Russian parliament refuses to probe opposition leader’s murder
Moscow : The Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament, has refused to open a parliamentary investigation into the assassination of former deputy...
Crime drops when Moss moves into a neighbourhood
By IANS
New York : A study by Britain's Camden New Journal has found that crime rates drop considerably in neighbourhoods when supermodel Kate Moss moves there.
Pagesix.com reports that since Moss moved into her $16 million mansion in St. John's Wood in London, crime rates have dropped sharply. The neighbours believe it is because of Moss.
One neighbour said: "With her security cameras and all the photographers out in the street, crime has stopped altogether."
Salma Hayek proud of Mexican roots
By IANS,
London: Actress Salma Hayek says she is proud of her Mexican heritage and has even taught her daughter to embrace the same.
US stocks rise on retail, oil and interest rates
By DPA,
New York : US stocks posted gains Thursday amid a drop in long-term borrowing costs, a rise in oil prices and improving US retail sales.
The stock gains sent the Standard & Poor's 500 Index to its highest level of 2009. The Dow Jones Industrial Average remains slightly down on the year.
The price of crude oil climbed above $73 per barrel for the first time in seven months after the International Energy Agency raised its forecasts for global demand.
The oil price eventually settled at $71.50, up nearly one percent on the day, spurring a rally in energy shares.
Australian tourist found dead in Delhi hotel
By IANS,
New Delhi : A 33-year-old Australian tourist has been found dead in a hotel in the capital's Paharganj area.
Julian Stanford, a resident of Sydney, was found unconscious with froth oozing out of his mouth in a room in Hotel Express in Paharganj area of central Delhi late Sunday, police said.
"Stanford was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him dead. We are awaiting the postmortem report to ascertain the cause of his death," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) I.B. Rani told IANS.
No plans for NATO bases in Poland — PM
By KUNA
Moscow : Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk affirmed Friday that there were no plans to host bases of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on his country's soil.
Tusk, who began a visit here, told Interfax News Agency that Poland had not taken a decision on deploying US anti-missile systems on its territories, but said that the topic was on the agenda of his meetings with officials here.
He went on saying that relations with Russia were solid and developing in several domains.
German airports reopen after ash cloud closure
By DPA,
Berlin : German air traffic control authorities reopened airspace over the south of the country Sunday, after earlier shutting down the major airports at Munich and Stuttgart as new volcanic ash from Iceland arrived.
Officials said delays would likely continue Monday as airlines rescheduled hundreds of cancelled flights.
Both airports had been shut down until further notice earlier Sunday, as the cloud from renewed volcanic activity on the Atlantic island spread over Europe, officials said.
German referee dies as javelin pierces his throat
By IANS,
London: In a tragic incident in Germany, a 75-year-old referee died of injuries sustained when he was speared through the throat with a javelin at an athletics meet.
Obama widens lead over McCain after national convention: Polls
By Xinhua,
Washington : US Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has widened his lead over Republican hopeful John McCain in the recent two national polls.
After the Democratic National Convention held in Denver, Colorado, in late August, the Illinois senator led McCain by seven percentage points among registered voters, at 50 percent to 43 percent, according to the poll released Monday by daily USA Today.
A previous poll taken by the newspaper Aug 21 to 23 showed that Obama only had four-point lead.
Half of Indonesian political parties fail verification tests for election
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : About 50 percent of Indonesian political parties that registered with the General Election Commission (KPU) for participation in the 2009 polls failed to pass verification tests, KPU chairman Hafiz Ansyari said on Monday.
The results of the verification tests would be announced Monday night, but it was already certain that about half of them had failed, Antara news agency quoted Hafiz as saying at the launch of a 2009 general election familiarization campaign in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.
EU sends humanitarian aid for war victims in Georgia
By KUNA,
Brussels : The European Commission announced here Sunday night an urgent humanitarian aid worth one million euro for thousands of civilians affected by the war between Georgia and Russia in the region of South Ossetia and beyond.
"The European Commission is extremely concerned about the fighting and deplores the loss of lives and the human suffering it causes. We call for an immediate end of hostilities," said Louis Michel, EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid.
EU leaders reach deals on economy, climate, Lisbon Treaty
By Xinhua,
Brussels : European Union (EU) leaders wrapped up a two-day summit here Friday with compromise deals on an economic stimulus package, climate change and the Lisbon Treaty.
"Three major decisions have been taken in unanimity," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country holds the EU presidency, at a press conference after chairing the meeting with his EU counterparts.
Sarkozy said EU leaders agreed on the need for an economic recovery plan on the basis of the European Commission's proposal.
Racist hate crime in the US up eight percent
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : Over 5,000 people, including 230 Asians, were victims of racially motivated hate crimes in the US in 2006 as such incidents accounted for more than half the reported instances.
While one in 20 (4.8 percent) were victims of an anti-Asian/Pacific Islander bias, two thirds (66.4 percent) suffered due to anti-black and one in five because of anti-white bias, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Monday.
Militants attack Shell oil facility in Nigeria
By DPA,
Nairobi/Abuja : Nigerian militants who have declared an "oil war" Monday said they attacked and destroyed an oil flow station complex owned by Shell in the restive Niger Delta province.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said Sunday it had begun operation "Hurricane Barbarossa" after Nigerian military forces attacked militant positions with gunboats and helicopters.
Canada goes to polls Tuesday, majority for PM unlikely
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Canada will go to polls Tuesday, with opinion polls predicting the ruling Conservative Party may not get a majority in parliament.
The ruling party held 127 seats in the outgoing 308-member House of Commons.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the election, the third in four years, last month, saying the combined opposition - the Liberal Party, the New Democratic Party (NDP) and Bloc Quebecois - were not letting him govern as they held the majority in the House of Commons.
Vancouver Indo-Guyanese to fight Canadian elections
By IANS
Vancouver : An Indo-Guyanese has been nominated by Ontario's New Democratic Party (NDP) as its candidate from the Brampton-Springdale area for provincial elections next month.
