Japan issues tsunami alert after 6.8-magnitude quake
By IANS,
Tokyo : Japan Friday issued a tsunami alert after a 6.8-magnitude undersea quake struck off the country's northeastern Honshu island, Xinhua reported.
‘Strong relations with India, China major Bush legacy’
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : "Very aware" of the rise of East Asia and the emergence of China, President George W. Bush had built "strong relations" with India, China and other major powers of the region, says a senior aide.
"When historians look back on the last eight years, one of the key changes in the world, transformations in the world, will be the rise of East Asia and the emergence of China," said Dennis Wilder National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs, Friday.
Argentine baby survives three days with bullet wound in chest
By IANS/EFE,
Buenos Aires : A seven-month-old baby in Argentina has survived alone for three days with a bullet wound in the chest, next to the bodies of its parents who allegedly committed suicide over fears of global warming, a media report said.
The incident took place in Goya city in northeastern Corrientes province, where Francisco Lotero, 56, and Miriam Coletti, 22, lived with their two small children, Clarin daily reported Saturday.
Negotiations with Israel out of question: Hamas
By DPA,
Gaza City : A spokesman for Hamas Saturday said negotiations with Israel is out of the question and that the Islamic movement will never recognize "the enemy."
Ismail Radwan also slammed negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in remarks made two days after Israeli premier Ehud Olmert said he was ready to compromise in making peace with the Palestinians and Syria.
The Islamic movement has been controlling the Gaza Strip since last June when it routed security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas.
Spaniards mourn death of Socialist killed by Basque separatist
By SPA
Madrid : Spaniards mourned the death of a small-town Socialist politician in a shooting blamed on the Basque separatist group ETA, transforming what was supposed to be a quiet day of reflection before Sunday's general election into a day of grief, AP reported.
Carrasco was shot three times in his car as he prepared to go to his job as a clerk in a highway toll booth. On Saturday, colleagues decorated it with a bouquet of flowers, candles and a black sash.
Singapore opposition members arrested trying to hold rally
By DPA
Singapore : Singapore's most vocal opposition leader and several others were arrested Saturday after protesting against soaring prices outside parliament in the city-state.
Sporting red T-shirts, the Singapore Democratic Party group led by Chee Soon Juan hoisted placards and shouted slogans. The shirts said "Tak Boleh Tahan", Malay for "Cannot Take It".
Witnesses said about six of the protesters were arrested by the police while trying to stage a rally outside a nearby mall where they noted the annual inflation rate hit a 25-year high of 6.6 percent in January.
France to raise retirement age to cut deficit
By DPA,
Paris : The French government has drawn up a pension reform plan that will raise the age of retirement from 60 to 62 by the year 2018.
In the plan made public Wednesday by Budget Minister Eric Woerth, the retirement age will rise by four months every year beginning July 1, 2011. At the same time, workers will have to retire at age 67 to benefit from full pension payments, instead of the current 65.
The proposal also extends the contribution periods to workers' pension funds and increases by 1 percent the tax on the incomes of France's highest earners.
83 killed in attack on Nigeria villages
Abuja: At least 83 bodies have been found after gunmen invaded three Nigerian villages which share border with Cameroon, a security source said Wednesday.
The...
Tamim Iqbal becomes Bangladesh’s highest run scorer in Tests
Fatullah (Bangladesh): Left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal became Bangladesh's highest Test run-scorer after scoring seven runs on the fourth morning against India here on Saturday.
Tamim,...
Heavy security as Zimbabwe opposition goes on strike
By DPA,
Harare/Johannesburg : Police fanned out across Zimbabwe's capital Harare Tuesday ahead of a general strike called by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to press for the release of last month's presidential election results.
But there were early indications that many in Harare had ignored the MDC's call as commuter buses were seen ferrying people to work and some markets had already opened.
US concerned over religious freedom in Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A US government commission on religious freedom has included Russia in a list of countries that require "close monitoring".
Small plane crashes in Jakarta, injures pilot
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : A small plane crashed near the Taman Mini resort park in Jakarta Saturday, but the pilot reportedly survived the accident with minor injuries.
