16 missing afer plane crashed into Brazilian river
By Xinhua,
Brasilia : A small airplane with about 20 people aboard crashed into a tributary of the Amazon River, in northwestern Brazil Saturday, leaving four survived and the others missing, reported local media.
Four people, including a child, survived the crash, confirmed the local Fire Department.
According to Aerotaxi Manaus, the company that owns the aircraft, there were 24 people aboard, including 18 adults, four children and two crew members.
Surveying the German angst: terrorism in foreground
By DPA
Berlin : The risk of being bombed by terrorists is surging within Germans' generalised angst, that chilling feeling that something awful is about to happen, according to a survey by an insurance company.
R und V Versicherung, which offers policies to insure against many of those risks, regularly takes the pulse of German fears, and says the greatest worries for the average German are inflation, ending up paralysed or incontinent, and being hurt in a natural disaster.
British family killed in Pakistan
By IANS,
London : Three members of a Pakistani-origin British family, who were on a trip to Pakistan, have been shot dead in what is believed to be honour killing.
Mohammed Yousaf, 51, his wife Parviaz, 49, and their daughter Tania, 21, were killed Thursday when they were on their way to a wedding, The Sun reported Friday.
The killings took place near Pakistan's Jaurah town in Punjab province.
The family, who had been in Britain for the past 30 years, was living in Nelson, Lancs.
China mourns mudslide victims, toll rises to 1,248
By IANS,
Beijing : China paused for three minutes Sunday as the nation mourned the deaths and misery of thousands of people in devastating mudslides that swept the northwestern region, with the national flag flown at half-mast in the country and at diplomatic missions abroad.
The toll rose to 1,248, and 496 are missing, Sunday in Zhouqu county in Gansu province, hit by sludge and mudslides, the disaster relief headquarters said.
Thousands of people joined the mourning at 10.00 a.m. amid sirens and blaring horns in Beijing and other cities, reports Xinhua.
Six killed in Washington state shooting rampage
By DPA,
Seattle : A man with a history of mental violence has shot six people to death and injured two more in a rampage across Washington state before turning himself in following a high speed car chase.
The incident began Tuesday afternoon when police were called to an incident in the town of Alger about 115 km north of Seattle. When the sheriff's deputy arrived, one person was already dead in the home, and the officer was fatally shot in the head.
Two construction workers were found dead nearby and a fourth body was found at another home in the same area, news reports said.
French foreign minister to visit China
By IANS,
Beijing : French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will visit China Feb 20-24 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two...
Supporters of detained ex-army chief attacked in Sri Lanka
By DPA,
Colombo : Supporters of defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka were attacked Wednesday by pro-government crowds and the police, an opposition spokesman said.
The supporters had gathered near the Supreme Court in Colombo to protest the arrest of Fonseka Monday, allegedly for leaking sensitive information when he was head of the military.
Several hundred pro-government protestors pelted Fonseka's supporters with stones, shortly followed by tear gas attacks by the police, the spokesman said.
St. Peterburg bans opposition rally set for March 3
By RIA Novosti
St. Petersburg : Authorities in St. Petersburg have banned opposition coalition, the Other Russia party, from holding a "dissenters' march" in the city centre March 3, the day after the country's presidential election.
The demonstrations, which were to be led by Kremlin critics chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov and radical writer Eduard Limonov, were set to take place near Oktyabrsky Grand Concert Hall at 5.00 p.m.
Japan cancels plans to send aid to China in military planes
By RIA Novosti,
Tokyo : Japan's government announced on Friday it has cancelled plans to use military planes to deliver aid to a quake-hit Chinese province, and will fly the supplies over in private charter planes.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told reporters that China had voiced concerns over the use of Self-Defence Force planes to deliver tents and other emergency supplies to China's Sichuan province, as this could "risk causing friction."
Dissidents say repression on the rise in Cuba
By IANS/EFE,
Havana : The unofficial Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation has said that four political prisoners were released from prison in January, but it added that "political repression continued increasing, in the form of arbitrary arrests for several hours or several days".
"In the month of December 2009, we document at least 93 cases of people arrested and in the month of January 2010, we confirm at least 113 arrests for political reasons," the Commission said in a report it released Thursday.
Over 50 Boko Haram fighters killed in Nigerian military raid
Lagos: Over 50 suspected Boko Haram fighters were killed in a military operation by troops in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, the stronghold of...
World’s largest cruise liner begins maiden voyage
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The world's largest cruise liner Oasis of the Seas has begun her maiden voyage after leaving Finland Friday.
The 1,200 feet ship is worth nearly $1.5 billion. The vessel has 16 decks and 2,700 cabins. It started its journey in the Finnish port of Turku and is en route to Florida.
The ship took over two years to build at a shipyard in Turku by STX Finland Cruise Oy and will first visit the British port of Southampton.
U.S. House panel to take up resolution on “comfort women” next week
By Xinhua
Washington : U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee will take up a resolution next week, calling on Japan to acknowledge formally and accept responsibility for sexually enslaving women during World War II, The Hill reported on Wednesday.
Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, recently said at a fundraiser in Los Angles that the resolution on the so-called "comfort women" currently has 140 persons to support and will be marked up by the committee next Tuesday, according to the report.
Germany issues travel warning for Tibet as protests spread
By SPA
Berlin : Germany's foreign ministry issued a travel warning for Tibet on Friday after protests triggered by Buddhist monks led to riots in the capital, Lhasa, according to dpa.
"The federal government is watching developments in Lhasa with concern and calls on all parties to avoid violence," a foreign ministry spokesman said. Peaceful demonstrations are a legitimate manifestation of the right to freedom of expression, the spokesman said.
Saudi gets life in jail for US bomb plot
By IANS,
Washington: A Saudi man who plotted to bomb targets in the US has been sentenced to life in prison.
Thai Army helicopter crash kills 10
By DPA,
Pattani (Thailand) : A Royal Thai Army helicopter crashed Friday while searching for Muslim separatists in the conflict-ridden deep South, killing 10 people on board, an army spokesman said.
The helicopter crashed into a hillside in the Bannang Sata district of Yala province, 780 km south of Bangkok, while searching for insurgents who had attacked an army patrol in the area, said Colonel Arca Tiproch.
