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Jamaica to reward Olympic athletes

By IANS/CMC, Kingston (Jamaica): Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller says athletes who represented the country in last month's London Olympics will be rewarded for their efforts.

Russia to restructure Cyprus loan: Putin

By IANS/RIA Novosti, Hanover: Russia has decided to restructure its multi-billion euro loan to Cyprus to help the island nation resolve its financial crisis, President Vladimir Putin said Monday.

Unidentified gunmen attack private TV station in Sri Lanka

By IANS, Colombo : A group of unidentified gunmen Tuesday torched a leading Sri Lankan private television and radio station on the outskirts of the national capital, drawing strong condemnation from the US, rights groups and media organisations. According to officials, the gunmen came in a van without number plates and attacked the studios and the main control room of the Maharaja Television/Broadcasting network (MTV/MBC) at Depanama, Pannipitiya, near Colombo.

Vietnamese say My Lai apology `better late than never’

By DPA, Hanoi : Vietnamese Monday welcomed last week's apology by the US officer convicted of leading the notorious My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, but said more senior officers should be held responsible as well. "Lieutenant William Calley's apology for his massacre comes too late, but I think it is better late than never," said Pham Thanh Cong, 52, director of a museum at the site where the massacres took place in 1968.

IMF sees ‘break in the clouds’, but no voice for emerging economies

By Arun Kumar, IANS, Washington : Amid signs of a "break in the clouds" of the economic storm, world finance leaders have pledged to keep working collaboratively to restore international financial stability and revive growth. But they appear to have made a slow move on the issue of giving emerging market countries a stronger voice in the International Monetary Fund, a demand reiterated by India at Saturday's meeting of the Fund's 24-member decision-making panel.

British Airways cabin crew to begin new strike Saturday

By IANS/RIA Novosti, London : Cabin crews of Britain's largest air carrier, British Airways (BA), will go on another five-day strike Saturday. Tensions between BA and the Unite trade union began in 2009, when the company said it would reduce cabin crew for long-haul flights from 15 to 14, making 1,000 full-time cabin crew staff redundant. The airways also announced salary growth would be frozen through 2010. The trade union has since held a number of walkouts, the latest during May 30-June 3.

Solar-powered plants promise water for world’s poorest

By Ernest Gill, DPA Hamburg (Germany) : A team of German scientists has come up with a revolutionary design for a small solar-powered mobile water treatment plant which could bring hope to drought-affected areas of the world. The researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg said they have been carrying out tests on their small, decentralised water treatment plants with an autonomous power supply in recent weeks and that they hope they will move into production in the coming months.

Wildfires rage across southern California

By DPA Los Angeles : Under fiery skies choked with soot and ash, 250,000 San Diego area residents fled their homes as stiff Santa Ana winds spread furious wildfires across southern California in what Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called a "perfect firestorm". At least one person was killed and 17 were injured in 12 conflagrations that ignited over the weekend, burning thousands of hectares, forcing mass evacuations and threatening to engulf thousands of homes.

Japan seeks closer energy ties with UAE

By IANS/WAM, Tokyo: The Japan has sought to bolster energy relations with the UAE, a Japanese official said.

OAPEC calls for considering interests of developing nations

By KUNA Bali, (Indonesia) : The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) has urged participants in the ongoing UN climate change conference to focus debates on cutting greenhouse emissions and refrain from neglecting interests of developing nations. OAPEC, in a statement released on sidelines of the conference on Saturday, said the conferees should seek to devise plans to cut the emissions, provided such an approach would not undermine interests of the developing nations.

Thailand supports World Heritage status for Cambodian Hindu temple

By DPA

Bangkok : Thailand has welcomed "in principle" a decision by the World Heritage Committee this week to consider Preah Vihear, a famed Hindu temple perched on the Thai-Cambodian border, as a World Heritage Site next year.

Thailand holds special parliament session to defuse crisis

By DPA, Bangkok : Thailand launched a special parliamentary session Sunday to defuse a spiraling political crisis caused by the occupation of Government House - the government's administrative headquarters - by thousands of protesters for the past week. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej agreed to a special joint session of both the lower and upper houses of parliament after police failed to oust thousands of anti-government demonstrators from the seat of government Friday.

With virtually no pension system, Chinese fear getting old

By DPA Beijing : "Those who have borne a son can quietly grow old," is an oft-repeated Chinese saying. But in a rapidly ageing society, many Chinese find themselves overwhelmed by the financial responsibility for their parents. "My parents are relying on my help. But I don't know where the money will be coming from," complains Zhang Jinrong. "I scarcely earn enough money to support myself."

Anura of Bandaranaike family is dead

By P.K. Balachandran, IANS Colombo : Anura Bandaranaike, a former Sri Lankan foreign minister and brother of former president Chandrika Kumaratunga, died here Sunday after a brief illness, officials said. He was 59. A stalwart of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Anura - as he was widely known - had been ill and was hospitalised for a while. A controversial politician who switched sides many times, Bandaranaike revolted against President Mahinda Rajapaksa twice in 2007 and lost his ministerial portfolio. But he was due to be taken back when he expired.

Three die as quake jolts Guatemala

By IANS, Guatemala City : At least three people died in Guatemala Monday after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit the country.

Style statement: Hillary back to conservative roots?

By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS, New Delhi: In May 2009, Hillary Clinton watcher and former editor of Vanity Fair, Tina Brown, wrote in The New York Times, "It's time for Barack Obama to let Hillary Clinton take off her burqa." But that does not seem likely. The 61-year-old US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has returned to her conservative Illinois roots with her trademark colourful pantsuits that she is sporting in India - a far cry from the show of cleavage in the US Senate in July 2007 where her black top with a low neckline created a virtual flutter.

