigenous people of the Chaco regions in both Bolivia and Paraguay suffer forced labour, severe poverty and human rights abuses, a United Nations panel on indigenous issues said in a report released Monday.
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues said, following visits to the regions in April and May, that forced labour continued to be practised despite government efforts to stop it.
Widow from 9/11 attacks among New York crash victims
By DPA,
New York : A woman who had lost her husband in the Sept 11, 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) was among those killed in the late Thursday air crash in New York state, her sister said early Friday.
"We know that she was on that plane," Sue Bourque was quoted by the Buffalo News as saying about her sister Beverly Eckert, who had been waiting at Buffalo airport to pick her sister up when the Continental Airlines plane crashed some 10 kilometres away.
Tense Calm in Timor Leste
By Prensa Latina
Dili : Calm prevails in Timor Leste on Tuesday, amid tensions over possible consequences of the recent attacks against the president and prime minister.
President Jose Ramos Horta was shot and wounded yesterday by a group led by former military deserter Alfredo Reinado, who died in the attack, according to Prime Minister Hanana Gusmao, who escaped unharmed in a similar action.
Ramos Horta was operated at an Australian hospital, and doctors are hopeful on his full recovery.
Four in 10 Americans believe God created earth 10,000 years ago
Washington : This may come as a shock to you but nearly 40 percent US citizens reject the evolution theory and believe that God...
Sri Lankans arrested for poaching
By IANS,
Chennai : Six Sri Lankan fishermen caught poaching in Indian waters were arrested Monday by the Coast Guard and remanded to judicial custody, official sources said.
Their mechanised boat was seized. The men were from Trincomalee in Sri Lanka's east.
"Preliminary interrogation reveals that they had no links to terrorist activity and were merely fishing in our waters," R. Sabaratnam, a police official who took the suspects to prison, told IANS.
AirAsia plane search: US pledges additional aid
Washington : The US has pledged additional aid to search for a missing AirAsia plane, as debris and six bodies have been found, a...
Berlin – a Mecca for art enthusiasts
By DPA,
Berlin : Long considered a backwater of the arts world, the German capital is today attracting a wave of art dealers, gallery operators and collectors from around the world.
Along with New York, Paris and London, Berlin has become a "must" for those in search for modern and contemporary works as well as new trends in art. Hundreds of new galleries have sprouted up in the past eight years.
Vietnam’s inflation rate expected to slow to single-digit rate in 2009
By Umi Hani Sharani, NNN-BERNAMA,
Kuala Lumpur : Vietnam' inflation rate is expected to decline to single-digit levels next year from the double-digit figure expected this year, says Finance Minister Vu Van Ninh.
Ninh said Sunday that Vietnam had carried out measures in the past five months which were now showing results in addressing inflation which was currently hovering at 25 per cent.
"We had hyper-inflation of over 700 per cent in the 1990s but we managed to overcome it," he added at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia 2008 here.
Nepal’s ex-queen mum to stay in palace, crown goes missing
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : While Nepal's dethroned king Gyanendra has just 72 hours to vacate the royal palace, former queen mother Ratna Shah will stay on. She has wrested permission from the government despite growing public anger against the privileges of the erstwhile royal family.
Gyanendra's 80-year-old stepmother, once the most powerful woman in the kingdom and a resident of the Narayanhity royal palace through the reign of four kings in succession, will not have to quit her quarters inside the sprawling palace, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's government said.
Eights Armenians die in protest at “vote rigging”
By IRNA
Moscow : Eight Armenians died on Sunday in Yerevan, Armenia, when police opened fire on demonstrators alleging "vote-rigging" in the presidential election held on February 19.
The government has declared a state of emergency and troops and armored vehicles are patrolling the centre of Yerevan.
There have been 11 days of protests over the February 19 presidential vote which gave a convincing win to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.
17 killed, 45 injured in bus crash in suburban Hong Kong
By SPA,
Hong Kong : An overcrowded tour bus lost control on a slope and flipped over Thursday in Hong Kong, killing 17 members of a local religious group and injuring 45 others, AP reported.
The driver was arrested on charges of dangerous driving.
After visiting the injured, Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang told reporters it was the city's worst traffic accident in recent years. A double-decker bus crash killed 21 people in 2003.
Most of the victims were critically injured, suffering head injuries, severe bleeding and broken bones, Li said.
Voice recorder of crashed AirAsia plane spotted
Jakarta : Indonesian searchers have spotted the cockpit voice recorder, the second part of the black box of the crashed AirAsia flight, a top...
G7 reaffirms support for Georgia’s territorial integrity
By Xinhua,
Washington : The Group of Seven reaffirmed on Monday its support for Georgia's territorial integrity and expressed "alarm" over reports that Russia's parliament voted to recognize two breakaway Georgian regions as independent states.
"The G7 is united in support for Georgia's territorial integrity and alarmed by reports of Russian plans to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia," a U.S. State Department official said after a conference call among political directors of the group of industrialized nations.
Americans are tolerant of other religions: survey
By IANS,
New York : In a trend toward tolerance and non-dogmatism, nearly three-quarters of Americans believe that religions other than their own can lead to salvation, according to a new survey on 'Religion and Public Life'.