Three people survived the crash, he said.
Meanwhile, in nearby Narathiwat province, a roadside bomb injured five soldiers on patrol.
Investigation cites pilot error for air crash near Everest
By DPA,
Kathmandu : An investigation into an air crash near Mount Everest in October 2007 blamed pilot error for it, a government report said Thursday.
The crash at Lukla airport, about 175 km north-east of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, Oct 4, 2007, killed 18 people, including 12 Germans, two Australians and four Nepalese nationals.
The only survivor was the plane's captain.
A report submitted to the government said the primary cause of the accident of the Yeti Airlines Twin Otter aircraft was misjudgement by the pilots while landing at the airport.
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.
New Zealand election enrollment campaign kicks off
By Xinhua,
Wellington : A major enrollment drive for this year's general election in New Zealand kicked off on Monday -- at a time when research shows many people don't even know its election year.
The Electoral Enrollment Center has started the countdown to the Parliamentary election by posting enrollment update packs to everyone who is currently enrolled to check that their details are right.
Security Council convenes to end war in South Ossetia
By IRNA,
New York : United Nations Security Council convenes on Saturday to end war in South Ossetia as it failed to agree Friday on a statement calling for an immediate truce.
Diplomats said a Belgian-drafted compromise text also urges the warring sides to "show restraint and to refrain from any further acts of violence or force," calls for respect by the parties of past accords and for the provision of humanitarian aid to victims.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin insisted on the need for Georgia to agree to a formal renunciation of the use of force by either side.
Exiled scribes say Bhutan poll farcical without free press
By IANS
Kathmandu : While World Press Freedom Day is being celebrated Thursday, Bhutan's exiled journalists say the polls promised by the Druk government in 2008 won't be free and fair till there is an independent media.
"The media sector in Bhutan has been under the absolute regime's control since years," said the Bhutan Chapter of Third World Media Network, a network of exiled journalists working from Nepal, India and other countries.
Osho rises from his ashes in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Almost two decades after he died, leaving behind a legacy of controversies and disputes, Indian godman Osho aka Bhagwan Rajneesh has risen, phoenix-like, from his ashes in Nepal, a country he visited just once.
The charismatic preacher, whose gospel of free love became synonymous with free sex and whose ashrams in India and abroad became a byword for intrigues and orgies, has been resurrected on his 18th death anniversary by loyal followers in Nepal.
Nepal cabinet directs Home Ministry to step up security
By NNN-Nepal News
Kathmandu : A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Monday ordered the Home Ministry to take all possible measures to check the ongoing killings and violence in Terai region and improve the overall security situation in the country.
Talking to reporters after the cabinet meeting held at Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar, government spokesperson and communication minister Krishna Mahara said the meeting decided to give ‘special direction’ to the Home Ministry to improve security.
Bush, Cheney cast votes for McCain
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife as well as Vice President Dick Cheney have cast their votes for their party's presidential candidate John McCain, the White House said on Friday.
"Today the president and Mrs. Bush cast their ballots for the 2008 election during the early voting process. The ballots will be mailed back to Texas today," said spokeswoman Dana Perino in a statement.
She also said that Bush and his wife plan to be at the White House on election night.
16 killed in Chad suicide bomb attack
N'Djamena : A suicide bomb attack on Saturday killed 16 people and injured 80 here, police said.
A man dressed as a woman wearing...
UN calls for urgent measures against nuclear terrorism
By DPA,
Washington : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged a high-profile nuclear summit hosted by US President Barack Obama to consider urgent implementation of a five-point plan to reduce the global challenge of nuclear terrorism.
According to a text of his prepared remarks, Ban Tuesday named the steps as: Preventing nuclear terrorism; securing nuclear fissile materials; strengthening the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); engagement by the UN Security Council; and parallel progress in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
Several injured in Spain car-bomb attack
By DPA,
Pamplona : Several people were injured Thursday in a car-bomb attack in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona, local authorities reported.
A vehicle exploded in a car park in the grounds of the University of Navarra in Pamplona, capital of the Navarra province that borders the separatist Basque region. Witnesses said several vehicles were set on fire by the explosion, and nearby buildings were substantially damaged.
Tibet’s Potala Palace reopens to visitors
By Xinhua
Lhasa : Tibet's architectural landmark, the Potala Palace, Wednesday reopened to tourists, ten days after it was closed for security reasons following the riots March 14, a palace official said.
The palace, built in the seventh century and on the world cultural heritage list, was closed the day after the riots in which 18 civilians and one police officer were killed, said Jampa Gesang, head of the Potala Palace administration office.
He said 24 tourists and 75 Tibetan Buddhism followers visited the palace Wednesday.
US considers putting North Korea back on terrorist list
By DPA,
Washington : The US is considering putting North Korea back on its terrorist blacklist in light of the communist country's recent nuclear tests and missile launches, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in an interview broadcast Sunday.
Clinton told US broadcaster ABC that Pyongyang's latest actions were "very provocative and belligerent" and possible grounds for reinstating North Korea on the list from which it was removed last October.
US cites India’s economic sacrifice for Iran deal
Washington : The White House has again warned that if the Republican controlled congress unilaterally kills the Iran nuclear deal it would greatly damage...
OECD forecasts protracted economic slowdown in US, Europe
By DPA,
Paris : The United States and the nations of the euro zone have entered an economic recession that will be long and could be severe, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in a preliminary forecast released here Thursday.
"Economic activity is expected to fall by 0.9 percent in the US next year, by 0.5 percent in the euro area and by 0.1 percent in Japan as OECD countries enter a protracted slowdown," the OECD said.
Train collision kills 10 in Congo
By IANS,
Kinhasa: At least 10 people died in Democratic Republic of Congo Saturday in a head-on collision between two trains, authorities said.
Whale, dolphin watching major income source for Pacific nations
By Xinhua
Wellington : Whale and dolphin watching is one of the fastest growing industries in the Pacific region, injecting millions of dollars into the small island nations' economies, Radio New Zealand reported Thursday.
The radio quoted a report released Wednesday by the NGO International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) that whale watching is worth 26.7 million New Zealand dollars ($21 million) a year to Pacific nations.
