UN urges diplomatic accord on Iran’s n-programme
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged a comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear programme at an early date.
Ban made the appeal at...
Sobhraj fiancée, lawyer apologise to Nepal Supreme Court
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : In a sensational turn of events, five days after yesteryear's most wanted criminal Charles Sobhraj's appeal against a life term for murder was rejected by Nepal's Supreme Court, it was the turn of his fiancee, Nihita Biswas, and her mother Shakuntala Thapa, to share his fate, first appearing in the docks in a contempt of court case and then being sent to custody by the judges.
Ukrainian city to host beer fest during Euro 2012
By IANS,
Kiev : Ukraine's western city of Lvov plans to host a beer festival during the UEFA Euro 2012, an organiser said.
Iran N-deal: Devil’s in detail, so hold the champagne, please
By Aadil Mir
New Delhi : The contentious nuclear deal struck on Tuesday between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN...
Hindu temple sues British charity over cow killing
By IANS
London : A popular Hindu temple near London has sued Britain's largest animal welfare charity saying it had illegally carried out the mercy killing of a cow that was under the temple's care.
Gangotri, an ailing 13-year-old Belgian blue jersey that was being looked after by devotees at the Bhaktivedanta Manor temple, was put down by veterinarians of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) last December as priests prayed in the temple.
Obamamania is a $100 mn market
By IANS,
Chicago : If Barack Obama were a stock, that might be the only thing going up in the market. As he prepares for his historical inauguration next week, people are buying all sorts of merchandise in his name or image - creating an unprecedented market estimated to be worth $100 million.
No US president has seen so many people sell so many things encashing on their popularity: collectors' coins and plates, bath towels, bobbleheads and buttons - just about anything that can have an image applied to it, the Chicago Tribune reported.
WWF: Saving forests 20 percent of climate-change challenge
By DPA,
Bangkok : Saving the world's remaining native forests must be a big part of any new climate deal as about 20 percent of global carbon emissions are due to deforestation and forest degradation, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) said Tuesday.
The WWF's Forest Carbon Initiative seeks to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emission from deforestation and degradation by 2020.
Private investors are willing to buy carbon credits from developing countries to finance preserving their remaining forest cover, the activists said, citing a recent WWF-sponsored survey.
Three killed in Denmark terror attacks, shooter shot dead
Copenhagen : At least three people were killed and five others injured in separate shooting attacks in Denmark, involving a gunman who was killed...
Britain to formally recognize Kosovo
By IANS
London : Britain has said it will formally recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state following its declaration of independence from Serbia.
"I have written to President (Fatmir) Sejdiu to tell him that Britain will now formally recognise Kosovo as an independent sovereign state," Prime Minister Gordon Brown told journalists at Downing Street Monday.
The British decision followed a meeting of the European Union (EU) foreign ministers in Brussels during which Britain and several other EU members pledged support to Kosovo's independence.
Tamil rebels stage air attacks on Sri Lankan capital
By IRNA,
New Delhi : In daring strikes, Tamil Tiger aircraft bombed a power plant in the Sri Lankan capital and an army camp in northwestern Mannar, showing a sign of defiance as rebel combatants continued to be under siege in their nerve center of Kilinochchi.
The raids, the first air attacks by the LTTE in six weeks which left one person dead and three soldiers wounded, came late Tuesday night as government troops closed in on the rebels' administrative headquarters in the island's north.
Russian secret service seizes Yeltsin’s video archive
By DPA,
Moscow : More than a year after the death of former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, security forces have seized the video archive of his personal cameraman, Kommersant daily reported Thursday.
Secret service agents and officers from several other agencies confiscated some 600 tapes with recordings from Yeltsin's political career.
Yeltsin's former cameraman Alexander Kuznezov seemed shocked by the action, accusing the security authorities of disrupting his work on a documentary about the "state of democracy in modern Russian."
Bhutan’s ‘Nelson Mandela’ driven to Nepal refugee camp
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : A 45-year-old Bhutanese of Nepali origin, who was released from prison after 17 years by the Bhutan government this month, has been forced to take shelter in refugee camps in Nepal.
The expulsion of Dhan Kumar Rai, dubbed the Nelson Mandela of Bhutan by Nepal's media for his long imprisonment, comes after the coronation of a new king and Bhutan's well-publicised plans of reform and modernisation.
Rai, who arrived in Kathmandu for medical treatment Friday, is suffering from heart and mental problems.
Perry, Mayer reconcile?
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Singer Katy Perry has reportedly reunited with guitarist John Mayer. The two were spotted going to a restaurant together.
Extremists may hijack Russian parliament polls: Minister
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Extremist groups may attempt to disrupt Russia's upcoming parliamentary election campaign, a minister said Thursday.
Strong earthquake far off Oregon coast
By SPA
Portland, Oregon : A magnitude-6.4 earthquake was recorded 150 miles (240 kilometers) off the Oregon coast Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, according to AP.
The quake struck at 5:37 p.m (0137 GMT Thursday), the U.S. Geological Survey said. A tsunami is not expected, according to the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.
Police dispatchers in several coastal communities said they had yet to receive any calls from people who felt the quake. The U.S. Coast Guard also reported no quake-related problems.
Russia’s president vs premier: Who does what?
By DPA,
Moscow : Vladimir Putin is swapping the presidency for the prime minister's post as he stepped down Wednesday to leave room for his hand picked successor-elect, Dmitry Medvedev.
While the two have promised to share power, how the so-called power tandem will function is anybody's guess.
Putin is set to become Russia's most powerful prime minister, as head of the party that holds a majority in both houses and the country's most popular political figure.
Dictionary to update misgoyny definition after Gillard speech
By IANS,
Sydney : Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's speech on sexism has forced a dictionary to broaden the definition of the word "misogyny".
Sharon Osbourne had a crush on Barlow
By IANS,
London: Reality TV star Sharon Osbourne says she once had a crush on singer Gary Barlow.
