Putin warns against bypassing UNSC Syria veto
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin opposes any action related to Syria not authorised by the UN Security Council, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
Mexico’s auto production falls nearly 38 percent
By EFE,
Mexico City : Mexico's automotive industry saw production plummet 37.7 percent during the first nine months of this year, while exports plunged 35.5 percent and domestic sales dropped 30.6 percent, the auto industry association said.
A total of 992,153 units were manufactured, 804,258 units were exported and 530,163 vehicles, including imports, were sold in Mexico during the January-September period, said the AMIA association, which is made up of the seven largest automotive companies operating in the country.
32 jailed for terror audio, video in China
Beijing : Courts in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have given 32 people jail terms ranging from four years to life imprisonment for...
Russia’s Medvedev optimistic about relations with Washington
By SPA,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday he was moderately optimistic about relations with the United States, saying the Kremlin is prepared to work with whoever succeeds U.S. President George W. Bush.
Associated Press quoted Medvedev as saying that Moscow and Washington must cooperate to maintain global stability _ even if their views on U.S. plans to install missile defense sites in Europe, and other security issues, differ sharply.
European shares charge ahead after Wall Street rally
By DPA,
Frankfurt : European shares charged ahead Tuesday after US and Asian stocks rocketed up on renewed hopes that global coordinated action will help to shore up investor and economic confidence.
Within a few minutes of opening, Europe's blue-chip Stoxx 50 had climbed 3.1 percent to 2,393 points.
The jump in European stocks came in the wake of New York's Dow Jones Industrial Average chalking up its biggest one-day points gain in history Monday, rising 936.42 points, or 11.08 percent, to close at 9,387.61.
Resentment brews among ticket seekers in Bhutan
By IANS
Thimphu : A large number of civil servants who resigned from their jobs in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to contest the historic parliamentary elections next year are now in a quandary after being sidelined by political parties.
Sri Lankan troops find LTTE’s underwater craft
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lankan government troops operating in Tamil Tiger rebels' former stronghold of Mullaitivu district have found an underwater craft, defence officials said Thursday.
Officials from the Ministry of Defence said that a submarine type underwater craft belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was found at Muttiyankattu area in Mullaitivu district Thursday morning.
The 631 brigade of the Army's Task Force 3 found the craft and several other fast attack crafts of the LTTE's Sea Tiger wing, said the officials.
Ukrainian coast guards detain Turkish schooner on Black Sea
By RIA Novosti
Kiev : Ukraine's coast guards have detained a Turkish fishing vessel whose crew failed to show authorization to enter the country's economic zone, the Ukrainian border guard service said Saturday.
"At about 9 a.m. [14 GMT] on Friday, April 4, the Ukrainian coast guard ship Podillya discovered the fishing vessel Ozgur 50 miles to the southeast of Zmeiny Island in Ukraine's economic zone. After being ordered to stop, the schooner stopped and a supervision group boarded it," the service said.
Chinese manufacturing continues to expand
By IANS,
Beijing: China's manufacturing activity saw an increase for the third straight month in November, official data showed Saturday.
Anti-China protests rage in Dharamsala
By IANS
Dharamsala : Protests continued here Sunday against China over its violent suppression of Tibetans in Lhasa, with Tibetan exiles taking out processions and giving fiery speeches.
The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is scheduled to address the media later Sunday. Journalists have gathered in large numbers in Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama has his government-in-exile.
"These are spontaneous protests showing solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet who are being repressed by the Chinese," said a demonstrator.
US hesitant about goals in reducing emissions
By DPA
Washington : The US has emphasized the importance of the latest international report on global warming, but said it would not adopt corrective actions that would seriously damage the economy.
Heads roll after Sarkozy infidelity rumours spread
By DPA,
Paris : Two employees of a company that runs the website of the French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD) have been sacked for their part in spreading rumours that French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife had lovers, the online daily MediaPart reported Friday.
The two employees of the company Newsweb were fired Monday after being found responsible for posting a blog, allegedly by an anonymous author, on the JDD website regarding the Sarkozys' rumoured infidelities.
Peru shipwreck toll rises to 21
By IANS/EFE,
Lima : Peruvian authorities have recovered 21 bodies from a ferry that sank in the Amazon River near the border with Colombia, while the number of confirmed survivors stands at 161, an official said.
The Camila, said to have been carrying more than 200 people, sank at around 2.40 a.m. Wednesday near the Indian village of Santa Rosa, located more than 50 km from Iquitos, the capital of Loreto, in the Peruvian Amazon.
Singapore wants to learn lessons from India’s ‘growth story’
By Prashant K. Nanda, IANS
New Delhi : National University of Singapore (NUS) is inviting Indian civil servants to teach the 'growth story' to other Asian counterparts and in turn learn the best practices in public administration from global experts, all for free.
"Many countries in the world want to know about India's growth and we wish Indian civil servants to teach the developing countries. We are inviting them to do a course in our institute for free," said Kenneth Paul Tan, assistant dean of NUS' Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP).
China quake toll rises to 2,203
By IANS,
Qinghai : The toll in the 7.1 magnitude quake in China's northwestern Qinghai province has risen to 2,203, officials said Saturday.
Seventy-three people were still missing since the quake April 14, Xinhua quoted the officials as saying.
The provincial government said Saturday it will raise the monthly allowance for elderly and disabled people and children affected in the quake from 600 yuan to 1,000 yuan ($146) per person for three months. Families of the dead will receive 8,000 yuan.
Nepali Congress candidate likely to be elected new President as Maoists suffer setback
By KUNA,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) Maoists suffered a major setback ahead of the Presidential polls as two other major parties decided to support Nepali Congress' (NC) candidate Ram Baran Yadav for the top post elections for which were underway Saturday.
