Fiji says Australia, New Zealand interference prompted talks pullout
By Xinhua,
Wellington : Fiji's interim government said Monday that it has suspended talks with the Pacific Island Forum Joint Working Group on Fiji because of what it sees as a lack of support by Australia and New Zealand, Radio New Zealand International reported.
Australia and New Zealand interference continued to hamper efforts to move Fiji forward, it said.
Fiji Ministry of Information's acting deputy secretary, Major Neumi Leweni, said Fiji's interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama felt that the talks should be suspended because little progress is made.
Three sentenced to death in China
By IANS,
Beijing : Three inmates, who broke out of prison last October, were sentenced to death in China Tuesday.
The prisoners were serving life sentence when they killed a guard and escaped the prison in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xinhua reported.
US hostage crisis ends as gunman shot dead
By IANS,
Washington : An armed man, who held three hostages in the Discovery Communications building in the US state of Maryland, was shot dead Wednesday afternoon, police said.
All three hostages are safe, J. Thomas Manger, police chief of Maryland's Montgomery County, was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.
Law enforcement officials fired at the suspect, James J. Lee, because police "believed the hostages' lives were in danger," he said.
Police had been negotiating with Lee for several hours. Manger said Lee displayed "a wide range of emotions" during the talks.
White House gate crashers keep mum on the Hill
By Arun Kumar, ians,
Washington: A celebrity hounding couple accused of crashing the White House state dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appeared before a Congressional panel Wednesday but as expected refused to answer questions.
Invoking their Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate themselves, Tareq and Michaele Salahi refused to answer questions during an appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee amid a criminal investigation of the Nov 24 incident.
Second unit of KNPP to be commissioned this year
Moscow : Russia's nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, builders of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, plans to commission the second unit within this year, it...
Stop global warming, take off your tie
By IANS
London : The Italian Health Ministry has said that freeing the neck of a tight fitting tie immediately cools the body and helps stop global warming.
Global warming is the gradual warming of the Earth's atmosphere reportedly caused by the burning of fossil fuels and industrial pollutants.
In an unconventional campaign to combat climate change, the Italian Health Ministry said that freeing the neck of a tight-fitting tie immediately cools the body temperature by 2°C to 3°C.
NASA joins hunt for missing Malaysian jet
Washington : The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has joined the search hunt for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight, which disappeared shortly after...
Serial killer of old women condemned to 759 years in jail in Mexico
By ANTARA News
Mexico City : A Mexican serial killer who targeted elderly women was condemned to 759 years in jail on Monday for the murder of at least 16 women and for 12 instances of robbery.
According to Mexican law, however, Juana Barraza, better known as La Mataviejitas, "The Killer of Old Women," will only be required to serve 50 years in jail.
A criminal court judge also ruled that Barraza, 50, should pay some 9,100 dollars for her crimes, or do community service if she lacks the money.
Strong quake jolts eastern Venezuela
By IANS,
Caracas : A strong earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale Monday jolted the Caribbean region of eastern Venezuela, Spain's EFE news agency reported.
The quake occurred at 2.49 a.m. and jolted the Venezuelan state of Sucre, the Foundation for Seismology Research or Funvisis, said.
The epicentre of the quake was located at some eight kilometres off the coast of Sucre in the Caribbean Sea, the National emergency management office director, Luis Diaz, said.
US Congress approves spy plane deal with India
By Gulshan R Luthra,IANS,
New Delhi : The US Congress has approved the sale of eight Boeing P8-I multi-mission spy planes to India, apparently clearing the decks for transfer of a variety of other sophisticated defence systems by the new Obama administration to New Delhi.
Media influences support for anti-Muslim action
New York : Media plays an important role in its coverage of portraying Muslims as terrorists, says a study.
Exposure to news stories which are...
Tamil newspaper office attacked in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : An office of a Tamil newspaper was attacked in the northern Sri Lanka Wednesday, police said.
Strong Earthquake In Tibet Leaves Big Crack On Earth’s Crust
By Bernama,
Lhasa : Although there was no casualities reported from the strong tremor that rocked Zhongba County, Xigaze Prefecture in Tibet on Monday, the inspection team reported that the tremor left a big crack on the earth's crust.
The seismologists found a 10-km crack in north-south direction at the epicenter, which is at 31 degrees north and 83.6 degrees east.
20 LTTE rebels killed in northern Sri Lanka
Colombo, Sep 28 (Xinhua) At least 20 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels and a Sri Lankan Navy trooper were killed in a fierce sea battle between the rebels and the navy, defence officials said Friday.
A battle erupted between a flotilla of LTTE sea wing boats and the Sri Lanka Navy's Dvora fast attack craft off Pulmoddai in the eastern port district of Trincomalee at around 3.00 a.m. Friday.
Weather conditions baffle search efforts after bridge collapse
By XinhuaÂ
Guangzhou : Unfavorable weather and river conditions have impeded efforts to search for people who fell into a river in Guangdong Province after a bridge collapsed, a maritime official said on Saturday.
    The southern China province is in the flooding season and water level has risen greatly, said Mo Qi, deputy director with the Guangdong Maritime Bureau.
Three killed in US chopper crash
By IANS,
Washington : Three people, including the pilot, were killed in a helicopter crash in the US state of Florida Monday.
Indian summer of art at British Museum
By IANS,
London : The British Museum will showcase Indian art and culture next summer to celebrate the country's emergence as an "emerging superpower".
The six-month extravaganza beginning next May is called Indian Summer. It will be an exhibition of paintings never before seen in Europe, installations, performances, film screenings and the construction of a typical Indian garden in the museum's forecourt.
For the first time, a collection of 55 paintings - Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur - will be seen in Europe.
Actors treat me differently: Affleck
By IANS,
London: Actor-filmmaker Ben Affleck says his fellow actors have now changed the way they used to treat him when he began working behind the camera.
British honour crime inquiry follows Asian girl’s murder ruling
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : The British parliament is to launch a public consultation into forced marriages and 'honour crimes', MPs said after a coroner ruled that a teenage Asian girl who rebelled against her family's bid to push her into marriage was probably murdered.
