Woman caught smuggling heroin-stuffed buttons to Turkey
By RIA Novosti,
Dushanbe : Customs officials in Tajikistan detained a Filipino woman at Dushanbe airport Tuesday for attempting to smuggle more than three kilograms of heroin stuffed into fabric buttons to Turkey.
"During an individual baggage search of passengers, customs authorities detained Milagros Nolasko, 48, who was attempting to smuggle some 3,300 grams of heroin on a flight from Dushanbe to Istanbul," a customs agent told RIA Novosti.
170 held in Shanghai metro for ticketless travel
By IANS,
Shanghai : At least 172 people were detained here in China's commercial capital Tuesday for not buying metro tickets in a crackdown on ticket evaders ahead of China's spring festival.
WHO passes Bangladesh-backed resolution on autism
Geneva: The World Health Assembly of World Health Organisation (WHO) Friday passed a Bangladesh-pushed resolution on autism in Geneva.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammed...
Philippines ferry capsize toll rises to 59
Manila: The toll in the ferry capsize in central Philippines' Leyte province has risen to 59, officials said on Saturday.
The passenger vessel MV Kim...
Protesters gather in Beijing, Shanghai
By IANS,
Beijing : Hundreds of people gathered Sunday in China's major cities of Beijing and Shanghai but were dispersed by police in both places.
Washington Post sweeps Pulitzer Prizes for reporting
By DPA
New York : The Washington Post won a number of prizes for its distinguished journalism including the prizes for national and international reporting and feature writing, Columbia University's Pulitzer Prize board said Monday.
The Post won the prizes for public service and breaking news reporting. Its reporters Jo Becker and Barton Gellman won the prize for national reporting and Steve Fainaru for international reporting.
Strike against Jammat chief’s death sentence hits Bangladesh
Dhaka : A two-day nationwide shutdown called by the Jamaat-e-Islami began on Sunday in Bangladesh against a Supreme Court verdict upholding the death penalty...
Labour has to learn from Obama — MP
By KUNA,
London : Labour must learn from Barack Obama's campaign to become US president if the party is to "rediscover, renew and refresh" itself, a British minister has said.
David Lammy MP, a friend of Obama, said next week's election could see "something very special".
He praised the campaign for its high level of "grassroots" support.
Addressing a meeting in Westminster, central London, late on Tuesday, Lammy warned that if Labour did not reconnect with voters in a similar way, the right-wing British National Party (BNP) could gain seats at next year's European elections.
Burton hails Queen Elizabeth for hard work
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Film director Tim Burton respects Britain's Queen Elizabeth a lot for her hard work and says he would hate to be appointed a Head of State himself ever.
One dead, 70,000 homes collapsed in China aftershock
By AFP,
Chengdu, China : At least one person died and more than 260 others were injured Sunday in southwest China by the strongest aftershock since a massive quake two weeks ago, authorities and state media said.
The aftershock, which measured 6.4 on the Richter scale, also destroyed more than 70,000 homes and left 200,000 others in danger of collapse, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting a local disaster relief official.
Obama, McCain trade charges on economy
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : A war of words has started between rival US presidential candidates with Barack Obama and John McCain trading charges on the economy which is emerging as the No. 1 election issue.
If Democrat Obama has dubbed McCain's economic plan as amounting "to a full-throated endorsement of (President)George Bush's policies," the Republican is attempting to paint Obama as a typical Democrat who wants to raise taxes and regulate government.
Deposed Kyrgyz leader denies link with riots, says no plans to return
By RIA Novosti,
Minsk: Deposed Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said he had no plans to return from exile and denied any links to riots which continue to break out sporadically in the southern regions of the Central Asian country.
"I will not return under such circumstances so as not to flare tensions any further. [Returning] is impossible in practice," Bakiyev told RIA Novosti in Minsk, where he took refuge after fleeing Kyrgyzstan last month.
Terrorism scare on US-bound plane
By DPA,
Washington : A flight from Amsterdam to Detroit requested emergency assistance beacuse of a disruptive passenger Sunday, two days after an attempted terrorist attack aboard the same flight.
The Nigerian passenger was questioned by investigators in Detroit after he reportedly spent more than an hour in the plane's restroom, and became "verbally disruptive" when flight attendants questioned him, CNN reported. No explosives were found on the man and he deemed not to be a threat.
Half of Britons want immigrants to leave: BBC poll
By IANS,
London : Half of all Britons think immigrants should be encouraged to leave Britain, a BBC poll said Friday.
And almost two-thirds of people in Britain fear race relations are so poor that tensions are likely to spill over into violence.
Of the 1,000 people polled, 60 percent said Britain had too many immigrants.
In addition, 49 percent said that the government should encourage immigrants to leave Britain, compared to 43 percent who said they should not and eight percent who did not know or declined to answer.
Nepal Maoists celebrate ‘People’s War’ amid angst
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu, Feb 13 (IANS) Fourteen years after they took up arms against the government and four years after the rebellion ended with a truce, Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas Saturday celebrated the anniversary of the uprising amidst angst and suspicion of the ruling parties.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, the farmer's son who was catapulted into world limelight in February 1996 when he led his Maoist party to war against Nepal's powerful royal family and the government, said he saw no reason for optimism.
1.6m children in UK suffer severe poverty, says charity
By IRNA,
London : British charity Save the Children has expressed fears that number of children living without the basics in the UK will rise as result of government policy
Mauritania to hold presidential election in June
By Xinhua,
Dakar (Senegal) : Mauritania will hold its presidential election on June 6, the Mauritanian News Agency quoted a government statement as saying.
General Mohamed Ould Abdela Aziz, president of the Mauritanian State Council, has asked the government to gear up for the election, according to reports reaching here from the country's capital of Nouakchott.
