Mobile internet access booms in New Zealand
By IANS,
Wellington: More than half of New Zealanders are now accessing the internet through their mobile phones, the government statistics agency announced Friday.
Beijing Olympics against backdrop of politics and pollution
By John Bagratuni, IANS,
Hamburg (Germany) : Michael Phelps and Liu Xiang hope to grace superb venues with sports heroics at the Beijing Olympics against a backdrop of politics and pollution.
The first games in the world's most populous country has politics written all over it as concerns around China's human rights record reached new heights after its dealing with the unrest in Tibet.
An earthquake in the Sichuan province, Beijing's notorious pollution and algae at the sailing venue also made headlines instead of sport in the final countdown to the Aug 8-24 Games.
Three dead as militants attack Chechen parliament
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Grozny : At least three people died and 13 were injured Tuesday morning when militants attacked parliament of Russia's republic of Chechnya, authorities said.
Strong earthquake rattles eastern Indonesia
By DPA,
Jakarta : A powerful undersea earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale shook parts of eastern Indonesia Thursday morning, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The quake struck at about 5:41 a.m. with its epicentre about 51 km northeast of Sumbawa Island, according to an official report from the Jakarta meteorology and geophysics agency.
The quake was 10 km beneath the seabed, but there were no immediate reports of tsunami or structural damage from the latest in a series of earthquakes to strike Indonesia in recent days, the report said.
Kenyan president names 17-member cabinet
By Xinhua
Nairobi : Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki has named a 17-member cabinet, as mediation efforts in the violence-wracked country are due to be spearheaded by African Union Chairman John Kufuor here this week.
A statement from President Kibaki's office Tuesday said Kibaki has appointed former foreign affairs minister Kalonzo Musyoka as the vice president.
World bank to provide $3 bn in aid for Ukraine
Washington: The World Bank said Monday that it would provide up to $3 billion for Ukraine this year to help the country deliver much-needed...
Three cases of swine flu in Germany
By DPA,
Berlin : Three people have been infected with swine flu in Germany, laboratory tests showed Wednesday.
The two women and a man had recently returned from Mexico, where the outbreak is believed to have started.
The positive tests were confirmed by the Robert Koch Institute, Germany's national disease control centre.
Two of the cases were in the southern state of Bavaria and the third in the north German city of Hamburg, the institute said.
In Hamburg, a woman aged 22 was undergoing treatment in hospital after showing flu-like systems on her return from a trip to Mexico.
Clashes kill 12 in northern Sri Lanka
By Xinhua
Colombo : The military in Sri Lanka said 10 Tamil Tiger rebels and two Army soldiers were killed in a fierce battle in the north on Saturday.
Army officials said Army troops who mobilized artillery guns and armor tanks destroyed a LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) bunker line and captured four rebel bunkers to the north of Manthai in the Mannar district around mid-noon.
The Air Force also participated in the mission using MI-24 gunship during the mission, officials said.
No arms build up during treaty moratorium: Russia
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia will not scale up armament for the duration of a declared moratorium on the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty, a senior Defence Ministry official told Russia's parliament Wednesday.
"Measures to build up arms are hypothetical, or science fiction," Major General Vladimir Nikishin, deputy head of a ministry, told Russia's lower house, the State Duma.
UNSC remains divided over Kosovo”s declared independence
By KUNA
United Nations : The Security Council remained divided late Sunday following an emergency session called for by Serbia and its ally Russia to discuss Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence earlier in the day.
"Our position is that this declaration should be disregarded by the international community and should be declared null and void by the head of UNMIK there," Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin told reporters following the closed-door session.
Russia expects a million visitors during World Cup
By IANS,
Moscow: Russia will receive a million visitors during the 2018 World Cup, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
President Obama to make first foray abroad to Canada Thursday
By IANS,
Ottawa : US President Barack Obama will make his first foray abroad after his inauguration with a whirlwind visit Thursday to Canada, his country's biggest trading partner.
During his six-hour stay in the Canadian capital, Obama will meet Prime Minister Stephen Harper, opposition leader Michael Ignatieff and other leaders.
Though it will be a customary visit by the US president to its closest ally, the two leaders will discuss the gamut of issues that will include trade, global meltdown, Afghanistan and the environment.
Chennai to host next science congress
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram: The 98th Indian Science Congress (ISC) will be held in Tamil Nadu capital Chennai Jan 3-7, 2011.
"The next science congress will be hosted by SRM University, a deemed varsity, at its 240-acre green campus in Kattankulathur near Chennai," Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) president K.C. Pandey told reporters here Thursday.
The 97th session of the five-day science congress concluded Thursday in the Kerala University campus, about 15 km from this coastal city.
Kolkata-based ISCA is the main organiser of the nation's premier science event.
Vietnam seeks closer ties with Russia
By RIA Novosti,
Hanoi : Vietnam is seeking to expand cooperation with Russia in all spheres, the country's president has said ahead of a visit to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Nguyen Minh Triet will arrive on an official visit to Russia on October 26-29. This will be his first visit to the country since he took office in June 2006.
"We intend to discuss with the Russian leadership the expansion of cooperation in all spheres, including political, defense and security, as well as economic," Triet told RIA Novosti.
Isinbayeva calls for support for Russian ex-athletes
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia should do more to help its retired sporting heroes, pole vault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva said Monday.
In a Commonwealth first, Trinidad and Tobago votes for two-term PM
By Paras Ramoutar,
Port of Spain : In a first for a Commonwealth country, Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) has voted that no prime minister can...
Nepal maoists win 9 of the 18 seats declared
By IRNA
New Delhi : The Maoists in Nepal are racing ahead in the Constituent Assembly polls to the decide the future political system for the country, with the former rebels bagging nine of the eighteen seats declared so far and trends indicating the CPN-Maoist leading in 60 of the 240 constituencies.
The CPN-Maoist, who ended their decade-long insurgency in 2006 and contested the polls for the first time on April 10, seems to be moving towards a possible majority, with the Nepali Congress bagging three and CPN-UML four seats and both leading in 12 constituencies each, PTI reported.
EU leaders to discuss response to Russia
By KUNA,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was holding crisis talks with EU leaders Monday as they consider how to respond to Russian military action against Georgia, Downing Street said.
