Libyan leader Gaddafi invites Russian investment, business
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has said his government is keen to expand cooperation with Russia beyond the military and political sphere into trade and commerce and invited Russian investment and business to his country.
Gaddafi, on a visit to Russia, Saturday met President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin separately and assured them that "the door to enhancing cooperation in civilian spheres is open to Russia."
French minister predicts 0.1 percent growth in 2013
By IANS,
Paris : French Economy and Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici has predicted that the country's economy will grow by just 0.1 percent in 2013.
Canadians outraged as policemen beat up wrong man
By IANS,
Vancouver: Canadians were outraged when men from the Vancouver Police Department bloodied a man at the dead of night without confirming whether he was the man they wanted.
They were responding to a domestic abuse call from a woman Friday, who said that she was being assaulted by her husband and she feared for herself and her child.
The policemen reached the address, knocked on the door and woke Yao Wei Wu up from his sleep. They dragged him out and beat up him black and blue.
Lanka asks ministers to limit foreign trips
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka Tuesday asked its ministers to curtail foreign trips and slashed the monthly monetary allocations to all the ministries by 50 percent.
According to a statement from the government information department, Media Minister Laxman Yapa Abeyawardena said the "monthly monetary allocations to all ministries will be reduced by 50 percent as an austerity drive but the budgetary allocations for the year 2008 will remain intact".
US will sign deal even with minority government: Boucher
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The US Monday said it intends to move forward with the India-US civilian nuclear agreement with whatever government is in charge in New Delhi - even if it is in minority.
The Bush administration was ready to "go as far as" possible to see conclusion of the deal, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher was quoted as saying ahead of the crucial trust vote that would decide the fate of Manmohan Singh government.
Al-Zawahiri slams Obama’s election
By DPA,
Washington : The man regarded as second-in-command of terrorist group Al Qaeda condemned US president-elect Barack Obama Wednesday in the group's first audio message since his election, using racial slurs and calling his victory an "admission of defeat" in Iraq.
Ayman al-Zawahiri called Obama "the direct opposite of honorable black Americans" and cited Malcolm X, a controversial figure who preached violence during the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
Swine flu cases cross 3,000-mark in Australia
By Xinhua,
Canberra : The number of people infected with the deadly influenza A(HINI) virus, or the Swine flu, has crossed the 3,000-mark in Australia, the health ministry announced Thursday.
In an update to reporters, Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the country had 3,199 officially confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) virus as of Thursday afternoon.
Of them, 168 have been hospitalized. Thirty-six people were still in hospitals and 13 in intensive care units, she said.
"Those who have been in hospital mostly have been people with existing conditions," she added.
Two killed in a bomb attack on mosque in Nepal
By KUNA
New Delhi : As many as two persons have been killed in a bomb attack on a mosque in eastern Nepal, merely 11 days ahead of the election.
The attack took place in Biratnagar, native place of Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, late on Saturday, news agency Indo Asian News Service reported Sunday from capital Katmandu.
Four people were injured in the attack. Two of them succumbed to their injuries while being taken to a local hospital, the news agency said.
Putin proposes anti-terror centre in SCO
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Beijing : Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday proposed establishing an anti-terrorism centre within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Belgium shaken as nationalists win polls
By DPA,
Brussels : Belgians awoke Monday to confirmation of the news that the Dutch-speaking nationalist party N-VA has won a crushing victory in snap elections, raising fears that months of political instability will follow.
N-VA's victory in the northern province of Flanders was matched by sweeping gains by the Socialist Party (PS) in the southern, French-speaking province of Wallonia.
Conflict over power-sharing between the two provinces had brought down the last government in April, a year before its term.
Tail of AirAsia jet found: Indonesia
Jakarta : The tail of AirAsia plane which crashed into the Java Sea Dec 28, 2014, with 162 people on board has been found,...
Indra Nooyi wins leadership award for advancing diversity
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Indra K. Nooyi, India-born chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, has been named the winner of the Chicago United 2008 Bridge Award honouring exemplary leadership in support of advancing diversity and inclusion.
Nooyi will be presented the National Bridge Award at Chicago United's Fifth Annual Changing Colour of Leadership Conference and 40th Anniversary Gala on Dec 4, the membership organisation promoting corporate diversity announced Monday.
Labour members mull revolt against Brown: BBC
By DPA,
London : Leading members of Britains's ruling Labour Party are mulling a possible revolt against Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the wake of the stinging defeat in a by-election in Glasgow, BBC reported Sunday.
The report said that among others, former ministers may be pushing for Brown to announce his resignation after the summer holiday break.
But Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who has been mentioned as a possible successor to Brown, appealed to the party to stand behind the prime minister.
"A plot to topple Brown would be a big mistake," he said.
Maoists may free child soldiers before Ban’s visit
By IANS,
Kathmandu : After distancing themselves from revolutionary Chinese leader Mao Zedong and negotiating with the US for taking them off the list of terror organisations, Nepal's Maoist party could now finally discharge its disqualified guerrillas, including child soldiers, before UN chief Ban Ki-moon arrives in Nepal on a whirlwind tour, a report said.
Experts study Polish president’s plane records
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Experts are studying records of talks between the pilots of the crashed plane carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski and ground air controllers, an official said Sunday.
The Soviet-made TU-154 carrying Polish President Kaczynski hit a few trees as it attempted to land at Smolensk airport in Russia Saturday, killing all the 97 people on board.
Anti-Islamic Dutch MP seeks Muslim immigration ban
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Europe's openly anti-Islamic parliamentarian, Dutch MP Geert Wilders, riled many Canadians Sunday when he said Canada should ban immigration from Muslim nations.
US optimistic about final nuclear deal with Iran
Washington: A day after reaching a framework agreement with Iran, the Obama administration on Friday sounded upbeat about the prospect of a final deal...
Ecologists fear satellite debris could be spread across Russia
MOSCOW, February 13 (RIA Novosti) - Ecologists have expressed fears that remnants of the U.S. and Russian satellites that collided on Tuesday could pollute a large portion of Russia, a federal environmental official said on Friday.
