Wall Street continues to shed value on US bailout uncertainty
By DPA,
Washington : US stocks dropped by more than one per cent, in the worst two-day slump in six years on concern that Congress would not act fast enough to adopt the government's $700-billion bank rescue plan that the central bank head says is direly needed to avoid a recession.
Hardest hit companies included General Motors Corp., department store chain Dillard's Inc. and Regions Financial Corp., which tumbled more than seven percent. Members of the Senate banking committee Tuesday were sceptical over US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan.
Albanian PM to convey situation in Kosovo to Muslim leaders at OIC Summit
By KUNA
Sarajevo : Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said Thursday that he would convey to Muslim leaders, during the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Summit in Senegal next week, the importance of supporting Kosovo and to acknowledge it.
Archaeologists trace millennium-old Maya culture
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Archaeologists in Mexico have claimed to have found a sarcophagus belonging to a nearly thousand-year-old Maya civilisation.
The researchers at the Mayan acropolis of Tonina working in the jungles of the southern state of Chiapas discovered a sarcophagus which could help clear up the mystery of the fall of the Maya civilisation.
Juan Yadeun, who heads the team in Ocosingo, said that the sarcophagus measures two metres long, 70 cm wide and 60 cm deep, and it is similar to the "Red Queen" discovered in 1994 in Palenque, Chiapas.
Obama, McCain begin hunt for vice presidents
By DPA,
Washington : Barack Obama has begun his search for a running mate as he closes in on the Democratic presidential nomination, CNN reported Thursday, citing a party activist in Washington.
John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, is also narrowing down his choices and plans to meet with three possible vice presidential options over the weekend, The New York Times reported.
Obama has picked Jim Johnson, who also ran 2004 Democratic candidate John Kerry's selection process, to begin screening potential candidates, according to CNN.
EU approves French financial bailout plan
By Xinhua,
Brussels : The European Commission on Friday approved a French financial bailout plan designed to restore financial stability and shore up the banking sector.
The Commission found the French plan to be in line with European Union (EU) rules on state aid for overcoming the current financial crisis.
Under the French plan, banks will be able to get loans from a central agency, whose activities are guaranteed by the government, and they have to pay a premium of a normal market price.
ADB to help poor southern Philippine farmers
By DPA,
Manila : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Tuesday it has approved a $70-million loan for a new project to improve the lives and incomes of poor farmers in the conflict-wracked southern Philippines.
The Manila-based bank said the Agrarian Reform Communities Project II will allocate $135.2 million for rural infrastructure projects and $25.2 million for agriculture and enterprise development.
Opposition asks Nepal PM to quit after army chief fiasco
By Sudeshna Sarkar,IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's ruling Maoist party's dogged battle to oust the chief of the army, Gen Rookmangud Katawal, over alleged disobedience, has become more serious with the main opposition party Monday asking Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to resign after two of his allies parted ways with the government.
"The Maoist-led government has now become a minority government as two of its partners have quit," said Prakash Man Singh, former minister and a senior member of the main opposition party, the Nepali Congress (NC).
Italy concerned about EU sanctions on Iran
By Xinhua
Rome : European Union (EU) sanctions to discourage Iran from pursuing its nuclear program would influence Italy more than other EU countries, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said.
D'Alema's remarks Thursday came one day after French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called on the EU to take the lead in widening financial sanctions on Iran, saying the world could not afford to wait for the United Nations to act.
Kirpan bill to be re-introduced in California after veto
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Los Angeles : After California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a unanimously passed bill over the carrying of kirpan by Sikhs, the bill will be reintroduced in the state assembly.
The bill - AB 504 - was introduced in February by assembly member Warren Furutani to educate law enforcement agencies to stop the arrests of Sikhs for carrying their kirpans in California. It was passed unanimously by the assembly, but Schwarzenegger vetoed it last week, saying it is "unnecessary."
Britain renews Sri Lankan ceasefire call
By IANS,
London : Britain has once again urged the government of Sri Lanka to declare an immediate ceasefire so that thousands of trapped civilians can leave an area of conflict between troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.
"We have been joined by many other governments, including France and the United States, in making similar calls," British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.
Spears classified as disabled at UCLA Medical Center
By IANS
New York : Troubled pop star Britney Spears has been labelled greatly disabled by the UCLA Medical Center. Healthcare professionals say she is in a "manic state" cause of her bipolar disorder.
Spears, who was admitted to a hospital Thursday, is not able to take care of her basic needs like food, clothing or shelter and being greatly disabled is also the criteria for involuntary commitment, tmz.com reports.
She has arrived at the hospital and officials had to spend close to two hours because she was being difficult at the hospital.
Sri Lanka wants UN to clarify dangerous place claim
By Xinhua
Colombo : Sri Lankan government said here Tuesday that its permanent representative in the United Nations has been asked to call for a clarification on a statement made by a top UN official on the safety of the aid workers in the country.
"We will take up the issue with the UN," Keheliya Rambukwella, the government's defense spokesman and the Minister of Foreign Employment told reporters.
Chinese, Russia discuss ties
By IANS,
Beijing : President Hu Jintao and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met in Beijing Wednesday to exchange views on strategic ties between China and Russia.
Cafe looks for ‘common ground’ between Tibetans and Chinese
By Jaideep Sarin, IANS,
Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh) : It's called Common Ground Cafe and true to its name it aims to serve as a bridge between the Tibetans and the Chinese - spicing things up with Taiwanese, Tibetan and Chinese cuisine and cups of coffee and tea!
Just like the 100-metre uphill walk from Mcleodganj's congested main square on a completely broken road, this initiative to provide a common platform to the Chinese and Tibetans in exile is not going to be easy either.
Fiji military government tightens control
By DPA,
Wellington : Fiji's military government, which is ruling with emergency powers, has strengthened its hold on the country by taking over the Reserve Bank and ordering the Human Rights Commission office to close, according to reports from the capital Suva.
The Reserve Bank tightened exchange controls with immediate effect and deputy governor Sada Reddy said the move was in line with the bank's core objective of safeguarding foreign reserves, Radio New Zealand reported.