"The (pilot) condition is not too bad. He has been sent to the hospital," Jakarta traffic police officer Kasno was quoted by leading news website Detikcom as saying.
The accident did not cause major damage to the site as it crashed into an open field near the resort park.
The plane is registered with the Indonesian Aero Sport Federation (FASI).
US covertly funds global Tibet movement: German daily
By IRNA,
Berlin : The United Sates is massively funding the International Tibet Support Network as part of its policy of containing China's global political influence, the Munich-based daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported in its Saturday edition.
The private American organization 'National Endowment for Democracy' (NED) which is being subsidized by the US government, paid 45,000 US dollars to the International Tibet Support Network for highly publicized protests ahead of this summer's Olympic Games in China.
North Koreans wanted only Bill Clinton
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : As President Barack Obama thanked former President Bill Clinton for "the extraordinary humanitarian effort" in securing the release of two US journalists from North Korea, the story behind Clinton's trip started unfolding.
Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee arrived back in the US Wednesday morning with Clinton, who flew to North Korea to negotiate their release after they were sentenced to a labour camp.
Tibet hit by rare bone disease, 1.70 lakh at risk
By IRNA,
New Delhi : A rare and incurable endemic bone disease is posing a grave health risk to residents in a remote Tibetan region, with about 170,000 people threatened by it.
Nepal leader to seek India’s advice as Maoists cripple government
By IANS,
Kathmandu : The chief of Nepal's ruling party is heading for New Delhi on a week-long visit Tuesday for consultations with Indian leaders after the republic's political parties failed to persuade the former Maoist guerrillas to call off their protests, which have crippled the government.
Lhasa violence part of Dalai clique’s plot: China
By Xinhua
Beijing : China said Tuesday there are proofs that the March 14 Lhasa violence was part of the "Tibetan people's uprising movement" staged by the Dalai Lama clique.
The "movement" aimed at creating a crisis in China by coordinated sabotage in Tibet, interior ministry spokesman Wu Heping told a press conference.
He said that police have captured the primary suspects who allegedly organized, planned and participated in the March 14 violence in Tibet's capital city.
"The suspects are closely connected with the Dalai clique," he said.
US calls on Russia for swift probe of activist murder
By DPA,
Washington: The US called on Russia Tuesday to rigorously investigate the murders of a human rights activist and her husband in Chechnya.
"It's important that the Russian government vigorously and immediately investigate these appalling crimes and bring those who are responsible to justice," US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.
The bodies of prominent activist Zarema Sadulayeva and her husband, Alik Djibralov, were found shot to death in the trunk of a car Tuesday, one day after they vanished.
Kazakhstan set for long-term cooperation deal with Russia
By RIA Novosti,
Astana : Kazakhstan hopes to sign a long-term cooperation and integration deal with Russia, and has proposed that the sides draw up a draft agreement, the Kazakh president has said.
Nursultan Nazarbayev, speaking at a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, Thursday said: "We have proposed to Russia the drafting of a long-term agreement on cooperation and integration between our countries."
Obama beats Clinton in Mississippi primary as expected
·Obama had been expected to win in the state, given the demographic factors favorable to him.
·Obama has been leading by between 6 and 24 percentage points in polls since last week.
·Obama has swept states with large African-American electorates so far.
By Xinhua
Washington : U.S. Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois beat Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York in Tuesday's Mississippi primary, which is racially polarized.
Thailand, US Develop Joint Exercises
By Prensa Latina
Bangkok : Thailand and the United States will develop joint military exercises from May 8 to 21, joining a seventh version of the maneuvers called Operation Cobra Gold, sources announced in this capital on Thursday.
The two sides will double the number of participating troops, compared to previous edition, announced James F. Entwistle, deputy chief of the US diplomatic Mission in this South Asian country.
About 5,000 Thailand soldiers and 6,000 from the Pentagon will attend this military exercise, focused on training for peace missions, said Entwistle.
