Rajaratnam’s insider scheme twice as large as suspected
By DPA,
New York : Federal prosecutors have doubled the amount they believe Sri Lankan billionaire Raj Rajaratnam skimmed off an insider New York trading scheme, charging his profits were a whopping $36 million.
The allegation was contained in court papers filed Tuesday in Manhattan opposing Rajaratnam's bid for reduced bail, Bloomberg financial news service reported. Investigators were worried that the founder of Galleon Group hedge fund could flee along with the ill-gotten money into his homeland, media reports said Wednesday.
New tremors shake G8 summit venue amid `Yes, We Camp’ protests
By DPA,
L'Aquila (Italy) : Three moderate earthquakes measuring between magnitude 2.2 and 2.8 shook the venue of the Group of Eight (G8) summit in the central Italian city of L'Aquila ahead of the arrival of world leaders, local media reported Wednesday.
The tremors were felt at 3.35, 8.16 and 9.40 a.m. local time (0740 GMT), with their epicentre located in the nearby Monti Reatini, the online edition of Il Centro daily reported.
Unemployment in Britain at 10-year high
By DPA,
London : The unemployment total in Britain rose to 1.97 million in December, reaching its highest level in 10 years, official figures showed Wednesday.
The unemployment rate stood at 6.3 percent.
The jobless total is expected to have surpassed the two-million mark in January, as the deepening recession brought almost daily job losses.
Volcanic eruptions affect rainfall over Asian region
By IANS,
Washington : Large volcanic eruptions affect rainfall over the Asian monsoon region where seasonal storms water crops for nearly half the population of the earth.
Condoms in all Beijing hotel rooms by 2008
By Xinhua
Beijing : Authorities in the Chinese capital have asked all hotel owners to provide condoms in every room by the end of 2008 to counter new cases of HIV/AIDS.
In the first 10 months of this year, the capital has registered 973 new cases of HIV/AIDS, up by 54 percent from the previous year.
The Municipal Health Bureau here has been pushing the city's 700 hotels to provide condoms in every guest room, but so far only 133 hotels with 15,907 guest rooms have supplied condoms, according to official data.
Muslim leaders in Britain appeal for ‘unity’
By DPA
London : A leading British Muslim organisation Tuesday condemned the "barbarity" of the failed car bombings in London and Glasgow and urged the community to help "prevent terrorism."
800 Spaniards to undergo health checks after radioactive leak
By DPA,
Madrid : Nearly 800 Spaniards will undergo health checks to make sure they have not been affected by radioactive material leaked from the nuclear plant of Asco I in the country's north-east in November, press reports said Tuesday.
Nearly 580 people have already been examined but there was no indication of damage to health from the leak.
The checks would nevertheless continue to confirm that nobody had been affected by radioactivity to a significant extent, the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) said.
3,000-year-old human remains found in Mexico
By IANS
Monterrey (Mexico) : The Mexican anthropologists have discovered remains of a 3,000-year-old human body, some 100 km south of the US border, Spain's EFE news agency reported Sunday.
Experts said the discovery was extraordinary, since in that period bodies were generally cremated in the region. The arms, apparently of a woman, were found crossed over her chest and legs folded.
Around 98 percent of the skeletons have been retrieved, anthropologist Araceli Rivera Estrada of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), told the agency.
IPL success spurs South Africa to launch SPL
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : South African cricket authorities are speeding up the launch of the proposed Southern Premier League (SPL) to cash in on the huge success of the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here.
Plans for an SPL featuring South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are well advanced and the first series may be hosted by South Africa in October 2011, the Afrikaans weekly Rapport said here Sunday.
25 hurt in Tajikistan blast
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Dushanbe : Twenty-five people were injured Friday in a suicide car bomb attack on a police building in Tajikistan, an interior ministry spokesman said.
The attack took place at 8.10 a.m. in the country's second largest city of Khujand.
"A car packed with explosives crashed through the right part of the building," the spokesman said.
The building housed the headquarters of the local organised crime department.
There is no information on the driver of the vehicle involved.
Israel conducts anti-missile test
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : The Israeli navy has successfully tested its Barak anti-missile system, the military announced Sunday.
The test included a version of the missile system with improved rocket-interception capabilities, the military said.
An interceptor missile was fired from the Israel Navy Ship Lahav, a Sa'ar 5-type corvette, successfully intercepting a target described as simulating an incoming enemy missile.
UK regrets Arbour resigning as UN human rights commissioner
By IRNA
London : The British government has expressed regret over the announcement by Louise Arbour to resign as UN human rights commissioner at the end of her first four-year term in June.
"I'm sorry to hear that Louise Arbour has decided not to serve a second term as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She has done a remarkable job in pushing forward the work of her office," Foreign Office Minister Lord Malloch-Brown said.
Trailing McCain keeps up the fight; Obama warns against complacency
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : A day ahead of the US presidential poll, Barack Obama appeared to be on the verge of making history as the country's first black president, but rival John McCain was in no mood to give up without a feisty fight.
Democrat Obama, who continues to lead in almost all national opinion polls, as also his Republican opponent kept up the tempo of their fights as they turned attention to the states their parties had lost in 2004.
Is Bobby Jindal running 2012 US presidential race?
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Bobby Jindal, Indian American governor of Louisiana, has been chosen to keynote the National Republican Congressional Committee's March fundraising dinner, fuelling speculation he may emerge as the party's presidential candidate in 2012.
"Bobby is a rising star and is a part of a new generation of leadership in our party," NRCC chairman Pete Sessions noted in an e-mail to supporters.
"He has a budding record of success, having implemented sound, common-sense business practices since he took office in 2007 and started rebuilding his great state."
Kenya’s parliament set to reopen after allegedly flawed polls
By DPA
Nairobi : Riot police carrying shields and batons were deployed across the Kenyan capital Nairobi Tuesday ahead of the reopening of parliament after allegedly rigged presidential polls plunged the country into chaos and violence.
Most roads leading into downtown and around parliament were sealed, police said, as tensions remain high over a political crisis that has seen defeated presidential candidate Raila Odinga claiming he was legitimately elected and charging President Mwai Kibaki stole the win.