46 die in China mine blast
By IANS,
Beijing: Forty-six miners were killed Monday in a coalmine blast in eastern China, Xinhua reported.
The blast occurred around 1.40 a.m. at Xingdong Number 2 Mine in Pingdingshan city of Henan province, officials said.
Seventy-two miners were at the mine, but 26 of them survived. The cause of the blast was not immediately known.
India to open warehouse in Nigeria for medicine export
By Francis Kokutse,
Accra: In what is expected to give a major boost to the presence of Indian pharmaceutical companies in Africa, a new warehousing...
Army Chief: Mid-year Army Reshuffle Not Thaksin-oriented
By Bernama
Bangkok : Army chief General Anupong Paochinda dismissed speculation that former military classmates of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra would be promoted in the mid-year realignment of army officers, Thailand News Agency (TNA) reported Thursday.
Anupong explained that military promotions do not depend on whether or not any officers belonged to the Pre-Cadet Class 10 from which Thaksin and the army chief himself had graduated.
Two soldiers injured in mine blast in Chechnya
By RIA Novosti,
Grozny : Two interior troops soldiers were injured in a mine blast in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Chechnya, local police said on Sunday.
The soldiers hit a landmine in the mountainous Vedeno district in southern Chechnya on Saturday and were hospitalized with injuries of various gravity, the police said.
"The mine exploded when the interior troops soldiers were carrying out reconnaissance and ambush operations in a forest near the village of Elistanzhi in the Vedeno district at about midnight yesterday," the police said.
Thai PM appeals to southern insurgents to surrender
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej Saturday called on insurgents in the violence-stricken deep south to put down their arms and help contribute to the country's peace.
Samak, accompanied by top military brass, including Army chief General Anupong Paochinda and police chief, Pol General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, visited Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, the country's three southernmost provinces, on Saturday.
Malaysian state may replace speaker with another Indian
By IANS,
Ipoh (Malaysia): Malaysia's Perak state is considering appointing another ethnic Indian as the assembly's speaker, but the incumbent is not yet ready to give up the post.
S. Vasan, one of the three on the panel of names suggested by the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) chief S. Samy Vellu, could be the new speaker, The Star newspaper reported Friday.
Vasan was defeated in the last assembly poll but Article 36 (A) of the constitution provides for appointment of a non-member as the presiding officer. He is said to be "Samy Vellu's blue-eyed boy", the report added.
Cuba asks WTO to condemn US embargo
By IANS
Geneva : Cuba is challenging Washington's 45-year-old economic embargo against the communist-ruled island on the grounds that the measure violates the rules set down by the World Trade Organization, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.
In a proposal presented this week by Cuba to the rest of the member countries, Havana notes that the WTO works for "the elimination of discriminatory treatment in international trade relations".
Nepal king gone but republic remains restless
By Sudeshna Sarkar,IANS,
Kathmandu : Despite its crop of failures, 2008 will remain a landmark in the history of Nepal, Asia and indeed the world communist movement, providing inspiration to communists across the globe.
Russia, Armenia sign uranium production, enrichment deals
By RIA Novosti
Yerevan : Armenia signed an agreement to join an international uranium enrichment center in Siberia during a visit to the Caucasus state by the Russian premier on Wednesday.
The center, part of Moscow's non-proliferation initiative to create a network of enrichment centers under the UN nuclear watchdog's supervision, will be based at a chemicals plant in Angarsk, Siberia. The center will also be responsible for the disposal of nuclear waste.
Madness of Development
By Jaspal Singh,
Much has happened in last few days that has possibilities for opening new path for humanity.More than 400 thousand people marched in New York City, to bring to the center stage,the danger posed to the planet by the devastation and destruction by the global capital in pursuit of maximum profits .People from all walks of life experts,scientists,social scientists and simply concerned folks gathered together to bring to the attention the necessity of finding a new path,a new mode of being,that is not destructive of humanity and society.
BBC to broadcast live abortion programme on radio
By IANS,
London : In a first, the BBC will broadcast on radio a live programme from an abortion clinic that will feature interviews with women undergoing terminations.
Australia acts tough on education agents
By IANS,
New Delhi/Melbourne : Strengthening of student visa checks to stamp out fraud, upgrading interviews and restricting online access to Australia's eVisa system to fewer agents are some of the measures introduced by the Australian government to reinforce the country's standing as a high quality education destination.
Nepal quake has hit education for 1 mn children: Unicef
United Nations : At least 950,000 children in Nepal will not be able to return to school, unless urgent action is taken to provide...
NAM Takes Stock of Geneva Work
By Fausto Triana, Prensa Latina
Geneva : The Non Aligned Movement (NAM), under Cuba temporary presidency, took stock of its work in Geneva.
After Friday"s meeting of the NAM Geneva chapter, the Cuban representation led by Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque circulated a substantial document at the UN headquarters summarizing the activity of the group.
The text that was unanimously backed by ambassadors and delegates from the 118 members of the group, addresses participation and incidence of developing countries in the main scene worldwide.
Zimbabwe opposition to take part in presidential runoff
By DPA,
Pretoria : Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai said Saturday he would take part in a runoff presidential election against incumbent President Robert Mugabe.
The MDC leader topped the poll in the March 29 elections, taking 47.9 percent of the votes to Mugabe's 43.2 percent in official results. A runoff is called for when no candidate takes more than 50 percent.
The MDC had initially objected to a runoff, insisting that its count of votes showed Tsvangirai won outright.
Trafficking crackdown frees 170 victims
By KUNA,
London : Nearly 170 victims have been freed from the clutches of people traffickers in the largest-ever crackdown of its kind, Britains Home Secretary Mrs Jacqui Smith said Wednesday.
A total of 167 people, mostly women and girls, were uncovered in just six months and 528 suspected traffickers were arrested.
Two are thought to be children, but full details have not yet been unveiled by the Home Office.
US Senate clears Obama’s $800 bn stimulus plan
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : With three moderate Republicans joining the Democratic majority, an $838 billion economic recovery package has cleared the Senate in a 61-to-37 vote, setting the stage for tough negotiations with the House on a final bill.