UN: Congo Conflict Hits Women Hardest
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : UN Reporter on Violence against Woman Yakin Erturk said on Wednesday that the armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a challenge in the fight against
sexual violence in that country.
When presenting a report before the UN Council of Human Rights in Geneva, the Turkish professor pointed out that, despite the measures adopted by Congo authorities to bring peace and stability, this conflict chiefly affects women.
Rain displaces 12,000 in Argentina
By IANS,
Buenos Aires : Heavy rain has killed three people and displaced 12,000 in northeast Argentina, authorities said.
Two children drowned near Resistencia city, the capital of Chaco province, about 1200 km north of Buenos Aires, Xinhua reported.
In Goya City, 730 km north of Buenos Aires, a seven-year-old girl died when her house collapsed while she was sleeping.
About 5,000 people were evacuated in Chaco province while 3,500 were evacuated in Corrientes province, and 3,200 in Concordia city.
All parties moot interim political council in north Sri Lanka
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : An all-party panel tasked to work out a devolution package for Sri Lanka has recommended the setting up of an "interim political council" in the war-affected and Tamil-speaking northern province, a Tamil cabinet minister said Thursday.
The interim report of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), which was submitted to President Mahinda Rajapaksa Wednesday, also recommended the holding of elections to a provincial council to be set up in the eastern province, Minister Douglas Devananda told IANS.
Russian president observes Barents Sea military drill
By RIA Novosti,
Severomorsk (Russia) : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev joined the Northern Fleet Saturday to observe military exercises, including a full-range test of the Sineva ballistic missile, in the Barents Sea.
Medvedev arrived Saturday along with Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Navy Commander Admiral Vladimir Kuznetsov to observe the exercises. Medvedev announced that the missile had travelled a record 11,547 km.
An aide to the Russian navy commander said it was the first time a submarine had launched the Sineva ballistic missile to its maximum range.
Top US commander in Afghanistan probed
By IANS,
Washington: The top US commander in Afghanistan is being probed for alleged "inappropriate" communications with a woman linked to the Petraeus scandal.
Spain’s King stresses ‘brotherhood’ with Latin America
By IANS
Madrid : Spain's King Juan Carlos used his traditional Christmas Eve address to express Spain's "feelings of brotherhood" with Latin America, Spain's EFE news agency reported Tuesday.
The king emphasized Spain's solidarity with all nations of Latin America."Nothing that affects the Americas is foreign to us," he said.
Electric shock kills former junior archery champion
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Chita (Russia): A former World junior archery champion has been killed by electric shock, police said Tuesday.
No smokers in Britain by 2050: Report
BY IANS,
London: As smoking rates continue to fall in Britain, there could be no smokers left in the country in the next 30 to 50 years, a media report said Saturday.
North Korea to quit nuclear talks
By DPA,
Seoul : North Korea Tuesday announced that it wants to quit international negotiations on ending its nuclear weapons programme.
The Six-Party Talks were "no longer necessary", the state-run Korean Central News Agency said. The statement came in response to a UN Security Council statement condemning a rocket launch earlier this month.
Challenges for the Taliban and the road ahead for governance and stability
The Taliban, having, secured a highchair on the power table of war-torn Afghanistan will be faced with a host of challenges. The foremost task...
Clinton says he’s ‘doing very well’ after heart procedure
By DPA,
Washington: Former US president Bill Clinton has said he was recovering well after undergoing a heart procedure for a blocked artery.
"Actually I'm doing very well. I feel very blessed," Clinton told reporters Friday outside his home in Chappaqua, New York.
Clinton, 63, said he began feeling a "tingling, not pain" in his chest four days earlier and contacted his cardiologist, but he was never particularly worried about the procedure.
"They know what they're doing," said Clinton, who underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2004. "I felt it was kind of a repair job."
Italian PM’s wife seeks 43 mn euros a year in divorce
By IANS/AKI,
Rome: The wife of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Veronica Lario, is reported to be seeking 43 million euros a year in divorce proceedings.
Lario, a former actress, announced her intention to divorce Berlusconi in May, after reports surfaced about his friendship with Noemi Letizia, the 18-year-old Naples lingerie model.
According to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Lario is seeking more than 3.5 million euros a month to maintain the lifestyle the couple shared prior to their separation.
British MPs tinkering with expenses may be fined
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : British Members of Parliament are angry with the punitive proposals of a parliamentary watchdog to fine MPs and force them to explain themselves in public if they tinkered with their expenses in future.
In a bid to prevent the MPs' expenses scandal once again, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) has suggested MPs found fiddling with their expenses would be fined up to £1,000 and all their expenses receipts would be made public.
Nepal quake toll rises to over 2,300
Kathmandu : The toll in the massive earthquake that devastated Nepal rose to over 2,300 on Sunday, the government said.
Nepal's ministry of home affairs...
Charles Sobhraj ties the knot
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : On Thursday, when Nepal celebrated the culmination of its biggest Hindu festival Dashain, non-Hindu Charles Gurmukh Sobhraj too had a reason to rejoice after tying the knot with his 20-year-old Nepali fiancée Nihita Biswas after a tumultuous courtship marked by media glare and controversy.
Zimbabwe’s ruling party, opposition call for end to violence
By Xinhua,
Harare : Negotiators from Zimbabwe's ruling party ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have jointly condemned political violence in the country and urged their party men to stop it.
In the joint statement issued Wednesday, both sides denounced the violence that engulfed the country following the controversial presidential election, and said violence should never be used as a political tool, state-controlled The Herald newspaper reported Thursday.
Tiger will be back in three months: Jeev
By IANS,
New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) India's top golfer Jeev Milkha Singh feels that tainted American golfer Tiger Woods will return to world stage in just three months.
"I feel Tiger will be back on the greens in three months. His focus is so good. He's going to make a comeback as a winner," said Jeev, who Tuesday became the brand ambassador of top golf equipment manufacturing company Callaway.
Madonna voted hardest working mother in new poll
By IANS,
London : Pop diva Madonna has been named the hardest working mother in showbiz topping a new poll ahead of Hollywood actresses Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow.