Nepal’s first presidential poll ends in fiasco, repoll awaited
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The political uncertainty in Nepal deepened Saturday after the Himalayan republic's first presidential election, held to elect the successor to dethroned king Gyanendra as head of state, ended in a fiasco with none of the contenders able to garner the simple majority needed for victory.
UN Security Council meets on Iran’s nuclear issues
By DPA,
New York : The UN Security Council held a closed-door meeting to discuss a revised draft resolution that its author, the US, designed to impose additional sanctions on Iran for its continued work on enriching uranium.
The US said last week that progress had been made to improve the text toward meeting demands from other Security Council members.
London riots: fourth victim dies
By IANS,
London : A 68-year-old man who suffered critical injuries while trying to extinguish a fire during riots in west London has died, Scotland Yard said.
Amnesty’s annual report criticizes India for ‘growing intolerance’
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Amnesty International in its annual report released today has accused India of supporting a climate of intolerance by cracking...
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.
New Zealand makes licence mandatory for immigration advisers
By Amandeep Sehmi, IANS,
Hamilton (New Zealand) : New Zealand has made it mandatory for immigration consultants to get a licence. A stiff penalty, including up to seven years' imprisonment, will be imposed on violators.
The law makes it necessary for people living in other countries who give advice on New Zealand immigration to be licensed with Immigration Advisors Authority from May 4, 2010.
New Zealand will not accept applications filed by people using an unlicensed immigration adviser after the law comes into effect.
At least 20 dead in Philippines floods, landslides
By DPA
Manila : At least 20 people have died and five were missing in flash floods and landslides that have hit large areas of the Philippines, the government said Friday.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council said half the victims were killed in the worst hit province of Eastern Samar, 630 km southeast of Manila.
Five more deaths were reported in the southern province of Lanao Del Norte, two in eastern Albay province, two in nearby Leyte province and one in Capiz province.
No place for racism or racist violence: Australian envoy
By IANS,
New Delhi: Australia Tuesday stressed that there was "no place for racism or racist violence" and cited the recent sentencing of an Australian youth who had attacked an Indian student as proof of Canberra's zero-tolerance for incidents of this nature.
"There is no place in the Australian society for racism or racist violence and the perpetrators of any such acts will face the full force of the law," Australia's High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese said here in a statement.
France, Chad for Children Compensation
By Prensa Latina
Paris : While 103 Chadian children are being gradually returned to their families without having an idea that they could have been adopted by French families, the governments of Paris and Djamena are in dispute over the 6.3 million euros compensation.
Two days ago Chad President Idriss Deby granted pardon for the release of six French citizens charged with kidnapping of children and were serving sentences up to eight years in prison here.
Indian, Japanese industry enter pact to fight climate change
By IANS,
Tokyo : India Inc and the Japanese industry have formulated a joint action plan to fight climate change and promote growth using clean technologies, following a pact Wednesday among leading chambers of the two sides.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) signed the pact on climate change with Nippon Keidanren - the Japanese Business Federation - and the Japan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), coinciding with the three-day visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Nepal parties hindering fight against graft, says Transparency
Kathmandu : Undue influence by political parties has undermined the executive, judiciary, anti-corruption agencies and civil servants in Nepal, a global alliance against corruption...
Clinton, Indonesian president discuss economic cooperation
By DPA,
Jakarta : US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Thursday held talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the second day of her trip to the world's most populous Muslim nation.
Clinton's visit to Indonesia was seen by many observers as an attempt to forge better ties with the Islamic world in line with US President Barack Obama's new approach to foreign policy.
Neither Clinton nor Yudhoyono commented on their talks to the media, but the president's spokesman said Yudhoyono stressed the need for closer economic cooperation in a time of crisis.
US not fixated on Iran answering queries on nuclear projects
Tehran: US Secretary of State John Kerry has acknowledged for the first time that a final nuclear deal would not require Iran to detail...
Al-Attiyah cuts down Sainz’s lead in Dakar rally
By DPA,
San Juan (Argentina) : Qatar's Nasser al-Attiyah Wednesday added excitement to the final days of the 32nd Dakar rally, as he reduced the lead of Spain's Carlos Sainz.
Race leader Sainz had a mechanical problem halfway through the 11th stage of the rally, and ended the day 7:19 minutes behind the stage winner, BMW's French driver Guerlain Chicherit.
While the Spaniard continues to top the overall table, his Volkswagen team-mate al-Attiyah more than halved his advantage, cutting it by 5:38 minutes. Sainz now leads the Qatari by just 4:28 minutes.
India, US to put women’s issues in strategic dialogue
By IANS,
New York: India and the US have agreed that issues related to women's empowerment should be integrated into all aspects of the India-US Strategic Dialogue.
Canada: Today Kosovo, Tomorrow Quebec?
By Prensa Latina
Ottawa : Canada faces the conundrum Wednesday whether it can follow the rapid US, Britain and France recognition of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence without fueling separatist wishes among key sectors in Quebec.
Recent polls reveal that half of Quebec's seven million citizens wish to become independent from Canada.
Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier said they are studying Sunday's announcement, but provincial co-governing PQ (Quebec Party) has warned it will follow Kosovo if Canada supports that declaration of independence.
Nigerian president visits blast scene, condemns attack
Abuja : Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan Friday visited scene of the June 25 shopping mall explosion that claimed at least 21 lives here and...
French Socialist Council to decide outcome of leadership race
By KUNA,
Paris : The National Council of France's Socialist Party will meet Tuesday night to decide on the appointment of party heavy-weight Marine Aubry as new Party Secretary after a bitter election race saw her apparently defeat former Presidential candidate Segolene Royal last Thursday.