Only three Republicans - Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe and Arlen Specter - Tuesday voted for the bill that provides roughly $293 billion for tax relief and $546 billion for spending measures.
No Republican voted for the $820 billion House version of stimulus, which included $182 billion in tax relief and $638 billion in spending.
US astronauts conclude spacewalk after battle with tricky bolt
By DPA,
Washington: Two US astronauts wrapped up a difficult spacewalk Sunday to repair a failed component on the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.
The main goal of spacewalkers Mike Massimino and Mike Good was the repair of Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, which was first installed during a 1997 servicing
mission and was knocked out by a power supply failure in 2004.
Constitutional referendum underway in suburban areas of Myanmar Yangon division
By Zhang Yunfei, Xinhua,
Yangon : Local people in a remote suburban township of Hlegu in Myanmar's Yangon division were successively coming to polling booths in the township to cast votes on a draft constitution put forward in a nationwide referendum that kicked off early Saturday morning.
The nationwide referendum on the draft constitution was taking place as scheduled with people across the country going to poll to cast votes on the charter except areas including the biggest city of Yangon still declared as cyclone-hit regions.
Blazing fires still threaten Nilgiris forests
By IANS
Coimbatore : Over 6,000 sq km of the precious Nilgiris forests, a heritage ecosystem, is threatened by forest fires that are still blazing, wildlife department officials said here Thursday.
The biosphere straddles three south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala and holds the reserve forests of Nagarhole and Bandipur (Karnataka), Mudumalai (Tamil Nadu) and the unique Silent Valley (Kerala).
Tamil Nadu's forest department has been put on high alert in the Mudumalai forest ranges.
Russia, Switzerland sign deal on diplomatic role in Georgia
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia and Switzerland signed an agreement on Saturday on the Swiss Embassy in Tbilisi representing Russia's diplomatic interests in Georgia, which broke off ties after August's conflict.
The Caucasus state severed diplomatic ties with Russia, which recognized breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia after a five-day war with Georgia that had attacked Ossetia to return it to central control.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Swiss counterpart, Micheline Calmy-Rey, exchanged the necessary diplomatic papers at a ceremony in Moscow.
Nepal hurtles towards chaos
By IANS,
Kathmandu : With just 37 days left for Nepal to unveil a new constitution, the country has begun hurtling towards chaos with the three major parties still at daggers drawn and the key players admitting it would be impossible to execute the task.
Concern and fear began to mount Tuesday after Nilambar Acharya, chairman of the constitutional committee that has the mandate of drafting the new statute, admitted on television Monday night that the new constitution was doomed with mistrust among the major parties deepening.
Hamas calls upon Egypt to disclose information on ‘abductees’
Gaza: The Hamas Islamist movement has called upon Egypt to officially disclose information about four Palestinians "abducted" in Egypt two weeks ago, a Hamas...
Hamas briefs Gaza factions on expected truce deal with Israel
By Xinhua,
GAZA : Islamic Hamas movement on Monday night held a meeting with leaders of 13 different Palestinian factions and militant groups in Gaza City to brief them on the details of an expected truce deal with Israel.
Ismail Radwan, a senior Hamas leader told reporters that "the meeting focused on keeping the interest of the Palestinians by reaching an honorable tahde'aa (truce) that ends the Israel siege and reopens the crossings, including Rafah crossing."
China:Differences In Talks With Private Envoys Of Dalai Lama
By Bernama,
Beijing : A Chinese central government official says recent talks with the Dalai Lama's private representatives were "frank and sincere," but serious differences remain, Xinhua news agency reported.
Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council here on Monday.
Bill Clinton to address IIT summit in Chicago
By IANS,
New York : Former American President Bill Clinton will be among many top leaders to address the seventh Pan-IIT Global Conference being held in Chicago in October.
Kapil Sibal, Indian minister for human resource development; Sam Pitroda, Indian Knowledge Commission chairman; Aneesh Chopra, America's chief technology officer; and Meera Shankar, Indian ambassador in the US, will be among other keynote speakers at the Pan-IIT Global Conference to be held in Chicago from Oct 9-11.
Number of drug deaths in Germany drops to four-year low
By IRNA,
Berlin : Drug-related deaths in Germany fell last year to the lowest level since 2006, the anti-drug commissioner of the German government Mechthild Dyckmans told the press here Thursday.
Some 1331 people died last year because of drug consumption, down 8.1 percent from 2008, said the German drug czarina.
Most of the deaths were caused by a overdose of heroin or a mixture of heroin with other drugs, she added.
The average age of the mostly male drug victims was 36 years, according to Dyckmans.
Britain to send troops to Mali
By IANS,
London : Britain will send around 240 military personnel to West Africa in a training role to aid the French-led mission against Islamist rebels in Mali, the government said Tuesday.
Nepal Maoists disapprove of Nobel for German author
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas have denounced the award of the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature to German author Herta Mueller by the Swedish Academy Thursday, saying it reflected the institution's growing bias towards the communists.
The 56-year-old ethnic Romanian writer experienced persecution and censorship under the repressive Nicolae Caeusescu regime in Romania and her writing focuses on living in a dictatorship steeped in corruption and intolerance.
Musharraf forgotten, Bush to call new bosses in Pakistan
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : US President George W. Bush is expected to have high-level contacts with the new government of Pakistan soon, but the White House would not say if and when he would call his "personal friend" Pervez Musharraf.
"I would expect that the president will have high-level contact with Pakistani authorities in the near future. We'll certainly keep you updated on that," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters at Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch.
Indian priest faces deportation for molestation in US
Washington: An Indian-American priest who admitted to fondling a girl while attending dinner at her grandmother's home in Minnesota has been sentenced to 25...
Obama extends decades-long trade embargo against Cuba
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Monday extended for another year the trade embargo against Cuba that has been in place for nearly five decades.
Obama, in a note to the State Department and Treasury, said the embargo remained "in the national interest of the US." The annual extension is considered routine and has been taken by all of his predecessors since the 1970s.
Sri Lanka declares new safety zone for stranded civilians
By Xinhua,
COLOMBO : Sri Lanka's military said Thursday that another safety zone has been declared for the civilians trapped in the island's northern battle zone to come to the government controlled areas.
