Taiwan nuclear power reactor shut down after fire
Taipei : One of the two reactors of a nuclear power station in Taiwan was shut down after a fire broke out on Sunday...
Mining magnate among nine missing after plane crash
By IANS,
Sydney : Australian mining magnate Ken Talbot is among nine people feared dead after their aircraft went missing in west Africa.
Talbot Group chairman Don Nissen confirmed Sunday that Talbot was aboard an aircraft chartered by West Australian iron ore miner Sundance Resources that went missing in Cameroon Saturday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Most of those on board the plane are connected to Sundance Resources. "Sundance Resources regrets to advise that an aircraft chartered by the company has been reported missing Saturday," a statement from the company said.
New Nepali constitution to be introduced by May 28, 2010
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : A new constitution for the Federal Republic Nepal will be introduced by May 28, 2010, if everything goes as planned, The Kathmandu Post reported on Monday.
According to the daily, the working schedule passed by the Constituent Assembly (CA) on Sunday, which includes various procedures to be followed for the next 18 months while roughing out the awaited constitution from Sunday onwards, mentions that the new constitution will be promulgated within the last week of May 2010.
Armed man takes hostages in bank near Heathrow
By IANS,
London : The police have arrested a gunman who held a dozen people hostage for over three hours Monday evening in a Barclays Bank branch in Ashford, a town in Surrey near the Heathrow Airport.
The gunman entered the bank at 4 p.m. (GMT) brandishing a sawn-off shotgun and then handcuffed the staff and customers using plastic cable ties and made them put on white boiler suits. One of the hostages said he ordered them to black out the windows of the bank using spray paint.
Two US high school students found guilty of rape
By IANS,
Washington: Two high school students in the US who were accused of raping a 16-year-old girl have been found guilty by a court in Ohio state.
Internet plays increasingly important role in American election
By Andy Goldberg, DPA,
San Francisco : If anyone still questioned the power of the Internet to play a key role in the general elections, the recent fundraising figures touted by Barack Obama should put all doubts to rest.
The Democratic presidential nominee raised a staggering $150 million in September - most of which came from small donors who gave less than 100 dollars each through Obama's website.
Mandela, 89, out to end ‘Madiba mythology’
By DPA
Johannesburg : The front-page headline in one of the country's dailies the day after a cyclone hit Mozambique in February perfectly summed up the hysteria that at times characterizes South Africans' adoration for their former president Nelson Mandela.
"He's safe," the headline in The Citizen newspaper screamed. Upon closer inspection it became clear the object of the paper's concern was the anti-apartheid hero.
Republicans should give Obama a chance: Bobby Jindal
By Arun KumarM, IANS,
Washington : Bobby Jindal, Louisiana's Indian American governor, wants the Republicans to "give the new administration a chance", asking the former Vice President Dick Cheney to tone down his criticism of President Barack Obama's national security policies.
US Senate adopts resolution on significance of Diwali
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : After the US House of Representatives, it was the turn of the Senate to adopt a resolution "recognising the religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali" with unanimous consent.
The resolution noted that Diwali, "a festival of great significance to Indian Americans and South Asian Americans, is celebrated annually by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains throughout the US".
UN Haiti headquarter collapses in earthquake
By IANS,
New York : The headquarter of the UN mission in Haiti has collapsed in a massive earthquake that struck the country Tuesday evening, an official said.
Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, Alain Le Roy, in a briefing said: "As far as we know, the main building that was the headquarters building called the Hotel Christopher has collapsed."
"Some of our troops - mostly Brazilian troops - are surrounding the building and trying to rescue the people from the main headquarters."
Italian mosques denied share in income tax revenue
By IANS,
Rome : Mosques in Italy will not get a share of income tax revenue as per the annual allocation by the government, which has proposed a bill seeking funds for Hindu and Buddhist temples, Greek Orthodox churches and Jehovah's Witnesses.
According to a bill approved by the cabinet in May but yet to be approved by Italian parliament, Hindu and Buddhist temples, Greek Orthodox churches and Jehovah's Witnesses will be eligible for the funds which is allocated annually to various religious trusts.
German chancellor urges people to act on child abuse
Berlin, Jan 1 (DPA) Amid New Year's Eve celebrations Monday evening, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel struck a sombre note with a television appeal for Germans to keep their eyes out for parents abusing children.
"We need a culture of paying attention, not of looking away," she said in the pre-recorded New Year message broadcast on Germany's two main public channels.
"We wish we had not had to live through some days of this past year. We are all thinking with horror of the news of child abuse, neglect and deaths," she told viewers.
Two held for smuggling tiger parts to China
Qingdao (China)(Xinhua) : Custom officials in east China have arrested two men -- an Indonesian and a Chinese -- on charges of trafficking in tiger body parts.
The Indonesian, Ander, was arrested as he was collecting his baggage at the Huangdao island ferry port in Shandong Province.
He was carrying a tiger pelt hidden in coffee powder, said Yu Jia, a custom official in Qingdao city.
He confessed to smuggling the pelt of a Bengal tiger, an endangered subspecies of tiger, from Indonesia, said Yu.
China reports 22 percent rise in HIV cases
By DPA
Beijing : China's health ministry Thursday reported a rise of about 22 percent in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and full blown AIDS this year and raised the estimated figure of the infected to 700,000.
The ministry said 223,501 people had tested positive for HIV by the end of October. Some 70,000 people have already developed AIDS.
"Sexual transmission is now the main mode for the spread of HIV, with an estimated 45 percent of new infections taking place through heterosexual transmission," the ministry said in a statement.
Summit of Mekong River countries kicks off
By DPA
Bangkok : The third summit of the six-nation Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) group, connected by the Mekong River, was officially launched Sunday morning in land-locked Lao capital Vientiane, Radio Laos reported.
The bloc comprises Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
It was established in 1992 to promote economic and social development, irrigation and cooperation within the six countries linked by the 4,200-km river.
Indian foreign secretary to meet Rajapaksa
By IANS,
Colombo : Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will hold talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa during a two-day trip to Sri Lanka this week, government sources said Tuesday.
According to the sources, Menon is scheduled to arrive late Thursday. He is expected to meet Rajapaksa Friday and discuss issues of bilateral nature, including the present situation in the island's north.
Menon will also meet Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.
China President on World Tour
By Prensa Latina,
Beijing : Chinese President Hu Jintao started Friday a world tour that will take him to the G-20 meeting in Washington and Costa Rica, Cuba, Peru and Greece.
