International

By SPA Madrid : Tension has erupted between Spain and Brazil over Spanish border controllers barring entry to large numbers of Brazilians, DPA quoted Spanish media as reporting Wednesday. Spain turned back 452 Brazilians at Madrid airport in February, arguing that they did not meet the conditions for entry. Those barred entry reportedly included a sociologist going to a conference. Brazil has retaliated by turning back around a dozen Spanish businessmen and tourists this month.

By IANS, Washington: A college in the US state of Texas was evacuated Wednesday after receiving a bomb threat.

By DPA, Beijing : Vast "brown clouds" of pollution are making Asian cities, including New Delhi and Beijing, darker melting Himalayan glaciers and intensifying regional monsoons, a UN report said Thursday. India as a whole had become darker by about two percent per decade between 1960 and 2000, while China had lost its natural light by about three percent to four percent per decade from the 1950s to the 1990s. The natural light was between 10 percent and 25 percent dimmer in cities such as Karachi, Beijing, Shanghai and New Delhi, the report said.

Chennai: India's decision to abstain from voting on the US resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is condemnable...

By Xinhua, Singapore : The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the United States Navy (USN) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) began their annual readiness and training exercise here on Monday. The 11-day exercise, which will end on July 3, will focus on conventional maritime competencies in anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare, maritime air operations, and maritime security operations, said a statement from the Singapore's Defense Ministry.

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

By DPA, Oslo : Russia has decided to freeze and cancel all military cooperation with Norway and other NATO members, the online edition of Oslo daily Aftenposetn reported Wednesday. The newspaper, citing Norwegian foreign ministry sources, said Moscow was due to send a diplomatic note to that affect to Norway and other NATO members. The move comes the day after NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels and strongly criticised Russia's actions in the ongoing conflict in Georgia and breakaway region of South Ossetia.

By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS, Kathmandu : Born a nondescript Chhabilal Dahal to a struggling farmer in southern Nepal, the chief of Nepal's astounding Maoist guerrilla movement became a global phenomenon after he adopted the nom de guerre Prachanda, meaning awesome. After his People's Liberation Army fought a 10-year "People's War" successfully to wreak upheaval in the sleepy Hindu kingdom, he consented to be known by a civilian name as well, Pushpa Kamal.

By IRNA New York : A review of classified documents by former members of the September 11 commission shows that the panel made repeated and detailed requests to the Central Intelligence Agency in 2003 and 2004 for documents and other information about the interrogation of operatives of Al Qaeda, and were told by a top CIA official that the agency had "produced or made available for review" everything that had been requested.

By SPA Washington : The United States welcomed a power-sharing agreement signed by rival Kenyan leaders on Thursday that seeks to end post-election violence that killed 1,000 people, but said much depends on the deal’s implementation. “That’s an important and very positive step forward,” State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said of the deal signed by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

By IANS, Washington : Huge flying reptiles of ancient times weren't exactly predators grabbing fish from seas, but were really more suited to life on the ground. A particular kind of pterosaur, the azhdarchids, existing 230 to 65 million years ago with dinosaurs, stalked animals on foot rather than through the air, according to a new study. Azhdarchids were better adapted to walking than any of their first cousins because of their long limbs and skulls were suited for picking up small animals off the ground.

By EFE, Bunol, Spain : A human tide made up of more than 45,000 people from around the world inundated the streets of this eastern Spanish town with tomato sauce during the "Tomatina", a gigantic food fight with tomatoes in which more than 120 tonnes of the vegetable were used. Ninety minutes before the start of the tomato battle, the streets of Bunol, 40 km from Valencia, began to fill with people looking for a spot to either watch or participate in the melee shouting "Tomato! Tomato!" and awaiting the next annual round of the traditional celebration that is now in its 64th year.

By DPA,

By Xinhua, Washington : U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday criticized Congress for not acting on his proposals to deal with the rising cost of fuel and other necessities in a speech on U.S. economy. "I ask Congress to do its part by sending me sensible and effective bills that I can sign instead of just issuing or sending bills that simply look like political statements," Bush told a press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House.

By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS, Kathmandu : Nepal's deposed playboy crown prince Paras has opened a Pandora's box with his claim that his cousin Dipendra had been contemplating the assassination of the king and queen of Nepal for over a year. Now a former royal aide has rejected the allegations, saying that he was sacked for not circulating the same story.