The Prime Minister has warned the Kremlin to expect a "determined" reaction, branding its behaviour "dangerous and unacceptable." Measures could include a "root and branch" review of EU-Russia relations and exclusion from key international bodies such as the G8, according to Brown.
Mauritanian military stages coup ‘supported by population’
By DPA,
Nouakchott (Mauritania) : Mauritanian military officers Wednesday staged a coup following the sacking of several of them, arresting the president and prime minister, sources associated with the presidency said.
Troops entered the presidential palace and arrested President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, Radio France Internationale (RFI) quoted his daughter as saying.
Sources associated with the presidency said Cheikh Abdallahi and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf were being held under house arrest.
Russia’s decision to ban Ukraine politicians illogical – ministry
By RIA Novosti,
Kiev : Moscow's statements on banning a number of Ukrainian politicians from entering Russia are ungrounded and illogical, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
On Thursday the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that in response to Ukraine's decision to prohibit Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov from entering Ukraine, Russia announced a number of Ukrainian politicians would not be allowed entry into Russia.
US had enough info to stop Christmas Day attack
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : In a shocking revelation, a White House review has found that the government had sufficient information to disrupt an Al Qaeda plot to blow up a US airliner but failed to identify the suspect as a potential bomber.
In the end, it was an inability of the intelligence community to "connect the dots" in putting all the pieces of information and analysis together, said the six-page report on events leading up to the Dec 25 botched terror attack by 23-year-old Nigerian national Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab.
Quake survivors forced to go on amid rubble and death
By Till Faehnders, DPA,
Hanwang (China) : Backhoes, steel cutters and bare hands are the most common tools used by firefighters deployed to reach buried survivors of last week's earthquake in south-western China.
They are combing through the Dongfang turbine factory in Hanwang, which once was the town's pride but now is a heap of rubble.
"We have counted 378 dead and 160 people missing," said factory manager Peng Jia, who choked when he uttered the figures.
Protect civilians, South Africa tells Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Pretoria : South Africa has urged the Sri Lankan government troops and the Tamil Tigers to respect existing safe areas and protect civilians in the island's northern war zone.
South Africa's Department of Foreign Affairs has expressed concern at the safety and well-being of about 250,000 civilians, including humanitarian aid workers, caught in the conflict in the island's north, BuaNews has reported.
South Africa is saddened by the loss of life in the conflict and expresses its "condolences to all those in mourning", the statement said.
EU in frantic talks as Russian gas flow stalls
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) launched a frantic round of telephone diplomacy with Russia and Ukraine Tuesday as the two countries blamed one another for breaking a promise to renew natural gas supplies to Europe.
The Czech government, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, launched "contacts at the highest level with all the parties" in a bid to get the gas flowing again, presidency sources said.
Sherlock Holmes returns – from Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : More than 80 years after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the last Sherlock Holmes story, the taciturn, relentless and utterly fascinating sleuth is back again - and this time from Nepal.
House no 583 Museum Marg in Kathmandu is as different from 221 B Baker Street as Dr John Watson is from Ted Riccardi. Yet it is the latter - an American scholar and Indologist - who has assumed the mantle of Watson, the chronicler of most of Holmes’ adventures.
Ukraine okays international gas observers
By DPA,
Moscow/Kiev : Ukraine joined Russia to approve a European Union (EU) initiative for international observers to monitor Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine, raising hopes of a possible end to a Kremlin embargo on energy supplies to Europe.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko signed the deal early Sunday, Interfax news agency reported.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, arrived in Ukraine Saturday evening in an attempt to get Kiev to sign a deal aimed at ending Russia's natural gas embargo to Europe.
South Africa’s ANC calls for Mbeki to resign
By DPA,
Johannesburg : South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) called on President Thabo Mbeki Saturday to resign over evidence of political interference in a case against ANC leader Jacob Zuma.
The ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe told reporters the party's national executive committee (NEC) had "decided to recall the president of the republic before his term of office expires".
Mbeki has yet to indicate whether he is ready to accede to their demand.
The NEC made the announcement after several hours of talks behind closed door on the president's fate.
Ram Baran Yadav – a man who saw three revolts in two nations
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Soldier’s eyelids glued shut in initiation ceremony
By IANS,
London : The eyelids of a British teenaged soldier were glued together in an initiation ceremony and doctors had to cut them open, leaving the soldier without eyelashes.
Myanmar Says Worst Of Emergency Crisis Is Over
By D. Arul Rajoo, Bernama,
Yangon : Almost two months after the deadly 'Cyclone Nargis' claimed about 140,000 lives, the Myanmar Government says there are several indications that the worst of the emergency crisis may be over.
Myanmar's Deputy Foreign Minister, U Kyaw Thu Thu said the Asean-led Post Nargis Joint Assessment for Response, Recovery and Reconstruction (Ponja) confirmed that no death was reported over the past several weeks.
Official deadlines may be compromising drug safety
By IANS
Washington : Drugs fast-tracked by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are more likely to be withdrawn from global markets for safety reasons, undergo manufacturing revisions, or face labelling changes, according to a study.
"Drugs rushed for approval just before deadline are two times more likely to be pulled off shelves due to safety concerns, two to seven times more likely to receive added label warnings and two to seven times more likely to be discontinued because of weak clinical demand," said Daniel Carpenter of Harvard University, co-author of the study.
Obama’s politics losing its virginity: Fidel Castro
By IANS,
Havana : Cuban leader Fidel Castro has said that US President Barack Obama's politics was "losing its virginity", Spanish news agency EFE reported Saturday.In the third article in two weeks criticising the actions of the new US president, Cuba's ex-president commented on White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's statement that "what interests president Obama is the Cuban-American community".
"The almost 12 million Cubans living on the island do not interest him," Castro said.
Diplomat’s ‘Israel model’ statement exposes RSS bigotry as official Indian policy, say Indian Americans
By Newsdesk, TwoCircles.net
The Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA), a broad coalition of Indian American organizations across the United States, has called out an...
Anti-government protest enters 100th day in Thailand
By DPA,
Bangkok : A protest calling for the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and dissolution of his government entered its 100th day Monday, with thousands of demonstrators in command of Government House - the administrative seat.