The pop superstar took home $110 million (75 million pounds) in 2008, putting herself at the forefront of high-earning women with children, reports contactmusic.com.
Madonna, who is mother to adopted toddler David Banda, 3, Rocco, 8 and 12-year-old Lourdes, took most of her money from her world tour as well as record sales and a string of endorsement deals.
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".
China searches for energy security
By Yang Jianxiang, Xinhua,
Beijing : It was a mid-May night, and trucks queued up at a gas station by the East 5th Ring Road of Beijing. The line was long, blocking a lane of the main road.
At the station, the oil pipe nozzles were dry - the stock of diesel had run out and the fresh supplies would not come until after midnight. But when new consignment came, it was far less than adequate. Most vehicles would be partly filled and some would wait in vain.
Iceland adopts emergency law to reorganize banking system
By DPA,
Reykjavik : The Icelandic government, backed by opposition parties, adopted an "emergency law" to reorganize its financial system that has been severely battered.
Prime Minister Geir Haarde said in a televised speech Monday to the nation that the bank crisis also posed a national threat.
"There is a very real danger, fellow citizens, that the Icelandic economy, in the worst case, could be sucked with the banks into the whirlpool and the result could be national bankruptcy," he said.
BP doctored oil spill image to make staff look busy
By IANS,
London : British Petroleum (BP) was caught up in yet another controversy after bloggers noticed an image of its US oil spill command centre was digitally modified to make the staff look engaged in cleaning up operations.
The firm admitted having doctored the image after a blogger in Houston noticed a problem and reported that two of the 10 screens looked suspiciously like images had been digitally pasted over them.
Shakira named humanitarian of the year by US magazine
By IANS,
New York : Latin pop star Shakira has been named "Humanitarian of the Year" by the People en Español magazine for her work towards providing better health and education to needy children in South America.
The US magazine's next edition, which lists the year's most famous celebrities who have achieved star of the year status, selected the Colombian singer-songwriter for the title because of her charity work with impoverished children through her foundation Pies Descalzos and Latin America in Solidarity (ALAS), EFE news agency reported Saturday.
Seven injured in US mall shooting
By IANS,
Washington: At least seven people were injured in a shooting incident near a US shopping centre Sunday in Wisconsin state, Sky News reported.
European air travel normalises after ash chaos
By DPA,
Hamburg : Air travel across Europe is set to normalise Thursday after days of airspace closures and cancelled flights caused by an ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano.
In most European countries, all scheduled flights are to go ahead, authorities said. On Wednesday, the last remaining flight bans were lifted, ending an unprecedented closure of European airspace.
The European air safety coordination body Eurocontrol said 80 percent of scheduled flights took place on Wednesday, while it expected that "almost 100 percent" would take off or land Thursday.
School for newlyweds to open in Russia
By RIA Novosti,
Veliky Novgorod (Russia) : A school for newlyweds is to open in this Russian city to teach couples how to build happy marriages, a spokesman at the mayor's office said.
The first centre will open April 15. Couples will be given lessons on how to raise children.
The spokesman said invitation to join the school would be sent to all newlyweds in the city.
Last year was the "Year of the Family" in Russia, which has seen consistently high divorce rates since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Indian technical team arriving Nepal to discuss Saptakoshi inundation
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : A high-level Indian technical team is arriving in Nepali capital Kathmandu Tuesday to discuss a possible long term solution to the problem caused by Saptakoshi floods every year in southeast Nepal.
According to local news website eKantipur, the Indian team led by Chairman of Central Water Commission of India AK Bajaj is scheduled to visit Saptakoshi ravaged areas for two days from Wednesday.
Russia completes deployment of navigation satellites
By IANS,
Moscow : Russia has completed the deployment of its global positioning satellite group "Glonass", an official said Friday.
Australian Viduka excited to join Owen at Newcastle
By IANS
London : Newcastle United striker Mark Viduka cannot wait to link up with new teammate Michael Owen, who indicated Thursday he would be staying on in Tyneside despite recent speculation he could leave St James' Park.
Viduka, a free transfer from Middlesbrough, is currently on Asian Cup duty with Australia, but he admits the prospect of lining up alongside England international Owen next season is one he is relishing.
China publishes military dictionary based on US terms
By Xinhua
Beijing : China has published a new bilingual military dictionary including more than 250,000 entries of military terms, most of which are taken from US armed forces publications.
The major sources of "An English-Chinese Military Dictionary" include the DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms that was published by the Pentagon in 2002.
The Chinese dictionary has been compiled by linguists and military experts in collaboration with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) University of Foreign Languages.
Brazil’s economy safe, says president
By Xinhua,
Rio de Janeiro : The Brazilian economy is cushioned against any possible adverse impact of the global financial meltdown, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said.
During a meeting of the Social and Economic Development Council (CDES) Thursday, Lula said the crisis was caused by "the financial system which dares to sell what it does not have", warning that "either the market changes or other crisis will come".
Lula said the worst moment of the crisis had passed, and expressed his hope that US president-elect Barack Obama will act quickly to fight its impacts.
Khalistani flags, slogans raised at Vancouver Vaisakhi parade
By IANS,
Vancouver: Pro-Khalistan flags were raised and photos of Sikh "martyrs" displayed at a Vaisakhi parade (nagar kirtan) in Surrey near here Saturday.
Pro-Khalistan slogans were also raised at the Dasmesh Darbar Sikh temple which organized the parade. Indo-Canadian MP Sukh Dhaliwal was the only prominent politician to attend the parade.
Surrey mayor Dianne Watts, whose city council authorizes such parades in its jurisdictions, left the parade because of the controversial float carrying Khalistani flags and photos of 'martyrs.'
NASA suspends recovery testing of next generation spacecraft
By IANS,
Washington: The US space agency -- NASA -- said Friday it has suspended the recovery testing of a test version of its next...
Nepal PM defends leaked tape, says he has over 100,000 fighters
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : After a national outcry created by a leaked video tape, in which Nepal's caretaker Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda was heard saying he had inflated the strength of his guerrilla fighters almost five-fold during a UN verification, the Maoist supremo Wednesday defended himself, saying his People's Liberation Army (PLA) actually had over 100,000 fighters.