Although a majority of Americans - 56 percent - say religion is very important to them, the survey by the Washington-based Pew Forum reveals an ability among many Americans to hold beliefs that might contradict the doctrines of their professed faiths.
Computer programmed to read human faces
By IANS,
Sydney: Scientists have programmed computers to read human expressions and to tell whether one is in pain.
"Each facial expression is made up of many different components - a twitch of the mouth here, a widening of the eyes there - some lasting only a fraction of a second," said Simon Lucey of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
"Our computer program looks at these components, matches them against a list drawn up by expert psychologists and decides what expression just flitted across a face," said Lucey, a computer scientist.
Court questions whether US travel ban anti-Muslim
Washington, (IANS) : An US appeals court has questioned whether President Donald Trump's travel ban discriminates against Muslims, a media report said on Wednesday.
Judge...
LTTE bombs Colombo, plane shot down
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Two Tamil Tiger planes bombed the Sri Lankan capital Friday night, but one of them was shot down as it flew back towards the country's north, military officials said.
Two planes of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) dropped at least one bomb on the headquarters of the inland revenue department in the heart of Colombo.
There was no immediate word on casualties or damages.
The Sri Lankan Air Force headquarters is located close by, and some military officials said that may have been the intended target.
Princess Cristina of Spain named suspect in corruption case
By IANS,
Madrid: Princess Cristina of Spain was named Wednesday as a suspect in a corruption case involving her husband.
Over 100 countries participate at Crans Montana Forum in Morocco
Rabat : Representatives of more than 100 countries have been deliberating on "Africa, regional cooperation and South-South cooperation" at the annual session of Crans...
Bush Urges Greater Nuclear Transparency from Iran
By SPA
Washington : U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday called on greater cooperation from Iran to answer why the country had a secret nuclear program.
10 killed, 82 injured in Bolivia bus crash
By IANS/EFE,
La Paz : Ten people were killed and 82 injured when two buses collided head-on in eastern Bolivia, police said.
The accident occurred around 1.00 a.m. Saturday, about eight kilometers south of Santa Cruz town of Camiri. Seven men and three women were killed in the accident.
Of the 82 injured, seven were in serious condition. All have been admitted to a hospital.
British ministers to visit India; meet Modi, Sushma
New Delhi: British ministers William Hague and George Osborne will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj when they visit...
Russian coast guards seize Norwegian ship for border violation
By RIA Novosti,
Murmansk : Russian coast guards have detained a Norwegian ship in the Barents Sea for illegally crossing the Russian maritime border, the Federal Security Service said on Wednesday.
"The freighter crossed the Russian border some 40 miles from its declared coordinates, and five hours earlier than scheduled," an FSB spokesman said.
The ship, traveling from northeast Norway's port town of Kirkenes, had failed to respond to Russian border authorities' attempts to communicate. The ship was headed for the Russian city of Murmansk.
Newark airport on lockdown after security scare
By DPA,
Washington : Newark International Airport in New Jersey was under lockdown after a man reportedly passed through the exit of a security checkpoint without being screened, US media reports said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said on its website that the airport's terminal C had experienced a security breach.
All passengers who had already passed through the security check point were being re-screened and no flights were leaving from the terminal, CNN reported.
25,000 attend India’s I-Day parade in New Jersey
By IANS
New York : Over 25,000 Indian-Americans gathered at a parade held in New Jersey to celebrate India's Independence Day that had Bollywood actress Urmila Matondakar as grand marshal.
Over 20 floats, marching bands, costumed characters and dancers were part of the parade Sunday that was held on Oak Tree Road, known as 'New Jersey's Little India'.
A cultural programme was held at St. Cecelia's Church, located at the end of the parade route.
Massive snowstorm barrels into paralysed Washington
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The capital of the world's most powerful nation lay paralysed for the fourth day as another massive snowstorm barrelled into the mid-Atlantic region even as residents were still recovering from the weekend's historic blizzard.
Federal workers and schoolchildren in Washington were told to stay home for a third consecutive day with fresh snowfall that began Tuesday afternoon expected to dump another 10 to 20 inches of snow over Washington, northern Virginia and eastern Maryland through Wednesday.
European Blue Card visa gets green light
By Tejinder Singh, IANS,
Brussels : A Blue Card that will make it easier for high-earning and skilled Indians to live and work in Europe is all set to be approved by leaders of European countries.
The card - a fast-track work visa - was approved by ambassadors of the European Union's 27 member-states in Brussels this week, and is expected to be rubber-stamped by the continent's home ministers at a meeting in the Belgian capital Nov 27-28.
‘Boko Haram armoury found in Cameroon’
Lagos: Nigerian military said Tuesday that its Cameroonian counterpart had smashed a suspected Boko Haram camp in Cameroon, close to the Chadian border, recovering...
UN rights envoy lashes out at Cambodian government
By DPA
Phnom Penh : The UN special envoy for human rights in Cambodia Monday chastised the Cambodian government for its rights record at a rally here organised to mark the International Human Rights Day.
Yash Ghai, accompanied by members of 15 local human rights groups, told the gathering that fear still governed Cambodia.
Report clears Obama administration on Benghazi attack
Washington: A two-year Congressional probe into an attack on a US diplomatic post in Libya's Benghazi city has cleared the Obama administration of accusations...