Swift excited about spring tour
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Singer Taylor Swift is planning a tour in the 2013 spring, and is so excited about it that she is continuously thinking how to go about it.
Four soldiers killed by rebels in Philippines
By DPA,
Manila : Four soldiers were killed in an attack by communist rebels in the eastern Philippines, an army spokesman said Monday.
The troops were ambushed Sunday in Presentacion town in Camarines Sur province, 255 km south-east of Manila, Major Harold Cabunoc said.
He said the rebels threw grenades and opened fire at the soldiers as they were negotiating steep terrain, killing four and wounding three.
Cabunoc said the troops were pursuing a group of guerrillas who had earlier killed a soldier in an attack on an army outpost guarding a government road project.
Leader of Tiananmen Square protests arrested in Tokyo
By DPA,
Tokyo : One of the Chinese student leaders of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests was arrested Friday for allegedly trespassing into the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, Kyodo News reported.
Wuer Kaixi, 42, allegedly entered the compound of the embassy by climbing over a fence at the entrance, Kyodo said, citing the police.
Wuer reportedly said he would not give any statements until his lawyers arrived, the police said.
Process of joining WTO should not be endless, says Russia
By IANS,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said Russia would like to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) but the process of joining the group should not be endless.
Russia has been negotiating its entry into the global trade organisation for more than 15 years.
"Our position on joining the WTO is the same; it has not changed. The Russian Federation is ready to join on normal, non-discriminatory conditions. We have done all that is necessary. This process has been drawn out, and this irritates us," Medvedev told journalists Saturday.
Boost development to enhance women’s role in preventing conflicts: India
By Arul Louis
United Nations : Drawing attention to the challenges posed by women's under-representation in roles for preventing and ending conflicts, India has said...
Wall Street stocks decline as Obama targets banks
By DPA,
New York : Major US stock indices were sharply lower Thursday after President Barack Obama unveiled proposals to regulate and reduce risk-taking by banks.
Financial listings led the decline. Growing concerns about China's tightening of monetary policy also helped fuel Thursday's selloff.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted by 213.27 points, or 2.01 percent, to 10,389. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 21.56 points, or 1.89 percent, to 1,116.48. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index lost 25.55 points, or 1.12 percent, to 2,265.7.
20th-century Russian art up for auction at Sotheby’s
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : More than 150 lots of early 20th-century Russian art will be on sale at Sotheby's auction house in London on March 12.
The lots were originally valued at around $52 million, and will include works by Russian avant-garde artists Erik Bulatov, Ivan Chuikov, and Oleg Vassiliev.
Vassiliev's painting "Before Dawn", put up for auction by a Western diplomat, is expected to fetch up to $590,000.
Sotheby's previous London Russian art auction, in November of last year, grossed a record 25.7 million pounds ($51.4 million).
Climate change talks convene in Bangkok
By DPA
Bangkok : UN-sponsored climate change talks designed to take the Bali Road Map for cutting carbon emissions a step further began here Monday.
The meeting comes three months after a landmark agreement reached in Bali to set a road map for strengthening international action on climate change.
It is tasked with setting the work programme for negotiations to be concluded by the end of 2009 on concrete plans to halt the increase in global carbon emissions by 2015 and dramatically cut them by 2050.
Russia warns NATO against missile defence buildup
By IANS,
Moscow : Russia has warned against NATO anti-missile system buildup, stating it may force Moscow to take responsive measures, Xinhua reported.
Russia’s Medvedev optimistic about relations with Washington
By SPA,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday he was moderately optimistic about relations with the United States, saying the Kremlin is prepared to work with whoever succeeds U.S. President George W. Bush.
Associated Press quoted Medvedev as saying that Moscow and Washington must cooperate to maintain global stability _ even if their views on U.S. plans to install missile defense sites in Europe, and other security issues, differ sharply.
Obama takes oath of office again
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama had to take the oath of office again Wednesday as Chief Justice John Roberts had misplaced the word “faithfully” in the earlier oath, a media report said.
San Francisco Chronicle reported that “Barack Obama took the advice of constitutional lawyers and retook the oath of office Wednesday that Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed the first time around”.
Deputy PM expects Russia to become world’s sixth economy in 2008
By RIA Novosti,
St. Petersburg : First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov told an economic forum on Sunday that the Russian economy is likely to become the world's sixth largest by the end of this year.
Addressing the 12th International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, now in its third day, the official also outlined the government's future role in the economy, saying that while new state companies will be set up, the government aims to limit its 'excessive interference' in the economy.
US approves Lupin’s anti-depressant drug
By IANS,
Mumbai : The US drug administration has approved an anti-depressant drug manufactured by the $694 million pharma major Lupin Ltd for marketing in that country, the company said Monday.
In a regulatory intimation, Lupin said the green-signal for its anti-depressant Escitalopram Oxalate tablets was given to its US subsidiary Lupin Pharmaceuticals. The market for the drug is valued at $2.6 billion.
Mumbai-based Lupin manufactures Escitalopram tablets, administered during treatment of major depressive disorders, under the Lexapro brand name.
Second Indian student pilot killed in Australia in a month
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : An Indian trainee pilot was killed when his single engine aircraft crashed in Sydney's Luddenham suburb Wednesday, less than a month after another Indian trainee pilot's death in a plane crash.
The 20-year-old student from Mumbai, who has not been named, died after his Liberty XL2 single-engine aircraft crashed into farmland in Sydney's Luddenham suburb Wednesday evening, police said.
He was undertaking pilot training at the Sydney Flight Training Centre in Bankstown, about 30 km from the Sydney central business district, since January this year.
Russia launches military satellite
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia launched a satellite Thursday in a step towards expanding the cluster of country's military satellites in the orbit.
Investigation begins into Gulf of Mexico oil spill
By DPA,
Washington : Energy company BP grappled with containing a massive oil leak on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico as officials prepared to open investigations Tuesday into the cause and long-term political affects of the spill.
BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles said Monday his company hopes a smaller dome to contain and capture the crude oil spurting from the well will work better than a large one that failed over the weekend.
Poland fires missile-shield negotiator with US
By DPA,
Warsaw : Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk Monday removed the country's top negotiator in missile-shield talks with the US, highlighting political infighting over the stalled project.
Hours before Tusk announced he had signed Witold Waszczykowski's dismissal note, a magazine quoted the negotiator as saying that Tusk was driven by domestic politics when he rejected the latest US offer last month.
US stocks higher on positive jobs data
By IANS,
New York : US stocks jumped Thursday after a government report showed the jobs market was steadily improving.
Colombia accepts Chavez plan for hostage release
By IANS
Bogota : The Colombian government has announced its acceptance of a plan by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for the release of three hostages being held by Colombia's leftist rebels, Spain's EFE news agency reported Thursday.
The hostages would be handed over to a multinational delegation that will travel to Colombia aboard a Venezuelan aircraft.
Five soldiers, 31 rebels killed in Sri Lanka
By DPA,
Colombo : Five soldiers and 31 rebels were killed in northern Sri Lanka, military officials said Monday, as a nine-day truce declared by Tamil rebels but rejected by the government was drawing to an end.
Three soldiers were killed Sunday in a grenade explosion in the Thanankilappu area, 390 km north of Colombo, while two soldiers were killed in Vellankulam, 380 km north of the capital.
At least 26 rebels were killed Sunday in clashes in the Vellankulam area as government troops advanced as they tried to recapture more rebel-controlled areas, a military spokesman said.
NATO heads for Georgia in show of support against Russia
By RIA Novosti,
Tbilisi : NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will arrive in Georgia on Monday, after making strong statements in support of Georgia that have been met with criticism from Russia.
Georgia's Foreign Ministry said the NATO chief, heading a delegation with envoys from all 26 members of the Western military alliance, will also discuss plans for Tbilisi's future NATO membership and meet with President Mikheil Saakashvili.
On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov issued an angry response to De Hoop Scheffer's outspoken criticism of Moscow's actions in Georgia.
Ukraine Opposition for NATO Referendum
By Prensa Latina
Kiev : As Ukrainian communists organized protests Friday, the opposition Party of Regions proposed that Parliament approve an April referendum on the country's joining NATO.
This faction of former Prime Minister Victor Yakunovich in the Supreme Rada proposes that any action regarding a virtual entry of Ukraine into the Western alliance must first respond to a national consultation.
UK white-supremacist teenager convicted of terror plots
By IRNA,
London : A teenage white supremacist from north-east England was convicted Friday of three separate charges of possessing records useful in committing or preparing acts of terrorism.
Nicky Davison, 19, was found guilty at Newcastle Crown Court after it was heard he was part of a white supremacist group called the Aryan Strike Force, with his father.
The teenager's 41-year-old father, Ian Davison, has already admitted preparing for acts of terrorism and producing a chemical weapon, the deadly poison ricin, one of the world's most dangerous substances.
Israeli war planes bombard Rafah S. Gaza
By KUNA,
GAZA : Israeli war planes launched last night and early Saturday morning air strikes targeting several areas in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Witnesses said that f-16 fighter jets and Apache helicopters launched more than 15 sorties during a raid against the southern and eastern parts of the border city.
The witnesses added the Israeli missiles inflicted damage to tunnels area south of the city without causing casualties.
David Beckham turns cook
By IANS,
London : Football star David Beckham turned to cooking after rupturing his Achilles tendon as he has "plenty of time to focus on his new hobby".
Beckham will not play in this year's world cup tournament due to injury.
"Beckham has really got into cooking recently. He learned a lot while he was in Italy and he had plenty of time to focus on his new hobby. He has been showing the boys how to make simple pasta dishes and they've all had a great time together in the kitchen," thesun.co.uk quoted a source as saying.
Canada injects billions into markets to ease credit crunch
By IANS,
Toronto : With credit squeeze hitting Canadian markets, the Bank of Canada Friday announced injection of billions of dollars into term lending markets even as the finance claimed that the Canadian economy was doing fine.
In a statement, the nation's central bank said that beginning Sept 19 it has extended $8 billion to provide liquidity to term lending markets.
China to remove poverty by 2020: PM
By IANS,
Beijing : China aims to eradicate poverty in the next 10 years by focusing on the country's destitute population, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said.
Obama not invited for Chelsea Clinton’s wedding
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Chelsea Clinton's marriage Saturday is the hottest ticket in town, but President Barack Obama would have to give a miss to what is being called the Wedding of the Decade and of the Century as he hasn't been invited.
He hasn't received an invitation to the wedding of the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Obama announced on ABC's "The View" Wednesday.
Bush to meet Pakistani president at UN
By DPA,
Washington : US President George W. Bush will meet Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in New York Tuesday as the two countries try to defuse tension over US military strikes in Pakistan.
The United States has reportedly launched airstrikes in Pakistani territory against Taliban and Al Qaeda militants who seek refuge in the country to launch attacks against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Insurgents impose Islamic law in Somali town
By DPA,
Nairobi/Mogadishu : Somali insurgents have installed strict Islamic law in Baidoa, the seat of the Somali government, after taking control of the town.
Main insurgent group al-Shabaab took over the town Monday, only hours after the pullout of Ethiopian troops who had been propping up the central government for two years.
Baidoa was one of the last remaining strongholds of the government, which now only controls parts of the capital Mogadishu.
Popular British TV programmes ‘too white’, feel ethnic Asians
By IANS,
London : Most popular programmes on British television are white-centric and under-represent ethnic Asian and African minorities, reveals a study by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
The research finds that Asian and African viewers feel that despite the growing number of ethnic minorities living in Britain, they are still under-represented on hit television shows.