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a loose coalition of conservative groups opposed to the current government, has been staging peaceful anti-government demonstrations on Rajdamnoen Avenue in the old section of Bangkok since May 25.
Over 100 humanitarian helpers killed in 2009: UN
By DPA,
Geneva : A total of 102 humanitarian workers were killed around the world in 2009, the UN reported Wednesday, recalling the dangers faced by people only trying to help others.
In a message marking "World Humanitarian Day" Aug 19, the UN paid tribute to all the helpers who had lost their lives last year while helping out on aid missions.
The date marks the anniversary of the devastating Aug 19, 2003 terror bombing in Baghdad, in which 22 people, including then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello, were killed.
US asks citizens to stay alert in Pakistan
By IANS,
Islamabad: The US Saturday asked its citizens visiting Pakistan to "maintain extra vigilance" in the wake of recent violent protests in Muslim countries against an anti-Islam movie.
Same-sex marriage gets court nod in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Close on the heels of an international furore over the state of California's decision to ban same-sex marriages, the apex court of nascent Himalayan republic Nepal has given its nod to such unions.
“My eyes were filled with tears when I read the Supreme Court decision,” said Sunil Babu Pant, Nepal's first publicly gay lawmaker and a gay rights icon in South Asia.
“We, the gay community of Nepal, are the most proud citizens.”
AirAsia crash: Two more bodies recovered, metal objects located
Jakarta : Recovery teams Tuesday found two more bodies and located two large metal objects on the sea bed as they expanded the search...
Missing Indian origin boy’s body found in Melbourne creek
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : The body of an Indian origin boy who had gone missing two weeks ago was found Thursday in a creek near his home in suburban Melbourne.
Nine-year-old Manohar Yadav, who was adopted two years ago from an orphanage in Mumbai, was last seen Aug 7 walking from his home towards a nearby park in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn.
Sri Lanka sees foreign hand behind ruling party split
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government claimed Monday that there was a foreign hand behind the split in the ruling party.
"Former health minister and...
Anything can happen in Nepal: Sobhraj
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : "I am confident I will be released," said Charles Sobhraj, clutching the bars of the partition that separated the strip of the long room from visitors.
"If the judges did not think I had a good case, they would have dismissed it a long time back."
That was in late October when the final appeal in the sensational case, that saw him sentenced for murder for the first time, was expected on Nov 4.
In mid-November, after the verdict was delayed due to one of the judges being out of station, his optimism dimmed.
Russian construction firm head becomes South Ossetia’s prime minister
By RIA Novosti,
Vladikvkaz (Russia) : The parliament of South Ossetia confirmed Vadim Brovtsev, head of an Urals construction company, as the republic's new prime minister Wednesday.
The former Georgian republic's communications ministry said 40-year-old Brovtsev, head of the Chelyabinsk-based construction firm Vermikulit, was approved by 24 out of 27 deputies in a secret ballot.
His sole candidature was proposed by South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity, the ministry said.
Storms kill over 40 in Brazil
By IANS,
Rio de Janeiro : At least 41 people have been killed in storms which hit Brazil's northeastern region in the past few days, authorities said Tuesday.
A total of 29 people died in the Alagoas state while 12 others were killed in the neighbouring state of Pernambuco. At least 600 people are still missing, and some of them might be trapped in areas isolated by flood waters, Xinhua news agency reported.
Obama, McCain win Vermont
By DPA
Washington : Senator Barack Obama has won the Vermont primary, CNN and Fox television projections showed, capturing the first of four states up for grabs in balloting to determine the Democratic presidential nominee.
On the Republican side, Senator John McCain captured Vermont, further tightening his grip on his party's nomination for the Nov 4 presidential election.
Obama defeated Senator Hillary Clinton in Vermont and the results in Rhode Island, Texas and Ohio primaries are awaited.
Thai King endorses new constitution
By Xinhua
Bangkok : The King of Thailand has endorsed the country's new constitution, president of the Constitution Drafting Assembly Noranit Settabutr said at a press conference here Friday.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej signed the 2007 Constitution after Noranit and Meechai Ruechupan, President of National Legislative Assembly, submitted the new charter to the monarch for royal endorsement at the King's Bangkok residence Chitlarada Palace.
The new constitution draft won public approval by a 57.81 percent margin in the country's first national referendum Aug 19.
French Sikhs bringing turban ban issue to Delhi
By Christine Nayagam, IANS,
Paris: A delegation of Sikhs from France will land in New Delhi Thursday for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), the annual gathering of the Indian diaspora, to highlight the continuing problem of the ban of Sikh turbans in France.
As all their attempts to resolve the issue with the French and European authorities have failed, the Sikhs are now turning to not only the Indian government but also the entire Indian diaspora to help them resolve a problem that threatens their religious identity.
S African motorists stealing petrol amid high fuel levies
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : Amid surging world fuel prices, South African motorists have resorted to what police here are calling a new type of crime - filling up tanks at huge costs and then speeding away without paying.
This new phenomenon is rising countrywide, according to the Fuel Retailers Association (FRA), which highlighted several serious incidents in recent weeks. FRA chief executive Peter Morgan said there had been at least ten such incidents in the past month.
Bush threatens veto as Congress takes up housing bill
By DPA,
Washington : US President George W. Bush promised Wednesday to veto a costly initiative making its way through Congress to address the housing crisis at the centre of an economic slowdown in the US.
Democrats are pushing for a broad bill that would create a $300- billion fund to help homeowners threatened with foreclosure and provide tax incentives for people to buy new homes.
55 dead as hailstorms lash south China
By IANS,
Beijing: A total of 50 people have died while 14 reported missing due to latest rain and hailstorms that have hit south China, the government statistics said Friday.
Senate committee approves Geithner to be Treasury secretary
By DPA,
Washington : The US Senate Finance Committee Thursday approved Timothy Geithner's nomination to be Treasury secretary in President Barack Obama's administration, paving the way for Geithner's confirmation by the full US Senate.
The Finance Committee voted 18-5 to send Geithner's nomination to the Senate, which could confirm his appointment later this week.
Geithner's confirmation was delayed - meaning Obama's economic team was not in place by his inauguration Tuesday - after it emerged that he had failed to pay $34,000 in taxes earlier this decade.