Kyrgyz opposition unlikely to win parliament seats – exit-polls
By RIA Novosti
Bishkek : None of the opposition parties in Kyrgyzstan is likely to win seats in a new parliament, an international analytical group, Binom, said on Sunday following the results of its exit poll.
Kyrgyz voters went to the polls on Sunday in early parliamentary elections expected to hand President's Kurmanbek Bakiyev's party a clear victory and end two years of political upheaval in the ex-Soviet state.
The exit-poll results showed Ak Zhol party gaining more than 63%, followed by the Communists with 5.3% and the Turan Democratic Party with 5.2%.
OPEC crude cracks 140 dollar mark
By DPA,
Vienna : The price for crude oil produced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) jumped above $140 a barrel for the first time Thursday, a statement issued by OPEC said Friday.
One barrel (159 litres) of OPEC-produced crude stood at $140.73 Thursday, up $3 from $137.73 dollars on the previous day.
OPEC calculates an average basket price based on 13 important brands produced by cartel members.
North Korean leader’s chosen son visits China, says report
By DPA,
Tokyo : North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's third son, Kim Jong Un, made a secret visit to Beijing last week to inform Chinese leaders that his father had chosen him as his successor, a leading Japanese daily said Tuesday.
The younger Kim confirmed to Chinese President Hu Jintao that Kim Jong Il wanted him to take over as North Korea's supreme leader, Japan's Asahi Shimbun quoted Chinese and North Korean sources as saying.
Hong Kong reduces plastic bags by 90 percent
By IANS,
Hong Kong: Use of plastic bags in Hong Kong has come down drastically - by nearly 90 percent - in the past 12 months thanks to a "plastic-bags-fine" scheme launched by the government.
Registered retailers in Hong Kong distributed 90 percent fewer plastic bags in the past 12 months in comparison to the situation before the scheme, a clear sign of its effectiveness, Edward Yau, Hong Kong's environment secretary, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
UN climate change panel urged to review methods
By DPA,
Stockholm: The United Nations was Tuesday urged to review the working methods of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), following recent disclosures of mistakes in the organisation's reports.
The call was made by Gunnar Oquist, permanent secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that awards the Nobel prizes for physics and chemistry, as well as the economics prize.
One mistake published in an IPCC report in 2007 claimed that Himalayan glaciers would melt away by 2035.
Honeymoon over as Brown retreats over election call
LONDON, Oct 7 (KUNA) -- The lengthy honeymoon period Gordon Brown enjoyed as UK Prime Minister has been well and truly terminated by his decision not to call a general election, commentators said Sunday.
The opposition parties were predictably quick to cry out that he had "bottled it" (retreated) but even his own MPs stuck in the knife once it was confirmed an election was definitely off the cards.
Many said they had never wanted a poll, but criticised the way that speculation had been allowed to build up in recent weeks and how the decision was ultimately announced.
Eight of 10 Malala attack suspects were acquitted, confirms police
Islamabad : Eight of the 10 militants reportedly jailed for their role in the 2012 attack on Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai have been freed,...
North Korea cuts all ties with South
By DPA,
Seoul : North Korea Tuesday announced it would cut all ties with South Korea, after its neighbour accused it of the March sinking of a South Korean warship.
All South Koreans working at a joint industrial plant in the North Korean border town of Kaesong would also be expelled, the Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland said in a statement quoted by North Korean state media.
All problems related to inter-Korean ties would be handled under "wartime law", the committee said.
Ukraine-Russia border ‘wall’ may be completed Sep 30
Moscow : Ukraine plans to complete the first stage of "Project Wall" construction by Sep 30, as part of reinforcing its border with Russia,...
Portuguese travellers drive to China for Shanghai expo
By IANS,
Beijing : A group of Portuguese travellers has embarked on a car journey to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo in an effort to promote eco-friendly technology.
The four travellers started Saturday from Portugal's Leiria city on a 16,000-km-long journey across 13 countries. The theme of their journey is "So far but so close", Global Times reported Monday.
Riding in two sport utility vehicles (SUV) filled with daily necessities, the four travellers will drive along the route taken by Italian traveller Marco Polo during his journey to China in the 13th century.
British schoolboy who planned to bomb BNP members stands trial
By IANS,
London : A British schoolboy, who planned to make bombs and blow up members of Britain's far right political party BNP, has been standing trial for allegedly angering his teachers and fellow pupils with his radical views.
Terrorist sympathiser Waris Ali, who glorified the 9/11 terror attacks on the US in his books, attended Westborough High School, in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire - the home town of a number of the London Suicide Bombers - the Daily Telegraph has reported.
People looking for prostitutes use the net to skirt law
By IANS,
London : People looking out for prostitutes share precise information on the net about them, couched in 'argot,' a coded language that makes detection difficult, says a new study.
These 'johns' provide detailed information on the location of sexual services on the streets and indoors, as well as ways to identify specific providers, information on costs and personal experiences with providers.
This 'argot' may help 'johns' and sex workers avoid legal sanctions and any social stigma associated with participating in the sex trade, the researchers said.