Civilians in war zone to be rescued in 48 hours: Sri Lankan president
By DPA,
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that all civilians caught in fighting in a shrinking strip of land held by Tamil separatist rebels in northeast Sri Lanka would be rescued in the next 48 hours, the Government Information Department said Friday.
Rajapaksa made the declaration Thursday night while speaking to Sri Lankans living in Jordan during an official visit to the country, the department said.
Cuba Stresses New HRC Goal
By Prensa Latina
Geneva : Cuba highlighted Monday that the fact of being founding member of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) proves at the end reason defeats force and principles impose power and money.
In his speech at the top-level opening segment of the Seventh HRC Session, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said that after 20 long years of "fighting devils" we end old coercive styles of the group.
No decision yet on new visa rules: British mission
By IANS
New Delhi : The British High Commission here Wednesday clarified that no decision has been taken to revise the period of tourist visas or to introduce bonds for visit of relatives.
On Tuesday, the Home Office revealed a number of proposals which related to short-term visits of students, tourists, sponsored family visitors and business travellers.
Liquor production in Russia drops 23 percent
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Production of vodka and other spirits in Russia dropped 23.3 percent in the first four months of 2013 year-on-year to 5.7 million decaliters, a report said.
UN chief calls Mandela ‘global citizen’ on birthday
By Xinhua,
New York: Wishing Nelson Mandela on his 91st birthday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called the founding president of post-apartheid South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize laureate an "exemplary global citizen".
"He inspired people across the world, and across the generations," Ban said at an event to commemorate Mandela Day in New York, paying tribute to his contributions to a "democratic, multi-racial South Africa" and his continued tireless efforts to promote peace and human dignity worldwide.
One leaflet, 50 spelling errors!
By IANS,
London :A council in Britain printed leaflets that had over 50 spelling mistakes. It even got its own name wrong 20 times, said a report.
The leaflets were reprinted at a cost of 1,000 pounds and nine errors still crept in, Daily Express reported Friday.
The mistakes appeared on a tourism map put out by Kirklees Council, West Yorkshire.
Kirklees became Kirtles, Kirkburton appeared as Kirkpatrick, Holmfirth was Holsworth and Cleckheaton was shown as Czechisation.
There's more.
Researchers perfecting technique to suck carbon from air
By IANS,
Sydney : Researchers are working on a new technique to extract carbon dioxide from the air and cut down pollution levels.
The research, being conducted by University of Tasmania, could also lead to methods of recycling climate change pollutants to become environmentally-friendly compounds.
Chief project investigator Brian Yates said the research was part of a broader project to develop a model for breaking strong bonds that form the components of molecules, and how these compounds react with metal complexes.
Matt Damon hits out at Barack Obama
By IANS,
London : Actor Matt Damon has criticised US President Barack Obama for failing to fulfil his promises.
China to deepen ties with Russia, says premier
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China Friday said it looks forward to strengthening the strategic partnership with Russia and working together for global security.
This was conveyed by Chinese premier Wen Jiabao when he met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin who was here to attend Friday's opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.
Wen also met some other world leaders who have been invited here to witness the opening ceremony.
Rihanna copies Brown’s gold grills
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Singer Rihanna was spotted leaving a restaurant in California wearing a set of gold grills - just like ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.
Energy agency again downgrades 2009 global oil demand
By DPA,
Paris : Worse-than-expected prospects for the world economy has prompted the International Energy Agency (IEA) to again revise downward global oil demand for 2009.
In its Monthly Oil Report, issued Friday in Paris, the IEA said that "after a flurry of downward adjustments by both public and private forecasters", oil demand for 2009 has been revised down by 1 million barrels per day, to 83.4 million barrels per day.
This is a drop of 2.8 percent compared to 2008, the IEA said.
Nine killed in China road accident
By IANS,
Beijing: At least nine people were killed in China's Hunan province Friday after a bus veered off the road, Xinhua reported.
School van accident: 12 Chinese officials suspended
By IANS,
Beijing : Twelve officials have been suspended after 11 children died in an accident Monday in east China, reported Xinhua.
A hair raising tool to track murderers
By IANS
New York : Something as inconspicuous as a strand of hair could help police track movements of criminals or unidentified murder victims, a new study says.
And that's because the human hair actually records what one eats or drinks, said geochemist Thure Cerling, who led the study along with ecologist Jim Ehleringer.
Police in a small US community have, in fact, already used the technique to identify a murdered woman found in Salt Lake County in October 2000.
The new hair analysis also may prove useful to anthropologists, archaeologists and doctors, said Ehleringer.
‘Gandhi prevented sectarianism in South Africa, but could not at partition’
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : The young lawyer Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, leading South African Indians on a march 100 years ago to burn registration certificates imposed by the government of the day, avoided the sectarianism that the Mahatma could later not avert during the partition of India in 1947.
Internationally-respected academic and veteran African National Congress leader Kadar Asmal shared this view as he delivered an address in the last of a series of events to commemorate the 1908 Bonfire March that saw the birth of Gandhi's passive resistance philosophies.
Top EU official lauds Gayoom for reforms in Maldives
By IANS
Male : As Maldives braces for multi-party elections next year, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has lauded President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom for taking "significant steps" towards establishing a "liberal and democratic system" in the Indian Ocean island nation.
In a letter to Gayoom, Barroso welcomed political developments in the Maldives during 2006 and highlighted the strong bilateral relationship that exists between the European Union and the Maldives, said a press statement by the Maldives government.
ASEAN FMs Analyze Organization’s Charter
By Prensa Latina,
Singapore : One of the key issues in the Charter of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is that it creates a dispute-settlement mechanism for apolitical agreements, an official source said here on Monday.