Konstantin Tsybko of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources said that a number of large ecological organizations had approached him since a U.S. Iridium satellite and the defunct Russian Cosmos-2251 collided approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) above Siberia. This was the first time such an incident has occurred.
Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano spews lava, red-hot rocks
By DPA
Jakarta : Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano spewed smoke and flaming rocks hundreds of metres from its crater Wednesday although it was not in danger of erupting, an official said.
Anton -- a government vulcanologist at a monitoring post near the volcano, which lies in the Sunda Strait between the Java and Sumatra islands -- said its volcanic activity continued to fluctuate.
Four killed in Russia earthquake
By Xinhua,
Moscow : At least four people were killed Saturday when an earthquake jolted the northern Caucasus region in Russia, the Interfax news agency reported.
The quake at 13.05 p.m. (0905 GMT) jolted the Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, North Ossetia and Stavropol regions, the report quoted the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry as saying.
The intensity of the quake was around 5.0 on the Richter scale, it said.
The epicentre of the quake was in Chechnya, 122 km northwest of Makhachkala city in southwestern Russia, according to the report.
Bobby Jindal testing waters for 2016 presidential run
By Arun Kumar,
Washington : Louisiana's Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal has taken another step towards a possible 2016 presidential run by forming an exploratory committee...
Trainee cops held for kidnapping in Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Four trainee police officers, suspected of having kidnapped a young man for a $5 million ransom, have been detained in the Moscow region, the interior ministry said.
China Rally ending a mere formality
By Anand Philar, IANS
Longyou (China) : China Rally, the seventh and final round of the 2007 Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), is headed to a farcical finish following retirement of all but two contenders, at the finish of the second day, amidst suspicion of "fuel contamination" that took out leading Mitsubishi Lancer cars, including those of Team MRF.
Six killed, 60 injured in suicide attack in Colombo railway station
By KUNA
New Delhi : At least six people were killed and nearly 60 others injured in a suicide attack at the main railway station in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo Sunday.
The attack was carried out by a woman suicide bomber of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the station this afternoon, Press Trust of India reported quoting a Sri Lankan military spokesperson.
The LTTE's suicide bomber blew herself up resulting in the casualties, he said. The railway station is located in the heart of Colombo, he said.
PM: Thai gov’t to hold talks with anti-gov’t protesters
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat reiterated on Monday his coalition government is prepared to hold talks with the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who has led the protests and occupations of the Government House for nearly three months.
Somchai said that a group of well-intentioned persons is prepared to act as middlemen to negotiate with the PAD, and that he agreed with the idea.
He stressed that building reconciliation among the people is his government's policy. He said it needed time to solve problems.
China, South Africa sign ‘strategic agreement’
By IANS,
Beijing : China and South Africa Tuesday pledged to strengthen their bilateral relations and signed a "comprehensive strategic agreement".
Chinese President Hu Jintao and visiting South African President Jacob Zuma signed the Beijing Declaration after their one-hour talks in the Great Hall of the People, Xinhua reported.
The declaration outlined 38 bilateral cooperation agreements, ranging from political dialogues, trade, investment, mineral exploration and agriculture to joint efforts in the global arena, such as in the UN and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
British troops ready to be deployed to Kosovo before independence
LONDON, Feb 16 (KUNA) -- British troops were ready to head to Kosovo after violence erupted there before the independence of the region which would be announced tomorrow (Sunday).
A spokesman for the Defense Ministry stated that about 600 soldiers from the First Welsh Battalion would head to Kosovo if violence did not cease, adding that the troops would join 15,000 NATO troops there which is under the leadership of Kosovo Force (KFOR).
50 people in hospital after drinking holy water
By RIA Novosti,
Irkutsk (Russia) : Some 50 people were poisoned in the east Siberian city of Irkutsk after they drank "holy water" from wells during religious ceremonies of Epiphany, a local consumer watchdog said Monday.
The regional Investigation Committee, which is looking into the mass poisoning, said all the victims complained of "symptoms of acute intestinal infection" and high temperature, and 40 of them, including 22 children, have been hospitalised.
Sri Lanka urged to delay final assault until civilians rescued
By DPA,
New York : The Sri Lankan government has been urged to hold back its final military battle in areas where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped, the UN' chief humanitarian emergency coordinator said Friday.
The UN's John Holmes recently visited the troubled island nation to gain first-hand information of the humanitarian situation in refugee camps.
The battle between the government and separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been raging since January, and the government was planning a final assault in the Vanni region held by the rebels.
Dutch woman complains of rape, Goa police tight-lipped
By IANS,
Panaji : A 24-year-old Dutch woman has complained to the Goa police that she was drugged, robbed and raped by a group of Nigerians on the New Year's eve near the Anjuna beach, police sources said.
While police officials are tight-lipped about the matter, the complainant has been shunted from one police station to another in the last few days, as she pleaded that her complaint be registered.
The woman was sent to the Goa Medical College and Hospital for medical examination to verify the claim that she was raped, the sources said.
TB-infected temple bull to be put down
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANSÂ
London : Months of protests in Britain have failed to save the tuberculosis-infected bull Shambo in the Skanda Vale Temple in Wales as the Welsh Assembly Tuesday decided to slaughter the animal.
Myanmar Health Minister attends S-E Asian Regional who meeting in India
By NNN-MNA,
Nay Pyi Taw : Myanmar's Health Minister, Dr Kyaw Myint, has returned here after attending the 26th South East Asian Regional World health Organization (WHO) Health Ministers Meeting and the 61st Regional Committee meeting held in New Delhi from Sept 8 to 11.
The Health Ministers' meeting on Sept 8 was attended by delegations from Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste, the WHO Director-General, and officials from the United Nations and social organizations.
16 drown as birthday boat sinks in Albanian lake
By DPA
Tirana : A boat ferrying 20 partygoers across a lake in central Albania capsized early Thursday and all but four of the passengers drowned, police confirmed.