Violent clashes continue in parts of Nepal ahead of upcoming polls: UN report
By APP
United Nations : Campaigning for Nepal’s upcoming Constituent Assembly election continues in relative calm across much of the country, but some districts have experienced a surge in clashes between different political party supporters, a UN report said Sunday.
Prepared by the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), in conjunction with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal, the report is the second in a series being published on conditions for the polls, scheduled for 10 April.
US stocks tumble on lower spending, Dell’s earnings
By DPA,
Washington : US stocks retreated Friday, led by slower consumer spending and lower-than-expected earnings from computer maker Dell.
As incomes dropped an unexpected 0.7 percent in July, the US Commerce Department said growth in personal spending slowed to 0.2 percent.
Dell, the second-biggest personal-computer maker, posted its biggest drop in earnings since 2000, and attributed it to "continued conservatism" among US consumers, which was also spreading to parts of Western Europe and Asia.
Putin calls for closer ties with Cuba
By Prensa Latina
Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin in a message has called for closer economic and cultural ties with Cuba as the two sides meet in Havana for the eighth session of the Intergovernmental Commission.
In a letter addressed to the council of ministers in Cuba Thursday, Putin stressed the need to rebuild trade ties that were severed following the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Currently, a Russian delegation is in Havana for bilateral talks.
Two Russians abducted in Syria
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Beirut: Two Russian nationals were abducted near the western Syrian port city of Latakia, the Russian embassy in Syria said Monday.
Two Indians detained over Bangkok blast
Bangkok: Two Indians suspected to be involved in last month's deadly Bangkok shrine bombing that killed 20 people have been detained, media reported on...
World War I recalled in poignant 90th anniversary tributes
By DPA,
London/Paris : Commemorations to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I were held in Britain and France Tuesday, made particularly poignant by the participation of the last survivors in Britain from the conflict branded "the war to end all wars".
In London, Prime Minister Gordon Brown attended a solemn ceremony and two-minute silence at the Cenotaph memorial which were led by the three remaining World War I veterans in Britain whose lives have spanned the entire 20th century.
Strong quake hits Japan
By IANS,
Tokyo : An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale jolted the sea off Japan's Iwate prefecture Tuesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
Japanese destroyer makes historic landing in Chinese port
By DPA,
Beijing : A Japanese destroyer arrived in the southern Chinese port of Zhanjiang Tuesday, making the first port call by a Japanese warship in the country since World War II.
A welcome ceremony was held at the port for the 4,650-ton Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer Sazanami, which carried 240 officers and crew.
The five-day visit by the warship "finally realizes the upgrading of diplomatic relations between the two countries," Feng Zhaokui, a scholar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, wrote in a commentary in the official China Daily Monday.
Myanmar says foreign broadcasters worse than Cyclone Nargis
By DPA,
Yangon : Myanmar's state-controlled media Sunday claimed that foreign broadcasts were spreading false news about the government's aid efforts for victims of Cyclone Nargis in an effort to "undermine national unity."
"At present, some foreign broadcasting stations are making attempts to undermine the national unity under the pretext of (Cyclone) Nargis," said The New Light of Myanmar, in an opinion piece under the title of "The enemy who is more destructive than Nargis."
Man with binoculars killed near Ukraine nudist
By IANS,
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow: An apparent voyeurism session ended in disaster in Ukraine, when a man allegedly spying at a nudist beach was brutally killed.
OPEC crude oil basket up USD 0.49, settles at USD 94.09
By KUNA
Vienna : The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) basket of 12 crudes gained USD 0.49 on Tuesday to settle at USD 94.09 per barrel, after being USD 93.63 the day before.
According to the OPEC bulletin, the average annual price of the basket last year was USD 69.10 per barrel.
Iran allows IAEA to inspect new enrichment site
By DPA,
Tehran : Iran will allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its new enrichment site in Natanz in central Iran, the Iranian envoy to the IAEA said Saturday.
Ali-Asqar Soltanieh told ISNA news agency that Iranian and IAEA experts met in Vienna and agreed on inspections of the new site, where Iran is pursuing the 20 percent uranium enrichment process.
Call for Australia to have referendum on republic
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : With leaders of the two major Australian political parties sharing the vision of an Australian head of state replacing the British monarch, the Greens Party Wednesday called for a referendum on the republic during the 2010 federal elections.
"We think the time is right, the stars are aligned. We have a prime minister and a leader of the opposition who support the republic. We Greens are going to move before Christmas for a referendum at the next election on the republic, just a yes-no question," Australian Greens Party leader Bob Brown told reporters.
Private money pours to rescue Haiti
By DPA,
Washington : From Wall Street to Main Street, Americans opened their pocketbooks Thursday to rescue Haiti, where the toll could rise to tens of thousands after a powerful earthquake crushed the capital city.
The US Chamber of Commerce reported that US corporate aid pledges had exceeded $16 million.
McCain wins final undecided state
By DPA,
Washington : Republican John McCain picked up the final prize of the US presidential election Wednesday, winning the hotly contested battleground of Missouri by a narrow margin.
More than two weeks after the vote, results showed him beating president-elect Barack Obama there by fewer than 4,000 votes.
The Missouri secretary of state's office showed 1,445,812 votes for McCain and running mate Sarah Palin, to 1,441,910 votes for national winner Obama and his running mate Joe Biden.
Climate change threatens world’s food security: FAO
By DPA
Bali : Climate change will lead to adverse and immediate impact on world food security, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned Wednesday.
FAO director general Jacques Diouf told the UN climate change conference in Bali that it will "also increase the vulnerability of poor people everywhere."
FAO's 2006 State of Food Insecurity Report estimated that about 854 million people worldwide suffer from hunger, of which more than 820 million live in developing countries, Diouf said.
Magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits Japan
Hong Kong: An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale jolted Bonin Islands in the Japan region early Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said.
The...
