Malaysian blogger jailed under security law
By DPA,
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia has jailed a popular anti-government internet blogger for two years under a draconian security law that can keep him detained indefinitely without a trial.
Raja Petra Kamarudin, who is known for his sensational online articles targeting top government leaders, was served with an order Monday night that would see him detained for two years under the Internal Security Act (ISA), Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters Tuesday.
"The detention is due to Raja Petra's articles that ridiculed Islam which could arouse anger among Muslims.
Obama to celebrate 49th birthday without family
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama will celebrate his 49th birthday Wednesday in Chicago without his wife and daughters.
First lady Michelle Obama plans a trip to Spain with daughter Sasha, 9, next week, and word is that daughter Malia, 12, is off to camp, the Chicago Tribune reported Sunday.
Though there will be plenty of FOBs - Friends of Barack - to help blow out the candles for the final gasp of his 40s.
"Unfortunately, I can't comment on any birthday-related activities. Sorry," said Chicago attorney Obama Alan S. King who is a friend of Obama.
Vatican’s no to Obama-supported embryonic stem cell research
By DPA,
Vatican City : The Vatican's top health issues official reiterated Tuesday the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to embryonic stem cell research - a field of study supported by US president-elect Barack Obama.
Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan said stem cells taken from human embryos and involving the destruction of the embryos, "served no purpose with no health cure to date" resulting from such scientific research.
The Church instead championed research on adult stem cells that, Barragan said, have been shown to have "positive value".
Early American voters go ‘shopping’ to pick president
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Voting at grocery stores across Las Vegas and drive in polling stations in California, at least 16 million Americans have already made their choice of the next president - Barack Obama or John McCain.
Across the nation 32 states that allow no-excuse absentee or early voting, votes have been pouring in at a record pace, media reports said with some estimating that as many as one third of all the voters may cast their ballots before the Nov 4 election day.
Ban to visit quake-hit Haiti Sunday
By DPA,
New York, Jan 16 (DPA) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon plans to visit Haiti Sunday to show his solidarity with the earthquake-ravaged Haitian people and United Nations staff.
The UN office announced Friday that Ban will use the opportunity to assess the destruction and international efforts to assist the Caribbean nation, which was devastated by Tuesday's magnitude-7 earthquake. The death toll is expected to be in tens of thousands.
Global aviation traffic up 8.2 percent: IATA
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Shaking off a bad previous year, the global airline industry posted an impressive 8.2 percent growth in passenger traffic in 2010.
NASA to explore earth’s radiation belts
By IANS,
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow: NASA will launch two probes early Friday to study the enigmatic radiation belts around the earth that could be hazardous for spacecraft and astronauts.
Terai leaders deny Kathmandu blast claims
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : As little-known groups started claiming responsibility for Sunday's serial blasts in Kathmandu that killed two women and injured over two dozen people, leaders from Terai rejected them as a ploy to discredit the ongoing Madhes movement.
Journalists in Nepal's border towns received calls from four organisations claiming responsibility for Sunday's blasts.
Of the virtually unknown groups, one called itself Gorkha Mukti Morcha and said it was from western Nepal. The other three claimed to be from the Terai plains.
“Royal flag” removed from palace in Nepali capital
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : With the announcement of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the flag engraved with the royal seal at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace in Nepali capital Kathmandu has been removed Thursday.
The royal memento has been removed at the main gate of the royal palace following the first meeting of Constituent Assembly which directed King Gyanendra Shah to leave the Narayanhiti palace within 15 days.
The government removed the flag engraved with the king's sign. National flag will be hoisted at the palace from Thursday.
US says Iran’s missile test may have violated UN resolution
Washington : "Strong indications" showed that Iran's test of a new precision-guided ballistic missile on Sunday violated a UN Security Council resolution, the White...
Clegg was among last to know about Brown decision
By IANS,
London : Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrats leader who holds the key to government formation in Britain, was told about Prime Minister Gordon Brown's offer to step down only 10 minutes before the announcement.
The Guardian learnt that Clegg was not formally told what Brown was set to announce until 4.50 p.m.
The Labour want to strike a deal with the Liberal Democrats. Brown was, however, told by intermediaries that his quitting would be desirable for the deal to go ahead.
One dies, 13 injured after train derails in Thai south
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : One passenger died and 13 others were injured after a train derailed in Thailand's southern province of Songkhla, while suspended train service in the deep south is expected to resume Sunday evening, officials of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said Sunday.
The accident occurred Saturday night when a train from Songkhla' s Phatthalung district enroute to Sungai Kolok district derailed near a railway station in a village of Songkhla province, Thai News Agency quoted SRT as saying.
Plots under way to destabilise Indonesia: Yudhoyono
By DPA,
Jakarta : Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said intelligence reports suggested there were attempts to destabilise the country, including a plot to kill him, and urged authorities to investigate whether Friday's deadly blasts at two Jakarta luxury hotels were part of the schemes.
Yudhoyono condemned the bomb attacks on Jakarta's JW Marriott hotel and the nearby Ritz-Carlton, which killed at least nine people and injured more than 50, as "a heinous terrorist act".
Army colonel is new Maldives defence minister
By IANS,
Colombo : In a bid to shore up his power, new Maldives President Mohamed Waheed has appointed two new ministers including an army colonel who will be the minister of defence.
Obama hits back at Bush over appeasement comments
By DPA,
Washington : Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama lashed out at President George W. Bush Friday for carrying out an "appalling attack" by suggesting the Illinois senator would appease terrorists.
"After eight years I did not think I could be surprised about anything George Bush says," Obama said at a campaign rally in Watertown, South Dakota.
"That's exactly the kind of appalling attack that divided our country and alienates us from the world," he added.
Five children suffocate to death in China
By IANS,
Beijing: Five children suffocated to death Monday in a deserted house that was being used to cure tobacco in southwest China's Guizhou province, authorities said.