Bombardier’s profit dips 31 percent on cancelled orders
By IANS,
Toronto : Canada's Bombardier, the world's third largest maker of civilian aircraft, Wednesday reported 31 percent drop in its profits for the first quarter.
Attributing the decline in its income to a large number of order cancellations, the Montreal-based company said it earned $158 million in the first quarter as compared to $229 million during the same period last year.
Bombardier, which is also a world leader in rail and metro transport, said its quarterly revenue fell from $4.8 billion to $4.5 billion.
Large sum meant for Sri Lanka tsunami aid goes missing
By IANS
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government has failed to account for as much as 44.3 percent of the international aid it had received following the tsunami of Dec 26, 2004, an international watchdog has pointed out.
Cricket with India impossible at present: Sartaj
Islamabad: Cricket series with India seems impossible in the prevailing circumstances, Pakistan's National Security and Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz has said.
Talking to media...
Now, Shariah-compliant MasterCard for Muslims
By IANS,
London: A compass pointing the way to Mecca is embedded in a new MasterCard aimed at Muslims, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.
Wellington to have 15% chance of major earthquake over next 50 years
By Xinhua,
Wellington : New Zealand is due for a major earthquake or eruption during the next 50 years, the new Civil Defense Minister John Carter was told by his department on Wednesday.
In a briefing paper for the minister, released on Wednesday, the department said the most serious natural event in the past 20 years was the 2004 Lower North Island flooding.
US stocks up after Citigroup announces layoffs
By DPA,
New York : Wall Street rallied Friday after Citigroup reported losses that were not severe as anticipated and announced plans to slash more than 9,000 jobs to help the bank recover from the credit crisis.
Citigroup reported $5.11 billion in first-quarter losses after it had to write down $12 billion worth of loans and bonds in the ongoing subprime mortgage crisis.
Death toll in Vietnam bridge collapse rises to 59
Hanoi, Sep 27 (Xinhua) At least 59 people were killed and 186 injured in a bridge collapse in Vietnam's southern Mekong Delta, local newspaper People reported Thursday.
The accident occurred Wednesday morning when a 90 metre section of an approach ramp, which is over 30 metres above the ground and leading to the Can Tho bridge, the longest and most modern one in the delta under construction, fell in Binh Minh district, Vinh Long province.
Taiwan to continue its fight to join UN agencies
By DPA,
Taipei : Taiwan expressed regret Thursday for its failure to gain membership in United Nations agencies at the current UN General Assembly but vowed to continue the fight next year.
China - which has veto power on the Security Council, the UN's highest decision-making body - has long opposed Taiwan membership in international organizations.
Iconic Obama poster artist sued for copyright violation
By DPA,
New York : The artist who created the iconic campaign poster of US president Barack Obama above the slogan 'Hope' has been sued by a US-based news agency.
In a filing in federal court in New York Wednesday, the Associated Press said the poster by Shepard Fairey was an unauthorised version of a 2006 AP photograph.
Travel agencies suspend trips to riot-hit Xinjiang
By Xinhua,
Guangzhou (China) : Many tourist agencies are calling off group trips to China's Xinjiang region following the recent deadly riots in Urumqi city that left at least 156 people dead and over 1,000 injured.
"We are hoping that travel can resume by July 20, but it depends on the status in Xinjiang", said Tang Qiting, deputy manager with Guangzhilu International Travel Service in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province.
Clinton has big lead over Obama in Ohio, Pennsylvania, new U.S. presidential poll
WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (KUNA) -- While officials in the Barack Obama campaign sound increasingly confident that he will win the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination, a new poll finds that Hillary Clinton has double-digit leads over Obama in the crucial upcoming primary states of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
New York Senator Clinton has lost eight straight nominating contests to Illinois Senator Obama, but she leads him 55 percent to 34 percent among likely Democratic primary voters in Ohio, according to the Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday.
French company helps Indian farmers get better yield
By IANS,
New Delhi: French hypermarket chain Carrefour Tuesday launched a programme on the outskirts of the city to train farmers to increase the yield of their crops it will eventually buy for its cash and carry stores.
The first such store will come up in Seelampur in Delhi in a few months' time.
Yannick Douville, Carrefour director, opening a "green house nursery" at Palla, in north-east Delhi, said the farmers were taught how to improve the quality of their produce and increase their productivity.
US stocks gain as surprising earnings overshadow GDP report
By DPA,
New York : US stocks posted strong gains Wednesday as most companies that reported profits for the first quarter beat estimates on the day, drowning out reports of a sharp contraction in the US economy over the first three months.
Time Warner, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, DreamWorks Animation SKG and Hess Corp all beat analysts' expectations, offering some hope that the worst may be over and driving all major US stock indices up by more than 2 percent.
Thai flood toll touching 600
By IANS,
Bangkok : At least 594 people have died in floods in northern Thailand, the disaster prevention officials said Friday.
British sex-on-the-beach couple back home from Dubai
By IANS,
London : A British man and a woman who were arrested by Dubai police after having been found to have sex on a beach have returned home, their lawyers said.
Vince Acors, 34, arrived Wednesday after authorities released him. He had been re-arrested at the airport just before boarding a flight a day earlier because his visa had expired.
Michelle Palmer, 36, who was in Dubai as a publishing executive, but was sacked after her arrest, arrived back in Britain “a few days ago", her lawyer said.