Myanmar Media Call For Efforts For Development Of Rural Libraries

By Bernama, Yangon : Myanmar official media Thursday called for efforts for the development of self-reliant rural libraries to widen the scope of knowledge of the rural people. "Knowledge and thinking power of the rural people will be enhanced with the efforts of local and social organizations, the people and service personnel to develop libraries," China's Xinhua news agency quoted the New light of Myanmar daily as saying in its editorial.

‘Immigrants to fund British schools and hospitals’

By IANS London : Opposition groups Wednesday slammed reported British government proposals to hike immigration application fees in order to raise 15 million pounds that would help fund schools in Britain. Proposals set to be announced by government ministers also include stiff new rules for granting British citizenship, including an English test, as part of a paper outlining the rights and responsibilities of new citizens, media reports said.

LTTE suicide bomber killed, eight injured in Colombo blast

By KUNA New Delhi : A suicide bomber of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was killed on Friday and eight people were injured in a blast in Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. The blast took place in Modera near the Colombo harbour this morning, Sri Lankan Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara told Indo Asian News Service. He claimed that an LTTE suicide bomber had triggered the blast. Four police personnel and four civilians, including two women, were injured in the blast. They have been admitted to hospitals in the city.

Sri Lankan president briefs opposition on war with LTTE

By IANS, Colombo : Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa Friday held talks with leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremesinghe and briefed him on the situation in the country's north where fierce fighting is on with the Tamil Tiger rebels, sources said here. The meeting was held at Temple Trees, the heavily guarded official residence of the president.

Cuba for ‘special priority’ to Japan

By EFE, Tokyo: Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has said that his country accords "special priority" to its ties with Japan and solicited the Asian country's support regarding Havana's relations with the US. He made the statement Monday at a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Kastuya Okada on his second day of a state visit to Japan to celebrate the 80 years of Cuba's diplomatic relations with the Asian country.

Computer virus attacks German defence computers

BY DPA, Berlin : A computer virus that has already hit defence computers in Britain and France has spread to German military systems, the defence ministry in Berlin said Saturday. The Conficker computer worm has exasperated computer users right around the globe in recent weeks, but security-conscious military users had been thought to be better prepared to repel it. The spokesman said several German armed forces sites had to be disconnected from the military network after hundreds of computers were taken over by Conficker. However, no other disruptions were reported.

G-8 leaders discuss oil, food prices, world economy, global warming

By KUNA, Toyako, Japan : Leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized nations began substantial talks here on Tuesday, aiming to find common ground on surging oil and food prices, the world economic slowdown, and global warming. The second day of the G-8 summit followed outreach dialogues with African nations on the previous day at Lake Toya resort in in northern Japan.

Seven killed in Japan hotel fire

By IANS, Tokyo : Seven people were killed and three injured Sunday when a fire broke out at a hotel in southwestern Japan, a media report said.

Obamas made $1.72 million last year

By IANS, Washington : US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle made over $1.72 million last year, and paid about $453,000 in federal tax, the White House said.

Kyrgyzstan rules out terrorism in fatal air crash

By DPA, Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) : Kyrgyz authorities Monday ruled out terrorism as the cause of an air crash in which at least 65 passengers died near the Central Asian state's capital of Bishkek, saying mechanical failure was the probable cause. Reports on the number killed and injured when the Itek Air Boeing 737 came down Sunday evening varied. The Interfax news agency reported that the Kyrgyz government had ruled out terrorism, saying the crash was likely caused by engine failure or an error in the control system.

Germany’s Merkel warns against protectionism

By DPA, Berlin : German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Thursday against protectionism in the face of the global economic and financial downturn. "We will master the crisis together," she told parliament ahead of a European Union (EU) summit in Brussels Thursday. Merkel said cooperation was the best way to combat the crisis and restore confidence in the markets. One of the goals of the two-day EU meeting is to forge a common position on financial market regulation that can be presented to the Group of 20 summit (G20) of industrialised and emerging economies in London April 2.

Medvedev enjoying PM’s duties

By IANS, By RIA Novosti, Moscow: Dmitry Medvedev has said he was enjoying his duties as Russia's prime minister.

Indonesian volcano erupts

By IANS, Jakarta : Mount Lokon, an active volcano in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province, has erupted, forcing people living near the volcano to evacuate, a media report said.

Bene Israel’s Indian maternal genes

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

Tanzania building collapse toll reaches 20

By IANS, Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) : The number of people killed in the 16-storey under construction building collapse in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam has risen to 20, police said Saturday.

China to conduct naval drill

By IANS, Beijing : The People's Liberation Army (PLA) will conduct a four-day naval drill in the Yellow Sea next month, a media report said Sunday. PLA's Beihai Fleet will conduct a live-ammunition drill in the Yellow Sea Sep 1-4, China Daily reported quoting the defence ministry. The exercise, which involves shooting of shipboard artillery, will be held off the southeast coast of Qingdao city, where the Beihai Fleet is headquartered.

China may turn EU’s biggest market

By IANS, Beijing : China may overtake the US as the European Union's biggest export destination in 2012, according to the EU ambassador to China.

New UK government hit with first scandal

By IRNA, London : Britain’s new coalition government has been hit with the first scandal just two weeks since being formed after it was revealed that a key cabinet minister had claimed some £40,000 ($60,000) excess in expenses over the last eight years. In a statement apologising for the scandal, Chief Secretary of the Treasury David Laws also admitted that he had been in a homosexual relationship which he had been keeping secret.

Indian American caucus launched in Edison

By IANS

New York : A new caucus has been formed to bring New Jersey's Indian American community closer to the local political process and address the growing needs of the people.