King’s men bite dust in Nepal’s battle royale
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : The end of Nepal's 239-year-old royal dynasty loomed large with supporters of embattled King Gyanendra biting the dust in Thursday's battle royale and the crown's dreaded challenger, the former Maoist guerrillas, poised for a landslide victory.
The only large party that fought the historic constituent assembly election avowing support for Nepal's beleaguered monarchy was on the verge of annihilation.
Kenya to declare national emergency over food crisis
By Xinhua,
Nairobi : The Kenyan government plans to declare a national emergency over the prevailing drought and famine situation in the country that has rendered nearly ten million people food insecure.
The ten million include 1.5 million children under the school feeding programme, 2.5 million people suffering from various diseases including HIV/AIDS and orphans and another 2.5 million under the category of urban poor.
Mexico’s oil output falls 5.9 percent
By IANS
Mexico City : Mexico produced an average of 2.95 million barrels of oil per day last month, a decline of 5.9 percent from January 2007, state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has said.
Pemex attributed the steady drop in output to the gradual exhaustion of the Cantarell field in the Gulf of Mexico, Spanish news agency EFE reported Friday.
While oil production fell, Pemex pumped a record 6.53 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas in January, a gain of 13.9 percent over the same month last year.
70,000 newborns in Nigeria are HIV positive
By IANS,
Abuja : About 70,000 newborns in Nigeria are HIV positive, a top government official of the west African nation has revealed.
Indonesian quake kills 200, dozens trapped under rubble
By DPA,
Jakarta : At least 200 people were killed and scores were still trapped under collapsed buildings one day after a powerful earthquake struck Indonesia's West Sumatra province, officials said Thursday.
Another 7.0-magnitude earthquake jolted the adjacent Jambi province, about 225 kilometres south-east of West Sumatra's capital Padang, on Thursday morning, but there were no immediate reports of casualties, officials said.
Sri Lankan Troops Capture Rebel Base In North
By Bernama,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government troops captured a main base cum logistic hub of Tamil Tiger rebels in the northern Mannar district Wednesday morning, China's Xinhua news agency reported quoting a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.
The troops liberated the strategically important Vidattaltivu town, which is the main Sea-Tiger base cum the logistic hub of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the north western coast, the statement said.
36,000 trafficked women, kids rescued in China
By IANS,
Beijing : Police in China, during a nationwide crackdown on human trafficking, have rescued over 36,000 women and children abducted over the last two years, Xinhua reported.
Russian oil companies want consortium in Latin America
By RIA Novosti,
Caracas : Russia's five major oil companies have said they are interested in setting up a consortium to boost operations in Latin American countries.
The oil firms which have come up with the idea are Rosneft, LUKoil, Gazprom Neft, Surgutneftegaz and TNK-BP.
Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, who chairs the board of state-controlled Rosneft, Russia's largest oil company, said: "It would be strange for Russia, which shares first place in global oil production with the Saudis, not to interact, say, with Venezuela, which holds fifth or sixth place."
Bulgaria celebrates liberation in 1877-1878 war
By IRNA-Itar-Tass
Sofia : Sofia celebrated the 130th anniversary of its liberation in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. The celebrations started on Friday with a religious service at the Holy Week Church and a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to the Liberator Tsar.
On this day 130 years ago Russian troops led by General Iosif Gurko entered Sofia. Prior to that, the Turkish population of the city left it together with the Turkish army.
The taking of Sofia by the Russian army opened the way to Macedonia and Constantinople.
Japan summit to test G8 leaders on climate change, world economy and security
By Xinhua,
Toyako, Japan : When the leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations gather in Hokkaido, Japan, this week for their annual summit, they face the challenge of showing greater resolve to fight global warming, remedying the world economy and easing tensions in the world's hot spots.
The host country Japan has put talks on climate change high on the agenda of the meeting in the northern resort of Toyako, building on the outcome of last year's summit in Germany, where leaders agreed to seriously consider a target of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
18 killed in UN building bombing in Nigeria
By IANS,
Abuja : At least 18 people were killed Friday when a suicide car bomb rocked the UN building in Nigerian capital Abuja, officials said.
UN special envoy meets Aung San Suu Kyi
By DPA
Yangon : UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari met Saturday with Myanmar's detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi whom the ruling junta has effectively blocked from contesting the country's 2010 polls.
Gambari, who arrived in Myanmar Thursday on a mission to persuade the ruling regime to include Suu Kyi more in the reconciliation process, met the Nobel peace prize laureate and other executives of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party for about one and a half hours.
Miami to have 1,000 feet observation tower
Miami : The voters of Miami in the US have approved a proposal by a real estate promoter to build a 1,000 feet high...
Vietnam protests China’s tourism plan in disputed islands
By DPA,
Hanoi : Vietnam protested a Chinese proposal to begin tourist visits to the disputed Spratly and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, local media reported Tuesday.
The Chinese State Council announced the proposal Thursday as part of a plan for development of the tourism industry in the Chinese island province of Hainan.
Vietnamese government spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga denounced the Chinese proposal for the islands, which both countries claim, the official Vietnam News reported.
17 dead in Egypt road accidents
By DPA,
Cairo : At least 17 people were killed and five were injured in two road accidents in Egypt Wednesday, police said.
A truck crashed into a minibus and flipped onto it, killing 14 people and injuring three others on a highway between Cairo and Alexandria.
Meanwhile, three members of the same family were killed in a crash between two vehicles in Qalyubiya, just north of Cairo.
Around 8,000 people die and 32,000 are injured in road accidents in Egypt each year, according to official estimates.
When hate hits home: NRIs wake up to racism
By Jaspal Singh
A forum on hate crimes against Indians and peoples hailing from South Asia is being held at MIT on Saturday May 6,2017...
U.S. missile shield may not be built in Poland – Sikorski
By RIA Novosti
Warsaw : Poland's foreign minister has said he can see no threat coming from Iran and does not rule out that a U.S. missile-defense base in his country may not be built after all.