"The Sri Lankan security forces headquarters in Wanni, in response to the worsening plight of the thousands held hostage by LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) terrorists in Mullaittivu, has declared a new civilian safety zone, with effect from Thursday," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Rights groups slam Cambodia for snubbing UN envoy
By DPA
Phnom Penh : Five international organizations Tuesday demanded the Cambodian government "respect its international human rights commitments as well as UN officials mandated to monitor them" after it refused to meet a UN rights envoy this month.
Natural aromas best for sauna visits
By DPA,
Bielefeld (Germany) : Sauna enthusiasts are advised to use only naturally scented concentrates when pouring water on hot rocks, according to Germany's Sauna Association in Bielefeld.
Aromas can affect the body and can cause allergies in some people.
The best products to use are those made from plant extracts or those with a quality assurance mark.
Different aromas have different effects on the human nervous system. They can cause tension as well as relax the body.
Conifer aromas such fir or pine have a calming affect. Lavender is also good for relaxing.
Bangladesh charges British official with terror funding
By DPA,
Dhaka, April : Investigators Tuesday formally charged the head of a British charity and 10 Bangladeshi agents with financing terrorism in the guise of operating a religious school in Bangladesh.
A court in southern Bhola district accepted the report on last month's cache of arms recovered from a madrassa (religious school) and orphanage run by the Green Crescent charity, accusing its voluntary organisation head Faisal Mostafa and his 10 Bangladeshi associates.
Promote culture of excellence in higher education: President
Raipur : A culture of excellence must be promoted in institutes of higher academic learning in the country, President Pranab Mukherjee said Saturday.
Speaking at...
Buenos Aires creates time capsule for 2210
By IANS/EFE,
Buenos Aires : The city government in the Argentine capital has launched a project to create a "time capsule" with messages for people living 200 years later.
Citizens of the capital have been invited to send via internet til Oct 8 a message that will be seen on May 25, 2210, when the capsule is opened.
Aiming to be the first collective, open and public archive in Argentina, the project will gather statements from residents and celebrities of the capital city in many formats, including text, audio, image, video and multimedia.
Heavy rain hits flood-stricken Fiji again
By DPA,
Wellington : Torrential rains lashed flood-stricken Fiji again Wednesday and weather forecasters warned that worse was to come as another tropical depression settled over the Pacific island state.
The town of Nadi, where the country's international airport is situated, was reported to be cut off under 1.5 metres of water after a nearby river burst its banks for the second time overnight.
The police updated to eight the death toll from flooding, but said all the bodies had not been recovered, Radio New Zealand reported from Fiji's capital Suva.
Hated and admired, Goody was reality TV’s shooting star
By IANS,
London : Jade Goody was the ultimate reality television star. From shooting to villainy for her racial barbs against a Bollywood actress to becoming an icon of courage in her last moments, the 27-year-old Briton chose a life that would put small screen dramas to shame.
Not many people grow up overnight, right in front of us, on our TV sets, the way she did. Before her cervical cancer finally consumed her early Sunday she seemed to have made peace with her many demons.
Eurosceptic Czech President Klaus wins re-election
By DPA
Prague : Eurosceptic Czech President Vaclav Klaus has won re-election as a majority of 141 from 279 present lawmakers backed him in the key third ballot of the second presidential election.
Klaus - one of the most prominent global-warming sceptics - said that he would not be a president of surprises during his second and last five-year term in office, which will also include the Czech Republic's presidency of the European Union in early 2009.
‘Explosive in underwear could have blown hole in airplane’
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : As an Al Qaeda faction claimed responsibility for last week's attack on a US airliner, reports citing experts said a dangerous explosive allegedly concealed in the suspect's underwear could have blown a hole in the plane.
Citing two federal sources briefed on the investigation for what could have happened, Washington Post Tuesday said authorities are still analysing a badly damaged syringe that Nigerian passenger Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly employed as a detonating device.
Koreans buy Nepali brides to work as slaves
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Shanti Magar, a 21-year-old woman from Baglung district in western Nepal, belongs to the indigenous Magar community that sends hundreds of its men abroad every year to work as soldiers in the British and Indian armies.
Keen to go abroad and make a lucrative living, two years ago, Magar paid Nepali Rs.1 million ($13,000) to a broker in Kathmandu who claimed to arrange marriages between young Nepali women and South Korean men.
Don’t respect Sachin too much: Anderson
By IANS,
London: England pace spearhead James Anderson Monday said too much respect shouldn't be shown while bowling to India's batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.
EU urges Russia and Ukraine to continue talks to sort out gas dispute
By KUNA,
Brussels : The European Union voiced concern here Thursday after Russian gas giant Gazprom shut off all gas supplies to the Ukraine following the collapse of talks to end a row over unpaid bills and prices.
The Czech EU Presidency and the European Commission in a joint statement regretted that no solution has been reached in the commercial dispute between the two sides..
Ex-Georgian defense minister released on bail
By RIA Novosti
Paris : A Paris court ruled on Wednesday to release former Georgian defense minister Irakly Okruashvili on bail, a senior counselor of the Georgian Embassy in France said.
Vissarion Zhgenti did not specify the bail sum.
Lawyers representing Okruashvili, accused by Tbilisi of corruption-related crimes, demanded his release on Tuesday and called for Georgia's extradition request to be turned down.
Paris : A Paris court ruled on Wednesday to release former Georgian defense minister Irakly Okruashvili on bail, a senior counselor of the Georgian Embassy in France said.
Vissarion Zhgenti did not specify the bail sum.
Lawyers representing Okruashvili, accused by Tbilisi of corruption-related crimes, demanded his release on Tuesday and called for Georgia's extradition request to be turned down.
Amnesty International asks Chattisgarh govt to investigate rape complaints of Adivasi women
By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter
Chhattisgarh: Two weeks after rapes and assaults were reported from Chhattisgarh while security forces were conducting anti-Maoist operations, Amnesty...
Global hostage efforts hit reality wall in Colombia
By DPA
Buenos Aires : While much of the world was busy celebrating the end-of-year holidays, a political drama playing out in the Colombian jungle showed how even the powers of France and Venezuela can be embarrassed by a group of Marxist rebels who have been holding civilians hostage for years.
