UN summit of least developed nations begins Monday
By IANS,
United Nations : The 4th UN summit of the Least Developed Countries starts Monday in Istanbul, and would focus on ending poverty, Prensa Latina reported.
Old letters show Anglican leader’s ‘liberal stance’ on homosexuality
By DPA,
London : Liberals in the worldwide Anglican Church can take comfort from views expressed eight years ago on the vexed issue of homosexuality by Rowan Williams, the current Archbishop of Canterbury, the London Times said Thursday.
In correspondence seen by the Times, Williams expressed the belief that gay sexual relationships can "reflect the love of God" in a way that is comparable to marriage, the report said.
British police find links to Swedish terrorist attack
By DPA,
Stockholm/London : British police searched a house north of London in connection with a suspected terrorist attack in Stockholm over the weekend.
Nepal government forms committee to probe plane crash
By IANS,
Kathmandu : The Nepal government Monday set up a four-member probe committee to investigate Sunday's aircraft crash in the Himalayan country which claimed...
Obama calls on world to confront scourges of hatred
ByDPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama marked Holocaust Remembrance Day Thursday by warning that preventing genocide in the future depends on the world's willingness to confront hatred wherever it arises.
"Bearing witness is not the end of our obligation. It's just the beginning. We know that evil has yet to run its course on earth," Obama said. "We've seen it, in this century, in the mass graves and the ashes of villages burned to the ground and children used as soldiers and rape used as a weapon of war."
Jaguar undergoes dental surgery
By IANS/EFE,
Bogota : Reina, a female jaguar who lives at the Santa Fe Zoo in the northwestern Colombian city of Medellin, underwent an operation on her canine teeth because they showed damage that was preventing her from eating properly.
The big cat underwent a procedure to treat and reconstruct the roots of her lower canines Saturday at the Universidad CES Veterinary College's clinic.
The procedure, which lasted more than three hours and the most complicated part of which was the "anaesthesia portion", was performed by veterinarian Martha Cecilia Ocampo.
India gets tips from US’ post 9/11 counter-terror experience
By Manish Chand,IANS,
On Board PM's Special Aircraft : With terrorists striking Indian cities at random and with impunity, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan spent most of his time in the US getting tips from top counter-terrorism officials who have ensured a country free of terror since the 9/11 attacks.
Narayanan, who joined Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York Tuesday, found time to brainstorm with top officials US intelligence agencies and the department of home security on a viable counter-terrorism strategy that can work in India.
Philippines ferry capsize toll rises to 39
Manila: The death toll in the ferry accident in the Philippines touched 39 on Friday as rescue teams got to work early in the...
Winehouse sues mom-in-law for selling her love letter
By IANS,
London : Troubled British singer Amy Winehouse is suing her ex-mother-in-law Georgette for selling one of her love letters.
According to thesun.co.uk, the note, which was sold, was written by Winehouse for her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil when he was in jail for assault and preventing justice. Now the singer is suing for copyright infringement and wants about $81,000 compensation.
"Amy was furious the private letter was used to make money," said a friend of Winehouse.
Rajapaksa visits former Tamil Tigers hub Kilinochchi
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday paid a surprise visit to Kilinochchi and addressed troops who captured the region from the Tamil Tigers in January, ending a decade of rebel rule.
Determined to crush the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the president interacted with the soldiers as well as Tamil civilians who fled the last chunk of territory still held by the rebels, officials said.
6.3 quake hits Chile
By IANS,
Santiago: An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck Chile Wednesday but there was no casualty or damage.
UN to probe alleged violations in Kenya
By DPA
Geneva : The United Nations Wednesday said it has sent a mission to Kenya to assess allegations of grave human rights violations during weeks of violence sparked by disputed elections.
The mission was expected to arrive in Nairobi Wednesday with the consent of the government of the east African country, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said in a statement in Geneva.
Kenya police say situation back to normal
By Xinhua
Nairobi : Kenyan authorities said Sunday a spate of violent protests which marked the better part of last week, following the disputed presidential elections, is subsiding.
The country's police chief, Maj.Gen Ali Mohamed Hussein, said the security situation in Kenya was returning to normal after week-long political unrest.
"The situation in the country is getting back to normal," Hussein said in a statement issued in the Kenyan capital.
China bans foreign words in local media
By IANS,
Beijing : China has banned the use of foreign words, particularly English ones, in the Chinese media.
No pact on arms cut sans missile defence clause: Russia
By IANS/RIA Movsti,
Moscow: The new arms reduction treaty to be signed between Russia and the US must cover America's proposed missile defence shield in Europe in order to ensure nuclear parity, a top military official has said.
The two nuclear powers have been negotiating a replacement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) which was signed between them after the second World War. START is expiring in December this year.
The talks began since Russian president Dmitry Medvedev met his US counterpart Barack Obama in April last year.
UN to send 300 peacekeepers to Syria by May-end
By IANS,
United Nations: The UN will send its 300 international unarmed observers to Syria by the end of May, said Herve Ladsous, the head of the UN peacekeeping body.
US stocks tumble 2.5 percent on new economic warning
By DPA
New York : US stocks have fallen by more than 2.5 percent across the board on new evidence of slumping business confidence.
The National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago reported Friday that its business barometer had contracted, reflecting dropping production and employment.
In company news, American International Group Inc (AIG) posted the widest quarterly deficit in its 89-year history, while Sprint Nextel Corp shares slumped to a six-year low.
Power-starved Nepal government calls for a dim Diwali
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : As Nepal began celebrating its Hindu festival of Diwali with five days' festivities, the Himalayan republic's power-strapped government is appealing to the nation to go slow on lights, one of the main accessories of the festival.
Currently reeling under a three to five hours' power outage daily and the closure of nearly 200 small to medium-scale industries due to the power crisis, the state-run Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has issued an appeal to consumers not to light electric lamps as these would further pressure the reeling power supply.