Palmer and Acors were arrested on the Jumeirah Beach July 5.
Zimbabwe opposition chief quits run-off, handing win to Mugabe
By AFP,
Harare : Zimbabweans faced an uncertain future Monday after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai abandoned a run-off election saying violence had made a fair vote impossible, in a move that virtually hands victory to President Robert Mugabe.
"We will no longer participate in the violent illegitimate sham of an election process," Tsvangirai, 56, told reporters at his home, saying he could not ask supporters to cast ballots "when that vote would cost them their lives."
US stocks sink on continued uncertainty
By DPA,
New York : Major US stock indices sank nearly three percent Friday as investors exhibited uncertainty about the economy, despite figures that showed a return to growth in the third quarter.
Weak consumer spending, which fell 0.5 percent in September, contributed to the sell off, even as the White House said President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package has created or saved more than 640,000 jobs since it was enacted earlier this year.
All bodies recovered at Indonesian plane crash site
Jakarta: All the bodies of the 54 people aboard an ATR42-300 of Trigana Air Service that crashed have been found, an official said.
Henry Bambang...
Acquitted ex-warlord gets hero’s welcome in Kosovo
By DPA
Pristina : Former Kosovo rebel commander and prime minister Ramush Haradinaj have returned home to a hero's welcome after being acquitted of alleged war crimes against Serbs.
A drummer group and hundreds of cheering people, some waving Albanian and US flags, greeted Haradinaj at the airport in Pristina Friday, the capital of newly independent Kosovo, when he arrived from The Hague.
"I am pleased to be...back with my family and among the citizens of Kosovo, where I belong," he said later in a televised speech.
Martial law in Georgia
By DPA,
Tbilisi (Georgia) : Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili Saturday declared martial law in Georgia in the wake of escalation of the conflict in South Ossetia.
Saakashvili made the announcement after a decision taken at a meeting of the country's national security council.
Further details were not immediately available.
EU signs first FTA with an Asian country
By EuAsiaNews,
Brussels : The European Union and South Korea signed here Wednesday a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) the first the 27-member bloc has signed with an Asian country.
2 Indian-origin teens held for serial crimes in Canada
By IANS,
Vancouver : Police here have arrested two Indo-Canadian teens after a long hunt for a series of robberies and assaults in the south Vancouver area in March.
Eighteen-year-old Manpreet Johal and 19-year-old Sanjit Sunner have been charged with multiple counts of robbery and more than a dozen brutal assaults on their victims.
Police said they were looking for a third man in the case.
In a two-week crime wave in March, the three assaulted their victims to snatch purses and wallets. They stole valuables from their victims walking alone just before midnight.
12 inmates escape as attackers bust Mexican prison
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : A dozen inmates escaped from a prison in Mexico's northern state of Chihuahua after armed men rammed a vehicle through a security fence, authorities said.
Cathay Pacific chairman in cockpit during low-flying stunt
By DPA
Hong Kong : The chairman of Cathay Pacific and a senior director were in the cockpit of a new Boeing 777 when it swooped about 10 metres above an airport runway in a stunt that cost the pilot his job, the airline confirmed Sunday.
Briton Christopher Pratt, chairman of the Hong Kong-based airline, and director of engineering Christopher Gibbs were in jump seats behind chief pilot Ian Wilkinson when he performed the "fly-by" on the $200 million plane's maiden flight out of Seattle Jan 31.
Take oath again or face dismissal, Nepal’s vice president told
By IANS,
Kathmandu : The flaming row over the use of the Hindi language for official work in Nepal, which split the republic afresh last year, is now headed for a climax with the apex court ordering the man in the eye of the storm, Vice President Paramananda Jha, to take his oath of office in Nepali within a week or face dismissal.
Serbian gov”t adopts punitive measures against Kosovo
By KUNA
Sarajevo : The Serbian government said Friday it adopted a series of resolutions against the Kosovo Parliament's imminent decision to announce independence of the province, which is under UN administrative rule and considered by Belgrade as a Serbian territory.
The Serbian government said in a statement, quoted by the Belgrade One Radio station, there were "secret resolutions" adopted in a closed-door meeting today which include "punitive" measures against Kosovo.
Bank of England boss freezes his own pay raise
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The chief banker of England has refused a pay hike of over 15,000 pounds in the next two years, putting into practice what he preaches about cutting down on public expenditure.
Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has said no to his right to a 2.5 percent increase in salary in 2010 and 2011, according to the bank's annual report.
His annual pay packet with benefits will, therefore, remain at 305,764 pounds. That's around 30,000 pounds more than the country's highest paid civil servant.
Lung airway cells activate vitamin D, boost immunity
By IANS,
Washington : A must for good health, vitamin D also needs activation to function optimally within the human body.
Until recently, this activation was thought to happen in the kidneys, but a new University of Iowa study has found that the activation can also take place in lung airway cells.
The study also links vitamin D produced in airway cells to activation of two genes that help fight infection.
Besides helping absorb calcium absorption, vital to bone health, vitamin D is increasingly recognised for its beneficial effects on the immune system.
South-East Asian currencies start to slide
By DPA,
Bangkok : When inflation goes up, currencies tend to come down, economists say.