The 16 bodies were recovered a few hours after the boat, returning guests from a restaurant that was also the owner's, sank into Lake Farka, near the capital Tirana.
The vessel possibly overturned because it was overloaded as it returned people, mostly members of two families, from a children's birthday celebration.
Nepal Maoists say they recruited 23,000 rebels after truce
By DPA,
Kathmandu : Private television stations across Nepal Tuesday broadcast video footage of Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' telling his guerrilla commanders his party had successfully recruited over 23,000 soldiers after the 2006 truce and of his aim to control the army to grab absolute power.
The video footage appeared a day after the Maoist government collapsed in a power struggle between the president and the prime minister over the government's decision to sack army chief Rukmangad Katuwal.
UK still seeking Israel assurance not to forge more passports
By IRNA,
London : The British government is still awaiting a pledge from Israel never again to clone or forge passports four months on, Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne has revealed.
The demand for “formal assurance that in the future the state of Israel would never be party to the misuse of British passports” was made by former foreign secretary David Miliband back in March and was welcomed by Middle East Minister Alistair Burt, Browne said.
“We cannot accept the fraudulent misuse of British passports,” he told MPs in a written parliamentary reply published Tuesday.
Poland, US seal missile-defence deal
By DPA,
Warsaw : Poland agreed Thursday to host part of a US anti-missile shield in return for military aid, capping more than a year of tough bargaining over a project that has infuriated Russia.
US and Polish diplomats initialled the deal less than a week after Russia's military assault on Georgia, which Poland's president called a "very strong argument" for wrapping up the missile defence talks.
British Airways chief apologizes for Heathrow chaos
By DPA
London : The head of British Airways (BA) apologized Friday to thousands of travellers using the airline's exclusive new Terminal 5 at Heathrow airport as they faced a second day of chaos, with further delays, cancellations and lost luggage.
"It was not our finest hour," Willie Walsh told Britain's BBC news network. "We clearly disappointed a number of people and we sincerely apologize."
BA was doing all it could to make the terminal fully functional, he said.
US allegations threaten disarmament process: North Korea
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : North Korea Friday warned Washington that its allegations over uranium enrichment by Pyongyang could have grave consequences for the deal on disabling its (North Korea) nuclear facilities.
North Korean foreign ministry said that the government had attempted to allay US suspicions that it possessed a uranium-based atomic bomb programme and that it had passed on nuclear technology to Syria, but the US was clinging to its "incorrect" claims.
Obama calls up Ban Ki-moon, discusses world issues
By Xinhua,
New York : US President Barack Obama made a telephone call to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday afternoon and discussed a range of issues of common concern and interest, according to a statement from the UN chief's office.
The secretary-general "underlined the importance of the US-UN partnership and stressed the need for the two to work closely together on major issues like the global economic crisis, climate change, food security and in the resolution of regional crises, particularly those in the Middle East and Africa," the statement said.
Thousands Protest Ahead Of G8 Summit In Japan
By Bernama,
Sapporo, Japan : Several thousand activists from around the world gathered Saturday in Sapporo, capital of Japan's northern prefecture of Hokkaido, to protest against the upcoming Group of Eight (G8) summit, scheduled in Hokkaido on July 7-9, China's Xinhua News Agency reported.
The protestors, who had come from various areas of Japan as well as other countries and regions such as Greece, the Philippines, Indonesia and South Korea, started gathering at the Odori Park at the center of Sapporo shortly after lunch time.
UN role in Sri Lanka ‘inescapable’: rights group
By IANS
New Delhi : The need for UN monitoring of human rights violations in Sri Lanka is "inescapable", a leading rights body has said, warning that the global community was getting disgusted with Colombo.
Burqa set to be banned in Belgium
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
London : Belgium is all set to become the first European country to ban the burqa in public after the country's lower chamber of parliament approved a bill.
A total of 134 lawmakers voted Thursday in favour of the ban. Two members abstained but no one voted against.
Under the new law, women are prohibited from wearing full-face Islamic garments, such as 'burqa' or 'niqab' on streets, parks, sports grounds and buildings "meant for public use or to provide services".
The offender will face a fine of 15-25 euro ($28-$47) and a prison term of up to seven days.
Hindu scholars ask for ‘kirtan’ award at Grammys
By IANS,
London : Hindu scholars are calling on Grammy Awards bosses to add a new category for traditional Indian music at the annual awards ceremony.
Officials at the Universal Society of Hinduism are urging Grammy bosses to include "Kirtan" as a field for future awards shows, beginning in 2010, reports contactmusic.com.
British immigration staff had links with far right organisation
By IANS,
London : Authorities have launched an investigation after revelations that two immigration staff were members of the extremist British National Party (BNP), the UK Border Agency confirmed Wednesday.
The links were revealed when a list of BNP members was put up anonymously on the Internet in November last year, leading one of the staff members to resign and the other to be suspended, a spokesman for the government agency said.
Shanghai Disneyland project approved
By IANS,
Shanghai : The Shanghai Disneyland project has been approved by the Chinese central government, authorities said Wednesday.
The disneyland is planned to come up in the Pudong new district of Shanghai, a Xinhua report said.
Disney President and CEO Robert Iger said that China is one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world, and this approval marks "a very significant milestone" for the Walt Disney Company in China's mainland.
Curfew in downtown Ulan Bator lifted
By Xinhua,
Ulan Bator : The Mongolian authorities Saturday lifted a 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. curfew in downtown Ulan Bator, which was imposed after riots over alleged election fraud erupted in the capital city Tuesday.
Mongolia's presidential press office said Saturday that the situation in the capital has calmed down and a four-day state of emergency in the city will be suspended midnight Saturday (1600GMT).
Mongolian parties, which hold seats in parliament, Friday agreed to deal with the recent riots by law, it added.