Tory Party to limit British population
By IANS,
London : The leader of Britain's main opposition party says he will check migration and keep the country's population below the 70 million level if he wins the next general election.
Conservative Party leader David Cameron said Sunday he will limit net immigration to "tens of thousands" per year. The figure reached 163,000 in 2008.
Cameron said that he thought net immigration of 200,000 a year - or two million a decade - was "too much".
"We would like to see net immigration in the tens of thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands," he told BBC television.
Israeli foreign ministry urges force deployment in Gaza
Jerusalem: The Israeli foreign ministry had proposed the deployment of an international force in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of Operation Protective Edge,...
Industrialised countries water down commitment to fight climate change
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS
Bali : Industrialised countries Monday significantly watered down their commitment to fight climate change by getting a draft statement changed so that there is now no talk of them having to use a 25-40 percent reduction of greenhouses gas (GHG) emissions as the reference point for a post-2012 world.
As the UN conference on climate change here got into hard-nosed negotiations at the start of its crucial second week, Canada was suspected by international NGOs to be behind the major change in the draft statement between Sunday and Monday.
Irish anti-treaty voters moving ahead in opinion poll
By KUNA,
Dublin : The Irish pro-Lisbon Treaty camp suffered a devastating blow Friday after an opinion poll revealed the "no" side had surged ahead just a week before the country's referendum.
The poll, in The Irish Times newspaper, showed the "no" side in the lead by five percent.
Since the last survey the number of people intending to reject the treaty in the vital June 12 ballot has almost doubled to 35 percent, while the "yes" side has dropped to 30 percent.
Ireland is the only EU country to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
1,000 Europeans still missing in Nepal quake
Kathmandu : At least 1,000 Europeans who came as tourists to Nepal prior to the April 25 devastating quake are still missing, European Union's...
Russia’s President Medvedev against new ‘iron curtain’
By DPA,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a speech at a global security conference attended by European heads of government Monday again called for a modern international security pact.
"No one should hide problems behind an 'iron curtain'," Medvedev said at the opening of the first international Modern and Global Security Conference being held in Yaroslavl, some 300 km
north-east of Moscow.
The problems of one country today have the potential to lead to international conflict faster than before, he warned.
Top Chinese leader vows to fight against corruption
By IANS,
Beijing : China's next president Xi Jinping Tuesday vowed to fight against corruption and punish every corrupt official so as to earn the trust of the people.
Bharti Airtel is now Nigeria’s second largest telecom operator
New Delhi: Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel has become the second largest operator in Nigeria in terms of customer numbers, according to Nigerian Communications...
At least 42 people injured in W Canada
By Xinhua,
Ottawa : At least 42 people were injured, three of them seriously, after the floor of a church collapsed during a concert Friday night in Canada's western British Columbia province, reports reaching here said Saturday.
At least 1,200 youths were attending a Christian rock concert at the Central Heights Church in the city of Abbotsford when a large area in front of the stage gave way at about 9:00 p.m. Friday local time (0400 GMT Saturday), sending people in the crowd falling several feet into the basement below, local police said.
Twitter now has 100 mn users worldwide
By IANS,
London : Micro-blogging website Twitter has announced it has reached a major landmark of 100 million users across the world.
British Hindus protest mercy killing of cow
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : Hundreds of Hindus protested outside the headquarters of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Wednesday after its vets euthanised a sick cow at a temple as devotees prayed.
Gangotri, a 13-year-old Belgian blue-jersey cross, was put down by lethal injection Dec 13 at Bhaktivedanta Manor - home to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) movement in Britain.
Asian economic crisis altered political landscape
By Joe Cochrane, IANS
Jakarta : On most evenings on a leafy street in the Indonesian capital's exclusive Menteng district, a running television set can be seen through the huge bay window of the biggest house on the block.
Eleven die in Nigeria
By SPA
Lagos : Three soldiers and eight militants were killed in a gun battle at an oil pipeline hub operated by Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria's southern state of Bayelsa, the navy said on Sunday.
Shell said the Tora manifold, which sends oil to the Bonny export terminal, was not damaged in the attack late on Saturday and oil production in Nigeria, the world's eighth largest oil exporter, was unaffected.
NATO puts Macedonia’s membership bid on hold
By RIA Novosti
Bucharest : NATO member states have postponed Macedonia's bid for membership in the alliance after Greece vetoed the request, NATO's secretary general said on Thursday.
It was expected that Macedonia, along with Balkan neighbors Croatia and Albania, would be invited to join NATO at the Bucharest summit, but earlier in the week the Greek Foreign Minister said that Greece would veto Macedonia's bid until the former Yugoslav republic changes its name.
7 killed in bus explosion in Myanmar former capital
By Xinhua,
Yangon : At least seven passengers were killed when a bus exploded in Myanmar's former capital of Yangon early Monday morning, eyewitnesses said.
The explosion occurred at about 3:00 am at the northern suburb area of the city, they said.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed by the authorities.
Nepal ruling parties take common position on contentious issues
Kathmandu : Nepal's ruling parties -- Nepali Congress(NC) and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) -- have come up with a common position on...
Crude prices fall further with Iran n-deal
New Delhi: As Iran and the six world powers reached a nuclear agreement by their deadline, crude oil prices fell further on Tuesday, pulled...
Over 60 percent of world’s population are ‘religious’: Study
London : A study by leading pollster WIN/Gallup International has found that over 60 percent of the world's population identify themselves as “religious”.
The researchers...
Neighbours urge Zimbabwe to release poll results
By DPA
Lusaka/Harare : The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Sunday called on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to quickly release the results of presidential elections held two weeks ago as the ZEC bowed to demands from President Robert Mugabe's party for a partial recount.
A wait of more than two weeks for the official results of the March 29 elections has fuelled tensions in Zimbabwe between supporters of Mugabe and opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai
France helped transport munitions to Chadian army
By KUNA
Paris : The French Defense Ministry said here Thursday that France "helped Chad receive munitions coming from other countries" to the Chadian forces.
