Starc out of second ODI against Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Melbourne: Australia cricketer Mitchell Starc has been withdrawn from the squad for the second One-Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka in Adelaide due to mild calf soreness.
Nepal government accuses UN of meddling
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Paralysed by Maoist protests, Nepal's beleaguered government Thursday lashed out at the UN, accusing it of meddling in Nepal's internal matters.
As the former Maoist guerrillas kept up their siege on government offices, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal called an emergency meeting of the 22 ruling parties to decide the government's future strategy.
UP couple claims Geeta their daughter
Lucknow: A family from Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district has now claimed that deaf and mute Geeta, who returned from Pakistan after being separated from...
Abkhazia announces military mobilization over Georgian ‘threats’
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh announced on Friday the partial mobilization of the de facto independent republic's military, citing fears that Georgian troops could cross over into the breakaway region.
"We are coming out with an appropriate response to action on the part of Georgia, which is concentrating its armed forces on the border with Abkhazia," Bagapsh said.
Nepal army faces charge of violating peace pact
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's army, once under fire for severe human rights violations during the Maoist insurgency, is now at the centre of a raging row once more with both the Maoist guerrilla army and the UN accusing it of violating the peace pact.
The Royal Nepal Army, which was renamed Nepal Army (NA) two years ago to indicate it was no longer controlled by the disgraced royal family of Nepal, pledged to obey the new government that replaced King Gyanendra's regime in 2006 and abide by democratic norms.
Local Japanese protest against U.S. nuclear vessel’s visit to Sasebo port
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : Local Japanese staged demonstrations Monday against the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan's visit to Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, said reports from the southwestern port city of Nagasaki.
Local labor organizations and other bodies rallied on some 20 fishing boats and dozens of local residents gathered on high ground to protest against the vessel's call to the port of Sasebo, where a U.S. Navy base is located.
Erosion threatens famous Cuban sea resort
By IANS,
Havana : Erosion is threatening the famous beach resort of Varadero in eastern Cuba prompting the government to use some 380,000 cubic metres of sand to counter it, Prensa Latina reported Monday.
A team of divers, dredgers and heavy machine operators extracted the sand and dumped it along a 700 metre stretch of the beach.
According to official figures, about 40,000-60,000 tourists visit the beaches of Varadero that are retreating at an average rate of 1.2 metres per year.
Six dead, 16 injured in US campus shooting
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : In yet another US campus shooting, a man opened fire with a shotgun and two handguns inside a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in suburban Chicago, killing five students and injuring 16 others before shooting himself dead, officials said.
Four women are among those who died in the Thursday afternoon shooting and the condition of two of the wounded was critical, NIU president John Peters said at a news conference Thursday evening.
Pink taxis for women now on Mexico’s streets
By Paula Escalada Medrano, EFE,
Puebla (Mexico) : Thirty five pink taxis - driven by female cabbies and picking up only women as customers - travel back and forth in this central Mexican city, leaving residents astonished and curious.
"The people stop us on the street to congratulate us and the women ask us how they can request one of our units," Lidia Hernandez, one of the cabbies with Pink Taxis, a company that says it's the first of its kind in Mexico, told the Spanish news agency EFE.
Nearly 600,000 people marooned by floods in Sri Lanka
By NNN-Xinhua,
Colombo : Floods situation in east Sri Lanka has seen no improvement as continuous rains lashed the area over the last two weeks, relief officials said Saturday.
Kerry says Obama to make decisions soon on Iraq
Washington: US Secretary of State John Kerry Thursday voiced "deep concern" about the worsening situation in Iraq, saying President Barack Obama will make "key...
Sikh woman at 60 becomes Canada’s oldest mother
By IANS,
Toronto : A 60-year-old Sikh woman has become the oldest mother in Canada by giving birth to twin boys in Calgary city this week.
Ranjit Hayer and her husband Jagir Hayer, who have been trying to have a baby for the past 40 years, finally became proud parents of the twins delivered Tuesday in a city hospital.
After being rejected by Canadian doctors for in-vitro fertilization because of her old age, the woman had reportedly traveled to her native India get fertilized with a donated egg.
Polish PM and Putin to Discuss Crucial Issues
By Prensa Latina
Warsaw : Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to discuss crucial issues such as the US antimissile shield and regional energy security.
Tusk, who travels to Russia, at a time when bilateral relations are at their best, will have to clarify how his country plans to implement Washington's program to deploy the antimissile defense system in the region.
China readies next generation rockets
By IANS,
Beijing : China is planning to launch is next generation Long March-5 carrier rocket in 2014.
Madonna may face lawsuit in France over Nazi symbol
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : France's National Front party has threatened to sue American pop diva Madonna over the use of Nazi swastika in depiction of party leader Marine Le Pen.
Russia hopes progess in N Korea’s denuclearisation process
By IANS,
Beijing : Russia Friday said progress being made at six-nation talks on North Korea's controversial nuclear programme has raised hopes for an advancement in the denuclearisation of the communist country.
"Naturally, there is progress on the basis of earlier achievements," Russian deputy foreign minister Alexei Borodavkin told the RIA-Novosti news agency.
The Russian diplomat said there were still problems accompanying the talks, but there were hopes that the parties "will finish with a good result".
Seven shipwrecked fishermen swim three days to survive
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro: Seven Brazilian fishermen were rescued alive Saturday after swimming for almost three days in the ocean following their shipwreck Wednesday night, officials said.