Students who feel ‘macho’ likely to disdain STD vaccines
By IANS,
Washington : College students who feel invincible or impervious to physical harm are likely to disdain vaccines to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV and herpes.
Conversely, students who feel impervious to psychological harm or those who didn't care what others thought, are more likely to get the vaccine.
American Jewish Council writes to Manmohan on Mumbai attack
By IANS,
New York : Expressing outrage at the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the American Jewish Council (AJC) has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, expressing the community's solidarity with India.
"We strongly condemn these senseless and cowardly attacks and stand in solidarity with the people and the government of India at this time, as we have long stood with India and its sister democracies in the struggle against hatred and violence," the AJC said in the letter to the prime minister.
Singapore-based Universal to invest $17.5 bn in India
By IANS,
New Delhi : Singapore-based Universal Success Enterprises Ltd (USEL) Monday said it has signed three pacts with the Gujarat government to invest Rs.87,000 crore (Rs.870 billion/$17.5 billion) in infrastructure projects.
The agreements were signed during the ongoing “Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit 2009” in Ahmedabad and the investment would be made over a period of 10 years, a company statement said.
Strategic junction ahead of last LTTE stronghold captured: Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : Advancing Sri Lankan troops captured a strategically important junction lying ahead of the last stronghold of the Tamil Tiger rebels, the defence ministry said Tuesday.
Troops engaged "in the final phase of military offensive to free entire country from LTTE have marked a decisive milestone" by reaching the Irunapalai junction, a strategically vital junction in Puthukkudiyiruppu built-up area in the north-eastern Mullaitivu district," it said.
Nearly half of injuries occur at home
By IANS,
Sydney : Beware of slippery floors and missing handrails. Nearly half of all injuries needing medical treatment take place at home, researchers have calculated.
Researchers from University of Otago in Wellington, New Zealand, identified slippery bathroom surfaces, excessively hot water, missing handrails on stairs as well as poorly maintained or slippery outdoor steps and pathways as hazards at home.
In the US, too, it was calculated in 2004 that 46 percent of injuries needing medical treatment took place at home.
At one-year mark, Obama gets 50 percent approval
By IANS,
Washington: As Barack Obama nears the one one-year point of his presidency Wednesday he has won the approval of about half the American people, according to two new polls.
The President "gets middling marks from most Americans but credit for governing in difficult times," USA Today reported under the headline "In Poll, Obama Gets Unexceptional Marks,"
The USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows "Obama with 50 percent or higher approval for handling foreign affairs and terrorism, but 50 percent or more disapproval on health care and the economy.
U.S. Secretary of State to visit Australia next week
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said on Saturday that United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Australia next Thursday and Friday.
He said in a statement that Rice will visit Perth, the state capital of West Australia, and that will be only the second visit to Perth by a US Secretary of State. The first was George Schultz in 1985.
"The visit by secretary Rice follows my personal invitation to her to visit my hometown and electorate when we first met in Washington in January this year," Smith said.
Hip fractures triple elderly women’s chances of dying
By IANS,
Sydney : Bone fractures, even minor ones, increase a person's chances of dying, particularly if he is elderly. But hip fractures just double the risk for women, which is three times the risk for men.
These findings underline the importance of preventing and treating osteoporosis, a devastating condition that affects millions worldwide, including two million Australians.
Someone is hospitalised with an osteoporotic fracture every five to six minutes, averaging 262 hospitalisations daily in Australia.
China to recruit 8,000 police officers
By IANS,
Beijing : China will recruit 8,000 police officers to boost security in its western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, authorities said.
Thief caught encashing cheque at bank by victim’s daughter
By DPA,
Taipei : A Taiwanese handbag thief who tried to withdraw cash from his victim's bank account was caught in the act by the victim's daughter, who happened to work at the bank branch.
Taipei police said Chang Shih-chun, 55, broke into the house of a retired teacher Tuesday and stole her handbag containing some cash, a bank book and an ink seal used by the victim to stamp her signature when withdrawing money.
Man dumps 100 snakes in a market in China
By IANS,
Beijing : A man dumped a box containing more than a hundred snakes in a busy market area in China, causing panic among shopkeepers and buyers.
The 60-cm-long reptiles were dropped Tuesday afternoon at Quanxin Bedclothes Market in Hankou in Hubei province, China Daily reported Wednesday.
The man poured out all the snakes from the box before fleeing, said a saleswoman named Zhang. "The snakes were suddenly scrambling everywhere," she said.
Police were called in and they managed to round up the snakes back into a box within half an hour without causing any injury.
Gunman kills five in New York, shot dead
By IANS,
New York: A gunman Friday shot dead at least five people in front of the Empire State Building in New York, but was later killed by police, CNN reported.
I’m from the middle class: Cameron
By IANS,
London : British Prime Minister David Cameron has classified himself and his wife, Samantha, as part of the middle class, "which tries to get all the services meant for the poorer classes".
Cameron, 43, said public services aimed at helping poor families and parents in disadvantaged areas were often utilised by the middle classes, adding that government programmes such as the Sure Start scheme for young children, which offers support and childcare to parents, should focus more on the poorest.
Treating HIV earlier cuts risk of death drastically
By IANS,
Toronto : Initiating anti-HIV treatment early on could cut the risk of death by up to 94 percent, according to a study.
The study said treatment should start as early as possible, which has always seemed to apply to most diseases except HIV-AIDS, which is only treated once a certain number of immune or white blood cells called CD4+ cells have disappeared.
The results of the study, which involved the team of Marina Klein of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, run contrary to this consensus.
54 Myanmar labourers suffocate in Thai container truck
By DPA
Bangkok : Thai police Thursday were looking for the owner of a container truck in which 54 illegal Myanmar labourers suffocated to death while being transported to the resort island of Phuket, the police said.
The 10-wheel container truck, usually used for transporting frozen fish to Phuket, was found at 10 p.m. Wednesday, abandoned on the roadside near Suksamlan village, about 450 km south of Bangkok, with 120 Myanmar nationals inside, 54 of whom were dead.