In an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza, Radoslaw Sikorski said that the worst-case scenario for Warsaw would be if it agreed to the deployment of a U.S. base on its soil, paying a political price, but then a new administration would come to power in the United States, and the base would not be built.
Indonesian military plane crash kills 97
By DPA,
Jakarta : At least 97 people were killed when an Indonesian military plane with more than 100 people on board crashed Wednesday into a residential neighbourhood in East Java province, the military said.
Nineteen people were also injured when the Hercules C-130 crashed in Magetan district while on a regular flight to the country's easternmost province of Papua from the capital, Jakarta, hospital staff said.
The deaths included three people who were killed on the ground, said Captain Kodir, an officer at the Iswahyudi Air Force Base in Madiun near the crash site.
Tony Blair burns breakfast, triggers smoke alarm
By IANS,
London : Former British prime minister Tony Blair burnt breakfast at his stately home, triggering smoke alarms. A spokesperson described the incident as "rather embarrassing".
Three fire engines were rushed to Blair's six million pound home in Buckinghamshire Saturday morning after the former prime minister activated the smoke alarms while cooking breakfast, The Telegraph reported.
Smoke drifted from the kitchen into other rooms in the seven-bedroom house.
Death toll in Greek forest fires rises to 64
By RIA Novosti
Athens : The death toll in Greece's worst forest fires in decades has risen to 64, the country's fire service said.
"Now the officially confirmed number of the wildfire victims is 64. Another person has died of burns," the fire service said in a statement issued Sunday. Earlier reports said 63 people had been killed in the forest fires.
Most of the blazes, which have been ravaging the country for over a week, have been brought under control but some fires are still spreading on the southern Peloponnese peninsula.
Parents held after two children killed in London, third seriously wounded
By DPA,
London : Two children were killed and a baby left seriously injured in a stabbing incident in south London, the BBC reported Saturday.
A 39-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were arrested at the scene and were being questioned by police. Neighbours said the two were the parents - Tamils from Sri Lanka who had moved into the house in the past year.
A five-year-old boy and a girl aged four were found with stab wounds at a house in Carshalton Friday night. Despite rescue efforts they died of their injuries.
Mass rally in Nepal reaffirms support to key polls
By DPA
Kathmandu : Tens of thousands of people took part in a rally in Nepal's capital Monday organized by seven ruling parties to express their commitment to hold key elections, scheduled for April 10.
Thousands of people, many from outlying areas of Kathmandu, rallied through the city before assembling into a mass gathering.
Addressing the gathering, top leaders repeatedly stressed that they would not postpone the elections to choose a constituent assembly. The polls have already been postponed three times since June 2007.
Worthington loved stripping for ‘Avatar’
By IANS,
London: Hollywood actor Sam Worthington has revealed he enjoyed stripping off for his role in "Avatar" because he loves to be naked.
The Australian actor who stars as a blue alien called Jake Sully in the 3-D animated film by James Cameron insists he didn't solely rely on technology for the role, reports list.co.uk.
"I had nothing on. I had a loincloth on and they painted me blue, basically," he said.
Suu Kyi campaigns for Myanmar by-elections
By IANS,
Yangion : Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), Saturday started the parliamentary by-election campaign in her constituency.
Mexican government to raise taxes, cut spending
By EFE,
Mexico City : The Mexican government has proposed a 2010 budget that includes deep cuts in public spending and increased taxes on income and consumption to cover an expected revenue shortfall of $35.9 billion.
President Felipe Calderon's administration is forecasting economic growth of 3 percent next year and an inflation rate of 3.3 percent, according to the bill presented to Congress Tuesday.
Japan’s industrial production plummets
By DPA,
Tokyo : Japan's industrial output suffered a record fall in November, as unemployment numbers rose and slowing inflation rates caused deflation fears, officials said Friday.
The Ministry for Economy, Trade and Industry said production dropped by 8.1 percent compared to the previous month, the largest drop on record since 1953, as foreign demand in cars or electronic goods plunged, dealing a heavy blow to Japan's export-oriented industry.
China, Sweden stress free trade, sustainable development
By IANS,
Stockholm : Visiting Chinese top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng and Swedish Parliament Speaker Per Westerberg have stressed the importance of free trade and sustainable development.
702 dead, 1,042 missing in China mudslides
By IANS,
Beijing : At least 702 people were killed and 1,042 went missing in rain-triggered mudslides in northwest China's Gansu province, authorities said Tuesday.
The death toll due to mudslides has reached 702, with 1,042 others still missing. Some 1,243 people have been rescued and 42 of them were found seriously injured, said Tian Baozhong, head of the provincial civil affairs department.
The mudslide hit Zhouqu County in Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gannan early Sunday, Xinhua reported.
Small plane crashes into New York building
By IANS,
New York : A small plane carrying two people crashed into a building in New York's Suffolk county, leaving the building on fire and critically injuring the two on board, police said.
The two-seat Cessna crashed Saturday into the Varsity Plumbing Supplies company building near the Long Island MacArthur Airport, Xinhua reported citing a statement from WABC television.
The two people - including a student pilot - on board the aircraft were critically injured and the building was on fire, police said.
The fire was later put out and the two people were taken to hospital.
26 injured in China quake
By IANS,
Beijing : At least 26 people were injured after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit China's Xinjiang Uygur region Thursday, a statement said.
Arctic Storm Hits Northern California
By SPA
Washington : A strong Arctic storm hit California on Friday, downing trees, dropping rain on coastal areas charred by recent wildfires, and threatening to paralyze high-elevation areas with deep snow.
The northern half of the state was being hit with strong rain, 137-kilometer-per-hour (kph) wind, and heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. In southern California, the storm was gathering strength off the coast and was expected to hit the region by mid-afternoon.
Australian PM charges opponent with ‘sexism’
By IANS,
Sydney : Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's attack on opposition leader Tony Abbott as "sexist and misogynist" in parliament has gone viral.