Anti-government rally in Bangkok targets royal advisors
By DPA,
Bangkok : More than 50,000 red-shirted anti-government protestors swarmed Bangkok's government quarter Wednesday in a demonstration of support for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
At midday the masses of people were calm, enjoying a break from recent rains, but many protestors were moving towards the home of chief royal advisor Prem Tinsulanda who they blame for hatching the military coup that toppled Thaksin in September 2006.
A key orator for the pro-Thaksin Red Shirt movement, Jatuporn Promphan, said the country did not need royal advisors like Prem any more.
Ukraine okays international gas observers
By DPA,
Moscow/Kiev : Ukraine joined Russia to approve a European Union (EU) initiative for international observers to monitor Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine, raising hopes of a possible end to a Kremlin embargo on energy supplies to Europe.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko signed the deal early Sunday, Interfax news agency reported.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, arrived in Ukraine Saturday evening in an attempt to get Kiev to sign a deal aimed at ending Russia's natural gas embargo to Europe.
Thai army leader denies invitation to lead political party
By Xinhua
Bangkok : Thailand's Council for National Security chairman and last year's coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin Friday dismissed reports that he had been invited to lead Rak Chart political party to contest the elections late this year.
His close aide Panlop Pinmanee had recently said that Sonthi would run under the Rak Chart banner. But Sonthi said the party had nothing to do with him.
Earthquake hits Timor Leste
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : An earthquake with magnitude of 5.2 rocked Timor Leste on Thursday, with no report of damage or casualty, Indonesian meteorology agency said here.
The quake struck at 09:09 Jakarta time (0909 GMT) with epicenter at 291 kilometers northeast Dili, the capital of Timor Leste and at 100 kilometers in depth, an official of the agency said.
Timor Leste sits on a vulnerable quake hit zone so call "the Pacific Ring of Fire" where two continental plates meet that cause frequent volcanic movements.
Chechen authorities deny hostages taken during militant raid
By RIA Novosti,
Grozny : The administration chief of a district in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya where militants killed three civilians in a raid denied on Friday reports that hostages were taken.
A group of around 60 militants attacked the village of Benoi-Vedeno in the Nozhai-Yurt district of eastern Chechnya on Thursday night, burning down five houses. A police source earlier said several people were taken hostage in the raid.
Europe must be sensitive to Greek people: French minister
By IANS,
Luxembourg : Europe must be more "sensitive" to the Greek people and take steps to help revive the country's economy, according to French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici.
1,001 Chinese as living art in Germany
By DPA
Kassel (Germany) : The Chinese visitors are kitted out just like world tourists anywhere: shorts, t-shirts, comfortable shoes, purses secured to belts or wrists and with their own bottles of water.
123 overtakes Hyde Act, but a test would test it
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : Once approved by the US Congress, the 123 agreement to make the India-US civil nuclear deal operational overtakes the contentious enabling Hyde Act in all respects except one - a nuclear test by India, American experts suggest.
The deal could come unstuck if India conducts a test "for the sole sake of 'asserting its sovereignty'", experts at leading US think tanks suggested when asked by IANS what happens if India chooses to do so.
Muslim News welcomes UK admission of foreign policy link with radicalism
London, Jan 29, IRNA -- The Muslim News has welcomed comments made by Security and Counter-terrorism Minister Lord West, directly linking Britain’s foreign policy with radicalism.
“We have always argued that foreign policy is the primary reason for radicalisation but our views have never been listened to by the government,” said Muslim News editor Ahmed Versi.
But Versi also said that the Security Minister’s admission was deflected by trying to hold the only the previous Labour government responsible for not acknowledging the link.
China strongly opposes US Senate’s Tibet resolution
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China strongly opposed a resolution Monday on Tibet adopted by the US Senate.
The resolution, proposed by a few senators in disregard to China's strong protests, "persistently favoured the Dalai clique and interfered with China's internal affairs," said foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu in a statement.
"China is strongly indignant and resolutely opposed to the resolution," she said.
Jiang urged US senators to see clearly the Dalai Lama's true nature, which she said was to engage in secessionist activities under the guise of religion.
South Korea’s central bank leaves interest rates unchanged
By IANS,
Seoul : The Bank of Korea (BOK) left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.25 percent Thursday.
Modi meets leading Canadian CEOs
Toronto : Prime Minister Narendra Modi met leading Canadian CEOs here on Thursday after meeting Canadian bankers and pension fund managers earlier in the...
Bush fully briefed on India, Pakistan situation since Musharraf exit
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : President George W. Bush has been kept fully briefed about the situation in Pakistan and rise in violence across the border with India since the exit former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf.
"Yes, the president is kept fully briefed on it," White House spokesperson Dana Perino told reporters Thursday when asked if Bush was watching or been briefed about the situation in Pakistan since the exit of it key ally in Islamabad.
Sri Lankan Airlines to start flights to north of country
By IANS,
New Delhi : Sri Lanka's flagship carrier Sri Lankan Airlines will soon start floatplane services to the north of the island country, an area where a 25-year ethnic conflict came to an end two months ago following the defeat of the Tamil tigers.
Floatplane is a seaplane equipped with floats for landing on and taking off from water.
Britain to announce rescue package for banks
By DPA,
London : The British government Tuesday approved a comprehensive rescue package to stabilize the banking system with a capital injection of an estimated 50 billion pounds ($87 billion), the BBC reported.
In addition to the capital boost, aimed at shoring up the balance sheets of leading banks, the agreement includes the creation of a standby facility for the provision of any funds that might be needed to guarantee the day-to-day operations of banks.
Russian space freighter undocks from ISS
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's unmanned Progress M-10M spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) Saturday for its return to Earth.
US tags Haqqani leader’s brother as global terrorist
Washington: The US authorities have named Sirajuddin Haqqani, brother of Haqqani Network chief Aziz Haqqani, a "specially designated global terrorist", the State Department said...
Bullying harms both victim and perpetrator
By IANS,
Sydney : It's not just the victim of bullying who faces psychological problems. Being a childhood bully can lead to relationship issues later in life.