The six-week online inquiry by the Home Affairs Select Committee hopes to hear from survivors of all forms of physical and psychological abuse, including domestic abuse, forced marriages and so-called honour crimes.
Indonesia and China expand defense ties
By SPA
Jakarta : Indonesia and China plan to cooperate in manufacturing defense equipment and are looking at other measures to expand military ties, ANTARA quoted the defense ministers of the two countries as saying.
"We expect to cooperate in building defense equipment, especially in transportation. For example, transport planes and ships," Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said after talks with visiting Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan.
"The financing will be discussed further by two governments and related ministries," he added.
Russia’s State Duma to elect Putin PM May 8
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament, is set to approve outgoing President Vladimir Putin as prime minister May 8, its Speaker Boris Gryzlov said Monday.
Russia's president-elect Dmitry Medvedev is to be inaugurated May 7, replacing Putin, who has ruled Russia for eight years.
"We are looking forward to May 7 when Medvedev will be inaugurated, and also May 8 when we will approve Vladimir Putin's candidacy for premiership," Gryzlov told the press.
Why does the world weep for Michael Jackson?
By Rajendra K. Aneja, IANS,
My cook Kundan was heart-broken. "Michael Jackson is gone," he told me in anguish. Kundan hails from a remote village in India. He has never heard a Jackson song nor seen him perform. Yet he was shattered. I wondered why?
Then it dawned on me that Michael had over the last three decades become a part of our lives, through his music, songs, dance, episodes. We had assumed he is always there - like the clouds, stars, rivers, flowers. And then suddenly, he is gone. And suddenly now, we feel older, more vulnerable.
China to sign new economic agreement with Nepal
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Close on the heels of Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Nepal, China is sending its Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to Kathmandu Tuesday to bolster ties by signing a new agreement.
During his three-day visit, the Chinese minister will pay a courtesy call on Nepal republic's first President Ram Baran Yadav and hold formal talks with the nation's first Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' as well as Nepali foreign minister Upendra Yadav.
China has over 3,500 museums
By IANS,
Beijing : China is home to 3,589 museums, including 535 private museums, a minister said Tuesday.
Colombia extradites 17 drug traffickers to US, Europe
By IANS,
Bogota : Colombia has extradited 17 drug traffickers to the US, Spain and Italy to face prosecutions for crimes in those countries.
Gordon Brown seeks ‘global New Deal’ with India
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown invited India to be part of what he called "a global New Deal" - a partnership that will overhaul a string of international institutions and create new ones in order to ensure globalisation benefits the world's poor.
Mideast peace deal still possible this year: US
By DPA,
Tel Aviv/Ramallah : A peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians is still possible by the end of the year, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday after further talks with the two sides.
Expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which affected confidence-building between Israel and the Palestinian Authority remained "problematic", she said.
Rice was speaking in Ramallah after talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas - a meeting which in turn had followed talks she had with Israeli leaders late Saturday and early Sunday.
Top Thai Security Body Agrees To Lift Martial Law
By Bernama,
Bangkok : Thailand's National Security Council agreed at its meeting on Thursday to abolish martial law in most areas except in the insurgency-torn southernmost border provinces, Thailand News Agency (TNA) quoted a government spokesman as saying here.
North Korea wishes Castro good health
By Xinhua
Pyongyang : North Korea Saturday wished good health to Fidel Castro, who recently announced his retirement as Cuban president, and praised the leftist leader for his contribution to maintain good ties between the two communist countries, official Korean Central News Agency reported.
"The Korean people have regarded Fidel Castro as the closest comrade-in-arms and the country will make positive efforts to develop the relations of friendship with Cuba," the news agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.
Strong quake shakes western Greece
By DPA,
Athens : A strong earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale struck south-western Greece Sunday, causing minor injuries to some and trapping five people in a collapsed building.
The earthquake, which was felt as far away as the northern port city of Thessaloniki, the Ionion island and the Greek capital Athens, caused panicked residents to rush out onto the streets.
Al Jazeera purchases US-based Current TV
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network has acquired the US cable channel Current TV, it was announced Thursday.
Modi arrives in China
Xi'an : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reached the Chinese city of Xi'an on the first leg of his three-nation tour that will...
Creditor banks agree to JAL bankruptcy proceedings
By DPA,
Tokyo : The creditor banks of indebted Japan Airlines Corp (JAL) have abandoned their opposition to state-led bankruptcy proceedings.
Mizuho Corporate Bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking as well as the Development Bank of Japan had officially accepted the court-led restructuring plan, the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported Thursday.
The state-owned Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp (ETIC), which is tasked with rescuing the airline, could now put forward a restructuring plan for JAL, planned for Tuesday.
12 die in Taiwan hospital fire
By IANS,
Taipei : At least 12 people were killed when a fire enveloped a hospital in Taiwan Tuesday.
Sri Lanka warns rice hoarders
By Xinhua,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government has said it would come down heavily on recalcitrant traders flouting a price control order on rice, the nation's staple diet.
"We will implement the Consumer Protection Act to the letter and take action against anyone who would contravene the law," Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena told reporters Saturday.
On April 16, the government declared price control of rice through a special gazette notification. The government stipulated that the retail price of rice must not exceed 70 rupees (about $0.65).
3 killed, 6 injured in police firing in far-western Nepal
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : At least three people were killed and six others injured when protesters of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) clashed with police in Dhangadhi municipality of Kailali district in far-western Nepal Wednesday afternoon.
According to a report of the leading website THT Online, police opened fire at the protesters after they tried to vandalize district administration office (DAO) following a dispute with local journalists.
London faces series of Tube strikes
By IRNA,
London : London commuters face a series of travel disruptions following a second announcement of strike actions to begin next month.
The Rail Maritime and Transport union said Thursday that around 200 maintenance workers on two lines will stage four 24-hour walkouts from the evening of September 5 in a row over pay and conditions.
Further action scheduled on October 2, November 1, and November 27, while an indefinite overtime ban is also being imposed following a vote in favour of industrial action by union members.
Microsoft sales drop for first time in 23 years
By DPA,
San Francisco : Microsoft reported a drop in quarterly revenues Thursday for the first time in the 23 years since it went public.