A Spokesman of the Defense Ministry Laurent Teissiere revealed that the French forces "transported munitions from Libya and other countries to Chad's army" during a rebellion that was witnessed there earlier this month.
He added that the weapons France helped deliver "were of the same nature as those of the Chadian army".
New Nepali govt will take over in three days : PM
By NNN-Nepal News,
Kathmandu : Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has informed that process to form the new government would begin in the next three days, radio reports say.
During his meeting with Swiss envoy to Nepal Dr. Dominique Dreyer Friday morning, Koirala said that parties are approaching consensus on the formation of government to end the current deadlock.
The Swiss diplomat expressed his interest to extend technical support in the process for the establishment of federation in Nepal based on the experiences of his country.
Wall Street rallies after Citi’s bailout plan, Obama’s new team
By Lalit K. Jha, IANS,
New York : Buoyed by the US government's massive rescue plan for Citigroup and announcement of President-elect Barak Obama's economy team, Wall Street rallied behind Monday soaring to a new high.
Bench-mark Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by as much as 397 points (4.9 percent) to 8443.39. When clubbed with the jump in Dow's on Friday, this was the biggest two-day surge since 1989.
NASDAQ was up 87.67 points, or 6.33 percent, at 1,472.02, while the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rose 51.78 points, or 6.47 percent, to 851.81.
Six Somali civilians die in attack on peacekeepers
By DPA,
Nairobi : At least six civilians have died after shells targeting African Union (AU) peacekeeping bases in Mogadishu went astray, reports said Monday.
Islamist insurgents launched attacks on two bases in the early hours of Monday, the BBC reported.
No AU troops were reported injured in the attack, but shells landed in residential areas nearby, killing six members of a family and injuring others.
Australians spend $51 bn on drinking, smoking and drugs
By Xinhua
Canberra : The Australian government said in a report Wednesday that smoking, drinking and drugs has costs Australia A$56 billion ($51.5 billion) a year.
The report, released by Health Minister Nicola Roxon in Melbourne, showed that in 2004-2005, the social cost of alcohol was $15.3 billion, tobacco use was $31.5 billion and illicit drugs $8.2 billion.
Roxon described the figures as "staggering" and announced that the task force would develop strategies to address the issue.
Door edges open at Myanmar pledging conference
By DPA,
Yangon : Most donor nations Sunday stopped short of making new pledges for relief for victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar as they were awaiting more details on access and accountability, but observers described the meeting as a step forward.
"It was a reasonable success," Frederich Hamburger, European Union (EU) envoy to Myanmar and Thailand, said of a United Nations-ASEAN sponsored pledging conference held in Yangon Sunday, almost three weeks after Cyclone Nargis smacked into the country's central coast leaving at least 133,000 people dead or missing.
Girl who lived with dead grandmom recovering
By IANS,
Shanghai: A two-year-old girl in China who lived with her dead grandmother for over a week is recovering, a media report said.
I was betrayed, says Nepal’s last king
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Two years after he lost his crown and was compelled to leave the palace of his forefathers to begin life as a commoner, Nepal's last king Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah has finally ended his silence, saying he was "betrayed".
The 62-year-old, who being a younger son had no hope of ascending the snake throne of Nepal and yet by a twist of fate was crowned twice, only to lead to the abolition of monarchy, says he stepped down in 2006 after a pact with the ruling parties.
However, he says the parties welshed on their pledge and betrayed him.
Six Colombian rebels killed in fighting
By IANS
Bogota : Six Colombian rebels have been killed in the first fighting of 2008 in different parts of the country, EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
The 3rd Brigade troops killed three rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Ventura, a rural section of the southwestern province of Cauca.
Another FARC rebel was killed in a clash with troopers in Bucarasica, in the northeastern province of Norte de Santander, the army said.
Two other rebels were killed in fighting with the army near Costa Rica in the town of El Carmen de Bolivar.
Dalai Lama is undisputed leader, Tibetans tell China
By Jaideep Sarin, IANS,
Dharamsala : The Tibetan cabinet-in-exile Tuesday challenged the leadership in China to test the popularity of the Dalai Lama in Tibet, saying he was the undisputed leader of all Tibetans.
"The Kashag would like to reiterate to the leadership of China that the Dalai Lama is the supreme leader and the sole spokesperson of the six million Tibetans," the cabinet-in-exile said in a statement on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day.
UN Security Council extends Iran sanctions mandate
United Nations: The UN Security Council on Tuesday extended the mandate of the panel of experts monitoring the implementation of sanctions against Iran for...
President Rajapaksa’s brother elected new speaker of parliament
By DPA,
Colombo : One of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's brothers was selected as the new speaker of Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday, a day after official results confirmed a solid victory for the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).
Chamal Rajapaksa, 67, the president's older brother and a former minister of ports and aviation was unanimously elected in the inaugural session.
The president's younger brother, Basil, his son Namal and cousin Nirupama Rajapaksa are also among the 144 UPFA parliamentarians in the 225-seat assembly.
Senior US official meets Maoist leader in Nepal
By DPA,
Kathmandu : A senior US administration official met Monday with Nepal's Maoist rebels in a sign of a growing thaw in relations between the two sides.
Kathmandu, May 26 (DPA) A senior US administration official met Monday with Nepal's Maoist rebels in a sign of a growing thaw in relations between the two sides.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Evan A. Feigenbaum met Maoist supremo Prachanda, who is expected to head a new government to be formed within days.
Sri Lanka says ban on LTTE not on the cards
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government has ruled out an immediate ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatist group.
"As of now we have not thought of banning the LTTE," Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told the media here Friday.
"The talk of a ban has been speculative," he added.
TV commentator Andy Rooney dead
By IANS,
Washington : Andy Rooney, the renowned CBS television commentator, died a month after his last TV appearance, the network said Saturday. He was 92.