The director of the ASEAN Research Center, Rodolfo Severino, told reporters in Singapore that the association has a dispute-settlement mechanism for economic agreements, but it lacks a similar instrument in other sectors.
NEPAL In Presidential Election Process
By Prensa Latina,
Katmandu : The process, aimed at electing Nepal president has began here with the ratification of voters' list from the Constituent Assembly (CA) that will attend Saturday's vote.
The political parties should have to nominate and present presidential candidates and the CA vice president which names will be officially announced on Thursday at 17:00 local hour.
According to the guidelines approved by the full Constituent Friday is scheduled for every candidate and their supporters make propaganda campaign and CA vote is expected for Saturday.
Billions of euros in the balance in EU East-West emissions row
By DPA,
Luxembourg : Billions of euros' worth of greenhouse-gas emission permits hung in the balance Wednesday as environment ministers from Eastern and Western Europe fought to break the European Union's deadlock on climate change.
Eastern members are fighting for the right to sell the permits, awarded to them by the Kyoto Protocol. But Western states say that using the permits would destroy efforts to stop global warming.
Reflections: The year gone by; the challenges ahead
By Jaspal Singh for Twocircles.net
Great and astonishing changes are taking placing in the world. The modern world that was brought into being by European...
Blair goes back to school — as Yale religion prof
By ANTARA News/AFP,
New Haven, Connecticut : Former British prime ministerTony Blair, describing himself a terrible student, went back to school Fridayas religion lecturer at top US university Yale.
Blair, who converted to Catholicism after leaving office in 2007 and talked increasingly openly of his Christian faith while prime minister, delivered his inaugural lecture at the prestigious college in the state of Connecticut.
Smoking? You could be low on Emotional Intelligence
By IANS
London : Students who regularly smoke tobacco or cannabis obtain lower scores in questions related to emotional regulation, a team of Spanish researchers has found.
Also, students less able to regulate their emotional state - or those low on Emotional Intelligence (EI) -- are more tempted to consume tobacco or cannabis, the researchers at Barcelona-based UAB university said.
Christchurch attack: NZ begins to bury victims
Christchurch, March 20 (IANS) The first burials took place on Wednesday for some of the victims of last week's Christchurch terror attack in New...
Troubled Yahoo names Bartz new CEO
By DPA,
San Francisco : Struggling web pioneer Yahoo has named Carol Bartz, the former head of software company Autodesk, as its new chief executive.
The appointment follows a two-month search for a replacement for company founder Jerry Yang, who was widely blamed for botching merger talks with Microsoft that would have proved highly lucrative to many shareholders.
Nepalese prime minister resigns to pave way for new government
By SPA,
Kathmandu : Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Thursday announced his resignation in a bid to pave the way for the formation of a new government, reported the DPA.
Koirala announced his resignation in the constituent assembly which was elected on April 10 and is tasked with drafting a new constitution for the country and forming a new government. The assembly also acts as parliament.
"I am the prime minister now and today I announce my resignation from the post in this assembly," an emotionally choked Koirala said.
Nepal Army in fresh row
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's controversial army, which tarnished its image by siding with deposed king Gyanendra during his bloodless coup four years ago, finds itself in a fresh row with three torture victims filing a case against a general, accusing him of gross human rights violations.
Synagogue torched in Germany
By DPA,
Berlin : An historic synagogue in the western German city of Worms was targeted by arsonists early Monday, police said.
Police spokesman Klaus Weinmann said that the building, which was first built in the 11th century, was doused with a flammable liquid in several places and set alight.
There were no injuries and little damage was caused, the spokesman said. Local firefighters were able to put out the blaze quickly.
State premier Kurt Beck condemned the attack.
"We will not tolerate such an attack on a synagogue," Beck said.
New York police try to shut down gay bar
By IANS,
New York : New York police are trying to shut down a bar for gay and transsexual black men after undercover officers found drug deals going on inside it.
Gay activists and civil rights lawyers have, however, said they will go to court to try to stop the New York Police Department (NYPD) from closing the Chi Chiz bar.
The NYPD told the Manhattan Supreme Court that undercover officers have witnessed the sale of marijuana, cocaine and other contraband substances in the bar, which opened 12 years ago, the New York Post reported Saturday.
Gates to visit Japan, South Korea ahead of NATO meeting
By DPA,
Washington : US Defence Secretary Robert Gates will travel to Japan and South Korea next week before attending a NATO gathering in Slovakia, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
Gates will arrive in Japan to discuss regional security issues and the "ongoing transformation" of the US-Japanese alliance, spokesman Geoff Morrell said. Gates will affirm the US commitment to South Korea defence during the visit to Seoul, Morrell said.
At the meeting of NATO defence ministers in Bratislava Oct 23, the discussion will largely focus on the war in Afghanistan, Morrell said.
Key senate panel clears Obama’s health care reforms
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama's plans for universal health care coverage got a boost with an $829 billion plan projected to extend coverage to an additional 29 million Americans clearing a key congressional committee.
"We are now closer than ever before to passing health reform, but we're not there yet," Obama told reporters in the White House Rose Garden Tuesday.
"Now's not the time to pat ourselves on the back."
US stocks gain, Obama says need for bail-outs easing
By DPA,
New York : US stocks edged higher Monday, while President Barack Obama said the need for hundreds of billions of dollars in Wall Street bail-outs was easing as the economy recovers from recession.
In a speech at the historic Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, Obama said there were signs the US economy had turned a corner, and said the government was beginning to extricate itself from a series of dramatic interventions in financial markets.
Nurses accused of killing 16 in Uruguay hospitals
By IANS/EFE,
Montevideo : Uruguayan authorities tried Monday to calm people following an alarm generated by the deaths of 16 patients in two Montevideo hospitals at the hands of two nurses.