The number of people in the region watching the marine mammals has jumped an average 45 percent each year. The figures exclude data on New Zealand and Australia.
Zoellick: no effect on WB if Venezuela withdraws
By Xinhua
Mexico City : Robert Zoellick, U.S. President George W. Bush's choice to head the World Bank, said in Mexico Saturday that the international financial institution will still keep its influence if Venezuela withdraws.
    Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has said that Venezuela is thinking about withdrawing from the World Bank, which he says is a tool of the United States that keeps poor nations in debt.
Mexican hit man who dissolved 300 bodies in acid inspires songs
By IANS,
Mexico City : The story of a killer-for-hire who over a nine-year career dissolved in acid the bodies of 300 victims has already inspired two songs, the Mexican press has reported.
Portions of the songs, entitled "El Cocinero" (The cook) and "El corrido a Santiago Meza" (The ballad of Santiago Meza) were broadcast Wednesday on Radio Formula, EFE reported.
Authorities have arrested Santiago Meza, nicknamed "El Pozolero" because he dissolved the bodies as if he were cooking "pozole," a stew made with corn and pork.
Spanish Rich Poor Gap Widening
By Prensa Latina
Madrid : The gap between rich and poor is broadening in Spain, with a tenth of the richest earning more than the poorest 60 percent, an official report released in Madrid confirmed.
The figures are contained in a document from the Institute of Fiscal Studies, attached to the Ministry of Economy and Treasure, released by Insurgent on-line edition.
The study was carried out based on income tax returns for the period 2001-1004 made before the fiscal entity.
Bodies of three missing Israeli teenagers found in West Bank
Jerusalem: The Israeli security forces Monday found the bodies of three teenagers, kidnapped over two weeks ago, outside Hebron in West Bank, media reports...
Strong earthquake rocks Venezuela
By DPA,
Caracas : A 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked several parts of Venezuela Saturday, but there were no reports of casualties or damage.
Jesse Chacon, the minister for science, technology and industry, said the earthquake took place at a depth of about 15.9 km and its epicentre was located 28 km northeast of Moron in Carabobo state.
The quake took place 100 km west of Caracas, according to the US Geological Survey.
Spanish Socialists Re-Elected
By Prensa Latina
Madrid : Spain announced the results Monday of 99.9 percent of the votes in Sunday's general elections that re-elected Socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero for a another four years.
The Spanish Socialist Labor Party (PSOE) won 11.64 million votes (43.64 percent) and 169 seats in the 350-seat legislature, five more than the previous elections but not enough to become majority.
Conservative Partido Popular (PP) of Mariano Rajoy scored 10.1 million votes (40.11 percent) and increased its 148 legislative seats to 153.
Rupee could be hit by Greek crisis: Government
New Delhi : The Indian government on Monday said it was closely monitoring the Greek situation and euro market movements after austerity proposals by...
Japan developing first fighter since World War II
Tokyo : The Japanese government has begun working on a jet fighter, the first such aircraft to be built in the country since World...
Terrorist escapes, massive manhunt in Singapore
By DPA
Singapore : Thousands of police and soldiers searched Thursday for an accused terrorist who escaped from a detention centre where he was being held for allegedly planning to crash a hijacked plane into Singapore's Changi Airport, authorities said.
Mas Selamat Kastari, 47, fled Wednesday afternoon from the Internal Security Department's Whitley Road centre despite armed guards, high fences topped with barbed wire and closed circuit television cameras along the perimeter.
He was not believed to be armed, said the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Noam Chomsky speaks on Kashmir turmoil, compares it with Palestine
By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
Boston/Srinagar - In an email conversation with Mehboob Makhdoomi, Expert on Kashmir situation and Socio-Political commentator from Harvard, American linguist and...
China, US to address jointly global economic crisis
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China has said the current global financial crisis is the most demanding issue that it would address jointly with the United States.
"The most pressing issue we have to deal with is coping with global financial turmoil," vice premier Wang Qishan said here Thursday in his opening address to the fifth China-US Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED).
Wang and US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson co-chaired the highest-level dialogue between the two countries.
Australian PM congratulates NZ National Party leader on his election victory
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Sunday congratulated New Zealand National Party leader John Key on his election victory and invited him for a state visit.
The New Zealand National Party won the victory in general elections held on Saturday, winning 59 seats in the 122-seat parliament, and ending nine years of Labor rule under the current Prime Minister Helen Clark.
Rudd told reporters in Canberra that he telephoned Key on Saturday night to congratulate him on "a fine win for himself and his party".
Taiwan clinic to be closed over naked nurse photos: report
By ANTARA,
Taipei : Taiwan authorities will shutter a cosmetic surgery clinic for using posters of its nurses posing naked in a campaign it says was only aimed at finding them boyfriends, a report said Saturday.
Southern Tainan city's health department is to close down the clinic after an outcry from several nurses' associations, who said the photographs damaged the image of their profession, the United Daily News was quoted by AFP as saying.
Poland against Russia’s permanent presence in US missile base
By RIA Novosti,
Warsaw : Poland would agree only to regular inspections by Russian military experts at a planned US anti-missile base in the north of the country, but oppose their permanent presence, the foreign ministry has said.
Ministry's spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said Tuesday that Warsaw would never allow the permanent presence of Russian military personnel at the base.
British citizen faces imminent execution in China
By DPA,
Beijing : Family members of a British citizen due to be executed for drug smuggling have arrived in China to make a final plea for clemency to authorities, a rights group said.
Akmal Shaikh, 53, is due to be executed Tuesday morning in Beijing after he was convicted of trafficking 4 kg of heroin to Urumqi in China's western Xinjiang region.
Man sets ablaze Singapore lawmaker
By DPA,
Singapore : A 70-year-old man Monday faced charges of grievously harming a Singapore legislator by setting him on fire during a Sunday afternoon community club event.
Ong Kah Chua, a former taxi driver, was remanded in the custody of the Institute of Mental Health and is to reappear in court Jan 23, Channel News Asia reported.
He is accused of attacking Member of Parliament Seng Han Thong at the club, causing burns to 10 to 15 percent of his body.
Chua had poured paint thinner over the legislator and set him alight.