Rajapaksa committed to power sharing, feels Japan
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
New Delhi : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is committed to sharing power with the minorities, now that he has crushed the Tamil Tigers. This is the feeling of Japan, whose Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi held extensive discussions with the president this week.
Rajapaksa told Akashi over breakfast that he realizes that defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) does not automatically amount to ending the long-standing Tamil grievances that fuelled the ethnic conflict at the first place.
Gambling makes Macau richest place in Asia
By DPA
Hong Kong : Surging gambling revenue and investments in luxury hotels and the entertainment industry has made the former Portuguese enclave of Macau Asia's richest territory, a media report said Saturday.
Macau has overtaken other locations such as Singapore, Brunei and Japan to take the top spot after gross domestic product (GDP) per capita surged 27 percent to $36,357 last year, according to Macau government figures.
British polls: Labour party leader Ed Miliband resigns
London : Ed Miliband on Friday resigned as the Labour Party leader after the loss of his party to Prime Minister David Cameron's Tories...
Australia wants to engage more with South Asia
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : Australia, invited as an observer to the SAARC, is eager to engage more regularly with South Asian leaders.
"Australia enjoys strong defence and counter-terrorism links with South Asia. We need to do more with our engagement in South Asia, and engaging regularly with South Asia's premier regional body is a positive step forward," Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Tuesday.
Cuba braces for more austerity to face global recession
By IANS,
Havana : Cuba, reeling under three devastating hurricanes in recent months and a 50-year old US embargo, is bracing for more austerity measures in the wake of the global economic recession.
"We must act realistically and adjust all the dreams to the real possibilities," EFE news agency Monday quoted President Raul Castro as telling parliament during a special session on the state of the country's economy.
"The nation needs to increase production, adjust spending and optimise international trade relations," the president told the National Assembly Saturday.
MiG-29 crashes in Siberia
By IANS,
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow: A Russian Air Force MiG-29 fighter crashed Thursday near Chita in Siberia region, killing the pilot, the defence ministry said.
Russian firefighting plane to help Serbia
By IANS,
By RIA Novosti,
Belgrade: A Russian firefighting aircraft has reached Serbia to help the Balkan nation put out a number of forest fires.
Georgia to host NATO air exercise July 9-20
By RIA Novosti
Tbilisi : Georgia will host a multinational military exercise of NATO members under the Partnership for Peace Program (PPP) July 9-20, the Defense Ministry said Friday.
Asean countries, neighbours vow joint efforts on financial crisis
By DPA,
Beijing : Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and its three neighbours have promised joint efforts to combat the global financial crisis and maintain regional economic stability.
Chinese premier Wen Jiabao chaired the meeting of leaders of the 10-member Asean plus China, Japan and South Korea, often called Asean plus three.
The 13 Asian leaders held an open discussion on "issues of common concern, especially the financial crisis and its influence on East Asia," host nation China said.
Former Chinese official jailed for corruption
By IANS,
Beijing : A former Chinese official was sentenced Friday to 11 years in jail for taking bribes.
Yan Shunjun, a former deputy environmental protection official, was deprived of political rights for two years and received a fine of 100,000 yuan. He was sentenced by the Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, Xinhua news agency reported.
The court heard that the 63-year-old official took bribes worth 1 million yuan between 2003 and 2008 from seven contractors.
US-Iran standoff hindering West Asia peace: Ansari
By IANS
New Delhi : The US' standoff with Iran is threatening the peace in West Asia, where American prestige and power has already been dented due to its policies, leading to the Iraqi quagmire, said Indian Vice-President Hamid Ansari said Wednesday.
Inaugurating a two-day seminar on West Asia here, the scholar and former diplomat said the "correctives are suggested by the diagnosis itself".
"The question is of the will to undertake it. Simple logic, however, is not synonymous with state logic."
Bush signs n-deal law today; 123 to follow ‘at some point’
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : With US President George W. Bush set to sign a bill Wednesday to ratify the India-US civil nuclear deal, Washington expressed confidence that the implementing 123 accord would also be inked "at some point".
"Let me just say the agreement will be signed at some point by both sides. I just can't tell you when at this point, but the agreement will be signed," State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters Tuesday.
Syria’s government, opposition adopt joint document but differences remain
Moscow : Syria’s government and the opposition on Friday managed to adopt a joint document of a political character during consultations in Moscow amid...
Sarkozy to Keep 35-hour Work Week
By Prensa Latina,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy cleared persistent doubts on eventual changes to the 35 work-hour week, one of the most popular social gain among salary workers.
The head of states told the French radio station RTL that he will keep the working hours the government of socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin (1997-2002) approved.
The conservative party Union for a Popular Movement (UPM) proposed last week to dismantle the reform yet union leaders warned that any such attempt will put social relations and public authorities on the opposite side of the fence.
Chad Wants Refugees Back
By Prensa Latina
Yaunde : The Chadian government has called for the thousands of refugees in Cameroon to come back to the country, where a tense calm reigns after the rebels left the capital and a truce was announced.
In a radio address, Mining Minister Nassour Abadia called on the people who fled to Cameroon to come back, and warned that all those who shelter rebels in their homes must turn them over, or will be treated accordingly.
I always knew I’d be a star: Nelly Furtado
By IANS,
Toronto: Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado says while she had a tough upbringing, she knew she would make it big in the music industry.
Work resumes at copper mines in Chile quake zone
By IANS/EFE,
Santiago : Work has resumed at the two copper mines operated by state-owned Codelco in the region of central Chile devastated by last weekend's earthquake, company sources said.
London-based Anglo American Plc reopened the two mines it has in the area of the magnitude-8.8 temblor, which left more than 720 people dead, as well as at another mine and a smelter outside the quake zone that had been forced to shut down.
El Teniente, which lies about 120 km southeast of Santiago, is Codelco's largest mine and produces more than 400,000 tons of copper per year.