Katie Waissel confirms split from Alphonso
By IANS,
London: Singer Katie Waissel has ended her marriage with model Brad Alphonso just two months after tying the knot.
Temple rivalry leads to royal visit cancellation
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to a Hindu temple in Leicester on Thursday has been cancelled after the Buckingham Palace came to know it was under investigation into how it is run and of faction fighting within the temple administration.
The duke is accompanying Queen Elizabeth on a day-long visit to the county Thursday. The Queen has three engagements in the city, while the duke was to have met faith leaders at the Shree Hindu Temple.
Former Zambian president condemns South Africa attacks
By DPA,
Lusaka : Former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda has condemned the xenophobic frenzy in South African townships and poor neighbourhoods, in which over 40 people have been killed, mostly African migrants.
Radio Zambia Saturday quoted Kaunda as urging the South African government to intervene quickly to stop what he termed a deplorable human carnage.
"It is criminal to kill fellow human beings for selfish reasons as is the case in South Africa," Kaunda, who led the post-independent Zambia for 27 years, said.
Chavez – 10 years in power as an international maverick
By Veronica Sardon, DPA,
Buenos Aires : Controversial Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will celebrate 10 years in power Monday and has made it clear that he has no plans to leave anytime soon.
Chavez, who became president Feb 2, 1999, is now trying to cling on to power for unlimited years. On Feb 15, Venezuela is to hold a constitutional referendum which would abolish term limits and enable the leftist leader to seek unlimited re-election.
Under the present constitution, Chavez's second term ends in February 2013 without the chance of re-election.
Sri Lankans protest against Geneva resolution
By IANS,
Colombo : Some 2,000 Sri Lankans marched to the British High Commission here Tuesday to condemn Western countries for a resolution that accuses Colombo of committing "war crimes".
Of Moscow traffic jams and smoke in your face
By Vishnu Makhijani, IANS
Moscow : Residents of Indian metros who frequently fret and fume over daily traffic logjams can take heart: it's even worse in this Russian capital.
Not only this. You guys back home have auto rickshaws and taxis and even commuter bus services - efficient in Mumbai and iffy in most other cities - to fall back on if you don't feel like getting behind.
Brothers sentenced on terrorism charges in Britain
London: Two brothers from London have become the first Britons to be jailed for attending terrorist training in Syria, London's Metropolitan Police said Wednesday.
Mohommod...
Six stand trial in China’s milk powder scandal
By Xinhua,
Shijiazhuang (China) : Six people involved in China's melamine-tainted baby food scandal went on trial Friday in four courts in the northern province of Hebei.
Prosecutors charged Zhang Yujun and Zhang Yanzhang, who appeared at the Shijiazhuang intermediate people's court, with compromising public security. The two Zhangs are not related.
The court was told that Zhang Yujun, a native of Quzhou county of Hebei, had concocted the so-called "protein powder" by mixing industrial chemical melamine with malt starch.
Freedom from spam: just tax them
By IANS,
New York : A staggering 200 billion spam mails are sent every day, clogging your mailbox and possibly slowing down your genuine mail. Time to consider taxing them and raising money for roads and bridges.
According to an estimate, more than 90 percent of all e-mails sent and received around the globe are spam - advertising aphrodisiacs while trying to push virus in your computer or luring you with million dollars out of a Nigerian bank provided you provide your bank account details.
Stabbed Indian cabbie recovering, attacker in custody
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : Indian student Jalvinder Singh, who received near fatal injuries after being stabbed while working as a part time taxi driver in Melbourne this April, is gradually recovering, while his attacker has been sent to jail until December.
The 23-year-old Indian is still recuperating at home three months on.
"I am feeling better, but I'm still unable to resume my studies. I have to see the neurosurgeon again next month," Singh told IANS.
Bhutanese root for tradition in mock polls, no to industrialization
By Syed Zarir Hussain
IANSThimphu : Bhutan has elected a new mock parliament that promises to preserve the nation's traditions amid looming fears of anarchy and corruption swamping the cocooned Himalayan kingdom known as the 'last Shangri-la'.
Greek programme must be realistically funded: EU commissioner
Paris : European Union (EU) Economic and Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici Monday said the reform programme that will be submitted by the Greek...
A new Modi doctrine for Indian foreign policy?
By Arul Louis,
Marking a decisive break from the slowly eroding traditional underpinnings of Indian foreign policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his United Nations speech set out a new framework marked by two elements: replacing the polemics of a bipolar era with a policy centred on dialogue and engagement and the vestiges of anti-colonialism with a focus on democratisation.
Obama urges shift of focus from Iraq to Afghanistan
By DPA,
Washington : Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama Tuesday said the US must broaden its foreign policy focus beyond Iraq, as he pledged to end the war and focus on fighting Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
In a speech on foreign policy ahead of a planned trip to Europe and the Middle East, Obama said the war in Iraq "distracts us from every threat that we face and so many opportunities we could seize".
HSBC ventures into China’s rural market
By Xinhua
Hubei (China) : The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) Thursday set up its first venture in rural China, marking the first entry by an international bank in the rural sector of the country.
The wholly owned subsidiary of the HSBC in the Cengdu district of Suizhou city in central China's Hubei province offers its customers deposit service for local businesses and individuals and help businesses to raise funds.
The branch has started with 22 staff members and an initial capital of about $1.36 million (10 million yuan).
‘Israel will not apologize to Turkey’
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Israel will not apologize to Turkey for the killing of nine activists on the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara while intercepting the ship as it sought to break Gaza blockade, a senior government official said Friday.
"Hostile elements" had been among the passengers on board the ship and they attacked the Israeli naval commandos overtaking the ship with "cold weapons" including knives and sticks, the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Israel Radio.
Therefore there was "no chance" Israel would apologize for defending itself, the official said.
Russia seeks spy swap to free agents in US
By DPA,
Moscow : The Kremlin wants to resort to a spy swap reminiscent of the Cold War era to free some of the 10 Russians who were recently detained in the US on espionage allegations, Russian media reported Wednesday.
Nuclear expert and convicted spy Igor Sutyagin has already been transferred to Moscow from a penal camp in northern Russia, the Itar-Tass news agency quoted his lawyer, Anna Stavitskaya, as saying.