Mani Singh, 47, who moved to Canada in his late teens with his parents, is a realtor. He has lived in Brampton for 26 years with his wife Prema and four children.
The provincial elections are slated for Oct 10.
Cameroon Riots Cause 17 Deaths
By Prensa Latina
Yaounde : The death toll, as a consequence of clashes between students and police agents in several Cameroon cities this week, has risen to 17.
The clashes started in the port of Douala, this country's economic capital, but have been extended to this urban center and northeastern Bemenda.
There have been barricades, burned tires and attacks on businesses in recent days, due to protests about a rise in fuel prices that has an effect on basic products.
Chinese parents oppose children’s internet use
By IANS,
Beijing : Many parents in China are not in favour of their children using the internet and a majority of them worry that surfing the net could adversely affect children's studies, a new study has said.
Around 42.6 percent of parents surveyed "strongly oppose their children's use of internet" or "relatively oppose", while as high as 78.4 percent say they are worried that surfing the internet could negatively affect their children's studies. Another 44.9 percent said they are worried about their children's exposure to pornography, Xinhua reported.
Russia urges partners to continue fuel aid to North Korea
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia has called on its partner countries to continue delivering fuel to North Korea as part of the six-party denuclearisation deal.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and chief negotiator to North Korea nuclear talks Alexei Borodavkin said Saturday that his country would continue to adher its committments to Pyongyang and expressed shock over the US statement that the six countires had agreed to stop fuel shipments to the communist country until progress was made to its denuclearisation talks.
18 rescued before ship sinks in China river
By IANS,
Beijing : Eighteen crew members of a ship were rescued shortly before their vessel sank in the Yangtze river in China, maritime authorities said Sunday.
Gates announces major shift in US defence priorities
By DPA,
Washington : US Defence Secretary Robert Gates Monday announced a major shift in the Pentagon's spending priorities, cutting some expensive Cold War-era weapons programmes and boosting spending that would aid the country's battle against terrorism.
Gates said the decisions drew heavily on lessons learned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and represented a shift away from conventional warfare, as well as futuristic military projects where the technology was not yet proven.
Brown prepares to take over as next British PM
By Prasun Sonwalkar
IANS London : Prime Minister Tony Blair Friday endorsed the candidature of Chancellor Gordon Brown as the next Labour leader, paving the way for him to take over as the next prime minister of Britain in June.
Russia’s ban on wheat exports an economic measure – minister
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia has imposed temporary restrictions on wheat exports to Belarus and Kazakhstan due to attempts to re-export its grain produce through these countries, the agriculture minister said on Tuesday.
In late January, the Russian government imposed a 40% export duty on grain exports to stabilize retail bread and flour prices. However, the duty did not apply to the member states of the Customs Union, prompting the Russian government to impose a direct ban on exports to the two ex-Soviet republics.
`Indo-US ties back on rails as Modi, Obama take ownership’
New Delhi : India's relationship with the US is back on the rails with US president Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking...
Republicans blamed for slashing US disease-prevention budget
Washington : The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, has blamed the Republicans, in a new electoral ad, for slashing the US Centres for...
US will remain on offence in Afghanistan: Obama
By DPA,
Washington : The US will stay "on the offensive" against terrorist strongholds in Afghanistan and elsewhere, President Barack Obama said Tuesday, offering a glimpse into the administration's review of its policy in the region.
During a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Obama said the US needed a "more comprehensive strategy, a more focused strategy, a more disciplined strategy" to combat terrorism over the coming years.
World On Track To Halve Global Poverty By 2015
By D.Arul Rajoo, Bernama,
Bangkok :The world is on track to halve the global poverty rate by 2015 and achieve the number one target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), largely due to progress made in East Asia, particularly China, according to the United Nations' latest MDG report.
Without China's contribution, the world would fail to meet the poverty reduction goal, says the MDG Report 2008, the most current global assessment on progress towards the eight MDGs on reducing poverty and deprivation.
Norwegian killer sentenced to 21 years in prison
By IANS,
Oslo : Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for killing 77 people in bomb and shooting attacks last year.
Sri Lanka says its forces follow zero-civilian casualty doctrine
By NNN-PTI,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government has sought to assure India that its on going offensives on the Tamil Tigers stronghold of Kilinochchi was being carried out by following zero-civilian casualty doctrine and all assistance was being provided to displaced Tamil civilians.
"We have put in a zero civilian doctrine in place in the areas bordering the government controlled and the LTTE held areas in the north," a foreign ministry spokesman said here Wednesday night.
‘Black gold’ may revolutionise farming, curb global warming
By IANS
Washington : Scientists have discovered an extraordinary source of some of the richest, most fertile soil in the world, often called 'black gold'. They simply have to mix charcoal in the soil.
And it can battle global warming as well by holding the carbon in the soil instead of letting it escape into the atmosphere, according to a new study.
The discovery goes back 1,500 years to the central Amazon basin where tribal people mixed their soil with charcoal derived from animal bone and tree bark.
Russia says rail troops to leave Abkhazia within 2 months
By RIA Novosti,
St. Petersburg : Russian railroad troops will leave Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia within two months, Russia's defense minister said on Saturday.
Around 300 Russian railroad troops arrived in the self-proclaimed republic on May 31 as part of a Moscow humanitarian assistance initiative for Abkhazia.
"There is no contingent in Abkhazia that would threaten Georgia, there are only construction workers who will leave Abkhazia once their work to restore the railroad has been completed," Anatoly Serdyukov said.
Prince William used RAF chopper to attend private party
By IANS,
London : Prince William has been rebuked for using a Royal Air Force (RAF) Chinook helicopter to attend a cousin's party that cost the ministry of defence a lot of money and loss of face.