Asian vote to fall at UK elections, poll finds

By IRNA, London : Fewer people of Asian origins are likely to vote in next month’s general election in Britain, reversing previous trends, according to the findings of an ICM poll commissioned by BBC Asian Network. The poll, which interviewed 500 people over the voting age of 18 from Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds, reported that those certain to vote was as low as 44 per cent, compared with nearly 70 percent who voted at the last elections in 2005.

Palestinian militants attack Israeli Army in Gaza — Israeli spokesman

By KUNA, GAZA : Palestinian militants opened fire at forces of the Israeli Army heading towards the eastern city of Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, on Sunday. An Israeli Army spokesperson said "The Israeli Army was heading towards a location near the border with Gaza when it was attacked by machine guns." No causalties were reported and the soldiers returned fire, the spokesman said. Meanwhile, a third missile was fired from northern Gaza towards Israel today, the spokesperson added.

Firefighters get California blazes under control

By DPA, Los Angeles : After four days of widespread devastation firefighters Tuesday managed to bring three large fires under control and evacuated residents returned to find hundreds of homes gutted by the flames. Aided by lighter winds Monday, firefighters in southern California were gaining the upper hand on three wildfires that have devastated the region. They were hopeful of containing the blazes by mid-week.

Philippine president greets Muslim citizens on Ramadan-eve

Manila: Philippine President Benigno Aquino III Saturday expressed his solidarity with the Muslim population ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan. Aquino said in his...

Indian American boy fails to spell his plight

By Arun Kumar

IANS

Washington : Kunal Sah, the 13-year-old Indian American boy who hoped a strong showing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee contest might somehow reunite him with his deported parents, was eliminated in the preliminary rounds.

Russia developing space defence missile systems

By RIA Novosti Moscow : Russia is developing a fifth-generation air defence missile that is superior to S-400 Triumf systems and capable of hitting targets in space, the air force said Wednesday. "While working on the S-400, we have been developing fifth-generation air defence systems, which will be more compact, more manoeuvrable, and will certainly have superior technical characteristics," Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin said.

Beyond borders: India, China must show climate stewardship

By Rajendra Shende, Hsüan-tsang, a scholarly Chinese monk in Vedic and Buddhism studies, crossed the formidable borders and travelled to India in search of original Buddhist scriptures. Hailing from central China's Henan province, his well-known 7th century travelogue describes India as a 'knowledge country'.

Seven killed, 100 missing in Nepal bridge collapse

By DPA Kathmandu : At least seven people were killed and at least 100 were feared missing after a bridge collapsed in western Nepal Tuesday, officials said. The suspension bridge over the Bheri River at Medhapura in Surkhet district, about 400 km west of the Nepal's capital Kathmandu, collapsed as hundreds of people were making their way across. "Police have managed to recover the bodies of seven people so far," an official of the district police office said. "Dozens of people are still missing and we have launched rescue operations."

N. Korea test fires short-range missiles in Yellow Sea

By RIA Novosti Tokyo : North Korea fired a number of short-range missiles off the western coast into the Yellow Sea, the Yonhap news agency said citing defense sources. The source said three anti-ship missiles with a range of 46 kilometers (28 miles) had been fired as part of North Korean military exercises. Yonhap cited South Korean presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan as saying: "The government regards North Korea's missile firing as merely a part of its ordinary military training."

China sets free three Japanese who entered military zone

By IANS, Beijing : China Thursday released three of the four Japanese detained for intruding into Chinese military zone, authorities said.

Violence in Lhasa’s ‘Beijing’ exposes deep divisions

By Bill Smith, DPA Beijing : Many Tibetans scathingly call the sprawling modern sections of the capital Lhasa "Beijing", where Chinese migrants try to make new lives in the harsh physical and social climate of Tibet. As the People's Liberation Army reportedly took control of the city with tanks Saturday, following the worst rioting for at least 20 years Friday, ethnically Chinese residents locked themselves indoors away from troops and Tibetan protesters.

Sri Lankan president hails recapture of rebel stronghold

By DPA

Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Wednesday hailed the country's security forces for recapturing the last stronghold of Tamil rebels in the eastern part of the country after a three-month military offensive.

Nepal to elect chairman of constitution drafting body

By IANS, Kathmandu : Nepal's constituent assembly, the body elected last year with the purpose to draft a new constitution for the country, will elect...

Less than three percent of Germans back Westerwelle as FM: poll

By IRNA, Berlin : Less than three percent of Germans support Guido Westerwelle as their country's foreign minister, according to a survey released Tuesday by the online site of the daily Frankfurter Rundschau. Asked whether Westerwelle was a good foreign minister, some 94.28 percent of the respondents replied 'no' while 3.17 percent said they did not know. The embattled minister has faced calls to resign in the wake of his numerous controversial political statements over the past months.

Cowell holidays with former fiancee

By IANS, London: Music mogul Simon Cowell has proved there are no hard feelings between him and his former fiancee, Mezhgan Hussainy, by whisking her away for a Christmas break in the Caribbean.

Modi-Sharif bilateral meeting in Ufa on Friday

Ufa (Russia): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to hold a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Friday - in a...

Former Israeli PM on trial again for corruption

Jerusalem: Israel's former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared before a Jerusalem court Tuesday after the state prosecution reopened a corruption case against him. Olmert was...

China Wishes Fidel Castro Well

By Prensa Latina Beijing : China, through its Foreign Ministry, wished President Fidel Castro a prompt recovery on Wednesday and reiterated its intention to further broaden friendly ties with Cuba. A statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry read by spokesman Liu Jianchao comments on the Cuban leader's message published Tuesday that he would not accept re-election to the posts of president and commander in chief. It notes that Fidel Castro is highly respected by the Cuban people and is also an old friend of the Chinese people.