The statesman will participate along with other heads of State in the Group of 20 event in the US capital, focused on discussions on measures to face the current global financial crisis, originated in the United States. According to Chinese diplomatic sources, Hu will defend in plenary and bilateral meetings the need of taking effective measures to return confidence to markets.
Ahmadinejad urges legal rights for Iranian-American journalist
By IANS,
Tehran : Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Sunday called for "fairness" for the Iranian-American journalist who has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a court here on charges of espionage.
In a letter to prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, Ahmadinejad advised him "to precisely handle the case, observe administration of justice and ensure the accused can freely and legally defend herself", IRNA reported.
Brazilian president rules out return to presidency in 2015
By DPA,
Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva emphatically ruled out the possibility of seeking a return to the presidency in 2015, as long as his favoured candidate wins October elections to choose his successor.
Government Chief of Staff Dilma Rousseff "has to create her style, her face and to do her things. And I, like a fan in the stands, will have to cheer for her achievements and root for her to be successful and do what is best," Lula said in an interview that the daily O Estado de Sao Paulo published Friday.
France Willing to Receive FARC Members
By Prensa Latina
Paris : The French Foreign Ministry reiterated on Monday the country is willing to welcome members of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia (FARC), or study any way out allowing the release of French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt.
Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Pascale Andreani declared Betancourt's release is a top priority for the government, and doors are open for analysis of alternatives in that regard.
Mourning in Nepal over Kabul attack
By IANS,
Kathmandu : There was mourning Tuesday in Nepal over the terrorist attack at the Indian embassy in Kabul, especially as one of the slain Indian officials had served in Kathmandu.
Press counsellor V. Venkateshwara Rao, who was among the four Indians killed in Monday's blast, had headed the political affairs section at the Indian embassy here from November 2000 to July 2003.
He and his wife Malathi, who had worked in the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kathmandu, were popular for their warm, outgoing nature.
Fair trial for human rights violations in Cote d’Ivoire: UN
By IANS,
Geneva : The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights office has demanded a fair trial for all perpetrators of violence on both sides of the conflict in Cote d'Ivoire.
Climate, economy, security confront leaders at G-8 summit
By Xinhua,
Toyako (Japan) : When the leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations gather in Hokkaido Monday for their annual summit, they face the challenges of global warming, an uncertain world economy and mounting tensions in the world's hot spots.
Host Japan has put talks on climate change high on the agenda of the meeting in this northern resort town, building on the outcome of last year's summit in Germany, where leaders agreed to seriously consider a target of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Military government tightens control in Fiji
By DPA,
Wellington : Fiji's military government, which is ruling with emergency powers after sacking the judges and imposing a news blackout on local media, defied international critics and tightened its grip on the Pacific island country Tuesday.
It took over the Reserve Bank to stop a flood of capital leaving the country, assumed control of the public prosecutions office, closed the Human Rights Commission and kicked out foreign journalists to stop them reporting what was happening, according to reports from the capital Suva.
Credibility rating in Chinese microblogging service
By IANS,
Islamabad : A microblogging service in China has said it is developing a credibility rating system to prevent false online information.
Maoists, government begin number game after strike fails
By IANS,
Kathmandu : After their six-day general strike failed to oust the ruling coalition of Nepal, the opposition Maoists have begun a number game in a renewed effort to take power while the embattled government is also doing the same to outwit the former guerrillas.
The Maoists, who emerged as the biggest party in parliament after a historic election in 2008, hold almost 38 percent of the seats in the house.
Stem cells may be made to build new organs
By IANS,
Washington : Patients needing organ transplants may not need donated organs any more. A kind of 'instructor' molecule that tells blood vessel cells to organise themselves in tubes and not in layers could be an important step towards programming stem cells into building new organs instead.
Russia moves to scrap air-defence system sale to Iran
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia said Friday it has moved to scrap the sale of a powerful air-defence system to Iran following a UN Security Council resolution that strengthened sanctions on the Islamic state over its nuclear activities.
President Dmitry Medvedev was drawing up an edict containing a list of all weapons whose export to Tehran would be forbidden, the news agency Interfax reported. The new decision comes a day after the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday's UN resolution would have "no influence" on the delivery of S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Tehran.
Infosys opens development centre in Brazil
By IANS,
Bangalore: Infosys Technologies Tuesday said it has opened a development centre in Brazil to service clients in that South American country as well as Brazilian subsidiaries of global customers.
The company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Infosys Tecnologia Do Brasil, is located in Belo Horizonte, the third largest metropolitan area in Brazil after Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Infosys said in a statement.
This is the third development centre of Infosys in Latin America. It has two centres in Mexico.
Six more killed in Nepal forest fires
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Six people died in new forest fires in Nepal Saturday, just 48 hours after a blaze had killed 13 soldiers.
Five villagers, including three women, of Hastichaur village in Gulmi district in western Nepal, were burnt to death while trying to put out a fire in the Hastichaur community forest.
A sixth person died and three more villagers received serious burn injuries when a fire broke out in the Kavre forest in Dang district, also in western Nepal.
Japan PM gives first policy speech in parliament
By SPA,
Tokyo : Japan's new Prime Minister Taro Aso gave his first policy speech to parliament on Monday, stressing the country's responsibility to help fight the global war on terror and to fuel recovery in the domestic economy.
Aso, who took office last Wednesday, said it was not an option for the country's military, known as the Self-Defense Forces, to end activities abroad in support of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, a stance that Japan's opposition has questioned.
Military uniforms to protect from mosquito bites
By IANS,
Washington : Uniforms issued to US military personnel are now being treated to repel mosquitoes, thanks to a new method developed by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
Since 1991, treatment of military uniforms with the insecticide permethrin has been available to help protect troops from mosquitoes that transmit malaria and dengue.
This method is a valuable addition to the protection provided by insect repellents, but it is a challenge to be sure that the many kinds of fabrics and uniforms are adequately treated.
Japan quake, tsunami could cost 25 trillion yen
By DPA,
Tokyo : A magnitude-9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that rocked northeastern Japan caused up to 25 trillion yen ($309 billion) in damage, the government said Wednesday.
One-fifth of Australia’s private colleges visa factories: Report
By IANS,
Melbourne : Nearly a fifth of Australian private colleges are "permanent residency factories", a new report in the education sector has revealed.
The education sector, which is the country's third largest export industry, has been affected by a string of assaults on international students, particularly Indians. The claims of exploitation of overseas students have also not helped matters.
Education Minister Julia Gillard had asked former MP Bruce Baird to review the international education sector. He released his report in Canberra Tuesday.