Russia to persuade Iran, North Korea for talks
By IANS,
Seoul: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that Moscow will do everything in its power to persuade Iran and North Korea to return to talks on their nuclear programs.
Fidel Castro back to work, meets Angolan president
By Prensa Latina
Varadero (Cuba) : Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro met the president of Angola in his first official appearance in three and half months.
Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos termed as historical the meeting with Castro, to whom he expressed his people's "sympathies when knowing of his illness".
"I was able to see him recovering, he is strong, enthusiastic, and I conveyed him the wishes of the Angolan people for his prompt recovery", Dos Santos told reporters in this resort, 87 miles east of Havana.
At least 20 killed on Russian nuke sub-marine for India
By NNN-PTI,
Moscow : At least 20 people including four sailors were killed and 21 injured in a gas leak accident on board a brand new nuclear-powered Nerpa submarine to be leased to India during a sea trial in the Pacific Ocean.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered a high level probe into the major accident, the worst since the 2000 Kursk mishap.
EU Presidency welcomes Colombia”s signing of CTBT
By KUNA
Ljubljana : The EU Presidency, currently held by Slovenia, welcomed Friday Colombia's signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and its commitment to all conditions of the treaty.
In a statement, the EU Presidency noted that Slovenia was one of ten remaining countries in Annex 2 that had yet to sign the treaty, adding that this would encourage them to follow suit.
It also said that this move on the part of Colombia was an important step in encouraging countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to commit to the CTBT.
57 killed in Indonesian military plane crash
By DPA,
Jakarta : At least 57 people were killed Wednesday when an Indonesian military plane with more than 100 people on board crashed into a residential area in East Java province, a police official said.
Adjunct Senior Commissioner Yakob Prayogo, the Magetan district's police chief, did not say whether the death toll included two people who television reports said were killed on the ground when the Hercules C-130 crashed.
"So far, 57 people were killed in the accident," Prayogo told the MetroTV station.
Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan to Enrich Uranium
By Prensa Latina
Yerevan : Armenia became a stockholder in the International Uranium Enriching Center that Russia and Kazakhstan run in Angarsk, Eastern Siberia, after signing an intergovernmental agreement with the Euro-Asian country.
The protocols governing that association were penned by Russian First Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov and his Armenian counterpart, Serch Sarkisian, it was confirmed in this capital.
Spanish annual inflation at 2.8 percent
By IANS,
Madrid: Spanish annual inflation stood at 2.8 percent in February, 0.1 point higher than the previous month, the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) said here.
British police arrest alleged LTTE supporters
By DPA,
London : Three men suspected of supporting Sri Lanka's Tamil separatist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been arrested in Britain.
Scotland Yard said the men, aged between 33 and 46, were arrested Tuesday in dawn raids in the town of Newton, in Wales, and in London.
All the three were suspected of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and would be questioned at a London police station later Tuesday.
Can Myanmar be Asia’s rice granary?
By IANS,
New Delhi : A new collaborative effort aims to realise the full potential of Myanmar as Asia's rice granary.
Sri Lanka bus blast kills at least 26
By RIA Novosti,
New Delhi : At least 26 people have died following a parcel bomb explosion on a commuter bus during the Friday afternoon rush hour on the outskirts of Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, and dozens are injured.
Two of passengers died in hospital on Saturday morning from injuries sustained in the explosion, which has been blamed by the Sri Lankan government and military on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatist group.
Solzhenitsyn gets Russia’s top award for human rights
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin has honoured Nobel literature laureate Alexander Solzhenitsyn with the top state award as a champion of humanitarian causes.
17 killed as lift crashes in China
By Xinhua,
Changsha (China) : At least 17 workers were killed and one was seriously injured when a lift crashed at a construction site in central China's Hunan province Saturday.
The accident occurred at about 7.30 a.m. at the construction site of a real estate project named "Shanghai City" in downtown Changsha, the provincial capital, according to the municipal government.
Further details were not immediately available.
The project was being developed by Hunan-based Dongfanghong construction group, which was established in 1965.
The injured have been sent to hospital.
Sri Lankan Tamil magistrate wins US award
By IANS,
Colombo : A Sri Lankan Tamil magistrate has won "Women of Courage" award from the US State Department for demonstrating "exceptional courage and leadership" in the region, the US embassy said Thursday.
US ambassador Robert Blake recognised Magistrate Srinithy Nandasekaran "as a South Asian regional finalist for the secretary of state's Women of Courage award", it said.
9/11 memorial at ground zero to open by 2011: officials
By IANS,
New York : Officials have said they have come out with a new plan to complete the 9/11 memorial at ground zero in time ahead of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York.
Palin goes on the attack on US TV debut
By DPA,
Los Angeles : Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin made her debut as a commentator on the right wing FOX News channel Tuesday blasting the Obama administration and the political handlers she clashed with in last year's election campaign.
Passengers injured as trains collide in Belgium
By DPA,
Brussels : Two passenger trains collided Monday in the Belgian town of Halle, south of Brussels, leaving several people seriously injured and more trapped in the coaches, police reported.
The two trains ran into one another head-on approximately one kilometre from Halle station, police in the town told DPA. Several people were "heavily injured", but there was as yet no confirmation of how many.
The accident happened during the morning rush hour and after overnight snowfall.
Princess Cristina of Spain named suspect in corruption case
By IANS,
Madrid: Princess Cristina of Spain was named Wednesday as a suspect in a corruption case involving her husband.
Low prices, hospitality lure tourists to Venezuela’s beaches
By DPA
Coro (Venezuela) : Years of economic troubles, strikes and mass protests in Venezuela are now over and the country's tourist industry is on the upswing, especially in the Caribbean island of Margarita, the state of Merida in the Andes, and Canaima National Park with its Table Mountains and waterfalls, the main tourist destinations.
The northwestern state of Falcon is among the places that have attracted foreign visitors, including some new homeowners from Germany.
PowerNap plan could save 75 percent energy consumed by data centres
By IANS,
Washington : Putting servers to sleep when they're idle is part of an University of Michigan plan to save up to 75 percent of energy that power-hungry computer data centres consume.