Details of the personal flight when the prince was undergoing helicopter training at the RAF's Odibam base in Britain came to light after a request from the anti-monarchy group Republic under the Freedom of Information Act.
N.Korea denounces S. Korea-US military exercise
By KUNA
Tokyo : North Korea on Thursday blasted an upcoming military drill by South Korea and the US, claiming it is a step aimed at preparing for an invasion of the communist country, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported.
The Key Resolve drill, scheduled to be held March 2-7 in South Korea, will be the first joint exercise to test its war-waging capabilities under a scenario in which Souch Korea has retaken operational control of its troops from the US.
Powerful quake hits Costa Rica, two killed
By IANS,
San Jose : A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck north central Costa Rica Thursday, killing two girls and causing widespread damage, EFE news agency reported Friday.
According to authorities, two children were killed after a landslide following the quake buried thier house in the town of Fraijanes de Alajuela, about 50 km west of San Jose, in Alajuela province.
The epicentre of the quake was near Poas volcano, one of Costa Rica's main tourist attractions, in Alajuela province, about 60 km northwest of the capital San Jose.
“CHINAsia Update” monthly magazine launched in Nepal
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : First edition of a news monthly magazine was published in Nepal on Saturday.
The launch of the above-mentioned new magazine, CHINAsia Update, was formally announced on Saturday evening at the Department of Information in Nepali capital Kathmandu.
Editor Tara Nath Ghimire said that the magazine focuses on the world, more than that on Asia, and even more than that on China.
A launch ceremony was attended by Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara for Ministry of Information and Communication and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zheng Xianglin.
Barcelona gas blast injures at least 21
By SPA,
Madrid : At least 21 people were seriously injured after a powerful gas blast partially destroyed a block of flats in a Barcelona suburb on Wednesday, the town's mayor Joaquim Balsera told a Spanish radio station, Reuters reported.
Firemen were working to clear rubble from the front of the building in the Barcelona district of Gava in an effort to determine if more people were trapped under remains of the flats, Spanish media reported.
White House rejects rumours of bank nationalisation
By Xinhua,
Washington : The Obama administration said Friday it was not trying to take over Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp., the two ailing financial institutions.
"This administration continues to strongly believe that a privately held banking system is the correct way to go, ensuring that they are regulated sufficiently by this government," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
"That's been our belief for quite some time, and we continue to have that," he said, rejecting rumours of impending nationalisation of troubled banks.
UN unveils new website promoting peace through sport
By IRNA,
Tehran : The United Nations last weekend lifted the curtain on a new website showcasing the transformative power of sport in furthering peace and creating positive social change around the world.
The power of sport is increasingly being recognized as a low-cost and high-impact means to promote humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts, as well as to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the eight economic and social targets with a 2015 deadline, according to the world body.
Canadian woman acquires new accent after brain stroke
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : In a first case of its kind in Canada, a woman has acquired a new accent after suffering a brain stroke.
Fifty-year-old Rosemary Dore of Windsor, 370 km from Toronto, suffered a stroke in the left half of her brain about two years ago, damaging the areas related to production of speech.
After the stroke, according to the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, she started speaking with an east coast Canadian accent despite having never lived there.
96 die, 2,000 missing in China landslides
By IANS,
Beijing : Massive landslides triggered by rains hit northwest China's Gansu province, killing at least 96 people while 2,000 were missing, authorities said Sunday.
While 96 people were confirmed dead in Zhouqu county in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous prefecture, over 680 people were rescued after the Bailong river overflowed and a large body of water inundated Chengguan township.
"Torrential rains began at around 10 p.m. Saturday, then there were landslides," Xinhua quoted Diemujiangteng, head of the county, as saying.
Chinese stocks fall to 15-month low on unsettled market sentiment
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Chinese stocks continued thier downward spiral Friday with the main index falling to a 15-month low as investors were still nervous about the inflationary pressure and tightening policy.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers A and B shares, shed 3 percent to 2,868.8 points, declining for the eighth consecutive trading day. The key index has fallen nearly 53 percent from a record high in October.
Expedition 44 astronauts reach ISS for Mars research
Washington : Three Expedition 44 astronauts representing the US, Russia and Japan arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday to continue...
UN warns of looming food crisis in North Korea
By DPA,
Bangkok : The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) warned Wednesday of a looming food crisis in North Korea because of a poor harvest and escalating food prices.
"The food security situation in the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) is clearly bad and getting worse," said Tony Banbury, the agency's regional director for Asia.
The UN's Food and Agricultural Organization has forecast North Korea would suffer a food shortfall of 1.66 million metric tons this year because of last year's heavy floods, which destroyed much of the country's rice and corn harvests.
OPEC oil price rises above $65
By DPA,
Vienna : The price of oil produced by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) rose for the sixth straight day and passed the $65-mark Tuesday, the Vienna-based group said Wednesday.
The cartel's basket price reached $65.04 per barrel (159 litres) Tuesday, gaining $0.40 from the previous day.
Traders and analysts have attributed the upward trend to positive signals from the US housing market, along with better-than-expected quarterly results by US companies such as Apple and Caterpillar.
Opposition holds protests as Georgia celebrates Independence Day
By RIA Novosti,
Tbilisi : Tens of thousands of opposition supporters gathered in Tbilisi on Monday to protest against alleged ballot rigging at the recent parliamentary polls, as Georgia held a military parade to mark Independence Day.
President Mikhail Saakashvili's United National Movement won about 120 of 150 seats in parliament in the May 21 parliamentary election. The united opposition bloc received just 16 seats and threatened to boycott the future parliament.
Georgia's opposition has demanded the Georgian president acknowledge that the elections were rigged.
Solana to participate in EU-Central Asia ministerial meetings
By KUNA,
Brussels : EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, will travel later Wednesday to Paris to attend the EU-Central Asia Ministerial Troika meeting.
On Thursday, Solana will participate in the EU-Central Asia Forum that will bring together the Foreign Ministers of the EU Member States with the Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as well as representatives of a number of international organizations.