Russia May React to US Shield
By Prensa Latina
Moscow : The planned deployment of strategic elements of the US antimissile system in Poland and the Czech Republic has forced Russia to aim its defensive target at the shield's objectives, a parliamentary source warned.
If Washington's plans in both countries materialize, they would become an object of surveillance by Russian alert systems, according to the president of the International Relations Committee, Konstantin Kosachev.
Plane was too low, too slow to reach airport: Hudson crash pilot
By DPA,
New York : In his first statement on the Airbus crash landing on the Hudson River, captain Chesley Sullenberger told investigators the plane was "too low, too slow" to reach the next airport after its engines were hit by birds.
The machine had also been too close to "too many buildings, too populated an area", said the former US Air force pilot, who said he wanted to avoid a catastrophe last Thursday. He steered the Airbus 320 plane operated by US Airways to land in the river without breaking up, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew.
Zimbabwe opposition says it’s open to unity talks
By DPA,
Cape Town : As political violence mounts in Zimbabwe with just three weeks to a presidential run-off election, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Friday reissued calls for dialogue with President Robert Mugabe on a government of national unity.
"It is in the best interest of the Zimbabwean people to talk. We're ready to dialogue," MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti told a debate on Zimbabwe at the World Economic Forum in Cape Town.
Female race in macho country: Women lead Argentine vote
By DPA
Buenos Aires : Argentina is a poster country for macho culture. However, Sunday's presidential election will almost certainly see an end to that male dominance, at least in politics.
According to the latest opinion polls, there is almost no doubt that a woman will occupy the Argentine presidential palace, the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, when outgoing President Nestor Kirchner leaves.
The choice appears to be between the elegant, centre-left Cristina Fernandez, 54, and wife of President Kirchner, and the rougher centrist candidate Elisa Carrio, 50.
Nepal HR interrogates police, Home Secretary over Kapilvastu carnage
By NNN-Nepal News
Kathmandu : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) summoned and interrogated the chief of Armed Police Force (APF) and Home Secretary to inquire about the insecurity leading to carnage in Kapilvastu recently.
At a time when there have been widespread condemnations over the lax security, the Commission had summoned APF chief Basudev Oli and Home Secretary Umesh Mainali for explanations.
Over 1,100 killed in Iraq violence in September
Baghdad: A total of 1,119 Iraqis were killed and 1,946 injured in terror attacks and violence in September in Iraq, the UN Assistance Mission...
Cambodia not to boycott ASEAN Summit in Thailand
By Xinhua,
Phnom Penh : The bilateral armed clash at the border area in October will not stop Cambodia from attending the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Thailand, Chinese-language newspaper the Jian Hua Daily on Wednesday quoted an official as saying.
"We will not boycott the summit in December, even as we have border dispute," Phay Siphan, secretary of state of the Cambodian Council of Ministers told a seminar here on Tuesday.
The clash in October killed two Cambodian soldiers and wounded two others, after Thai troops entered the disputed area over sovereignty claim.
Sri Lankan Army receives 19 bodies of soldiers killed by rebels
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The military in Sri Lanka said 19 bodies of Army soldiers killed by Tamil Tigers rebels were handed over to the Army through the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) officials on Wednesday in the north.
The Ministry of Defence said in a statement that Army authorities serving the Omanthai Entry/Exit received the partly disfigured and decomposed corpses of Army soldiers, which have been delivered to ICRC officials by the Tigers in the Mullaittivu district.
UN allocates $214 mn for ‘hunger hotspots’
By DPA,
Rome : The UN World Food Programme (WFP) Tuesday announced a $214-million roll-out directed at 14 global "hunger hotspots".
The measure comes as nearly one billion poor people worldwide grapple with the "unrelenting global high food and fuel price crisis", the Rome-based WFP said in a statement.
The $214 million will help provide food rations to highly vulnerable groups; continuing to feed school-aged children even while school is out and giving supplemental food to pregnant women and young children whose mental and physical development is at stake, WFP said.
Beckhams named most fashionable family
By IANS,
London: Celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham and their four children have been voted the world's most stylish family.
Now a helicopter with spinning disc instead of blades
By IANS,
Washington : The US defence department is funding a radical helicopter design called the DiscRotor that would have a spinning disc instead of conventional spinning rotor blades at high speeds.
The DiscRotor, which is being funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), would have a large circular saucer-like hub on top with retractable rotor blades extending from the saucer's edge.
Sri Lanka rejects UN plan to form human rights panel
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka has rejected the UN proposal to set up an advisory panel in the wake of alleged human rights abuse during the final phase of armed battle between the government forces and the LTTE rebels in the country.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the intention was "unwarranted" and such move would be perceived as an "interference" in Sri Lanka's internal matter.
Sri Lanka woos Chinese tourists
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka has opened a page on Chinese social networking site - www.renren.com - to attract more Chinese tourists to the country, an official said Monday.
False evidence given against me in Nepal apex court: Sobhraj
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Charles Sobhraj, accused of being a serial killer, has alleged that state lawyers have pulled a fraud on Nepal's Supreme Court by tabling a privately made documentary as Interpol evidence of his guilt to prevent him from winning an appeal against a life term.
Indonesia urges EU to lift ban on its airliners
By DPA,
Jakarta : Indonesia has called on the European Union (EU) to lift its ban on the country's carriers from the 27-nation bloc's airspace after Jakarta passed a new aviation law, media reports said Thursday.
"There is no further argument for the EU not to lift the ban," Transport Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal was quoted as saying by the Indonesian daily Koran Tempo.
On Wednesday, the Indonesian parliament passed a bill to improve the country's air safety in response to demands by the EU after Indonesia saw a string of deadly air crashes.
US economic index rises for first time in six months
By DPA,
Washington : The US economy got a dose of good news Thursday as a leading economic index rose for the first time in six months, according to a private survey.
The Conference Board's gauge increased 0.1 percent, after falling 0.3 percent in February, the New York-based research group said.
The index is a measure of the direction of the economy over the next three to six months.
Confidence in the economy has been spurred by an influx of cash into the banking system and the lowering of benchmark interest rates by the Federal Reserve, analysts said.
German church eyes boosting coop with Muslims on fighting poverty
By IRNA,
Berlin : German Protestant leader Nikolaus Schneider on Wednesday called for stepping up cooperation with the nation's 4.3 million Muslims on tackling poverty and social alienation.
In a message marking the holy month of Ramadan, Schneider stressed it was time that Muslims and Christians worked together for the sake of those people who 'need our solidarity, support and help.'
The problem of poverty and social inequality in Germany has been troubling to me, he said.