Tornado kills nine in China
Wenzhou (China), Aug 19 (Xinhua) Nine people were killed and 62 injured as a tornado hit east China's Zhejiang province, reports said Sunday.
A gale belt of 800-meter broad and eight-km-long swept through the Longgang township, Cangnan county of Wenzhou city at about 11.30 p.m. Saturday from the sea, the meteorological bureau said.
The victims, three men and six women, aged between 30 to 75, were killed in house collapses. The tornado toppled down 156 houses.
Eight of the injured were described as "in serious condition".
Pope Francis appoints new Indian bishop
Vatican City : Pope Francis has named Joseph Kodakallil as Bishop of Satna in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the Vatican announced on...
Mongolia to build first oil refinery by 2015
By IANS,
Beijing: The Mongolian government has decided to build the country's first oil refinery by 2015, Xinhua reported.
People looking for prostitutes use the net to skirt law
By IANS,
London : People looking out for prostitutes share precise information on the net about them, couched in 'argot,' a coded language that makes detection difficult, says a new study.
These 'johns' provide detailed information on the location of sexual services on the streets and indoors, as well as ways to identify specific providers, information on costs and personal experiences with providers.
This 'argot' may help 'johns' and sex workers avoid legal sanctions and any social stigma associated with participating in the sex trade, the researchers said.
Tourists prepare to leave Caribbean islands as Hurricane Ike approaches
By DPA,
Washington : Tourists and residents of the Caribbean Islands of Turks and Caicos were making plans Saturday to evacuate as Hurricane Ike approached.
The Miami-based US National Hurricane Centre warned that the "core of dangerous Hurricane Ike" was approaching the islands and said "preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion".
A hurricane warning was also in place for the Bahamas and parts of Cuba, while a tropical storm alert was sounded for the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
US art dealer gives Cuba works by Picasso, Warhol
By IANS/EFE,
Havana : US gallery owner Gilbert Brownstone has donated to Cuba nine drawings and engravings on paper by renowned artists including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Andy Warhol, Cuban state media reported.
The grant will eventually comprise 120 works of art, the state media said, with the first lot also containing pieces by French masters Camille Pisarro, Marcel Duchamp, Edouard Vuillard and Andre Masson, and by the American Roy Lichtenstein.
Myanmar bans smoking near world-famous pagoda
By Xinhua
Yangon : Myanmar has declared the platform around the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda here as a tobacco and betel free zone, banning smoking and chewing of betel leaf there with effect from this weekend, media reports said Thursday.
Such practices at the sacred site are prohibited for the first time in a bid to improve the image of the area in terms of hygiene, the Yangon Time said.
Shwedagon pagoda, where the relics of four Buddhas were enshrined and built over 2,500 years ago, remains one of the nine wonders in the world.
Yangon : Myanmar has declared the platform around the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda here as a tobacco and betel free zone, banning smoking and chewing of betel leaf there with effect from this weekend, media reports said Thursday.
Such practices at the sacred site are prohibited for the first time in a bid to improve the image of the area in terms of hygiene, the Yangon Time said.
Shwedagon pagoda, where the relics of four Buddhas were enshrined and built over 2,500 years ago, remains one of the nine wonders in the world.
Israeli inquiry panel blasts Olmert over Lebanon war
Jerusalem, May 1 (DPA) An Israeli commission of inquiry has slammed Ehud Olmert's "severe failure" in the opening days of last summer's indecisive offensive against the Hezbollah, casting a shadow over his future as prime minister and prompting opposition leaders to call for early elections.
But the premier said he had no intention of resigning and would remain in office to implement the recommendations of the report, which he acknowledged were "severe" and "tough" in a brief statement on Israeli television Monday evening.
New magnetic detector pinpoints tiny foetal heart’s problem
By IANS,
Washington : One of the world's most powerful magnetic detectors is helping screen high-risk pregnant women for rare but very serious foetal heart rhythm problems.
The passive detector, mounted on a track above a table upon which the patient lies, is positioned over the belly where it picks up the faintest magnetic signals and sends the information back to a computer in an adjacent room. The test takes about an hour.
Obama and Modi can change global climate of inaction
By Rajendra Shende,
It was early morning. I was listening to US President Barack Obama's 2015 State of the Union address in my farm up in the hills in India when I was distracted by a raucous verbal spat. A farmer's wife was exchanging rough and wild words with other women who had come from down in the valley to collect the cow-dung droppings scattered along the slopes.
19 political prisoners in Myanmarese amnesty for 6,000
By DPA,
Yangon : Myanmar's amnesty for more than 6,000 prisoners has so far included only 19 political prisoners, excluding opposition leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Tin Oo, observers said Sunday.
The military regime announced Friday that it would release 6,313 prisoners from the country's jails as a "gesture" of sympathy towards their families and to allow them to participate in the upcoming general election of 2010.
Missing jet: Cockpit transcript reveals final 54 minutes conversation
London: The final 54 minutes of conversation between the pilots of the missing Malaysian airliner and the control tower has been revealed in a...
Chavez invites Obama to follow road to socialism
By DPA,
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has called upon US President Barack Obama to follow the path to socialism, which he termed as the "only" way out of the global recession.
"Come with us, align yourself, come with us on the road to socialism. This is the only path. Imagine a socialist revolution in the United States," Chavez told a group of workers in the southern Venezuelan state of Bolivar Friday.
60 percent Austrians aged 20-50 smoke: Study
By IANS,
Vienna : Over half of Austrians between the age group of 20 and 50 are regular or occassional smokers, a new study has found.
About 2.5 million, or 60 percent, of those in the 20-50 age group were regular or occasional smokers, said Horst Olschewski, director of the Pulmonary Division at the Graz University Hospital.
"This is actually a world record," Olschewski said, demanding ban on smoking at restaurant ahead of the "World No Tobacco Day" May 31.
Amnesty accuses EU governments of complicity in US renditions
By IRNA,
London : Amnesty International Tuesday accused European governments of complicity and inaction over US-led rendition and secret detentions.