Yahoo! Buzz offers buzz-worthy stories
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : Leading global internet brand Yahoo! Inc. has introduced Yahoo! Buzz, offering the most interesting and relevant content from websites across the worldwide web and bringing more buzz-worthy stories to the homepage of Yahoo!
Currently in beta, Yahoo! Buzz measures consumer votes and search patterns to identify interesting and timely stories and videos from large news sources as well as niche blogs around the web, the firm announced Wednesday.
Sri Lanka peace process R.I.P.
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "My Belly is White"; Author: Austin Fernando; Publisher: Vijitha Yapa Publications, Colombo
This is a revealing book on Sri Lanka's now dead peace process, written by one who was in the thick of it all. Austin Fernando was Defence Secretary when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the Norway-brokered ceasefire agreement (CFA) with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in February 2002. In no time, critics, dominantly from the Sinhalese majority, began to accuse the government of betrayal.
Michael Jackson gravely ill: Reports
By DPA,
New York : Michael Jackson, 50, is reportedly suffering from a potentially fatal lung disease, US media reports said.
The King of Pop suffers from Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a rare genetic illness, an unconfirmed report said, adding that he may have to undergo a lung transplant.
"He's had it for years, but it's gotten worse," Ian Halperin, author of a book on Jackson, told In Touch magazine. "He needs a lung transplant but may be too weak to go through with it... (But) it's the (gastrointestinal) bleeding that is the most problematic part. It could kill him."
Tiger Woods’ wife to take advice from Victoria Beckham
By IANS,
London: Tiger Woods' wife Elin Nordegren, who has been spotted without her wedding ring, is expected to pour her heart out to Victoria Beckham at a secret meeting, reports The Sun.
Friends have persuaded Elin, who is "filled with hatred" over her husband's cheating ways, to talk to the former Spice Girl in the hope of saving her marriage. Victoria's own marriage to football star David Beckham was rocked five years ago by claims he had an affair with aide Rebecca Loos, reports thesun.co.uk.
Better healthcare through your cell phone posssible
By IANS,
Washington : University of California researchers have developed a lens-free imaging technique small enough to fit in a mobile phone, which can be a boon in developing countries where healthcare is non existent.
The study outlines improvements in a technique known as LUCAS, or 'lensless ultra-wide-field cell monitoring array,' platform based on shadow imaging.
US official discusses northeast development
By IANS,
Colombo : A top US official has discussed with Sri Lankan business leaders ways to rebuild the war-hit northern and eastern parts of the country.
The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and the US embassy here co-hosted a roundtable discussion on reconstruction and rehabilitation in the northeast and new development opportunities there.
The event took place Wednesday, a US embassy statement said Friday.
Indian Cardinal Dias leads Vatican prayer for China
By DPA,
Rome : A top Vatican official, Indian-born Cardinal Ivan Dias, urged the faithful Saturday to forgive the "past suffering" of Catholics in China and to pray for the unity of the Chinese church.
Dias, who as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples is one of the Vatican's top Asian clerics, made the appeal during a service to celebrate Pope Benedict XVI's "Day of Prayer for China".
In his homily Dias also called on the faithful to pray for the victims of the recent devastating earthquakes in China.
Fidel Castro turns 81 away from public life
By DPA
Havana : Cuban President Fidel Castro turned 81 on Monday, more than a year after he "temporarily" transferred power to his brother Raul for health reasons.
Castro was last seen in public on July 26, 2006, and gave up power - for the first time since leading his revolution in 1959 - five days later in order to recover from an intestinal problem. He was initially to spend "weeks" away from the public eye, but his convalescence has stretched much longer.
Magician breaks world record for holding breath
By DPA,
Los Angeles : Magician David Blaine held his breath for 17 minutes and four seconds Wednesday to beat the previous world record of 16 minutes and 32 seconds, set in September by Switzerland's Peter Colat.
Blaine, 35, performed the feat on live television, submerged in a tank of water on the Oprah Winfrey Show after breathing pure oxygen for 23 minutes.
After surpassing the record he took several deep breaths of air before telling Winfrey that he felt great by achieving "a lifelong dream”.