USAID complete 50 years of partnership with Morocco
By SPA,
Rabat : “As Morocco has developed and its needs have evolved, so has the nature of the collaboration between Morocco and the United States. Cooperation continues, with the mutual goal of building a Moroccan nation that is competitive in the global marketplace,” added the release.
USAID's programmers include activities in three main areas: Governance, Education and Workforce Development, and Economic Growth.
Fourteen Killed In Illegal Fireworks Plants In China
By Bernama,
Beijing : Fourteen people were killed in explosions at two illegal fireworks plant over the weekend, with three weeks to the Lunar New Year celebrations when fireworks are in demand.
Thirteen died on Saturday in an abandoned kiln which was turned into a fireworks plant in eastern Shandong province, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The force of the blast also destroyed eight bungalows, a minibus and split trees in half.
As Beijing parties, London gets a hangover
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : A day after Bejing hosted what was hailed as the greatest Olympic opening ever, the response in London - the next hosts - has been a slightly bemused, 'cripes, what are we going to do now?'
If nothing else, said the Times newspaper, the jaw-dropping opening at the Bird's Nest Stadium "has raised the bar dauntingly high for the organisers of London 2012".
But British Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said London can match Beijing in 2012.
Top Nepal Maoist leader’s daughter arrested in France
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The daughter of a top Maoist leader in Nepal has been arrested in France for travelling without documents while seeking asylum from the French government.
Shova Gajurel, whose father Chandra Prakash Gajurel is in charge of the international affairs of the Maoist party, is being held at the Lesquin Administrative Retention Centre in Lille town in northern France where foreigners found guilty of violating immigration laws are detained.
5.4 magnitude earthquake strikes east Congo, no casualties reported
By SPA
Kinshasa, Congo : Eastern Congo was struck by a magnitude 5.4 earthquake early Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. No casualties were immediately reported.
The quake struck about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the city of Bukavu, which is perched on Lake Kivu. No other details were available, AP reported.
On Feb. 3, two earthquakes struck hours apart in the same region, killing at least 39 people and injuring at more than 400 more in Congo and neighboring Rwanda. Those quakes registered magnitudes of 6.0 and 5.0.
Ryanair to buy 175 Boeing passenger jets
By IANS/EFE,
Dublin : Irish budget airline Ryanair Holdings said Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Boeing to purchase 175 737-800 airliners for $15.6 billion (12 billion euros).
Pentagon unconcerned by Russian subs off U.S. Coast
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The Pentagon is unconcerned by the presence of two Russian submarines in international waters off the U.S. coast, the Pentagon press secretary said at a news conference.
Geoff Morrell told journalists on Wednesday, "So long as they are operating in international waters - as, frankly, we do around the world - and are behaving in a responsible way, they are certainly free to do so and it doesn't cause any alarm within this building."
German city of Jena recovering from unification blues
By Clive Freeman, DPA,
Jena (Germany) : The historic city of Jena - best known for producing Carl Zeiss optical instruments in the early 20th century - is enjoying a revival after the upheavals of German unification.
Most of the East German city's plants and research institutes were decimated during World War II, and few believed Jena could ever recover, but it did - until the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
The east's era of swollen employment came to an abrupt end when the economic shock of reunification impacted on its labour market shortly afterwards.
Estonians and Estonia’s Russians: still two worlds apart
By DPA,
Tallinn (Estonia) : When Russian youths smashed and looted stores in the Estonian capital Tallinn last April, Karmen Minenko found herself at the heart of Russia.
"Friends in Moscow seriously planned to look for a new citizenship for me after it happened," the Estonian businesswoman told DPA in accented Russian.
"My boss even considered buying Mexican citizenship because he didn't want to part with a good manager."
Minenko divides her time between a job in Moscow and family in the southern Estonian city of Tartu where her 17-year-old daughter and husband Artur live.
Chris Brown meets domestic violence victims
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Singer Chris Brown has met parents and children affected by domestic violence during an event he co-hosted with the NGO Jenesse Center.
AU hails Sudanese political leader’s release
Addis Ababa : The African Union has welcomed release of former prime minister of Sudan and President of the National UMMA Party, Imam Sadiq...
2,000-year-old tomb frescos found in east China
Jinan, (Xinhua) Chinese heritage workers said Tuesday they have discovered well-preserved frescos in a tomb dating back to 2,000 years in east China's Shandong province.
The frescos painted with blue, green, black and red colours were found on the walls of a tomb at an old residential yard in Dongping county, south-western Shandong, when a real estate company was excavating the foundation for a planned shopping mall.
Namibia President Calls Raul Castro
By Prensa Latina,
Havana : President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Army General Raul Castro received a phone call from his Namibian counterpart Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba, who supported the island"s people after the passing of the devastating Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
In their talk, Raul expressed gratitude for the Namibian president"s concern and offered extensive information on damages caused by the meteorological events over the last 11 days, Granma newspaper reported Friday.
Six killed in Colombian military plane crash
By DPA
Bogota : Three members of the crew and three soldiers were killed when a Colombian military aeroplane went down in the mountains south of the country, El Tiempo newspaper reported Sunday, citing a military spokesman.
The cause of the accident was not immediately known.
The military has not ruled out the possibility that rebels could have shot down the propeller plane, which crashed Saturday, but General Jorge Octavio Ardila Silva would not confirm this.
After Obama historic win, Hillary Clinton now eyes number two spot?
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : As a vanquished Hillary Clinton did not concede even after Barack Obama sealed the Democratic presidential nomination in a history making battle, US media suggested it was a tactic to pressure the victor into selecting her as his running mate.
The former first lady, after telling lawmakers from her home state of New York that she was open to joining Obama on the Democratic ticket, did not say she was quitting the race and instead asked her supporters Tuesday to advise her what should be her next step.
Hijacked supertanker moors off Somalia as eight pirates escape prison
By Xinhua,
Mogadishu : The hijacked Saudi-owned supertanker has anchored off the coast of northeastern Somalia while eight pirates escaped from prison in the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland, officials said Tuesday.