But investors still gave the world largest software company their approval, sending Microsoft shares higher in after-market trading as its aggressive cost cutting measures preserved profitability.
The Seattle-based company said its revenues dropped six percent to $13.7 billion, compared to the year-ago quarter. Profits of $3 billion represented a 32-percent drop from the $4.4 billion it earned in the same period last year.
Company dorm fire leaves 11 dead, 10 injured in east China city
By Xinhua,
Qingdao (China) : Eleven people were killed and 10 injured in a fire that broke out in the early hours of Thursday in a seafood company in this Chinese coastal city.
The injured had been shifted to hospital and were stated to be out of danger, an official of the company said.
The fire occurred at 1.40 a.m. in a dormitory of the Qingdao Jiayuan Michael Food Co., in the Chengyang district.
"There were 84 bunk beds in the building but only 51 workers were inside when the fire broke out," the official said.
The remaining workers moved to safety, he said.
Dalai Lama’s envoys to hold parleys with China again
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Envoys of exiled Tibetan spiritual guru, the Dalai Lama, will hold parleys with the Chinese government again next month, Tibet's government-in-exile said Thursday.
It will be the eighth round of talks between the Dalai Lama's envoys and the Chinese that resumed in September 2002.
"Our main objective is to settle the vexed issue of Tibet amicably with the Chinese leadership so that our brothers across the border could have freedom to preserve their cultural identity," Thubten Samphel, a spokesman of the government-in-exile, told IANS.
North Korea could hand over nuclear list – agency
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : North Korea could hand over details of its nuclear activities to China on Thursday, ending a six-month deadlock in the country's denuclearization process, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Pyongyang agreed in February 2007 to halt its nuclear programs and provide full information by late 2007 in return for economic aid and diplomatic incentives. However, North Korea missed the deadline, causing six-nation talks, involving China, Japan, Russia, the U.S. and the two Koreas, to stall in January.
Russian president orders to take anti-corruption steps
By Xinhua,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the government on Monday to institute anti-corruption measures and established a special council headed by himself in a bid to pay his election bill.
"Something must be done. We must stop waiting. Corruption has turned into a systemic problem, and we must counter it with a systemic response," Itar-Tass news agency quoted the new head of state as saying at a special meeting in Moscow.
Strong quake jolts Mexico
By IANS,
Mexico City : Strong tremors were felt in Mexico City and prompted residents to flee in panic from swaying buildings Tuesday as a powerful magnitude-7.4 earthquake jolted Mexico.
Many European settlers came from Asia, not Africa
By DPA
Washington : Settlers from Asia played a much larger role in Europe's early population than previously thought, a new study has found.
According to a new investigation of human fossils millions of years old, Asian settlers may have even outnumbered Africans coming to Europe in that early period, says scientist Maria Martinon-Torres, who lead a team from the National Research Centre on Human Evolution in Burgos, Spain.
The conclusions of the report were published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.
Obama leaves for France after busy Germany visit
By DPA,
Ramstein (Germany) : US President Barack Obama flew Friday evening from the US airbase in Ramstein, ending a busy day of activities in Germany.
Numerous American families were on hand to wave farewell to Obama as he boarded Air Force One for his flight to Paris.
Obama had wound up his day in Germany by visiting wounded American soldiers at the US military hospital in nearby Landstuhl. The visit with the soldiers wounded in fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan took place privately, with no media in attendance.
Sri Lankan president meets opposition leader
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe held talks on Wednesday to discuss the island's prevailing situation, presidential officials said.
Officials from the Presidential Office said the two leaders discussed the political and economic situation in the country in the morning.
The meeting came a day after Karu Jayasuriya, a government minister and a defector from Wickremesinghe's United National Party returned to the main opposition quitting Rajapakse's government.
Half-widowed at 23, Rafiqa Mushtaq fights government, in-laws to ensure property rights for her...
In the third of the five personal stories of half widows, Raqib Hameed Naik narrates the story of Rafiqa Mushtaq.
...
50 households evacuated as wildfire spreads in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : The municipal government of Imabari on Monday ordered the evacuation of 50 households as a wildfire spread as close as 150 meters to their homes, said reports from Matsuyama, capital of Ehime Prefecture.
The conflagration, which broke out in the mountainous area Sunday afternoon, had destroyed some 75 hectares of forest by 11 a.m. (0200 GMT) Monday, said local authorities, adding that there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to properties.
China mine safety official gets life for bribe
By IANS,
Beijing : A coal mine safety official in China was Wednesday sentenced to life in prison for taking nine million yuan ($1.35 million) in bribes, a media report said.
OPEC oil price drops to $42.56
By DPA,
Vienna : The price for crude oil produced by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) continued falling last Friday, when it dropped to $42.56, the cartel reported Monday.
That was a drop of $1.50 per barrel (159 litres) of OPEC crude at the end of the week, versus $44.06 on Thursday.
OPEC calculates an average price based on 13 important brands produced by its members.
Bush threatens veto as Congress takes up housing bill
By DPA,
Washington : US President George W. Bush promised Wednesday to veto a costly initiative making its way through Congress to address the housing crisis at the centre of an economic slowdown in the US.
Democrats are pushing for a broad bill that would create a $300- billion fund to help homeowners threatened with foreclosure and provide tax incentives for people to buy new homes.
Italians occupy mine 400 metres underground
By IANS,
By AKI,
Rome: Around 40 mine workers have occupied a coal mine on the Italian island of Sardinia, demanding investment in a 200 million euro project.
World looks to US to conclude trade talks: WTO chief
By IANS,
Washington : The re-launch of multilateral trade negotiations that has the potential to lift the recession-hit global economy when successful, is not possible till the US shows willingness, the chief of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has said.
"I cannot restart a political process without the US being ready," WTO Director Pascal Lamy said during a lecture at the Peterson Institute for International Economics here Friday evening.
Manipur reshuffle row: Ministers claim majority support
Imphal : Ministers in Congress-ruled Manipur say they have majority support in the party -- and so don't want to be axed at the...
Humour makes for high levels of job satisfaction
By IANS,
Sydney : Having a good laugh at the workplace contributes to high levels of job satisfaction, according to a latest study.