52 killed in suicide bombings in Baghdad
Baghdad: At least 52 people were killed and another 54 wounded on Monday in three suicide bombings, but also in a series of attacks...
Pilots at Lufthansa sister company CityLine stage 36-hour strike
By IRNA,
Berlin : Pilots at Lufthansa sister company CityLine went on a 36-hour strike Thursday, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations and delays at German airports, according to media reports.
The German pilot union 'Cockpit' called for the labor walkout of more than 700 pilots working for CityLine, demanding a wage hike.
The strike started midnight and was expected to last until Friday noon.
The labor action affected airline traffic at nationwide airports, including Berlin, Munich, Hanover, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Cologne and Duesseldorf.
Hurricane Felix down to category 4 but still dangerous
By DPA
Managua/Mexico City : Hurricane Felix lost some force over the Caribbean and has been downgraded to a category four storm but officials warned that it could yet regain strength before striking Central America.
At 21.00 GMT Monday, Felix's centre was located 405 km east of Cabo Gracias a Dios, where it is expected to make landfall Tuesday on the Nicaragua-Honduras border, with sustained winds of 215 km per hour and even stronger gusts.
20 held for Nairobi twin blasts
By IANS,
Nairobi: Kenyan police have arrested over 20 suspects in connection with Wednesday's twin blasts in which at least two people were injured.
Russia, EU close to solution on gas row: Putin
By RIA Novosti,
Berlin : Admitting that the ongoing gas standoff with Ukraine has damaged his country's image as a reliable supplier to Europe, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said a solution to the crisis was in sight.
"We seem to be close to interesting agreements that may resolve the crisis," Putin told a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after a meeting in Berlin Friday.
China to build indigenous jet engine by 2016
By Xinhua,
Shanghai : China's first indigenously built jet engine will debut in 2016, an official said Wednesday.
"China is expected to complete its first jumbo jet engine in 2016," said Zhang Jian, general manager of the Shanghai-based AVIC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. Ltd.
China also hopes to build 150-seat commercial aircraft to be introduced in the market by 2020.
"We hope the home-made engine will fly together with the home-made large aircraft," he said.
Company dorm fire leaves 11 dead, 10 injured in east China city
By Xinhua,
Qingdao (China) : Eleven people were killed and 10 injured in a fire that broke out in the early hours of Thursday in a seafood company in this Chinese coastal city.
The injured had been shifted to hospital and were stated to be out of danger, an official of the company said.
The fire occurred at 1.40 a.m. in a dormitory of the Qingdao Jiayuan Michael Food Co., in the Chengyang district.
"There were 84 bunk beds in the building but only 51 workers were inside when the fire broke out," the official said.
The remaining workers moved to safety, he said.
Nepal dealer is Tata’s best distributor abroad
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Despite political turmoil, mounting inflation and a nagging fuel crisis, a Nepali car dealer pipped rivals from 16 other countries to become the highest seller of commercial vehicles manufactured by Indian business group Tata in the international market.
Sipradi Trading Private Ltd, distributors of Tata Motors' trucks, tippers, buses, mini buses and the Tata mobile, sold more than 3,500 Tata vehicles in the financial year 2008-09, the company said.
Jackson was spending $50,000 per month on drugs: report
By IANS,
London : Pop legend Michael Jackson was battling with numerous disorders and was spending 30,000 pounds ($50,000) a month on prescription drugs like narcotic pain relievers, muscle relaxants and anti-depressants before his death.
The ailing "Thriller" star, who died last week, was said to have consumed "mountains of medication" as he battled numerous disorders in the year leading up to his death, reported thesun.co.uk.
Alleged pic of JFK romp with buxom beauties found
By DPA,
New York: A photograph allegedly showing a young John F. Kennedy sunbathing on a yacht among four naked women has been discovered, the celebrity website TMZ reported Monday.
The black-and-white photograph, severely creased, shows a young and tanned Kennedy relaxing aboard a yacht. Two nude women are lounging above him, while another climbs a ladder back onto the boat.
Another naked woman is jumping, hands raised, into the water.
TMZ, the site that first broke the news of the death of Michael Jackson, insisted that the picture was authentic.
Aerospace engineer thinks up way of deflecting asteroids
By IANS,
Washington : David French may be the guy who saves the world from an asteroid when it comes hurtling down from space.
French, a doctoral candidate in aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University (NCSU), has thought up a way to divert asteroids and other threatening objects from hitting the earth.
Just by attaching a long tether and ballast to the incoming object "you change the object's centre of mass, effectively changing the object's orbit and allowing it to pass by the earth, rather than impacting it", French explained.
Chinese Premier vows “no casualty” during Tangjiashan quake lake inspection
By Xinhua,
Mianyang, Sichuan : Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao went to oversee the safety of the Tangjiashan quake-formed lake by helicopter on Thursday afternoon.
"Now it's a critical moment for the Tangjiashan quake lake, and the most important thing is to ensure there is no casualty of the people," Wen said.
Toll in Nigeria building collapse now 40
Abuja : The toll in Friday's building collapse in Lagos, the main commercial city of Nigeria, has risen to 40, a rescue official said...
Obama names Clinton Secretary of State, keeps Gates at defence
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : US President-elect Barack Obama named Hillary Clinton, his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, as Secretary of State and asked Defence Secretary Robert Gates to stay on in that job as he announced his national security team Monday.
Introducing the full team at a news conference at the president-elect's office in Chicago, Obama said he aimed to implement a "new dawn of American leadership" that integrates military, diplomacy, law enforcement and the economy.
AirAsia plane crash: Seventh body recovered
Jakarta : One more body was recovered Wednesday from the Java Sea site where AirAsia flight QZ8501 crashed Sunday, taking the total number of...
Kenyan church and business leaders call for peace
By IANS
Nairobi : Kenyan church and business leaders have called for peace and urged political leaders to reconcile and build the country which is currently experiencing political unrest following the recent national elections, BuaNews agency reported Saturday.
Bishop Peter Njiiri, who is in charge of the Assembly of God Church in Eldoret in western Kenya, has invited leaders of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to exercise patience; saying now is time for healing and reconciliation.
Bodies from missing Air France plane found
By DPA,
Sao Paulo/Paris: The Brazilian Air Force has found the first bodies and wreckage from the Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic Monday, a spokesman said Saturday in Recife.
The find was made about 8 a.m. (1200 GMT), the spokesman said, providing little more detail.
However, a family member of one of the 228 victims of the accident told news station Globonews that Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim told relatives that two male bodies had been taken out of the water.