Data centres, central to cyber infrastructure, house computing, networking and storage equipment. Each time you make an ATM withdrawal, search the Internet or make a cell phone call, your request is routed through a data centre.
Australian PM fears MH17 bodies will never return
Canberra : Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott Wednesday said that the crash site of downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was still not secure and...
100 killed in Burundi clashes
Nairobi: At least 99 people have been killed in Burundi after clashes broke out last week between an unidentified rebel group and government troops...
Modi prays at Pashupatinath, offers 2,500 kg of sandalwood
Kathmandu : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday prayed at Pashupatinath temple here, granted Rs.25 crore to build a 'dharamshala' in the temple complex...
8 killed, thousands flee as Philippine army steps up fight against Muslim rebels
By Xinhua,
Manila : At least eight people were killed, dozens injured, while 129,000 panic civilians fled homes in the southern Philippines as the government on Monday scaled up its combat operation against 500 radical Muslim rebels.
Armed Forces of the Philippines vice chief Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna told reporters that the military has reliable information that about seven guerrillas of the Moro Islam Liberation Front (MILF) have been killed while on the government side one soldier died and 12 others were injured.
Bolivian leader Morales denounces global business
By DPA,
New York : Bolivia's President Evo Morales carried his national reform plans to the United Nations Monday, telling a meeting of world indigenous peoples to be wary of transnational corporations and industrialists.
Bolivia's first elected indigenous leader denounced such companies as "exploiters" of his country's natural resources, which he said belong to Bolivians.
Since his election in 2006 as the country's first indigenous leader, Morales has been battling opponents of his plan to take state control over Bolivia's oil and gas industry.
UN rights chief warns CAR fighting factions
By IANS,
United Nations : UN human rights chief Navi Pillay has warned that authorities in the Central African Republic (CAR) will be held personally...
Boy dies after being attacked by puma
By IANS/EFE,
Lima : A seven-year-old boy died after he was attacked by a puma in a park in Peru's mountainous region, the media reported.
The attack caused the boy to lose a great deal of blood and suffer a heart attack.
In circumstances that are still being investigated, the puma leapt onto the boy and devoured part of his right arm, and it also injured his sister - who tried to help him - in the process.
Ukraine signs deal with U.S. firm on nuclear fuel supplies
By RIA Novosti
Kiev : Ukraine's nuclear power utility Energoatom said on Monday it had signed a contract with the U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Company on fuel supplies for its nuclear power plants.
Ukraine, which relies almost entirely on Russia for its nuclear fuel imports, has stepped up efforts in recent years to diversify supplies amid rising prices and energy disputes with Russia.
The document signed by the parties stipulates nuclear fuel supplies for Ukrainian nuclear power plants in 2011-2015.
Security blanket over G8-G5 summit venue
By Jaideep Sarin, IANS,
L'Aquila (Italy) : Ground security for the G8-G5 summit in this town and its surrounding areas has been put on top priority with the Italian government hosting 27 heads of states. Nearly 10,000 security personnel have been assigned around Coppito, the main venue of the summit.
Flood affect 13,000 in southern Chinese city
By Xinhua,
Nanning (China) : Torrential rain has led to the overflowing of the Zuojiang River, causing floods in the southern Chinese city of Chongzuo in Guangxi Zhuang province and affecting more than 13,000 people, officials said Sunday.
Several streets in the old city area have been submerged under more than five metres of water. The first and second floor residents in the affected localities have been completely submerged, the Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said.
Sky’s the limit for Nepal’s ex-crown princess
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Fate decreed that on the day Nepal got its second prime minister in 12 months, the headlines would also be dominated by a member of the erstwhile royal family that since last year has been learning to live as commoners.
Former crown princess Himani Shah, who was said to have undergone a period of personal problems at a time the Himalayan nation went through a series of political upheavals, hit the headlines Monday after she went paragliding in the tourist city of Pokhara.
Asia-Pacific stocks plunge on Wall Street’s cue
By DPA,
Tokyo : Asian stocks took a big dive Thursday, reacting to a sharp fall overnight on Wall Street and wiping away gains from earlier in the week.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average plunged 6.53 percent to 8,899.14 while the broader Topix index of all first-section issues also lost 5.96 percent to close at 909.3.
The plunge came on the heels of a Wall Street decline brought on by a report showing rapidly rising job losses.
China jails dissident for website articles
By Xinhua
Beijing : Chinese dissident Hu Jia was sentenced to three and a half years in prison by the First Intermediate People's Court here Thursday, with a one-year withdrawal of political rights for subverting the state.
The verdict said Hu, 34, an unemployed father and the holder of a college degree, libelled the Chinese political and social systems and instigated subversion of the state, which is a crime under Chinese law.
UN Security Council imposes sanctions against Somalia
By DPA,
New York : Citing the continued lack of security in Somalia as a threat to international peace and security, the UN Security Council Thursday imposed a travel ban and a freeze of financial assets on some individuals considered obstacles to the peace process.
The council also imposed an arms embargo on those individuals or groups to be designated by a UN committee.
Japan to introduce $107 bn recovery package
By DPA,
Tokyo : The Japanese government Friday unveiled an economic stimulus package totalling 11.7 trillion yen ($107.03 billion) to lift the financial burden caused by rising oil prices and shore up the economy.
The government was to install the package to help small- and medium-size firms raise funds, financially support business sectors hit hard by rising oil prices such as truckers or bus and taxi operators, and reduce income and residential taxes.
Trying to lose hair? Measure the loss with new software
By IANS,
Sydney : Researchers have developed maths-based imaging technology to measure hair on different parts of the human body.
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's (CSIRO) Biotech Imaging team, which specialises in developing software to analyse images automatically, worked with a British company to find a way to test how well their hair removal products work.
Lessons not learnt from London bombs, report warns
By IRNA
London : Britain remains open to another attack, due to a defunct and dangerous intelligence paradigm that has paralyzed this country's national security system, according to a new report published Wednesday.