In new report, the London-based human rights organization criticised European nations for providing a "helping hand" in the detention of individuals who were then transferred without due process into the hands of the CIA or other US agents.
Alongside cases involving Sweden, Germany, Italy, Macedonia and Bosnia, the report raised questions about the UK's role in the detention and later transfer of some British nationals and residents.
29 children killed in Mexico fire
By DPA,
Mexico City : At least 29 children were killed Friday in a fire at a day care centre in Mexico's northwest city of Hermosillo, officials said.
The victims, aged three months to two years, had been staying in a day care centre next to a tire dealership that had caught on fire. The flames jumped to the neighbouring child care facility, officials told DPA.
More than 50 of the estimated 120 children at the centre were hospitalized, Jose Larrinaga, the spokesman of the office of the Judge Advocate General in the state of Sonant, said.
South Korea unveils $11 bn stimulus package
By DPA,
Seoul : South Korea Monday announced a 14-trillion-won ($11-billion) stimulus package as it faces its worst economic turmoil since it needed an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout a decade ago.
Public spending is to rise next year by 11 trillion won and the package's remaining three trillion won would go to tax benefits, the finance ministry said.
Finance Minister Kang Man Soo estimated South Korea's economy would grow only three percent next year because of the global financial crisis but also warned of a further slowdown.
US Meddling Torpedoes Bolivia Vote
By Prensa Latina,
La Paz : Overwhelming accusations of the US government for interfering in internal affairs and boosting plans to boycott the revocation referendum focus the news week in Bolivia.
President Evo Morales used the brief visit Wednesday of US Assistant Secretary of State for Latin America Thomas Shannon to present evidence of the plot against his government sponsored by Washington.
It includes subversive plans and finances of opposition groups by the US Agency for International Development.
UK MPs opposed changing law for Israeli war criminals exceeds 100
London, Jan 29, IRNA – The number of MPs opposing the British government to restrict the arrest of Israeli leaders for alleged war crimes has risen to more than 100.
The British government has pledged to alter the law after apologising to Israel last month when a warrant was issued for the arrest of former foreign minister Tzipi Livni over her role in the latest Gaza massacres, forcing her to cancel a visit to the UK.
US jury indicts Rajya Sabha MP in bribery conspiracy
By Arun Kumar,
Washington: In an unprecedented case, a Chicago jury has indicted a Congress party Rajya Sabha MP in an alleged international conspiracy to...
10 die in South Korea hospital fire
By IANS,
Seoul : At least 10 women were killed and 17 injured when a fire engulfed a hospital for women Friday in a port city in South Korea, a media report said.
Tibetan self-immolates in China
By IANS,
Beijing: A Tibetan villager died in China's Qinghai province after setting fire to himself Thursday, Xinhua reported.
Early maturity linked to pesticides, say experts
By IANS,
Beijing : Chinese experts have claimed that early maturity in children is linked to pesticides even as parents across the country are concerned over milk powder produced by a Chinese company that is alleged to have caused three girls to grow breasts.
Three female infants Aug 9 in Wuhan of central China's Hubei province were reported suffering abnormal sexual development. Doctors and parents suspected the milk powder they had been using contained sex hormones, China Daily reported Wednesday.
Estimates of refugee costs rise to 21.1 bn euros: Ifo
Munich : The Ifo institute reported on Tuesday that it has upgraded its estimates of German government expenditure on refugees to 21.1 billion...
‘Hijacked’ Saudi passenger plane isolated at Manila airport
Manila : A Saudi Arabian passenger plane, carrying 300 persons on-board, was suspected to have been hijacked and placed at an isolated position in...
US CEOs less confident now
By Xinhua
New York : The confidence level of US CEOs has shown a decline in the second quarter this year, said a report released here.
39 dead after bloody weekend in Honduras
By IANS/EFE,
Tegucigalpa: A weekend of violence across Honduras left at least 39 people dead, the head of operations and strategy for the national police...
Gaga wants copyrights of Piaf’s songs
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Singer Lady Gaga is reportedly in talks to buy the rights to first filmed performance of her idol legendary French singer Edith Piaf and to use nine of her songs.
After 37 years, police nab Los Angeles serial killer
By DPA,
Los Angeles : Police in Los Angeles identified a 72-year-old man as the city's worst serial killer, charging him with two murders in 1972 and 1976 and linking him with 25 others.
Police Thursday said that DNA matching John Floyd Thomas Jr, an insurance adjuster, was found at three other murder scenes from the 1970s and 1980s and that detectives were examining his connection to other cases linked to the notorious Westside Rapist.
EU constantly works to enhance relations with GCC — official
By KUNA,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) constantly works to enhance its relations with the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), through agreements over important issues, said an EU official.
The official, requesting anonymity, told KUNA that there were a number of issues that needed to be addressed before the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two sides could be signed.
S. Korea Taps Into Global Talent Pool For English Teachers
By Bernama,
Seoul : South Korea will tap into an offshore talent pool to meet the rising demand for native English speakers at home, inviting college students of Korean descent to teach English on a government scholarship, officials said Wednesday.
The Teach and Learn in Korea program is set to start in August, offering young Koreans overseas the chance to teach elementary school children for six months to one year and receive a scholarship certificate from the Korean government.
Russian, Norwegian foreign ministers to visit border towns
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The foreign ministers of Russia and Norway will visit border towns and discuss cross-border and fishing cooperation on June 9-10, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
Jonas Gahr Stoere and Russia's Sergei Lavrov are to make a two-day trip to Murmansk, and the Norwegian town of Kirkenes, 250 kilometres away.
The ministers are expected to exchange ratifications of the Varangerfjord maritime delimitation agreement, meet with local Russian and Norwegian authorities and businessmen, and inspect border crossings.
Brown wins first round of EU Treaty battle
By KUNA
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has cleared the first hurdle on the way to ratifying the controversial EU reform treaty, securing House of Commons support with only a minor revolt among Labour backbenchers.
While the Prime Minister was flying back from a tour of China and India, the Government won a second reading on the EU (Amendment) Bill last night with a comfortable 138 majority.