US says no to Cuba’s request for embargo suspension
By DPA,
Rabat (Morocco)/Washington : The United States has rejected a request by the Cuban government that it lift its decades-old embargo for a limited time to allow relief goods and reconstruction materials into the hurricane-struck island.
Hurricane Ike was headed for landfall on the communist island in the Caribbean Sunday evening, little more than a week after Hurricane Gustav left 100,000 homeless.
Over the weekend, Cuba evacuated at least 250,000 people to safety from its eastern regions from the newest storm.
Jacob Zuma sworn in as South African president
By DPA,
Pretoria : Jacob Zuma was sworn in as South Africa's new president here Saturday.
Zuma becomes fourth democratically-elected president of the country since the end of apartheid in 1994.
His African National Congress party won a resounding victory in April 22 general elections.
Taking the oath of office administered by Chief Justice Pius Langa, Zuma, 67 - who was elected president by parliament Wednesday - promised to "obey, observe, uphold and maintain the constitution and all other laws of the republic."
China, Taiwan seek better cooperation in historic meeting
By KUNA
Tokyo : Chinese President Hu Jintao and Taiwan's vice president-elect Vincent Siew held a historic meeting, the highest-level contact ever between the two governments since they split at the end of a civil war in 1949, China's state press reported Sunday.
The meeting was held on China's Hainan Island late on Saturday on sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia, an economic conference summit for Asian political and business leaders, said Xinhua News Agency.
Bush praises US-Europe ties in Paris speech
By DPA,
Paris : US President George W. Bush Friday praised the closeness of US-European ties and called for continued close collaboration in the fight against terrorism and other vital global issues.
In the speech, which was delivered shortly after his arrival in Paris, Bush told his audience at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): "Instead of dwelling on our differences, we are increasingly united in our interests and ideals".
Top Nepal politician’s kin caught with fake Indian currency
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The nephew of a top Nepali politician was caught with fake Indian currency in the southern district of Chitwan district, underlining again the nexus between crime gangs and politicians in Nepal.
Police said Jitendra Wagle, nephew of Chiranjibi Wagle, a former minister and deputy chief of the Nepali Congress (NC), was handed over to them by Maoist cadres Friday with a cache of fake Indian currency worth Nepali Rs.125,000 ($2,000), all of it in Rs.500 notes.
Steinmeier against Georgia, Ukraine joining NATO
By KUNA
Berlin : German Foreign Minister Walter Frank Steinmeier refused on Wednesday the candidacies of Ukraine and Georgia for NATO membership and noted that one must not escalate tension and push Russia's patience to breakpoint.
Steinmeier told the Leipziger Volkszeitung newspaper ahead of NATO'S three-day meeting in Bucharest, the Romanian capital, today that a large part of Europe is critical of NATO expansion.
Nepal Maoist guerrilla gets gangster rap
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The 'People's Liberation Army' (PLA) under Nepal's opposition Maoist party, which helped the guerrillas wage a 10-year war but now is preventing them from forming the new government, has come into fresh controversy with the suspected involvement of a senior fighter in criminal activities.
UN and India work on disposing hazardous medical waste
By DPA,
New York: The UN Industrial Development Organization Thursday launched a $40-million pilot project to assist India dispose 300,000 tonnes of annual medical waste.
Kandeh Yumkella, director of the UN agency that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, said the five-year programme will be implemented in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab states.
South and North Korean leaders to meet
By DPA
Seoul : The second-ever summit meeting later this month between leaders of South and North Korea will bring about a normalization of relations, said South Korea's President Roh Moo Hyun Wednesday after the two sides decided to meet.
President Roh will travel to Pyongyang from Aug 28-30 for the first inter-Korean summit since June 2000 with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, it was announced Wednesday.
UN urges Africa to take steps to avert food price rise
By Xinhua,
Nairobi : The United Nations food agency Tuesday called on African governments to urgently come up with solutions to curb the soaring food prices sparked by surge in energy and commodities prices by increasing their production.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Deputy Director Madibo Traore said that African governments had failed to realize the role of agriculture as only six out of the 53 nations in the continent offered the sector more than 10 percent budgetary allocations.
Bird flu-hit localities in Vietnam rise to 14
By Xinhua
Hanoi : Bird flu has hit Vietnam's northern Hung Yen province, raising the total number of affected localities nationwide to 14, according to a local veterinary agency Friday.
New Zealand four political parties formally launch election
By Xinhua,
Wellington : The election campaign in New Zealand moved into its final four weeks on Sunday, with four parties formally launching their campaigns in Auckland.
The ruling Labor party and the largest opposition National party booked the big venues, with Labor at the Town Hall and National at the Skycity convention center.
Modi impact: Nepal man’s family reunion an online hit
Kathmandu: A photograph of a happy Jeet Bahadur Saru Magar, a man who was looked after by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has...
China, EU seek to deepen cooperation
By DPA,
Beijing : China and the European Union plan to patch up recent turbulence over Tibet and deepen their cooperation this year to tackle global problems, a top EU diplomat said Monday.
"The moment has come to look forward," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said after talks with Chinese officials in Beijing.
The focus of her two days of talks in the Chinese capital were the Group of 20 (G20) summit coming up Thursday in London, climate change, the EU-China summit in May in Prague and the issue of Tibet.
US House sends markets into tizzy; leaders scramble to save bailout
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : In a stunning blow to President George Bush, the US House of Representatives rejected a $700 billion financial rescue plan, sending the markets in a tizzy and Congressional leadership scrambling to save the day.
The fate of the historic rescue plan hammered out after days of negotiations by the Bush administration and the leadership of both Republican and Democratic parties to prevent a widespread financial collapse was left hanging in the balance by the shock defeat.
The day Kerala devouts remained glued to TV
By IANS,
Kozhikode : The melody of Gregorian chants invited visitors to catholic institutions in Kerala Sunday afternoon, as the devout remained glued to TV channels bringing live the canonisation ceremony of Sister Alphonsa in Vatican.
The mood was solemn at rectories, convents and in ashrams, as they watched in silence the first Indian native, a Keralite nun, being elevated to sainthood.
At Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) convents, the mood was of subdued euphoria, which was palpable as nuns solemnly watched the ceremony. Sister Alphonsa belonged to the FCC congregation.
Rift in Hindu group ahead of Malaysian polls
By IANS,
Singapore : There is dissension within a major Hindu rights group in Malaysia, ahead of that country's general elections next month.
Israeli leaders, allies will be tried in Iran over Gaza
By IANS,
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Israeli leaders and their western allies will soon face trial in his country for their crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, the official IRNA news agency reported.
"Iran's judiciary system is now providing a bill in conformity with international law to bring to justice the Israeli leaders for crimes against humanity in Gaza," Ahmadinejad told reporters in Tehran Thursday.
G7 finance ministers meet in Washington on global crisis
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : Finance ministers from the Group of Seven leading industrialized countries meet in Washington on Friday as global finance officials gather for the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank.
Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin is in Washington for the gathering of representatives from many of the 185 member countries of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and will hold bilateral meetings with ministers from the G7 and other major countries.
Earth survived extremes of climate change
By IANS,
Sydney : Nearly 750-550 million years ago, aeons before the advent of dinosaurs, earth survived the severest ice age, alternating with extremes of tropical greenhouse conditions.
UN urges Afghans to vote again in presidential polls
United Nations: UN secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan, Jan Kubis urged Afghans to take part in Saturday's second round of the presidential polls, media...
Not much time left for wild orangutans
By DPA
Hamburg : Dutch ecologist Willie Smits says he will never forget the day in October 1989 when he saw the desperately sad eyes of an orangutan baby looking at him from a dark cage on a market in the Indonesian seaport of Balikpapan.
Smits was so disturbed that he returned to the market that same evening, just in time to find the limp body of the orangutan lying on a rubbish heap where the trader had dumped it.
During the next 24 hours Smits managed to save the orangutan from certain death, feeding it droplets of milk and water.
Obama’s Malayali classmate can’t wait to meet him
By IANS,
Kochi : Ajay Malarkandi's phone hasn't stopped ringing since Wednesday morning. The advocate in Kerala studied law with US president-elect Barack Obama at Harvard and he just can't wait to meet his former classmate at the institute's reunion.
"I am yet to have lunch because I have been flooded with calls from several quarters because I and Obama belonged to the Class of 1991 at the Harvard Law School," Malarkandi told IANS.
He fondly recalled Obama as a "down-to-earth" person who had no airs.
Man needs 300 stitches after shark attack
By IANS,
London : A shark attacked a surfer at a beach in the US, leaving him with an injury that required 300 stitches.
Clayton Schultz was surfing at Jacksonville Beach in North Florida, when he was attacked by the shark that caught hold of his jaw around his foot.
"All I really felt was teeth and tearing. I was hopping back on my board and the shark came up and grabbed my foot and shook it around a little it and let go.
"I popped right up and got on my board and lifted my foot out of the water. It was torn up real good," The Telegraph Tuesday quoted Schultz as saying.
Nigeria governor killed in chopper crash
By IANS,
Lagos : A governor was among six people killed in a helicopter crash in Nigeria Saturday.
Russia may free 45,000 prisoners of second world war
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia could release 45,000 people imprisoned in the country since the second world war and grant amnesty to 300,000 convicts to mark the 65th anniversary of its Victory Day May 9, Russian Association of Lawyers said.
The amnesty, to be declared by the Russian parliament, would come into effect May 9, when the country celebrates the 65th anniversary of its victory over Nazi Germany in the World War II, said Pavel Krasheninnikov, co-chair of the Russian Association of Lawyers.
Evidence of earliest domesticated horses surfaces in Kazakhstan
By IANS,
London : Evidence of the earliest domesticated horses, uncovered in Kazakhstan, suggests that they were also ridden and milked.
Researchers from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, and the universities of Exeter and Bristol, Britain, uncovered the evidence in Kazakhstan, the world's largest landlocked country in Central Asia.
Three arrested in Peru with fake bills
By IANS/EFE,
Lima : Peruvian police arrested two men and a woman when they tried to pass counterfeit bills with face value of $1 million at a Lima shopping mall.
The sting operation was organised Saturday in coordination with the US Secret Service by Peru's Criminal Investigation Agency, whose agents posed as purchasers of the illegal money.
Experts at Peru's Central Reserve Bank noted the high quality of the counterfeit US dollars.
Results announced in truffle-hunting competition in north Spain
By RIA Novosti
Madrid : An annual truffle-hunting competition has been held in Spain's northern province of Soria, the Diario de Leon newspaper said on Monday.
A total of 11 truffle hunters, also called 'trufflers,' representing eight Spanish provinces, took part in the competition, which was held in a mountainous area near the Barranco de Abejar neighborhood. They were accompanied by special 'truffle hounds.'
A local professional truffle hunter was announced the winner of the competition after finding four mushrooms.
U.S. top diplomat to sign missile deal in Prague
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice starts a European tour on Monday with a visit to the Czech Republic to sign a missile shield agreement, and will later travel to Bulgaria and Georgia.
The State Department said Rice would meet with senior Czech, Bulgarian and Georgian officials to discuss a wide range of bilateral and transatlantic issues on July 7-10.
Crowe shocks cancer charity with $1,500 donation
By IANS,
London: Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe shocked staff at a British charity shop recently after he walked in and made a $1,500 (�1,000) donation.
The "Gladiator" star is currently in Britain filming a new Robin Hood movie but took a break from his schedule to visit the Cancer Research store in Sunningdale, Berkshire, and made a generous contribution to the cancer charity, reports imdb.com.
No marriage law for Hindus in Pakistan: Daily
Islamabad : There is no marriage law for the millions of Hindus living in Pakistan, a leading daily said on Friday, noting that this...
Pelosi support boosts chances of quick approval of n-deal
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Top US Congressional leaders have backed the India-US civil nuclear deal to brighten the prospects for the landmark agreement to be approved before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Washington Sep 25.
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the Senate majority leader Harry Reid Thursday in indicating early approval of the agreement saying it "does have support in the House."
China quake toll goes past 68,000
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The toll in China's killer earthquake has risen to 68,109 Wednesday, the State Council, said.