The 45-year-old will presumably be exchanged along with other spies whose cover has been blown, Stavitskaya said.
California court rejects Polanski bid to throw out case
By DPA,
Los Angeles : A California appeals court Monday rejected a bid by lawyers for Roman Polanski to have his child-sex case thrown out on the grounds of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct.
The unanimous ruling by the three judge panel said a lower court did not err when it ruled earlier in the year that Polanski must surrender to US authorities before pursuing his misconduct claims.
Russian parliament approves extension of presidential terms
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : All of Russia's 83 regions have approved Constitutional amendments to extend presidential and parliamentary terms, the upper house of the country's parliament said in a resolution Monday.
In line with the Constitution, the approval of at least two thirds of regional legislatures was required to extend the current four-year presidential and parliamentary terms to six and five years, respectively.
"We will submit the resolution for signing to the president," Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov said.
China quake: Soldier dies as relief vehicle falls off cliff
By IANS,
Beijing : A military vehicle carrying 17 soldiers to China's quake-hit Sichuan province plummeted off a cliff Saturday, killing one soldier, military officials said.
Recent events will galvanise Australia: Border
By IANS,
Mohali : Australia's Test great Alan Border feels that introduction of young players like Steve Smith in the team will energise the Michael Clarke-led side against a confident India.
Sikh body seeks UN intervention in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Amritsar : Expressing its solidarity with the Tamil population in the war-ravaged north Sri Lanka, a radical Sikh organization Dal Khalsa Friday urged the UN to intervene and save the thousands of people trapped in the conflict zone.
Dal Khalsa's secretary for political affairs Kanwar Pal Singh said the organization was "moved by the sufferings of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka".
IMF pledges ‘multi-year’ support for Greece
By DPA,
Washington : The International Monetary Fund Sunday greeted the $40-billion financial support package for Greece sealed in Europe, and reaffirmed its readiness to offer added support if need be.
"The IMF stands ready to join the effort, including through a multi-year stand-by arrangement, to the extent needed and requested by the Greek authorities," IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said.
Strauss-Kahn said the agreement among the euro area finance ministers, the European Commission and the European Central Bank marked "a very important step".
US announces probe into mine blast; toll reaches 29
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama vowed the government would conduct a thorough investigation of the country's worst mining accident in decades after the bodies of four missing US miners were found early Saturday.
The final death toll stood at 29.
"We did not receive the miracle we prayed for," said West Virgina Governor Joe Manchin. "This journey has ended and now the healing will start."
Pope prays for Chinese earthquake victims
By DPA,
Vatican City : Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday urged the faithful to join him in "fervid prayer" for the victims of the earthquake in China.
"I am spiritually close to the people who have suffered from such a serious calamity," Benedict said during his traditional mid-week general audience.
"Let the Lord support those involved in the rescue operations," Benedict said,
The earthquake which struck China's Sichuan province Monday is estimated to have killed at least 14,000 people and destroyed half a million houses.
Voice recorder of Kenyan plane found in Cameroon
By Xinhua
Nairobi : A Kenyan search team in Cameroon has retrieved the cockpit voice recorder of the Kenya Airways plane that crashed in a mangrove swamp last month, airline officials said Saturday.
EU to introduce streamlined Schengen visa system
By DPA,
Brussels: European Union (EU) officials Tuesday hailed a streamlined new system for issuing visas to enter the Schengen zone, saying that it would make travel easier when it comes into force April 5.
Twenty-five European states make up the borderless Schengen zone, with a single visa allowing entry to all of them. But until now, each state has had its own method of issuing visas, making the system complex and unpredictable.
Bush to visit Israel for first time in January
By DPA
Tel Aviv : US President George W. Bush will travel in January to Israel, marking his first visit to the US ally since he took office nearly seven years ago, Israeli broadcaster Channel 2 reported, citing government officials.
Bush's travel plans come after Israel and the Palestinians agreed to relaunch peace talks during last week's, US-hosted Middle East conference in Annapolis, Maryland. Bush pledged at the conference to take on a greater mediating role.
G8 ministers continue talks on oil, commodity prices
By DPA,
Osaka (Japan) : Finance ministers of the world's seven richest states and Russia Saturday continued their meeting in Japan, as inflation woes threatened to sideline climate change, development topics.
The members of the Group of Eight (G8) said they would focus their talks on means to tackle rising energy and commodity prices, with increasing transparency in the oil market as one promising approach.
Differing priorities of the individual G8 members as well as developing countries however diminish the likelihood of strong concerted action on oil and commodity prices.
Ten-year plans for Russia from 2008
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia is to introduce a 10-year financial planning system beginning in 2008.
46 UN staff killed in Haiti quake
By IANS,
United Nations : At least 46 staff of the UN were killed in the devastating earthquake that rocked the Haitian capital of Port-au Prince last week, the global organisation said Monday.
"The death toll for the UN as a whole is 46," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said, adding that more than 500 others still missing.
The world body made it clear that the figure of "missing or unaccounted for" includes local staff who may have survived but have not been contacted, Xinhua reported.
Six dead in Tibet snowstorm
By Xinhua,
Lhasa : At least six people have died in Tibet's worst snowfall in recent memory, the government said Thursday.
Some 1,700 people are stranded in Lhunze, Cuona and Comai counties, an official said.
The storm, which started Sunday, dumped close to 64 cm of snow in one county, said the regional weather observatory, adding that it continued to fall throughout the plateau.
The six people killed either froze to death or were crushed by collapsing buildings, said the official.
Shots fired at Pentagon: Report
By IANS,
Washington: Shots were fired early Tuesday at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US defence department, but no casualties were reported, authorities said.
Putin confirmed Russian prime minister
By DPA,
Moscow : Vladimir Putin was confirmed prime minister Thursday in a near unanimous parliamentary vote that underscored his continued power, one day after passing the Kremlin to his protege Dmitry Medvedev.
A total of 396 of the 450 State Duma (lower house of Russian parliament) members voted in favour of Putin's nomination Thursday.
By making the transition from president to premier, Putin ensures he remains a central figure.