The Sirius Star, capable of carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, along with its international crew of 25, was hijacked over the weekend by Somali pirates 450 miles off the coast of the Kenyan port town of Mombasa and has since been heading towards the Somali port town of Harard here in Puntland.
Iran two years from nuclear bomb: Israel
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Friday he believes Iran is two years from developing a nuclear bomb.
"It's possible that it may take another two years, maybe four ... it's all the same if international pressure and other possibilities don't stop the process," Barak was quoted as saying in Friday's online edition of the Israeli newspaper the Jediot Achronot.
When asked whether Israel "was prepared to be alone with the problem," Barak said, "The State of Israel is the strongest country in the entire region, even at a range of 1,500 km."
Two killed, 100 injured in Greek quake
By DPA,
Athens : A major earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale struck south-western Greece Sunday, killing two people and injuring at least 100, officials said.
Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos said one man was discovered dead under a collapsed roof in the village of Kato Achaia, near the epicentre, while a 80-year-old woman died from her injuries in hospital after her home collapsed.
"We have two dead as a result of the earthquake," Pavlopoulos said. "There are many injured and emergency forces are at the scene."
50 separatists, 30 troopers killed in Ukraine clashes
Kiev : Thirty Ukrainian troopers were killed Friday and at least 50 pro-Russian separatists died in the past 24 hours in heavy shelling in...
Former Georgian minister gets jail term for graft
By RIA Novosti
Tbilisi : A court in the Georgian capital Friday sentenced former defence minister Irakly Okruashvili, currently in France awaiting extradition, to 11 years in prison for taking bribes.
His lawyer, Eka Beseliya, described the court's ruling as "political" and said it would be challenged within a month.
Okruashvili last September accused his former ally President Mikheil Saakashvili of plotting to seize Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia, lobbying for his support to get commercial deals and ordering the killing of businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili.
Chinese premier talks with Russian president on bilateral ties
By Xinhua
Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin and visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pledged late Monday to further promote the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation.
Human Rights Watch slams Sri Lanka report
By IANS,
New York: A Sri Lankan government report disregards the "worst abuses" by government forces towards the end of the war that killed the Tamil Tigers in 2009, Human Rights Watch has said.
Indian American student hired by presidential hopeful
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : An Indian American student who doomed a US senator's re-election bid in 2006 with a camcorder has resurfaced in the presidential contest.
S.R. Sidarth, the 22-year-old University of Virginia student, is now a paid staffer in the communications office of Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson.
CPI-M cagey over Talisma’s Kolkata return
By IANS
Kolkata : Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, who has taken shelter in New Delhi, is missing Kolkata and wishes to return to her "home" soon but West Bengal's ruling communists Sunday remained cagey on the issue and even clarified that Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had not invited her back.
750,000 people may die in East African famine: UN
By IANS,
London : About 750,000 people could die in East Africa over the next four months due to famine, if enough aid didn't reach the famine-stricken region, the UN has warned.
Lenin monument vandalised in Russia
By IANS,
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow: A monument of Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, has been vandalised in St. Petersburg city, according to a museum spokesperson.
Shun Zimbabwe, British premier tells corporates
By DPA,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Wednesday urged companies to refrain from investment in Zimbabwe and said his government was preparing "intensified sanctions" against members of President Robert Mugabe's regime.
"Businesses and individuals who have any dealing with Zimbabwe must examine their own responsibilities and must not make investments that prop up the regime," Brown said in parliament in London.
He said his government would seek to extend the financial and travel sanctions already imposed on 160 individuals in the entourage of Mugabe.
Myanmar to be named world’s best tourist destination
Yangon : Myanmar will be presented the award of World's Best Tourist Destination for 2014 by the European Union Council on Tourism and Trade...
Sri Lanka revokes foreign journalist’s expulsion order
By IANS,
Colombo : An expulsion order served on a visiting Swiss journalist in Sri Lanka has been revoked, the presidential media office said here Sunday.
Karen Wenger had been asked to leave by Feb 1 following a question she had raised at a government press conference concerning Tuesday's presidential election.
She was accused of damaging Sri Lanka's image and the department of government information cancelled her media accreditation that is required to do reporting from the island.
UN’s Nepal mission cannot be completed by Jan 23
By IANS,
United Nations : Despite considerable political progress being made, the task assigned to the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) cannot be completed before the end of its current mandate on Jan 23, UN envoy for Nepal Ian Martin has said.
The UNMIN needs another extension, though on a smaller scale, Martin told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York Monday.
Martin is here to brief the top UN officials about the current situation in the Himalayan country. Last week, briefed the powerful 15-member Security Council.
Lake that disappeared in Chile reappears
By IANS
Santiago : Chile's Lake Tempanos, whose disappearance in May left scientists and residents of the southern region of Magallanes stumped, is again filling with water, the Spanish news agency EFE said.
Russia’s 5G fighter makes first demonstration flight
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter performed its first demonstration flight at an international aviation show Wednesday.
Russia Doubts Alleged Humanitarian US Op
By Prensa Latina,
Moscow : Russia questioned on Friday the supposed humanitarian operation by US ships near the Georgian coasts, in the Black Sea, and announced the creation of security areas in southern Ossetia and Abkhasia.
The presence of NATO ships in the Black Sea does not contribute in any way to regional stability, Russian General Staff Vice-chief, Gen. Anatoli Nogovitzyn stated.
My partner has a right to live his life: Australian PM
By IANS,
Melbourne: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says that her partner, who works as a real estate salesman for a property group owned by a pro-Israel lobbyist, has "a right to live his life too".
Gillard's partner Tim Mathieson is employed at a firm by Melbourne developer Albert Dadon, a pro-Israel lobbyist.
She said her public condemnation of recent Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli territory during the Gaza intervention was well before there had been any suggestion of Mathieson working for Dadon, The Age reported Tuesday.