Italian army helicopter crashes in France, seven killed
By DPA,
Paris : At least seven people died Thursday when an Italian army helicopter crashed in eastern France, police in the city of Bar-le-Duc said.
The helicopter slammed into a field and burst into flames, a police spokesman said and added: "There were no survivors."
It was unclear if there were more people aboard the craft when it crashed.
The reason for the accident also remained undetermined, since weather conditions were not unusual, the police spokesman said.
27 killed in Sri Lanka suicide attack
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : A suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber Monday blew up at an opposition rally in Sri Lanka's northern Anuradhapura town, killing 27 people including former army chief Janaka Perera.
Nearly 90 others were injured in the dramatic attack at a meeting of the United National Party (UNP) when the bomber disguised as a party supporter exploded himself at 8.45 a.m. near the town's Old Bus Stand, over 200 km north of Colombo.
Brazil beat South Korea in Women’s World Cup
Montreal: The Brazilian football team beat South Korea 2-0 to renew two records of the Women's World Cup.
Formiga, 37, scored the opening goal in...
Military spending not dented by economic crisis, says institute
By DPA,
Stockholm : The global economic crisis had little impact on world military spending in 2009 where the United States remained the world's largest military spender, a Swedish-based peace research institute reported Wednesday.
Last year, global military expenditures totalled $1.5 trillion - or $224 per capita - up six percent in real terms on 2008 and a 49-percent increase since 2000, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said.
Singapore Airlines to screen Tamil blockbuster in air
By IANS
Chennai : For the first time in its history, Singapore Airlines has bought the airborne rights of an Indian movie for its in-flight entertainment. The Tamil blockbuster "Sivaji" will now be shown on its flights.
The airline has acquired exclusive rights for the Tamil blockbuster movie "Sivaji" for an undisclosed sum, Bharath Mahadevan, manager, southern India, Singapore Airlines, told reporters here Wednesday.
"We paid three times more than what we used to pay even for Hollywood titles," he said.
Kelly Osbourne awarded Style Icon award
By IANS,
London: Singer Kelly Osbourne has been awarded as the Style Icon award at the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of The Year Awards 2012.
Two terrorists killed in Pakistan
Islamabad: Two terrorists were killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Pakistan's Karachi city, a media report said on Wednesday.
The Rangers killed the...
Five dead in Guatemala landslide
By IANS/EFE,
Guatemala City : At least five people including three minors were killed in a landslide in Guatemala.
The accident occurred on the outskirts of the Guatemalan capital in an area of loose ground which shifted when the people walked over it, causing the landslide that trapped the victims, an official spokesman said Thursday.
Number of priests in Russian armed forces to triple
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The number of priests in Russia's armed forces will soon triple to more than 60, a top defence ministry official has said.
Can Greece make history again?
By Jaspal Singh
The Greek government has declared a referendum for people of Greece to vote on the concessions that the consortium of banks headed...
Britain’s intelligence service ‘knew’ of some terror suspects
By DPA
London : Some of the eight suspects arrested in connection with the terror plots in London and Glasgow were known to Britain's domestic intelligence service MI5 before the attacks took place, it emerged Wednesday.
Sri Lanka bus blast kills at least 26
By RIA Novosti,
New Delhi : At least 26 people have died following a parcel bomb explosion on a commuter bus during the Friday afternoon rush hour on the outskirts of Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, and dozens are injured.
Two of passengers died in hospital on Saturday morning from injuries sustained in the explosion, which has been blamed by the Sri Lankan government and military on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatist group.
China’s Hospitals To Be Designed To Resist Earthquakes
By Bernama,
Beijing : More than 100 hospital directors agreed at a national forum on Saturday, that key structures of hospital buildings should be designed to resist earthquakes measuring 9-10 degrees or above in terms of seismic intensity.
The participants also agreed that it is necessary to spend more money and use advanced technology to strengthen hospital buildings, Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.
This will be beneficial to the hospitals and their patients in the long run.
US military strikes Islamic State targets in Iraq
Washington: The US military Friday conducted two additional air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) targets in Iraq.
The new round of attacks followed the...
Planned job cuts threaten UK intelligence, union warns
London, Feb 15, IRNA ,Prospect union for professionals warned Friday that planned job cuts in Britain's Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS) will increase the chances of an intelligence failure and could hit policy making decisions.
A reduction of 121 posts, equivalent to more than 20 per cent of DIS "would seriously undermine the quality of assessed intelligence provided to both the MoD and to the UK's central intelligence apparatus," the union said.
Hague court opens trial against Liberia ex-ruler
By RIA Novosti
The Hague : The Special Court for Sierra Leone in the Hague opened Monday hearings in the trial against former Liberian President Charles Taylor accused of war crimes during the 1991-2002 military conflict in the region.
Taylor, 59, who fought as a warlord in the Liberian civil war in the early 1990s before becoming president, is facing 11 charges, including mass murder, rape, mutilation, and recruiting child soldiers
India, US to hold bilateral talks on climate change
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Bonn: Climate negotiators from the Obama administration will be in New Delhi to hold bilateral talks on what India is ready to do to tackle global warming, the leader of the US delegation to a UN conclave said here Friday.
Jonathan Pershing, who led the US delegation at these preparatory talks of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for the December summit in Copenhagen, said he had met the leader of the Indian delegation Shyam Saran on the sidelines of the talks here.
Expert picks out loopholes in US e-passports
By IANS,
Washington : Every new US passport issued since 2007 has been outfitted with a computer chip, embedded on its back cover. Till recently hackers were able to access it from afar, but now such e-passports can only be read when they are opened.
The "e-passport" contains biometric data, electronic fingerprints and pictures of the holder, and a wireless radio frequency identification (RFID) transmitter.