Quake hits New Zealand
By IANS,
Wellington : A 6.5 magnitude earthquake rocked the North Island of New Zealand Tuesday but there was no immediate report of damage or casualties, Xinhua reported.
Nepal Maoists to celebrate North Korean leader’s birthday
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal's Maoists seem all set to forge a new alliance with North Korea, condemned by US President George W. Bush as one of the "axis of evil countries". They are to celebrate with great pomp the totalitarian leader Kim Jong-il's birthday next month.
So although the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) parted ways with other communist parties in South Asia to end its armed insurgency and join the government, it will literally paint Nepal red on the birthday of Kim Jong-il, accused of being one of the most despotic leaders.
Salman Rushdie in signature clash with fellow author
By IANS,
London : There is nothing truer in the literary world than the fact that it is fated to carry the cross of its patrons' idiosyncrasies. The V.S. Naipaul-Paul Theroux clash is the weightiest of them all. A potential rival is the latest row between Salman Rushdie and Malcolm Gluck. Only, the issue has shifted from the penning of ideas to signatures.
‘हमारा क़सूर सिर्फ़ इतना था कि हम मुसलमान हैं’
अफ़रोज़ आलम
नई दिल्ली : दुनिया भर के कई देशों में रोहिंग्या मुसलमान शरणार्थी बनकर रह रहे हैं. दिल्ली में इनकी संख्या 1,000 से अधिक...
ASIL to US Congress: Stop Executions
By Prensa Latina,
Washington : The American Society of International Law demanded on Friday congressional intervention in the case of five Mexicans sentenced to death in Texas.
According to ASIL president Lucy Reed, it is vital for legislators to act to make federal government comply with obligations contracted before the world.
Reed's call refers to Texas Governor Rick Perry's refusal to accept a ruling of the UN International Court of Justice, requesting the US Executive to stop the executions in order to study a lawsuit filed by Mexican authorities.
Conservative candidate wins Colombia presidential poll
By DPA,
Bogota: Conservative candidate Juan Manuel Santos won Colombia's presidential runoff by a landslide Sunday.
With nearly 60 percent of the vote counted, he had 69 percent of the vote, against fellow finalist Antanas Mockus, a former Bogota mayor who had been a huge underdog in the second-round vote.
Santos, 58, a former defence minister, had been widely favoured. After falling short of an outright majority with nearly 47 percent in the first round, pre-runoff surveys had shown him winning nearly two thirds of the vote.
Tibetans-in-exile celebarate Dalai Lama’s birthday
By IANS,
Dharamsala, July 6 (IANS) Tibetans-in-exile celebrated the 73rd birthday of their spiritual leader Dalai Lama here Sunday.
People from different walks of life offered prayers for his long life at the official function organised at Mcleodganj, 20 km from here.
This time due to anti-China protests in Tibet, the function did not include any singing and dance programmes in the celebrations.
Tibet flared up with protests and violence March 10, which marked the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
Thai opposition submits no-confidence motion against government
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thailand's parliamentary opposition submitted a no-confidence motion against the government Monday for its suppression of a two-month protest that left at least 85 dead.
The Puea Thai Party submitted the motion with Upper House Speaker Prasob Sukboondej and Lower House Speaker Chai Chitchob, who have seven days to study it.
German stocks plunge after bank rescue bid
By DPA,
Frankfurt : Stocks plunged in early trading in Germany Monday, a day after the government and banks agreed to expand a bail-out for troubled property lender Hypo Real Estate (HRE).
Frankfurt's blue chip DAX slumped 4.54 percent to 5,533.57, its lowest level since July 2006.
All 30 companies on the index suffered losses, with financial institutions leading the way.
HRE was 48.3 percent lower at 3.88 euros ($5.27), Commerzbank was 14.8 percent down at 12.08 euros and Deutsche Bank, Germany's biggest, was off 6.2 percent at 49.75 euros.
Facebook reaches saturation point in Britain
By IANS,
London : Social networking website Facebook is nearing its saturation point in Britain and its growth in the country has gone down over the past six months.
Britain, however, has the second-largest membership of Facebook in the world, at 25 million. The list is led by the US, while Indonesia and Turkey follow Britain.
China appoints new head of military court
By IANS,
Beijing : Liu Jixing has been appointed as the new president of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) military court.
25 Sea Tigers killed, 10 boats destroyed: Navy
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : At least 25 Tamil Tigers were killed and 10 of their boats destroyed in a major clash Thursday between the Sri Lankan Navy and Sea Tigers in the sea off the northern coast, an official said.
Navy spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake said the mid-sea clash broke out around 11.00 a.m. when a fleet of navy attack craft pursued a cluster of Sea Tiger boats at Iranaitivu, five nautical miles north of Nachchikkuda. The clash lasted nearly three hours.
Way to Lisbon’s heart is through your stomach
By DPA
Lisbon : The coffee machine hisses, dishes clatter and a buzz of voices fills the room. It is early in the morning and Lisbon's Cafe Nicola is already busy: business people are poring over newspapers, retired people are sipping coffee.
The Nicola is a slice of everyday life in the Portuguese capital. But it is hardly the only one. A host of cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs attract locals and tourists alike with an impressive selection of desserts, fish dishes, cheese, wine, and liqueurs brewed right on the premises.
Many New York teenagers victims of sexual violence: survey
By IANS,
New York : A survey of 1,300 high school students here has revealed that 16.2 percent of them have been subjected to sexual violence, and in most cases the victims knew the perpetrators.
The three-year, comprehensive survey of students aged between 13 and 21 years, with 15 or 16-year-olds being in the majority, found that 16.2 percent of the teenagers had suffered sexual violence - a much higher figure than the national average of 7 to 10.2 percent.
New laser can detect roadside bombs
By IANS,
Washington : Lasers may pick out roadside bombs and help in identifying improvised explosive devices (IEDs), often used by terrorists, new research says.