Israel’s foreign minister drafts regional peace plan
Jerusalem: Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has drawn a plan for achieving peace between Israel and its neighbours which includes ceding land for a...
Two dead as Typhoon Melor hits Japan
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : Typhoon Melor Thursday became the first tropical cyclone to hit Japan in two years, killing two people and injuring 56. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and schools in Osaka and Tokyo closed.
After making landfall near Chita peninsula in Aichi prefecture shortly after 5 a.m., the typhoon moved northeast at a speed of 50 km per hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The agency has issued warnings against strong winds, heavy rain and tidal waves.
Scientists unlock secret of how lotus stays dry
By IANS,
Washington: How does the lotus stay dry even while growing in slime? This was a question that had intrigued scientists for ages. It took them an ultra high speed camera, a powerful microscope and an audio speaker to unlock the secret.
"We faced a tricky problem -- water droplets that fall on the leaf easily roll off, while condensate that grows from within the leaf's nooks and crannies is sticky and remains trapped," said Jonathan Boreyko, a third-year graduate student at Duke University Pratt School of Engineering (DUPSE), involved in the study.
‘Dalai Lama’s portraits, speeches banned in Tibet’
By IANS
Dharamsala : The Chinese security forces have seized portraits and recorded CDs of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government-in-exile here said Thursday.
The Dalai Lama's speeches and portraits are banned across Tibet by the Chinese authorities.
"The 70 portraits of his holiness the Dalai Lama and a few of his recorded CDs were seized in Karze county," a spokesperson of the Tibetan government-in-exile said.
Australian billionaire donates to China’s quake victims
By DPA,
Sydney : Australian iron ore mogul Andrew Forrest Thursday donated part of the proceeds of Fortescue Metals Group Ltd's first shipment to China to quake victims there.
Fortescue's maiden commercial shipment of 170,000 tonnes of iron ore left from the Pilbara region on Australia's west coast for China and customer Baoshan Iron and Steel Co.
Forrest, the chief executive of Fortescue, said the company had broken the iron pre-export duopoly enjoyed by BHP Billiton and rival Rio Tinto.
Nepal suffered $10 bn damage in quakes
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : Nepal has estimated that around $10 billion worth of damage been caused by the April 25 great earthquakes and the...
Death toll up to 240 in Philippine floods
By DPA,
Manila : The death toll in the devastating floods brought about by storm Ketsana in the Philippines has climbed to at least 240, with 37 still missing, the government said Tuesday.
Nearly two million people were affected by the deluge in Manila and northern provinces, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said.
More than 370,000 of those affected were forced to stay in cramped and squalid evacuation centres, the council said.
Pope Condemns Exploit of 3rd World
By Prensa Latina,
Vatican City : Pope Benedict XVI condemned on Thursday wealthy countries' exploitation of natural resources in Third World nations.
After welcoming in a joint audience for the new ambassadors to the Vatican of Tanzania, Uganda, Liberia, Chad, Bangladesh, Belarus, Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria, the Pontiff demanded international equity.
He highlighted that better off countries cannot indiscriminately appropriate what comes from the natural resources of developing countries.
More Indian Americans contesting polls this year
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : With the rise of 'desi power', as people of Indian origin call themselves, a record number of Indian Americans are running for public office this year.
In addition to Nikki 'Randhawa' Haley, who brushed aside allegations of marital infidelity and an ethnic slur to become the Republican nominee for governor in South Carolina, Indian Americans are campaigning this year for congressional seats in Pennsylvania, Kansas, California, New York and Ohio.
BBC plans ‘thriller’ documentary on `Satanic Verses’
By Gurmukh Singh
Toronto(IANS) : The BBC is set to produce a documentary on Salman Rushdie's controversial novel 'Satanic Verses' and it will be "a thriller", says the director.
Gurdip Bhangoo, who heads the BBC Asian Programmes Unit, said the documentary, "Words that Shook the World", would capture the cultural and religious turmoil that "Satanic Verses" created in the late 1980s.
The 1988 novel had angered many Muslims for allegedly blaspheming the Prophet and forced Rushdie into hiding after Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death.
China launches website for intellectual property rights
By IANS,
Beijing : Chinese government has launched a new website to spread awareness about the intellectual property rights.
The website, www.court.gov.cn/zscq, which was open Mondya will be run by The Supreme People's Court of China.
It is a platform for disseminating information relating to protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), Xinhua reported.
Information such as judicial interpretations, court notices and decisions, surveys and research on IPR protection will be available on the website.
Moderate earthquake hits Indonesia
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : A moderate quake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale struck Indonesia's Sumatra Island Tuesday morning, but there were no reports of damage or casualty.
According to Indonesian meteorological agency, the quake struck at 8:47 a.m. with the epicentre at 59 km southwest Bengkulu city, the capital of Bengkulu province, and at 27 km in depth.
Indonesia sits at a vulnerable zone called the "Pacific Ring of Fire" where two continental plates, stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia, meet that cause frequent volcanic movements.
Brown not to attend nuclear security summit in US
By DPA,
London: Prime Minister Gordon Brown will not attend next week's nuclear security summit in Washington due to commitments in Britain's election campaign, sending Foreign Secretary David Miliband in his place, the government said Tuesday.
A spokesman said the White House had been informed of the decision and "completely understood" the reasons for Brown's absence from the international meeting.
He said that Brown and US President Barack Obama would discuss moves to counter nuclear proliferation later Tuesday in one of their "regular phone conversations."
Canada to admit more immigrants next year
By IANS,
Toronto : Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has announced that the country would admit more immigrants next year.