Chinese president meets top Taiwan official at APEC summit
By DPA,
Singapore : The Chinese President Hu Jintao had a meeting with top Taiwan official Lien Chan on the sidelines of the annual summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) here, a Taiwan delegate said.
The meeting Saturday lasted "nearly one hour," a Taiwan delegate said, but did not give details.
Talks are believed to have focused on cross-Strait trade.
On Friday, Lien pushed for early negotiations with China on the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, saying Taiwan hoped to start formal talks about the deal this year.
48 journalists killed worldwide in 2016: Study
Washington : At least 48 journalists have been killed this year, with Syria for the fifth consecutive year topping the chart for the...
Singapore tattooist jailed for disfiguring woman
By DPA,
Singapore : A Singapore court sentenced a tattoo artist who helped a friend tattoo his wife's breasts, abdomen and forearms for suspected infidelity to two years and 10 months in jail, news reports said Thursday.
The sentence for the tattooist, 41, was two months shorter than the husband's jail term. Like the husband, who was sentenced in 2007, he will also be given six strokes of the cane, the Straits Times newspaper reported.
Nepal government fails to scrap king’s allowances
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Within hours of widely published media reports that the multi-party government of Nepal had abolished its beleaguered royal family's 'salary' for the first time in almost two and a half centuries, the Nepalese finance minister said that King Gyanendra would still get a healthy NRS 125 million ($1.94 million).
However, instead of salary, the government is calling it "administrative expenses".
Twitter sues US government over surveillance rights
Washington: Twitter has sued the US government for restricting the microblogging site from sharing online government surveillance reports with its users.
In its 19-page complaint...
Shocker to British cops: No climbing 3-ft ladder without training
By IANS,
London : What's the height of bureaucracy? The British version seems to be banning police officers from climbing a three-foot tall ladder without formal training.
Police officers of Lancashire county were shocked when the local health and safety officials told them they could not go up the small ladder to fix speed limit signs on road sides without training.
About 30 Somali refugees drown near Yemen
By DPA,
Geneva : Eight people drowned and 22 others were missing and presumed dead, after two boats heading from Somalia to Yemen encountered troubles at sea over the weekend, the UN said Tuesday.
One boat carrying 40 Somalis capsized and only 20 passengers made it to shore in Yemen, the UN quoted survivors as saying. In the second boat with 23 people, eight drowned and two went missing, presumed dead.
Slain Indian student’s body arrives from Australia
By IANS,
New Delhi: As the body of 21-year-old Nitin Garg, an Indian student stabbed to death in Melbourne, was flown here Saturday, the Indian government announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 250,000 for his family.
The body arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and was handed over to his relatives to be taken to Jagraon in Ludhiana in Punjab. The cremation will take place Sunday.
An officer of the external affairs ministry was present at the airport to receive the body and hand it over his relatives.
China police rescue 248 people from slavery in brick kilns
By Xinhua
Zhengzhou : Chinese police have rescued 248 people who had been forced to work as 'slaves' in brick kilns, while widespread crackdown is underway.
    Police in central Henan Province have rescued 217 people, including 29 children, and detained 120 suspects after a 4-day crackdown campaign involving more than 35,000 police to check 7,500 kilns in the province.
    In the area around Xinxiang, north of Zhengzhou, police raided 20 brick kilns on Saturday and rescued 23 people including 16 children.
UN humanitarian envoy urges world to aid Somalia
By DPA,
Nairobi : The UN special humanitarian envoy has called for the international community, in particular Muslim nations, to step up aid to war-torn Somalia, which is facing a growing humanitarian emergency.
"Today, as we are about to enter the Holy month of Ramadan, I urge the international community, and in particular the global Muslim community, to exercise their moral and religious duty in support of the Somali people," Abdul Aziz Arukkban said Thursday.
Benedict XVI: Disarm Nukes
By Prensa Latina
Rome : In his message for World Peace Day Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI called the international community to mutually agree to dismantle existing nuclear weapons.
In the text published by the Vatican, the pope stressed the threat that more countries want to acquire nuclear weapons, and that tensions among nations could increase.