EU to help to stop arms trafficking to Gaza
Brussels: The European Union (EU) is prepared to contribute to arrangements that prevent illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition to the Gaza Strip, a...
Only one arrest in British teenager’s murder: police
By IANS
Panaji : Only one suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of British teenager Scarlette Keeling, a top police official said here Monday.
"Only one person, a barman running a beach shack, Samson D'Souza, has been arrested. The media reports claiming four people have been arrested are false and misleading," Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kishen Kumar told IANS.
Kumar said people were summoned to a police station for questioning and waiting media persons had jumped to the conclusion that they have been arrested.
15 Tigers die, army seizes fresh rebel territory
By IANS,
Colombo : At least 15 Tamil Tiger guerrillas were killed and several wounded as government troops seized Sunday a rebel base in Sri Lanka's north-western Mannar district after 20 long years, officials said.
According to the defence ministry, elite commandos captured Iluppaikkadavai, 12 km north of Vidattaltivu, which the military took over Wednesday along with a major Sea Tiger base.
The ministry said Illupaikkadavai was the largest LTTE base on the northwestern coast and used by the LTTE "for other terror activities in the area during last two decades".
Cambodian PM dismisses rumor of senior officials reshuffle
By Xinhua,
Phnom Penh : The Cambodian government had noplan to reshuffle police commanders, provincial and city governors as well as their deputies, said Prime Minister Hun Sen in a statement received here Saturday.
"As prime minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, I confirm that the government has no plan to reshuffle your positions as some gossip had alleged," he said.
"I also request you all to keep on working as normal for the benefits of the people and the nation," he said.
One injured in blast outside Greece’s main prison
By DPA,
Athens : One woman was wounded when a powerful bomb exploded Thursday outside Greece's top-security prison.
An anonymous caller to the Greek daily Etheftherotypia and a private television station warned that a large explosion would go off at Greece's top-security prison of Korydallos, west of Athens.
Police said the mechanical device was discovered inside a garbage bin near the women's wing of the prison. The explosion was heard throughout Athens, and police immediately cordoned off the area to traffic.
South Korea’s ex-president breathing on a respirator
By DPA,
Seoul : South Korea's former president and Nobel peace laureate in 2000 Kim Dae Jung is breathing on a respirator in hospital, a spokesman for a Seoul hospital said Thursday.
The 83-year-old's condition is not life-threatening, a spokesman for Severance Hospital said.
Kim has been ill for a long time and was placed under intensive care Wednesday after suffering from pneumonia, the national news agency Yonhap reported.
The former dissident under South Korea's military regime was president between 1998 and 2003.
Chilean police arrest 36 protestors from cathedral
By IANS
Santiago : At least 36 people have been arrested as the police evicted a group of protesters from a cathedral in northwestern Chilean city of Concepcion, the police said.
The city's archbishop Ricardo Ezzati had called for the eviction after talks failed with protestors, who had occupied the cathedral since last week to support local activist Patricia Troncoso, who has been on a hunger strike since Oct 10, 2007, Spain's EFE news agency reported Monday.
EU to give $27 mn for Russian nuclear plant safety
By IANS
Moscow : The European Commission plans to allocate 20 million euros (over $27 million) for nuclear safety projects in Russia, the country's nuclear power plant operator said Thursday.
Rosenergoatom, which runs all 10 Russian nuclear power plants with a total capacity of over 23 gigawatts, said the funds offered by the European Union's (EU) executive branch aimed at optimising their preventive maintenance.
Modi congratulates Brazilian president on re-election
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday congratulated Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff for being re-elected for a second term.
"Congratulations to @dilmabr (Dilma Rousseff)...
Nepal candidates file papers for forthcoming polls
By Xinhua
Kathmandu : Candidates representing Nepal's major political parties Monday filed their nomination papers for the upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) elections under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system for different constituencies in Kathmandu district.
First-past-the-post (or simple majority) is a system in which the candidate with the highest number of formal votes is elected. It is the commonest system of voting and vote counting used in a number of countries.
Don’t break the law, Australian PM warns Indian students
By DPA,
Sydney : Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Thursday warned students from India not to take the law into their own hands after writer and activist Farrukh Dhondy reportedly urged Indians in the country for "some form of retaliation" following the brutal assault on four Indians in Melbourne.
Dhondy has urged Indians in Australia to take matters into their own hands, The Age reported Thursday.
"There really has to be some form of retaliation from the Indian community as a whole. India has to stand up," he told ABC Radio.
Rudd said Australia was a law-abiding nation.
International Fleet Review big opportunity for India: Modi
New Delhi: India is proud to be hosting the International Fleet Review, which is a "big opportunity" for the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi...
China, US to inject $20 bn to boost global commerce
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China and the United States Friday said they would inject $20 billion for trade finance to prop global commerce.
"The two export-import banks (in US and China) will make available an additional $20 billion for trade finance, particularly for creditworthy importers in developing countries," US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told reporters here.
GM announces new cost cuts, axes Pontiac for survival
By DPA,
Washington : General Motors Corp. announced another round of drastic cost-cutting measures Monday in its latest bid for survival, including abandoning its Pontiac brand and offering bondholders, employees and the government a greater stake in the ailing automaker to cut its massive debt.
Facing a June-1 government deadline to prove its viability or face bankruptcy, GM said it would axe 23,000 jobs by 2011 - 7,000 more than previously planned - as well as close factories and quicken the pace of cuts to its vast dealership network.
Sri Lanka military says new fighting kills 13 Tamil rebels, 2 soldiers in volatile...
By SPA,
Colombo : Government forces destroyed two Tamil Tiger rebel bunkers in Sri Lanka's embattled north while infantry clashes killed 13 rebels and two soldiers, AP quoted the military as saying Thursday.
The latest round of infantry clashes broke out Wednesday along the front lines bordering the rebels' de facto state, a defense ministry statement said.
In Mannar district, troops destroyed two rebel bunkers after a clash that killed four guerrilla fighters, the statement said.
North Korean media reports public appearance by Kim
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Amid widespread speculation over the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, state-controlled media of the communist state Sunday reported the public appearance of the leader.