Swinburne University of Technology psychologist Maren Rawlings found that individuals who use, and are surrounded by, positive humour in the workplace had higher levels of job satisfaction than those who don't.
Rawlings surveyed 300 workers from 20 countries about their individual use of humour in the workplace, and how they perceived the humour used by their colleagues.
Crew of hijacked Chinese cargo ship rescued
By IANS,
Tehran: All 28 Chinese crew members on board a Chinese cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates have been rescued, the Chinese embassy in Tehran said.
37 Guatemalan prison officials sacked
By EFE,
Guatemala City : Guatemala's government ministry sacked 37 prison officials for their alleged complicity in allowing weapons, drugs, cash and assorted electrical devices into a prison, authorities have said.
The sacking of the officials came after a raid conducted Saturday at the El Boqueron prison, located in the southeastern province of Santa Rosa.
Authorities seized inside the prison some 43,932 quetzales ($5,299) and $28 in cash, which was money raised from extortions of business owners and bus drivers.
Georgia’s breakaway republics aim for recognition
By RIA Novosti
Tbilisi : Governments in Georgia's breakaway republics, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, are stepping up efforts to get their claims for independence recognized by the international community.
The parliament in South Ossetia, a tiny territory with a population of less than 100,000, has sent an appeal to the UN, the European Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Russia.
28,000 died in Russian road accidents in 2011
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : About 28,000 people were killed in nearly 200,000 traffic accidents that occurred across Russia in 2011.
Google to offer search of old magazines
By DPA,
San Francisco : Google is teaming up with dozens of publishers to index old magazines and make them available online, according to a blog posting by the company.
The move is another facet of Google's ambition to organize the world's information and comes two years after the tech search giant embarked on a scheme to scan and index millions of books. In September, the company launched a project to digitize newspaper archives, making millions of old newspaper articles searchable online.
US stocks rise as Fed halts interest rate cuts
By DPA,
New York : Major US stock-market indices closed higher Wednesday after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady and sounded more positive on US economic growth.
The US central bank kept its benchmark federal funds rate at 2 percent, after slashing 3.25 percentage points since September.
A statement from the Fed's monetary-policy board sounded more optimistic on economic growth but warned of greater inflation risks.
Designate India a “country of particular concern”: Global human rights activists
TCN News
Leading American and global human and civil rights activists came together on Monday to reinforce the demand to designate India as a “country...
Spanish Personages Support Presidential Reelection
By Prensa Latina
Madrid : A month before Spain's elections, local personages joined forces in support of the reelection of the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and president of the government, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
The Platform for Support for Zapatero (PAZ), made up of more than 2,000 people from all walks of life, will be presented today in Madrid, a month before the March 9 elections.
Annan says agreement reached on Kenyan crisis
By DPA
Nairobi : Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan said Thursday that Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga had reached a "coalition" agreement settling their differences over the outcome of the country's presidential elections.
In a brief statement to journalists, Annan said: "We have an agreement ... We have come to an understanding on a coalition."
Two dead, 192 injured after quake hits Greece
By RIA Novosti,
Athens : Greece is continuing to be hit by aftershocks following Sunday's earthquake, which killed two and injured 192, the country's state television said on Monday.
The quake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, with an epicenter at the Peloponnese Peninsula some 205 km (127 miles) east of the capital Athens, destroyed over 50 buildings and damaged more than 200 others.
Chinese president meets Sri Lankan counterpart
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Chinese President Hu Jintao Thursday met his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapakse, who is here to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.
Hu extended a warm welcome to Rajapakse, saying he still remembered the amicable meeting with the Sri Lankan leader during the annual session of the Boao Economic Forum for Asia, held in April in China.
China and Sri Lanka have set a good example of bilateral cooperation with different national conditions and social systems, said Hu.
Germany received 450,000 refugees so far this year
Berlin: Germany has received 450,000 refugees so far this year, out of 800,000 expected to arrive in 2015, German Vice Chancellor and Minister of...
24 terrorists sentenced to death in Algeria
By Xinhua,
Algiers : Twenty-four extremists have been sentenced to death in Algeria on charges of terrorism and other crimes, the local media reported.
The extremists had been convicted of illegal possession of weapons, use of explosives as well as involvement in kidnapping, the Algerian Press Service reported.
Armed groups in the country have launched frequent attacks on army troops, police, government institutions and civilians since the 1990s.
The security situation in Algeria has improved in recent years but terrorist attacks still occur in some parts of the country.
Return our money, European Commission tells Austria
By IANS,
Vienna : The European Commission wants Austria to pay back 64.2 million euros in funding due to errors made in measuring its agricultural area for the years 2006-08, a media report said.
Switzerland to pardon Europe’s last ‘witch’
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The last woman executed in Europe for witchcraft is to be exonerated more than 200 years after she was beheaded in Switzerland, national media reported on Wednesday.
After a long debate, the government of the Swiss canton of Glarus approved the decision to exonerate Anna Goeldi, who was executed in 1782 by local authorities.
The recommendation to acknowledge that Goeldi was unfairly prosecuted was taken by the local parliament in consultation with the Protestant and Roman Catholic churches in November 2007.
Sandra wanted to go home from Oscar ceremony
By IANS,
London: Hollywood actress Sandra Bullock who picked up the best actress Oscar for her role in "The Blind Side" admitted she was overwhelmed by winning her first-ever academy award but longing to go home.
"I just want to eat! I just want to sit down and take my shoes off, and take my dress off, and eat a burger - and not worry that my dress is going to bust open," femalefirst.co.uk quoted her as saying.
"Sorry that's all I can give you, but I just want to eat! And take a nap."
Britons drinking more despite rise in cancer
By IANS,
London: Britons are drinking nearly double the amount of alcohol what they used to half a century ago, leading to a rise in alcohol-related cancers.
Toll in Kyrgyz violence rises to 80
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Ethnic violence in south Kyrgyzstan, that swept the region in the last few days, claimed at least 80 lives and left over 1,000 injured, a media report said Sunday.
A round-the-clock curfew has been imposed in south Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz news agency AKIpress reported.