He said here Friday that Canada will admit up to 265,000 immigrants in 2009, up from 240,000 now. Listing 38 professions as a priority for immigration, the minister said Canada would prefer skilled professionals from areas such as finance, nursing and the oil industry.
The skilled professionals from these areas, he said, could be admitted into Canada within six months to one year, as compared to the waiting period of up to six years now.
Marine scientists call for protection of Coral Sea
By IANS,
Sydney : Tropical marine scientists, strongly backed by environmental groups, have called for the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia, to be made into world's largest marine reserve.
The researchers said that the whole Coral Sea should become a no-fishing area to protect its immense environmental and heritage values from the escalating threats of overfishing and climate change.
Indian varsity offers 50 scholarships for Africans
Sonipat (Haryana): The O.P. Jindal Global University here has announced 50 scholarships for Africans to study at its campus from August.
"The scholarships range from...
President Hu: Tibet problem entirely internal issue of China
By Xinhua
Sanya, Hainan : Chinese President Hu Jintao said here Saturday that the Tibet problem is entirely an internal issue of China, and national unification features the conflict between the central government and the Dalai group.
"Our conflict with the Dalai clique is not an ethnic problem, not a religious problem, nor a human rights problem. It is a problem either to safeguard national unification or to split the motherland," Hu said.
Exhausted Dalai Lama cancels visit to Mexico
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has cancelled due to "exhaustion" all his schedules for the next three weeks, including his visit to Mexico and Dominican Republic, the Tibetan government-in-exile said here Wednesday.
"The Dalai Lama has been experiencing some discomfort in the past couple of days. His personal physicians attribute this to exhaustion and have advised him to cancel his engagements for the time being and complete the remaining medical tests that began earlier this month in Mumbai," an official statement said.
More Women Occupying Key Postions In Business Sectors
By D. Arul Rajoo, Bernama,
Hanoi : The number of women involved in businesses worldwide and occupying key decision-making positions are rising steadily, with more having the power to decide purchases made by their companies, the Global Summit of Women was told today.
Summit president Irene Natividad said the majority of new small businesses in the United States were owned by women while one third of companies in Vietnam were headed by them.
Brazil denies ‘arms race’ with Venezuela
By Xinhua
Rio De Janeiro : Brazil has denied it will get into an arms race with Venezuela even if the latter imports weapons.
"If Venezuela is importing weaponry, it is their problem," said Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim Wednesday.
While testifying at the Chamber of Deputies' Foreign Relations and National Defence Committee, Jobim said the government would promote military diplomacy in South America.
The Brazilian minister is scheduled to visit all the countries on the continent in the first half of 2008.
Italian gay man plans to become nun after sex change
By RIA Novosti,
Rome : A 45-year-old Italian gay man is planning to undergo a sex change operation and become a nun, Italian news agency ANSA said Wednesday.
The man, whose name has not been revealed, lives in a small town near Rome but intends to leave his job in May and travel to a country in northern Europe to undergo the operation.
"I talked about my wish with a priest but I was misunderstood. A conversation with a bishop was even worse," the man told the Italian news agency.
Climate talks end with ‘substantial agreement’ on financing
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Representatives of the world's major economic powerhouses wound up two days of climate talks in London Monday after reporting "substantial agreement" on the prickly issue of financing actions to curb climate change.
"There is significantly further to go, this is absolutely not a done deal, but I feel that today this feels a more doable proposition than it was yesterday," British Energy and Climate Change Minister Ed Miliband said after the meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF).
Wave of organised crime kills 58 in Mexico
By DPA,
Mexico City : Fifty-eight people were killed Monday in incidents related to organised crime in different parts of Mexico, media reports said Tuesday.
Monday was the bloodiest day of the year in the country as 58 people died in incidents related to the notorious organised crime syndicate, the daily El Universal reported.
The newspaper has, since 2005, maintained a daily count of such violent deaths - there were 4,325 this year. On Sep 12, at least 41 people were killed in a single day.
Israeli army strikes Hamas targets in Gaza
Jerusalem: A strike in central Gaza Monday afternoon targeted Army of Islam militants who were plotting an attack against Israel in the near future,...
Nepali Constituent Assembly members sworn in
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Newly elected members of Nepali Constituent Assembly (CA) were sworn in at the International Conference Center...
CARE International provides finencial support to Lao bird flur control project
By NNN-KPL
Vientiane : The Care International base in Laos has agreed to further providing financial support to the bird flu control project phase 2 of Laos.
It aims to reduce the risk of bird flu in localities, which is a grant from the Government of Australia through the Care International in Laos with a total cost of A$514,409 or about US$380,000.
This project will operate in Vientiane Capital and Vientiane province till 2009 covering in four districts of Hadsaifong, Saythany, Pholhong and Thulakhom.
New gas field boosts Peru’s self-sufficieny ambition
By IANS,
Lima : Peruvian energy company Petro-Tech has found a new gas field on the country's northwest coast that could give some 20 million cubic feet of gas per day boosting its bid for self-sufficiency, EFE news agency said quoting a newspaper report.
The field, located on the coast of Piura, some 1,000 km north of Lima, could have potential natural gas reserves of between 350 million and 840 million cubic feet, El Comercio daily reported Wednesday.
Nepal government rules out imposing emergency, deploying army
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : As Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas Monday stepped up their protests against the ruling alliance, asking for its dissolution, the government said it was not planning to deploy the army to crack down on the protesters or declare a state of emergency.