Many believe he will carry more weight than Medvedev, who owes his presidency solely to Putin's support.
Firefighters rescue puppy using vacuum cleaner
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : A puppy was rescued from an abandoned well in the US state of Pennsylvania with the help of a vacuum cleaner, media said Tuesday.
The Shih Tzu puppy named Romeo fell into the well in Plum Borough over the weekend, wpxi.com reported.
Firefighters had spent three hours trying to get the dog out of a pipe witout result.
"Eventually, we hooked up an industrial-strength vacuum and sized it down to about one inch. We caught on to one of the dog's legs and got it out. It was a miracle," assistant fire chief Jim Scuffle was quoted as saying.
British anti-poverty company criticised for high salary, India focus
By IANS,
London : MPs have attacked the million-pound-a-year salary taken by the head of a British government company that fights poverty in India and other developing countries.
The salary of CDC Group chief executive Richard Laing rose from 383,000 pounds in 2003 to 970,000 pounds in 2007, the British parliament's Public Accounts Committee found.
Committee members said the company, which describes itself as a "fund of funds", failed to consult Britain's ministry for International Development, its 100 percent shareholder.
Marilyn Monroe’s photographs sold for 97,000 pounds
By IANS,
London : A collection of 36 photographs of the late Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe, which were taken in 1962, was sold at auction house Christie's here for 97,000 pounds.
The images, shot by Bert Stern for American Vogue magazine, are believed to have been the last professional photographs of the star and, following her death later that year, ran in the magazine as a memorial as opposed to the original feature planned, reports vogue.co.uk.
S Korean media: DPRK, S Korean ships collide in Sea of Japan
By Xinhua,
Seoul : A ship collision between a fishing boat of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and a South Korean sand excavator early Tuesday appeared to be an accident, said South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
Tuesday's collision, leaving at least two DPRK sailors missing, appeared to be a simple accident, but it is expected to worsen the strained ties between the Pyongyang and Seoul, Yonhap said.
The collision took place early Tuesday on waters east off the DPRK's eastern port city of Jangjun, Yonhap said.
41 die in China bus fire
By IANS,
Beijing : Forty-one people died and six were injured after an overcrowded bus caught fire early Friday in central China, a media report said.
Swear words can get you marks if spelt okay, says UK exams chief
By IANS,
London : Students penning swear words in their English answer papers are getting rewarded, it is now revealed. It is okay if they do not go wrong with the spelling and grammar, says the examination board chief.
The Telegraph reports of some cases in an English paper for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE).
In one case a pupil who wrote a two-word obscenity in answer to the question "Describe the room you're sitting in", on a 2006 GCSE paper was given two marks out of a possible 27 for the expletive. That translates to 3.5 in percentage.
300 people still uncontactable post-Himalayan snowstorm in Nepal
Kathmandu:Nepalese authorities have still not been able to contact around 300 hill walkers and trekkers, including 60 foreigners, after a snowstorm that killed 27...
Wall Street gains on oil price, retail sales
By DPA,
New York : US markets rallied Thursday on booming oil prices and strong sales at major discount chains.
Energy companies helped lead the advance after oil prices rose by $5.49 to $127.79 per barrel. Investors also responded to better than expected sales at retail giants Wal-Mart and Costco.
"While the economy is weak, it's not deathly weak," Alan Gayle of Ridgeworth Capital Management told Bloomberg financial news. "The markets may very well be breathing a sigh of relief."
New Zealand PM will not meet Dalai Lama
By DPA,
Wellington : New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Wednesday that he would not meet the Dalai Lama when he visits the country next month.
"The reason simply is I've decided that I wouldn't get a lot out of that particular meeting," he told reporters. "I don't see every religious leader that comes to town. I've seen him in the past, I may see him in the future."
Key, who said before he was elected a year ago that he would meet the Dalai Lama on future visits, denied that China had pressured him to boycott the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.
Modi tells UK Inc it is wiser to be in India today
London : Assuring a transparent, predictable and an easy policy environment for doing businesses in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Britain's corporate leaders...
Myanmar military chief on goodwill visit to India
By DPA,
Yangon: Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Than Shwe departed Sunday for a goodwill visit to India at the invitation of the Indian president, officials confirmed.
Than Shwe departed Naypyitaw International Airport for a five-day official visit as guest of President Pratibha Patil, government officials in the military's capital said.
Than Shwe heads the State Peace and Development Council, as Myanmar's junta styles itself. He last visited India in October 2004.
5,000 migrants detained in Mexico in February
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Nearly 5,000 migrants were detained in Mexico in February, officials said.
Seven reasons John and I are happy, says Cindy McCain
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Republican presidential candidate John McCain's wife Cindy McCain introduced their seven children, including a Bangladeshi girl she brought home from an orphanage begun by Mother Teresa in Dhaka, at the Republican convention Thursday to drive home their family values and compassion.
"I would like to introduce to you the seven reasons that John and I are so happy as a family," she said as she warmed up the Republican convention crowd at St. Paul, Minnesota, for her husband's acceptance speech Thursday.
Civilians flee last LTTE-held area in Sri Lanka
By DPA,
Colombo : Civilians continued Saturday to pour out of the last rebel-held area in northeastern Sri Lanka after security forces Saturday took the final strip of coast held by Tamil Tigers in the final phase of their offensive to defeat the guerrillas and end the more than 25-year conflict, military officials said.
An estimated 5,000 civilians left Saturday, pushing up the total to have fled the area in two days to 17,500.
Myanmar junta announces amnesty for 6,000 prisoners
By DPA,
Yangon : Myanmar'a junta announced an amnesty Friday for more than 6,000 prisoners, although it remained unclear how many political prisoners were included, Naypyitaw radio reported.
"For the humanitarian reasons, for the sake of the family members, to demonstrate the goodwill of the government and to be able to allow fair participation in the upcoming 2010 free and fair general election, Myanmar government will release 6,313 prisoners starting from Feb 21," the announcement said.
Russia builds floating nuclear power plant
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : In a couple of years, a new kind of vessel will appear on the sea - the floating nuclear power plant (FNPP). The Academician Lomonosov, currently under construction in Russia, is only one project of the several FNPP being developed.