‘Credit tsunami’ means job losses unavoidable: Ex-Fed chief

By DPA, Washington : Former US Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan warned Thursday that a "significant rise" in unemployment is unavoidable as the United States works through a massive financial crisis. Greenspan, who headed the US central bank from 1987 to 2006, also accepted some of the blame for the lax regulation during his tenure, which precipitated the credit freeze now gripping the country. "We are in the midst of a once in a century credit tsunami," Greenspan said in prepared remarks before the Oversight Committee of the US House of Representatives.

Half of US population develop osteoarthritis by 85

By IANS, Washington : Nearly half of the US adult population will develop painful osteoarthritis of the knee by 85, according to a University of North Carolina study. Osteoarthritis is a condition manifesting as a deep ache within or near the affected joint like the knee or the hip, coupled with a limitation of motion. Most people typically experience joint pain that worsens during the course of the day, whereas others report the greatest pain in the morning.

Five dead in US meningitis outbreak

By IANS, Washington: At least five people have died and 42 infected in a deadly meningitis outbreak linked to a contaminated drug, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced.

China’s repression in Tibet worst for 30 years: Report

By DPA, Beijing : China's repression of Tibetans' political, civil and religious rights in response to last year's unrest has reached levels last seen in the 1970s, the International Campaign for Tibet said in a report Monday. "Since the protests began on March 10 last year, state repression of Tibetans' freedoms of expression, religion and association has intensified to a level not seen in Tibet since the paranoia and Maoist excesses of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76)," the London-based group said.

US, Japan vow to resolve Okinawa base issue

By DPA, Washington : The US and Japan pledged Tuesday to resolve differences over relocating a US military base on Okinawa, offering assurances that the dispute will not undermine the countries' decades-old alliance. Speaking after a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada in Honolulu, Hawaii, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Tokyo to reach a conclusion on the 2006 agreement by May.

Russia brings in new law on foreign officials’ financial deals

By RIA Novosti Moscow : Russia is tightening its control over financial transactions by foreign officials as a new version of the law on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism comes into effect on January 15. The law obliges Russian banks, pawn shops, insurers and other organizations to ascertain and record the origins and destinations of monies received and sent by foreign public officials. The same measures also apply to their relatives.

Japan quake victims’ bodies could be radioactive

By IANS, London : Fear of radiation is preventing the authorities from collecting the bodies of about 1,000 victims of the March 11 Japan earthquake and ensuing tsunami.

Thailand rejects US extradition request for ‘Merchant of Death’

By Xinhua, Bangkok: A Thai Court Tuesday rejected a US request to extradite Viktor Bout, a suspected Russian arms dealer dubbed "Merchant of Death", to face trial in the US. The ruling came almost a year-and-a-half after Bout was arrested in a sting operation at a luxury hotel in central Bangkok, the Nation said. Bout, who is said to have inspired the Hollywood film "Lord of War" starring Nicolas Cage, was held on charges of illegally selling weapons -- to al Qaeda among others -- that were used in some of the world's most violent conflicts.

SAARC Summit to focus on food, energy crisis

By Xinhua, Kathmandu : South Asian ambassadors representing their respective countries in Nepal said the forthcoming 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit would address the current regional challenges like food crisis, energy crisis and fuel price hike, terrorism, trafficking, and climate change. According to a report of The Rising Nepal Saturday, the SAARC Summit is to be held in Colombo of Sri Lanka on Aug. 2-3 and Nepali caretaker Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala will participate in the conference as an executive head of the state.

Mexico City passes ‘right to die’ law

By IANS Mexico City : The administration of the capital city of Mexico has passed an ordinance legalising the right to die by terminally ill people. The law, which allows only withholding of treatment and not medically assisted death of a patient, has come into force from Tuesday only at the government run hospitals in the Mexico City, Spanish news agency EFE reported Wednesday.

Four injured in Lankan airbase accident

By Xinhua

Colombo : At least four airmen were injured when a weapon fixed to a Sri Lanka Air Force aircraft went off Sunday afternoon in an air base near the capital Colombo, defence officials said.

Sri Lanka hails Indian medical aid to war displaced

By IANS, Colombo : Sri Lanka has hailed neighbouring India for providing urgent healthcare assistance to thousands of civilians fleeing the island's northern war zone where the troops and the Tamil Tigers are locked in a fierce battle. Visiting the Indian field hospital at Pulmoddai in the eastern port city of Trincomalee, senior presidential adviser and legislator Basil Rajapaksa Sunday said Sri Lankans would "never forget how India came to the assistance of civilians who were affected by LTTE atrocities".

Greene joins campaign against domestic violence

By IANS, London : "Twilight" star Ashley Greene has been roped in to lead a new campaign aimed at stopping domestic violence.

WHO researchers’ call for action on childhood environmental health

By IANS, Washington : Exposure to environmental threats can affect children's health and development early in life and into adulthood. World Health Organisation (WHO) and Boston University scientists suggest that it is time for both industrialised and developing countries to assess the environmental burden of childhood diseases.

Rich getting richer faster than poor: ADB

By DPA Manila : The rich are growing richer faster than the poor in developing Asia as disparities in standards of living continue to widen in one of the most dynamic regions in the world, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) study said Wednesday. According to the bank's publication Key Indicators 2007, the poor are still lagging behind in the region's rapid development even as poverty rates have declined in the past decade.

Fire burns down Brazilian national park

By IANS/EFE, Brasilia : An area equivalent to 10,000 soccer fields has been wiped out in a massive wildfire in a national park here in the Brazilian capital.

Severed head left at tomb of Mexican drug lord

By IANS/EFE, Mexico City : The severed head of a man was found at the tomb of Mexican drug lord Arturo Beltran Leyva, who died last month in a shootout with marines, authorities said. The head belonged to Adalberto Gurrola, 29, said a spokesman in the Sinaloa state Attorney General's (AG) Office Monday, adding that the victim had no criminal record. Gurrola's family said he worked at a food-processing plant in his native Sinaloa. The AG office spokesman said Gurrola went missing Saturday after leaving his home with several friends.