Latin artists record song to help Haiti earthquake victims
By IANS/EFE,
Miami : Andy Garcia, Chayanne and Ednita Nazario were among the many Latin artists who recorded a version in Spanish of the song "We Are the World", produced by Emilio Estefan to benefit Haiti's earthquake victims.
"I think it's the most important production I have done in my career, because it brings together an endless list of artists from very different fields," Estefan told EFE after Friday's recording session. "The message that we're sending the world will be spectacular because we have gathered together more than 100 singers."
Nepal government set to rock Maoist peace pact
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Three years after they signed a peace pact with the Maoist guerrillas to end a decade-long insurgency, Nepal's major parties are now seeking a one-sided change in the deal in a move certain to widen the growing rift between the two sides.
Obama Slightly Leading in Vote Intention
By Prensa Latina,
Washington : US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is now leading the vote intention for the November general elections, though his edge is just 2.5 percent, revealed a Real Clear Politics poll summary on Monday.
Real Clear Politics compiled polls made by firms Gallup and Rasmussen, TV networks CNN, FOX News and NBC News and USA Today and The Wall Street Journal dailies, among other entities.
UK may ban residents from buying properties in Israeli settlements
London, Nov 11, IRNA ,The British government is considering how it may be able to ban UK residents from buying houses in illegal Israeli settlements, Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell has disclosed.
"We are looking at whether there are effective ways in which we can actively discourage them from so doing," Rammell said in a written parliamentary reply published Tuesday.
"All settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law and settlement construction is a serious obstacle to peace," he said.
38 injured as 6.7-magnitude quake hits Indonesia
By IANS,
Jakarta : At least 38 people have been wounded and scores of houses, school buildings and a health clinic have collapsed after a quake of 6.7-magnitude on the Richter scale rocked the eastern parts of Indonesia Monday morning, officials said.
In Bima town of the Indonesian province of West Nusa Tenggara, the hardest-hit and the closest area to the epicentre of the quake, one health clinic, four school buildings and ten houses have collapsed, and over 50 houses got damaged, a Xinhua report quoted Disaster management agency Priyadi Kardono as saying.
Malaysian Indian Congress leadership on notice
By IANS,
Singapore : The leadership of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has been asked to take responsibility for the party's dismal performance in the country's general elections held May 5.
US religious body disappointed at denial of Indian visas
Washington : The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan body that monitors religious freedom abroad, has expressed disappointment at the denial...
France clamps down on illegal immigrants
By DPA
Paris : France lowered the number of illegal immigrants by six percent in 2007 through expulsions and increased tracing of illicit workers, Saturday's issue of Figaro Magazine reported.
"For the first time in a generation the number of illegal immigrants, usually estimated at between 200,000 and 400,000, has fallen," Minister for Immigration and National Identity Brice Hortefeux told the magazine.
President Nicolas Sarkozy has made immigration the focus of his interior policy for 2008.
India alarmed by rising mob attacks near Nepal border
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Concerned by the growing mob attacks in Nepal's Terai region near the Indian border, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has asked its security and other related departments to look into the incidents and take appropriate action.
Before he left for New Delhi Thursday for consultations about the new political developments in this country, India's ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood gave instructions to the departments concerned to look into the killings, the embassy said.
China, Vietnam resolve border dispute
By Xinhua,
Hanoi : China and Vietnam Wednesday announced that they completed the demarcation of their land boundary.
In a joint statement, officials from both the countries said that they resolved their long-standing border dispute during a latest round of talks here Dec 28-31.
The outcome was achieved due to concerted efforts of officials of the two countries in accordance with the 1999 China-Vietnam land boundary treaty, it said.
The China-Vietnam border demarcation holds a major historical significance in their relations, the statement added.
Shanghai faces kindergarten crunch
By IANS,
Beijing : As the number of migrant workers in Shanghai has risen over the years, the demand for kindergartens for their children has more than doubled, a media report said.
Protesters dispersed by police near presidential office in Seoul
By Xinhua,
Seoul : Just a day ahead of South Korea's formal resumption of U.S. beef imports, some 20,000 protesters scuffled with riot squads early Monday and hauled police vehicles away as they tried to clear the way to the presidential complex in Seoul.
The protest came to a violent end when the police mobilized over 7,000 officers to break up the crowd with clubs and riot shields only several hundred meters away from Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office. It was the latest street rally calling on the government to retract its decision to allow U.S. beef imports.
Police: People announced dead by Dalai clique are still alive
By Xinhua
Lhasa : At least five people on the death roll given by the Dalai Lama clique after riots in Lhasa and other ethnic Tibetan areas last month have been proven alive or non-existent, police said on Sunday after investigation.
The Dalai clique on March 25 released the "names and details of 40 identified people" who "died" in the riots. However, the Lhasa police bureau found five persons on the list with detailed residences were still alive or did not exist at all.
No one can say I am corrupt: FIFA chief Blatter
Zurich : Amidst allegations of corruption and money laundering against FIFA, its president Sepp Blatter on Wednesday challenged those who claim he is...
Palin defiant after probe jolts McCain campaign
By AFP,
Davenport, Iowa : Vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin denied wrongdoing Saturday after a probe found she had abused voters' trust as Alaska governor, in a new blow to John McCain's trailing White House campaign.
Republican McCain was embroiled in turmoil of his own meanwhile, after he was booed late Friday by supporters and appeared to undercut his own campaign strategy by calling time on personal attacks on Barack Obama.
Obama asks GM, Chrysler to shape up or ship out
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama Monday took control of the troubled US auto industry, giving General Motors 60 days and Chrysler 30 days to make a final push toward proving they can run viable businesses.
Announcing his rescue plans for the two ailing automakers, which have already been given $17.4 billion to keep them running, he said the government would try to help the companies, but prescribed tough conditions holding out the threat of a "structured bankruptcy".
Compromise with US on missile shield possible: Medvedev
By RIA Novosti,
Lima : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has expressed hope that the new US government under Barack Obama could abandon Washington's plans to build an anti-missile shield in Central Europe.