Merkel discusses S. Ossetian crisis with Medvedev and Saakashvili
By IRNA,
Berlin : German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday called for an immediate end to military clashes in Southern Ossetia during her phone conversations with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Georgian counterpart Mikhail Saakashvili, news reports said.
She urged both sides to halt all military hostilities, deputy government spokesperson Thomas Steg was quoted saying.
No one could decide this conflict by military means, Merkel was cited saying.
The German leader said both sides had to do their share to seek a "political solution".
Submit US non-immigrant visa applications online
By IANS,
Mumbai : Applications for non-immigrant visas (NIV) for the United States will be submitted and accepted online from Feb 1 using a new electronic form, it was announced here Tuesday.
Under the new system, candidates have to submit their application for NIV through the internet, eliminating the need for paper work and streamlining the process.
The aspirants will continue to complete their visa application form online, as they did previously with the Electronic Visa Application Form.
US, Russia agree to solve anti-missile disputes
By Xinhua
Washington : The US has decided to hold top-level meetings with Russia to resolve an escalating dispute over America's plans to build an anti-missile system in Eastern Europe, a senior US official said.
Europe’s youngest state seeks clear path on first birthday
By Thomas Brey
DPA
Podgorica (Montenegro) : Even as it celebrates its first birthday with good grades from the big powers, Europe's youngest state, tiny Montenegro, is struggling to find its path politically, economically and diplomatically.
Britain, Bangladesh, Armenia condemn Uri terror attack
New Delhi : Britain, Bangladesh and Armenia on Tuesday joined the international community in condemning Sunday's cross-border terror attack from Pakistan on an Indian...
Nepal rushes towards President’s rule, emergency
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : With an unprecedented constitutional crisis set to engulf Nepal and its embattled Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal still refusing to quit, President's rule and a state of emergency looms ahead for the troubled nation from Friday midnight.
Self-immolations: China warns Dalai Lama
By IANS,
Beijing : Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's attempts to "split" China are "doomed to fail", said an official following a string of self-immolations in recent months.
Seven killed in Colombia bomb blast
By Xinhua,
Bogota : Seven people were killed and some 50 injured in a bomb blast in northwest Colombia, police said Saturday.
The explosion occurred Thursday night in front of a discotheque in central Ituango city of Antioquia province.
The injured were taken by helicopter to Antioquia's capital Medellin early Friday.
Police suspected the El Pajaro armed group, a faction of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was responsible for the attack.
A person, allegedly involved in engineering the blast, has been detained, police said.
South Korean economy sees biggest growth in seven years
By DPA,
Seoul : South Korea's economy grew at its fastest pace in seven years in the third quarter, rising 2.9 percent from the quarter before, the central bank said Monday.
The third-straight quarterly growth for Asia's fourth-largest economy was better than analysts had expected and beat second-quarter growth in the gross domestic product (GDP), which was 2.6 percent.
Poznan summit to find way out of Bali roadmap maze
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Poznan (Poland) : About 9,000 delegates from 187 countries are gathering here for the UN's annual climate change summit, at a time when industrialised countries are reluctant to commit significant funds to combat climate change due to the global financial meltdown. But scientists warn the catastrophe is already here.
US mum on Nepal policy after Maoist victory
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The US has declined to say if it plans to take the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) off its list of terrorist organisations, now that the Maoists are poised to lead the new government in the Himalayan kingdom.
"Well, I'm not sure what, if any discussions, might be going on in that regard," State Department spokesperson Tom Casey told reporters Monday when asked if the US was rethinking its Nepal policy following the Maoists' election victory.
Floods force 110,000 people out of China province
By Xinhua,
Guiyang (China) : Heavy rains that swept China's southwestern province of Guizhou for a month have forced the evacuation of some 113,000 people, the flood control office said Wednesday.
Between May 1 and May 31, a total of 365 towns in 40 counties were hit by torrential rain, leaving at least 39 people dead, 12 missing and 1.44 million affected, an official said.
A high emergency response plan has been launched to tackle flooding problems, he said.
Germany to review youth crime laws after attacks
By DPA
Berlin : Germany is considering tougher juvenile crime laws following a brutal attack by two immigrant youths in Munich, government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said in Berlin Wednesday.
"There is without any doubt a problem with highly aggressive repeat offenders," he told reporters.
The third attack in two weeks by youths on passengers in the Munich underground train system has catapulted juvenile delinquency to the top of government agenda, with politicians calling for boot camps for the offenders.
Berlusconi wins election to become Italy prime minister
By IRNA,
Rome : Billionaire conservative former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is on track to become Italy's next leader after his center-left rival Walter Veltroni Monday conceded general election defeat.
The antics of charismatic billionaire Silvio Berlusconi have endeared him to Italian voters in the past.
Incomplete election results show Berlusconi, 71, with a commanding lead in both houses of parliament.
Veltroni, who recently stepped down as mayor of Rome, delivered a concession speech live Monday night on Italian television.
50 injured as South Korean police raid plant to end strike
By DPA,
Seoul : At least 50 people were injured on the second day of clashes between police and strikers at South Korean carmaker Ssangyong Motor Co, media reports said Wednesday.
Police commandoes seized all but one barricaded paint shop in an attempt to end a two-month strike at the ailing carmaker's only assembly plant.
Ssangyong has been under bankruptcy protection since March and the strikes have lowered its chances of survival, costing nearly 316 billion won ($259 million), the Yonhap news agency said.
One police, three servicemen injured in Chechnya militant clash
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A policeman and three federal troops were wounded after a clash with militants in the Republic of Chechnya in Russia's troubled North Caucasus Region, a local police source said on Sunday.
Combat engagement with a group of about 15 militants occurred in a forest near the village of Tangi in the Urus-Martan district in central Chechnya on Saturday during a search operation carried out by police and federal troops, the police source said.