EU-Latin America summit voices concern over food prices

By DPA, Lima : The European Union-Latin America-Caribbean (EU-LAC)summit stressed in its final declaration in Lima that participants were "deeply concerned by the impact of increased food prices", specifically citing troubled Haiti as an example. "We agree that immediate measures are needed to assist the most vulnerable countries and populations affected by high food prices," the Lima declaration said Friday.

Sri Lanka wants UN to clarify dangerous place claim

By Xinhua Colombo : Sri Lanka Tuesday asked its permanent representative in the UN to call for a clarification on a statement made by a top official of the world body saying the country was one of "the world's dangerous places for aid workers". "We will take up the issue with the UN," Keheliya Rambukwella, defence spokesman and the minister of foreign employment told reporters here.

UN approves $4.17 bn budget despite US objection

By Xinhua United Nations : The UN General Assembly approved a two-year UN budget of $4.17 billion despite objection from the US. The budget, proposed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, was approved by a vote of 142 to one Saturday. Ban welcomed the approval and also expressed his regret that the budget was not adopted by consensus, marking a break with tradition after 20 years, the UN spokesman's office said in a statement.

More activists barred as Macau marks 10 years of Chinese rule

By DPA, Hong Kong : More political activists were barred from entering Macau as the territory marked the 10th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule, a news report said Monday. Three activists from Hong Kong said they were detained and roughed up by immigration officers when they arrived in the territory by ferry Sunday, the day of the anniversary, the South China Morning Post reported. One of the pro-democracy activists told the newspaper he was detained for an hour, pushed and kicked in the groin before being put back on a ferry to Hong Kong.

Police chiefs in UK divided over 42-day detention limit

By KUNA, London : The United Kingdom's most senior police officers are divided over the necessity for 42 days pre-charge detention for terror suspects, it was reported here Monday. British ministers have repeatedly cited police support for extending the period suspects may be held without trial, and London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has publicly backed the change. Writing in The Sun newspaper today, Sir Hugh Orde, Northern Ireland's Chief Police Constable, also said he believed the current 28-day limit was not enough.

NGOs In Pontianak Reject G-20 Summit

By Bernama, Pontianak (West Kalimantan) : Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) grouped in the People's Struggle Front (FPR) reject the ongoing Summit of Group of 20 (G-20) in Washington DC because they believe the group will not be able to overcome the current global financial and economic crises, ANTARA quoted their spokesman as saying. FPR Coordinator Rudi HB Daman in a press statement here on Saturday said the United States which initiated the G-20 Summit had a long record of failures in dealing with global financial crises.

Pattani doves croon, coo helping locals cast away fears

By NNN-TNA Pattani : Thousands of Thais, Buddhist and Muslim alike, and bird-lovers from more distant places, gathered together peacefully Saturday, as 1,700 doves crooned and cooed and help the spectators put aside their worries of violence in the ongoing shadowy and formless insurgency which has brought fear as a constant companion to residents of the South. Owners of the winning birds will receive trophies from Thailand's Queen Sirikit.

Japan vows against nukes on Hihroshima anniversary

By NNN-ANTARA Hihroshima : Japan vows on Monday never to seek atomic weapons and urged nuclear powers to give up their own arsenals 62 years after the world's first nuclear attack on Hiroshima. Some 45,000 people recited silent prayers at 8:15 am, the exact moment in 1945 when a single US bomb instantly killed more than 140,000 people and fatally injured tens of thousands of others with radiation or horrific burns.

Inform us before sending aid, says Nepal

By Anil Giri, Kathmandu : Nepal on Tuesday denied it was refusing any aid but requested all countries and international organisations to inform it prior...

Pakistan violates ceasefire in Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu : Pakistan Rangers on Sunday once again violated the bilateral ceasefire, opening unprovoked firing at Indian positions on the international border in...

Inter-Korean women call for national reconciliation, reunification

By Xinhua, Pyongyang : Representatives of women from the two Koreas met on Thursday and Friday at Mt. Kumgang Resort of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), vowing to implement two declarations on reunification. The delegates called for promoting the national reconciliation and unity and boosting the desire for reunification, said the official news agency KCNA. They vowed to uphold and implement the June 15 joint declaration and the Oct. 4 declaration, which were reached by the two Korea's leaders in 2000 and 2007 respectively, the KCNA added.

US working hard to check Wall St impact on economy: Bush

By Arun Kumar, IANS, Washington : As the US financial system reeled with the turmoil on the Wall Street, President George W. Bush assured that his administration was working to reduce disruptions and minimise the impact on the broader economy. "As policymakers, we're focused on the health of the financial system as a whole," Bush said at the White House Monday, using the visit of Ghana President John Kufuor to reach out to the Americans "concerned about the adjustments that are taking place in our financial markets".

China targets key areas for further reforms in 2008

By Xinhua Beijing : China's top economic planner said Sunday that it would step up reforms in key areas such as the economic system, investment regulation and supervision, resource products pricing and national healthcare. "We should further deepen reform in 2008," Ma Kai, head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said at the annual working meeting of economic planners at all levels concluded here on Sunday.

US Coast Guard fires to sink Japanese tsunami ship

By IANS, Washington : The US Coast Guard has fired cannons to sink a Japanese ghost ship that was drifting towards Alaska, a media report said.

Aid conference kicks off for Myanmar’s cyclone victims

By DPA, Yangon : An aid conference for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, which slammed into Myanmar three weeks ago leaving 133,000 dead or missing, opened Sunday in Yangon amid widespread perplexity over the government's stance on the disaster. In addition to representatives from about 45 countries, the conference included United Nations agencies, ministers from the 10 members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Red Cross movement and at least five non-governmental organizations, UN sources said.