"There is a chance, because if the position of the current administration on this question seems extremely inflexible, the position of the president-elect (Obama) looks more cautious," Medvedev told reporters at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Peru.
Thai government extends state of emergency
By DPA,
Bangkok : The Thai government extended its state of emergency in Bangkok and 18 other provinces Tuesday for three months on the recommendation of military officials.
It decided to end the state of emergency in five provinces - Si Sa Ket, Nan, Kalasin, Nakhon Pathom and Nakhon Sawan - saying security conditions there had improved, while keeping it in Bangkok and much of the north and northeast.
Swine flu infections rise to over 3,000 worldwide, says WHO
By Prensa Latina,
Geneva : The number of swine flu infections worldwide has reached 3,440, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Saturday.
The swine flu infections in the US increased to 1,639 Friday, surpassing Mexico's total of 1,364 for the first time.
So far, 29 countries have confirmed cases of the deadly flu that left 48 people dead since the outbreak of the disease last month.
Mexico, the epicentre of the global outbreak of the flu, reported 45 deaths. The US reported two deaths, while Canada confirmed one death.
Swiss couple on 23-year round-the-world drive
By David Chang
Taipei, Dec 12 (DPA) In 1984, Swiss couple Emil and Liliana Schmid travelled to the US to get away from the monotony of office work. They got hooked to travelling and haven't stopped since.
Now, 23 years, 157 countries and 626,000 km later, Emil 65, and Liliana, 66, have turned their Toyota Land Cruiser into their home and want to spend the remainder of their life on the road, seeing nature, meeting interesting people and learning about different cultures.
Aid workers killed in Sri Lanka war zone
By DPA,
Colombo : A volunteer doctor and a Red Cross worker were killed Wednesday in fighting in northeastern Sri Lanka as civilian casualties mounted in the region where government troops are fighting to end a 25-year insurgency by Tamil rebels, medical sources in the area said.
The doctor and the Red Cross worker were killed in shelling in the Mullaitivu district but it was not clear who was responsible for the attack, the medical sources said.
Argentina’s Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected new Pope
By IANS,
Vatican City: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina has been elected the Catholic Church's 266th Pope. He is first Latin American to be pontiff, and will call himself Francis I.
Protest during Rajasekhara Reddy’s Chicago visit
By IANS
Chicago : Over 400 Indians, including Hindu groups, held a protest here during the visit of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy against what they claimed were his government's highly detrimental policies towards Hindu institutions in the state.
Sir Elton John opens shop to sell items for charity
By IANS,
London: Legendary British musician Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish have opened a temporary shop here that will sell items from their flamboyant collection for charity.
The shop in London's Covent Garden is being set up to sell clothes and accessories directly from their wardrobes, from Saturday for a week, reported mirror.co.uk.
"I think the idea that the items we all buy and enjoy can help someone in dire need, particularly at this time of year, really strikes a chord," said John.
5.7 quake hits Timor sea region
By IANS,
Hong Kong : An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 on the Richter scale hit Indonesia's Timor sea region at around 0202 GMT Sunday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The epicentre of the quake was about 274 km southwest of Indonesia's Tanimbar Islands, at a depth of 56 km.
Mogadishu clashes leave 51 dead
Mogadishu(DPA) : One of the goriest days of fighting on the streets of the Somali capital left at least 51 people dead Friday, residents and hospital sources said Friday.
Ethiopian troops backing the fledgling Somali government fought insurgents in an up-close battle that saw at least 10 soldiers killed, with one body dragged through the streets of violent Mogadishu surrounded by cheering crowds.
Residents said the incident sparked outrage among the Ethiopians, who fanned out across the city in search of militias and began shooting civilians indiscriminately.
China, US to inject funds to boost global trade
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China and the United States Friday concluded their Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), agreeing to make available $20 billion to help emerging economies boost their global commerce.
"The two export-import banks (in United States and China) will make available an additional $20 billion for trade finance, particularly for creditworthy importers in developing countries," US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told a press conference after the meeting.
Indefinite strike called in Terai after Nepal leader’s murder
By IANS
Kathmandu : The murder of a powerful local leader in southern Nepal, which triggered sectarian violence, arson and looting, kept Kapilavastu district still simmering with tension Monday as the victim's supporters called for an indefinite shutdown.
Shops, markets and educational institutions remained closed and roads were deserted a day after unidentified gunmen shot Abdul Moit Khan, the father-in-law of late controversial minister Mirza Dilshad Beg, who was alleged to be the front man in Nepal of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Eight die in Moscow building fire
By IANS,
Moscow: Eight people were killed when a building in Moscow caught fire Saturday, Xinhua reported.
According to police, the casualties were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
UN launches global appeal, casualty figures those circulated by the media
By KUNA,
Geneva : The United Nations System said Tuesday that a global appeal to deal with the Cyclone catastrophe in Myanmar is in the making, while the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said that it is launching its appeal this afternoon. UN representatives in the Tuesday UN briefing in Geneva could only confirm the casualty figures reported by the media, more than 15,000 people dead announced so far.
13 dead as Polish bus crashes on German motorway
By DPA,
Berlin/Warsaw : Thirteen Polish nationals were killed Sunday when a bus with holidaymakers on board crashed into a motorway bridge on the outskirts of the German capital Berlin.
Zimbabwean Govt Favors Dialogue
By Prensa Latina,
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt : Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is willing to meet with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, but he rejected any foreign interference, the president's spokesman, George Charamba, said here on Tuesday.
Charamba told reporters at the 11th African Union Summit, being held in this Egyptian coastal resort, that the Zimbabwean government is willing to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Envoy: Media can get people close to each other
By IRNA,
Tokyo : Iran's Ambassador to Japan Seyed Abbas Araqchi said media can have an effective role in getting nations close to each other.