Thousands of Maoist supporters, led by their former ministers and lawmakers, began picketing village administration and municipal offices across all the 75 districts, preventing people from going in or coming out.
India urges Lanka to evacuate civilians, offers help
By IANS,
New Delhi : India Tuesday urged Sri Lanka to work out "appropriate and credible procedures" to evacuate civilians from the war zone through land and sea routes and said it was ready to provide medical help to the wounded.
"We have requested the Sri Lankan government to facilitate the evacuation of civilians to safe zones through sea and land routes in the presence of international observers," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha.
Prabhakaran still in Sri Lanka, but son playing key role
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's elusive Tamil Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is still in the island but his elder son Charles Antony is playing a key role in the fight against advancing troops, a newspaper said Sunday quoting two surrendered suicide bombers.
The state-run Sunday Observer reported on the basis of the confessional statements by the two guerrillas that Charles Antony, who was born in 1985, was commanding the guerrillas along with top leaders of the outfit, Banu and Lakshman.
Lib Dems split three ways in vote on UK tuition fees
By IRNA,
London : Liberal Democrat MPs split three ways in voting on trebling tuition fees on Thursday, defying the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
Perry removes Islamic symbol from ‘Dark horse’ video
Los Angeles : Pop star Katy Perry has removed the Islamic symbol from her "Dark horse" video following an online petition demanding video-sharing site...
EU targets worldwide emissions limits on ships, airlines
By DPA,
Luxembourg : World shipping companies and airlines should be forced to cut their greenhouse-gas emissions by between 10 and 20 percent by 2020, European Union environment ministers agreed Wednesday.
United Nations talks in Copenhagen in December should demand that airlines cut emissions to 10 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and that shipping companies cut by 20 percent, ministers agreed at a meeting in Luxembourg, according to EU diplomats.
India-Pakistan border forces talk peace; ceasefire breach injures one
New Delhi: India on Thursday asked Pakistan to "talk about the future" as border security forces of both countries sat across the table here...
Airlines to have spy system to thwart terror threat
By IANS,
London : Every move of airline passengers, including conversations, would be monitored through a new security system which is being developed to tackle terror threats on flights.
Experts at Reading University are working on to develop a software to detect suspicious behaviour of passengers on board aircraft with the help of a combination of cameras, microphones, explosive sniffers and a sophisticated computer system, The Telegraph newspaper reported here.
Climate change threatens world’s food security: FAO
By DPA
Bali : Climate change will lead to adverse and immediate impact on world food security, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned Wednesday.
FAO director general Jacques Diouf told the UN climate change conference in Bali that it will "also increase the vulnerability of poor people everywhere."
FAO's 2006 State of Food Insecurity Report estimated that about 854 million people worldwide suffer from hunger, of which more than 820 million live in developing countries, Diouf said.
Microsoft, Yahoo meet for merger talks
By DPA
San Francisco : Senior executives from Microsoft and Yahoo met for the first time this week to discuss Microsoft's takeover offer for the internet company, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The meeting reportedly took place Monday near Yahoo's headquarters in Silicon Valley and was the first face-to-face talks between the two companies since Microsoft tabled its unsolicited bid for Yahoo on Jan 31.
Pet food, baby food contamination linked
By IANS,
Washington : Research has linked pet food contamination in North America in 2007 and the recent adulteration of milk protein and consequent intoxication of thousands of babies in China.
The research identified the principal contaminants as melamine and cyanuric acid. Neither of these compounds is very toxic when administered alone; however, in combination, they form a virtually insoluble complex.
Osama plotted attack on 10th anniversary of 9/11
By IANS,
London : Osama bin Laden was plotting an attack on the US this year on the 10th anniversary of the Sep 11, 2001, deadly attacks, a media report said.
Rockets come from behind to beat Timberwolves
BY IANS,
Houston: The Houston Rockets came from 20 points behind to claim a 108-100 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA (National Basketball Association) action at Toyota Center.
Sex problem drug can also reduce lower urinary tract infections
By IANS,
Washington : Tadalafil, a popular drug for treating erectile dysfunction, also seems to reduce lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men with enlarged prostate.
Researchers separated 200 men, aged 40 years or older, into two groups taking either 20 mg of Tadalafil once daily or a placebo. They went through the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS).
The IPSS is an eight question written tool used to screen for, rapidly diagnose, track the symptoms of, and suggest management of the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Shakira joins Obama’s education advisory board
By IANS,
London : Colombian singer Shakira has joined US President Barack Obama's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.
Cambodian PM: ASEAN members not hostage of Thai political crisis
By Xinhua,
Phnom Penh : Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Monday that the other members of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) should not be the hostage of Thai political crisis while Thailand requested to delay the ASEAN summit to March.
The summit should not be postponed, Hun Sen told reporters here, adding that "we have to meet to solve many issues, including the global financial crisis."
"If we delay the summit, the ASEAN will move backward," he said.
US troops ‘mistakenly’ kill eight Afghan soldiers
Kabul: At least eight Afghan army soldiers were killed and five wounded after the US Air Force contingent of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission...
New device helps divers find their way
By IANS,
Sydney : Exitpoint, a small, wearable, safety device, helps divers find their way back to their boat or their diving buddy at any time during a dive.
Exitpoint is a concept for a sonar navigation and early warning system, designed by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) industrial design graduate Tom Fraser.
Exitpoint is worn on the back of the hand so as not to interfere with dive watches or dive computers.