Benedict XVI urged world nations to resume talks with more determination because the non-proliferation process is slowing down.
Commonwealth unable to address human rights issues: Ex-judge
By IANS,
Perth: The Commonwealth is facing several serious human rights issues and as an institution is unable to address it adequately, said a retired Australian judge.
3 wounded in bomb explosion in southern Philippines
By SPA
Manila, Philippines : An improvised bomb exploded Monday in the southern Philippine city of Cotabato, wounding at least three people including a two-year-old boy.
The bomb _ made from an 81 mm mortar with a cell phone triggering device hidden in a sack with sand and partly buried on the ground _ exploded on a sidewalk fronting a barber shop in downtown Cotabato, said police Senior Inspector Samson Obatay.
«We are not pointing to any group yet but this looks like a terrorist attack,» Obatay, head of the city's police mobile group, told The Associated Press.
New planet spotted after discovery of Neptune
By IANS,
Washington : In 2006, astronomer Alice Quillen predicted a planet of a specific size and orbit must lie within the dust of a nearby star.
That planet has now been photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope, making it only the second planet ever imaged after an accurate prediction. The only other planet seen after an accurate prediction was Neptune, more than 160 years ago.
"It's remarkable," said Eugene Chiang, associate professor of astronomy at the University of California Berkeley (UC-B), and part of the team that imaged the new planet.
Hasina seeks quick solution to Rohingya problem
Asansol (West Bengal) (IANS): A day after seeking the cooperation of the international community to ensure Myanmar took back the Rohingya refugees, Bangladesh Prime...
China quake deaths minimised by quick response: premier
By Xinhua,
Chengdu (China) : Premier Wen Jiabao Friday said China has reduced the toll from Monday's earthquake to the greatest extent possible with speedy relief efforts.
"It is still within the critical period for saving lives, and we won't give up if there is even the slightest hope of finding more survivors," he said in an interview with Chinese media on a train.
Saving lives remained the top priority almost four days after the quake, he said.
Drop charges against Bangladesh editors: Human Rights Watch
New York: Bangladeshi authorities should immediately withdraw all criminal charges filed against the editors of the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, the country’s leading...
Police sniper, five militants killed in Russia
Moscow: Five Islamist insurgents and a police sniper were Saturday killed in a shooting incident in southwest Russia's Dagestan region, the National Anti-Terrorist Committee said.
U.S. lawmakers pass bill allowing anti-trust suits against OPEC
By RIA Novosti,
Washington : The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday allowing the Justice Department to sue members of the OPEC cartel of oil-producing countries for price-fixing.
The United States, the world's largest oil consumer, has been infuriated by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' refusal to raise oil production as the world crude price soars to new highs, approaching $130 per barrel.
Dalai Lama stable, to be discharged soon
By IANS,
New Delhi/Dharamsala : Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who underwent gall bladder surgery at a hospital in the national capital Friday, was in a stable condition Saturday and is likely to be discharged in a couple of days, sources said.
“He (the Dalai Lama) is recuperating well and can be discharged by Tuesday,” Tenzin Taklha, a senior aide to the exiled leader, told IANS.
The 73-year-old Nobel laureate was admitted to Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Thursday for removing gallstones after he complained of abdominal pain.
20 killed in LTTE attack on key military base: Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : A pre-dawn assault by Tamil Tiger rebels at a military base in northern Sri Lanka left at least 20 dead and a rebel aircraft destroyed, the government said Tuesday, while a pro-LTTE website claimed two Indians had been wounded.
The Sri Lankan military claimed it had thwarted the assault by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the joint headquarters of Sri Lanka's military and air force in Vavuniya town, about 254 km north of here. At least 10 rebels and 10 soldiers were killed.
African Union leader warns of catastrophe if Copenhagen fails
By DPA,
Vienna: African Union leader Jean Ping warned Monday in Vienna that the population on his continent would disappear if there was no progress at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.
Africa would speak with one voice at the summit meeting that started Monday, as natural catastrophes like floods and droughts had become a reality in developing countries, the chairperson of the African Union's secretariat told reporters.