Aircraft evacuated in US as smoke fills cabin
By Xinhua,
Los Angeles : Passengers were evacuated from an aircraft at the Phoenix International Sky Harbour Airport in Arizona Friday night when smoke engulfed its cabin, a media report said.
The incident took place shortly after 8 p.m. when the aircraft was about to depart for London, the Arizona Republic newspaper reported on its website.
Sky Harbour Airport spokesman Michael Set said that smoke surged into the cabin. The passengers exited the plane by using the emergency escape chutes, with some reporting minor cuts and bruises.
Six including a general killed in Brazil chopper collision
By IANS/EFE,
Bogota : A general and five other military personnel were killed Tuesday when two helicopters collided over the southern Brazilian province of Tolima, the Colombian army said.
Five people were wounded in the accident, which took place at 1.45 p.m. and involved a Bell 222 operated by a private contractor and a Colombian air force Huey.
The crash followed a ceremony in the town of Chaparral marking the formation of the South Tolima Joint Task Force, charged with tracking down the leader of Colombia's largest rebel group.
British business secretary for a liberal immigration policy
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : Even as British Prime Minister David Cameron begins his first official visit to India, his Business Secretary Vince Cable created a stir by saying he preferred a more liberal immigration policy for non-EU workers than what the government was currently adopting.
Talking to the media before heading for New Delhi Tuesday, Cable, a Liberal Democrat minister in the coalition government, said he wanted a liberal policy as opposed to the Conservative line of a tougher one.
Man held after climbing Russian embassy fence
By IANS,
Washington: A man who scaled the fence of the Russian embassy to flee police after crashing his car has been arrested.
Russia rejects US-EU draft on Kosovo
By RIA Novosti
New York : Russia will not back a new United Nations Security Council resolution draft on the status of Kosovo proposed by the US and the European Union (EU).
New Jersey marks ground zero for growing US resistance to Hindutva
Modi's regime’s American support base suffers multiple defeats in the Summer of 2022.
Pieter Friedrich | TwoCircles.net
UNITED STATES — After the Old Paramus Reformed...
Russia, Austria to boost anti-cyber crime cooperation
By IANS,
Vienna : Russia and Austria have agreed to consolidate their cooperation against cyber crime by agreeing to have a common input for "enhanced global regulation".
China seizes about 84 mn illegal publications in 2008
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China confiscated about 84 million pornographic, pirated and unauthorized publications in 2008, the national anti-pornography and anti-piracy office said in a press release Tuesday.
Law enforcement departments investigated 25,384 cases involving the production, sale and distribution of illegal publications last year, including 328 criminal cases, according to the National Office for Cleaning Up Pornography and Fighting Illegal Publications.
Suu Kyi to help Myanmarese migrants in Thailand
By IANS,
Bangkok : Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has vowed to help migrant workers from Myanmar.
Nepal bans its women from working as domestic maids in Gulf
By IANS,
Dubai : Nepal has banned its women from taking up jobs as domestic maids in the Gulf countries and Malaysia.
Following reports of women from Nepal being brought illegally to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Malaysia, the Nepal government has issued an order formally banning the recruitment of women from Nepal as domestic maids in the region and that southeast Asian nation, the Gulf Times reported.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) comprise the GCC.
China protests over Dalai Lama’s Prague visit
By DPA,
Prague : China protested Thursday against a Prague visit by Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and Uighur human rights activist Rebiya Kadeer.
They arrived in the Czech capital to attend a conference on human rights and democracy in Asia.
Chen Jianjun, spokesman for the Chinese embassy, said the visits were aimed at "dividing the state and disrupting national unity".
"The Chinese side is resolutely against it," he said by telephone. "We clearly expressed our position to the Czech side."
Merkel’s coalition given thumbs down in state poll
By DPA,
Dusseldorf/Berlin : German Chancellor Angela Merkel was facing the loss of her majority in the upper house of parliament, following the poor showing by her Christian Democrat (CDU) allies in a key state election.
In North Rhein-Westphalia, which as Germany's most populous state contains around a fifth of all the country's voters, the CDU lost some 10 percent of its support.
The CDU had governed in the state, in an arrangement mirroring the national government, with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) since 2005.
Dalai Lama says his Britain visit ‘non-political’
By DPA,
London : The Dalai Lama, exiled Tibetan leader, sought to calm controversy over his current visit to Britain Wednesday by saying that his trip was "non-political."
"Basically my visit is non-political. The media politicizes," the 72-year-old spiritual leader told a news conference in London.
He was referring to widespread criticism over a decision by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to meet the religious leader at a venue outside Downing Street, the seat of the British government.
Singapore ex-PM Lee’s condition critical
Singapore : Former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew remains critically ill in the intensive care unit (ICU), the prime minister's office (PMO) said...
Former Ukrainian PM addresses huge crowd in Kiev
By IANS/EFE,
Kiev : Ukrainian former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, freed Saturday from prison by parliamentary vote, arrived here Saturday and addressed a huge crowd...
US Federal Bank to get special powers
By DPA
Washington : The US Federal Reserve will get broad new powers of regulation over financial institutions under a government plan unveiled Monday to clamp down on investment banks wracked with billions of dollars in losses from the ongoing mortgage crisis.
The proposal announced by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson comes after the central bank took a series of dramatic steps in the past month to bail out financial firms that have reported more than 200 billion dollars in writedowns over mortgage-backed securities.
Violence grips Sri Lanka
By SPA
Colombo, Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka's cease-fire deal ended Wednesday in a spasm of violence, as suspected Tamil Tiger rebels bombed a civilian bus, gunned down the fleeing passengers and attacked farmers as they retreated into the bush, killing 31 people.
The attack stoked fears that the official end of the six-year-old truce -- largely ignored in recent years -- would lead to even worse violence, according to a report of the Associated Press.
US warns North Korea against escalating tension
By DPA,
Washington : The US urged North Korea Tuesday to avoid taking any steps that could escalate tensions following the gunfight that broke out between North and South Korean naval vessels.