New Zealand’s new government sworn in
By DPA,
Wellington : New Zealand's new government was sworn in Wednesday, officially clearing the way for Prime Minister John Key to attend this week's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit meeting in Peru.
Key, whose conservative National Party has formed a centre-right administration after signing power-sharing agreements with three other parties in parliament, will leave Thursday for Lima.
Six killed in London motorway crash
By Xinhua
London : Six people were killed in a motorway crash Monday morning near London.
Key political victims of terror attacks in Sri Lanka
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : Terrorism has claimed the lives of several prominent politicians in Sri Lanka. These include a head of state and government, cabinet ministers, MPs and mayors. Most victims have been Tamils.
It all began July 27, 1975 when the Mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Duraiappah, was shot dead in front of a Hindu temple.
Among the young men who carried out the killing was Velupillai Prabhakaran, who founded the Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) the next year.
Kenya violence spirals, 10 burnt alive
By DPA
Nairobi : Ethnic-based violence in Kenya's Rift Valley province has left up to 150 dead since clashes ignited Thursday, reports said, in a spiral of chaos that has engulfed the East African nation after disputed elections.
The violence spread east Sunday to the flower-growing town of Naivasha where at least 10 people were burnt alive after the house they locked themselves in to escape an angry mob was set ablaze.
Canadian media hails Obama, slams Bush’s `imperial’ presidency
By IANS,
Toronto : The media in Canada - which is going to be profoundly affected by the change of guard in Washington - has lavishly praised Barack Obama for becoming the first black president of the US.
Writing under the heading "A victory with dignity", the respected Globe and Mail said that Barack Obama had restored "lustre to American democracy, making it once again an inspiration to the world".
What he accomplished Tuesday, it said, seemed impossible only a year ago.
Hannah Foster’s last words with killer played in court
By IANS,
London : A London court has heard the last words of British
student Hannah Foster, raped and murdered in March 2003, during the course of the trial of the alleged murderer, India-born Maninder Pal Singh Kohli.
Hannah's parents, Hilary, 51, and Trevor, 57, and her sister, Sarah, 20, left the public gallery of the Winchester Crown court while the tape was played Wednesday. Accused Kohli listened to the recording of the two voices
on headphones, according to The Guardian.
LTTE air strikes cannot change military balance: Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka Thursday brushed aside threats posed by the Tamil Tigers' air wing and said that aerial attacks by the guerrillas "cannot change the current military balance strategically".
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa made the remarks at a media briefing, shortly after accompanying Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama to a meeting at the foreign ministry with Colombo-based diplomats to explain the security situation in the country.
20-minute walk in park helps hyperactive kids concentrate
By IANS,
Washington : Hyperactive children who find doing routine tasks like homework or taking a test very difficult can improve their attention spans with a 20-minute walk in the park.
The study on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was conducted by child environment and behaviour researchers Andrea Faber Taylor and Frances E. Kuo of Illinois University.
3.2 million rendered homeless by Nargis: study
By IANS,
Washington : Cyclone Nargis rendered as many as 3.2 million Burmese homeless, according to geographic risk models developed by researchers.
Relying on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), researchers calculated the likely distribution of the population and developed maps of the regions at greatest risk from the storm's effects.
Nepal riots spread, five more killed
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Five days after violence erupted in south Nepal following the murder of a local politician, sectarian clashes spread to two more districts, killing five more and taking the toll to at least 28.
A former municipal chairman and two others were killed Thursday as a rally of protesters demanding security in Jagdishpur village in Kapilavastu district was attacked by a mob.
Two more people died on the way to hospital while the condition of nine was critical, media reports said Friday.
Heavily armed police, troops deployed at Thai airports
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : The Thai government, besieged by massive protests demanding its resignation, deployed heavily armed police contingents Friday evening at Suvarnahbhumi International Airport taken over by protesters.
Armoured military vehicles were deployed near the Don Muang airport, also under siege of the protesters.
Sri Lanka: “people of Jaffna are with us,” says Commander Chandrasiri
By NNN-Govt Portal,
Colombo : Elaborating on the current developments in the Jaffna peninsula, Commander of the Security Forces, Jaffna, G.A. Chandrasiri said that the number of LTTE operatives in the District has dropped drastically and that these cadres are engaged in disruptive activities to break the peaceful environment in the region.
Wonderful being in Seoul, says Modi to enthusiastic welcome
Seoul : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said it was "wonderful being in Seoul" as he arrived to an enthusiastic welcome from the...
World’s oldest person dies at 115
By DPA,
Lisbon : The world's oldest person, Maria de Jesus, died Friday at the age of 115 in a hospital in the Portuguese community of Corujo near the city of Tomar.
She held the Guinness world record for just a month after the death of American Edna Parker.
De Jesus, born Sep 10, 1983, had never left the small town where she was born and completely avoided both alcohol and coffee, relatives told local media.
Her husband, Jose, died 58 years ago, when she was 57 years old. She had six children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Cuban Fine Arts Exhibition in Russia
By Prensa Latina,
Moscow : Cuban ambassador to Russia Jorge Marti described a fine arts exhibition of the island inaugurated in Moscow on Tuesday as a celebration of the Cuban culture.
When inaugurating the exhibition entitled "Cuba 20th Century" at the centric gallery Chistie Prudie, Marti emphasized the large number of internationally renowned painters and the diversity of included styles.
This is the first exhibition of this kind that takes place in Russia, with a retrospective vision, 49 pictures created between 1950 and 2000 by 24 great artists.