The report by the Institute for Policy Research and Development (IPRD) criticises the government's refusal to investigate the July 7 bombings in London two years ago, warning that unresolved security loopholes increase the likelihood of another attack in future.
US stocks fall on earnings fears despite China stimulus
By DPA,
New York : US stock indices posted losses Monday after fresh earnings concerns arose for some of the country's top companies, outweighing a $588-billion Chinese economic stimulus package that had spurred gains on other stock exchanges around the world.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc, technology giant Google Inc and automaker General Motors Corp all suffered downgraded outlooks. Goldman, despite having weathered the financial storm better than other major US investment banks, may post its first quarterly loss since going public nine years ago, according to Barclays Plc.
Colombian rebels release former provincial governor
By IANS,
Villavicencio (Colombia) : Leftist rebel guerrillas in Colombia have released a former provincial governor they had held hostage for more than seven years, EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
Alan Jara, former governor of the central Colombian province of Meta, was brought to Villavicencio, a city near capital Bogota, in a Brazilian helicopter Tuesday hours after Yves Heller, spokesman of Red Cross Colombia, announced Jara's release.
Asia-Pacific markets fall sharply on worldwide recession gloom
By DPA,
Tokyo : Stock markets throughout Asia and the Pacific fell sharply Wednesday in response to Wall Street's plunge and mounting fears over a worldwide recession.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average nosedived to its lowest closing level since June 2003, with losses amounting to the third biggest one-day drop in post-war Japan.
The Nikkei plunged 952.58 points, or 9.38 per cent, to end at 9,203.32.
The broader Topix index of all first-section issues fell 78.6 points, or 8.04 per cent, to 899.01.
Al-Qaeda kills three Canadian troops in ambush
By IANS,
Toronto : With three more soldiers killed in an Al-Qaeda ambush Wednesday, the Canadian toll in Afghanistan is about to reach 100 in the six-year-old battle against insurgents in Kandahar province.
Since 2002, 96 Canadian troops have lost their lives in Afghanistan.
As part of the 50,000-plus international force, 2,500 Canadian troops are fighting the Al-Qaeda insurgents in Kandahar province.
Lenin monument vandalised in Russia
By IANS,
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow: A monument of Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, has been vandalised in St. Petersburg city, according to a museum spokesperson.
Human species could have killed Neanderthal man
By IANS,
Washington : The wound that killed a Neanderthal man between 50,000 and 75,000 years was most likely caused by a thrown spear, the kind modern humans used but Neanderthals did not, according to the latest research.
"What we've got is a rib injury, with any number of scenarios that could explain it," said Steven Churchill, professor at Duke University.
"We're not suggesting there was a blitzkrieg, with modern humans marching across the land and executing the Neanderthals. I want to say that loud and clear," added Churchill.
Man dressed as Santa kills six at Christmas party
By DPA,
Los Angeles : A man dressed as Santa Claus opened fire at a Christmas party, then set the house on fire, killing at least six people before committing suicide, police said Thursday.
The gruesome incident occurred in the quiet middle class suburb of Covina, about 30 km east of Los Angeles, when the attacker identified as Bruce Jeffery opened fire at the gathering in his former wife's house.
Chavez ties Merkel to Hitler ahead of EU-Latin America summit
By DPA,
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has attacked German Chancellor Angela Merkel, comparing her to Adolf Hitler in response to her criticism of the South American leader's policies.
Merkel belongs to the political right, "the same right that supported Hitler, fascism," Chavez said on his television programme
"Alo Presidente" Sunday.
Chavez's remarks came after Merkel said that the left-wing leader is not the voice of the region.
Reforms will continue: French President
By DPA
Paris : In comments published three days before municipal elections that could punish his party, French President Nicolas Sarkozy admitted that he had made mistakes, but declared that he would stick to his reform policies regardless of the outcome of the vote.
In a wide-ranging interview that appeared Thursday in the conservative daily Le Figaro, Sarkozy said, "I have made mistakes. I don't absolve myself of anything, but I don't believe it is useful permanently to talk about the negatives."
‘300 arrested in Tibet in 2009; still in detention’
By IANS,
Dharamsala: Around 300 people, "arbitrarily" arrested in Tibet last year, are still under detention, the Tibetan government-in-exile said here in its report Friday.
"In 2009, some 300 Tibetans were arbitrarily arrested and they are still under detention. Eleven Tibetans were sentenced to life imprisonment," said Ugen Tenzin, executive director of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, in this north Indian hill station.
Unicef welcomes Tigers’ release of child soldiers
By IANS
Colombo : The UN Children's Agency Unicef Wednesday welcomed the release of 135 child soldiers by the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka but said that it was concerned that many more still remained with the rebels.
First supersonic flight by US short-takeoff stealth fighter
By IANS,
Washington : A fifth generation stealth fighter with short-takeoff-vertical-landing capabilities has for the first time flown at supersonic speeds, providing military commanders a potent edge as the aircraft can operate from ships and from bases close to areas of conflict.
The Lockheed Martin F-35B achieved the feat when US Marine Corps pilot Lt. Col. Matt Kelly climbed to 30,000 feet and accelerated to Mach 1.07 at the offshore supersonic test track near Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, a company statement said.
Deputy Russian FM: No need for halting Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities
By IRNA,
Moscow : Deputy Russian Foreign Minister in Disarmament and International Security Affairs Sergei Ryabkov said here Friday international community has no reason for halting Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.
According to IRNA reporter in Moscow, Ryabkov made the comment in an interview with the Moscow-based ‘Echo Radio’, adding, “Iran has remained committed to its responsibilities within the NPT and this means that the international community has no reason for demanding that that country should halt its peaceful nuclear activities.”
China’s Quake-ravaged Areas Remain Open To Foreign Journalists
By Bernama,
Chengdu : China's quake-ravaged areas remain open to overseas journalists in time of disaster relief as well as rebuilding, a Chinese government official said here Wednesday.