The formal keel laying ceremony took place in April 2007 at the Sevmash shipyard of the Russian State Centre for Nuclear Shipbuilding in Severodvinsk. After about a year and a half, the state-owned corporation Rosatom revoked the general contract, handing it over to the Baltiysky Zavod (Baltic Plant) Shipyard in St. Petersburg.
Israelis caught in Goa drug trade isolated cases: Diplomat
Panaji: Israel's Mumbai-based Consul General David Akov on Tuesday said instances of Israelis caught during unlawful activities in Goa were isolated incidents.
Goa has seen...
Sarkozy will not meet Dalai Lama during French visit
By DPA,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy will not meet the Dalai Lama during the latter's upcoming visit to France, the Elysee Palace has said.
The Tibetan religious leader had given the current circumstances not requested a meeting with the French president, a palace statement said Wednesday.
According to Le Figaro, however, Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni will attend a religious ceremony led by the Dalai Lama for the opening of a Buddhist temple in Roqueredonde in southern France.
Australian father has child with his daughter: report
By ANTARA News
Sydney : An Australian woman who had a child with her father pleaded for acceptance of their illicit love as the couple and their baby girl appeared on national television after being convicted of incest.
Jenny Deaves was 31 when she was reunited with her father John Deaves, who separated from her mother three decades before. Shortly afterwards, she had considered embarking on a sexual relationship with him, she was quoted by AFP as telling the Nine Network.
Cholera kills over 2,200 in Zimbabwe
By DPA,
Geneva/Harare : Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic has continued its rapid spread, with the toll reaching 2,225 Friday, the UN said in Geneva.
According to the organisation, 42,675 people have been infected with the waterborne disease. Wednesday, the toll stood at 2,106 dead and 40,448 infected.
The epidemic was being fuelled by a lack of clean drinking water and chronic shortages of food and other essentials in the country, which is facing its worst-ever economic and humanitarian crisis.
World press body raps Israel for prosecuting journalists
By KUNA
Brussels : The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called Saturday on the Israeli authorities to abandon plans to prosecute journalists who visited Lebanon and Syria, countries with which Israel has no formal relations, in the course of their work.
"At a time when key players in the region are talking peace it is grotesque that journalists should be facing prosecution for doing their job," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary.
Regional centres for green technology spread mooted
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Copenhagen : As the stormy Dec 7-18 climate summit headed for a climax, it has readied deals on how to pay countries to stop deforestation and to set up regional centres for transfer of green technology to developing countries, a senior UN official said.
The setting up of the regional centres was an idea mooted by India during an international meet in New Delhi this October. An Indian official said here Thursday night that the country could host one of the hubs, which are meant to spread green technologies quickly among developing countries.
Pope issues ‘green-tinged’ World Day of Peace message
By DPA,
Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI has delivered a strong new call for mankind to safeguard the environment, in his message for the Catholic Church's World Day of Peace which falls Jan 1.
The message titled: "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation," was issued by the Vatican on Tuesday, and comes as world leaders are participating in a summit on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Nepal PM expands cabinet
By Anil Giri, IANS,
Kathmandu : Overcoming a row over allocation of the home ministry portfolio with alliance partner Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist...
Publication of former China premier’s Tiananmen diary halted
By DPA,
Hong Kong : Publication of a diary by China's former premier Li Peng detailing events leading up to the 1989 Beijing crackdown on democracy activists has been halted, a news report said Sunday.
Twenty thousand copies of the book were due to go into shops in Hong Kong on June 22 but publisher New Century Press aborted the publication because of "copyright problems", the South China Morning Post reported.
Ten-Year action plan for Islamic world: Muslim states agree on creation of Anti-terror Islamic...
Islamic heads of more than 30 states have agreed a Ten-year plan of action in a bid to tackle extremism and security issues threatening...
Global warming threatens Roof of the World
By Fu Shuangqi, Xinhua
Beijing : Shrinking glaciers, frozen earth melting, grasslands turning yellow, rivers drying up... scientists studying the effects of global warming on Tibet are deeply worried.
US levies fines on airlines who stranded passengers
By DPA,
Washington : Three US airlines were fined a total of $175,000 Tuesday for leaving passengers stranded nearly six hours on an aircraft, the first-ever such penalty imposed by the US government.
Continental Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines were fined a total of $100,000 and Mesaba Airlines must pay $75,000 for their respective roles in keeping passengers on the plane in Rochester, New York, in August.
Australians Lash at War in Iraq
Canberra, Oct 3 (Prensa Latina) Rejection of the US war on Iraq rates 64 percent in Australia and nearly half of the people surveyed wishes for a more independent foreign policy from the US.
An inquiry by the local paper The Australian says 73 percent of the 1,213 interviews think that backing the world anti-terror drive turns the country into a target of attacks.
The numbers show 51 percent rejection of the deployment of nationals in Afghanistan while 44 percent wishes the troops would stay till completing their mission.
Poll victory mandate for peace: Rajapaksa
By P. Karunakharan, IANS
Colombo : Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa Sunday hailed his coalition's victory in the maiden eastern provincial council poll as "a mandate" for his government's approach "to achieve peace through defeat of terrorism".
"I note that the people of the East have given a clear mandate for peace through the defeat of terrorism, the strengthening of democracy and the development of the country," Rajapaksa said in a statement.
The ruling coalition won the provincial council elections Saturday amid allegations of wide-spread poll violence.
Russian railways to launch duty-free on trains
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's rail monopoly Russian Railways (RZD) plans to launch a pilot project for duty-free shops on its international trains, RZD said Monday.
Highlights of Obama’s life and times
By IANS,
Washington : Here are the highlights of US president elect Barack Obama's life and career:
Born: Aug 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Parentage: Father Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a Luo from Nyang'oma Kogelo, Nyanza Province, Kenya. Mother Ann Dunham, a white American from Wichita, Kansas.
Education: B.A. in international relations, 1983, Columbia University. J.D. from Harvard Law School; Elected first black president of the Law Review in February 1990.
China to begin fresh excavation of terracotta army site
By Xinhua,
Xi'an (China) : Chinese archaeologists are preparing for another excavation at the famous terracotta army site, hoping to find more clay figures and unravel some of the mysteries left behind by the "First Emperor".