Sikh man charged with killing father in Canada
By IANS,
Vancouver : A Sikh man who beat his father to death last December in the family home in Calgary city was charged with homicide. Police said Ranjit Rana Singh, 30, faces second-degree murder charges in the death of his father Harinder Singh.
The 60-year-old Singh had suffered critical injuries after an assault inside the family home Dec 9 last year. Police and paramedics had removed him to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Palestine seeks extremists’ withdrawal from East Jerusalem holy sites
United Nations: The Palestine has called on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to demand withdrawal of extremist Israelis desecrating Islamic holy sites in East...
Nepal flood toll reaches 26
By IANS,
Kathmandu : The toll in the Nepal's Seti river floods triggered by an avalanche in the Annapurna range has risen to 26 with police recovering more bodies Tuesday.
Olivia Culpo crowned Miss Universe 2012
By IANS,
Las Vegas: American Olivia Culpo was crowned Miss Universe 2012 at a gala ceremony Wednesday.
Gurdwara shooting victims remembered at vigils
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Six Sikh worshippers who fell to a gunman's bullets at a Wisconsin gurdwara are being remembered across the nation with a series of vigils from coast to coast.
‘Paying too much may harm employees’ performance’
By IANS,
Toronto : A new Canadian study shows that paying too much performance-related incentive may not get you the top performance.
Citing studies done in India and the US, Canadian university researchers in behavioural economics warn that employers hoping to get the best out of their employees with high salaries may actually be helping them to do worse.
"If the payments are too high, they may backfire," said Nina Mazar, study co-author and Toronto University marketing professor.
West blasts Russian election, Putin warns of ‘arms race’
MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia's presidential election came under new attack Friday from a Western democracy watchdog, as President Vladimir Putin warned in a major speech that his successor will have to compete in a new "arms race." In a fresh blow to the credibility of the March 2 poll to replace Putin, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said that "an election where there is not a level playing field for all contestants can hardly be considered as fair."
Security concerns make Sri Lanka suspend SMS services
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : Security concerns made Sri Lankan mobile operators suspend their SMS services during the country's 60th Independence Day celebrations Monday.
"We regret to inform subscribers that SMS services of all mobile operators will not be available from 6 a.m. to 12 noon on Feb 4," said a message on all mobile phones here.
Sri Lankan military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said that he was not aware of the reasons for the suspension, but added that the mobile operators could have done it for security reasons.
EU bans Iranian oil imports
By IANS,
London: The European Union Monday imposed an oil embargo on Iran over its nuclear programme.
Political row as Britain groans under ‘white’ migration
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : The ever-lurking issue of immigration has once again occupied the centrestage of British public life with several groaning councils seeking more funds to deal with large-scale migration predominantly from the enlarged European Union.
Much to the glee of the Conservative Party, the Gordon Brown government squirmed this week as it announced figures of foreign workers, then apologised that the figures were wrong, announced a new set of figures, and revised them again - all within days of each other.
Humans responsible for Indonesian disasters: report
Jakarta, Sep 13 (Xinhua) Humans remained the number one cause of disasters in Indonesia in 2006, a local newspaper said Thursday, quoting the government's environmental report.
The fifth edition of the 279-page report named forest fires, the mudflow in East Java and flooding in several regions as the country's worst disasters.
"In 2006, we more frequently recorded disasters than in previous years," State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar was quoted by English daily the Jakarta Post as saying.
Switching to natural gas won’t slow climate change
By IANS,
Washington : Burning natural gas emits far less carbon dioxide (CO2) than coal, but switching over to this medium won't slow down climate change, claims a new study.
Jay-Z and me love changing nappies: Beyonce
By IANS,
London: Singer Beyonce Knowles says she and husband Jay-Z love changing daughter Blue Ivy's dirty nappies and are enjoying every moment of parenthood.
UK freeze of terror suspect assets ruled unlawful
London, Jan 27, IRNA – The British government Wednesday suffered another blow to its counter-terrorism strategies after the Supreme Court ruled that special Treasury orders to freeze the assets of suspects are unlawful.
Judges at the UK's highest court said the government had exceeded its powers by controlling the finances of five suspects. They also lifted a ban on identifying the men who brought the challenge.
Nepal PM ready for junket as nation reels under power crisis
By IANS,
Kathmandu : As Nepal reels under its worst-ever power crisis with the government imposing a nine-hour outage daily and readying to declare an energy emergency, Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is poised to trigger a fresh controversy with plans to go on a foreign junket.
Prachanda had created a controversy soon after assuming office in August when he ignored the havoc created by floods in south Nepal to go on a junket to Beijing to attend the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games.
Greek violence escalates on anniversary of teen shooting
By DPA,
Athens : Violence escalated in Greece's two largest cities Sunday as protesters hurled petrol bombs and burning garbage bins at police to commemorate the first anniversary of the shooting death of a teenager by police.
Athens turned into a war zone as riot police fired tear gas at hooded youths hurling chunks of marble and petrol bombs after breaking away from a march of more than 3,000 people to mark the death of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos by a policemen's
bullet.
Famous Italian tenor Pavarotti dies at 71
By Xinhua
Rome : Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti died early Thursday at the age of 71 in Modena, Italy, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Pavarotti, hailed as the greatest tenor of his generation, underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer last year and had been staying at his villa in Modena in north-central Italy.
Pavarotti had been preparing to leave New York in July 2006 to resume a farewell tour when doctors discovered a malignant pancreatic mass. He was operated upon in a New York hospital and was forced to cancel his remaining concerts in 2006.
Greece requests EU/IMF financial aid package
By DPA,
Athens : Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said Greece faced a "difficult road" as he called for the activation of a European Union/International Monetary Fund aid package aimed at pulling the country out of a debt crisis.
"We are faced with a difficult road ahead...It is imperative that we ask for the activation of the mechanism," Papandreou said while visiting the remote Aegean island of Kasterllorizo.
The prime minister said he already asked Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou to make a formal request for the plan's activation.
Iranian opposition cancels election anniversary rally
By DPA,
Hamburg : The Iranian opposition Thursday cancelled an anti-government protest rally scheduled to take place on June 12, the anniversary of last year's controversial presidential election, opposition websites reported.