By IANS, Seoul : At least 40 South Korean websites, including that of the presidential office, were hacked Friday morning, a media report said.

By IANS, London : A soldier who was killed in the First World War and placed in an unmarked grave has now been given a proper burial after his remains were identified with the help of DNA. Private Harry Dibben was shot in the chest while attacking a German trench at the battle of Fromelles in 1916. The Germans sent his identity tags to London, but the soldier's body wasn't recovered, Daily Express reported Thursday. There was only an inscription of his death on the grave of his parents in his village of Buckland Newton, Dorset.

By IANS/RIA Novosti,

By Prensa Latina Beijing : China's Three Throats Hydroelectric Plant, built at the world's largest dam, will reach full capacity this year and, among other positives, will rid the area of the deadly floods occurring every ten years. Manager Li Yongan says the giant project will generate 88.1 billion kW/h upon completion, which is slightly higher than the original design. Construction began in 1993 with a 22.5 billion dollar budget and involves a reservoir and 26 generators.

By IANS, Manila : A strong undersea tremor hit southern Philippines Thursday but no tsunami alert was issued, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The 6.4-magnitude quake, which occurred around 3:31 p.m. local time, had a depth of 618.8 km. The epicentre was estimated at 125 km southwest of Cotabato city, Xinhua reported. No casualties were reported.

Caracas : German Saltron, Venezuela's human rights representative to the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights (IACHR), has said that the accusations of human rights...

By Xinhua, BAGHDAD : French President Nicolas Sarkozy who paid a surprise visit to Iraq on Tuesday urged leaders of the European Union (EU) to boost ties with Iraq. "We want to encourage the European countries to come here," Sarkozy said at a joint news conference after meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani. "It is in Europe's interest to support peace in Iraq," Sarkozy said, adding that he wishes that many of the EU leaders would follow suit and visit Iraq.

By DPA Colombo : Seven Tamil rebels and at least two soldiers were killed in a series of clashes and bombings in northern Sri Lanka, military officials said Tuesday. One soldier was killed in a roadside claymore mine explosion in Puvarasankulam, Vavuniya, 240 km north of the capital, Tuesday and another soldier was killed when a booby trap went off in Jaffna, 390 km north of the capital, Monday. Tamil rebels said they attacked an army guard post, killing at least five soldiers in Vavuniya Tuesday, but the military has not confirmed the incident so far.

Kathmandu : India will give 50 tonnes of galvanised corrugated steel sheets (GC sheets) to earthquake-ravaged Nepal for rehabilitation and reconstruction in the...

Wellington: Serbia left it late to win their first FIFA Under-20 World Cup title, with Nemanja Maksimovic grabbing a dramatic extra time winner to...

By KUNA, Brussels : The European Commission (EC) announced here Thursday that it has approved rescue packages for Portugal and Sweden to stabilize financial markets. The EU's executive body said in a statement that it found the schemes were in line with EU state aid rule to overcome the financial crisis. In particular, the guarantee is limited in time and scope, is available on a non-discriminatory basis, and beneficiaries will pay a market oriented premium, it noted.

By IANS Madrid : The victims of the attacks in Madrid on March 11, 2004, are the main characters of "Donde Dios No Estuvo" (God Was Not There), the first novel about the train-bombings that left nearly 200 dead and some 1,800 injured, the Spanish news agency EFE said. Sonsoles Onega, who was in El Pozo station that day as a reporter for CNN+ television and who afterwards followed the investigations and the court trials step by step, has based a work that is part fact and part fiction on testimonies gathered over the past three years.

By IANS, Barcelona : Former International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch has died in a hospital here Wednesday. He was 89. Samaranch, who had suffered heart and breathing problems in recent months, was taken to the Quiron hospital after feeling unwell Sunday evening. Although he was able to walk into the hospital, his condition worsened considerably Tuesday, Xinhua reported.

By IANS, Kiev : Ukraine's western city of Lvov plans to host a beer festival during the UEFA Euro 2012, an organiser said.

By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS, Kathmandu : Even as Nepal's first Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" sparked a controversy by making China his first international destination, a fresh ripple is expected with Foreign Affairs Minister Upendra Yadav heading for India Thursday. Yadav, chief of the debutant Terai party Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, will go to New Delhi on a four-day visit. However, his trip is not at the invitation of the Indian government. Yadav will attend the gathering of peers from regional bloc BIMSTEC to be held in New Delhi.