That rule of thumb has proved true in South-East Asia this month which has seen inflation across the region pushed to the highest levels in a decade by rising fuel and food prices.
TV offers portal for Muslims in Italy to capture Ramadan spirit
By Mehdi Al-Nimir, KUNA,
Rome : Television screens have become the portal through which people in one place can keep up with what is happening elsewhere in the world, and the situation is no different for Muslim immigrants here who look at their screens in an attempt to capture the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan.
Satellite technician Emad Hassan Ali told KUNA that many Arabs and Muslims living in Rome and Ostia viewed television as the primary source of entertainment, and looked forward to watching programs broadcast from back home at the end of a long working day.
Spain’s Savater launches new political party
By IRNA
Madrid : The Spaniard Fernando Savater has founded a new political party, called Unity, Progress and Democracy.
He is a professor of European philosophy and literature and a liberal thinker on politics and religion.
He is best known for his role in fighting terrorism in the Basque Country.
In the year 2000, the founder of the Basta Ya (Enough already) movement was the first recipient of the Sakharov prize, awarded by the European Parliament, for his defence of human rights.
Moscow urges Belgrade, Pristina to continue Kosovo talks
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Moscow has called on Belgrade and Pristina to continue negotiations on the status of Kosovo, and hopes that a compromise is still possible, Russia's UN envoy said on Friday.
The Contact Group's troika of mediators - Russia, the United States and the European Union - submitted to the UN Security Council and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon a report on December 10 saying that the parties had failed to reach an agreement after "120 days of intensive negotiations."
Don’t treat Muslim prisoners as potential terrorists: British report
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The government is warned that the present attitude of jail authorities in England and Wales to treat all Muslim prisoners as potential terrorists runs the risk of drawing them to extremism upon their release.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Dame Anne Owers says in a report published Monday that such a blanket treatment is prevalent throughout the prison system even though very few of the Muslim prisoners are doing time for terrorist-related offences.
Peru’s Fujimori Gets 25 Years Prison For Massacres
By BERNAMA,
LIMA : Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was convicted of human rights crimes and sentenced to 25 years in prison on Tuesday, the first time a democratically elected Latin American president has been found guilty in his own country of such offenses.
A three-judge panel convicted him of ordering a military death squad to carry out two massacres that killed 25 people during his 1990-2000 rule, when he was battling communist guerrillas. Nearly 70,000 people died in two decades of conflict in the Andean country.
Huckabee, Obama win Iowa in first test of US 2008 presidential campaign
By Ronald Baygents, KUNA
Washington : Senator Barack Obama, who aims to become the first African-American president of the United States, convincingly won the Iowa caucuses Thursday night to become the front runner in the contest for the 2008 Democratic nomination.
Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who was far behind in polls a few months ago, won even more strongly in the Republican caucuses, soundly defeating former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who outspent Huckabee in Iowa by more than 10 to 1.
Russian watchdog slams Google over suicide videos
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian consumer rights watchdog has hit out at search engine Google and YouTube over what it called online suicide instruction videos.
Swine flu may kill up to 90,000 in US: Post
By IANS,
Washington : As much as half the American population could be infected with swine flu and it could kill up to 90,000 people, The Washington Post quoted a presidential panel as saying Tuesday.
The Post cited an estimate from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology to say that "the virus could cause symptoms in 60 million to 120 million people, more than half of whom might seek medical attention".
India-Britain co-production treaty kicks off with ‘London Dreams’
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The historic India-Britain film co-production treaty has come into force with British Culture Minister Barbara Follett launching it on the Trafalgar Square sets of Vipul Shah's Ajay Devgan starrer "London Dreams".
"London Dreams" is Shah's latest venture after "Singh is Kinng" and "Namaste London". On Wednesday, Shah and Devgan were present on the sets and the unit also got permission to shoot Trafalgar Square from a helicopter.
Credibility rating in Chinese microblogging service
By IANS,
Islamabad : A microblogging service in China has said it is developing a credibility rating system to prevent false online information.
Britain rattled, but stands by decision to knight Rushdie
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : Britain is rattled by the level of anger in Iran and Pakistan at the decision to confer knighthood on noted Mumbai-born writer Salman Rushdie but has refused to reverse the decision or be apologetic about it.
Hospital worker commits suicide after killing two in US
By Xinhua,
Los Angeles : A hospital worker shot dead two people at a hospital in Long Beach near Los Angeles before killing himself, authorities said.
The gunman Thursday shot dead two people at the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center in Long Beach, about 64 km south of Los Angeles, before walking outside and fatally shooting himself, witnesses said.
The shooting sent patients and employees scrambling for cover in offices and bathrooms, according to witnesses.
Italian PM to decide inheritance, says son
By IANS/AKI,
Monte Carlo : Italian prime minister and media magnate Silvio Berlusconi will determine the future of his estimated 8 billion euro fortune, his eldest son Piersilvio said Thursday.
Piersilvio Berlusconi refused to be drawn on how his 73-year-old father would divide his fortune between the five children from his two marriages.
Berlusconi is one of Italy's wealthiest men and the future of his wealth is currently a major issue among his children because his second wife Veronica Lario is seeking a divorce.