The curfew will be in effect in Osh and the adjacent Kara-Suu and Aravan districts, the agency said, referring to the Kyrgyz interior ministry.
Deadly ethnic riots swept through the country's second-largest city of Osh and another southern city of Jalalabad Friday and Saturday.
Tibet government head rules out talks with `exile government’
By IANS,
Beijing : Tibet's top government official Thursday called the Dalai Lama's "exile government" an illegal organisation and ruled out talks with it.
82-year-old Russian woman jailed for slaughter
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : An 82-year-old woman has been jailed in Russia's Siberia region for murdering a fellow villager in a fit of rage, investigators said.
Canadian Sikh’s killers still at large, search widened
By IANS,
Toronto : Having failed to nab the killers of an elderly Sikh man near Calgary early this year, Canadian police have now widened their search for clues.
The badly beaten and decapitated body of 70-year-old Pargat Singh Kahlon was found in February. At the time of his murder, Kahlon was living at the Sikh Society of Calgary gurdwara in the southeast part of the city.
He was last seen Feb 12 while leaving a bank branch after withdrawing cash. He was reportedly accompanied by three visitors from India.
Day after resignation, Japanese PM hospitalised
Tokyo, Sep 13 (Xinhua) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was admitted into a Tokyo hospital Thursday noon for functional gastrointestinal disorder, a day after announcing his decision to resign.
Doctors said Abe was "extremely weak" and needs to be hospitalised for at least three to four days, according to a hospital official at a press conference.
The prime minister went to see doctors at Keio University Hospital after he felt sick. He received a physical check up in the morning.
Pirates release 10 hostages in Cameroon
By DPA,
Paris : Pirates have released 10 crew members of a French tug kidnapped in an offshore oil field off the West African nation of Cameroon last month, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has said.
The seven Frenchmen, two Cameroonian and one Tunisian were abducted off the vessel owned by the Bourbon shipping company around midnight Oct 31.
The tug was carrying out maintenance work in an oilfield operated by the French petroleum concern Total near the Bakassi peninsula.
What warming? Climate change slips down global priorities
By Chris Cermak, DPA,
Washington : You might call it the fourth crisis. While collapsing financial institutions plunge wealthy nations into recession and developing countries grapple with surging food and energy costs, the once urgent need to fight global warming seems to have taken a back seat.
Just last year, nearly every global and regional summit put climate change at the top of its agenda. Now it seems to have become an afterthought.
Molecule sized data storage for computers in offing
By IANS,
London : Computers are getting smaller as the race is on to develop memory formats that store huge information in progressively tinier substances. Now Researchers are exploring ways of exploiting properties of carbon nanotubes to create a cheap, compact memory cell that uses little power and writes information at high speeds.
Elena Bichoutskaia of the School of Chemistry, Nottingham University, who is leading the study, said: "The electronics industry is searching for a replacement of silicon-based technologies for data storage and computer memory.
Opposition wins landslide election victory in Japan – exit polls
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : With voting over in Japan's general election, exit polls suggest that the opposition has secured an overwhelming victory over the conservative party, which has held power for most of the past 50 years.
National TV channels have projected a majority of 300 seats in the 480-seat lower house of parliament for the center-left Democratic Party of Japan led by Yukio Hatoyama, the grandson of former premier Ichiro Hatoyama.
Myanmar to appear in Southeast Asia youth track and field tournament
By Xinhua,
Yangon : Myanmar youth track and field team will take part in the upcoming 3rd Southeast Asia (SEA) Youth Track and Field Tournament in Phuket, Thailand, according to official local language newspaper The Myanma Alin on Wednesday.
The six-member Myanmar youth track and field team, comprising two male athletes -- San Naing and Kyaw Soe Naing, and two female athletes -- Khin Mar Sae and Nwe Nwe Zaw Win, will participate in the regional youth track and field tournament slated for May 22-23,the paper said.
UK denies ‘buying off’ Taliban
London, Jan 28, IRNA -- Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth has denied that Britain was bribing Taliban insurgents to stop them attacking UK troops in Afghanistan.
“We won’t win this by military means alone, but we are not buying off Taliban warlords,” Ainsworth said in reference to plans being discussed at the London conference on Afghanistan to establish a "reintegration fund".
“There is an Afghan led programme reaching out to low level Taliban fighters offering them an alternative and a route back into normal life,” he said.
NATO to hold next summit in Romania on April 2-4
By RIA Novosti
Brussels : NATO will hold its 20th summit in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, on April 2-4, the 26-nation alliance said in a statement on Friday.
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, in the Romanian capital for a one-day visit, said Thursday that NATO was considering strengthening ties with ex-Soviet republics Ukraine and Georgia.
Nepal’s opposition parties announce new protest plans
Kathmandu : Nepal's opposition alliance has announced new protest plans ahead of the Jan 22 deadline for drafting a new constitution, officials said Tuesday.
The...
Russia for updating European arms pact
By RIA Novosti
Vienna : Russia has said the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty should incorporate changes to be relevant to the realities of present day European situation.
Man carrying $250,000 arrested at Costa Rican airport
By IANS/EFE,
San Jose : Drug enforcement agents arrested a Mexican carrying $250,000 in undeclared cash over the weekend at Costa Rica's largest airport, making this the fourth large seizure of cash this year in the Central American country, the security ministry said.
The cash was found Saturday at Juan Santamaria International Airport where the suspect arrived on a flight from Guadalajara, Mexico.
"Suspicions arose when the man, whose last name is Munoz Briceno and who is 24 years old, started acting strangely, making police think that he was up to something," the ministry said.
Serb FM lashes out at US foreign policy vis-@-vis Kosovo
By KUNA
United Nations : Serbia's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic late Monday lashed out at the countries which recognized Kosovo's independence, mainly the US, warning that their diplomatic relations will obviously suffer in the future.
He told reporters following a Security Council open meeting on the issue that the Serb envoys in the countries which recognized this "illegal act" of secession have been withdrawn to Belgrade for consultation.
Over 100,000 evacuated after heavy rains in China
By IANS,
Changsha (China) : Heavy rains lashed the Hunan province in central China, prompting officials to evacuate over 100,000 people amid threats of flash floods, Xinhua reported Saturday.