Free Ukrainian reporter: Kremlin body to Syrian rebels
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: The Russian presidential human rights council has demanded that Syrian militants immediately release Ukrainian journalist Ankhar Kochneva.
‘Saharan Gandhi’ on hunger strike at Spanish airport
By DPA,
Lanzarote (Spain) : The prominent Western Saharan human rights activist Aminatou Haidar has launched a hunger strike at a Spanish airport, accusing Morocco and Spain of preventing her from entering Western Sahara, local Saharan representatives said Monday.
Dubbed the "Saharan Gandhi," Haidar defends the self-determination of the territory annexed by Morocco after 1975. A winner of several human rights awards, she has spent years in Moroccan jails.
On Friday, Haidar flew from Spain's Canary Islands to the Western Saharan capital Laayoun, where she lives.
Somali pirates fail to reinforce embattled comrades
By DPA,
Nairobi/Washington : Somali pirates seeking to help their comrades, who are holding the captain of a US-flagged ship hostage on a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean, have had to turn back due to a US Navy presence, media reports said Saturday.
Pirates have been holding Captain Richard Phillips hostage on the lifeboat since Wednesday, following a failed attempt to hijack his ship, the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama, in the Indian Ocean near the coast of Somalia.
Iran ceased n-weapon programme in 2003: US report
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : The White House has hailed a new US intelligence report that, reversing its own claims, says Iran ceased its nuclear weapons programme in 2003 and has not resumed work toward building nuclear weapons.
The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) released Monday also concludes that Tehran is most likely "keeping open the option" to develop nuclear weapons in the future by continuing to build missiles and pursue a civilian nuclear power programme.
Thousands flee volcanic eruption in Indonesia
By DPA,
Jakarta : A volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra erupted Sunday for the first time in 400 years, shooting black smoke and ash up to 1,500 metres into the air and prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents.
Mount Sinabung in the Karo district of North Sumatra province thundered to life shortly after midnight, shooting lava and other volcanic materials from its crater.
Need more information to expedite 26/11 trial, says Pakistan
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his meeting in Russian city of Ufa told Indian Premier Narendra Modi that more information...
Elliott battled bad throat on stage
By IANS,
Los Angeles:Singer Joe Elliott apologised to his fans for cutting short his Ney York concert as he was battling bad throat.
News of the World publisher pays phone-hacking victims
By IANS,
London: Dozens of celebrities and politicians have settled damages claims over the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, the Telegraph reported Thursday.
Obama and Bill brought ‘enormous intelligence’ to White House: Hillary Clinton
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Both President Barack Obama and former president Bill Clinton brought "just enormous intelligence" to the nation's top job, says the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton comparing the way the two functioned.
"Well, I think both of them bring just enormous intelligence to the job," she told CNN in an interview broadcast Sunday when asked what was the principal difference between how her husband ran the White House and how her one rime rival for Democratic presidential nomination was doing it.
British minister expresses regret to Chakrabarti
By IANS,
London : British civil liberties campaigner Shami Chakrabarti has said a letter from Culture Minister Andy Burnham appeared to show “genuine regret” after making comments about her and Conservative party MP David Davis.
"I am grateful for Mr Burnham's letter, which seems to show genuine regret for the distress his remarks caused me and my family.
Toronto-18 plotted bigger attack than London bombings
By IANS
Toronto : Canada would have suffered a terror attack bigger than the London bombings of July 2005, which killed 52 people, had the first terror plot on its soil succeeded.
The video evidence for this was presented when trial of one member of its home grown terror cell dubbed - Toronto 18 - began in a Brampton court here Tuesday.
The police unearthed the plot when it cracked Canada's first Al Qaeda terror cell by picking up 17 people in a raid in June 2006. Another person was arrested two months later.
Post Quake Epidemics Concern China
By Prensa Latina,
Beijing : It is necessary to prevent the outbreak of epidemics in the areas affected by the quake in Sichuan, where there are millions of homeless people, Chinese Health Deputy Minister Gao Qiang stressed.
Health workers must be sent to each town and village to support preventive tasks and avoid outbreaks of infectious disease, the official pointed out.
Gao made the statements during a coordination meeting in Chengdu, the provincial capital, aimed at facing the danger posed by the huge number of displaced people and interruption of drinking water networks.
Obama condoles Manekshaw’s death
By IANS,
Washington : US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is the only American public figure of note to have condoled the death of Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, prime architect of India's 1971 victory over Pakistan to liberate Bangladesh.
"I offer my deep condolences to the people of India on the passing of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw," Obama said, describing the former Indian Army chief of staff as "a legendary soldier, a patriot and an inspiration to his fellow citizens".
Germans still fascinated by the Baader-Meinhof gang
By DPA
Berlin : Hanns Martin Schleyer had almost reached home when his driver braked hard to avoid a car that cut in front of him and a pushchair that rolled across the other side of the road.
The police escort vehicle following the head of West Germany's powerful employers' association did not have time to stop and slammed into the back of Schleyer's Mercedes. Suddenly a group of terrorists appeared from nowhere and peppered the two cars with bullets from sub-machineguns, killing the industrialist's chauffeur and his three bodyguards.
Troops captured LTTE base, 40 rebels killed: Sri Lanka
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka Wednesday said its troops battling the Tamil Tiger rebels had captured a rebel base in the northwestern Mannar district after fierce clashes killed 40 rebels.
The defence ministry here said the advancing troops backed by artillery and aerial bombardment had “captured the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) 18-Base in Vepankulam area and brought the entire area under control” in the north-west of Giant Tank in Mannar.
Spanish PM Zapatero looks for alliance to form government
By DPA
Madrid : Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, said Monday that he may seek the support of several political parties for his new government after falling short of an absolute majority in Sunday's elections.
It was too early to discuss stable alliances or temporary agreements, Zapatero said on commenting the election results, but pledged to maintain a dialogue with all the political forces including the conservative opposition.