Obama vows to prevent Iran from getting N-arms
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama has vowed he would not let Iran have nuclear weapons as long as he remains in office.
British police using ‘ghost trains’ to catch thieves
By IANS,
London : To catch the surging number of scrap metal thieves red-handed, undercover British policemen have now started travelling at night by special locomotives, dubbed "ghost trains".
Ukraine says Gazprom not paying for gas transit to Europe
By RIA Novosti
Kiev : Tempers flared in the gas row between Ukraine and Gazprom Monday when Kiev accused Russia's energy giant of not paying gas transit fees, while Gazprom blamed Ukraine for failing to send any invoices.
"Since December Russia's Gazprom has not paid [Ukraine's state oil and gas company] Naftogaz a kopeck for the transit of Russian gas," Ukraine's first deputy prime minister, Oleksandr Turchinov, told local TV on Monday.
26,000 people face food insecurity in Nepal, reports UN
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : A UN aid agency Wednesday said that about 26,000 people in Nepal's western districts are facing food insecurity due to inadequate crop yield, soaring food prices and lack of income opportunities.
The findings are based on a study in 47 districts across the country, the World Food Programme (WFP) said in its bulletin. The agency added that several areas near the mountains are moderately food insecure.
Obama urges Israel to stop West Bank activities
By Xinhua,
Washington : US President Barack Obama has urged Israel to freeze Jewish settlement activities in the West Bank, reiterating Washington's support for establishing a Palestinian state.
After meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the White House Thursday, Obama told reporters that Israel "must meet obligations" to halt Jewish settlement activities in the West Bank, and that Israel would recognise the two-state solution in its security interests.
EU alarmed by Russian troop plans for Georgian conflict zone
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The European Union's foreign policy chief has warned Russia that its decision to send more peacekeepers to a Georgian breakaway region could prove counterproductive.
Russia's Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday it would expand its peacekeeping contingent in Abkhazia, a separatist Black Sea province bordering on Russia, saying Georgia had amassed troops on Abkhazia's border in preparation for a military operation.
Top leaders rapped as Nepal fails key constitution milestone
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : The panel of lawmakers entrusted with drafting the new constitution of Nepal Friday rapped three of the top political leaders on their knuckles, accusing them of not being serious about the statute as the nascent republic failed to keep a major date with destiny.
The Constitutional Committee, which has been mandated to write a new pro-people constitution by May, Friday ordered the chiefs of the three biggest political parties to be present at its next meeting scheduled Sunday without fail.
Colombian Army kills 13 FARC rebels
By IANS,
Bogota: At least 13 rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been killed by government soldiers, an official said Tuesday.
Man held for reaching out to wife on Facebook
By IANS,
New York : A man in the US has been arrested after he sent his estranged wife a friendship request on social networking site Facebook, despite a court's restraining order.
Harry Bruder of Hudson, Florida, was served with a restraining order in June from his wife, Carole Jean Bruder, over allegations of domestic violence, the Herald Sun reported Tuesday.
The restraining order prohibited Harry from having face-to-face contact with his wife as well as electronic communication.
EU supports Cambodia’s development projects
By NNN-VNA,
Phnom Penh : The European Union (EU) has contributed over 18.7 million Euro to help Cambodia carry out national development projects in the past recent years, an EU diplomat has said.
The European Union’s funding has supported various projects carried out by UNDP in the fields of health, governance, judiciary and rural development, Cambodian news agency (KPL) quoted EU’s charde d’affairs Rafael Dochao Moreno as saying on October 28.
Nepal princess pays for father’s ambition
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : More than a year after King Gyanendra was stripped of his powers as punishment for trying to impose direct rule, his kin is paying for the monarch's ambition.
The king's daughter, Princess Prerana, has become the latest victim of a retribution drive though she is probably the least controversial member of the royal family.
Indo-Canadian doctors reveal new device to save brain stroke victims
By IANS,
Toronto : Canadian researchers are on the verge of perfecting a vaccum-like device to clear brain clots much faster than current clot-dissolving drugs, according to Indo-Canadian researcher Mayank Goyal.
Goyal, who is director of the Seaman Family M.R. Research Centre at the University of Calgary and a professor of radiology and clinical neurosciences, revealed at the on-going Canadian Stroke Congress on Quebec City Tuesday that the new device poses less risk of bleeding and works more effectively to save lives.
More People Involved in French Bank Scandal
By Prensa Latina
Paris, : Jerome Kerviel, the front in the fraud that shook the French bank Societe Generale, is just the tip of the iceberg, as the investigation is still underway.
Kerviel caused the French bank to lose 4.9 billion euros when he took unauthorized bets. However, his lawyers said he acted in good faith and was not seeking personal benefits.
The investigation has taken a new course, and Bank President Daniel Bouton and Board of Directors member Robert A. Day are on target.
Cambodia provides $250,000 to help cyclone-hit Myanmar
By Xinhua,
Phnom Penh : Cambodia will provide additional 250,000 U.S. dollars to help Myanmar after the cyclone disaster, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced here on Monday.
"Including the 50,000 U.S. dollars that Cambodia has already provided, we will provide up to 300,000 U.S. dollars to Myanmar," Hun Sen said while addressing an inauguration ceremony at the National Institute of Education.
"The amount of money is from our honest heart to help Myanmar but it is still little because we are also poor," he said.
Huge Indian Ocean tsunamis occur every 600 years
By IANS,
New York : The devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, which claimed more than 200,000 lives, was not the first of its kind to hit the region, according to new research.
The research also suggests that such huge tsunamis occur in the Indian Ocean every 600 to 700 years. The findings could be used to put statistical weight behind estimates of the likelihood of a future tsunami.
Japan’s former finance minister found dead
By DPA,
Tokyo : Japanese former finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa has been found dead in his Tokyo home, the Kyodo news agency reported Sunday.
Police said the body of the 56-year-old was found face down on his bed and did not appear to have any external injuries.
The member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) stepped down in February after he appeared to be drunk at a Group of 7 (G7) press conference.
Margaret Thatcher in hospital with broken arm
By DPA,
London: Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 83, was taken to hospital Friday after breaking her arm in a fall at her London home, her spokeswoman said.
The 83-year-old "Iron Lady" had "tripped over at home" early Friday and broken a bone in her upper arm. She was taken to Chelsea and Westminster hospital in central London where she will stay overnight.
Thatcher, who left office in 1990, has suffered a number of heath scares over recent years, including a string of minor strokes.
Airlines lost $1.7 bn to closed skies: IATA
By DPA,
Geneva/Berlin : The ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano eruption that spread over Europe cost airlines more than $1.7 billion in lost revenue, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Wednesday.