Former priest jailed for sexual abuse of boys
By IANS,
London : A former Roman Catholic priest was Friday jailed for 21 years by a British court for the sexual abuse of boys over a period of more than two decades, a media report said.
Russia to launch defence research agency
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russia's advanced military research agency may become operational as early as the end of 2012, according to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
US asks India to help Pakistan fight terror
By IANS,
Washington : The US government has urged India to support Pakistan in its war against Al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents along the Afghan border, a media report said Tuesday.
"I think it will be important for India to make clear that as Pakistan takes steps to deal with extremists on its own territory, India will be supportive," the Press TV quoted Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg as saying Monday.
Steinberg said that New Delhi has a "huge stake" in making sure both Pakistan and its neighbour Afghanistan is stable.
Probe underway into sudden deaths of 21 polo horses in US
By DPA,
Washington : An official investigation has opened into the mysterious deaths of at least 21 horses in the US, the US Polo Association said Monday.
The animals died just hours before a quarter-final match Sunday at the 105th US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida. The tournament concludes South Florida's winter polo season.
Two activists deported after protesting World Water Forum
By DPA,
Ankara : Two environmental activists were deported from Turkey Tuesday for protesting at the opening of the World Water Forum in Istanbul Monday, a spokesman for a group in which they are members said.
Ann-Kathrin Schneider of Germany and Payal Parekh of the US - both members of the non-governmental organization International Rivers' - were taken into custody Monday morning after unfurling a banner reading "No risky Dams" and shouting slogans just as the week-long water forum was about to start.
British newspaper calls for Gordon Brown’s resignation
By DPA,
London : Britain's Guardian newspaper, which has traditionally backed the Labour party, Wednesday called on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to step down because he had failed in government.
"The tragedy for Mr Brown and his party is that his chance to change it has gone... The truth is that there is no vision from him, no plan, no argument for the future and no support," said the paper in an editorial.
"He is not obviously able to lead... Labour has a year left before an election, its current leader would waste it. It is time to cut him loose."
The less you sit the longer you live
By IANS,
Washington: Restricting the time you are seated to less than three hours daily might boost your life expectancy by two years, says an analytical study.
Vietnam: Seven Journalists’ Press Cards Revoked
By Bernama,
Hanoi : Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communication has revoked seven journalists' press cards for their alleged violation of professional operations, including two for corruption.
A decision, which was signed by Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Do Quy Doan on Friday, said Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper's Deputy Editor-in-Chief Nguyen Quoc Phong and its Editorial General Manager Huynh Kim Sanh have seriously violated regulations on media operation and information.
DPRK vows to ensure world peace and stability as NAM member
By Xinhua,
Puongyang : The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will make positive efforts to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, in Asia and the rest of the world, the official Rodong Sinmun daily said on Monday.
The DPRK, which became a member of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) 33 years ago, will preserve the movement's basic idea, principle and purity, the Rodong Sinmun said in a signed article.
The DPRK will also develop the NAM and boost its function and role and advance the cause of global independence, the article added.
EU calls on Sri Lanka to protect Tamil war refugees
By DPA,
Luxembourg: Sri Lanka must grant proper treatment to people who fled the fighting between government and Tamil Tiger forces if it is to have any chance of a peaceful settlement, European Union foreign ministers said Tuesday.
"They won the war, now they must win the peace, and we stand ready to help them," Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said after talks with EU counterparts in Luxembourg.
Washington, New York snowed in, shutters government
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington/New York : Denizens of Washington Wednesday woke up to an eerie ghost town as the fourth powerful snow storm of the season buried the capital of the world's most powerful nation, already groaning under the weight of weekend's historic blizzard, under a thick white blanket.
As the new blizzard that began Tuesday afternoon picked up pace threatening to dump another 10 to 20 inches of snow over Washington, northern Virginia and eastern Maryland, the federal government remained shuttered for the third consecutive day.
China sets up background atmosphere station in Antarctica
By Xinhua
Zhongshan Station (Antarctica) : China has set up a background atmosphere observation site at Zhongshan station in Antarctica as part of its 24th scientific expedition to the region.