Salman to help rehabilitate child soldiers in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Mumbai: The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) will hold a charity match between Indian celebrities and Sri Lankan cricketers here in June to help rehabilitate former Tamil Tiger child soldiers.
The event will be held in conjunction with the Sri Lankan cricket board, NGO Habitat for Humanity and UNICEF. Bollywood star Salman Khan will be the brand ambassador for the initiative.
"We will help to invest to make homes in Jaffna. I love you guys and I will help you soon," the actor said at a press meet here.
O.J. Simpson sentenced to 15 years in jail for kidnapping
By DPA,
Los Angeles : Former American football star O.J. Simpson was sentenced to 15 years in jail Friday for his part in an armed robbery and kidnapping case in Las Vegas last year.
Lawyers for Simpson, who was controversially acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, said they would appeal.
Simpson, 61, was convicted in October of 12 charges stemming from the incident in which he and his cohorts used guns to force two sports memorabilia dealers to hand over a number of items that Simpson believed to have been stolen from him.
Former Australian police officer jailed over child porn
By Xinhua,
Canberra : A former federal police officer has been jailed for five months on child pornography charges by a magistrate who said a ruined career and community ridicule were not punishment enough.
Michael Edward Hatch, 38, was caught in the global investigation code-named Operation Centurion which has netted more than 100 Australians, and he will also be required to be of good behavior for another 18 months after his release.
Thatcher to pay homage to soldiers of British India
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher will lay wreaths at the Memorial Gates here Friday to honour the millions of soldiers of British India who fought for Britain in the first and second world wars.
Thatcher will participate in the annual event for the first time since the Memorial Gates were inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth in 2002. Key individuals behind the memorial include noted entrepreneur Karan Bilimoria and Baroness Shreela Flather. The gates are located on the Constitution Hill near Hyde Park.
‘Over 100 Tiger rebels killed, Mullaitivu battles reach final phase’
By IANS,
Colombo : Fighting between the ground troops and the Tamil Tiger rebels has left over 100 guerrillas killed and scores wounded in the past couple of days with the battles to retake the last LTTE strongholds in the northeastern Mullaitivu district reaching the final phase, the defence ministry said Sunday.
It said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), now confined to a land stretch of less than 50 sq km, have "made several desperate attempts" to infiltrate the forward defences in Mullaitivu district.
Lindsay not in ‘Celebrity Big Brother’
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Actress Lindsay Lohan will not appear in the upcoming series of the reality show "Celebrity Big Brother".
Gaga releasing charity stationery
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Pop star Lady Gaga is releasing a limited edition stationery line to raise money for her Born This Way Foundation.
Delay in renewable energy incentives risks US economic losses
By Xinhua
New York : More than 116,000 US jobs and nearly $19 billion in investments could be lost in just one year if renewable energy tax credits are not renewed by the US Congress, a study has said.
More than 76,000 jobs are at risk in the wind energy industry, and approximately 40,000 jobs in the solar energy industry, said the American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association in the study released Monday.
Brazil’s Embraer to sell 40 jets to US airline
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer said Tuesday it reached a deal to sell 40 E175 passenger jets to US airline SkyWest for nearly $1.7 billion.
South African priest upsets Hindu community after gay wedding rites
By Fakir Hassen,IANS,
Durban : A Tamil priest who conducted South Africa's first known gay wedding by Hindu rites has gone underground as upset community leaders slammed the elaborate wedding of two young men, complete with embossed invitations, outfits from India and one tying a necklace with a pendant of Lord Ganesha on his partner.
Sales advisor Joe Singh and manager Wesley Nolan, both 21, spent 18 months preparing for their wedding, after first meeting in the company that they both work for.
Storm over police duties for civilian workers in Britain
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : Civilian policing is getting official sanction in Britain, but critics say it is a move towards a snooper state.
For a few hundred pounds, security guards, council workers, car park attendants, dog wardens, park wardens, charity workers and football match stewards can get Home Office accreditation under the new Community Safety Accreditation Scheme.
Tropical storm Fay hovers over northern Florida, dumping rain
By DPA,
Washington : Tropical storm Fay has come ashore in Florida for the third time, where the slow moving storm was dumping heavy rain in northern parts of the state near the city of Jacksonville.
The storm first came ashore in Florida Monday at its southern tip, Key West, and then crossed the southwest portion of the Florida peninsula before again moving offshore ahead of the latest landfall.
It earlier left as many as 50 people dead in flooding and landslides in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
US military base contract in Ecuador not to be renewed
By Xinhua
Quito (Ecuador) : The US military's contract for renting the Manta base in Ecuador will not be renewed after it expires in 2009.
Ecuador's constituent assembly voted to outlaw the installation of foreign military bases in the country Wednesday, four days after President Rafael Correa announced that he would not allow such bases on Ecuadorian soil as of 2009.
The US has expressed interest in renewing the lease for the base, which it has been using since 1999.
University students win robotic car race
New York, Nov 5 (IANS) A robotic car built by university students won a $2 million US military-sponsored race in California, it was announced Sunday.
Backed by General Motors (GM), a team called Tartan Racing -- formed by Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- built the robotic car nicknamed 'Boss'. It won Saturday by covering a distance of about 85 km in less then six hours on a simulated town created on a disused US Air Force base in Victorville, California.