Speaking to Japanese media people in a banquet called 'Iran's night' on Friday evening, on the occasion of thirty first anniversary of victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Araqchi said people and governments know each other through reporters' work and photographers' cameras.
"So, reporters and photographers' duties and work in all ages, past and future, are very sensitive," he added.
Growing Support for Cuban 5 in Spain
By Prensa Latina,
Madrid : The case of five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters unfairly imprisoned in United States since 1998 have sparked off new condemnation in Spain.
The Spanish-Cuban Peace and Friendship Association in the city of Aviles, Asturias, condemned the decision taken by the US Court of Appeals 11th Circuit in Atlanta, upholding their convictions.
Gerardo Hernandez, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Rene Gonzalez and Ramon Labanino are currently serving lengthy sentences for almost 10 years, for working against Miami-based anti-Cuban extreme right groups.
North Korea detains Russian ship
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : North Korea Sunday said the Russian ship it had seized violated the country's maritime border, the Russian embassy in Seoul said.
North Korean coast guards Saturday morning detained the Russian commercial vessel near a port, the embassy spokesman said.
The Lidiya Demesh was carrying a batch of cars from the Japanese port of Hamata to Vladivostok in Russia's Far East, when the North Korean border guard vessel stopped it near Cape Musudan, eight km from North Korea's shores.
‘Terrorism takes backseat to economy in US’
By Xinhua,
Los Angeles : Americans have shifted the focus of their attention from terrorism to economy seven years after the terror attack Sep 11, 2001, according to an expert.
While terrorism was identified by nearly half of the Americans after the Sep 11 attacks as the nation's leading problem, the issue has been gradually slipping ever since, resurging only slightly after each new attack overseas or a fresh terror alert at home before fading away again, says Larry Beutler, director of the National Center on Disaster Psychology and Terrorism in Palo Alto.
Russian opposition activist put under house arrest
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: A Moscow court has ruled to release opposition activist Konstantin Lebedev and place him under house arrest instead.
New drug takes eight years for approval in the US
By IANS,
Washington : New drugs being developed for complex diseases might still take eight long years to win US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, according to a study.
Although the average time for FDA approval for new drugs declined to 1.1 years in the 2005-07 period, yet combined clinical and approval time continues to hover around eight years, according to Tufts Centre for the Study of Drug Development (Tufts CSDD).
Birthday blues for dethroned Nepal king
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's dethroned king Gyanendra's 61st birthday falls Monday and this time it will be a sombre occasion - the first ever as a commoner outside the Narayanhity palace since he was stripped of his crown and compelled to leave the royal premises.
It will be exactly 39 days since the formal abolition of his 239-year-old crown by Nepal's newly elected lawmakers and 25 days since he left the palace where five kings of the Shah dynasty had lived to go into virtual exile on the outskirts of the capital.
Indian power firm to co-host summit in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Faced with an imminent energy crisis and stiff resistance to hydro-power projects, Nepal's independent power producers have tied up with bankers and PTC India Ltd to host a power summit here to break the ice and cut the red tape.
Co-hosted by Nepal Bankers' Association and Independent Power Producers' Association Nepal, the two-day Power Summit 2007 that kicks off Monday will see major players from India and government officials taking part.
Bush visits Ukraine to back NATO bid ahead of Romania summit
By RIA Novosti
Kiev : The United States president arrived in Ukraine during the night amid tight security, and will meet with national leaders on Tuesday to discuss the ex-Soviet state's drive for NATO membership.
George W. Bush landed at Boryspil airport near Kiev a few hours after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The visit is a stop-over before the April 2-4 NATO summit in Romania, which Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be attending, as a guest.
Gaga releasing charity stationery
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Pop star Lady Gaga is releasing a limited edition stationery line to raise money for her Born This Way Foundation.
China preparing to drain swelling quake lake
By Xinhua,
Mianyang : Rescuers are preparing to dynamite the barrier of a swelling quake lake, which has posed a new threat after a devastating 8.0-magnitude temblor ravaged southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Helicopters had airdropped professionals and materials for the operation by 7:49 a.m. Monday onto the dam of the barrier lake at Tangjiashan in Beichuan County, which was formed by landslides that blocked a local river known as Jianhe after the May 12 earthquake.
Residents threaten airport authorities to disrupt flights
By DPA
Bangkok : Authorities of Thailand's troubled new international airport are under threats from nearby residents to disrupt air traffic unless their demands for compensation are met, media reports said Saturday.
Residents bothered by noise in the Bangkok suburb of Bang Phli threatened to launch balloons into the air from Sep 9 unless the government agrees to buy their homes from them.
N.Korean diplomats abroad told to wait for ‘important news’
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Diplomats at all North Korean embassies have been told to wait for an important message from Pyongyang, a Japanese newspaper reported on Saturday.
Yomiuri Shimbun said the diplomats received the instruction several days ago. It quoted unnamed sources as saying they were told to cancel all business trips.
Analysts say the news could be connected with the deteriorating health of North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il, or with relations between the two Koreas.
Study suggests why Hillary should keep her cool
By IANS
New York : Whether you are running for the president's post or looking for a clerical job, you cannot afford to get angry if you are a woman, warns a set of studies.
People accept and even reward men who get angry, but view women who lose their temper as less competent, is a conclusion of one of the studies.
Observations suggest that women pay a clear price for showing anger and men don't.
Commandos rescue Sri Lankan minister held hostage in TV station
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : Armed Sri Lankan commandos Thursday rescued a minister held hostage for hours by furious employees of the state-owned television here after he allegedly assaulted a senior official of the station.
Labour Minister Mervyn Silva, who once hit the headlines for asking the Tamils to go back "to their homes in India", was confined to a room by thousands of employees after he allegedly assaulted the director of news for not featuring him in a telecast.
20 million Britons don’t speak to family members after quarrel
By IANS,
London: Nearly 20 million Britons are not speaking to members of their family after bitter arguments, a survey has showed.