New York Times Slams US Vote Buying
By Prensa Latina,
Washington : The power of money in US policy has never been stronger and more troublesome than in the current presidential campaign, the most expensive in the country's history, The New York Times daily denounced on Tuesday.
Republican candidate John McCain, who defended in the past limiting the funds for elections, had to dismiss five of his assistants, because they were linked to lobbying firms, said an editorial published by the newspaper.
Democratic candidate Barack Obama is also receiving hefty donations from private sectors, the article said.
Saakashvili’s party leads in Georgian parliamentary polls
By RIA Novosti,
Tbilisi : President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement is leading in Georgia's parliamentary polls with almost 59.78% of the vote, early official results said on Thursday.
With 12 % of the vote counted, the main opposition bloc, United Opposition, is in second place with 15.42%, according to the Central Election Commission.
An exit poll carried out by QEV Analytics, the Jaan Tonosson Institute, and the Ukrainian Initiative Fund said on Wednesday that the ruling party had gained 63.2% in the elections.
US highway accident kills seven
By Xinhua,
Washington : Seven people were killed Thursday when a sports utility vehicle (SUV) they were travelling in veered off a highway and crashed into a cement barrier in northern Colorado, the police said.
The vehicle burst into flames after the crash, Gilbert Mares, a police officer with Colorado State Patrol, told reporters. There were no survivors, he said.
"We're in the preliminary stages of this investigation and we do not know what caused this (accident)," said Mares, adding that the weather was not a factor.
Michelle Obama to feature on Vogue cover
By IANS,
New York : US first lady and new style icon Michelle Obama will feature on the cover of Vogue magazine's March issue and will appear in an eight-page spread that includes clothes from her own wardrobe.
While nearly every first lady - beginning with Herbert Hoover's wife, Lou, in 1929 - has been photographed for the fashion magazine, only Hillary Clinton was featured on the cover, in December 1998, said Patrick O'Connell, Vogue spokesperson.
US reviewing terrorist tag on Nepal Maoists
By DPA,
Kathmandu : A senior US official said Thursday that his country was reviewing a terrorist tag it had placed on Nepal's ruling Maoist party.
Removal of the label on the former rebels would largely depend on their actions, said Richard Boucher, US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs.
"When we think they have done the necessary things like rejecting terrorism in word and deed, then they will be taken off the list," Boucher told reporters in Kathmandu.
Gurkhas defeat British government in parliament
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : The British government Wednesday suffered a humiliating defeat after parliament voted to reverse regulations seeking to curtail the rights of Gurkha ex-soldiers to settle down in Britain.
MPs voted by 267 to 246 votes in favour of an amendment, moved by the opposition Liberal Democrat party, to allow all Gurkha ex-soldiers who have served in the British Army to live in Britain.
Current regulations allow such rights to only those Gurkhas who retired after 1997, when a Gurkha army base in Hong Kong was moved to Britain.
US groom mistakes bride for intruder, shoots her dead
By DPA,
Washington: A man in the US state of Florida shot his bride-to-be on the eve of their wedding after he mistook her for an intruder, local media reported Saturday.
John Tabbut and his fiancee Nany Dinsmore, both aged 62, had been due to walk down the aisle Saturday. On Friday night, Tabbut grabbed his gun and fired into the darkness when he heard a suspicious noise in their home.
Tabbut has not been charged for what police said appeared to be no more than a tragic accident, according to the reports.
Japanese PM sets parliamentary elections for Aug. 30
By RIA Novosti,
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has announced that he will dissolve parliament next week, with elections scheduled for August 30, the Kyodo News agency reported on Monday.
The four-year term of the lower house, the House of Representatives, expires on September 10, and an election must be held by October.
"I want to seek the people's mandate by dissolving the House of Representatives early in the week beginning July 21. Election Day is August 30,'' the prime minister was quoted as saying.
The official election campaign is due to begin on August 18.
Activists’ boat damaged in clash with Japanese whalers
By DPA,
Sydney: An anti-whaling protest ship was taking on water after colliding with a security vessel of the Japanese whaling fleet in the Antarctic, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's leader said Wednesday.
Paul Watson said five of the six crew members aboard the high-speed trimaran were rescued and taken aboard an accompanying protest ship, the Bob Barker.
The captain stayed with the $1.5-million Ady Gil in the hope of saving it from sinking.
Plane crashes in upstate New York, 50 dead
By DPA,
New York : A commercial airliner crashed on a house and burst into flames late Thursday outside Buffalo, New York, killing at least 50 people.
The dead included 49 people on Continental Connection Flight 3407 and one person on the ground, officials said Friday. The fire was so intense that investigators were unable to approach the crash site early Friday morning. They subsequently managed to recover the cockpit voice recorders from the tail of the aircraft.
Mugabe’s party, opposition in talks over poll outcome
By DPA
Harare : Three days after Zimbabweans went to the polls to vote on President Robert Mugabe's 28-year rule, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was in talks with the ruling Zanu-PF party, a source close to the MDC said Tuesday.
Earlier, Britain's Guardian newspaper also quoted an unnamed senior source within the MDC as saying the party was in touch with senior members of the military.
Chinese court upholds death penalty for drug dealer
By Xinhua
Kunming (China) : The provincial court here Wednesday upheld the death sentence given to a Taiwanese drug smuggler by an intermediate court last year.
The Yunnan Provincial Higher People's Court Wednesday endorsed the ruling of the Intermediate People's Court awarding the sentence to Chung Wan-yi, court officials said.
Chung and his 11 accomplices were arrested in February 2007 in the capital of southwest China's Yunnan province, for operating a Kunming-based drug trafficking ring.
US Congress extends tax cut, jobless benefits
By IANS/EFE,
Washington : The US Congress approved Friday a 10-month extension of the payroll tax cut and federal unemployment benefits.
EU to reduce energy dependency on Russia
Brussels: The European Union (EU) said Friday that it would reduce Europe's high gas dependency rates to the external markets, notably on Russia.