Sunday's report that Kim, 66, attended a military art performance was the latest to quell rumours that he has been incapacitated following a stroke he suffered in August.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim "warmly waved back to the cheering performers and congratulated them on their successful presentation."
Bush phones Dalai Lama, enquires about his health
By IANS,
Dharamsala : US President George W. Bush telephoned the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and discussed a range of issues besides enquiring about his health.
"President Bush's phone call reflected the great esteem he (Bush) and the American people have for the Dalai Lama," Chhime R. Chhoekyapa, secretary to the Nobel laureate, told IANS Wednesday.
"The phone call came in (Tuesday) evening. The Dalai Lama was to meet Bush earlier this month in Washington. Since he had to cancel the trip because of ill health, Bush asked him about his health," he said.
People Power Party MP elected as Thailand’s new House Speaker
By Xinhua
Bangkok : Thailand's People Power Party (PPP) MP Yongyuth Tiyapairat was elected as the House Speaker at the first parliamentary meeting on Tuesday.
Yongyuth, former deputy leader of PPP, got 307 votes while his only rival -- Democrat Party MP Banyat Bantadtan got 167 votes during an hour-long balloting by the newly-elected lawmakers, whose victory in the Dec. 23 general election.
Flash flood, mudslide warning in 16 provinces as cyclone Nargis nears Thailand
By NNN-TNA,
Bangkok : Sixteen provinces, mostly in the North, are on alert for possible flash floods and mudslides as early as Saturday through Tuesday as tropical cyclone Nargis moves towards Thailand from Myanmar, according to a warning issued by Thailand's Meteorlogical Department.
The announcement said cyclone Nargis at 4am Saturday was about 400 kilometers southwest of Thailand's Myanmar border province of Mae Hong Son, northwest of Bangkok, moving at a speed of about 15 kilometres per hour.
Ukraine parliament to vote on Tymoshenko as PM on Dec. 18
By RIA Novosti
Kiev : Ukraine's parliament will once again vote on 'orange' coalition leader Yulia Tymoshenko's nomination for prime minister on Tuesday.
Lawmakers changed voting procedures Friday after the flamboyant pro-Western Tymoshenko narrowly failed by a single vote to get backing for her appointment first time on December 11.
Two votes were held, with Tymoshenko both times receiving 225 votes, one short of the 226 required. The coalition blamed technical malfunctions.
Carbon dioxide levels reach new high: UN
By DPA
Geneva : Global concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere reached their highest levels ever recorded in 2006, according to the latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin published Friday by the UN weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Concentrations of nitrous oxide also reached a new high while methane remained almost unchanged.
After water vapour, CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide are the three most prevalent greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere and largely responsible for driving global warming and climate change.
Thai caretaker PM denies abuse of power
Bangkok : Thai caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Tuesday denied an allegation that she abused power for personal benefits.
While defending herself before the Constitutional...
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20,000 phone lines cut in New Jersey
By IANS,
New York : Over 20,000 government telephones in New Jersey have been disconnected after an audit found they were lying useless and costing the economy over $3 million.
Telecommunications authorities disconnected the phones that "no one was using", after the audit report was released.
New Jersey State Comptroller Matthew Boxer said the Office of Information Technology will "generate periodic reports of lines with zero usage to ensure agencies are disconnecting their unused lines", Fox News reported.
South American nations approve $100 mn fund for Haiti
By IANS/EFE,
Quito : The leaders of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) have approved a $100-million fund to help the quake victims in Haiti.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the grouping here Tuesday. Unasur members will contribute to the fund equally.
The leaders promised help in the humanitarian work carried out by the Haiti government in collaboration with international and regional organisations.
In addition, the Inter-American Development Bank would give a $200-million loan on soft terms to Haiti.
Man gets $63,500 mobile bill
By IANS,
Beijing : A Chinese man who got a 400,000 yuan ($63,500) bill for his mobile phone charges in one month has won compensation from a shop that installed malware on his phone.
Seven killed, 100 missing in Nepal bridge collapse
By DPA
Kathmandu : At least seven people were killed and at least 100 were feared missing after a bridge collapsed in western Nepal Tuesday, officials said.
The suspension bridge over the Bheri River at Medhapura in Surkhet district, about 400 km west of the Nepal's capital Kathmandu, collapsed as hundreds of people were making their way across.
"Police have managed to recover the bodies of seven people so far," an official of the district police office said. "Dozens of people are still missing and we have launched rescue operations."
Cuba Denounces US Terrorism at UN
By Prensa Latina,
United Nations : Cuba denounced Friday at the UN the high cost in human lives and economic damages it has suffered due to US-boosted State terrorism.
Ambassador Ileana Nunez stressed the importance of the Global Strategy against Terrorism, adopted by the General Assembly.
This document must be the central instrument of the global struggle against that scourge, the diplomat said at a session dedicated to reviewing the UN Global Strategy against Terrorism.
Somali forces storm hijacked ship, free crew
By DPA,
Mogadishu : Security forces in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia have stormed a hijacked Panama-flagged cargo ship and rescued the crew with no fatalities, officials said Tuesday.
The ship, which was carrying cement from Oman to the Somali port Bosasso, was seized last Thursday along with its crew of nine Syrians and two Somalis.
Soldiers seized the ship after the ten pirates ran out of ammunition.
"The ship is now in our hands," Mogadishu-based Radio Garowe quoted Ahmed Said O'Nur, Puntland's minister for fisheries and ports, as saying.
Russia, NATO have ‘exhaustive’ info on Arctic Sea – envoy
By RIA Novosti,
Brussels : Russia and NATO have exhaustive information on the Arctic Sea cargo vessel, missing in the Atlantic since late July, the country's envoy to the alliance has said.
"All the exhaustive information, which we do have and which is most likely objective, is instantly reported to the [Russian] naval headquarters," Dmitry Rogozin said late on Saturday, but declined to comment on the vessel's whereabouts.
Singapore’s prime minister wants more integrated ASEAN
By DPA
Singapore : Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned Tuesday the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) must integrate in order to survive the new Asian dynamics created by the rise of China and India.
"Companies and investors around the world are focussing their energies on the two emerging giants and see ASEAN as ten isolated, scattered national economies," Lee said in conjunction with the grouping's 40th anniversary Wednesday.