Researchers at Zhongshan station will be able to observe surface ozone and gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, as well as black carbon aerosol.
Taiwan vice premier quits party over diplomatic scandal
By DPA,
Taipei : Taiwan Vice Premier Chiou I-jen Monday quit the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) under mounting criticism over the island losing $30 million meant to win diplomatic recognition from Papua New Guinea (PNG).
"I feel deeply sorry to the country and people over the Taiwan-PNG scandal. In addition to cooperating with the judicial authorities in investigating the case, effective today, I withdraw from the DPP which I deeply love," he said in a statement.
Russia expects a million visitors during World Cup
By IANS,
Moscow: Russia will receive a million visitors during the 2018 World Cup, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
Nepal’s largest political party abandons support for monarchy
By DPA
Kathmandu : Nepal's embattled King Gyanendra lost his biggest hope for survival Wednesday after the country's oldest and largest political party formally dropped its support for the monarchy in favour of federal republic.
The move came a day after it united with its splinter group - Nepali Congress Democratic - in a move widely seen as an election strategy ahead on the polls in November.
"We cannot give any more room for the king as the country moves towards a new era," Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who is also the party's president told reporters.
Gaza death toll exceeds 1,000; Hamas sends threatening message
By Xinhua,
Gaza : The death toll in Gaza surpassed 1,000 mark Wednesday with more than 4,600 others injured since Israel launched air and ground offensive in the strip last month.
Gaza emergency chief Mo'aweya Hassanein told reporters that so far 1,010 Palestinians have been killed, and 4,600 wounded, adding that around half of them civilians.
Hassanein said 26 Palestinians were killed Wednesday in a series of air and ground strikes on buildings and houses all over the Gaza Strip, mainly on eastern Gaza City and northern Gaza Strip.
30 killed in Nigeria shooting
By IANS,
Abuja: At least 30 people were killed when gunmen opened fire in a cattle market in northeast Nigeria, Xinhua reported Thursday.
UN names panel to finance climate change technology
By DPA,
New York : A United Nations 19-member, high-level advisory group tasked with raising funds to help developing countries counter climate change with modern technology, was announced Thursday.
The climate change financing group is co-chaired by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who will work with Guyana President Bharrat Jagden and Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
NATO to move warships to ‘monitor’ central Mediterranean
By DPA,
Brussels : NATO is to move warships to the central Mediterranean to monitor the situation in Libya, but not to take military action there, the alliance's secretary general said Thursday.
Sustainable development tops UN chief’s priorities for 2010
By IRNA,
Tehran : UN Secretary-General Monday outlined seven priorities for 2010, beginning with the urgent need for a renewed focus on sustainable development, including advancing efforts to achieve the globally agreed targets aimed at ending poverty, disease and hunger.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – as the targets are known – are among the seven “strategic opportunities” to be realized not over decades but within the next twelve months, Ban Ki-moon told the 192-member General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York.
Drug money damages world economy by $2 trillion annually
By IANS,
Moscow: Annual financial damage to the world economy from drug money equals $2 trillion, Russia's Federal Drug Control Service head Viktor Ivanov said.
Death toll in Japan quake rises to nine, some 930 injured
By Xinhua
Tokyo : The death toll in a major earthquake that rocked Niigata prefecture of central western Japan and surrounding areas Monday rose to nine early Tuesday. Around 930 people were injured.
All nine victims were from the most heavily hit city of Kashiwazaki in Niigata. They were in their 70s or 80s. Most of them died after being buried under flattened houses, Kyodo News said, quoting government officials.
A man was still missing and over 12,000 people spent the night in shelters in Kashiwazaki and other cities in Niigata.
US deported 396,000 in 2011 fiscal year
By IANS/EFE,
Washington : The US government deported a record 396,000 people in the 2011 fiscal year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Tuesday.
War crimes suspect Hadzic extradited to The Hague
By IANS,
Moscow : Serbian war crimes suspect Goran Hadzic was extradited to The Hague Friday, where he will face a UN war crimes tribunal.