Clinton win California primary; McCain wins Republican race
By SPA
Los Angeles : Hillary Rodham Clinton rode a wave of Hispanic voter turnout to victory and John McCain benefited from voters concerned about the economy and Iraq as the nation's most populous state wielded its influence in the presidential nominating process for the first time in
decades.
Clinton had 54 percent to rival Barack Obama's 37 percent, with a third of precincts reporting in the Democratic race.
McCain had 44 percent to Romney's 27 percent among the Republicans.
All 14 killed in Nepal plane crash
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Soldiers of the Nepal Army aided by police began to collect scattered and badly burnt body parts in a village Tuesday after a private aircraft exploded in mid-air, killing all 14 people, including six foreign tourists, on board.
Woman should remove burqa, Australian court told
By IANS,
Sydney: A lawyer in an Australian court has argued that a Muslim woman should remove her burqa while giving evidence, just as she would have to while appearing in an Islamic court.
But the court in Perth hearing the lawyer's submission Thursday rejected the argument as not relevant, Australian news agency AAP reported.
District Court Judge Shauna Deane said the defence counsel's submission, that in Islamic courts women had to remove their burqas, was not relevant as the matter was not being heard in an Islamic court.
India loses friend as Bata Shoe Co owner is dead
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Thomas Bata, owner of the family-owned world-famous shoe company, died here Monday. A great friend of India, Bata was 93.
A spokesman for the Toronto-based global shoe giant said Bata died at the city's Sunnybrook Hospital, without giving any cause of death.
Bata guided the 114-year-old company's global operations from the 1940s to the late 1980s.
Currently, his son Thomas George Bata heads the company which has more than 5,000 retail stores in more than 50 countries. It claims to serve one million customers globally each day.
Adityanath as CM is shocking, says New York Times
New York, (IANS): The decision to pick Hindutva leader Adityanath Yogi as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh shows the BJP thinks "nothing stands in...
Facebook reunites Indonesian siblings after 35 years
By DPA,
Jakarta : An Indonesian woman found a brother who had been missing for more than three decades through the popular social networking site Facebook, a report said Tuesday.
Nurlianti Dehi was separated from her elder brother Anton in 1974 when he left their hometown in Central Sulawesi province for neighbouring North Sulawesi, according to the online edition of the Media Indonesia daily.
Anton maintained contact with his family for the first two years but later cut off communication completely, she told the newspaper.
Obama’s victory symbolises end of racial conflict: Gordimer
By IANS,
Kolkata : US president-elect Barack Obama's victory would symbolically represent an advancement in recognising the human tribe as one, Nadine Gordimer, Nobel prize-winning South African writer and political activist, said here Monday.
Asked about her take on Obama's victory in the US presidential election, she said: "He's been celebrated as a black man. But it's not being pointed out that he's half black and half white. To me, it symbolically represents a kind of advancement in recognising the human tribe as one."
Manhattan magic, security blues, rebels with a hundred causes
By Manish Chand, IANS,
New York : As over 170 world leaders and hundreds of diplomats descended in New York for the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly, the district of Manhattan, epitomising the city's infectious can-do spirit, morphed into a high-security fortress.
State lawmaker murdered in Mexico
By EFE,
Chilpancingo (Mexico) : The speaker of the legislature in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero was gunned down Thursday by some unidentified gunmen outside his house, officials said.
Armando Chavarria Barrera, a member of the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution, or PRD, served as the state's interior minister until May 6, 2008, when he resigned in the wake of the murders of 17 ranchers.
The legislator was killed at around 7 a.m. in Chilpancingo, the state capital, the Guerrero Public Safety Secretariat said.
Top British civil servant holds ‘hung parliament’ talks
By IANS,
London : A leading member of Britain's third largest political party has met a top civil servant for "unprecedented talks" and offered to be finance minister if the next general election returns a hung parliament, according to a report Sunday.
Liberal Democrat Vince Cable said he was questioned by Nicholas Macpherson, the finance ministry's permanent secretary, about what his party's demands would be if there were a coalition government after the next election widely expected to be held May 6.
China’s first submarine power cable to be laid this year
By Xinhua
Haikou (China) : China's first submarine power cable would be laid through the Qiongzhou Straits this year, a spokesman of the China Southern Power Grid (CSG) said.
"Initial construction started early last year, but the substantial part of the project will be constructed this year at a cost of 2.1 billion yuan ($280 million)," he said.
Asia-Pacific summit seeks more US engagement
By DPA,
Singapore: The 16th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit kicked off Saturday with calls for greater US engagement in the region.
US President Barack Obama, although he failed to attend the opening session of the APEC summit, made known his commitment to the region Saturday morning in Tokyo.
"As an Asia Pacific nation, the US expects to be involved in the discussions that shape the future of this region, and to participate fully in appropriate organisations as they are established and evolve," he said.
Vienna play blasts media coverage of Fritzl incest case
By Albert Otti,DPA,
Vienna : Journalists expecting a scandalous play about the incest case of Josef Fritzl were disappointed when Vienna theatre artist Hubsi Kramar turned the tables and offered a scathing critique of the intense media coverage of the crime.
Addressing the large group of reporters in the audience Monday, Kramar started off the premiere of his play "Pension F" by suggesting that all camera teams present should be locked into the theatre's cellar.
"And then we'll see how they are doing," Kramar said.