"Reducing our...
Punjab-born man wins election in Finland
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Punjab-born people have won elections in the US, Britain and Canada but in a first of its kind, a Punjabi has won a provincial election in Finland.
Ranbir Sodhi, 42, a night-club owner in Vantaa province adjoining Finland’s capital Helsinki has become the first Indian to make it to the council of governors of Vantaa.
Uber rape: Indian woman withdraws US case
By Arun Kumar
Washington : An Indian woman executive who sued Uber after allegedly being raped by a driver for the cab-hailing service in...
Generous Roberts helps delivery guy
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Actress Julia Roberts reportedly gave a tip of $500 to the delivery guy who brings groceries for her after she learned that the latter's car air conditioner was not working.
Negotiations only realistic way to resolve Iran dispute, says UK
By IRNA,
London : The UK has welcomed the resumption of 5+1 talks with Iran after more than a year, saying negotiations are the “only realistic way” of resolving concerns about nuclear issues.
Ebola toll hits 2,288 in West Africa: WHO
Geneva : The number of people infected by the Ebola virus disease in West Africa reached 4,269 as of Tuesday, while the total number...
Sri Lanka court issues arrest warrant against LTTE chief
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The High Court here Monday issued arrest warrants against Tamil Tiger rebels' chief Velupillai Prabakaran and three others for the murder of Sri Lanka's former foreign minister.
The police, however, told the court that Prabakaran's arrest was not possible due to the ongoing military operation in the north, where he is believed to be hiding. The case will be heard again May 13.
Russian freighter disappears in Caspian Sea
By IRNA
Moscow : A sea rescue center in Astrakhan, in southern Russia, on November 17 launched a search-and-rescue operation to answer a distress call from a Russian freighter that had disappeared in the Caspian Sea, the transportation ministry said.
The Kamyust-1 freighter, sailing under the Russian flag and registered at the Taganrog port, was on its way from Astrakhan to the Iranian port of Anzali, but failed to arrive to its destination on schedule," a ministry spokesperson said.
Can’t get through tough times? Focus on ‘non material wealth’
By IANS,
Washington : Focussing on non material wealth rather than financial wealth can help people get through today's tough times, according to two of the world's leading psychological experts on happiness.
More money makes people feel better about their lives, but it won't necessarily improve their quality of life, they said.
Ed Diener of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UI-UC) and Robert Biswas-Diener of the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology in Milwaukee conducted the study.
Haiti estimates quake toll 100,000, fears epidemic
By IANS/EFE,
Port-au-Prince : The Haitian government plans mass evacuation of survivors to prevent possible epidemic in the capital city, where Tuesday's devastating earthquake left about 100,000 people dead and 600,000 homeless.
Interior Minister Antoine Bien-Aime said it was one of the best solutions to save some 600,000 people who were left homeless. He estimated some 100,000 people, around 70,000 of them from Port-au-Prince, were killed in the tragedy.
Amnesty for South Africans surrendering firearms
By IANS,
Pretoria : South Africa has announced amnesty for surrendering illegal firearms till the next three months, a move aimed at curbing violent crimes.
The firearms amnesty period beginning Monday will end April 11. The dispossession of illegal and unwanted legal firearms during this period will significantly help in the fight against crime, says Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
Nordic telecom major’s Nepal freebie gets animal lovers’ goat
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu: Following the advice that when in Nepal, do as Nepalis do has landed Nordic telecom giant TeliaSonera in the midst of a controversy in the country.
Obama calls off Australia trip
By IANS,
Sydney : US President Barack Obama has postponed his visit to Australia and Indonesia due to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that has caused an environmental disaster.
Obama telephoned Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Indonesian President S.B. Yodhoyono, expressing his deep regret over his decision, The Age reported Friday.
The devastating oil leak began April 20, and British Petroleum has been trying to shut the flow without success.
China’s GDP growth to slow to 9.2 percent
By IANS,
Beijing : China's GDP growth will slow down to 9.2 percent in 2012 from 9.4 percent this year, experts say.
National party heads for victory in New Zealand general elections
By Xinhua,
Wellington : With 75 percent of the votes counted in the New Zealand general election, the opposition National Party was well on the way to forming a coalition government with the ACT Party.
Although Labor gained ground as more results came in, the gap between the main parties remained substantial.
On 75 percent counted, National held 46 percent of the party vote and the Labor 33 percent.
ACT held 3.7 percent and Labor's ally the Greens 6.4 percent.
Sobhraj to fight film with a film in Nepal apex court
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Charles Sobhraj stepped out of his dark, chilly cell in Kathmandu's tightly guarded central prison Wednesday after almost six months to make a rare appearance in Nepal's Supreme Court and plan his next strategy for securing freedom.
The 64-year-old, who is fighting a life term for murder in the sleepy Himalayan nation, has now got to grapple with books and films as well.
Non-crew members were in cockpit of crashed Polish plane
By IANS,
Moscow : Non-crew members were in the cockpit of the Polish presidential plane that crashed in April near the western Russian city of Smolensk, killing everyone on board, the head of the Interstate Aviation Committee said Wednesday.
"It was proven that non-crew members were in the cockpit," Tatyana Anodina said.
She said the voice of one person was identified while the others are being identified by Polish officials.
Anodina did not specify the number of people in the cockpit or their identities.
Facebook can spot you even if your face is covered
New York: You cannot hide from Facebook, no matter what you do. An experimental algorithm out of Facebook's artificial intelligence lab can recognise people...
UKIP names Sikh shopkeeper as candidate for British polls
London : A Sikh man has been unveiled as the UK Independence Party's (UKIP) candidate for Hull North in the British county of Yorkshire...
Chemicals in consumer products likely to cause premature births
By IANS,
Washington : A common contaminant present in consumer products, including cosmetics, may be causing an alarming rise in premature births, according to a new study.
Phthalates are commonly used compounds in plastics, personal care products, home furnishings (vinyl flooring, carpeting, paints etc.) and many other consumer and industrial products.
Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health (SPH) found that women who deliver prematurely have, on average, up to three times the phthalate level in their urine compared to women who carry to term.
Malaysian medical team leaves for western Sahara for UN mission
By NNN-Bernama,
Sepang : The Malaysian Defence Forces (ATM) are sending their third medical team for a United Nations (UN) mission in Western Sahara.
A spokesman of the ATM Medical Division said the 20-member team from the Royal Medical Corps would serve under the UN banner for six months.
The ATM despatched their first medical team to the area in May last year, replacing the one from South Korea who completed their 12-year mission from 1994.
`Latin America could suffer the problems of US, Europe’
By IANS/EFE,
Miami : Latin America is in a good financial situation, but the problems currently being suffered by the US and Europe pose a threat, a banker said.
Dutch organisation to fight loneliness
By DPA
Amsterdam : The biggest voluntary movement in the Netherlands has joined forces with a university in Amsterdam to combat the growing problem of loneliness.
Around 30 percent of Dutch nationals are lonely, and 10 percent suffer from severe loneliness.
The voluntary group, De Zonnebloem (The Sunflower), made loneliness the main theme of its Zonnebloem week (Sep 3-9) in a bid to raise public awareness of the needs of the sick and elderly.
Over 2,000 state firms shifted to private sector in Cuba
By IANS/EFE,
Havana : The Cuban government has leased more than 2,000 small businesses to their old employees, who have increased the firms' income and the quality of the services provided.
Correa re-elected as Ecuador’s president: Exit poll
By DPA,
Quito : Ecuador's President Rafael Correa was re-elected Sunday with 54 percent of the first-round vote, according to results broadcast by television channel Ecuavis from an exit poll by the government-hired pollster Santiago Perez.
According to the exit survey, former Ecuadorian president Lucio Gutierrez (2003-05) got 31 percent.
In order to avoid a runoff, the socialist Correa, 46, needed to either capture a majority of the vote, or a plurality of more than 40 percent with a margin of at least 10 percentage points over the second-place candidate.
A three-way tie for first lady at Zuma’s inauguration: Report
By DPA,
Johannesburg : After months of speculation over who will be South Africa's next first lady, local media reported Thursday that president-elect Jacob Zuma, a polygamist, will be accompanied by both his wives and a third female companion at his inauguration Saturday.
The Star newspaper reported that Zuma, 67, had invited his first wife Sizakele, 69, his second wife, Nompumelelo, who is in her mid-30s, and a third woman, Thobeka Mabhija, for whom he has reportedly paid lobola (bride price) to the lavish ceremony in Pretoria.
Thousands of Congolese refugees flee fresh fighting
By DPA,
Nairobi/Goma(Congo) : At least 13,000 Congolese refugees have fled into Uganda over the past few days as fighting flared up again in eastern Congo, the UN refugee agency said.
The refugees told the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) officials they were fleeing fighting around Rutshuru, one of the towns that has been caught up in battles between troops loyal to rebel general Laurent Nkunda and government troops.
The fighting exploded into full-scale conflict in October after beginning to ramp up in August.
China to give Belarus $16 mn Chernobyl aid
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: China is to donate some $16 million to Belarus to support children in areas hit by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Belarusian government said Wednesday.
Housing Affordability Down Under Facing Pressures
MELBOURNE, Jan 4 (Bernama) -- Housing affordability in Australia is facing mounting pressures and is likely to worsen this year, the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) says.
Rising interest rates, population growth and price increases caused by a shortfall in the supply of new homes are contributing to a 22-year low in affordability.
As a result many home buyers are considering medium and higher density housing as more affordable options, REIA president Noel Dyett said in a statement.
Myanmar seeks fair assessment of its actions in migrants crisis
Bangkok: Myanmar has asked the UN to be fair and impartial in assessing its actions during the ongoing immigration crisis in Southeast Asia even...
Hillary Clinton backs ‘my candidate’ Obama
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Hillary Clinton put the bitterness of a long, hard campaign behind her to endorse Barack Obama as a "proud supporter" in asking Democrats to unite to win back the White House in November.
"Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose," she said at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday as she called on her party to rally behind her former rival.
‘Resurgent’ Al Qaeda ensconced in Pakistan ‘safe haven’: US
By IANS
Washington : US President George W. Bush has acknowledged that Al Qaeda may be at its strongest "since" the 2001 terrorist attacks on the US even as intelligence officials said the terror group was "resurgent" and "fairly well settled into the safe haven" in Pakistan.
DPA adds: Bush said Thursday that Al Qaeda remained a threat but insisted that actions taken since the September 11, 2001 attacks had left the terrorist group "weaker today than they would have been".
US kids exposed to greater violence than suspected
By IANS,
Washington : US children are routinely exposed to even more violence and abuse than has been previously recognised, with nearly half experiencing physical assault, says a new study.
"Children experience far more violence, abuse and crime than adults," said David Finkelhor, director of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Crimes against Children Research Centre and the study director. "If life were this dangerous for ordinary grown-ups, we'd never tolerate it."
Obama’s economic czar wants US to lead economic recovery
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama's top economic adviser wants the United States to lead a global effort to improve regulatory standards as the world grapples with its worst economic crisis in decacdes.
"Globally, the United States must lead a levelling-up of regulatory standards, not as has happened all too often in the recent past, trying to win a race to the bottom," Lawrence Summers, director of Obama's National Economic Council, said at a Brookings Institution forum.
Poll: Obama rapidly picks up more women voters’ support
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama picked up more support from women voters soon after his decisive win in the presidential nomination race, according to a poll released on Wednesday.
The Gallup poll conducted from June 5 to 9 showed that the Illinois Senator was supported by 51 percent of women voters, compared to 38 percent for his Republican rival, Arizona Senator John McCain.
Another poll conducted a week earlier showed Obama's lead over McCain in women voters' support by only 5 percentages.