UN unable to agree response to North Korean rocket

By ANTARA, United Nations : The Security Council adjourned after three hours of closed-door talks on North Korea's long-range rocket launch with no agreement on how to respond to what Western members called a clear violation of UN resolutions. "Members of the Security Council agreed to continue consultations on an appropriate action by the council in accordance with its responsibilities given the urgency of the matter," Mexico's UN Ambassador Claude Heller, the council chair this month, was quoted by AFP as telling reporters after the meeting.

NRI with swine flu symptoms admitted to Delhi hospital

By IANS, New Delhi : A London-based NRI who arrived at the international airport here Saturday morning has been admitted to a hospital with suspected swine flu infection, an official said. The man was subjected to screening for swine flu symptoms at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and found to have a running nose, cough and throat irritation. He was admitted to the isolation ward of the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital, its medical superintendent N.K. Chaturvedi told IANS.

US panel warns of nuclear, biological attack threat

By KUNA, Washington : A bipartisan US congressional panel warned Tuesday the world is at risk for a nuclear or biological attack in the next five years. The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism said the international community must act decisively and with great urgency to counter such a threat. Without urgent action, "it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013," the commission said in its report "World at Risk".

Newly-elected Nepali president resigns from all party posts

By Xinhua, Kathmandu : President of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala has accepted the resignation tendered by newly-elected President Rambaran Baran Yadav from the post of the party's General Secretary and member of the party, stating that he needed to be independent from partisan affiliation to maintain dignity and integrity of the post of the president, the National News Agency RSS reported on Wednesday.

Vietnam to launch first telecom satellite next month

By RIA Novosti Hanoi : Vietnam's first communications satellite, the Vinasat-1, is to be launched on April 12, a Vietnamese government official said on Wednesday. Nguyen Ba Thuoc, deputy director of the Vietnamese Post and Telecommunications Corporation, the satellite project's investor, said the satellite would be launched by an Ariane carrier rocket by the French company Ariane Space from the Kourou space center in French Guiana.

UN experts to assess South Africa’s anti-terror laws

By IANS, Pretoria : A delegation from the UN Security Council will visit South Africa next week to assess the country's legislation, enforcement capacity and national systems to implement anti-terror measures, BuaNews reported Friday. The 15-member team from the UN's Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) will assess the country's capacity in line with the UN Security Council resolutions and international conventions, George Nene, deputy director general in the South African foreign ministry, said Thursday.

McCain improves in final debate, but polls, analysts say Obama wins again

By Ronald Baygents, KUNA, Washington : Declaring that he was "not President Bush," Republican presidential nominee John McCain delivered what analysts agreed was his best performance on Wednesday night in the last of three debates between the Arizona senator and his rival, Barack Obama. Whether that was enough to close the big lead Obama has over McCain in recent polls leading up to the November 4 election was an open question. A CNN "instant poll" of debate watchers showed 58 percent viewed the performance by Democratic nominee Obama as favorable compared to 31 percent for McCain.

Japanese Cabinet oks plan to dispatch SDF to quake-hit Haiti

By NNN-Kyodo, Tokyo : The Cabinet on Friday endorsed a specific plan about Japan's dispatch of Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel to quake-hit Haiti to engage in UN peacekeeping operations, prompting some 160 SDF members to depart for the Caribbean nation on Saturday. Under the plan, a 350-member unit will engage in the UN mission on a steady basis until November 30. The unit consists mainly of SDF engineers who will help reconstruction work in the quake-devastated country, and includes three civilians who will examine the quake resistance of buildings.

Very few Indian Americans contribute to Obama transition project

By Lalit K. Jha, IANS, New York : Indian Americans have the highest per capita income among ethnic communities in the US and are known for making massive political donations, but they seem to have made little contribution to the Obama-Biden Transition Project. Only 18 names of Indian Americans feature in a list of 1,776 donors.

Russian parliament backs independence for Georgia’s rebel regions

By DPA, Moscow : Russian lawmakers Monday unanimously passed a resolution backing the independence of Georgia's rebel regions, a move sure to deepen a rift with the West over Moscow's military actions in the former Soviet state. In an emergency session, the two houses of parliament unanimously voted in a motion urging President Dmitry Medvedev to recognize the provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent. The rush toward recognition of the ethnically separate regions follows the brief but bloody war between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia earlier this month.

Canada PM blasts Myanmar, sends DART for relief

By Gurmukh Singh, IANS, Toronto : Canada has blasted Myanmar's military junta for preventing international relief from reaching the victims of last week's cyclone, which may have claimed up to 100,000 lives. The government has despatched its famed Disaster Response Assistance Team (DART) to Thailand, to be deployed in neighbouring Myanmar when its military government gives it the green signal. DART is made up of about 200 members of Canadian armed forces who are deployed to disaster-hit regions of the world to provide quick medical help and safe drinking water to the victims.

BP chief executive Tony Hayward to step down

By DPA, London: BP Plc chief executive Tony Hayward is to step down following intense criticism of his handling of the worst oil spill in US history, British Broadcasting Corporation reported Sunday. His departure from the British oil giant could come into effect within 24 hours, the broadcaster said. The spill in the Gulf of Mexico followed an explosion in April at the offshore Deepwater Horizon oil rig where BP had been drilling a well. Hayward is likely to be replaced by his US colleague, Bob Dudley, the head of BP's efforts to contain the spill, according to the report.

British business secretary for a liberal immigration policy

By Venkata Vemuri, IANS, London : Even as British Prime Minister David Cameron begins his first official visit to India, his Business Secretary Vince Cable created a stir by saying he preferred a more liberal immigration policy for non-EU workers than what the government was currently adopting. Talking to the media before heading for New Delhi Tuesday, Cable, a Liberal Democrat minister in the coalition government, said he wanted a liberal policy as opposed to the Conservative line of a tougher one.