"Our open policy remains unchanged. Overseas reporters are welcome to the quake-hit areas in Sichuan Province to cover disaster relief, resettlement of residents as well as reconstruction," XINHUA news agency quoted Wang Guoqing, deputy director of the Information Office of the State Council as saying here.
Moscow’s graffiti artists come out in summer
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: After a long winter, Russian graffiti artists have come out to change Moscow's eternally grey urban landscape into something brighter even, if it is illegal.
Winter in Russia is a dead season for graffiti artists because the paint does not cover the surface properly and the artists risk freezing their fingers off.
Cuban military commands mobilised
By Prensa Latina,
Havana : The Cuban government has mobilised its military commands as part of the strategic drill 'Bastion 2009' aimed at strengthening country's defence against enemy attack, mainly by the US, a Prensa Latina report said.
On the first day of the three-day drill, country's provincial defence councils were instructed to assess any difficult situation in their territories.
Military and other officials based their training on the actions carried out during the periods of crisis in order to confront a hypothetical large-scale enemy aggression.
Pope Benedict issues Christmas peace appeal
By DPA,
Vatican City : Pope Benedict XVI Thursday, in his traditional Christmas Day greeting and Urbi et Orbi message “to the city and the world”, expressed hope for peace in the Middle East and other conflict areas.
Referring to Jesus' birthplace, the pontiff prayed that the "divine Light of Bethlehem radiate throughout the Holy Land, where the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians."
Benedict's appeal came against a backdrop Wednesday, Christmas Eve, of militant rocket attacks into Southern Israel and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.
‘Blair could be in run for World Bank top job’
London, May 18 (DPA) Outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair could be a contender for the post of president of the World Bank following the resignation of Paul Wolfowitz, one of America's most respected economists told the BBC Friday.
Nobel Prize-winning economist Joe Stiglitz, a former senior vice president and chief economist at the World Bank, told BBC Radio 5 Live Blair was "in the frame" for the job, which is traditionally held by an American.
Mother of Australia’s stabbed children arrested
Sydney: Police Saturday arrested the mother of seven of eight children who were found stabbed to death at a house in Australia's Cairns city,...
U.S. asks Thailand to extradite Russia’s ‘Merchant of Death’
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : The Thai Foreign Ministry has received an official request from the United States for the extradition of a suspected Russian arms dealer in jail in Thailand, the suspect's lawyer said on Friday.
Viktor Bout, 41, was arrested in a luxury hotel in Bangkok last week in a joint police operation led by the U.S. Washington is seeking Bout's extradition on charges of illegal weapons deals with militant groups, including the Taliban and al-Qaeda, in Middle East and African countries.
German FM warns of unresolved Georgian crisis
By IRNA,
Berlin : German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier here Friday warned of the unresolved Georgian crisis in the wake of the unilateral independence declaration of Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Obama’s Kenyan family gets ready to party
By DPA,
Nairobi/Kogelo : US presidential favourite Barack Obama's Kenyan family were gathering for an election night party in the western village of Kogelo Tuesday as US voters went to the polls.
Around 20 family members had shown up at the senator's ancestral home in Kogelo, where his grandmother Sarah Obama still lives.
Journalists and well-wishers were locked out of the Obama household as the party got under way.
One of Obama's cousins slaughtered a cow for the festive meal, as the family anticipates a long night, watching the results come in.
Hong Kong urged to release quarantined swine flu hotel guests
By DPA,
Hong Kong : The Hong Kong government Monday faced growing pressure to release 300 guests and staff quarantined for seven days in a hotel where East Asia's first swine flu patient stayed.
Tensions have been rising at the Metropark Hotel, sealed off by armed police and medics in protective clothing since Friday when a 25-year-old Mexican guest was confirmed as having swine flu.
The move has been slammed by experts and quarantined guests as an overreaction as the threat of a global pandemic appeared to be ebbing. The Mexican man by Monday had made a full recovery.
Manmohan to examine Gilani’s request for exporting power from Punjab
By Vishnu Makhijani, IANS,
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.
Israeli Govt confers over winograd Lebanon war report
By NNN-KUNA,
Gaza : The Israeli government will convene a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the Winograd report on the Lebanon war.
The report, issued on Monday, accused Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Minister of Defence Amir Peretz of "serious failures" in managing the war.
Maldives poll results a historic milestone: US
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Welcoming the election of opposition candidate Mohamed Nasheed as the new president of the Maldives, the US Thursday said it "marked a historic milestone in the transition to political pluralism" for the South Asian country.
Mohamed "Anni" Nasheed was Wednesday announced the winner of the first multi-party democratic elections in the Maldives, defeating his longtime rival and 30-year incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
PETA urges Nepal to stop animal sacrifice during festival
By IANS,
New Delhi: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Thursday appealed to the Nepal government to abolish execution of animals during Nepal's November festival of Gadimai.
According to PETA, devotees sacrifice thousands of animals, including 6,000 young male buffaloes, after every five years in the month of Kartik (November) as part of celebration for Gadimai festival.
"The organisers are planning to sacrifice over 500,000 animals this year. Innocent creatures are killed en masse in an unorganised and unregulated manner," said Nikunj Sharma, PETA coordinator.
Russian spaceship docks with ISS
Moscow: A Russian spaceship carrying a new international crew docked with the International Space Station (ISS) Friday.
The Soyuz TMA-12M brought Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov...
One police, three servicemen injured in Chechnya militant clash
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A policeman and three federal troops were wounded after a clash with militants in the Republic of Chechnya in Russia's troubled North Caucasus Region, a local police source said on Sunday.
Combat engagement with a group of about 15 militants occurred in a forest near the village of Tangi in the Urus-Martan district in central Chechnya on Saturday during a search operation carried out by police and federal troops, the police source said.
‘Non-competitive elections weaken rights body’
By IANS,
New York : Limited competition in elections for the UN Human Rights Council undermines membership standards set for the body by the UN General Assembly, Human Rights Watch has said.