By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,

Washington : The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had warned of a "cracking" problem on Boeing-777 airplanes, just days before the Malaysia Airlines flight...

By Xinhua, Changsha (China) : Twenty-six miners were killed when two lifts plunged into a tin ore mine in central China's Hunan province, rescuers said. Rescuers said Thursday that 19 miners were killed on the spot. There were 31 miners in the two lifts, which plunged because of brake failure at about 9.15 a.m. Five workers were injured in the accident, said the rescuers. The tin ore mine in Lengshuijiang city is operated by the Shanxing Antimony Industry Co. Ltd. The government has ordered an immediate workplace safety check throughout the province.

By DPA, Mexico City : The aftermath of the migrant massacre in northern Mexico continued to unfold Friday as two police officials went missing and the family of the sole survivor received police protection in Ecuador. A police officer and a special investigator working on the massacre of 72 migrants were missing, the Attorney General's Office of the state of Tamaulipas said. There were unconfirmed reports in the Mexican daily La Jornada that two decapitated bodies had been found that appeared to belong to the two men.

By RIA Novosti Bishkek : Participants of a Kyrgyz opposition congress in the Central Asian country's capital Bishkek said Saturday they would start protest rallies countrywide if the authorities fail to fulfill their demands. About 2,500 delegates from fifteen parties and 10 public organizations from all regions gathered in Bishkek's Sport Palace for the annual congress, called kurultai.

BY DPA, Washington: The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour bid farewell to their colleagues on the International Space Station Tuesday and were preparing to head back to Earth. The Endeavour brought an external platform to the station that was installed on the Japanese Kibo laboratory during the first of the mission's five spacewalks. The porch will expose experiments to the extremities of space.

By DPA, Washington : US president-elect Barack Obama Wednesday welcomed plans submitted this week by US carmakers to Congress seeking billions of dollars in government assistance to keep them afloat. Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC Tuesday asked for a total of $34 billion from the government to see them through the economic downturn as sales of vehicles fell to the lowest level in 25 years. The chief executives of the so- called Big Three are to testify before Congress later this week on the requests.

By IANS,

By IANS, Washington : The US will hold talks with North Korea in Geneva next week over its nuclear programme, Xinhua reported Wednesday.

By IANS,

By Xinhua, Beijing : Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, in a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin Tuesday, discussed China's earthquake relief process and the recent successful tour to China by new Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Putin reaffirmed his sincere sympathies and condolences to the victims and sufferers of the killer May 12 quake in China's northwest, pledging that Russia would do its utmost to help.

BY IANS, London: Seems like actress Jennifer Aniston is set to launch her own hair care line after becoming a celebrity spokeswoman and investor in a beauty brand.

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.

By IANS/EFE, Santiago : At least 230 people have been arrested during two different protests in Chile but no one was injured in the incidents, a top official has said. Ninety-seven people were arrested in Greater Santiago during the commemoration of "The Day of the Young Combatant," Deputy Interior Secretary Rodrigo Ubilla said Tuesday. Another 133 people were arrested for violating the curfew in the earthquake-stricken region of Bio Bio, but those arrests were unrelated to acts of violence, he said.

By Surender Bhutani, IANS, Krakow : Millions of Poles glued to television sets and thousand teary-eyed men and women gathered in this historic city Sunday gave an emotive farewell to Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria, who died in a horific aircrash in Russia eight days ago. Several world leaders joined Poland in a national mourning not witnessed in the country since 1935, with a Church leader upstaging politicians by calling for reconciliation with Russia.

By Xinhua Seoul : South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il signed a joint declaration in Pyongyang Thursday, an official statement issued in Seoul said. The Declaration for the Development of Inter-Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity was signed at the Paekhawon State Guesthouse, the statement said. The eight-point declaration calls for ending military hostility between the two sides and a three or four-party summit on a permanent peace treaty on the Korean peninsula.

By Uma Nair, IANS Hong Kong : Christie's forthcoming Asian contemporary art sale, which is to take place here Nov 25, will offer 327 spectacular and highly-coveted works by some of the most celebrated artists of the region, including notable Indian artists.

By NNN-KYODO, Tokyo : Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates held talks Wednesday with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, as Tokyo reviews the planned U.S. forces realignment and studies alternative support plans for Afghanistan in a manner that could cause friction with Washington. At the outset of the meeting, Hatoyama told Gates that his government places "great importance on and cherishes" the Japan-U.S. alliance and expects the two countries will further develop their security ties as uncertainties remain in the Northeast Asian region.