The two main opposition leaders, Mir-Hossein Moussavi and Mehr Karroubi, said in a joint statement published on the websites that the Interior Ministry had not even accepted the request by the opposition to hold rallies.
ISESCO and UNESCO sign a cooperation programme for 2008-2009
By WAM,
Paris : Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri and Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Ko?chiro Matsuura signed programme of cooperation in Paris on Tuesday.
With a budget of five billion dollars, the new cooperation programme will implement 128 activities covering the fields of education, science, culture, communication, external relations and the national commissions.
American engineer arrested for leaking top secret documents to Isreal- FBI
By KUNA,
Washington : US authorities have arrested Ben-Ami Kadish, an American engineer, on suspicion of handing over top secret documents on national defence, including nuclear weapons and air defence missiles to Israel, according to the Justice Department.
South Korea to expand international peacekeeping operations
By IANS
Seoul : South Korea's new government would push for legislation to enable rapid deployment of its forces in UN peacekeeping operations and increase the number of its peacekeeping forces, WAM news agency reported Friday.
The new legislation envisioned by the defence and foreign ministries will allow the government to obtain advance parliamentary approval for its peacekeeping forces' dispatch plans on a yearly basis.
Under the current law, the government must obtain parliamentary approval, whenever it seeks to send its peacekeeping forces abroad.
22 killed in Panama road accident
By
Panama: At least 22 people were killed and 18 injured when a passenger bus and a truck collided head on in eastern Panama, media reports said.
The accident occurred Thursday night near Pacora town in eastern Panama, the Telemetro TV said.
"It's the most serious traffic accident in our country," said Arturo Alvarado, director of National Civil Protection System.
Witnesses said the accident might have been caused due to low visibility.
Police said an investigation would be launched.
US stocks climb on weekly jobless data, oil price drop
By DPA,
New York : US stocks rose Thursday after weekly unemployment claims fell unexpectedly and crude oil prices retreated from record highs.
Jobless claims fell last week, the government said. Crude oil reached a record $135 per barrel early in the day but had retreated by closing in New York, helping retail stocks.
The positive market day came despite US home prices falling 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2008 from a year earlier, the sharpest drop ever recorded in the government's 17-year-old index, suggesting the US housing and mortgage crisis has not yet come to an end.
Burns puts off his India visit
By IANS,
New Delhi : US Under Secretary of State for political affairs William Burns, who was scheduled to arrive here Monday ahead of a crucial meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), has postponed his visit at the last minute.
"Burns has postponed his visit to India. He is likely to come to India later this month," an official source told IANS.
"But no dates have been fixed yet," the source added.
Burns, a former envoy to Russia, is busy dealing with the crisis arising out of Russia's intervention in Georgia, the source said.
British girl shot dead in Jamaica
By IANS,
London: An eight-year-old British girl has been shot dead in a "revenge" attack while on holiday in Jamaica, a media report said Sunday.
Russia Urges Stronger World Leadership
Moscow, Dec 24 (Prensa Latina) Prime Minister Victor Zubkov said on Monday that his government and legislature seek the common goal of strengthening Russia as one of the leaders of the world's political and economic processes.
Zubkov recalled that priority is clearly included in this year's speech of President Vladimir Putin before the Federal Assembly.
This means priority programs to increase the wellbeing of the population, the establishment of an innovative economy and the creation of conditions to enlarge human potential, he explained.
A book to teach Chinese slangs
By IANS,
Beijing : For those looking to "colour up" their Chinese language, a Chinese author has written a book on slangs with chapters on "behaving badly".
Eveline Chao's "Niubi - The Real Chinese You Were Never Taught in School", has chapters on "internet slang" and "behaving badly" that offer adult readers a way to "spice up" their everyday dialogue, the People's Daily reported Monday.
China’s growth important for global recovery: World Bank chief
By IANS,
Washington : China's growth is a very important factor in the global economic recovery, World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick has said.
Madonna’s daughter plans to move in with father?
By IANS,
London: Pop diva Madonna's daughter Lourdes is reportedly thinking of moving in with her father personal trainer Carlos Leon.
Obama promises ‘pathway to citizenship’ for illegal immigrants
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama has vowed to pursue comprehensive US immigration reform later this year with a view to enacting legislation in 2010 providing a "pathway to citizenship" for millions of illegal immigrants.
"We have a broken immigration system. Nobody denies it," he said at a joint news conference in Guadalajara, Mexico Monday after attending a North American summit with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Indian Tamils view Sri Lanka with concern, but also apathy
By TSV Hari and Maitreyee Boruah,IANS,
Chennai/Bangalore, April 24 (IANS) From indifference to concern - the attitude of Indian Tamils to the plight of their ethnic brethren caught in the fighting between the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels in the island nation varies widely.
"We are emotional about it but frankly the fighting is happening far away," said S.K. Muruga Das, a youth who played cricket while the Tamil Nadu capital Chennai Thursday observed a shutdown called by the ruling DMK to demand a truce in Sri Lanka.
13 killed in China floods
By IANS,
Beijing : At least 13 people were killed in floods that ravaged south China's Guangdong province, authorities said.
Myanmar ratifies ASEAN charter
By Xinhua,
Singapore : Myanmar's ratification of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Charter was formalized here at a ceremony Monday afternoon.
In the ceremony for the deposit of the instrument of ratification for the ASEAN Charter by Myanmar, Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of the ASEAN, said he was confident the Charter will be fully ratified by all 10 ASEAN members at the end of the year.
Thousands throng India Day Parade in New York
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Thousands of people flocked to the annual India Day Parade held here that saw Bollywood beauty Priyanka Chopra as grand marshal and astronaut Sunita Williams as the guest of honour.
The event Sunday saw people fill up the sidewalks on the parade route along Madison Avenue from 41st Street to 24th Street in Manhattan. The atmosphere was charged with the hues and vibrancy of Indian culture, with many people waving the tricolour and quite a few dressed in the colours of the national flag.
Kanishka bombing inquiry report ready, says Canadian panel
By IANS,
Toronto : The Canadian public probe into the 1985 Air India bombing that claimed 329 lives is finally complete, the commission of inquiry has said.