The victory margin obtained by Aubry was so slim that a voting commission is currently examining the ballot to determine if the result was legitimate.
Royal, 54, has said that there were a number of anomalies that could not possibly have allowed for a fair vote and she is insisting on a re-run.
German train strike estimated to cost euro 100m a day: press
By IRNA
Berlin, Aug 7, IRNA The upcoming strike by German train drivers is estimated to cost German businesses around 100 million euros per day, news reports said Tuesday quoting the Berlin-based economic think-tank, the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW).
Germany's state-owned rail network Deutsche Bahn (DB) reiterated that no new offer will be made to the train drivers' union GDL ahead of a strike ultimatum, set to expire later in the day.
Senior Chinese legislator arrives in Cuba for official visit
By Xinhua,
Havana : China's senior legislator Wu Bangguo arrived here Tuesday afternoon for an official visit to Cuba.
In a written statement, Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, highlighted the rapid growth of the China-Cuba relations.
He said the growing bilateral cooperation has already brought concrete benefit to the two nations.
"I expect to boost the traditional friendship and the bilateral cooperation with mutual benefit to a higher level by my visit," Wu said in the statement.
Mobile phones to notify namaz timings through image
By IANS,
Washington : A new software application meant for mobile phones can alert Muslim users to namaz timings through an image combined with audible alerts.
The screen of the mobile phone shows an image of the sun lining up with a green circle when it is time to pray.
"Users told us that tracking the sun was the most religiously valued method to determine prayer times," said Susan Wyche, doctoral candidate at Georgia Institute of Technology, and member of the team that developed the application.
G8, developing partners call for broad emission cuts
By DPA,
Toyako : The Group of Eight (G8) leaders and their counterparts from the world's eight major developing countries committed themselves Wednesday to "a long-term global goal for emission reductions".
But while recognising that "deep cuts" were needed in order to combat climate change, they failed to agree on setting specific targets, saying only the reduction in greenhouse gases should take place according to the means of each country.
Political confrontation in S Korea intensifies over U.S. beef import
By Xinhua,
Seoul : South Korea's opposition parties vowed Thursday to join nationwide protest rallies and take legal action against the government after it lifted the ban on U.S. beef import earlier Thursday.
"The president has abandoned his own people for the sake of achieving the United States' faith," said the main opposition party floor leader Won Hye-young. "We will stand by the public and fight off imports, using every possible measure."
2,000 civilians killed in Sri Lanka war zone: Pro-LTTE website
By IANS,
Colombo/New Delhi : Over 2,000 Tamil civilians were killed in a single night during "indiscriminate barrage of shelling by the Sri Lanka Army on the safety zone" in the island's north, a website sympathetic to the Tamil Tigers said Sunday.
The shelling by the army, starting from Saturday night to Sunday morning, "slaughtered more than 2,000 civilians including large number of women and children", the pro-LTTE website TamilNet reported quoting medical sources in Vanni.
Bolivia to Demand Greater US Control of USAID
By Prensa Latina
La Paz : Bolivia will turn to the US Congress to demand greater control of the resources used by its Agency for International Development (USAID), accused of conspiring against the Bolivian government.
According to President Evo Morales, the Executive will have to assess first the request by coca growers of expelling USAID representatives from the El Chapare, Cochabamba.
Oil prices slide
By IANS,
New York : Crude oil prices plunged Thursday amid rising expectations that the US and Europe will release strategic reserves.
Seven Thai policemen, three soldiers held on espionage charges
By DPA
Bangkok : Seven Thai policemen and three soldiers have been arrested for allegedly supplying intelligence to the shadowy Islamic insurgents in Thailand's deep south, The Nation newspaper reported Monday.
This is believed to be the first time so many members of the security forces have been directly linked to the separatists in what has become an increasingly ugly civil war.
The central authorities have claimed recently to be getting to grips with a bloody conflict that has raged hotly for four years, after rounding up several hundreds suspects.
Japan PM gives first policy speech in parliament
By SPA,
Tokyo : Japan's new Prime Minister Taro Aso gave his first policy speech to parliament on Monday, stressing the country's responsibility to help fight the global war on terror and to fuel recovery in the domestic economy.
Aso, who took office last Wednesday, said it was not an option for the country's military, known as the Self-Defense Forces, to end activities abroad in support of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, a stance that Japan's opposition has questioned.
German defense minister in Kosovo for political and security talks
By IRNA
Berlin : German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung was due to depart for newly independent Kosovo for political and security talks later in the day, Defense Ministry spokesperson Thomas Raabe announced here Wednesday at a regular weekly news conference.
Jung was to meet Kosovo's President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci as well as the head of the provisional UN administration, Joachim Ruecker.
The German minister was also scheduled to hold talks with top commanders of the NATO-led KFOR troops in Kosovo.
ASEAN chief calls for restraint in border dispute
By DPA,
Singapore : The chief of Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has called for "maximum restraint" in the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, while Cambodia has asked for UN intervention, news reports said Sunday.
Nearly 1,000 Cambodian troops and more than 500 Thai soldiers continue to face each other on the disputed territory.
Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of the Asean and a former Thai former minister, urged ministers from the two countries to talk, The Sunday Times said.
17 killed in Laos plane crash
Vientiane: At least 17 people have been confirmed killed and five injured Saturday after an aircraft carrying representatives of the Laos government crashed, an...
Brazil seeks to measure energy from solar explosions
By IANS/EFE,
Sao Paulo: A team of Brazilian scientists plan to use a pair of stratospheric balloons to study the energy produced by explosions on the Sun, the head of the project said.