India still interested in gas pipeline from Iran, Pakistan
By IANS,
New Delhi : Two days after Iran and Pakistan agreed to form a joint company to raise funds for the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, India said it was still interested in going ahead with the pipeline.
“Negotiations are due but we are on the right line towards progress," said Petroleum Secretary R.S. Pandey on the sidelines of a conference on gas scenario in India.
Senegal urged to seek “final solution” to strikes in schools
By Xinhua,
Dakar : The Senegalese authorities must actively seek a "definitive solution" to end numerous strikes besetting the education sector, National Youth Council President El Hadj Malick Diop has said, adding that the country's future was vested in a well-educated young people.
"Our country cannot develop without an enterprising youth that is both educated and ambitious," Malick Diop said Tuesday while presiding over an official ceremony launching celebrations to mark the Year of the African Youth in Dakar.
British schoolboy who planned to bomb BNP members stands trial
By IANS,
London : A British schoolboy, who planned to make bombs and blow up members of Britain's far right political party BNP, has been standing trial for allegedly angering his teachers and fellow pupils with his radical views.
Terrorist sympathiser Waris Ali, who glorified the 9/11 terror attacks on the US in his books, attended Westborough High School, in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire - the home town of a number of the London Suicide Bombers - the Daily Telegraph has reported.
Parched lips in Nepal as toll rises to 4,347
Kathmandu : Rescuers, including foreigners, worked feverishly across Nepal as the country grappled with an acute water scarcity and the toll in the devastating...
Georgia, Russia agree to French-brokered peace plan
By RIA Novosti,
Tbilisi : Georgia and Russia have agreed to a modified version of a French-brokered peace plan, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after meeting Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili here.
Sarkozy said the peace plan would be discussed by European Union foreign ministers in Brussels Wednesday, and that a legally binding agreement should then be signed.
Saakashvili said he agreed to the French proposal for an immediate ceasefire and the pullback of forces to their positions Aug 7.
Thai troops attack protest site, foreign journalist killed
By DPA,
Bangkok : An Italian journalist was shot dead Wednesday as armoured personnel carriers smashed through the outer barriers of an anti-government protest site in the heart of Bangkok in a new offensive.
Thai troops, deployed at the intersection of Rama IV and Silom roads, used the armoured vehicles to break through barricades of rubber tyres and bamboo sticks outside Lumpini Park that had been erected weeks ago by protesters who have occupied the Ratchaprasong commercial district since April 3.
‘Hillary Clinton aims to rejoin office next week’
By IANS,
Washington : Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is aiming to return to her office as early as next week after treatment for blood clot in her head, according to the US State Department.
EU ministers agree to negotiate on Russia deal
By DPA,
Brussels : European Union (EU) foreign ministers Monday discussed proposals to strengthen the bloc's ties with its eastern neighbours, especially Ukraine, and agreed to negotiate a key deal with Russia.
At a meeting in Brussels, the foreign ministers of the EU's 27 members also said that they "looked forward to strengthening EU-Georgia relations" amid rising political tension both within the country and with Russia.
Putin to arrive in Sardinia on two-day visit to meet Berlusconi
By RIA Novosti,
Rome : Russia's Vladimir Putin, now in the final weeks of his presidency, will fly from Libya to Sardinia on Thursday evening to meet with Italian prime minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi.
During the Italian billionaire's second term as premier from 2001 to 2006, the two met on numerous occasions, and Berlusconi was seen as Putin's key ally in Europe.
Putin's spokesman, Alexei Gromov, said yesterday that the two days of meetings would address the future of Russian-Italian relations, but did not give details on the agenda.
Australian PM has phone conversation with Japanese leader
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Thursday to discuss the situation in Myanmar, where millions of people have been left homeless and at risk of disease following a recent deadly cyclone.
"Both leaders agreed to continue efforts to encourage the Burmese government to allow more assistance in more quickly and speed up the distribution of aid within the country," a government spokesman said.
This was the first conversation with the Japanese leader since Rudd won the election last November.
California declares emergency in storm-hit areas
By Xinhua
Los Angeles : California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in the storm-hit areas of the state.
The proclamation of the emergency Saturday would allow the Office of Emergency Services (OES) to deploy additional personnel, equipment and facilities in the affected areas for carrying out rescue operations.
Since Jan 3, strong winds and heavy storms have hit Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and other parts of the state.
Experts to unravel mystery behind European-looking Chinese
By IANS,
Beijing: Anthropologists have begun a study to ascertain if the European-looking Chinese in northwest China are the descendants of a lost army of the Roman Empire.
Alibaba raises $25 bn in history’s biggest IPO
New York: Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba collected $25 billion in the largest initial public offering ever after underwriters exercised an option to purchase additional...
Smith defends use of allowances
By KUNA,
(With UK-MPS-EXPENSES) LONDON : British Home Secretary Mrs Jacqui Smith Tuesday defended her use of MPs' allowances as "fair and reasonable".
She told BBC radio she had been criticised for listing the house she shares with her sister in London as her main residence, while claiming second home expenses for her family house, in Redditch, central England.
She said it was the "nature of the job" that MPs had to furnish and run two properties.
Israeli negotiator defends her meeting with Abbas
Jerusalem:Israeli chief negotiator Tzipi Livni has defended her meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in London last week amid criticisms accusing her of acting...
UK apologises for killing of 12-year old Irish girl after 35 years
By IRNA,
London : The UK government issued an apology Monday to the family of a 12-year-old girl who was shot dead by a British soldier in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1976.
Macedonia’s ruling coalition leads elections
By Xinhua,
Skopje : Macedonia's ruling alliance led the country's elections with ballots from 736 of the total of 2,976 polling stations counted, initial results showed on Sunday.
The coalition of For Better Macedonia led by Nikola Gruevksi's VMRO-DPMNE has won 56,507 votes, while the opposition coalition Sun-coalition for Europe led by the Social Democrats won 26,510 votes.
The main ethnic Albanian opposition party, the Democratic Union for Integration, got 16,925 votes, while the ruling Democratic Party of Albanians harvested 22,538 votes.