The calculation by the industry group was made through Tuesday, with the initial eruption occurring six days earlier. The volcano forced closure of much of Europe's skies.
Russia rechecks 2018 FIFA World Cup stadiums
Moscow: Three Russian cities are rechecking their existing and prospective stadiums for 2018 FIFA World Cup after the governing body of international football hinted...
Japan begins fingerprinting, photographing visitors
By DPA
Tokyo : Japan Tuesday began taking fingerprints of foreign visitors and photographing them, becoming the second country in the world after the US to bring this change to the immigration law in force.
At the nation's 27 airports and 126 seaports Tuesday, immigration officials took head shots and scanned index fingers of visitors entering Japan.
The system was introduced amid mounting protests from Japan Federation of Bar Associations, human rights groups and foreign residents.
Taiwanese government resigns after defeat in local elections
Taipei : Taiwaness Prime Minister Jiang Yi-hua and his entire government resigned Monday following the ruling party Kuomintang's crushing defeat in local elections where...
EU works to restore security in Caucasus — German FM
By KUNA,
Berlin : German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday the European Union (EU) will spare no effort to restore security and stability to the Caucasus region.
EU parliamentary panel approves pact with Pakistan on illegals
By IANS,
Brussels: An agreement with Pakistan on taking back its citizens illegally living in the European Union was backed by the European parliament's Civil Liberties Committee Tuesday, EuAsiaNews reported.
The controversial agreement, over which the European parliament has a right of veto, seeks to combat clandestine immigration by making it easier to return illegal immigrants to their country of origin, the European parliament said in a statement.
The agreement will now be debated and then would put to a full session parliament vote in September.
Former U.S. president Bush endorses McCain
By Xinhua
Washington : Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush Monday endorsed John McCain to be the 2008 Republican presidential candidate.
"As someone who also helped lead our great party at the RNC (Republican National Committee) and later as president, I believe now is the right time for me to help John in his effort to start building the broad-based coalition it'll take for our values to carry the White House this fall," the 41st U.S. president told a televised news conference held in Houston, Texas.
Modi-Sharif bilateral meeting in Ufa on Friday
Ufa (Russia): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to hold a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Friday - in a...
Khodorkovsky, Lebedev deny all charges in trial
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev denied all the charges against them in a trial in Moscow Tuesday.
"No, I do not admit my guilt," Khodorkovsky said. Lebedev made a similar statement, saying, "I have never stolen anything in my life."
He labelled the new charges brought against him as "schizophrenic fraud".
"I declare that the state prosecution committed a crime by putting forward such forged accusations," Lebedev said.
Russia, China to sign deal on nuclear civilian cooperation
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia is to sign a billion dollar deal with China to cooperate in building a civilian nuclear facility, the head of Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom said Friday.
"I will not cite the worth of the total contract, but it is well over one billion dollars," Rosatom chief Sergei Kiryenko was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying from Beijing.
Kiryenko is part of a heavy-weight delegation accompany Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on his first foreign policy trip since taking office this month aimed at strengthening military and energy relations.
At least 12 killed in Russia earthquake
By Xinhua,
Moscow : At least 12 people were killed in an earthquake jolting Russia's North Caucasus region, Itar-Tass news agency reported quoting the republic's health minister Musa Akhmadov.
More than 100 people have been hospitalised in Chechnya, Akhmadov said.
Earlier, the agency quoted Chechen deputy emergency situations minister Akhmed Dzhairkhanov as saying that five people died in Saturday's earthquake.
Soldiers take over streets of Yangon
By DPA
Yangon : Hundreds of armed soldiers took over the streets of Yangon Saturday, hunkering down behind barbed wire at strategic spots in preparation for more anti-government demonstrations.
By noon Saturday the city was remarkably peaceful, enjoying its first lull in almost two weeks of increasingly violent protests against the ruling junta and the country's deteriorating economy.
United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari was scheduled to arrive in the city at 3.30 p.m. on Silk Air flight 518 from Singapore.
Nepal to elect PM on Friday
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Nepali Constituent Assembly on Monday fixed Aug. 15 (Friday) as the date for the elections of new prime minister of the country.
A meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) Task Management Committee held on Monday decided to elect the Prime Minister on Friday, according to local TV channel Kantipur.
According to electoral programs, the nominations for the Prime Minister are to be registered at the CA Secretariat on Thursday.
According to CA Speaker Subas Chandra Nemwang, the election will start on Friday at 11 a.m. (0515 GMT).
2010 is UN year of Millennium Development Goals
By DPA,
New York : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon decided Tuesday to call 2010 the year of Millennium Development Goals, which will review progress to achieve a set of eight programmes by 2015.
The goals were set by the UN General Assembly in 2000, including halving extreme poverty, universal education for children, ending child and maternal mortality and stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The assembly is planning meetings in 2010 to review progress made so far by governments and whether the goals can be reached in 2015.
Over 100 injured in violent clashes in S Korea over U.S. beef imports
By Xinhua,
Seoul : Thousands of protesters, who opposed U.S. beef imports into South Korea, clashed violently with riot police in downtown Seoul until early Sunday morning, leaving over 100 people injured.
In the first weekend rally after Seoul implemented its agreement with Washington to resume U.S. beef imports, about 15,000 protesters gathered around Seoul City Hall Saturday night and marched towards the presidential office, Yonhap news agency reported.
U.N. Chief to Dispatch Humanitarian Envoy to Myanmar Soon
By SPA,
United Nations : United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will dispatch U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator John Holmes to Myanmar in the next five to six days, the organization confirmed Thursday.
Ban’s spokeswoman Michele Montas said Holmes will focus on sending aid to victims of the violent cyclone that has left tens of thousands dead in the Asian country.
Montas also confirmed Ban’s approval for the U.N. Staff Union to raise funds for the victims of Cyclone Nargis at the U.N.
Ban on Wednesday proposed three initiatives to aid the post-Cyclone Nargis victims.
Georgia accuses Russia of trying to annex breakaway regions
By RIA Novosti,
Tbilisi : Georgian Foreign Minister David Bakradze has accused Russia of trying to annex the country's unrecognised republics.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to develop measures to aid Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Moscow is expected to cooperate with both the de-facto authorities in the two republics. The Russian foreign ministry said that in developing relations with Georgia's breakaway republics, Russia did not want a confrontation with Tbilisi.