Alarcon: Cuba Shows Stability, Harmony

By Prensa Latina Madrid : Cuba Parliament President, Ricardo Alarcon, said his country has shown evidences of stability and institutional harmony, and criticized those who "try not to see the Revolution has a strong popular support". In an interview with Spanish newspaper Publico, Alarcon stressed the Cuban Revolution´s continuity, and said President Fidel Castro "has entered history as a winner a long time ago". Fidel Castro is an extraordinary person, with outstanding merits, but the revolutionary process is beyond him, Alarcon noted.

Britain’s Labour Party suffers losses in local polls

By DPA

London : Britain's ruling Labour Party suffered marked losses in local and regional elections, the last of the Blair era, but results Friday showed that the party steered clear of an "electoral disaster" that had been widely predicted.

Plan to close Tempelhof Airport angers many Berliners

By DPA Berlin : Sixty years ago, Tempelhof Airport was a focus of world attention when the Allied airlift began and vital food supplies were flown in round-the-clock to save West Berlin from starvation. The airlift, which began in June 1948 and lasted until September 1949, was a historical turning point in post-war German history. It put paid to the Russian blockade in a bid to drive the Western powers from the city and turn Berlin into a communist stronghold.

Putin urges Russians to vote in presidential election

By Xinhua Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday called on the people to make their own, independent choice at the March 2 presidential poll to elect his successor. Putin called on all Russians "to turn out for Sunday's elections and to vote for our future, Russia's future". "Each of your votes will be important on March 2. The opinion of each of you is important," Putin said in a televised address Four candidates are vying for the highest post of the country.

LTTE artillery launching pads bombed: Sri Lanka

By IANS, Colombo : The Sri Lankan Air Force, supporting advancing troops, Wednesday bombed the Tamil Tigers' suspected artillery gun positions and forward bunker lines in the north, the government said. “Sri Lankan Air Force fighter craft and MI-24 helicopter gun-ships launched multiple air strikes at identified LTTE positions in separate locations in Wanni and North Wednesday evening,” the Defence Ministry said.

North Korea tests six missiles, says South Korea

By DPA, Seoul : North Korea fired six missiles from its eastern coast Saturday, the South Korean defence ministry said. The missiles, with a range of 400 to 500 km, were fired over the Sea of Japan between 8 a.m. and 4.10 p.m., the ministry added. "It is a provocative act that clearly violates UN Security Council resolutions 1695, 1718, and 1874 that bar North Korea's every activity related to ballistic missiles," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement, the Yonhap national news agency reported.

Top Indian Canadian leader defeated in polls

By IANS, Vancouver : Wally Oppal, a top Indian Canadian politician and British Columbia provincial attorney general, was defeated in the assembly election Tuesday after a recount of votes. In the May 12 assembly elections in British Columbia province, Oppal was declared winner by just two votes in his home constituency of Delta South on the outskirts of Vancouver. However, Canadian election laws mandate a fresh recount if the margin of victory is very thin.

MIT edges closer to making fusion power real

By IANS, Washington : The prospect of fusion as a future power source is still decades away, but MIT scientists have edged closer to making it a reality. Fusion has enormous potential because it produces no emissions, fuel sources are abundant and it produces relatively little (and short-lived) radioactive waste. But it still faces great hurdles. "There's been a lot of progress," said physicist Earl Marmar, division head of the Alcator Project at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Centre (PSFC). "We're learning a lot more about the details of how these things work."

Make Fareed Zakaria secretary of state, website campaign urges

By Arun Kumar, IANS, Washington : A couple of months before the US presidential election, a new website popped up on the internet urging the next president to draft India-born American journalist Fareed Zakaria for the post of secretary of state. "We believe Fareed Zakaria is the best candidate for this job," said an open letter to the next president posted on the website "Draft Fareed! -- to help Zakaria become the next secretary of state" long before Democrat Barack Obama's election.

Mexicans to be fined $3 mn for selling confidential data

By IANS/EFE, Mexico City : Mexican people convicted of selling confidential personal data collected by the government will be fined up to $2.9 million and face five years in prison under a new bill passed by the parliament. The bill was passed by both houses of Mexico's Congress Wednesday after a newspaper report said a data package comprised of national election rolls, vehicle registration records, and photo identities of police officers could be bought for $12,000 on the black market.

Carbon levels may trigger disastrous climate change

By IANS, Washington : Carbon levels have reached a point of no return and may trigger disastrous climate change -- unless they are reversed, scientists have warned. Their study is a departure from recent estimates that truly dangerous levels would be reached only later in this century. "There is a bright side to this conclusion," says James E. Hansen, the study's co-author and director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, part of Columbia University's Earth Institute.

Spaniards dining out less during recession: Study

By EFE, Madrid : Amid the worst recession in decades, Spaniards are cooking much more at home instead of frequently going out to restaurants, according to a new study. The head of business development for the consulting firm TNS Worldpanel, Stephane Roger, Monday presented figures for the consumption sector so far in 2009, noting that the average value of purchases year to date had declined by 1.6 percent from its level in 2008.

Saddam’s daughter to stand for Iraqi Parliament

Baghdad : The eldest daughter of late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein intends to launch a new tribal coalition to run in the country's 2018...

Miley Cyrus’ X-Mas classic an instant hit online

By IANS, London : Teen starlet Miley Cyrus' new version of Christmas classic “Little drummer boy” has become an instant hit on the Internet. The song was edited out from the “Hannah Montana” holiday special show. The teen sensation and her father Billy Ray gathered around the piano for the song, but the tune failed to make it into the episode, which aired Dec 14, reports contactmusic.com. Despite being snipped out, the song has become one of the most requested new festive tunes online.