Thirty-six counties and cities were affected, and 120,000 people have been evacuated since heavy rains lashed the province Friday, officials said.
Over 2,000 buildings were destroyed and 10,000 homes damaged. There was no report of casualties so far, said a spokesman of the provincial Civil Affairs Department.
Conflict between conditions and authority
By Jaspal Singh,
Demonstrations have been continuing in Ferguson, Missouri against the shooting of a young black man several weeks ago. In the meanwhile another...
Chinese man fined for importing coral into New Zealand
By DPA
Wellington : A 55-year-old man has been convicted for trying to import 700 kg of coral into New Zealand. He claimed he wanted the coral to build a fishpond in his back garden, customs officials announced Friday.
They said the stony reef building coral, a living organism obtained from the central to western Pacific Ocean, was New Zealand's biggest single seizure of illegally imported coral.
Imports are banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
German Social Democrats reshuffle leadership for 2009 election
By Xinhua,
Berlin : Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) on Saturday elected a new leadership, aiming to challenge rival Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) in the general election of 2009.
At an SPD national conference here, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, 52, was appointed the party's candidate to challenge Merkel next year.
He won 95 percent of the votes from 515 delegates, including former SPD chancellors Helmut Schmidt and Gerhard Schroeder.
Clinton aide resigns over racial remarks
By DPA
Washington : A top figure in the Democratic Party who had played a key role in raising money for Hillary Clinton has resigned amidst a controversy over alleged racist remarks.
Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to ever run for the vice presidency in 1984 and a former member of Congress, said Wednesday that she was stepping down to protect Senator Clinton from further attacks by Senator Barack Obama's campaign.
"The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won't let that happen," Ferraro said in a letter to Clinton published by CNN.
Suicide bomber kills seven at funeral
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : At least seven people were killed and 11 wounded after a suicide bomber blew himself up Sunday at a policeman's funeral in Russia.
Clijsters wins battle of Belgium in Brisbane final
By DPA,
Brisbane: Kim Clijsters won the battle of Belgium Saturday as the reigning US Open champion started 2010 with a defeat of rival Justine Henin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) in the final of the Brisbane International.
Clijsters won the Grand Slam title in New York the last time she stepped onto a WTA court, cementing her comeback to the sport on her third event back after retiring to have a child.
Henin was making her own return to the sport this week after stepping away for 20 months due to burnout.
Maoists give up claim to Nepal president’s post
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Faced with steadfast opposition from the other major parties, Nepal's Maoists Thursday decided to abandon their claim to the post of president but said they remained firm on the other contentious demand for an amendment to the constitution.
The political deadlock that had gripped Nepal since the election two months ago eased slightly following the former rebels' announcement that they would not demand the two top posts in the government.
377 killed, 368,000 homes destroyed in China floods
By IANS,
Beijing : Floods in China have killed 377 people in 2010 and left 142 missing, while over 368,000 homes were destroyed, an official statement said Friday.
Floods this year have affected 64.57 million people in the country's 22 provinces. Over four million hectares of crops were inundated, Xinhua reported citing a statement released by the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief.
A total of 4.35 million people were evacuated due to the floods, which also caused economic loss reaching 75.6 billion yuan ($11.13 billion), the statement said.
New gurdwara faces opposition in US
New York : A Sikh temple in the US is facing local opposition because of plans to replace its existing prayer hall with a...
British government takes stock of drugs to fight swine flu
By IANS,
London : British health authorities said Monday they have enough stockpiles of medicines to counter a swine flu outbreak as specialists said it was only a matter of time before the virus found its way to Britain.
Reacting swiftly, health officials said Britain's state-funded National Health Service (NHS) was well stocked with 500 million pounds worth of Tamiflu, the antiviral drug that has proved effective against the rare form of swine flu in Mexico.
Aid agencies rethinking Somali position as attacks increase
By DPA,
Mogadishu (Somalia) : Aid agencies are considering suspending operations in conflict-stricken Somalia as deadly attacks against humanitarian workers ramp up, reports said Monday.
Millions of Somalis are reliant upon food aid due to a combination of conflict, drought and rising food prices.
However, the BBC said that unnamed agencies were increasingly concerned by the security situation and were considering their options.
Most agencies are now based in neighbouring Kenya and do not send expatriate workers into Somalia.
Nepal alarmed by India’s border highway plan
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal has expressed serious concern at its southern neighbour India's plan to build a highway in the Terai plains near its border, fearing it could inundate Nepal's frontier towns and villages during monsoon and impact the environment adversely.
Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan summoned the Indian ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shankar Mukherjee Tuesday to inquire about the east-west highway that India is planning to build near its border with Nepal.
Social media can be used to monitor HIV risk, drug use
New York: Real-time social media like Twitter could be used to track HIV incidence and drug-related behaviours with the aim of detecting and potentially...
Venezuela expels critical HRW officials
By DPA,
Caracas : Venezuelan government has ordered Human Rights Watch (HRW) director for the Americas Jose Miguel Vivanco and his deputy to leave the country "immediately", saying his criticism was part of a plot by the US against the country.
"Chavez's expulsion of Human Rights Watch's team is further evidence of Venezuela's descent into intolerance," Kenneth Roth, executive director of HRW, said in a statement.
"Chavez may have kicked out the messenger, but he has only re-enforced the message civil liberties in Venezuela are under attack," Roth noted.
US Army appoints first female four-star general
By DPA,
Washington : A US Army officer Friday became the first woman in American history to be promoted to the rank of a four-star general, the highest rank in the service.
General Ann Dunwoody received her fourth star in a ceremony at the Pentagon with Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Army Chief of Staff General George Casey.
The promotion marked the steady trend of shattering racial and sexual barriers in the United States, coming less than two weeks after Barack Obama became the first African American to win the White House.
Loss of job can make you ill
By IANS,
Washington : Losing your job can make you ill, says a new study conducted in this age of pink slips.
If you do manage to find a new job quickly, you still face a heightened risk of developing hypertension, heart disease, heart attack, stroke or diabetes, stemming from the early job loss.