Protests continue in US over killing of black men
New York: Protests continued in the US over the death of several black men at the hands of the police and in New York...
Bush defends use of harsh interrogation measures
By DPA
Washington : US President George W. Bush Friday defended the use of harsh interrogation measures by US security officials, saying they helped the government "better protect the American people".
In remarks to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House, Bush said "highly trained professionals" carried out the questioning of "these extremists and terrorists".
The agents are "trained in this kind of work ... to get information" that has helped protect the American people, Bush said.
China to set up mechanism to close urban-rural gap
By Xinhua
Beijing : China will work out a permanent mechanism to improve rural infrastructure as part of its efforts to close the widening gap between urban and rural wealth, a senior official said here Thursday.
Chen Xiwen, director of the office of the central leading group on rural work, told a press conference that China would "considerably increase" investment in the countryside to seek coordinated development of urban and rural economies.
Euro leaders call for permanent rescue system
By DPA,
Brussels: Eurozone leaders called for the instant creation of a permanent rescue system for members who fall into the kind of financial turmoil currently afflicting Greece, on a night of high drama in Brussels early Saturday.
The euro has no rules that would allow the rescue of ailing members because its existing rules are meant to make it unnecessary. But last week the group was forced to approve a record 110-billion-euro ($140 billion) bail-out for Greece.
Wikipedia shuts for 24 hours
By IANS,
Washington: Wikipedia, which describes itself as the largest encyclopaedia in human history, has blacked out its English-language site to protest proposed US anti-piracy laws.
Modi meets Bangladesh commerce-industry chambers chiefs
Dhaka: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met the presidents of leading chambers of commerce and industry of Bangladesh here.
"Strengthening business links. PM...
Canadian woman speaks in new accent after brain stroke
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : In a rare medical development that has neurologists fascinated, a Canadian woman has acquired a new accent after suffering a brain stroke.
Fifty-year-old Rosemary Dore of Windsor, 370 km from Toronto, suffered a stroke in the left half of her brain about two years ago, damaging the areas related to production of speech. After the stroke, according to the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, she started speaking with an east coast Canadian accent despite having never lived there.
Musharraf leaves for London on one-week tour
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Former Pakistan military president Pervez Musharraf Sunday left for London on a one-week tour, the first trip abroad since he resigned in August.
Accompanied by his wife Begum Sehba, Musharraf left from the airport here for London by Pakistan International Airline flight PK-785, private TV channel Geo reported.
Newspaper The News quoted sources as saying that Musharraf would address the Cambridge University Students Union and hold meetings with the members of various think tanks.
US Supreme Court rejects executions for child rape
By AFP,
Washington : The US Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the death penalty should not apply to a man convicted of raping a child, saying that capital punishment only applies to murderers.
"The Eighth Amendment (of the US Constitution) bars Louisiana from imposing the death penalty for the rape of a child where the crime did not result, and was not intended to result, in the victim's death," said the justices in a 5-4 decision.
Millions of Bush-era e-mails recovered
By DPA,
Washington: Millions of e-mails from the George .W Bush administration that were believed lost to history have been recovered, two groups that sued for access to the communications said Monday.
Computer technicians were able to reconstruct the e-mails, said the National Security Archive at George Washington University and the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).
The groups has sued the government for failing to take action to recover the e-mails for two and a half years. They had been recorded on back-up tapes that were routinely overwritten.
Thousands protest Merkel’s Greece visit
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Athens: About 30,000 demonstrators gathered in Athens Tuesday to protest German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit, Greek media reports said.
Two Mauritanian men suspected of shooting French tourists arrested in Guinea-Bissau
By SPA
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau : Two men suspected of killing four French tourists in Mauritania were arrested in Guinea-Bissau Friday, a judicial official said, according to AP.
The Mauritanian men were arrested in the capital of the West African nation, about 700 kilometers (430 miles) south of the place where the tourists were shot. The two are suspected of belonging to an Algerian-based terror cell affiliated with al-Qaida, said Judicial Police Director Lucinda Barbosa.
Nepal poll juggernaut starts rolling
By IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal's election juggernaut has finally started rolling with the parliament forming a committee for amending the constitution, the UN sending a team of election observers and former US president Jimmy Carter arriving in Kathmandu Wednesday to discuss poll preparations.
US economic index rises for first time in six months
By DPA,
Washington : The US economy got a dose of good news Thursday as a leading economic index rose for the first time in six months, according to a private survey.
The Conference Board's gauge increased 0.1 percent, after falling 0.3 percent in February, the New York-based research group said.
The index is a measure of the direction of the economy over the next three to six months.
Confidence in the economy has been spurred by an influx of cash into the banking system and the lowering of benchmark interest rates by the Federal Reserve, analysts said.
Modi accorded ceremonial reception, holds talks with Li
Beijing : Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Friday accorded an official ceremonial reception at the Great Hall of People here after which he...
Human Rights must be at the heart of policy-making
LONDON, Dec 13 (APP): The international community has been urged to put human rights at the heart of policy making and to adopt self determination as a key driver to resolve conflicts in a democratic and peaceful manner, in accordance with international law. The call was given at a packed venue in the Houses of Parliament at Westminster where the cross party group ‘Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination’ (PNSD) marked International Human Rights Day 2007.
EU hailed as an ‘inspiring model’ for ASEAN
By DPA
Singapore : Southeast Asian countries were urged Tuesday to look to the European Union's "inspiring model" and integrate further in response to the growing strength of China and India.
Shutdown in Jaffna to protest LTTE attack on merchant ships
By IANS,
Colombo : Life came to a standstill in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula Thursday in response to a shutdown called to protest a suicide attack by the Tamil Tiger rebels on two cargo vessels a day ago.