Archaeologists hoped they might find a clay figure that appeared to be "in command" of the huge underground army, said Liu Zhancheng, head of the archaeological team of the terracotta museum in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province.
Russia’s Su-35 fighter makes first demonstration flight
By RIA Novosti,
Zhukovsky (Moscow Region) : Russia's new state-of-the-art Su-35 Flanker multirole air superiority/strike fighter successfully completed its first demonstration flight on Monday.
During the six-minute flight it carried out a number of stunts and maneuvers.
The demonstration was attended by Vladimir Mikhailov, former commander of Russia's Air Force.
Deliveries of the new aircraft, billed as "4++ generation using fifth-generation technology," to foreign clients will start in 2011, the chief executive of the Sukhoi aircraft maker said earlier on Monday.
Austria gives Bhutan $8 mn for electrification
By IANS,
Vienna : Austria has provided a $7.92 million (5.8 million euro) credit to Bhutan for electrification of its villages, the Austrian foreign ministry has said.
Venezuela announces currency devaluation
By IANS/EFE,
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced a currency devaluation and the introduction of a two-tiered official exchange rate as his government aims to boost a sagging economy.
The official exchange rate of 2.15 bolivars to the dollar, in effect since 2005, will be replaced beginning Monday with a dual-rate regime.
Importers of essential items such as food, medicine and heavy machinery will be able to buy dollars at a rate of 2.60 bolivars to the greenback.
China ship tragedy: Toll escalates to 396
Beijing: A total of 396 people have been confirmed dead after rescuers lifted a Chinese cruise ship that capsized on the Yangtze river on...
UN General Assembly President urges unity among cultures
By TwoCircles.net newsdesk
Closing a major conference today at United Nations Headquarters in New York, General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa called on the peoples of the world to overcome their mutual indifference to each other to solve grave global problems.
“As President of the General Assembly, I have the opportunity to closely observe the misery that millions of humans suffer from in the face of sometimes fatal indifference,� Sheikha Haya said at the end of a two-day programme on the co-existence of cultures.
Food crisis mounts pressure on G8 to deliver in Africa
By DPA,
Nairobi : Africa is once again set to be high on the agenda at the upcoming G8 meeting in Japan as the global food crisis threatens to set back the tentative progress the continent has made in recent years.
Independent bodies, campaigners and government officials are calling for an urgent increase in aid to prevent Africa from sliding further into poverty and hunger.
However, the G8's failure to meet development aid targets already set has lead many to worry that further financial commitments are likely to be no more than empty promises.
Blast mars Nepal’s biggest festival
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : A bomb exploded in Nepal's turbulent southern plains Monday morning injuring three children and marring the celebration of the Himalayan republic's biggest festival Dashain, despite a truce called by warring armed groups.
The explosion in the industrial town of Biratnagar in Morang district, along the India-Nepal border, injured three children, aged between eight and 12 years.
A young girl, whose name was given only as Chhoti, and two boys, Riyaz and Raja, were injured when the bomb went off in a garbage dump around 10 a.m.
Efforts of IMRC make drinkable water accessible to drought-affected rural areas in India
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
As a debilitating drought enters its thrird successive year in Marathwada region of Maharashtra, Mohammad Yousuf, 45 a farmer from...
Palin brings ‘balance’ to Republican ticket: Rudy Giuliani
By DPA,
Washington : Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani Tuesday defended John McCain's pick of little-known Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, arguing that she brought "balance" to the Republican ticket and was ready to lead the country if called upon.
Giuliani, himself once considered a frontrunner for the Republican Party nomination, told broadcaster CNN that Palin brings domestic policy expertise that would complement McCain's long military and foreign policy credentials.
Nepal royals jittery as president to replace king
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : After putting up an impassive front ahead of the assembly meeting that will Wednesday end Nepal's 239-year-old reign of the Shah dynasty, the royal family Tuesday showed first signs of jitters as the ruling parties finally agreed that a president would replace King Gyanendra as head of state.
Justice may catch up with judges who jailed kids for cash
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Two former judges in Pennsylvania, who made more than $2.6 million in pay-offs by sending minors to prisons run by private companies, now themselves face the prospect of seven to 25 years behind bars.
But justice may take several months to catch up with perpetrators of one of the most stunning cases of judicial corruption on record in America.
Former Luzerne County judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan pleaded guilty in the federal court in Scranton to honest services fraud and tax fraud last week.
China-US strategic economic dialogue in June
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China and the US will hold the fourth Strategic Economic Dialogue in June in Annapolis, Maryland, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang announced here Thursday.
Chinese vice premier Wang Qishan and US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will co-chair the meeting June 17-18 as special representatives of state leaders of the two countries, Qin told a regular press conference.
Ministers and other senior officials from related departments of the two governments will also attend the dialogue, according to Qin.
UAE airliner re-routes to avoid Iraq conflict airspace
Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced that it will re-route its flights to avoid the...
New home sales in US rose in November
By IANS/EFE,
Washington : Sales of new homes in the US rose 1.6 percent between October and November to reach an annualized rate of 315,000, authorities said Friday.
Venezuela sends troops to Colombian border, closes embassy
By DPA
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has sent 10 battalions of troops to the country's border with Colombia and closed its embassy in Bogota to protest the killing of a high-ranking leftist rebel by Colombian troops inside Ecuador.
The Colombian government said Saturday that Raul Reyes, the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), had been killed along with 16 other rebels in an air raid into Ecuador.
Air Canada begins in-flight internet service
By IANS,
Toronto : Air Canada Thursday unveiled its plans to offer in-flight internet service.
The national carrier said it has started trials from Thursday to offer internet service on select flights on its Toronto-Los Angeles and Montreal-Los Angeles routes. With the trial run, Air Canada joins many international airlines which already offer in-flight internet service.
Passengers can access the service on their own laptop for $9.95 per flight or Personal Electronic Device (PED) for $7.95 per flight.
Bush to sign U.S.-India nuclear bill
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. President George W. Bush will sign into law on Wednesday a bill approved by Congress allowing civilian U.S. nuclear trade with India, Bush's spokesman Carlton Carroll said Tuesday.