China’s emerging middle class: a changing social and political order
By Ren Ke, Xinhua,
Beijing : Eric Wang walks into a restaurant near his office in Beijing's central business district. Wearing an immaculately pressed dark blue suit with a gold-coloured tie, he picks up a cup of cappuccino and sips.
"It's really a sharp contrast between my life and that of my parents," says Wang. A certified public accountant (CPA) in an international accounting firm, he enjoys a life of great vicissitudes.
New Zealand lifts ban on Fiji strongman Bainimarama
By DPA,
Wellington : New Zealand will lift a ban on Fiji's military strongman Frank Bainimarama next week so that he can face criticism at a meeting where regional leaders are expected to demand why he is reneging on a promise to hold elections next year, officials said Wednesday.
Bainimarama, who ousted Fiji's elected government in a bloodless coup in December 2006, and two of his senior ministers, will be allowed to transit through Auckland on their way to Niue for the Pacific Islands Forum meeting on Aug 19-20.
North Korea says it will build more nuclear weapons
By DPA,
Seoul : North Korea said Saturday that it would build more nuclear weapons in reaction to the United Nations Security Council resolution condemning its most recent nuclear test.
It also said it would respond militarily to any attempt by the US and other countries to isolate it or impose a "blockade", according to a statement from the foreign ministry reported by the official Korean Central News Agency.
It said that the enrichment of uranium for weapons was progressing.
Britain to sign treaty to ban cluster bombs: Report
By DPA,
London : The British government is preparing to agree to scrap Britain's entire arsenal of cluster bombs, reports said Wednesday.
Officials were paving the way for the "unexpected and radical step" at a conference in Dublin aimed at an international treaty agreeing a worldwide ban on the bombs, the Guardian newspaper reported.
Cluster bombs are munitions that drop hundreds of tennis-ball sized smaller explosives known as "bomblets," which scatter and detonate across the battlefield.
Clinton to address Telugus in US
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : An annual convention of Telugus of North America will feature what is considered Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's secret campaign weapon - her husband and former US president Bill Clinton.
Woman should remove burqa, Australian court told
By IANS,
Sydney: A lawyer in an Australian court has argued that a Muslim woman should remove her burqa while giving evidence, just as she would have to while appearing in an Islamic court.
But the court in Perth hearing the lawyer's submission Thursday rejected the argument as not relevant, Australian news agency AAP reported.
District Court Judge Shauna Deane said the defence counsel's submission, that in Islamic courts women had to remove their burqas, was not relevant as the matter was not being heard in an Islamic court.
Murdered Russian journalist remembered
By DPA,
Moscow : Artists, journalists and human rights activists were among 800 people to gather in Moscow to commemorate the third anniversary of the murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya Wednesday, Russian media reported.
Russian Prime Minister and former president Vladimir Putin was the object of ire among the demonstrators, calling for a "Russia without Putin".
Politkovskaya, a Kremlin critic and investigative journalist who reported war crimes in the Russian autonomous region of Chechnya, was shot dead before her home Oct 7, 2006.
Asian maids labour hard for little returns
By DPA
Hong Kong : Loretta works at least 15 hours a day, six days a week. She lives with her employer, sleeping on a sofa in the bedroom of his six-year-old son.
She has no privacy, eats the leftovers from the meals she cooks for her employer and has just one day off a week.
In the West, her working conditions would be deemed almost slave labour. But in Hong Kong and other Asian countries, they are not unusual for a maid.
"I have lots of friends who live like this," said the 38-year-old Filipino who has been working as a maid in Hong Kong for 12 years.
Rajapaksa renews call for rebels to surrender
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Sunday renewed his call for Tamil Tiger rebels to surrender, the state radio announced here.
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation said Rajapaksa told a political rally Sunday at the central town of Hanguranketha that all facilities would be made available for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres who want to surrender to the government.
"The whole country has united against terrorism and no one will be able to stop the forward march of the troops," the radio quoted the president as saying.
Colombian child fighter’s first toy was a gun
By DPA,
Bogota : A Colombian child fighter turned herself to the authorities after seeing her older brother die in combat and was given a doll as a present, a Colombian military general has said.
"We gave the girl a doll, and she told us that her first toy had been an AK-47 rifle that she was given two months ago," said General Paulino Coronado of the Colombian Army Thursday.
Russia to supply oil to China via Kazakhstan
By RIA Novosti
Astana (Kazakhstan) : Russia will start supplying up to five million tonnes (36.7 million barrels) of oil a year to China via Kazakhstan from 2008, the industry and energy minister said Monday.
"Following bilateral talks, the parties signed a protocol on Kazakhstan and Russia's oil transit in 2008. Under the protocol, Russia will for the first time start supplying five million tonnes of oil per year to China via Kazakhstan," Viktor Khristenko said.
Israel kills Palestinian Jerusalem attacker
By KUNA,
GAZA : Israeli soldiers have killed a Palestinian man who reportedly killed three soldiers in Sur Baher in Jerusalem, an Israeli...
Learning judo with Vladimir Putin
By RIA Novosti,
St. Petersburg : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has presented his judo tutorial video, 'Learning Judo with Vladimir Putin,' here.
The instructional video released Tuesday is a supplement to a judo manual, co-authored by Putin, with the same title that has so far been published in 12 countries.
Online game to foster awareness on warming among kids
By IANS,
Sydney : Computer animation students have designed an online game to help children understand ways they can reduce their impact on climate change.
Programme coordinator of multimedia at Swinburne University of Technology, Peter Ciszewski, said the University's student designers have incorporated educative elements into animation and game play techniques to produce the game.
Chinese embassy faces protests over bribe row
By Sudeshna Sarkar,IANS,
Kathmandu : The Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu came under protesters' fire Tuesday, a week after a scandal broke out in Nepal over the opposition Maoist party allegedly seeking money from China to bribe MPs into voting for them.
While Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda fought a result-less election in parliament for the post of prime minister, nearly 200 people under the banner of Free Youth Organisation led a rally to the Chinese Embassy, asking for an end to Chinese and all foreign intervention in Nepal and an inquiry into the audio tape scandal.
Assad peace plan detached from reality: US
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Washington: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's proposed peace plan is far from reality and proves again that he must resign from his post, the US has said.
Parents lose custody of kids over Nazi ideology
By IANS,
Toronto : A couple in Canada has been forced to give up custody of their two children to the authorities after teaching them Nazi ideology.
The government of Manitoba province snatched the kids from a Winnipeg-based couple for filling their minds with Nazi beliefs and racist hatred.
The children - a seven-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother - are now in the care of the Child and Family Services of the province.