A total of 364,552 people have been injured and 19,851 are missing after the devastating 8.0-magnitude earthquake May 12.
The epicentre of the quake was in the south-western Sichuan Province.
More than 45.61 million people have been affected in the quake. About 15 million have been evacuated, officials said.
Disaster relief workers have relocated 724,794 people to safe areas till date, and 6,541 survivors were rescued out of the debris.
Nepal scribes call off stir, opposition calls shutdown
By IANS,
Kathmandu : After a weeklong protest over growing attacks on the media under the new Maoist government, Nepal's journalists Monday called off their stir following a pact with the state. But the main opposition party went on the warpath, calling a shutdown to avenge an attack on its cadres.
Journalists nationwide began a united protest movement last week after a private media house was attacked by a group of people led by Maoist trade union leaders and the rally by journalists in the capital in condemnation was baton-charged by security forces.
Prachanda fails to dam disputes, cabinet expansion put off
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Dogged by dispute from its very birth, the Maoist-led government of Nepal Friday failed to expand Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's mini cabinet with feuds now erupting in the former guerrilla party itself.
Prachanda, who had fought a successful 10-year war against Nepal's powerful royal family, however, failed for the third time in a row to stem the discord in his own party, leading to the induction of new ministers being put off till Sunday.
China Seizes Weapons, Ammo from Monastery
By Prensa Latina
Beijing : Chinese police seized weapons, ammunitions, explosives and knives from a Geerdeng's Buddhist monastery in the Aba autonomous district, in the Sichuan province, official sources reported on Sunday.
The security forces in the region, locate at about 932 miles southeast of the capital, also confiscated a number of telecommunication equipments like satellite phones, faxes, computers and satellite TV receivers.
Terror plans blocked after ministers failed to consult Scotland
By KUNA
London : Plans to adopt new EU proposals on terrorism were blocked after ministers failed to consult the Scottish Parliament, it was reported Thursday.
A committee of MPs instead told Home Office ministers they must consult the Scottish Parliament before the proposal for a framework of anti-terrorism laws is adopted, the Scotsman newspaper said.
The move was agreed by the European Scrutiny Committee, the newspaper added.
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.
Former US secretary of state Powell endorses Obama
By DPA,
Washington : Former US Secretary of state Colin Powell, who had served in the first Republican administration of President George W. Bush, Sunday announced he was backing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in next month's election.
Making the announcement in the weekly "Meet the Press" on NBC, Powell cited Obama's "ability to inspire" and the "inclusive nature of his campaign".
Powell described Obama, 46, as a person with "both style and substance. I think he is a transformational figure."
List of 24 agreements inked between India, China
Beijing : India and China on Friday inked 24 agreements after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Premier Li Keqiang here.
These are: Protocol...
GCC Commercial arbitration forum on electronic crimes
By SPA,
Salalah : The GCC Commercial Arbitration Centre in collaboration with Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) branch in Dhofar Governorate will organize in Salalah a Forum on electronic crimes and protection of intellectual property from August 17 to 20.
The programme includes a number of lectures, practical examples in the field of e-crimes, types of cyber crimes, and the criminal responsibility in cyber crimes and data security.
Britain to drop migrant opt-out, sign UN child rights convention
By Dipankar De Sarkar,IANS,
London : Britain is to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child after holding out over fears about child migrants and asylum seekers, according to reports Friday.
Britain has refused to sign the convention for 17 years, and instead exercised an opt-out that has allowed it to lock up child migrants and asylum seekers for weeks or months without judicial scrutiny.
The UN convention obliges nations to put the best interests of a child first but Britain has argued since 1991 that immigration control must take priority over child rights.
Sarkozy informs Kosovo of France”s official recognition
By KUNA
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy has officially informed the President of Kosovo Fatmir Sejdiu of France's decision to recognize the independence of the ethnically Albanian-dominated Kosovo, which made its declaration of independence on Sunday, official sources indicated Tuesday.
In a letter published late Monday night by Sarkozy's office, the French leader said that he was acting in line with discussions at the European Union meeting of Foreign Ministers earlier Monday in Brussels, where the Kosovo issue was discussed.
Brazil fines AmBev $176 mn for anti-competitive practices
By EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazil's antitrust regulator Wednesday imposed a record fine of 352 million reais ($176 million) on beverage giant AmBev for anti-competitive practices.
The Cade agency found that AmBev, brewer of Skol, Brahma and Antarctica beers, used discounts, premiums and exclusivity agreements to dissuade retailers from selling competing brands.
Cade's Fernando de Magalhaes Furlan said the biggest impact of AmBev's anti-competitive practices was on consumers, who "will not have either the variety or prices they want".
India, Russia ink 10 pacts
By IANS,
New Delhi : India and Russia Friday reinvigorated their ties by signing 10 pacts, including an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, and decided to intensify their cooperation in combating terrorism.
The pacts were signed in diverse areas ranging from space and defence to finance, human space programme and tourism. The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
The pact on civil nuclear cooperation envisages Russia building four additional reactors at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.
Kubica fine after F1 crash
By DPA
Montreal : BMW-Sauber driver Robert Kubica has spoken to medics and is reported to be not injured after a serious crash at the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix here Sunday.
Man with gun looking for Obama arrested in Washington
By DPA,
Washington : A 64-year-old man with a gun was arrested Tuesday near the Congress building after he told police officers that he had a "delivery" for President Barack Obama, police officials said.
The man had driven up to the US Capitol to talk to the special police officers who protect Congress and ask about Obama's whereabouts so he could deliver something, Capitol Police said in a statement.
Police then questioned him and searched his vehicle. "The man admitted to having a rifle in his vehicle," police said.
Koirala promises probe as Nepal riot toll rises to 23
By IANS
Kathmandu : Nearly six months after a massacre in Nepal's Terai left over two dozen dead, fresh sectarian violence in the area has killed at least 23 people with dozens missing and hundreds displaced, forcing beleaguered Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to promise a probe.
Religious leaders met the premier at his residence in Kathmandu to urge him to form a high-level commission to bring to justice the perpetrators of the violence in Kapilavastu district in southern Nepal where the toll has risen to 23 and there are fears that there will be more victims.