By DPA, Rio de Janeiro : Seven more bodies were recovered Tuesday from the sea from the Air France plane crash earlier this month, bringing the total of bodies recovered up to 50, a Navy spokesman said. Six bodies were recovered by a French ship off Brazil's northeastern coast and one by the Brazilian Navy.

By EFE, Sao Paulo : A single-engine plane crashed in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, killing two people, authorities said. The plane, which began its trip in Vutoporanga, went out of control and crashed Saturday near the city of Comendador Gomes, the fire department said. The two unidentified men in the small plane were killed when the aircraft hit some trees and crashed. Air force crash investigators are trying to determine what caused the small plane to go down.

By Xinhua, Mogadishu : At least 15 people were killed and more than 40 wounded Sunday after a roadside bomb exploded in the north of the Somali capital. "At least 10 women municipal street sweepers died instantly after the bomb exploded shortly before they were to start work," Mohamed Dahir, an eyewitness, told reporters. Five people succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, health officials at the capital's main Medina hospital said, adding that there was a big crowd of the injured at the hospital.

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.

By Bernama, Moscow : Russia's would-be Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who will definitely be approved for the post by the State Duma on Thursday, is likely to confirm the long-term strategic plans, which he outlined while being the president of the country, Russia's Itar-Tass news agency reported. "Now the task is to efficiently use the accumulated experience and resources for the next, new quality stage in the development of the country. It is necessary to look beyond the horizon: at least ten years ahead. The talk is about a long-term strategy up to 2020," Putin said in February.

By DPA, Rome : The destruction of the world's forests, mainly to make way for agricultural land, has decreased over the past decade, but continues at an "alarmingly" high rate in many countries, the UN reported Thursday. Globally, around 13 million hectares of forests were converted to other uses or lost through natural causes each year between 2000 and 2010, as compared to around 16 million hectares per year during the 1990s. The figures were contained in an assessment conducted by the Rome-based UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The study covers 233 countries.

By IANS, Washington : Kids are safe, secure and protected from injuries when grandparents are around, a boon for working parents, according to a new study. Compared to organised daycare or care by the mother or other relatives, having a grandmother watch a child was associated with a decreased risk of injury for the child. According to researchers, the odds of injury were significantly greater among children whose parents never married, compared with children whose mothers stayed married.

By RIA Novosti

Zavidovo (Russia) : Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Britain's demand to amend Russia's constitution for extradition of a suspect in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko shows Britain retains a colonialist mentality.

"What they are proposing is obviously a vestige of colonial thinking," Putin said at a meeting with youth organisations at the presidential residence in Zavidovo, in the Tver region.

By Xinhua Beijing : China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPG) and the provincial government of Hubei Tuesday signed an agreement here to build the country's seventh nuclear power plant in the central province. The two sides said the project would be located in Xianning City, 421 km south-east of Yichang City. The CGNPG declined to reveal the investment and scale of the project, as also when it would start the construction.

By DPA, Pattaya (Thailand) : There will be no reconciliation talks with fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra after a sharp escalation of anti-government protests in Bangkok and the nearby resort city of Pattaya aimed at disrupting a regional summit, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Friday. A group of pro-Thaksin demonstrators, known as Red Shirts, broke through police and military barricades Friday to rally at the site of the meeting of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) with its dialogue partners, which include India, China and Japan.

By IANS, London : In sharp contrast to his sombre demeanour over the past few weeks, Gordon Brown cracked jokes and looked relaxed when he made his first public appearance after resigning as prime minister of Britain. Brown, who was in his home constituency in Scotland Thursday afternoon, flashed a smile and hugged youths. He looked happy on being surrounded by students at the Adam Smith College. He emerged from 24 hours of exile at his home in North Queensferry to visit the college, where he is chancellor, Daily Mail reported Friday.

By RIA Novosti, Moscow : Russia may cut oil production by up to 300,000 barrels a day if it joins expected output reduction policy of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), the chief of the country's largest independent producer, LUKoil, said Monday. The Opec is set to hold an extraordinary meeting in Algeria Wednesday to decide on further reductions in oil production in the backdrop of falling oil prices. The cartel is expected to reduce production by some two million barrels a day.