A Sri Lankan cargo vessel was damaged when the Tamil Tiger rebels Wednesday carried a pre-dawn-suicide boat attack targeting two government merchant vessels off the Kankesanthurai harbour in the north.
Spanish envoy calls on Kashmir governor, chief minister
Jammu: Spain's Ambassador to India, Gustavo de Aristegui, called on Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N.Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here Thursday, an official...
Hot water truck explodes in China, one dead
By IANS,
Shanghai: One worker was killed and another was injured Tuesday when a hot water supply truck exploded here in the Chinese business hub.
Finland for more clean air interaction with India
By Vishnu Makhijani
IANS
Helsinki : Finland would like to ramp up its interaction with India in clean air technologies, even as it feels New Delhi can pressure the US into ratifying the Kyoto Protocol on reducing global warming.
Chinese city to put GPS in government vehicles
By IANS,
Beijing : Government vehicles in China's Guangzhou city will have Global Positition System (GPS) to curb misuse and reduce unnecessary expenditure, an official said.
Australian Company B&B to buy stake in Thai Tollway Company
By NNN-Bernama
Melbourne : Investment firm Babcock & Brown Ltd (B&B) plans to acquire a large stake in an unlisted tollroad operator in Thailand for up to A$130 million, it is reported.
B&B has entered into an agreement to buy a 28 percent to 33 percent in Don Muang Tollway plc (DMT), pending a tender of existing shares and a private placement of new shares, the Australian Associated Press said.
"The acquisition ... will represent an investment of approximately $110 million to $130 million," B&B said.
NATO chief blames Russia of threatening European security
Brussels : NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen Sunday accused Russia of "threatening peace and security in Europe".
"What Russia is doing now in Ukraine...
South Korean president accepts PM’s resignation
Seoul : South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday accepted Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo's resignation offer after coming back to Seoul earlier in the...
Protest at Nepal relief centre demanding food
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : Hundreds of Nepalese who have moved out of their houses following the Saturday earthquake staged a noisy protest here on...
Obama calls on Illinois governor to resign
By DPA,
Washington : President-elect Barack Obama called on Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to resign Wednesday following his arrest on corruption charges.
"The president-elect agrees ... that under the current circumstances it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois," Robert Gibbs, Obama's spokesman, said, according to the Washington Post.
Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on multiple corruption charges, including that he sought bribes and political favours from those being considered to take Obama's vacated Senate seat.
Obama banks on Clinton to propel White House bid
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : With his once formidable rival Hillary Clinton finally endorsing him, Democratic nominee Barack Obama quickly harnessed her full support, calling it "invaluable" in his historic run for the White House to take on Republican John McCain.
"Senator Clinton will be invaluable to our efforts to win in November," Obama said in an email to supporters Saturday afternoon, "and I look forward to campaigning alongside her to bring this country the change it so desperately needs.
Taiwan opposition claims victory in parliamentary polls
By DPA
Taipei : Taiwan's opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has claimed victory in Saturday's parliamentary elections.
With most votes counted, the KMT has won 81 seats in the 113-seat parliament with a 51.2 percent share of the vote, while the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won 27 seats with 36.9 percent of the vote.
"We are both grateful and worried about the heavy burden the victory has brought on us," KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung told a news conference.
Dalai Lama says human rights must feature in China ties
By DPA,
London : The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader, warned Britain and other western nations Wednesday not to forget human rights in their efforts to forge closer links with China.
"The economy is important, but human values are more important," the 72-year-old spiritual leader told a news conference in the imposing Westminster Hall next to British Parliament in London.
Gas leakage kills two in Ukraine
By IANS,
Kiev : At least two people were killed and three hospitalised at a Ukrainian steel plant Friday following a gas leakage, said authorities.
ASEAN summit begins
Nay Pyi Taw : The importance of greater engagement with the rest of the world was emphasised by Myanmar President U Thein Sein as...
Is LTTE in secret, indirect talks with US to surrender?
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
New Delhi : Sri Lanka's embattled Tamil Tigers may be engaged in secret though indirect talks with the United States for a face-saving formula to save its militarily-cornered leadership.
It has been known that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has reached out to the new US administration, courtesy Norway, one factor why an upset Colombo stripped Oslo of its role as the peace facilitator.
Israeli war planes bombard Rafah S. Gaza
By KUNA,
GAZA : Israeli war planes launched last night and early Saturday morning air strikes targeting several areas in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Witnesses said that f-16 fighter jets and Apache helicopters launched more than 15 sorties during a raid against the southern and eastern parts of the border city.
The witnesses added the Israeli missiles inflicted damage to tunnels area south of the city without causing casualties.
100 states sign cluster-bomb ban in Oslo
By DPA,
Oslo : Government leaders from more than 100 states Wednesday signed a global ban on the use of cluster bombs.
The treaty, which was negotiated in Dublin in May, bans the production, use and trade of cluster munitions.
Cluster weapons - criticised for carrying a high risk of maiming or killing civilians - can be launched from the air or via artillery shells and can disperse hundreds of bomblets over a target area.
Children are often victims of the weapons since they sometimes mistake the so-called bomblets for toys.
Haiti needs $11.4 bn for reconstruction
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : The reconstruction needs of earthquake devastated Haiti will exceed $11.4 billion, said an expert from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, or ECLAC.
"Just returning to a state similar to what there was (before the quake), which was already deteriorated, would cost more than $7.8 billion," said Ricardo Zapata, who returned to Mexico after being in Haiti for a month to evaluate the damage before the donor conference which will be held March 31 in New York.