US nuke part deliveries to Taiwan irks China
By DPA
Beijing : China Wednesday expressed its "strong dissatisfaction" about the delivery of US nuclear warhead parts to Taiwan that Washington divulged the day before while admitting there had been a mistake.
"We express our serious concern and strong dissatisfaction," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. "We urge the US to conduct a thorough investigation and inform the Chinese side ... truthfully."
Pressure on Myanmar to open up to cyclone aid
By AFP,
Yangon : Top foreign officials headed Wednesday to Myanmar to press the defiant junta to open the doors to a massive cyclone relief effort for two million increasingly desperate survivors.
Hunger and disease are stalking victims who still do not have enough food, water or shelter almost two weeks after the disaster, and fresh rain overnight pushed the situation for many close to the breaking point.
Don’t wear burqa, says British leader
By IANS,
London : A British leader said he would prefer if Muslim women "didn't wear a burqa" in the country, but added "you can't ban it".
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said he wished Muslim women would not wear burqa in Britain, Daily Express reported Monday.
"I would prefer if people didn't wear a burkha but you can't ban it. It might work in France but it won't work here," Straw was quoted as saying.
Seven police injured in blast in Ingushetia in North Caucasus
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Seven police officers were injured after two bombs went off near a private house in the Republic of Ingushetia in Russia's restive North Caucasus region, a local police source said on Sunday.
A home-made bomb went off early on Sunday in the courtyard of a pensioner's house in the town of Ordzhonikidzevskaya in the Sunzha district. No one was injured in the blast, the police source said over the phone.
However, when a police squad arrived at the scene, a second bomb exploded, leaving seven police officers shell-shocked, the police source said.
China Quake Deaths at 20,000
By Prensa Latina,
Beijing : The death toll of the recent disastrous quake in the Chinese province of Sichuan has amounted to 20,000, according to figures revealed Thursday.
The provincial government informed that in its jurisdiction alone, over 19,500 bodies have been counted, while in nearby provinces, the figure is over 400.
The number of wounded has reached 65,000, and thousands of people are missing.
Local authorities in the cities and towns north of Chengdu, Sichuan's capital, had previously set the amount of people trapped in the ruins at 25,788.
Philippines probes ferry disaster, hundreds feared dead
By DPA,
Manila : A Philippine maritime board Wednesday opened an investigation into the country's one of the worst ferry disasters, in which more than 800 people are believed to have been killed.
At least 70 people were confirmed killed in the Saturday sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars off Sibuyan Island, 300 km south of Manila. More than 740 people are still missing and feared dead, while 48 have survived the accident - the worst in the past two decades.
China unveils fresh communist leadership, potential heirs
By NNN-Bernama
Beijing : Chinese President Hu Jintao unveiled on Monday the new leadership of China's ruling communists with the limelight on the two comparatively younger provincial party chiefs in the powerful nine-man political bureau standing committee.
Shanghai party chief, Xi Jinping, and his northeastern Liaoning counterpart, Li Keqiang, both born post-modern China, were thrusted into the limelight as potential successors to Hu who continues into his second term in office after the party's 17th congress closed Sunday.
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.
Philippine motorists struggle to cope with high fuel prices
By DPA,
Manila : Businessman Marlon Quejada rolled down the window on the driver's side despite the sweltering heat as he manoeuvred his van out of their house in Manila's suburban Caloocan City.
Quejada said that since the price of gasoline soared to 56.35 pesos ($1.28)) per litre last week, he stopped using his car air conditioner.
Quejada added that he has also limited the use of his van to three days a week in travelling to his office some 36 km away from home.
Japanese fishing boat capsizes, 13 missing
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : A fishing boat capsized in Pacific waters about 330 km off central Japan's Chiba Prefecture on Monday, Kyodo News reported.
Among the 20 crew members onboard, seven have been rescued while the Japan Coast Guard was still searching for the other 13 missing.
Chinese court jails Rio Tinto employees
By IANS,
Beijing : A court in China Monday gave jail terms to four people, including an Australian, in the Rio Tinto case for bribery and stealing commercial secrets.
The Intermediate People's Court in Shanghai gave jail terms ranging from seven to 14 years to the four defendants, including Australian Stern Hu, in the case, court sources said.
On July 5, 2009, four employees of Rio Tinto, a multinational mining and resources group with its headquarters in London and Melbourne, were arrested in Shanghai for corruption and espionage.
President Obama arrives in Japan
By DPA,
Tokyo/Washington : US President Barack Obama landed Friday afternoon in Tokyo, the first stop on his four-nation Asian tour.
Obama is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama later Friday. Climate change issues, the war in Afghanistan and the global downturn are expected to feature prominently in the talks.
Earthquake Shakes Nevada
By SPA
Washington : A strong earthquake hit northeastern Nevada early in the morning on Thursday.
The magnitude 6.0 earthquake, which hit close to the town of Wells, caused some damage, but there were no immediate reports of fatalities or injuries, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and local residents.
The quake, which was initially assessed by the USGS as a magnitude 6.3, was centered 11 miles southeast of Wells and struck at 6:16 a.m., with a shallow epicenter of 6.2 miles deep.