By RIA Novosti, Moscow : Russia, Iran and Qatar, leading natural gas producers that are set to meet on Wednesday for cooperation talks, plan to set up a joint venture to produce, liquefy and sell gas, a Russian business daily said on Tuesday. Kommersant cited a Russian government official as saying the "gas troika" would build a pipeline to pump gas from Iran's South Pars deposit, the world's largest with reserves estimated at 14 trillion cubic meters, to an LNG plant in Qatar. Analysts expect the project to be worth at least $4 billion.

By DPA, Colombo : Sri Lanka's former army chief was charged Monday in a civilian court with conspiring against the state with the support of 10 military officers, a court official said. It is the first time charges have been filed in a civilian court against General Sarath Fonseka, who became an opposition presidential candidate after leading the military campaign that last year ended Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war against Tamil separatist rebels.

By DPA, Tokyo : Japanese stocks jumped in Friday morning trading as the yen dropped against major currencies after the Group of Seven industrial countries' currency intervention.

By Xinhua Washington : The US is nominating its former ambassador in Cyprus to be a top aide of Tony Blair, who serves as envoy to the Middle East for the diplomatic grouping known as the Quartet - the United Nations, the US, the European Union and Russia, the US State Department said.

By RIA Novosti, Moscow : Russia Monday ruled out terror link with Sunday's plane crash in the Russian city of Perm which killed all 88 on board and said the black box data will be decoded in three to four weeks. "According to the information of special services, no signs of a terrorist attack have been found," Russian transportation minister Igor Levitin Levitin, heading the commission investigating the accident, said.

By IANS, Colombo : With one month to go before the host city is selected, Sri Lanka Wednesday said it was confident of winning the bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

By Prensa Latina Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the high degree of confidence that characterizes the political dialogue with Cuba and the dynamics of the economic-commercial, cultural and humanitarian ties. A letter addressed to the President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of Cuba Raul Castro, on the eve of the celebration of the eighth session of Intergovernmental Commission in Havana, is disclosed by news official sources here.

Ankara: At least 13 policemen were killed on Tuesday after a police bus was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Turkey's Igdir...

By SPA Brussels : European Union leaders reaffirmed ambitious goals to combat climate change on Friday but stressed they must be affordable for governments and industry at a time of economic downturn and market turmoil. A draft final statement at a two-day summit, obtained by Reuters, called for cost-effective and flexible mechanisms to reach energy and climate policy objectives, adding the tell-tale phrase "so as to avoid excessive costs for member states".

By IANS, Beijing : China has passed a new law that would punish Chinese hackers who steal information from foreign computers, officials said.

Manila: At least three rebels were killed Tuesday when they stormed a police station in Philippines, an official said. "Rebels onboard a truck and a...

By RIA Novosti, Moscow : Russia has developed a new unified national defence programme against high-precision weapons, a first deputy prime minister has said. "This programme envisions the creation of a unified, combined-arms defence network to protect vital objects of military, political and economic infrastructure from strikes delivered with high-precision weapons," Sergei Ivanov told a meeting of the military-industrial commission Tuesday.

By IANS/EFE, Puebla (Mexico) : A journalist was murdered as he left a bank in Puebla, a city in central Mexico, officials said.

Kathmandu : The toll has reached 8,502 in the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25 followed by several powerful aftershocks, the authorities...

By D. Arul Rajoo, Bernama, Bangkok : The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)'s US$70-million (US$1 = RM3.2) operation to deliver food to the over 2.4 million victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar faces a 64 percent shortfall, its executive director Josette Sheeran said. Sheeran, who completed a visit to cyclone-hit areas over the weekend, said there was a need for robust support to WFP's growing relief operation, adding that the crucial logistics operation which supported the efforts of the entire humanitarian community, was falling short by US$32 million.

By IANS, Kabul:Afghan President Hamid Karzai has reiterated his call to the NATO-led coalition forces to stop night raid operations in the country.

Kiev : Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has warned of a significant increase in terrorist threats reaching beyond the conflict zone in the disputed...

LONDON, Feb 13 (APP)- The British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has described the independence of judiciary as the essence of democracy which begins with fair and free elections. He was delivery a speech on ‘Democratic Imperative’ under the auspices of Aung San Suu Kyi Lecture at St.Hugh’s College, Oxford University, on Tuesday evening. Speaking about the state of democracy around the world, he mentioned about Pakistan and said the path to democracy begins with free and fair elections but pointed that it needs deeper roots.