Protests erupt in Kathmandu after serial blasts

By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS Kathmandu : Protests began to erupt in the capital Monday, demanding that the government hunt out and punish the culprits behind Sunday's serial blasts that killed two women and injured over two dozen persons, including children. Spontaneous protests began on the circular road surrounding the capital, in Maharajgunj in the city, and in Nekap and Balaju with people burning tyres on roads and condemning the explosions that targeted ordinary people. Anger ran high in Nekap, which lost a resident in Sunday's blasts.

Sirisena officially declared Sri Lanka’s new president

Colombo : Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya Friday afternoon officially declared Maithripala Sirisena the new president of Sri Lanka. Making the announcement, Deshapriya said the joint...

US Fed has other tools beside rate cuts: Bernanke

By Xinhua, London : US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Tuesday said the bank has other powerful tools to fight the economic downturn besides short-term liquidity to financial institutions. He said the first set of tools that are closely tied to the central bank's traditional role as lender involve the provision of short-term liquidity to sound financial institutions.

Mummy found abandoned in Peru’s capital

By IANS/EFE, Lima : A mummy, apparently of a young woman, was abandoned on a Lima street along with ancient ceramic artifacts, a forensic expert told Peruvian media.

Russia to send rescuers to quake-hit Japan

By IANS/RIA Novosti, Moscow : Russia will send a team of rescuers to Japan, stricken by the devastating earthquake and tsunami, a spokeswoman for the country's emergencies ministry has said.

Chile quake moved Concepcion city 3 metres westward

By DPA, New York : The massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake that hit Chile last month moved the city of Concepcion about three metres to the west and also shifted several other cities in South America, scientists said Tuesday. Chile's capital Santiago moved 28 centimetres to the west-southwest, according to studies by four universities and several organisations in the US and Argentina. In Argentina, Buenos Aires moved 2.5 centimetres to the west, the researchers said.

NATO ready to pass anti-piracy baton to EU

By SPA, Brussels : The European Union is ready to defend commercial vessels from Somali pirates once NATO's mission expires later this month, DPA quoted EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana as saying Wednesday. "We have a responsibility to escort, deter and protect, and it will be done with very robust rules of engagement," Solana said ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

US hit by worst drought since 1950s

By IANS, Washington : The US has been hit by the worst drought since 1950s, with almost two thirds of the country toiling it out, a report said.

Israel agrees to Egypt’s Gaza ceasefire proposal

London: The Israeli cabinet Tuesday agreed on an Egyptian initiative for Gaza truce, even as the Islamic Hamas movement rejected the proposal, saying that...

US stocks rise on banking rally

By DPA New York : Winners outnumbered losers Tuesday on Wall Street amid a broad-based rally led by the battered banking and financial services sectors. The rally came as two financial services companies, UBS AG and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc, announced that they would raise a combined $19 billion in fresh capital, sparking optimism about the resolution of the now months-long crisis in credit markets. Tuesday was the first day of the second quarter, with the session's gains partially erasing steep first-quarter losses on major US stock indices.r

Tobacco kills 1.5 million women annually: UN

By IANS, Tehran : Use of tobacco kills more than 1.5 million women in world every year, and the number could rise to 2.5 million in the next two decades, the UN has warned. "Most deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Without concerted action, that number could rise to 2.5 million women by 2030," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. Ban asked the governments to "turn back the global tobacco epidemic" and "address this public health threat". "Tobacco use is not stylish or empowering. It is ugly and deadly," IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.

‘Iran n-deal done, yet not a time to celebrate’

Beijing: The Tehran nuclear deal has finally been done, yet this is "not a time to celebrate as Iran and the international community should...

3,000 trees fall mysteriously in Nepal

By Xinhua, Kathmandu : In a bizarre ecological phenomenon, nearly 3,000 trees fell in quick succession in a community forest in western Nepal, eKantipur reported Thursday on its website. The website quoted locals as saying they had noticed large cracks on the ground at the Shrikrishna Community Forest in Banke district, some 360 km west of Kathmandu, but the weather was calm last Monday when the incident took place. "There was neither a gale nor a storm during that day," said Tilak Bahadur Chand, a resident of the area.

Airbus breaks ground on US plant

By IANS/EFE, New York : European aircraft consortium Airbus broke ground at the site of its A320 plant in Mobile, Alabama.

Ebola toll crosses 2,400: WHO

Geneva : The death toll in the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa has exceeded 2,400 among 4,784 reported cases, World Health Organisation (WHO)...

Obama says US on track to mend ties with Muslims

By DPA, Jakarta:US President Barack Obama said Tuesday his efforts to mend ties with the Muslim world were on track but acknowledged that the job was unfinished.

How did Mina Stampede happen – Who is Responsible for it – Saudi Arabia...

By Dr.Ajmal 769 Haj piligrims died in the Mina Stampede, and the preceding week around 107 died in the Crane Crash in...

Maoists quit Koirala government, begin ‘street revolt’

By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS Kathmandu : Nepal's Maoists Tuesday quit the government, announced boycott of the Nov 22 elections and decided on a "street revolt" to get rid of monarchy, as hundreds of their cadres began a march into capital Kathmandu burning effigies of King Gyanendra.

One in four British commuters don’t wash hands after toilet use

By Venkata Vemuri, IANS, London : Many Britons don't wash their hands properly after a visit to the washroom, the latest hygiene survey reveals. The unsanitary statistics come on the very day, Wednesday, which is observed as Global Hand-washing Day to coincide with 2008 being the UN International Year of Sanitation. Ironically, the Day is meant to promote clean hands to ward off infections, specifically in developing countries.
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