Amnesty slates pentagon over Guantanamo charges
By KUNA
London : The Pentagon's announcement that it has charged six "high-value" detainees at Guantanamo Bay raises yet more questions about the USA's conduct in the "war on terror", Amnesty International has said.
Train collision kills 10 in Congo
By IANS,
Kinhasa: At least 10 people died in Democratic Republic of Congo Saturday in a head-on collision between two trains, authorities said.
Nepal’s king-turned-commoner pledges to quit palace with dignity
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : For the first time since the abolition of monarchy in Nepal last week, the government Monday officially said that dethroned king Gyanendra had accepted the lawmakers' decision to strip him of his crown and pledged to leave the palace, once his official residence is given to him before the June 12 deadline.
Cuba sets poll dates, Castro’s future in balance
By DPA
Havana : Cuba will hold new regional and national elections Jan 20, by when the country will know one of the island's most closely guarded secrets: the political future of ailing President Fidel Castro.
In order to continue as head of state of the country he has ruled for nearly half a century, Castro would need to be officially nominated for one of the 600 seats in the National Assembly, according to Cuban law in effect since 1976.
Japanese PM resigns amid plunging approval ratings
By DPA,
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced Wednesday that he would step down after eight months in office as his party prepares for a July election amid a steady decline in approval ratings for his government.
The plunge in support for his cabinet came after he reneged on a campaign promise to move a US military base from Okinawa. Hatoyama also faced mounting calls to resign from within his own Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).
Cuban blogger protests travel ban
By EFE,
Havana : Internationally acclaimed blogger Yoani Sanchez has posted an entry protesting the Cuban government's decision to bar her from travelling to the US to receive an award.
"Bypass machines that go out, baby's cries that echo. Stamps that fall on pages to deny and to censor; kilobytes that carry my voice by Internet without my having to stir. Someone who watches me frowning as he speaks on control's walkie-talkie," says the post on Sanchez's Generacion Y blog Wednesday.
US consumer credit goes up
By IANS,
Washington: US consumer credit increased at an annual rate of 3.4 percent in March, less than half of the 8 percent pace in the previous month, the US Federal Reserve reported.
US boycotts UN racism conference
By DPA,
Washington : The US said Saturday that it would boycott a UN conference on racism because of differences over Israel and the right to free speech.
The conference, known as Durban II and to begin in Geneva Monday, has been plagued with disagreement, with Canada and Israel earlier boycotting the event over fears Muslim nations will focus exclusively on the Jewish state's treatment of Palestinians.
The United States said that although the document to be discussed at the conference had been modified, there were some parts that remained unacceptable to it.
US urges Japan to continue refuelling mission
By Xinhua
Washington : The US government Thursday urged Japan to retain two ships in the Indian Ocean to continue their refuelling mission that support the US-led forces in Afghanistan.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in the briefing that the US government officials would talk to the Japanese counterparts about the issue when Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda visits the US later this month.
"We would like for those refuelling to continue and we will be talking to the Japanese," Perino said.
EU, Canada support world summit on financial crisis
By Xinhua,
Quebec City, Canada : French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday they both support convening an international financial summit to discuss the current crisis by the end of the year.
The two leaders made the remarks at a press conference after a summit between Canada and the European Union. Sarkozy is the 27-member EU's rotating president.
US targets group linked to Taliban
By IANS,
Washington: The Obama administration has hit an entity and two individuals with sanctions for their alleged links to the Taliban.
Hong Kong shuts down as Typhoon Nuri edges closer
By DPA,
Hong Kong : Hong Kong prepared for a battering Friday as Typhoon Nuri neared, raising fears that the city could be in line for a direct hit.
The government issued a number eight typhoon warning signal Friday morning as the typhoon, which killed seven people in the Philippines, headed toward southern China.
Signal number eight is issued when average wind speeds reach 63 km per hour. All government offices are to close down, as well as schools, public transport and Hong Kong's stock market, bringing the city to a standstill.
South Korea tightens security ahead of n-summit
By IANS,
Seoul : South Korea has stepped up security efforts to ensure a successful and smooth Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul.
Joseph Deiss elected president of UN General Assembly
By IANS/WAM,
New York : Former Swiss head of state Joseph Deiss was Saturday elected the president of the UN General Assembly by the world body's 192 member states.
Deiss, who was elected by acclamation, will succeed Ali Abdussalam Treki of Libya. He will take over the presidency in mid-September when 65th session of the General Assembly begins.
Deiss, who served as president of Switzerland in 2004, said: "More than ever before, we need to act together to be effective."
Israeli offensive on Gaza kills 50 on Monday: medics
Gaza: The ongoing Israeli large-scale offensive on the Gaza Strip Monday left 50 Palestinians killed and over 200 wounded, medics said.
Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of...
UNSC condemns attack on UNAMID convoy, warns of punitive action
By KUNA
United Nations : The Security Council late Friday "condemned in the strongest possible terms" the attack earlier this week by "elements of the Sudanese Armed Forces" on a supply convoy of the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
Russian military shipyard boss attacked
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The deputy director of a Russian military shipyard has been hospitalised with head injuries following a beating by unidentified attackers.
Chavez hopes for ‘true change’ from next US government
By DPA,
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he hopes the next government of the US "respects" the sovereignty of the people of the Americas and brings about "true change" in the White House.
"The only thing we aspire to in a new government in the United States is that it respects the dignity of the people of our Americas and respects the sovereignty of our people, of our governments," Chavez said at a Venezuelan oil field in the Orinoco Basin.
The controversial leader was accompanied by fellow left-wing populist Rafael Correa, president of Ecuador.