"In today's economy, job loss can happen to anybody," said Kate Strully, who conducted the research at the Harvard School of Public Health.
"We need to be aware of the health consequences of losing our jobs and do what we can to alleviate the negative effects," said Strully.
Amid Tamil Nadu drama, Sri Lanka ends ‘combat operations’
By IANS,
Colombo/Chennai : Sri Lanka Monday called off months of "combat operations" that have pushed the Tamil Tigers to a corner and led to international concern over widespread civilian suffering, but made it clear that it would continue to take on the guerrillas.
The decision immediately cast a shadow on politically-divided Tamil Nadu, where Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi called off a hunger strike he began hours earlier in support of a truce. But AIADMK leader Jayalalitha, who last week called for an independent Tamil Eelam, trashed Colombo's initiative.
Ousted Thai premier arrives in Cambodia
By DPA,
Phnom Penh/Bangkok : Former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra landed in Cambodia Tuesday, the Cambodian government said, amid an escalating diplomatic spat over the fugitive politician.
Government spokesman Phay Siphan told reporters in Phnom Penh that Thaksin, who last week was appointed as an adviser to the Cambodian government and Prime Minister Hun Sen, was in the country.
"It is a great honour for Cambodia," Phay Siphan said. "We hope Cambodia as a whole will greet him warmly."
Fiji declares martial law, threatens ousted leader
By DPA
Wellington : Fiji military strongman Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, who seized power in a bloodless coup last December, declared martial law Thursday and accused the prime minister he ousted of destabilising his regime.
Bainimarama said he had reinstated public emergency regulations, which permit the army to arrest people without bringing charges, to restrain former prime minister Laisenia Qarase who returned to the capital Suva Saturday from his home village on an outlying island for the first time since he was deposed.
US plans to use Colombia for attack on Venezuela: Chavez
By IANS/EFE,
Caracas : The US is preparing to attack Venezuela using Colombian soldiers under the pretext of attacking guerrilla camps supposedly located on Venezuelan soil, President Hugo Chavez has said.
Chavez Monday said during a military ceremony that "the verbal war" began several days ago when spokespersons of the Colombian government again accused Venezuela of having guerrilla camps on its territory and protecting rebel leaders.
Britain not to retaliate against Russia
By RIA Novosti
London : The British Foreign Office has said it will not take any diplomatic measures in retaliation for the closure of two British Council offices by Russia.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband has indicated that no retaliatory measures against Russia would be taken for Moscow's action against the British Council offices, a foreign office spokesman told RIA Novosti.
The spokesman was reacting to press reports Sunday that the British government was preparing to expel some Russian diplomats.
Facebook users dial 911 over outage, cops frown
New York : Will you call 911 if Facebook goes off the radar? This is exactly some users in Los Angeles did when the...
Thai coalition gov’t to carry on in face of protests
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : The six parties led by People Power Party (PPP) in Thailand's coalition government on Saturday vowed to remain united and carry on its duties in face of continuous anti-government protests.
Somali pirates demand $5 mn for Ukraine ship
By DPA,
Nairobi/Mogadishu : Somali pirates in possession of a Ukrainian ship Sunday demanded $5 million in ransom, after originally asking for $35 million, said Andrew Mwangura, head of East Africa's Seafarer's Assistance Programme.
The ship was carrying 33 tanks and "weapons of all kinds" destined for Kenya, said a spokesman for the pirates identified as Januna Ali Jama.
The reduction of the ransom was likely due to the fact that the tanks were used, and that the pirates faced greater risk of arrest should they attempt to unload the equipment, said Mwangura.
US in dialogue with Sikhs over ‘pat-down’ of turbans
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : US authorities have initiated a dialogue with the Sikh community to find a "workable solution" to its concerns over new airport security procedures that involve a mandatory "pat-down" of turbans.
In response to protests from the community, Kip Hawley of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Thursday "expressed understanding about the sensitivity and importance of the Sikh head dress screening.
Zimbabwe’s opposition to brief UN Security Council
By DPA,
Harare/Lusaka : Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will take its claim of victory in last month's election over President Robert Mugabe to the UN Security Council this week, the party said Sunday.
MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti will lead a delegation to New York, where he will tell a Security Council session on Zimbabwe's post-election standoff that the party is not prepared to partake in a presidential runoff, an MDC statement said.
Obama celebrates 50th birthday with friends, family
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama is celebrating his 50th birthday with friends and family, the White House said.
NASA turns on humanoid robot in space station
By IANS,
London : NASA Tuesday turned on a humanoid robot in the International Space Station for the first time since it was delivered in February, a media report said.
ASEAN Mediates in Cambodia-Thailand Dispute
By Prensa Latina,
Singapore : The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is making big efforts to mediate in the Cambodia-Thailand dispute over the Preah Vihear Temple, a Humankind's Heritage site.
The annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers opened under the impact of the dispute between two member countries, which failed to reach an agreement on Monday to settle their differences and keep their troops on alert on either side of the border.
Cambodia reported the situation to the United Nations and informed its people on the deployment of Thai troops in the temple.
Climate summit remains in stasis
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Copenhagen: Hectic backroom parleys to rescue the Copenhagen climate summit from total failure continued Saturday morning, as an overnight plenary session was adjourned for the third time without agreement on whether to adopt an accord proposed by five countries including India.
Despite support from most countries around the world, there was no consensus on adopting the accord, due to objections from Venezuela, Bolivia, Sudan and Tuvalu.
North Korea unlikely to stop nuclear reactor before late July
By RIA Novosti
Tokyo : Following the visit of a senior International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) official to North Korea, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Friday the country's five nuclear facilities were unlikely to be shut down before late July.
Bush Urges House of Representatives to Pass Wiretap Law
By SPA
Washington : President George W. Bush urged the U.S. House of Representatives again on Wednesday to pass an intelligence law making it easier for the government to eavesdrop on telephone calls and e-mails of suspected terrorists. Failure to pass the new law would be “inexcusable” and “indefensible,” he said.