Cuba Demands US End Blockade at WTO
By Prensa Latina,
Geneva : Cuba demanded Wednesday that the United States unconditionally derogate all current disposition to maintain and step up the economic, trade and financial blockade applied to the Caribbean island.
In the ninth analysis of the Washington policy in the World Trade Organization (WTO), Cuban minister-counselor at international organizations in Geneva Jorge Ferrer gave a central speech on this issue.
Four dead, 12 missing as ship sinks off Turkey
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Ankara: Four people have died and at least 12 went missing after a cargo ship capsized in a storm off the Turkish coast, the coast guard said.
Myanmar foreign trade hits $5 bn
By IANS,
Yangon : Myanmar's foreign trade hit $5.35 billion in the first four months (April-July) of the 2012-13 fiscal year.
China disasters affected 430 mn people in 2010
By IANS,
Beijing : Various disasters in China affected over 430 million people last year, according to a government report.
Falling oil output greater risk to UK than terrorism, says report
By IRNA,
London : Falling oil production in coming years is greater risk to the UK than from the threat posed by terrorism, according to a new report from an industry taskforce.
The report from the Peak Oil group warned that the problem of declining availability of oil will hit the UK earlier than generally expected - possibly within the next five years - as producer countries start to scale down the pumping of dwindling supplies.
Two killed, 37 injured in earthquake in Greece
By DPA,
Athens : An earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale struck southwestern Greece Sunday, killing two people and injuring at least 37, officials said.
Greece's Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos said more than 50 homes collapsed when the strong quake struck the western Peloponnese region.
The epicentre of the quake was put at some 35 km northeast of the port city of Patras, some 150 km west of Athens and had a depth of 10 km.
Seven dead, four missing from typhoon Wipha
By Xinhua
Beijing : Typhoon Wipha had left seven people dead and four missing Friday in east China, a spokesman with the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.
A total of 2.7 million people in Zhejiang, Fujian, Shanghai and Jiangsu have been relocated and more than 11 million people were affected by Wipha.
The typhoon, which caused direct economic losses of 7.45 billion yuan (nearly $1 billion), also destroyed more than 13,000 houses and damaged 57,000 others, the spokesman said.
U.S. senator calls for space-based interceptor missiles
By RIA Novosti
Washington : United States Senator Wayne Allard has called for interceptor missiles to be deployed on satellites in permanent orbit, so that the U.S. can rapidly respond to threats anywhere on Earth.
Washington has not given serious consideration to deploying weapons in space since the Strategic Defense Initiative proposed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, nicknamed Star Wars. The idea was finally scrapped under Bill Clinton.
Polish PM starts Moscow visit focusing on missile defense, visas
By RIA Novosti
Moscow/Warsaw : Poland's prime minister is meeting with his Russian counterpart as part of his one-day visit to Moscow set to focus on U.S. missile defense plans, visa regulations and Russia-EU ties.
The visit is Donald Tusk's first to Russia since he came to power in November 2007, when he moved to bridge a gap in bilateral ties. Moscow has since agreed to lift a 2005 embargo on Polish meat, and Warsaw, in response, withdrew its veto from cooperation pact talks between Russia and the European Union.
EU adopts targeted measures against Russia
Brussels: The European Union (EU) Thursday decided to conduct targeted measures against Russia due to Ukraine crisis, calling for solution to the crisis through...
Abdul Hamid sworn in Bangladesh’s new president
By IANS,
Dhaka: Elected unopposed, Abudl Hamid was sworn in as Bangladesh's new president Wednesday evening at the Bangabhaban presidential palace.
Kamal Nath’s $70bn ‘roadshow’ rolls off in London
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath brings his 'roadshow' to Britain Sep 1 to attract British investment into India, which he says will build more roads than any other country over the next two years.
Kamal Nath will spend two days in London Sep 1-2 talking to business leaders, bankers and investors, telling them there is money to be made investing in India's roads in the current financial climate.
Hope recedes for arrest of Nepal media tycoon’s killers
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Despite growing public pressure on the Nepal government, there is now little hope that the killers of controversial media tycoon Jamim Shah will ever be arrested, amid speculation that the sharpshooters had fled the country via the porous India-Nepal border.
According to media reports Wednesday, the audacious killing of Shah, who was shot dead in his car during a traffic snarl in one of the most tightly guarded areas of the capital Sunday, was masterminded by a man police sources identified as Babloo Singh.
16 drown as birthday boat sinks in Albanian lake
By DPA
Tirana : A boat ferrying 20 partygoers across a lake in central Albania capsized early Thursday and all but four of the passengers drowned, police confirmed.
The 16 bodies were recovered a few hours after the boat, returning guests from a restaurant that was also the owner's, sank into Lake Farka, near the capital Tirana.
The vessel possibly overturned because it was overloaded as it returned people, mostly members of two families, from a children's birthday celebration.
37 poachers arrested in Kenya
By IANS,
Nairobi: Thirty-seven poachers have been arrested in Kenya as part of a countrywide operation over the past one week, police said.
World bank to provide $3 bn in aid for Ukraine
Washington: The World Bank said Monday that it would provide up to $3 billion for Ukraine this year to help the country deliver much-needed...
US to seek death for six accused in 9/11 attacks
By IANS
New York : The US will seek death sentences for six people who are to be charged for their key roles in the 9/11 terror attacks, the New York Times reported Monday.
The charges would be announced at the Pentagon as soon as Monday and were likely to include numerous war-crimes charges against the six men, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. The former Al Qaeda operations chief has confessed to his role as the mastermind of the attacks on the twin towers of World Trade Centre, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York.