Turkey calls for stabilisation of situation in Ukraine
By IANS,
Ankara : Turkish government Wednesday expressed its concern over ongoing violence in the Ukrainian capital city.
Ankara is worried about the recent violence in...
Ukrainian president dissolves parliament, calls snap elections
By RIA Novosti,
Kiev : Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko dissolved parliament on Wednesday evening and announced snap elections in the country.
The step was taken due to a failure by members of parliament to form a new ruling coalition.
Yushchenko, currently on a visit to Italy, announced the former Soviet republic's third general elections in less than three years during a pre-recorded speech on national television. No date was set for the polls.
Holocaust soap made from human fat on sale in Canada!
By IANS,
Toronto: A Canadian store in Montreal has claimed it is selling soap made from the fat of Holocaust victims.
The shop has displayed the beige-coloured soap bar inscribed with a Swastika in a glass case with a card reading 'Poland 1940,' a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation says. The shop also sells a braid of hair which it claims originated from a Nazi 'extermination camp.'
It is not illegal in Canada to sell products bearing a Swastika symbol of the Nazis.
Sri Lanka remembers tsunami victims on sixth anniversary
By DPA,
Colombo : Sri Lanka marked the sixth tsunami anniversary that claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people with a host of religious events Sunday.
50 Kenyans seeking shelter in church burned to death
By DPA
Nairobi : At least 50 people, mostly women and children, were killed in western Kenya when an angry mob set alight the church they were hiding in to escape the post-election violence, the Red Cross said Tuesday, as rioting continued to overwhelm the east African nation.
Bags filled with pots and cooking utensils that were not destroyed in the blaze were strewn by piles of ashes in the ruins of the church, which was mostly razed in the fire, a Red Cross volunteer on the scene said.
Sari-wearing women may face jail if new Nigerian law passed
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : Indian women in their traditional saris with midriffs showing may find themselves falling foul of Nigerian law if a bill currently under discussion in that country is passed.
Tourists in towelling wraps and Nigerian women in traditional dress with their stomachs exposed could also find themselves behind bars for three months or subjected to fines of $100, according to the Media24 News Service here.
Singapore, Britain sign unrestricted open skies agreement
By Xinhua
Singapore : Singapore and Britain have concluded a landmark Open Skies Agreement, removing all restrictions on air services operated by carriers of the two countries, the ministry of transport announced here Wednesday.
With this agreement, Singapore Airlines (SIA) will now be able to operate as many services as the Singapore-Britain market could support, said the ministry.
The SIA's aircraft can also pick up passengers from London's Heathrow Airport and fly them onwards to other cities, including those in the US.
New earthquake model reveals full fault segment
Washington : Researchers from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed the first computer model of an earthquake-producing fault segment that reproduces the available...
Armenian PM: Iran-Armenia railway of strategic importance
By IRNA,
Moscow : Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian said the construction of Iran-Armenia railway hold a strategic importance for his country.
He said the railway, once opened, would provide a fresh route for transit of Armenian goods and fuel to other countries.
According to the initial calculations, the railway will cost about dlrs 2 million. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank have so far expressed interest in contributing to the project.
US, China launch ‘Strategic and Economic Dialogue’
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington: Top US and Chinese officials Monday launched a "Strategic and Economic Dialogue" here to address key issues ranging from their response to the global financial crisis, climate change and nuclear proliferation to threat from extremists.
President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo each addressed the opening session of the two-day meeting.
Sea secrets – over 5,000 new marine species found
By Richa Sharma, IANS,
New Delhi : They were the sea's best kept secrets - until now. As work on the world's first ocean census inches closer to completion, scientists working on the decade-long project claim to have found over 5,000 new marine organisms that were not known to mankind all this while.
A network of 2,000 scientists from 82 nations have been working since the year 2000 to prepare an inventory of marine organisms in the world, which will be released in London in October this year. The project costs around $650 million.
16 die in Venezuela prison violence
By IANS/EFE,
Caracas : Sixteen prisoners were killed and 35 others hurt when clashes broke out between rival gangs at a prison in northern Venezuela, an official said.
Communal clash kills 13 in Nigeria
By IANS,
Lagos : At least 13 people have been killed while several went missing following a communal clash in Nigeria's Cross River state, police said.
EU to reduce energy dependency on Russia
Brussels: The European Union (EU) said Friday that it would reduce Europe's high gas dependency rates to the external markets, notably on Russia.
"Reducing our...
130,000 People Take Chinese Language Test Worldwide Last Year
By Bernama
Beijing : About 130,000 people from across the world took the Chinese language test in 2007, China's Xinhua news agency quoted the Chinese National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language as saying.
The HSK -- Chinese level test - - had established 66 exam sites in 35 countries and regions, said Xu Lin, director of the office, at a meeting on Sunday.
"We must improve our management and innovate on the Chinese language test to provide more convenient and better service to foreign learners," she said.
My marriage is a miracle: Gwen Stefani
By IANS,
London: Singer Gwen Stefani has called her marriage to Gavin Rossdale a "miracle" as they prepare to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.
Germanwings co-pilot feared losing licence, investigators believe
Berlin : German investigators of the Germanwings plane crash last week in the French Alps with 150 people on board, are developing a hypothesis...
Missing Air Algerie plane probably crashed: French minister
Paris : The missing Air Algerie plane from Burkina Faso to Algiers, which had French nationals comprising almost half of the 110 passengers aboard,...