By DPA, Berlin : German airports and rail stations were under close guard Saturday after an Al Qaeda video threatened the country with a "rude awakening" just a week before a general election. The speaker in the internet video was a German Islamist, Bekkay Harrach, 32, wearing a jacket and tie. Using his codename Abu Talha and speaking German, he demanded Berlin withdraw troops from Afghanistan and warned Muslims in Germany to stay away from public places in the two weeks following the Sep 27 election.

KABUL (AFP) - Afghanistan warned Thursday of catastrophe if NATO abandoned its mission as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her British counterpart flew into the heart of the Taliban insurgency. Rice and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband made their surprise visit amid heated debate among NATO nations about the mission, with countries in the volatile south calling for more help and some threats to pull out.

By DPA, Brussels : A simmering row over the European Union's (EU) plans for fighting climate change seemed to have claimed its first victim Wednesday as the French government dropped plans to propose a common set of rules on how to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The EU has set itself the goal of cutting greenhouse-gas emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. However, member states are still arguing over how to achieve the target.

By IANS, London : The restoration of a 2,000-year-old bronze sculpture of Greek athlete Apoxyomenos may help scientists understand how to prevent metal corrosion and discover the safest ways to permanently store nuclear waste, says a new study. The conclusion is based on a new study on the so-called "bio-mineralization" of Apoxyomenos. Best known as "The Scraper," the statue depicts an athlete scraping sweat and dust from his body with a small curved instrument.

By IANS, New Delhi : Sri Lanka's beleaguered Tamil Tiger guerrillas Monday urged Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to facilitate a ceasefire in the island nation. The appeal was made in a telephonic conversation between Ravi Shankar and B. Nadesan, chief of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Nadesan said thousands of people "are suffering due to an acute shortage of food and medical facilities" in the narrow strip of land still held by the LTTE.

By IANS, Washington: Five people, including four kids, were killed in a house fire Wednesday in the US state of Oklahoma.

By DPA, London : Two children were killed and a baby left seriously injured in a stabbing incident in south London, the BBC reported Saturday. A 39-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were arrested at the scene and were being questioned by police. Neighbours said the two were the parents - Tamils from Sri Lanka who had moved into the house in the past year. A five-year-old boy and a girl aged four were found with stab wounds at a house in Carshalton Friday night. Despite rescue efforts they died of their injuries.

By IANS, Beijing : At least 26 miners have been killed in an explosion in a coal mine in China with rescuers battling to reach 11 others still trapped underground, Xinhua reported Sunday.

By DPA, San Francisco : California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appealed to lawmakers Tuesday to pass a raft of unprecedented budget cuts, saying the tough decisions were the only way to save the California dream. Schwarzenegger made his comments in a meeting of the California legislature convened to decide on his proposals to close the state's projected $24-billion shortfall.

Paris : French President Francois Hollande would be "ready" to seek a second five-year term in 2017 despite poor approval ratings and rising public...

By Arun Kumar, IANS, Washington : President Barack Obama can cook keema and dal and read Urdu with absolute ease but his batting in cricket is another story. The president learnt his culinary skills from the mothers of his Pakistani roommates in college, he revealed in an interview with Pakistan's Dawn group to be published Sunday. "I would love to visit" Pakistan, Obama said. "As you know, I had Pakistani roommates in college who were very close friends of mine. I went to visit them when I was still in college; was in Karachi and went to Hyderabad.

By P. Karunakharan, IANS, Colombo : Sri Lanka claimed Wednesday that at least 52 Tamil Tigers and 38 soldiers were killed and scores wounded in bloody battles between advancing troops and the rebels in the island's northern Jaffna peninsula. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that heavy fighting broke out when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) "launched a pre-dawn attack on the military's forward defences at Kilali and Muhamalai areas.

By IANS, Washington: Wikipedia, which describes itself as the largest encyclopaedia in human history, has blacked out its English-language site to protest proposed US anti-piracy laws.

By IANS, London: Actor Robbie Williams is scared about becoming a father. The 38-year-old's wife Ayda Field is due to give birth to their first child, a girl, next month.

By IANS, Washington : The US Defence Department confirmed that it has a team of military advisers training the Pakistani army in counter-insurgency operations but said the programme has been openly discussed for months, rejecting a newspaper report suggesting it was a "secret" project. "The training effort with the (Pakistan) Frontier Corps is not a secret," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman Monday, referring to a New York Times report. "We've talked about it on the record for several months," he told reporters.