Civilian toll rises amid Yemen’s worsening humanitarian situation
Geneva : At least 1,037 civilians have been killed between March 26 and May 20 in Yemen as a result of widespread and protracted...
AIG reports fourth quarter profits
By IANS,
New York : American International Group (AIG) has reported a net income of $19.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, gaining about 77 percent year-on-year thanks to a big tax benefit.
Death toll in blast in Sri Lanka reaches 26
By SPA,
Colombo : The death toll in Friday's bus bomb explosion rose to 26 as fighting continued in the northern part of the country claiming the lives of 18 more rebels, officials said Saturday.
At least 63 of the 70 injured in the blast at Piliyandala, 12 Kilometers south of the capital, remained in hospital, while hospital Authorities were releasing the bodies of the 26 killed to their relatives, DPA reported.
Ban gifts to doctors, says UK consumer body
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : If a doctor in Pakistan writes prescriptions for a specific high-price drug, the drug company rewards the doctor with the down payment of a brand new car, according to a new report that details the unethical practices of drugs promotion.
The situation is not very different in India too, notes the London-based Consumers International, which describes itself as the world federation of consumer groups that serves as "the only independent and authoritative global voice for consumers".
Serbia: Kosovo to Declare Sovereignty
By Prensa Latina
Belgrade : Serbia warned on Friday that it has information that Kosovo Province may proclaim illegal independence on February 17, Serbian Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic informed.
The minister asserted that the European Union seeks to sign a pre-dated association and cooperation accord to justify and approve a state within Serbian territory based on lies.
Samardzic said the EU-Kosovo accord to create a free trade area and liberalize visas for the Serbians should have been signed Thursday but the EU deferred it for next week.
Yemeni crisis worsening hourly: UN
United Nations: The humanitarian situation is getting worse by the hour in Yemen, said a UN spokesman Friday.
According to the World Health Organization(WHO), violence...
India votes at UN for lifting US embargo on Cuba
By IANS,
New York : Voting in favour of a UN resolution asking the US to lift the economic embargo imposed on Cuba 46 years ago, India has opposed unilateral measures by countries which impinge on the sovereignty of others.
The Cuba-sponsored resolution was passed 179-4 by the UN General Assembly. The four opposing votes came from the US, Israel, Palau and the Marshall Islands.
Nepal parties preparing to form transitional justice mechanisms
Kathmandu: At a time when Nepal is all set to start drafting a constitution in right earnest, settlement of criminal cases of the Maoist...
British MPs found guilty of accepting free foreign jaunts
By IANS,
London: More than 20 British MPs have been found in breach of hospitality rules after accepting free overseas trips and raising issues about those countries in parliament but failing to declare a vested interest.
A BBC investigation Tuesday uncovered hundreds of breaches of parliamentary rules by MPs who accepted free overseas trips.
The British-ruled territory of Gibraltar, the Maldives and Cyprus were the favourite destinations of the MPs, who, between them, violated rules on more than 400 occasions.
Bobby Jindal, ‘the great beige hope’ of the Republican Party
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
Chicago : Being called the "great beige hope" of the Republican Party and projected these days as a likely challenger to President Barack Obama in 2012, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal finds himself awkwardly ducking unprecedented media and popular attention.
Emirates orders 32 more A380s from Airbus for $11.5 billion
By D. Balaji,IANS,
Berlin : Dubai-based Emirates Airline Tuesday placed a fresh order with Airbus Industrie for an additional 32 A380 super jumbos at a cost of $11.5 billion.
"This latest order, adding to 58 A380s we have booked, affirms our strategy to become a world leading carrier and establish Dubai as a central gateway to global air travel," Emirates chief executive Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum told reporters on the margins of the 100th Berlin air show here.
Nepali king’s cavalry shifted to army
By Xinhua
Kathmandu : The army in Nepali royal palace, which was under the King's Household Cavalry, comes under the Nepal Army Headquarters, local newspaper The Rising Nepal reported on Saturday.
Brigadier General of the Nepales e Army Ramindra Chhetry said the command of the army in the palace has been changed to the Army Headquarters. However, he said question of reducing the number of army in the palace had not been decided.
He said he did not know anything about the reduction of the number of army in the royal palace as reported by some media.
Colombia quake toll rises to 11
By IANS,
Bogota : The toll in Colombia's earthquake has risen to 11, even as the rescue work continues, Spain's EFE news agency has reported.
The quake, measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale, rocked the eastern and central regions of the country Saturday, killing and wounding dozens in the aftermath, the report said Sunday.
Some 54 people were injured and around 430 families have been evacuated from the quake-hit towns such as Quetame and Puente Quetame, a civil defence official, Col. Jairo Duvan Pineda, told reporters.
US offers immigrants citizenship to join army
By IANS,
New York : The US Army is wooing skilled immigrants to join it, including those who know Hindi and Tamil, by offering them a chance to become citizens in as little as six months, a media report said.
For foreigners who live in the US on temporary visas, it often takes more than a decade to get citizenship.
Egyptian minister wants cotton trade issue resolved to lift Africa
By IANS,
New Delhi : Speaking on behalf of African nations, Egyptian Trade Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid Thursday called for early resolution of issues concerning global cotton trade, which remained an important crop for several countries in the continent.
"African countries remain concerned that no significant progress has been made in some key issues of interest to them," Rachid told the mini-ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) here.
Indonesia issues tsunami warning after strong quake
By DPA,
Jakarta : Indonesia issued a tsunami warning Tuesday after a powerful earthquake struck parts of the western tip of Java and southern Sumatra province of Lampung, seismologists said.
The quake, measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale, struck under the Indian Ocean at about 10:07 a.m., occurred at a depth of 20 km, Indonesia's National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said in a short message.
The quake was located at about 125-km northwest of Ujungkulon in the southwestern tip of Java, about 630 km southwest of Jakarta.