Russia expects new Ukrainian president to solve gas dispute
Moscow : Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak Tuesday said he expected the incoming Ukrainian president to revive stalled negotiations over Russia's natural gas supplies...
5 soldiers injured in bomb attacks in Thai South
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Two bombings hit Thailand's southern provinces of Narathiwat and Pattani on Monday, injuring five soldiers, according to a report of local news network The Nation.
Insurgents detonated a bomb to ambush a patrol unit of soldiers in Narathiwat Monday morning, injuring three soldiers, said the report.
The eight soldiers were patrolling a railway section in Ragnae district of the province when insurgents detonated the bomb with a mobile phone at 6:30 a.m. (2330 GMT).
Two dead in floods in Britain
By DPA
London : Two people died in the western English city of Tewkesbury as they tried to pump floodwater out of a rugby club, fire services personnel reported Thursday.
The two died after they were apparently overcome by fumes produced by the petrol-powered pump.
Further details were not yet known.
Tewkesbury has been beset with severe flooding over several days, leaving as many as 10,000 people without access to fresh water.
London : Two people died in the western English city of Tewkesbury as they tried to pump floodwater out of a rugby club, fire services personnel reported Thursday.
The two died after they were apparently overcome by fumes produced by the petrol-powered pump.
Further details were not yet known.
Tewkesbury has been beset with severe flooding over several days, leaving as many as 10,000 people without access to fresh water.
Veteran journalists hail innovations in world media awards
Beijing : Winners of the World Media Summit (WMS) Global Awards for Excellence 2014 were announced Monday, including reports on Myanmar and killing sprees...
LTTE attack thwarted, five cadres killed: Sri Lankan military
By IANS,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan Navy has killed five LTTE cadres, who were dressed as civilians fleeing the war zone and were planning to attack security forces, the defence ministry said Monday.
It said the incident took place Sunday morning off Chundikulam in the north when an inshore naval patrol craft spotted four dinghies carrying civilians fleeing from the Tamil Tigers-held areas. The naval vessel approached to help them.
Robbie Williams eyes TV comeback
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Actor Robbie Williams is said to be in talks to return to small screen with the lead role in a new TV comedy.
Modi too shrewd to be derailed by nationalist symbolism: Zakaria
Washington: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "far too shrewd" to be distracted by nationalist symbolism which would derail his growth agenda and embroil...
Last king attends prayers to restore Nepal as Hindu state
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The last Hindu king of the country, Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, made news Monday by turning up at a ritual prayer called by a self-styled Hindu godman to seek the restoration of Hinduism as the state religion.
Only 81 days are left for the promulgation of a new constitution that will consolidate Nepal as a secular republic.
Obama suggests cabinet post for Gore if elected U.S. president
By Xinhua
Washington : U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama suggested on Wednesday that he would consider offering former Vice President Al Gore a cabinet-level post should he be elected president.
His Republican counterpart, John McCain, said that he has concluded a list of potential running mates with nearly 20 names, and would narrow it down in the next "weeks if not months."
And now, a marijuana vending machine
By DPA
Los Angeles : Authorised medical marijuana users in Los Angeles no longer have to worry about running out of their medicine in the middle of the night.
Two licensed marijuana dispensaries in the west coast city this week unveiled 24-hour medical marijuana vending machines.
The machines are filled with small sachets filled with glistening buds of different sizes and strains. Though they might seem like a stoner's hallucination, access to the machines is strictly controlled by round the clock security guards.
Russia says Iran’s election is its own business
By RIA Novosti,
Yekaterinburg (Russia) : Russia Tuesday said that no country has any business with Iran's recent elections which were accused of voting fraud and sparked mass demonstration.
"The issue of elections in Iran is an internal affair of the Iranian people," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters in this Urals city of Yekaterinburg where Russia is hosting a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is attened by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Indian man’s tweet to Swaraj saves sister from traffickers
Abu Dhabi : A brother's tweet to Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj led to the rescue of his sister from human traffickers...
Dawood’s D-Company in cahoots with LeT, Al Qaeda : US report
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington: With its deep pockets, and its reported cooperation with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Al Qaeda terror networks, Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company presents a credible a threat to US interests in South Asia, according to a new US Congressional report.
The "D-Company, a 5,000-member criminal syndicate operating mostly in Pakistan, India, and the United Arab Emirates provides an example of the criminal-terrorism 'fusion' model," the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in a report on the organisation run by the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai bombings.
Colombia offers cash reward for FARC hostage release
By Xinhua
Bogota : Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has said he would pay cash to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for release of hundreds of hostages from its captivity.
He said he would pay the amount from a fund of $100 million for the release of hostages, including former politician Ingrid Betancourt, many of whom were held by the group for several years.
Vote to seek probe into Sri Lanka killings: rights body
Geneva : UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) members should vote for a resolution calling on the UN’s human rights office to probe allegations of...
Expedite Italian marines’ case: EU parliament president
By IANS,
Brussels : European Union Parliament president Martin Schulz has urged Indian authorities to expedite the legal proceedings against the two Italian marines accused...
India seeking UNSC seat not as favour, but as a right: Modi
Paris : Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for India to be given a permanent seat at the UN Security Council, saying...
China to build indigenous jet engine by 2016
By Xinhua,
Shanghai : China's first indigenously built jet engine will debut in 2016, an official said Wednesday.
"China is expected to complete its first jumbo jet engine in 2016," said Zhang Jian, general manager of the Shanghai-based AVIC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. Ltd.
China also hopes to build 150-seat commercial aircraft to be introduced in the market by 2020.
"We hope the home-made engine will fly together with the home-made large aircraft," he said.
War with LTTE rapidly nearing its end: Rajapaksa
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday announced that his fight-to-finish military campaign against the Tamil Tigers was fast nearing its end.
"The war with the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is rapidly nearing its conclusion and it is my hope that this will create the space for democracy to flourish in the north again," Rajapaksa said in an address to the Colombo-based diplomatic community.