What India should expect from Barack Obama, what it shouldn’t
By Girish Bhaskar, IANS,
As president-elect Barack Obama waits to take over the administration of the US, he faces daunting challenges on both the domestic and foreign fronts. The expectations both within and outside the country are very high. In his post-victory speech, Obama cautioned that change will take time. Some of his efforts may prove anti-climactic. People all over the world are expecting big things from Obama as he ran a campaign as an agent for change.
British gov’t announces partial troop withdrawal from Germany
By IRNA,
Berlin : The British government has officially announced that it will withdraw one-third of its 22,500-strong military force based in Germany, news reports said Thursday.
An unidentified British army spokeswoman located in the west German city of Moenchengladbach said German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung was also informed of London's decision.
As part of the British plans which were announced last September, some 15,000 British troops will remain at the three military bases in Germany.
Britain's deployment in Germany is one of the biggest overseas force.
Tibetan authorities asks rioters to surrender
By Xinhua
Lhasa (China) : Tibetan authorities issued a notice Saturday urging rioters to surrender and offering leniency to those who give up violence even as the toll in the riots rose to 10.
More than 580 people, including three Japanese tourists, were rescued from banks, supermarkets, schools and hospitals that were set alight by violent saboteurs, Tibetan authorities said Saturday.
Local officials said in the notice that the rioters set fire to schools, hospitals, children's entertainment centres, shops and houses, and assaulted law enforcement officers.
Extraordinary finds on China’s Silk Road origins revealed
By DPA
Berlin : The sensational recent archaeological finds from Xinjiang, China's most northwestern province, are on show for the first time in Europe at the Origins of the Silk Road exhibition here. Some 190 objects recovered from the Tarim Basin in Central Asia are featured in the show, which brings together extraordinary archaeological finds dating from around 2000 BC - among them items from the Bronze and Early Iron Age as well as the Han Period.
Australian Green Party calls on gov’t to take strong position on whaling
By Xinhua,
Canberra : The Australian Green Party on Monday called on the government to put free trade negotiations with Japan on hold until the slaughter of whales in Antarctic waters is stopped.
Green Party Senator Rachael Siewert urged the government to take stronger action, saying it was clear that diplomatic efforts had done nothing to prevent the slaughter of whales.
Senator Siewert said the government must take stronger action and should refuse to progress a free trade agreement with Japan until it stops killing whales.
Moscow to protect rights of Russian ‘arms dealer’ in Thailand
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia has said it will attempt to protect the rights of a suspected arms dealer being held in custody in Thailand at the request of the U.S., a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
Viktor Bout, 41, was arrested in March in a joint police operation led by the U.S. Washington is seeking Bout's extradition on charges of illegal weapons deals with militant groups, including the Taliban and al-Qaeda, in Middle East and African countries.
Belarus urges more Russian planes deployment over NATO’s activities
Minsk: Belarus has asked Russia to deploy up to 15 more warplanes in Belarus in the light of NATO's intensified activities close to...
Wikipedia tightens editing policy to prevent online vandalism
By DPA,
San Francisco : Online collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia announced a tightening of its editing rules Wednesday aimed at preventing vandalism, as it becomes an increasingly important source of information.
The new guidelines will require that all edits to articles about living people be approved by authorised editors. The rules represent the most far-reaching changes ever undertaken by the user-written encyclopedia, which had previously allowed anyone to contribute articles or revise information on existing articles.
UK emergency services struggle to cope with flash floods
By IRNA
London : Britain's emergency services Saturday were struggling to cope with a series of flash floods caused by torrential rain with severe warnings still in place at 16 locations across the country.
The worst affected was in the English midlands, where hundreds of travelers were left stranded overnight after being forced to abandon their cars on the M5 motorway.
Air force helicopters were used to rescue 60 people in Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, while thousands with flooded homes were forced to spend the night in emergency centres.
Putin forms new government, key ministers retain posts
By IRNA,
Moscow : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin formed a new government on Monday, keeping the key ministers in their posts, RIA Novosti says.
Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev, retain their positions in the new Cabinet.
The number of deputy premiers has been increased from five to seven.
Ex-premier Viktor Zubkov and former presidential aide Igor Shuvalov will be first deputy prime ministers.
Zimbabwe Contests Elections Results
By Prensa Latina,
Harare : The government party and the opposition in Zimbabwe contested last March 29 legislative elections' results in 50 percent of the 210 districts of the country.
The National African Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) in power in Zimbabwe rejected counting in 53 centers while the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) did it in 52.
Those in charged of receiving and counting the votes have revised the ballots in 23 district suspicious of fraud.
Treaty to curb nuclear terrorism comes into force
By NNN-PTI
United Nations : The International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, which aims to protect nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors from terror attacks, came into force Saturday.
The Convention, apart from protecting a broad range of targets including nuclear power plants and reactors from the terror attacks, will also help bring perpetrators to justice and promote cooperation among member States to fight nuclear terrorism.
Over 100,000 Chinese officials punished in 2009
By IANS,
Beijing : A total of 106,626 officials across China were penalised for indiscipline last year, an official of Chinese Communist Party said Thursday.
About 80 percent of them received punishments by the ruling Communist Party of China while the rest were penalised by the government, said Gan Yisheng, vice secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
Those punished included party members, government workers and leaders of state-owned enterprises, Xinhua reported.
Thai protest leader released from detention
Bangkok : Thai anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban was released Monday from military detention, a media report said.
Suthep, leader of the People's Democratic Reform...
Islamabad lodges protest with Kabul after four killed
Islamabad : Islamabad on Sunday lodged a protest with Kabul after four Pakistani soldiers were killed when a rocket was fired at a check-post...