"The president looks forward to signing this bill into law and continuing to strengthen the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership," Carroll said in a statement.
"This legislation will strengthen our global nuclear nonproliferation efforts, protect the environment, create jobs, and assist India in meeting its growing energy needs in a responsible manner."
UN concerned over deteriorating situation in CAR
Geneva: Two UN organisations Tuesday expressed deep concern on the escalation of violence in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR).
Stepped-up attacks...
Thieves again raid Hindu temple in Trinidad
By Paras Ramoutar, IANS,
Port-of-Spain : Thieves have again broken into a Hindu temple in Trinidad and Tobago. This is one in a series of raids which have affected the Hindu places of worship in this Caribbean nation over the years.
Police reported that scores of devotees returned to the Mon Plasir Road Hindu Temple on Monday to find it ransacked and over $10,000 in electronic items taken away. The stolen items included a computer, a television set and sound amplification equipment.
Japan, Australia agree to disagree over whale hunt
By SPA,
Tokyo : The leaders of Japan and Australia agreed on Thursday not to let a dispute over Japan's annual whale hunts hurt bilateral ties, and pledged to strengthen their security and economic partnership, Reuters reported.
The two countries will also work to find a solution to the whaling controversy, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told reporters after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
Touted best among G8, Canadian economy on rebound
By IANS,
Toronto: Touted as the best among all the G8 economies during the current global slowdown, the Canadian economy is set for a rebound, according to the country's top bank.
In a report Monday, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) said the economy will return to positive growth in 2010 after contracting at an average of 2.5 per cent in 2009. According to the report, the economy is likely to grow by 2.6 per cent in 2010. It will pick up further in 2011 to grow
by 3.9 per cent.
Be prepared to protect rights of clones: UN study
New York(IANS) : Global leaders need to reach a compromise that outlaws reproductive cloning or be prepared to protect the rights of human clones from potential abuse, prejudice and discrimination.
A report by the United Nations University's Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) says a ban on human cloning, coupled with freedom for nations to permit controlled therapeutic research, is the global community's best option.
The report, titled "Is Human Reproductive Cloning Inevitable: Future Options for UN Governance" has been authored by UNU-IAS director A.H. Zakri.
Indian Army’s Gorkha centre not recruiting Nepalis, says MP
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The 120-year-old recruitment centre of the Indian Army in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh has stopped enlisting Nepal's Gorkhas for over a year, an MP said here. Indian diplomats and officials confirmed this giving reasons for the move.
Nepali MP Malawar Singh Thapa, who also heads the Rastriya Janamukti Party, Friday raised the issue in parliament amid fears by the families of Gorkha veterans who have for generations sent their children to the Indian Army.
Moscow bans ‘homosexual propaganda’
By DPA,
Moscow : Moscow Mayor Yuri Lushkov has banned gay rights demonstrations in the city despite international protests.
"Of course all democrats in the world will criticize us, but every society has its own point of view," Lushkov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying at a conference on the problems of HIV and AIDS in the former Soviet Union.
Tamils rally against attack on Canadian mission
By IANS,
Toronto : Hundreds of Tamils protested at the Sri Lankan consulate here Friday against the attack on the Canadian high commission in Colombo earlier this week.
Scores of Sri Lankan protesters had ransacked the Canadian mission Wednesday to protest against what they called Canadian "support" for Tamil Tigers.
Shouting slogans against Sri Lanka for the ransacking of the mission, Tamil protesters said the attack on the mission exposed the true fascist nature of the Sri Lankan government.
Thai police order airport protesters to disperse
By SPA,
Bangkok : Thai police on Sunday again ordered anti-government protesters who have laid siege to the city's airports to disperse, banning gatherings of more than five people and warning offenders would be jailed or fined.
Hours after a grenade blast wounded more than 50 protesters, and ahead of a big rally in the Thai capital planned by government supporters, the five-point statement did not say how police intended to enforce the emergency rules, Reuters reported.
Obama will not reject European missile shield plans – expert
By RIA Novosti,
MOSCOW : Washington is unlikely to scrap the Bush administration's plans to deploy elements of a missile defense shield in Central Europe, a U.S. expert on Russia said on Friday.
The director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Andrew Kuchins, said at a press conference in Moscow that he "doubted Obama's administration would reject the project."
Death toll in Ukraine mine blast rises to 88
By RIA Novosti
Kiev : The death toll in a mine explosion in eastern Ukraine has gone up to 88, with 12 miners still missing, the emergencies ministry said Tuesday.
An explosion early Sunday in the Zasyadko coalmine in the Donetsk Region, the heart of the country's coal industry, caused a fire that raged through the mine. A total of 457 miners were underground at that time, but 357 were brought to safety.
Fires, smoke and falling rocks have hampered the search effort, dimming hopes that more miners could still be found alive.
Medvedev submits bill on extending presidential term
By DPA,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has submitted a bill to parliament on extending the presidential term from four to six years, a Kremlin spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Medvedev announced he was seeking the constitutional amendment in his
state-of-the-nation address last week.
His administration can easily muster the two-thirds majority in parliament needed to enact the change after the dominant pro-Kremlin party headed by his predecessor Vladimir Putin swept the polls in last years' vote.
From bondage to White House: African-American history
By DPA,
Washington : The Jan 20 inauguration of Barack Obama as president marks a historic breakthrough in 400 years of African-American history. The milestones:
1619: The first blacks arrive in the English colony of Jamestown, Virginia, probably as indentured servants.
1700s: Slavery gains hold in the South, particularly colonies with large tobacco plantations. Few slaves are held in the North. Slave codes are applied to non-Christian servants "imported" into the country and legally make them property, not human beings.
Japan, S korea call for int’l efforts to tackle terrorism, Korea nukes
By Xinhua,
Singapore : Japanese Defense Minister ShigeruIshiba told an Asian security conference here Saturday that his country will work harder for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by exerting further efforts for continuing the Six-Party Talks.
He made the remarks at the 7th Asian Security Summit hosted by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
He said, "Japan does not have any plan whatsoever to become a nuclear power today or in the future," adding that "It is not nuclear armament that Japan should pursue."