Nine quakes in seven hours shake up New Zealand town
By DPA,
Wellington : Nine earthquakes in just over seven hours awakened and shook up the town of Whakatane, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, Thursday.
The swarm began at 2.38 a.m. with a shake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale, and the area was still shaking just before 10 a.m. with a series of smaller quakes at regular intervals.
Seismologists at the national earthquake monitoring organisation GeoNet said they could not predict what would happen with swarms.
Rice works the phone, US all out to win n-deal approval
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The Bush administration launched "a full court press" to present the India-US civil nuclear deal to the Congress within the next 24 to 48 hours with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leading the drive to woo the lawmakers.
World’s largest polluters debate climate as G8 summit ends
By RIA Novosti,
Toyako (Hokkaido) : Leaders of rich and developing nations failed to overcome differences on tackling climate change but agreed on the need for major emissions cuts, as the G8 summit concluded in Japan on Wednesday.
The talks between the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations and eight major developing economies on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido came a day after the G8 adopted a statement calling for a 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
‘Obama has achieved more than anyone in a generation’
By IANS,
Washington : With the November midterm election looming, top aides are claiming that President Barack Obama has achieved more in two years in advancing a solid progressive agenda than anyone else in a generation.
"My admonition would be: Don't make the perfect the enemy of the good," Obama senior adviser David Axelrod told CNN Sunday responding to criticism that the president has not been aggressive enough in pursuing a progressive agenda.
Cuba plans 24-hour TV channel with foreign content
By DPA
Havana : Cuba plans to start a 24-hour television channel in the first half of this year that would draw most of its programming from broadcasters in other countries, a government media official has said.
Speaking Wednesday night on the fringes of a writers' congress in Havana, Luis Acosta, vice president of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television, did not comment on the content of the new channel's broadcasts but said about a dozen countries would contribute.
UK port becoming ‘nuclear dumping ground’
By IRNA,
London : Europe’s largest single issue peace organisation is warning the British government against plans to use a naval dockyard base as a centre for dismantling radioactive submarines.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) has voiced concern about the safety record of Devonport dockyard in south-west England and its position in the middle of Plymouth city as being inappropriate site as a ‘nuclear dumping ground.’
"A city-centre location is no place to cut-up and store redundant nuclear submarines,” said CND chair Kate Hudson.
Brazil, Argentina successfully complete joint space launch
By IANS
Rio de Janeiro : Brazil and Argentina have "successfully" launched a rocket carrying scientific experiments, the first joint space mission ever undertaken by the two countries, authorities said.
The launch was conducted at 6.15 a.m. (0915 GMT) Sunday from the Boca do Inferno Launch Centre in the northeastern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte, Andreia Araujo, spokesperson of Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), told the Spanish news agency EFE.
Healthcare reform in Hungary facing serious challenges
By Michael Logan, DPA
Budapest : Hungary's plans to overhaul its ailing healthcare system by allowing private capital into the health insurance market are on the rocks as political pressure mounts following a referendum in which voters have rejected other welfare-state cuts.
Voters turned out in droves Sunday to reject fees for medical treatment and higher education - a result seen as a stinging defeat for the government and its economic reforms.
China to conduct naval drill
By IANS,
Beijing : The People's Liberation Army (PLA) will conduct a four-day naval drill in the Yellow Sea next month, a media report said Sunday.
PLA's Beihai Fleet will conduct a live-ammunition drill in the Yellow Sea Sep 1-4, China Daily reported quoting the defence ministry.
The exercise, which involves shooting of shipboard artillery, will be held off the southeast coast of Qingdao city, where the Beihai Fleet is headquartered.
US gives $4.2 million to Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : The US has announced a donation of $4.2 million to support the return of Tamils displaced by the Sri Lankan war.
Zimbabwe violence may deteriorate to “genocide” — British politician
By KUNA,
London : Military intervention in Zimbabwe could be necessary to stop violence sliding into "genocide", a prominent British politician warned Tuesday.
Paddy Ashdown said the world could not stand by and watch mass slaughter on the scale of Rwanda in the mid-1990s.
The former European Union (EU) High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina told The Times newspaper "The situation in Zimbabwe could deteriorate to a point where genocide could be a possible outcome, something that looks like (another) Rwanda".
14 killed as storm batters France
By DPA,
Paris: At least 14 people have died in a violent storm that swept across France late Saturday and Sunday, France Info radio reported.
Packing winds of up to 160 km per hour, the storm uprooted trees, flooded houses, wreaked havoc with transportation and cut electricity to more than one million households.
Among the victims was an 88-year-old woman who was found drowned in her house on the Isle of Oleron, off the west coast. Another octogenarian woman and a 10-year-old child also died in the region.
Israeli forces open fire at farmers, journalists
By KUNA,
GAZA : Israeli Army forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers and foreign journalists and supporters in the southern parts of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
The attack, which took place in the small town of Absan near Khan Younis, did not cause casualties, head of the Ambulance and Emergency Department in the Palestinian Health Ministry Moawiya Hasanain told KUNA.
Foreign supporters had accompanied Palestinian farmers to their farms to harvest their crops.
Al Qaeda in North Africa issues new threats
By Xinhua,
Washington : The Al Qaeda terror network in North Africa has issued new threats against Western targets, a US terrorism monitoring service said.
"Unite around the jihad that is the only alternative power to the apostate regimes that dominate over our lands," Abu Musab Abdul Wadud, leader of Al Qaeda in the region, said in a 28-minute new video on the Internet, the US-based SITE Intelligence Group said Monday.
Wadud slammed governments in Mauritania, Algeria and other North African countries, claiming that Mauritania has become "a nest of foreign intelligence".
Death toll in Vietnam storms reaches 112
By DPA,
Hanoi : At least 46 people were killed in the latest heavy rains to hit central Vietnam, taking the October death toll to 112, authorities said Wednesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo seeks public help to find missing child
By Xinhua
Lisbon : Manchester United's Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo has made a public appeal for information about a missing child, Madeleine McCann, who went missing last week.