Black Sunday report to be released
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The outcome of an inquiry into the 1972 killing of 13 people in Northern Ireland, a blood-soaked event that came to be dubbed Black Sunday, is to be made public Tuesday.
Soldiers from the British Parachute Regiment opened fire on a civil rights march in Derry Jan 30, 1972. It marked the effective end of the non-violent campaign for civil rights in Northern Ireland.
Some young people who had previously regarded themselves as non-political then joined the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
Pilot dies at controls of US-bound passenger jet
By DPA,
Washington : A Continental airlines pilot died at the controls of a plane en route from Brussels to Newark, New Jersey, Thursday, according to media reports.
CNN quoted a statement from Continental that the 61-year-old captain of the flight died of natural causes while piloting the plane carrying 247 passengers.
The two first officers onboard who have extensive experience flying the Boeing 777, were preparing to land the plane in Newark, WABC-TV reported.
Russian strategic bombers leave Venezuela for home base
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers have left an airfield near Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on a 15-hour flight home, a Russian Air Force spokesman said on Thursday.
The bombers arrived in Venezuela on September 10 and were accompanied by NATO fighters during the 13-hour flight from their home base in Engels, in the southern Saratov Region.
Sydney’s APEC meeting struggles for agenda, fashion
By DPA
Sydney : The big talking point as Sydney prepares to host 21 Asia-Pacific leaders is what outfit Australia will embarrass them with for the obligatory group photograph.
Will the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summiteers appear on the steps of the Opera House as aging Wiggles in the red, blue, purple and yellow costumes made famous by the local lads who have become global children's entertainers?
Or will host Prime Minister John Howard play safe and have them done up by a fashionable outfitter in beige bush gear and a wide-brimmed hat?
Lithuania goes to polls in parliamentary election
By RIA Novosti,
Vilnius : Lithuanians went to the polls on Sunday in a parliamentary election, in which no party is expected to win a majority.
As well as electing the country's 141-member parliament, Lithuanians are also voting in a referendum on whether to keep an outdated Soviet-era nuclear power plant operating in the country.
The Ignalina NPP is similar to the one in Chernobyl, Ukraine, the scene of the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986.
Iranian Navy saves Singaporean ship from pirates
By IANS,
Tehran: The Iranian Navy has saved a Singaporean merchant ship from pirates while it was crossing the Bab-el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea, the IRNA news agency reported Saturday.
Worst weather in 40 years displaces 12,000 in Chile
By DPA,
Santiago : Over 12,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in southern Chile due to a chain of storms and heavy rain that is thought to be the worst in 40 years in the area.
A further 10,000 people were left isolated in the Araucania Region alone. Of these, some 6,000 were in the area of Curarrehue, which remained out of bounds for police helicopters Tuesday due to difficult weather conditions.
"We cannot manage to assist everyone," said Mauricio Salas, mayor of the affected town of Nueva Imperial.
Oil slips below $116 on strong dollar
By Xinhua,
New York : Oil prices resumed their descent Friday, as the US dollar surged to a six-month high against the euro and expectations of slowing global demand offset supply concerns over a fire on key Turkish pipeline.
The US dollar enjoyed a powerful rebound against the euro, after the European Central Bank and the Bank of England both left their benchmark interest rates unchanged, which made traders found reasons to sell.
The central banks' actions boosted speculations that economies around the world are slowing and would further dampen demand for oil.
Obama talks to PM, says Indo-US ties ‘very important’
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : US President-elect Barack Obama today telephoned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said the US-India strategic relationship is a "very important partnership" and the administration wants to work together with India on all important global issues.
The call was placed this morning as earlier attempts to establish contact between the two sides failed to materialise because the Prime Minister was travelling abroad.
Britain relaxes threat level
By DPA
London : Britain Wednesday scaled down the terror threat level from "critical" to "severe" following the attempted car bombings in London and Glasgow at the end of last week.
Cuba: Spain twists human rights
By NNN-Prensa Latina
Madrid : The Cuban Embassy has criticized Spain for over its manipulation of Cuba’s record in human rights.
The embassy to Spain pointed out in a communique published on the Day of Human Rights that the enemies of the Revolution are the same as those who started wars like Iraq and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent victims.
India slams US panel for comments on religious minorities
New Delhi : India on Thursday slammed the US' Tom Lantos Human Rights Committee and said its raising the issue of alleged "violence" against...
No question of Obama not meeting Dalai Lama: envoy
By IANS,
Kathmandu : As US President Barack Obama put off meeting the Dalai Lama till his own first official visit to China next month in a bid to improve Sino-American ties, the exiled Tibetan leader's office glossed over the postponement, saying there was no question of Obama not meeting him.
"From the outset, there has been no question of President Obama not at the appropriate time meeting His Holiness, whom he holds in great esteem," a press statement issued by the Dalai Lama's Special Envoy Gyaltsen Gyari said.
Maldives to choose government system Aug 18
By IANS
Male : The Maldives will hold a referendum Aug 18 to decide if the country is to run by a presidential or parliamentary system of government.
Over 20,000 people contracted Ebola in 2014: WHO
Geneva: The number of people infected with the deadly Ebola virus reached 20,381 people by the end of 2014, and 7,989 of them died...
Senate confirms Obama pick as treasury secretary despite tax problems
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The US Senate has confirmed Timothy F. Geithner, President Barack Obama's pick as the next treasury secretary to head his administration's response to the financial crisis threatening economic growth around the globe.
Geithner, a former Federal Reserve official, won Senate approval by a vote of 60 to 34 despite his past failure to pay thousands of dollars in taxes at a previous job with the International Monetary Fund. Several Democrats joined most Republicans in opposing the nomination.