Hijackers of Sudanese plane release passengers: Report
By DPA,
Tripoli : The hijackers of a Sudanese plane Wednesday released all the passengers of the plane, Al-Arabiya television said, citing Libyan officials.
The Boeing 737 plane had been hijacked Tuesday when it was flying from the city of Nyala in Darfur to Sudanese capital Khartoum.
The hijackers - believed to be Darfur rebels - demanded that the plane, which landed at Libya's Al-Qafra airport for refuelling, be flown to Paris.
Ninety five people - 87 passengers and eight members of the crew - were on board the plane when it was hijacked.
Railway reopens to traffic after fatal accident
By Xinhua,
Zhoucun, Shandong : The Qingdao-Jinan Railway reopened to traffic early on Tuesday, after more than 20 hours of interruption caused by a train collision that killed 70 people and injured more than 400 on Monday.
At 2:16 am, a cargo train weighing 1,185 metric tons rolled over the restored section of the railway in Zibo City of east China's Shandong Province, followed by passenger train T196 from Qingdao to Beijing at 2:41 am.
Chinese think China-US ties important, survey shows
By IANS,
Beijing : Around 90 percent of the Chinese consider China-US ties important, a survey has revealed.
Israeli police executed Jerusalem car driver in cold blood: Hamas
Gaza/Ramallah: The Islamist Hamas movement on Wednesday accused the Israeli police of executing a Palestinian car driver from east Jerusalem who ran over two...
Medvedev hopes ties with US under Obama will improve
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said he hoped the incoming US administration of Barack Obama would help to carry forward the Russian-American dialogue.
"Russian-US ties are definitely not at their highest now - they have known better days. However, we are optimistic and hope that they will develop. We hope that the new US administration will also make its contribution to this," he told the visiting former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger.
Putin is Russian prime minister
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's lower house of parliament or the State Duma Thursday approved Vladimir Putin as prime minister, a day after he stepped down as president following eight years as head of state.
Putin was overwhelmingly approved as premier by 392 votes to 56.
The outcome of the vote was widely expected as the ruling pro-Kremlin United Russia party holds a two-thirds majority in the State Duma.
The Russian Communist Party voted against Putin.
British tour operators assess impact of Mumbai strikes on tourism
By IANS,
London : British travel agents who operate tours to India are bracing to face a dip in the number of tourists following the terror strikes in Mumbai, but they are hopeful that gradually travellers' confidence will build up again.
The high season for British tourists travelling to India is between October and March, reaching a peak just after Christmas. Three-quarters of a million British visitors arrive in India each year. Mumbai is not primarily a leisure destination, with most travellers there on business or in transit.
Andhra-born woman minister Dipika Damerla blazes a trail in Canada
Toronto : Andhra-born Dipika Damerla, who is the first Indian-origin woman minister in Canada's biggest province of Ontario, is blazing a trail in...
Eight injured in bomb blast in Nepal
By Xinhua
Kathmandu : At least eight people were injured Monday when a bomb went off near an open air theatre in the Nepali capital where the ruling seven parties were holding a mass meeting in support of Constituent Assembly elections to be held April 10.
The bomb exploded after the conclusion of the joint public gathering Monday afternoon.
Two people were injured in the explosion while six were injured in the stampede following the explosion.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Mexico issues 1 kg commemorative gold coin
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Mexico' central bank Monday brought into circulation the country's first 1 kg gold commemorative coin.
Chinese fleet patrols South China Sea
By IANS,
Beijing: A marine surveillance fleet departed from China's Sanya city in Hainan province Friday for regular patrols in the South China Sea, Xinhua reported.
Russia Rules out Military Step on NATO Move
By Prensa Latina,
Moscow : Russian Foreign Ministry ruled out any military action in response to an increased presence of NATO ships in the Black Sea, near Georgian territory.
Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Andrei Nesterenko said though that in case of a breach of international law, Russia might tackle the issue with the UN Security Council.
US housing construction surges unexpectedly in battered market
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : In a welcome sign for America's fractured housing market, construction of new homes has unexpectedly rebounded with a 22 percent jump in February after falling for eight months.
Housing starts rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 583,000 last month, up 22 percent from a revised 477,000 in January, according to the Commerce Department release Tuesday. It was the first time housing starts increased since June, when they rose 11 percent.
Chinese urban women contribute one-third to family income
By IANS,
Beijing: Chinese women in urban areas on an average contribute about one-third to their family income, a survey has found.
South Africa’s ex-police chief sentenced for corruption
By IANS,
Johannesburg : South Africa's former police chief and ex-president of Interpol was sentenced to 15 years in prison for taking bribes, local judicial sources said Tuesday.
In the sentence, the judge said Jackie Selebi was found guilty of taking bribes from drug traffickers, Xinhua reported.
Selebi, who was awarded an International Human Rights Award in 1997, served as Interpol president from 2004 until Jan 12, 2008.
Bolivia asks US to extradite former president for genocide trial
By IANS,
Washington : Bolivia has asked the US to extradite a former president and two ministers in his 2002-2003 administration to face genocide charges, EFE reported Wednesday.
"We have officially delivered the letters requesting the extradition of former president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, his defence minister Carlos Sanchez Berzain and energy minister Jorge Berindoague," Charges d'Affaires at the Bolivian Embassy here, Erika Dueñas, said Tuesday.
$120 mn WB loan for China’s eco-farming projects
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The World Bank (WB) has approved a loan of $120 million for ecology friendly farming projects in China, its China Office here announced Wednesday.
The office said farmers in central Chinese provinces of Anhui and Hubei and Guangxi region in the southwest would benefit from improved rural environment and living conditions through the project.
The project would assist farmer households to integrate production of biogas into their agricultural production systems.
China defends rights record after Bush speech
By DPA,
Beijing : China defended its human rights record Thursday after US President George W. Bush gave a speech criticizing its lack of political and religious freedom.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said his government "puts people first" and was committed to promoting "basic rights and freedom" for the nation's 1.3 billion people.
"We firmly oppose any words or acts that interfere in other countries' internal affairs by using human rights, religion and other issues," Qin said in a statement reacting to Bush's speech in Thailand earlier Thursday.