Dialogue between Muslim and Christian worlds must: Kazakhstan president
By Sarwar Kashani,IANS,
Astana : The future of the world was at risk if measures for peace and reconciliation between Muslims and Christians were not taken immediately, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev warned here Friday.
Kicking off an international conference on 'Common World, Progress Through Diversity', he stressed the need to jointly stave off threats to world security due to terrorism and the apparent discord between Muslims and other faiths.
The summit is being held in a multi-storeyed pyramid shaped architectural masterpiece called the Palace of Peace and Concord.
End Tibetan monastery stand-off, European Parliament to China
By IANS,
Dharamsala : The European Parliament Tuesday asked the Chinese government to end a stand-off at a monastery in northeastern Tibet.
Death toll rises to 59 in Bolivia downpours
By IANS/EFE,
La Paz : The torrential rains and flooding that have lashed Bolivia for several weeks have claimed 59 lives, affected more than 59,800...
Smith defends use of allowances
By KUNA,
(With UK-MPS-EXPENSES) LONDON : British Home Secretary Mrs Jacqui Smith Tuesday defended her use of MPs' allowances as "fair and reasonable".
She told BBC radio she had been criticised for listing the house she shares with her sister in London as her main residence, while claiming second home expenses for her family house, in Redditch, central England.
She said it was the "nature of the job" that MPs had to furnish and run two properties.
Secret German military study warns of dramatic oil crisis
By IRNA,
Berlin : A confidential German army study warned of a looming oil crisis which could have dramatic political and economic consequences for the world, the Hamburg-based weekly news magazine Der Spiegel said Tuesday.
According to the report, a think-tank of the German army has for the first time ever analyzed the security policy dimensions of the peak oil problem.
Peak oil is the point at which oil production reaches its maximum and then declines.
Many experts say global oil production will either reach its peak this year or in 2011.
Gunman holds hostages in Sydney cafe
Canberra: An armed man Monday took several people hostage inside a shop in Sydney's central business district, forcing the government to call an emergency...
Nepal’s casino battle escalates as pioneer hits back
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : The long drawn-out and bitter battle for the control of Nepal's casino industry, worth millions of rupees, escalated further with the American partner going to court to stop a decision that favours his former protégé, an Indian investor.
Strong earthquake rocks Tokyo
By DPA,
Tokyo : An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale shook the Japanese capital Tokyo and its environs Sunday, Japanese meteorological authorities have reported.
The quake happened at 7.56 p.m. (1056 GMT), off the eastern coast of Japan.
Buildings in the capital shook during the quake, but no reports of damage or injuries have yet been received.
A Tsunami warning has not been issued by the authorities.
The Japanese islands are one of the world's most earthquake- affected areas.
Russia to deploy more intercontinental ballistic missiles
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) would deploy 11 new silo and mobile-launched Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles in 2008, the SMF commander has said.
General Nikolai Solovtsov said the weapons would be deployed in the European part of Russia, adding: "The SMF will receive 11 up-to-date Topol-M ICBMs in two versions (silo and mobile-launched)".
British Council suspends work in Russia
By RIA Novosti
St. Petersburg : The British Council's office in St. Petersburg has suspended work after Russian officials interviewed its staff and allegedly detained the head of the office.
Russia ordered that the Council's regional offices be closed over alleged tax violations from the start of this year, but the offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg in the Urals region resumed work after the New Year holidays in defiance of the ban, a move that Moscow called a provocation.
The British government has denied that its cultural arm has violated any Russian law.
No military solution, seek political solution: Obama to Iraqis
Washington: In the face of Sunni militants' menacing advance towards Baghdad, US President Barack Obama has asked Iraqi leaders to come up with a...
Three killed in Egypt plane crash
By Xinhua
Cairo : A plane carrying multi-national observers crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsular Sunday, killing three on board, pan-Arab satellite TV al-Jazeera reported.
Dragging on – the struggle to ban smoking in Switzerland
By Heather Lima, DPA
Berne (Switzerland) : The land of health spas, muesli and mountain air, Switzerland remains one of the last havens for smokers in Europe and there is a powerful restaurant and hotel lobby set on keeping it that way.
However, while the smoker still holds sway in many restaurants and bars across most of the country the non-smoker is breaking out of his corner.
So far laws have been brought in piecemeal regionally. Six out of 26 cantons have introduced laws to curb passive smoking with others planning to follow.
12 trapped after building collapse in Argentina
By DPA,
Buenos Aires : A building housing a gym and two shops collapsed in Buenos Aires Monday, injuring at least eight people and leaving 12 to 15 others trapped under the rubble.
Workers were reportedly digging at an adjacent site, where they were building a high-rise apartment block. The work may have disturbed the foundations, leading to the collapse of the two-floor gym in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Villa Urquiza, Argentine media said.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the Argentine capital's Emergency Medical Treatment System, confirmed the injuries.
Riots, arson, firing as protests escalate in Lhasa
By DPA
Beijing : Violence erupted Friday in the centre of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, as the government deployed paramilitary riot police to control protests initiated by Buddhist monks, witnesses said.
US-based broadcaster Radio Free Asia reported that "police had fired into the crowds," citing witnesses.
"There were shots and deaths," another source said.
Another witness said that he had seen two bodies outside the Jokhang temple, the holiest site in the city for Tibetan Buddhists.
British teacher jailed in Sudan teddy bear case
By RIA Novosti
Khartoum : A British teacher who was found guilty of insulting religion in Sudan was sentenced Friday to 15 days behind bars.
Gillian Gibbons, 54, was arrested Sunday on blasphemy charges in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, after her class of primary school pupils named a teddy bear Muhammad in September.
Islamic Sharia law is in force in some parts of Sudan, including the capital.
ASEAN-UN-Myanmar tripartite core group to make joint assessment on cyclone
By Xinhua,
Yangon : A tripartite core group involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations (UN) and Myanmar is working to make joint assessment on the impact of Cyclone Nargis that devastated Myanmar in early last May, according to state media Tuesday.
In preparation to carry out the assessment, the ASEAN Emergency Rapid Assessment Team (ERAT) is providing training for officials from over a dozen Myanmar government ministries, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.
Swraj Paul dragged into British party funding row
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Indian-born steel magnate and Labour Party supporter Lord Swraj Paul has found himself dragged into a controversy on who is allowed to fund political parties in Britain after a leading opposition contributor and strategist admitted his tax status is that of a non-domicile.
Nepal’s oldest Communist party gets new leadership
Kathmandu : Khadga Prasad Oli has been elected the new president of Nepal's oldest Communist party CPN (UML), party officials said here Wednesday.
The election...
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