Relief efforts in Haiti face several challenges: UN
By IRNA,
Tehran : Relief efforts in Haiti have faced a series of daunting challenges compounded by the enormity of the catastrophe and the lack of infrastructure in providing sufficient food, shelter and other requirements.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reiterated that shelter remains an urgent need, with the focus on providing emergency shelter closer to home or in smaller camps to reduce dislocation. Sanitation is also a significant concern, especially at temporary shelters. Some 7,000 latrines and 25,000 portable toilets are needed.
Seven guerrillas killed in Sri Lanka
By Xinhua
Colombo : Troops have gunned down seven Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels in separate conflicts in the island's north, the military said Wednesday.
The Media Centre for National Security said in a statement that six LTTE guerrillas were killed in two clashes when they attempted to attack government troops at Muhamalai in the northern district of Jaffna Tuesday.
Another rebel was killed in a battle at Nagarkovil in the northern district of Jaffna around 10.20 a.m., the military said.
Ben Affleck gets best director Golden Globe
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Actor-filmmaker Ben Affleck walked away with the best director motion picture trophy at the 70th edition of the prestigious Golden Globe awards here for his film "Argo".
Asian scientists call for equitable solutions for energy, environmental issues
By Xinhua
Ginowan : Sustainable development and solution of energy and environmental issues should be achieved through an equitable manner, Asian scientists agreed in a statement at the conclusion of a regional science conference here on Saturday.
U.S. says it regrets Russia decision to suspend CFE treaty
By Xinhua
Washington : The United States said Wednesday it "deeply regrets" the Russian decision to suspend the Soviet-era arms pact Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe(CFE) and said it is a "wrong decision."
The United States "deeply regrets" Russia's decision to suspend implementation of its obligations under the CFE, the State Department said in a statement.
"This 'suspension,' which is not provided for under the terms of the CFE Treaty, is the wrong decision," the statement said.
Super model Naomi Campbell arrested, under investigation
By DPA
London : Super model Naomi Campbell, 37, is under investigation for attacking a police officer, London police said Friday, one day after the model was arrested at Heathrow Airport following a dispute over luggage.
The model, who is known for her temper, had been handcuffed and detained on board a British Airways aircraft at Heathrow's newly-opened Terminal 5 Thursday afternoon, but was later released on bail, Scotland Yard said.
According to media reports she spat into the face of a police officer and hit him.
Voting in disputed Honduran election ends
By DPA,
Tegucigalpa : At least two people were injured in northern Honduras when police used force against demonstrators during the country's disputed presidential election.
Polls closed late Sunday, after electoral authorities extended voting for an hour due to an allegedly large turnout.
Turnout was regarded as crucial for the legitimacy of the election results, after ousted president Manuel Zelaya had called on Hondurans to boycott the vote. Zelaya predicted that about 65 percent of voters would abstain.
South Korea to open gold trading market
Seoul: South Korea's financial regulator said Sunday that market will start trading gold on spot next week to disclose gold transactions, which were blamed...
Over four mn unemployed in Spain
By IANS,
Madrid : The number of unemployed people in Spain reached over four million this September, the labour and immigration ministry said.
Peace dividend in Northern Ireland as army pulls back
By DPA
Belfast : An era comes to an end in Northern Ireland Tuesday when the British Army officially ends its operational support for the police service, bringing to a close an often troubled relationship with the Irish Nationalist population in the British-administered province.
The British Army's official role under Operation Banner, which began in 1969, was to support the police in defeating terrorism and maintaining public order and to "assist Her Majesty's government's objective of returning Northern Ireland to normality".
Sri Lanka records over 7,000 child abuse complaints
By IANS,
Colombo : Over 7,000 complaints of children being abused have been recorded in Sri Lanka this year, an official said Sunday.
US stocks fall on General Motors losses, unemployment
By DPA,
New York : Stocks fell on Wall Street Friday pushed by billions in losses at largest US automaker General Motors, higher unemployment figures and rising oil prices.
GM lost $15.5 billion, or 27.33 dollars per share, in the second quarter on the back of weak demand in the US car market spurred by soaring fuel prices and a weaker economy, the company said Friday from its headquarters in Detroit. The loss was worse than had been anticipated. In the same period last year, the company made a profit of $891 million, or $1.56 per share.
China begins three-day mourning for quake victims
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China on Monday began a three-day national mourning for the tens of thousands of people killed in a powerful earthquake which struck the country's southwest on May 12.
At 4:58 a.m., the national flag at the Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing flew at half-mast after a complete flag-raising ceremony.
About 2,600 people watched the flag-raising ceremony in the square.
Sea lion cubs found dead in Galapagos Islands
By IANS
Quito (Ecuador) : Rangers of the Galapagos national park have discovered seven dead cubs of the highly threatened sea lion on the San Cristobal Island, Spanish news agency EFE reported Thursday.
The carcasses bore cut marks and windpipes had been ruptured, according to a report, which blamed the deaths on roaming dogs.
Park management, police environmental crime unit and other agencies have launched an operation to capture the three dogs suspected of the killings.
US NRI groups denounce move to topple government over n-deal
By Parveen Chopra, IANS,
New York : Indian Americans, irrespective of their leanings for political parties in India, have generally denounced the move to topple Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government on the issue of the India-US civil nuclear deal and are sending out a message to opposition party MPs to vote according to their conscience.
New Zealand may name mountain after Sir Edmund Hillary
By RIA Novosti
Auckland : New Zealand could rename a local mountain after the late Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest, the country's NZ Herald newspaper said on Wednesday.
New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary died in hospital on Friday at the age of 88. He scaled Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain at 8,850 meters (29,035 feet), on 29 May 1953.
Mount Cook's Hermitage hotel and the Alpine Guides company have put forward a proposal to rename Mount Ollivier as Mount Sir Edmund Hillary or Mount Hillary.
Russia, Cyprus say Kosovo self-rule failing to improve stability
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Kosovo's internationally backed independence has failed to promote stability in the region, the Russian foreign minister said after a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart on Monday.
Sergei Lavrov told journalists: "Russia and Cyprus have a common vision of the situation surrounding Kosovo. Independence unilaterally proclaimed by the Serbian province has failed to improve stability in the region."
Lavrov said Russia and Cyprus believed Belgrade and Pristina should resume talks to find a solution to the territorial dispute in line with international law.