International Airline Group to buy 18 planes
By IANS/EFE,
London: International Airline Group, parent company of Iberia and British Airways, announced Monday that it ordered 18 A350-1000s from Airbus to update BA's fleet.
Brown warns against growing Taliban power in Afghanistan
LONDON, Oct 8 (APP): British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday warned of growing Taliban strength in Afghanistan and said greater efforts were required to stop them from endangering the rest of the world.
Speaking at his monthly press conference at Downing Street this afternoon, he said Afghanistan was in the frontline against Taliban and the whole civilised world would be in danger if Taliban takes over the country again.
Poland could lift veto on Russia-EU partnership deal talks -Tusk
By RIA Novasti
Paris : Poland could soon lift its veto on talks on a new Russia-EU partnership deal, following Moscow's decision to end its embargo on Polish meat, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday.
Russia said on December 12 it would lift its two-year embargo on Polish meat next week, following a meeting between the Russian and Polish agriculture ministers in Moscow.
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...
300 feared dead in Uganda landslides
By DPA,
Kampala : Up to 300 people are feared dead after heavy rain triggered landslides that swept through villages on the slopes of Mount Elgon in Uganda, officials said Tuesday.
The chairman of the eastern Bududa district, Wilson Watira, told DPA that mud and boulders crashed through homes and health centres overnight in the villages of Nameti, Kubewo and Nankobe.
Watira said that rescuers had recovered between 40 and 50 bodies, but that he expected the death toll to increase.
Bank chiefs become first casualties of financial crisis in UK
By IRNA,
London : Sir Fred Goodwin, chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), has become the first major casualty of the financial crisis in the UK, after paying the ultimate professional price for by agreeing to leave the company 10 years after joining.
His decision, along with chairman Sir Tom McKillop, who will also step down, comes as the British government was forced to bail out the bank, taking up to 57 per cent of its shares in the biggest nationalization of a bank in Europe.
Toll in Indonesia landslide rises to 51
Bangkok : The toll in last week's landslide in central Java region of Indonesia has reached 51 with another 57 people still missing even...
Lincoln’s 200th birthday coincides with Obama inauguration
By Pat Reber, DPA,
Washington : In an ironic twist, the US will be celebrating the 200th birthday of president Abe Lincoln - the US leader who ended slavery - just weeks after the inauguration of its first black president, Barack Obama.
Thus, it is hardly surprising that the theme of Obama's Jan 20 historic inauguration will be dominated by Lincoln, a president who also took office as the nation faced huge challenges.
The announcement was made Wednesday, just a day after Obama's election felled the final racial barrier for non-whites in the US.
Ukrainian president calls early election
By IANS,
Kiev : Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych Friday announced an early presidential election as one of a package of measures aimed at ending the...
Catalyst to convert ethanol into hydrogen fuel cheaper
By IANS,
Washington : An inexpensive new catalyst will ensure efficient conversion of ethanol and other biofuels into hydrogen that will be an efficient, cheap and easy source of energy.
Ohio State University professor Umit Ozkan informed that the new catalyst is much cheaper than others being developed, because it does away with reliance on precious metals like platinum or rhodium.
5 injured in bomb explosion in Nepali capital
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : At least five persons were injured when unidentified persons detonated a bomb at Ratna Park in Nepali capital Kathmandu Tuesday afternoon.
According to police, an explosion took place at the park where the civil society had organized a program to welcome republic in the country.
All the injured have been rushed to Bir Hospital for treatment.
An underground outfit Ranbir Sena has claimed the responsibility for the blast.
Five dead, 35 injured in China bus fire
Beijing: At least five people were killed and 35 injured when a fire broke out in a bus with about 50 people on board...
How do people respond to e-mails?
By IANS,
Washington : Over the last decade the e-mail has grown from a novelty into a necessity. But how do people respond to e-mails? Do they respond to the most important first, making sure the process is efficient?
Or do they send e-mails randomly, when they are at their computers or when they have time, without any regard to efficiency?
These are questions that Luís Amaral, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University, and his associates set out to answer.
Clinton set to exit White House race, endorse Obama
By DPA,
Washington : Hillary Clinton was set to exit the US presidential race Saturday and endorse presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama, who earlier this week clinched his party's nod for the general election.
At an event before hundreds of supporters and reporters in Washington, Clinton was expected to call for party unity after a bitter five-month battle that saw a series of state primaries held across the US.
Obama and Clinton met privately Thursday night to discuss a way forward and secure victory for the Democratic Party in November.
UK Labour candidate slams Israeli policies
By IRNA,
London : A Labour Party parliamentary candidate has criticised Israel for continuing its three-year-long siege on Gaza, urging international organisations to step in to deliver aid to the Palestinians.
“If Palestine is to grow as a viable and stable country, then Israel needs to do what the international community has been telling it to do such a long time and that is to lift the blockade on Gaza. It is irrational to have a long blockade on Gaza,” Bassam Mahfouz said.
Obhrai takes oath as parliamentary secretary in Canada
By IANS,
Toronto : Five-time Indian-Canadian MP Deepak Obhrai has taken oath as the parliamentary secretary to the Canadian minister of foreign affairs.
Obhrai, who represents the East Calgary constituency in the Canadian House of Commons, was holding the same position in the last cabinet.
"I am honoured and privileged that the prime minister chose once again to reassign me to this portfolio," said Obhrai.
Congratulating Obhrai after the oath-taking ceremony Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said: "Deepak, you know what to do. I know you will do a good job."
Corruption cases on the rise in China
By IANS,
Beijing : There has been an increase in the number of bribery cases involving government officials in China, a senior official has said.
Myanmar president stresses political stability
By IANS,
Yangon: Myanmar President U Thein Sein Tuesday stressed upon the importance of political stability and end of armed conflicts for democracy to flourish in the country.
Political parties fail to strike a deal in Nepal
By NNN-PTI,
Kathmandu : After weeks of wrangling, Nepal's main parties have signed a deal that will allow formation of a new government through simple majority but failed to reach a power sharing arrangement, shifting the battleground to the Constituent Assembly.