"I would say to the North Koreans that we hope that there will be no further actions in the Yellow Sea that could be seen as an escalation," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
The skirmish took place days before President Barack Obama begins a four-nation trip to Asia, including a final stop in Seoul to discuss efforts to resume the nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang.
US stocks rise on improved consumer confidence
By DPA,
New York : US stocks posted modest gains Tuesday after a private survey showed improved consumer confidence.
The New York-based Conference Board's index of consumer confidence climbed to 52.5 from 46.4 in February. The index stood at 56.5 in January. A separate index of home prices also climbed more than expected.
Marwari don becomes Nepal’s most wanted
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : A 30-year-old from the Marwari community, the clan with the Midas touch in both India and Nepal, is now among Nepal's most wanted, after a series of murders and kidnaps by his gang that includes both Indians and Nepali henchmen.
Nepal police are searching for Rohit Paliwal Agarwal, a Nepali of Indian origin whose brothers and other family members are bona fide businessmen in Nepal and India.
The 30-year-old, who lives in both India and Nepal, uses an assumed Indian identity as well.
ISKCON barred from seeking donations at LA airport
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : A US court has barred the Hare Krishna movement from seeking donations at the Los Angeles International Airport.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Los Angeles allowed the Los Angeles Police to enforce a 13-year-old municipal ordinance to prevent members of the movement from seeking donations at the airport by lifting a preliminary injunction imposed in 1997.
UN: Search and rescue phase in Haiti over, 132 saved
By DPA,
Geneva: The government of Haiti has declared the search and rescue phase of the relief efforts over, the United Nations said Saturday.
The focus would shift to helping the survivors of the devastating Jan 12 earthquake.
"The Government has declared the search and rescue phase over. There were 132 live rescues by international search and rescue teams," the latest report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
US plans weapons sales to Taiwan
By DPA,
Washington: The Obama administration informed the US Congress Friday of a proposal to sell up to $6.4 billion in weapons to Taiwan, a move that could spark a diplomatic rift with China.
The package includes 60 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, 12 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and land attack missiles, 114 Patriot missile-defence systems, two mine hunting ships, and related equipment and communications and information technology, the Pentagon said.
US-China climate change deal in the works: report
By IANS,
London : A US-China deal on climate change could be reached in autumn this year after secret back-channel meetings in the closing months of the Bush administration, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
The Guardian said a high-powered group of senior Republicans and Democrats, including the current White House adviser John Holdren, led two missions to China for climate talks last year.
Although a memorandum of understanding was not signed, the paper said a draft agreement was produced in March, and could be the basis for an accord as early as this autumn.
WWF: Saving forests 20 percent of climate-change challenge
By DPA,
Bangkok : Saving the world's remaining native forests must be a big part of any new climate deal as about 20 percent of global carbon emissions are due to deforestation and forest degradation, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) said Tuesday.
The WWF's Forest Carbon Initiative seeks to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emission from deforestation and degradation by 2020.
Private investors are willing to buy carbon credits from developing countries to finance preserving their remaining forest cover, the activists said, citing a recent WWF-sponsored survey.
US suspends $30 mn aid to Honduras
By EFE,
Washington : The US government announced Thursday that over $30 million aid to Honduras has been suspended in the wake of President Mel Zelaya's June 28 ouster.
Washington said that if the de facto regime in Tegucigalpa remains intransigent on the question of Zelaya's reinstatement, the US would not recognise the winner of the Nov 29 presidential election in the Central American country.
The State Department outlined its tougher stance shortly after Zelaya met in Washington with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
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.
Tibetan spiritual leader not allowed to go near China border
By IANS,
Dharamsala : The Indian government has refused to allow Tibetan spiritual leader the Karmapa Lama, the only major monk reincarnate recognised by both the Dalai Lama and China, to visit areas close to the China border ahead of the Beijing Olympics, his aides said here Thursday.
The 17th Karmapa, Ugyen Trinley Dorjee, had sought permission to visit various monasteries in Lahaul and Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh as well as Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Spanish firm plans $615 mn solar energy project in Chile
By IANS/EFE,
Santiago : Spain's Eosol Energy plans to build a $615 million solar energy project in Tocopilla, a town in northern Chile.
No survivors in Kenya crash: rescuer workers
By IANS
Nairobi : Rescue workers have given up all hopes of finding any survivors of the Kenya Airways plane that crashed into a swamp near the Cameroonian capital Douala.
Freed journalists land in US after North Korea pardon
By DPA,
Los Angeles: Two US journalists freed by North Korea after three months in prison arrived back in the US Wednesday along with former president Bill Clinton.
Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, landed at Burbank's Bob Hope Airport near Los Angeles. Clinton had made an unannounced visit to Pyongyang to secure the release of the journalists. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il pardoned the women after meeting with Clinton.
The US had worked behind the scenes to persuade the Stalinist state to free the journalists, avoiding public remarks that could have worsened the situation.
Iranian speaker backs 20 percent uranium enrichment
By IANS,
Tehran : Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani Wednesday urged the government to start enriching uranium to 20 percent, the state-run Press TV reported.
The remarks came as EU member-states Monday agreed to introduce extra measures against the Islamic republic, in addition to the sanctions resolution adopted by the UN Security Council last week.
Addressing lawmakers at a parliamentary session, Larijani criticised the West for bringing new sanctions against Iran, describing the measures as "unjustified".
ISS orbit adjustment complete – mission control
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The International Space Station's orbit has been adjusted to prepare for the docking of the Progress M-65 cargo module, due to be launched September 10, Russia's Mission Control Center said Wednesday.
Corrections to the space station's orbit are conducted periodically before launches of Russian cargo modules and U.S. shuttles to compensate for Earth's gravity and to ensure successful dockings.