Green Revolution pioneer Norman Borlaug dies at 95
By IANS,
Washington : Renowned American agricultural scientist and Nobel laureate Norman E. Borlaug, who played a major role in developing disease-resistant wheat used to fight famine in poor countries, has died at the age of 95.
Borlaug, a distinguished professor of international agriculture at the Texas A&M University, died Saturday from cancer complications in Dallas, CNN reported quoting a spokeswoman for the university.
White House, Democrats agree on auto industry bail-out
By DPA,
Washington : Democratic legislators and the White House have agreed on the outlines of a deal to keep the US car industry out of bankruptcy, offering a $15-billion loan in exchange for heavy government oversight.
But the language of the deal was not finalised and it remained unclear if enough Republican legislators had signed on for the agreement to pass Congress.
UK terror suspect Bilal Abdullah charged with conspiracy
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : Bilal Abdullah, the Iraqi diabetes specialist doctor who was one of the two men arrested following the car bomb attack at Glasgow airport, has been charged with conspiracy to cause explosions.
Venezuela slams EU immigration laws, threatens to suspend oil supply
By Xinhua,
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has strongly criticised the new immigration laws of the European Union (EU) and threatened to suspend oil supplies to European countries if the laws come into force.
"Our petroleum should not go to those European countries" that apply the new laws, Chavez said Thursday while meeting visiting Paraguayan president-elect Fernando Lugo, who also voiced his opposition to the laws.
Lugo said the laws were against human rights.
Climate summit on verge of collapse
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Copenhagen : A day before it was scheduled to come up with an agreement to save the world, the climate summit was on the verge of collapse Thursday with rich countries refusing to promise that they would either cut their pollution any more or give poor nations any meaningful sum of money to cope with the effects of climate change.
Kenyan president wants Burundi election to be postponed
Nairobi : President of Kenya and of the East African Community (EAC), Uhuru Kenyatta, on Monday asked Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza to postpone June's...
YouTube says hi to high-definition
By DPA,
San Francisco: Online video site YouTube is to introduce high definition video capabilities next week in a move that marks another milestone in the transformation of the internet into a full-fledged video viewing platform.
The Google-owned company said Friday that users will be able to upload and view 1080p video rather than the 720p limit that has been available for just over a year.
While the move will make it easier to use high definition home videos, it will also improve YouTube's ability to offer its viewers television shows and movies.
Obama says Punjab jab a ‘mistake’
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama admits his campaign's Punjab jab against rival Hillary Clinton was a mistake and owns responsibility for the offending memo although he had not seen it before distribution.
One in seven US households hit by hunger in 2008
By DPA,
Washington : Nearly one in seven US households did not always have enough food last year as the country's deep recession struck even the most basic of needs for survival, according to government data released Monday.
At 14.6 percent, the 2008 hunger rate is at its highest level since records began in 1995 and is up from 11.1 percent in 2007, the US Department of Agriculture said.
China backs India on emissions cut stance
By IANS,
Beijing: China Thursday said it supported Indian measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions and was ready to strengthen cooperation with India on climate change.
"We understand the current situation in India. China supports India to take adaptation and mitigation measures based on its national conditions and capacity," Xinhua reported quoting Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.
"China is ready to strengthen communication, coordination and cooperation with India on climate change," he said.
UNICEF Concerned for World Food Crisis
By IANS,
Geneva : The UN Children's Fund expressed concern Tuesday for the impact of food crisis on minors worldwide, as 3.50 million of them die of malnutrition every year.
UNICEF termed "extremely dangerous" the situation of world food production and its ever increasing prices as they are used to produce biofuels.
This situation left families in developing countries without access to wheat, rice or corn, all of which triggered unrest in over a dozen countries, with nearly one hundred deaths so far.
Aung San Suu Kyi faces new lawsuit
By DPA,
Yangon : Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, currently on trial for breaking the terms of her house detention, now faces a civil court case in which she must fight for ownership of her house, her lawyer said Tuesday.
Suu Kyi's cousin, retired army officer Lieutenant Colonel Khin Maung Aye, on July 24 posted a public notice in the Mirror newspaper, claiming that he owned a portion of Suu Kyi's compound in Yangon and had already sold it.
The advertisement said that anybody who wanted to oppose the sale could register a legal objection within seven days.
Former US president Clinton meets Kim Jong Il
By DPA,
Seoul: Former US president Bill Clinton arrived Tuesday in Pyongyang and met North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in an unannounced visit aimed at securing the release of two American journalists held by the Stalinist state for months.
Clinton was greeted by high-ranking North Korean officials, including Kim Kye Gwan, North Korea's top nuclear negotiator, North Korea's state-run Central Television said. He later met Kim Jong Il, whose health has been in question since he reportedly suffered from a stroke last year.
Indo-Bhutan ties very strong, says Modi
Thimphu : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a joint session of the Bhutanese parliament Monday, assured that ties between India and Bhutan are very...
Nepal church steps into fight between school, teachers
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's Catholic church has become embroiled in the row between St Xavier's, the country's oldest and best-known school run by Jesuit fathers, and the teachers' union over the dismissal of a staff member.
Father Anthony Amulyanath Sharma, ordained Nepal's first bishop by Pope Benedict, Saturday expressed "full support" for the church-run school that has been locked in a fierce dispute with the Nepal Institutional School Teachers' Union (NISTU) since the beginning of this year.
Two more teens charged in Indian-American scientist’s murder
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
New York : US police has charged two more teenagers for the murder of an Indian-American computer scientist outside his home at Old Bridge in New Jersey.
Three other teenagers were charged Monday after Divyendu Sinha, 49, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, died from head injuries he received in the beating by a group of teenagers last Friday.
Two boys, one 17 and the other 16, join three other 17-year-olds charged earlier. The five, none of whom was identified because of their ages, may also face bias charges, Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said.
UN chief condemns UN officials’ expulsion by Sudan
United Nations:United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Thursday condemned Sudanese government's decision to expel two senior UN officials.
A statement issued here by Ban's spokesperson said,...
Two Koreas to hold general-level military talks
By Xinhua
Seoul : Military talks between South Korea and North Korea at the level of army generals will be held Dec 12-14, the South Korean defence ministry said Monday.