Headed by former Canadian chief justice John Major, the commission of inquiry said Tuesday it has completed the final report to be submitted to the government.
All 329 people aboard Air India Kanishka flight 182 from Montreal to Delhi were killed in a mid-air bomb explosion off the Irish coast on June 23, 1985.
Death toll in Philippines typhoons rises to 22
By DPA
Manila : The death toll in two typhoons, Mitag and Hagibis, that battered a large part of the Philippines has risen to 22, the Office of Civil Defence said Wednesday.
Fourteen people were also reported missing after the two typhoons swept through 19 eastern, northern and western provinces of the country.
Both typhoons have weakened to tropical depressions as they moved out of the country, the weather bureau said.
The victims included three people who drowned when their motorboat capsized off Batangas province, south of Manila, late Tuesday.
‘China’s perception of rights differs from that of West’
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China has its own perception of human rights which differs from that of the western countries, said an expert here Monday.
"China believes human rights like other rights are not 'absolute' and the rights enjoyed should conform to obligations fulfilled," Luo Haocai, director of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said at the inaugural Beijing Forum on Human Rights.
"China opposes separating rights from obligations," he observed.
Iraq war illegal, Tony Blair was told
By IANS,
London : Former British prime minister Tony Blair was warned that the invasion of Iraq would be illegal in a secret memo from Attorney General Lord Goldsmith three months before the war began, a media report said.
The British Cabinet Office has published the first draft of Goldsmith's legal advice which confirmed he had doubts about the legality of the conflict without a new UN mandate, express.co.uk reported.
UN Security Council set to hold Kosovo session
By RIA Novosti
United Nations : On Serbia's request, Russia has called for a session of the UN Security Council to be held next Tuesday to discuss Kosovo, a spokesperson for Russia's office to the UN told reporters on Friday.
Supported by Russia, which has strongly opposed Kosovo's independence, Serbia called on Thursday for a new UN Security Council session to be held on Kosovo's secession. Russia holds the rotating UN Security Council presidency in March.
Israel jails Arab citizen for joining IS
Jerusalem: An Israeli court Monday sentenced an Israeli-Arab citizen to 22 months in prison for joining the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
Ahmed Shurbaji, a...
Civilian death toll of S Philippine violence climbs to 49
By Xinhua,
Manila : Forty nine people have been killed and more than 48,000 families have been displaced in southern Philippine region of Mindanao since last week, the national disaster relief agency said Sunday.
In its 6 a.m. Sunday update, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said the civilians have died as a result of the fighting between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and government troops.
NDCC's report showed that a total of 48,050 families, or 240,101 people, have been affected by the skirmishes.
US biologist wins Norwegian environment award
By DPA
Oslo : US biologist Gretchen Daily was Tuesday named winner of the annual Sophie Prize for her "radical and constructive involvement" in efforts to prevent the extinction of plants and animals.
Daily, professor at Stanford University in California, was the 11th winner of the prize created 1997 by Norwegian best-selling author Jostein Gaarder and his wife Siri Dannevig.
The prize worth $100,000 will be given to Daily in an award ceremony due in Oslo June 12.
NASA regains contact with Mars spacecraft
By SPA,
Los Angeles : NASA's Phoenix Mars spacecraft regained contact with Earth more than a day after falling silent, but its days operating on the red planet are still numbered, mission managers said, according to AP.
Waning sunlight and a dust storm this week drained the lander's power, forcing it to go into safe mode. It failed to respond to two wake-up calls from Earth but sent a
signal late Thursday when the orbiting Odyssey spacecraft passed overhead.
Have good manners: Chinese official to tourists
By IANS,
Beijing : If you are a tourist in China, you better have "healthy and civilised" manners.
Pakistani troopers fire at Indian positions in Kashmir
By IANS,
Srinagar : Pakistani troopers allegedly fired at Indian positions Tuesday near the de facto border dividing Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries, police sources said.
The sources told IANS that troopers from across the LoC fired at Indian positions in Krishna Ghati area near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector in the Jammu region resulting in injuries to an officer.
Concluding session of 15th SAARC Summit commences
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The concluding session of the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit started here on Sunday.
According to a schedule released by SAARC, it would consider the report of council of ministers, which took place from July 31 to Aug. 1.
The foreign ministers from SAARC member countries will sign four agreements, which were discussed at the council of ministers.
Sarkozy pays tribute to schoolchildren killed in collision
By DPA,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday paid tribute to seven schoolchildren, aged between 12 years and 14 years, who were killed when a regional train slammed into their bus Monday.
Accompanied by education minister Xavier Darcos, farms minister Michel Barnier and the speaker of the National Assembly, Bernard Accoyer, Sarkozy took part in a brief ceremony in a small church in the south-eastern town of Allinges, where the bodies of the victims lay in state.
The French president left the site after about 45 minutes without commenting.
Nepal’s lawmaker arrested in connection with bomb blast
Kathmandu : Nepal Police have arrested a lawmaker for his alleged involvement in a powerful bomb blast in a public place in 2012 which...
Riot warning over Oxford union’s invitation to racist leader
By IANS
London : A controversial Oxford University debate to be addressed Monday night by the head of the racist British National Party, Nick Griffin, and pro-Nazi historian David Irving has sparked a high-profile resignation and warning that riots may follow.
The police warnings of riots came after a senior Tory MP, shadow defence minister Dr Julian Lewis, resigned his membership of the Oxford Union Sunday in protest at the invitation to the two controversial men.
French airliner missing over Atlantic, 228 on board
By DPA,
Paris/Rio de Janeiro : An Air France flight with 228 people on board went missing over the Atlantic Monday morning, sparking a major search and rescue mission off the Brazilian coast, according to reports in both countries.
The Airbus A330-200, flight number AF 447, left Rio de Janeiro for Paris, but radio contact was lost with the plane shortly after 0600 GMT, the reports said.
UN slams using children as soldiers in conflicts
United Nations: The UN Security Council Friday unanimously adopted a resolution strongly condemning the recruitment of children in armed conflicts and attacks against schools...