After a late-night meeting on the eve of the Assembly's second sitting, the parties which had been loggerheads for over two-months, agreed to amend the constitution to include the provision of forming and dissolving the government by simple majority.
Blizzard dumps heavy snow on US Mid-Atlantic
By DPA,
Washington : More than 60 centimetres of heavy snow brought the US Mid-Atlantic region to a standstill, leaving thousands without power and forcing most traffic of the roads.
Wet snow had been falling since Friday morning, coating power lines that collapsed under the strain leaving some 100,000 homes without electricity in Maryland and Virginia.
Russian cargo spacecraft docks with ISS
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russian cargo spacecraft Progress M-62 has docked with the International Space Station (ISS) with Christmas gifts, Russia's mission control said Wednesday.
Progress M-62, piggybacked on a Soyuz-U carrier rocket, lifted off from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan Sunday.
It has delivered 1.26 tonnes of food and water for the crew, as well as fuel to maintain the ISS's orbit, and other cargo and research equipment, including Christmas presents for the crew.
Sri Lanka bus blast kills 24
By SPA
Colombo : A roadside bomb tore through a Sri Lankan bus killing 24 people and wounding dozens on Wednesday, officials said, as a 6-year ceasefire formally expires between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels, Reuters reported.
The Ministry of Defense said a large number of schoolchildren were on the bus at the time of the blast in the central district of Moneragala, around 150 miles east of the capital Colombo.
However, hospital officials said they were treating only four children for minor injuries, and that no children were killed.
Slovenia Assumes EU Presidency
By Prensa Latina
Paris : Slovenia is set to assume the rotating presidency of the European Union on January 1, without new members in that group, but with the Euro zone now totaling 15.
The first and most important challenge for Slovenia will be to implement the necessary mechanisms for the EU Treaty, which replaced the failed Constitution.
The most powerful members of the EU will be watching over the treaty, chiefly France, which considers it an initiative of its president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Toll in Japan earthquake rises to 15,500
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The toll from the magnitude-9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami which struck north-east Japan March 11 has risen to 15,500, police said Sunday.
U.S. envoy says no alternative to six-party talks on N. Korea
By RIA Novosti,
Tokyo : Washington may consider bilateral talks with N. Korea in the future, but not as a substitute for six-party talks on the country's nuclear disarmament, the U.S. special envoy on North Korea said on Tuesday.
"We do not consider any way that bilateral engagement is a substitute for multilateral engagement," Bosworth said in Tokyo prior to his return from a three-stop Asian tour aimed at re-launching negotiations with Pyongyang on ending its nuclear program.
NATO tasks FMs to review Ukraine progress in for membership in Dec
By KUNA
Bucharest : The NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) said Friday that the alliance's foreign ministers had been tasked to review, in their December meeting, the progress made by the Ukraine in fulfilling criteria for NATO membership.
In a statement at the conclusion of the NUC meeting, held here on the sidelines of the three-day NATO Summit, it said a stage of cooperation with the Ukraine would begin at a high level to resolve pending issues.
China-Myanmar oil pipeline still under discussion
By KUNA
Tokyo : Construction of the oil pipeline from Myanmar to southwest China's Yunnan Province is still under discussion, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported Monday, citing a top provincial official. The long-awaited pipeline is expected to provide an alternative route for China's crude imports from the Middle East and Africa and ease the country's worries of its over-dependence on energy transportation through the Strait of Malacca.
Let the two-state solution be a reality: Pope
By DPA,
Tel Aviv : Pope Benedict XVI ended his journey to Israel and the Palestinian territories by issuing a powerful call for peace.
"Allow me to make this appeal to all the people of these lands: No more bloodshed! No more fighting! No more terrorism! No more war!" he told a farewell ceremony at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion International Airport Friday.
"Let it be universally recognised that the State of Israel has the right to exist, and to enjoy peace and security within internationally agreed borders.
Georgian president fears leaving country for EU summit
By RIA Novosti,
Berlin : Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili has said he will not attend a European Union (EU) summit to address his country's conflict with Russia, as he fears Moscow would not let him return.
"If I leave Georgia, the Russians will close our airspace and prevent me from returning home," Saakashvili said in an interview published in popular German newspaper Bild Wednesday.
Indonesian Navy Needs Modernization, Says Legislators
By Bernama
Jakarta : The Indonesian government needs to immediately modernise the Navy on a large scale in its effort to maintain the Unitary State of the Indonesian Republic (NKRI)'s sovereignty, legislators said here on Friday.
Quoting House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I member Yuddy Chrisnandi, ANTARA news agency reported Friday that the Navy's modernization was absolutely needed because the armament at its disposal was already obsolete.
Finnair posts Q3 earnings of 354 mn euros
By IANS
Helsinki : Finnair, one of the world's oldest operating airlines, celebrated its 84th birthday Thursday by posting third quarter earnings of 545.2 million euros and the profit before tax of 55.9 million euros.
"It is a joy to publish such a result on Finnair's 84th birthday, it is much needed for the coming investments," Finnair president and CEO Jukka Hienonen said in a statement.
EU”s Solana flies to Georgia Sept. 30
By KUNA,
Brussels : European Union (EU) foreign policy chief flies to Georgia Tuesday to launch the EU observation mission, which will start activities early next month.
Solana will be meeting Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, foreign minister Eka Tkeshelashvili and interior minister Vano Merabishvili, a statement by the EU council said Monday.
It added that Solana would also meet with president of the Georgian national security council Alexander Lomaia, opposition leaders and non-government organizations (NGOs) to discuss the developments in their country.
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.
Indian linked to new Al-Qaeda plot unearthed in Canada
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : An Al-Qaeda-linked terror plot was unearthed by Canadian security agencies Wednesday, with one of the suspects reportedly hailing from India.
Under what is curiously called "Operation Samosa,'' the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested two suspects early Wednesday. One of them said to be named Misbahuddin Ahmed who reportedly comes from India. Search for more suspects is on.
Indian-origin ex-German MP suspended from party
Berlin: A former Indian-origin German parliamentarian caught with downloaded child porn has been suspended for three years by his Social Democrats Party (spd), media...
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.
EU extends sanctions on Burma
By IANS,
Luxembourg : The European Union (EU) has decided to renew political and economic sanctions for a further 12 months against those responsible for human rights abuses and lack of development in Myanmar.