"South Korea and North Korea have agreed to hold the 7th round of general-level military talks from Dec 12-14 at the House of Peace on the southern side of Panmunjom," the ministry said in a press release.
Cambodian FM names 9 new ambassadors
By Xinhua,
Phnom Penh : Foreign Minister Hor Namhong has named new ambassadors to nine countries, including Kuwait, which is to receive Cambodia's first diplomatic posting there, and Japan, where the minister's son Hor Moniroath is expected to head the Cambodian mission, state media reported Saturday.
The Japanese government had been notified of the appointment, which is awaiting the approval of the Cambodian and Japanese governments, Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong was quoted by the Cambodia Daily as saying.
Holmes wants to date tall men
By IANS,
London: Actress Katie Holmes says she would like to date tall men.
Tiger Woods taking indefinite break from golf
By DPA,
Washington: Tiger Woods, one of the world's most famous athletes, is taking an indefinite break from professional golf to "repair the damage" he's done with marital infidelities, Woods said on his website.
Woods said Friday he had reached the decision "after much soul searching" and he needed to "focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person".
Website gives personal details of Shanghai firms’ bosses
By IANS,
Beijing: The privacy of over 60,000 company bosses in China's Shanghai city is in peril after their personal details were displayed on a website.
Unesco project to train volunteer teachers in China
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco) will start a special programme in China to train graduates volunteers to teach in schools in the country' backward rural areas.
The "Teach For China" project is expected to begin in February next year with the start of new college semester, programme chief Yu Wei said Saturday.
The programme will be run by the Unesco's International Research and Training Center for Rural Education (Inruled).
Facebook helps crack Philippines murder case
By DPA,
Manila : Philippine police said Wednesday Facebook helped crack a murder case against a Filipino man suspected to have killed nine people, including three foreigners.
Police Senior Inspector Joel Mariano said at least two witnesses were able to positively identify the suspect through his Facebook account as the person they saw at the crime scene.
"Facebook helped us in getting positive identification of the suspect from some of the witnesses," he said. "I think we have a solid case against the suspect."
Another terror attempt in US is ‘certain’: Intelligence chiefs
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Another attempted terrorist attack on the United States in coming months is "certain" with Al Qaeda remaining the top security threat to the country, according to the heads of major US intelligence agencies.
At the same time a growing cyber-security threat also must be addressed by the US intelligence community, the heads of the CIA, the FBI and other agencies told the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday.
Norway to help African countries control coastal resources
By IANS,
New York: Norway will help six African countries gain control of the oil and gas resources located off their coastal borders.
Pakistani investigators seeking clues on abducted UN official
By DPA,
Islamabad : Pakistani investigators were examining evidence Tuesday connected to the kidnapping of a UN official in the southwestern province of Balochistan the previous day.
Gunmen abducted US citizen John Solecki, local head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in the provincial capital Quetta as his Pakistani chauffer drove him to work at around 8.45 a.m. (0345 GMT) without any escort.
The driver died at hospital of bullet wounds he suffered in the attack, which was described by the Pakistani government as an "unfortunate and dastardly terrorist act".
Several dead and wounded in S. German court killing spree: police
By IRNA,
Landshut, Germany : At least two people were killed and four wounded when an unidentified gunman went on a killing spree in a German court building Tuesday morning, police said.
An unnamed police spokesman said the armed assailant opened fire in several rooms of the district court in Landshut in south of Germany, located around 70 kilometers northeast of Munich.
According to witnesses, the attacker was attending a court hearing related to an inheritance case when he drew a gun and started shooting.
"The gunman is probably among the dead," the police spokesman added.
China’s Muslims stress on girls’ education
By IANS,
Beijing : China's Muslim Hui community is working against acute poverty and gender discrimination to focus on keeping all girls of school-going age in the classroom.
Canadian cops help deliver baby on roadside
By IANS,
Montreal : Two Canadian policemen helped a woman give birth on the roadside here.
The 35-year-old woman, who was travelling in a car with her husband, suddenly went into deep labour pain Wednesday morning.
Left with no option, the husband stopped a police patrol vehicle and sought help from íts two officers.
With little time left to take her to hospital, the policemen called an ambulance. But the woman had already gone into advanced labour.
Israel offers agriculture technology to Goa
Panaji: Israel is hopeful of setting up a centre of excellence in Goa to aid the state vis a vis technological issues related to...
‘Zero tolerance’ for armed Albanian groups, Serbia says
By DPA
Vienna : Serbia Wednesday issued a stern warning to armed ethnic Albanian groups active in the region that there would be no tolerance against any provocation.
Serbia's Assistance Defence Minister Dusan Spasojevic told journalists in Vienna that Serbia has made it clear to armed Albanian groups active in southern central Serbia that there would be "zero tolerance," a position supported by Serbia's international partners in the region.
Briton pays 60,000 pounds for car parking slot
By IANS,
London : A car parking slot in a seaside town in Britain has been auctioned for a whopping 60,000 pounds.
The 20X12 foot slot was bought by a resident of St Ives, Cornwall.
"I cannot remember one going for more money. Spaces are always in short supply in St Ives and even going back years, they made a premium price," Daily Mail quoted estate agent Jonathan Payne auction as saying.
The car parking slot adjoins the entrance to the council-owned Island car park.
Wayne Sharpe first American to do ‘Vande Mataram’ version
By Subhash K. Jha, IANS,
Mumbai: New York-based Wayne Sharpe, who is composing a new version of "Vande Mataram" for "Raajneeti", says he is the first American to work on the Indian national song.
"I specialise in background scores. Now I'm doing my first Bollywood song for 'Raajneeti'. It's a re-arrangement of 'Vande Mataram' with my version of the tune. I think I'm the first American to do this," Sharpe told IANS in an interview.
OSCE report points finger at Georgia for S. Ossetia crisis
By RIA Novosti,
Berlin : The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has accumulated evidence pointing to "numerous wrong decisions" made by Georgian leaders that led to a military crisis with Russia, Der Spiegel said on Saturday.
In a report to be published in its Monday edition, OSCE military observers in the Caucasus described detailed planning by Georgia to move into South Ossetia which contributed to the crisis, the German magazine said.