EU rejects travel ban, world looks for flu measures
By IANS,
Brussels : European Union (EU) member states will share their stocks of anti-viral medicines if one of their number is hard hit by the new swine flu virus, EU health ministers decided Thursday.
But the ministers rejected a French proposal to ban all flights from the EU to Mexico, the source of the outbreak, saying that this would not be effective.
Breakthrough in Hollywood strike
By DPA
Los Angeles : Hollywood directors reached a new three-year pay deal with the main producer's organisation, upping pressure on the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) to end its 11-week strike that has disrupted film and TV production.
Both writers and directors have been demanding a greater share of income from new media, but the directors were not on strike.
Sri Lanka among top five emerging destinations
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka has been listed among the five new emerging travel destinations by the World Travel Market's industry report.
36 killed in clashes between LTTE, Sri Lanka Army
By IANS,
Colombo : At least 28 Tamil Tigers and eight soldiers were killed and over 60 injured in fierce clashes in Sri Lanka's northern Wanni region, the defence ministry said Monday.
At least 17 of the guerrillas were killed Sunday when the troops smashed their way into the bunkers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Weli Oya in a multi-pronged offensive, the ministry said.
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.
Russian President confirms withdrawal of his troops
By KUNA,
Paris : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced Wednesday that the withdrawal of the Russian forces from buffer zones in Georgia will be completed before midnight.
Justice denied over human rights violations in Kashmir: Amnesty
New Delhi: Justice is being denied in cases of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, Amnesty International India said on Wednesday.
Twenty five years...
New Zealand conference backs draft cluster bomb ban treaty
By SPA
Wellington : A conference in New Zealand agreed on Friday the outline of a global treaty to ban cluster bombs, which campaigners say have killed and maimed thousands of civilians, even though big powers are not ready to join, Reuters reported.
New Zealand's Disarmament Minister Phil Goff said 82 countries, around fourth-fifths of those attending, had immediately backed the Wellington Declaration, setting out the draft of a treaty ahead of final negotiations in Dublin in May.
S. Korea Kicks Off Military Drill In Aftermath Of Inter-Korean Summit
SEOUL, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- South Korea began Monday an annual military exercise which had been delayed due to the inter-Korean summit, South Korean Yonhap news agency quoted the Defence Ministry as saying here.
South Korea initially planned to hold the the Hwarang Exercise, aimed at fostering an integrated civil-government-military defense posture, in August together with the Ulchi Focus Lens (UFL), a South Korea-U.S. computerised command-and-control exercise.
But it postponed the training until after the summit to avoid distracting the leaders of the two Koreas.
Statue of Liberty evacuated after fire scare
By IANS,
New York : Visitors were evacuated from the Statue of Liberty here Wednesday after a fire scare.
Officials said an elevator motor inside the statue's pedestal overheated and started smoking about 1:30 p.m. local time, Xinhua reported.
There were no reports of injuries or damage to the statue.
Obama to host Palestinian president in March
By IANS,
Washington: US President Barack Obama will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House March 17, the White House said Thursday.
The president...
Timor Leste Coup Details Unravel
By Prensa Latina
Dili : A government commission and this country's armed forces probe Wednesday details of an attempt coup that almost killed President Jose Ramos Horta February 11.
According to Timor Leste Defense Forces' General Staff chief Gen.
Taur Matan Ruak, the investigating group is made up of three soldiers and two executive representatives.
The top military chief told press that conclusions of inquiries will be revealed in two weeks.
US issues travel alert ahead of 9/11 anniversary
By IANS,
Washington : The US has issued a worldwide travel alert for American nationals ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Laskhar as big a threat to US, Britain as Al Qaeda, CIA tells Obama
By IANS,
London : The CIA has told President Barack Obama that British-born Pakistani terrorists, who have extensive contacts with Lashkar-e-Taiba, are the biggest threat to the US, the Sunday Telegraph reported. American spy chiefs have told the president that the Central Intelligence Agency has launched a vast spying operation in Britain to prevent a repeat of the 9/11 attacks being launched from Britain, the paper said.
30,000 antiques to be salvaged from sunken Chinese ship
By IANS,
Beijing : More than 30,000 antiques will be salvaged from an ancient merchant vessel that sank 500 years ago off the coast of southeast China's Guangdong province.
In changing Cuba, the great longing to travel simmers
By Silvia Ayuso, DPA
Havana : Hopes have spread like wild fire in recent days for elimination of the "white card" - the exit permit required to leave Cuba and one of the main hurdles for Cubans longing for travel - amid a wave of reform under new Cuban President Raul Castro.
Computer specialist Javier, 26, cannot wait to get out of the communist island. "The main reason is the economy, and behind that economy there is the system that we have in our country," he said.
Soon there may be fewer barriers to stop him.
Modi asks Korean companies to deepen India ties
Seoul : With several hundred Korean companies already operating in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday invited South Korean companies and asked them...
Poland pledges more support for Afghanistan
By KUNA,
KABUL : Polish President Lech Kczynski has assured his country full support for international efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.
Marriage can kill the criminal in you
By IANS,
Sydney : Marriage can help reduce crime by enabling people to develop greater self-control.
Remove sanction, Iran tells West
By IANS,
Tehran: The veto-wielding powers of the UN Security Council should work for the removal of sanctions against Iran, an Iranian lawmaker said Monday.
Russia may let foreign airlines fly domestic routes
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The Russian government is considering giving foreign low-cost airlines access to domestic routes in order to develop internal competition and cut air ticket prices.
High-level meeting failed to reach agreement on formation of new gov’t
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : A high-level meeting among Nepal's three major political parties held at official residence of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala concluded without reaching a common agreement Sunday.
Three parties, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M), Nepali Congress (NC) and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), initiated the consultation at PM's residence from early Sunday morning to reach political consensus with only three days remaining to the historic first meeting of the Constituent Assembly.