The EU's current sanctions against Burma, adopted last October following the brutal crackdown on Buddhist monks who took part in anti-regime protests, include a ban on the import of timber, gems and metals from Myanmar, a travel ban and assets freeze on Myanmar leaders and their relatives and an arms embargo.
President: All Parties Must Help Solve National Problems
By Bernama
Jakarta : President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked people who are not satisfied about the government's performance to find solutions to, and jointly solve, the nation's problems, instead of only voicing criticisms, Antara news agency reported.
Police get more time to quiz Asian terror suspects
By IANS,
London : British police have been given more time to question three South Asian men arrested on suspicion of terror offences.
Detectives were granted an extra seven days to question the three arrested under the Terrorism Act, 2006.
Two of the men were arrested at Manchester Airport and the third in the Accrington area of Lancashire Friday night.
The suspects aged 21, 22 and 23, are from Blackburn, a Lancashire town with a large Pakistani-origin population.
Clinton, McCain likely to win US presidential nominations
By Ronald Baygents, KUNA
Washington : US political analysts generally agree that Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain are in the best position to face off for the US presidency in the November election, and will prove it on Tuesday, when more than 20 states cast ballots in primaries and caucuses across the country.
Two million child labourers in EU, says rights NGO
By IANS,
London : Over two million children under the age of 15 are salaried workers in the European Union (EU) including developed countries like Holland, Denmark and France, an international child rights organisation has alleged.
Children who work is one of the most extended phenomena in all of central and eastern Europe, while poverty forces the young to take on adult work in face of necessity, "Save the Children" has said.
Beauty parlours, restaurants, laundries and cleaning companies are the major areas where immigrant children work.
Two Indonesian pilots pose security threat: Australian authorities
Sydney: Australian authorities believe two Indonesian pilots radicalised by pro-Islamic State (IS) forces may pose an international security threat, according to a leaked intelligence...
Russia says its proposals on Kosovo status valid
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russian proposals on Kosovo's status, earlier submitted to the UN Security Council, remain in force, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
"Our initiative on the joint development of a 'road map', which would take into account the interests of both sides and priorities of key international mediators in the settlement of the Kosovo issue...remains in force," Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.
G20 package risks breathing life into dying economic model: ActionAid
By IANS,
New Delhi : The global recovery package agreed at the G20 summit must not be used as artificial life support for a dying economic model, warns international NGO ActionAid.
"There is a risk that this $1 trillion breathing space will be used to carry on with business as usual," Soren Ambrose, ActionAid's development finance adviser, said in a statement issued Friday, a day after the summit closed in London.
"Instead, developing countries need to be encouraged to introduce new policies to put markets at the service of people instead of the other way around," he added.
India must improve transparency in power sector: Report
By Arun Kumar
IANS Washington : India, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines must improve transparency and public participation in their electricity sectors to provide citizens with affordable, reliable and clean energy, concludes a new report.
Kenya Reports Progress in Talks
By Prensa Latina
Nairobi : Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the UN, said the rival parties in Kenya have shown some understanding.
Annan told BBC radio in Nairobi that settling this crisis, which started when Mwai Kibaki was declared winner of the presidential race on December 27, still demands further effort.
The foreign ministers of east Africa share Annan's views on Kenya but the opposition accused them of trying to undermine the process.
‘Islamophobia’ a threat to global peace: OIC chief
By Sarwar Kashani,IANS,
Astana : Rising "Islamophobia" is a threat to peace and coexistence in a multi-cultural and diverse world, the chief of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) said here Friday as he extended support to the right to self-determination in Kashmir in accordance with the UN resolution to solve the 60-year-old dispute between India and Pakistan.
After Sharif-Modi meet, Pakistan opposition unhappy
Islamabad : Though Pakistan and India on Friday made an attempt in Russia to revive a stalled bilateral dialogue process in a step towards...
Hinduism effectively state religion in ‘secular’ Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : A year after Nepal's parliament officially declared the country -- once the world's only Hindu kingdom -- secular, Hinduism effectively remains the state religion with the declaration being mere lip service to appease protesters.
Despite being one of the poorest countries in the world where villages still don't have roads, electricity and running water, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's government spent more than Nepali Rs.10 million during the 10-day Dashain festival alone, considered the kingdom's biggest Hindu ceremony.
Claims Of Grain Shortage Dismissed
By Bernama,
Guangzhou : South China's Guangdong Province denied speculations of grain shortages on Monday, saying supplies were stable and it was not necessary for citizens to hoard grains.
The province has sufficient reserves to feed its people for five months, Xinhua news agency quoted the provincial grain administration and agricultural department as saying.
The authorities denied a report published by China Economic Weekly, which said Guangdong was facing the biggest grain deficiency in the country -- as much as 24 million tons a year, China Daily reported on Tuesday.
Brazilian firm announces oil find in Colombia
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazilian state-controlled energy giant Petrobras has said that it discovered oil at a block in eastern Colombia.
In a statement issued Thursday, Petrobras said the find was made at the Balay-1 well, part of the Balay block in the central-eastern province of Casanare.
Petrobras Colombia Limited is the operator of the block with a 45 percent stake, while the other consortium members are Colombia's Cepcolsa, with 30 percent; Canada's Petroamerica Oil Corp 15 percent and Sorgenia E&P Colombia, 10 percent.
Jamia Alumni meet held at UAE
By TCN News,
Dubai: Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni meet is successfully held at UAE which was attended by some of the well-established Alumni from...
Afghan man wins battle for Australian citizenship
Melbourne: An Afghan man has won a battle for Australian citizenship, despite admitting to beating his sisters with a tree branch, media reported on...
Taking mangoes to US? Make sure they’re certified
By IANS,
New Delhi: Travelling to the US, but still need your daily dose of mangoes? If you're planning to pack the king of fruits in your luggage, just make sure that the mangoes you carry are certified, says a notice issued by the government of India.
The appeal has been issued following reports that in violation of agreed protocol between India and the US, "some passengers are carrying uncertified/untreated mangoes in their luggage to the US" and "some of the firms are exporting parcels of uncertified and un-irradiated mangoes to US through courier services".