US spy plane entered Venezuela from Colombia: Chavez
By EFE,
Caracas : President Hugo Chavez has claimed that a US "aircraft without a crew", coming from Colombia, entered Venezuela's air space on espionage tasks and he ordered the security forces to "shoot them down".
"A few days ago, at midnight, one of their aircraft without a crew penetrated up to the Fuerte Mara (in the western border state of Zulia). The soldiers saw it, they called the officer of the guard. He came, but it left. The plane disappeared," said Chavez on his Sunday radio and television show "Alo Presidente".
US carrier arrives off Haiti’s coast
By DPA,
Washington: The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier arrived off Haiti's coast Friday to begin humanitarian assistance following the devastating earthquake as the international rescue effort intensified.
The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered ship carried 19 helicopters that had begun ferrying food, water and other supplies into and around the capital Port-au-Prince, where the vast majority of destruction took place.
HSBC to cut 330 jobs in Britain
By IANS,
London : Global banking giant HSBC will cut 330 jobs in Britain due to "the very challenging economic environment".
US stocks rally amid reports of economic recovery
By DPA,
New York : US stocks were up Tuesday after the government reported that the economy grew in the third quarter, although at a slower-than-expected rate.
The Commerce Department said the US economy grew at 2.2 percent in the third quarter of 2009. While the rise in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was weaker than earlier estimates, it was still the first positive growth period after the year-long recession that has plagued the world's largest economy.
Men urinate on 75-year-old woman in Britain
By IANS,
London : Two men urinated on a 75-year-old woman in Britain when she objected to their behaviour, which included relieving themselves in the stairwell and having sex in the public area of her apartment, a media report said Thursday.
Jean Gausden, a pensioner, had endured years of hell as the men had been boozing and having sex in communal areas of her block of flats and leaving it covered in urine, vomit and excrement, according to Daily Mirror.
China enacts first anti-drug law
By Xinhua
Beijing : Chinese lawmakers Saturday enacted the country's first anti-drug law in an effort to contain drug-related crimes and curb the growing number of addicts, mainly the young.
The number of drug users in China has grown by 35 percent in the past five years. The country has more than 700,000 drug addicts, of which 69 percent are under 35 years of age. In 2005 the country had 1.16 million drug users, according to a police estimate.
Education key to strengthen struggle: Tibetan PM
Dharamsala : Less than three percent of the educated Tibetans in exile can fulfil the aspirations of rest of the population in the country,...
Holocaust memorial group slams German railway company
By DPA
Berlin : Supporters of a steam-drawn Holocaust memorial train demonstrated Saturday in Berlin against what they alleged was hostility from Germany's principal railway company, Deutsche Bahn.
The evening rally by 600 people was attended by leaders of Germany's Left Party and figures from the Jewish and gypsy communities who have supported the scheme to tour Germany with the train, ending May 8 at the site of the Nazis' Auschwitz death camp.
Italian police seize 53 illegally-built villas
By IANS/AKI,
Salerno: Police in Italy have sealed off 53 villas near the southern coastal city of Salerno that were constructed without necessary permits.
Paris railway station evacuated over bomb alert
Paris: Gare de Lyon, one of Paris' main train stations, was evacuated on Friday following a bomb alert, according to local media.
Hundreds of passengers...
19 killed in aircraft crash in Poland
By Xinhua
Warsaw : Nineteen people on board a Polish military transport aircraft have been killed after it crashed near the Miroslawiec airport in northwest Poland, an airport spokesman said Thursday.
"Nobody survived the accident," Bogdan Ziolkowski told reporters.
The Spanish-built CASA C-295M transporter was approaching the West Pomeranian town of Miroslawiec when it went down in the woods close to a Polish air force base runway late Wednesday, before going up on fire, Polish news agency PAP reported, quoting local fire services.
10 hurt in LTTE air attack on key naval base in Trincomalee
By IANS,
Colombo : At least 10 Sri Lankan Navy sailors were wounded when Tamil Tiger rebels air-dropped two bombs on a key naval base in Sri Lanka's eastern port city of Trincomalee, defence authorities said Wednesday.
The attack, from a lightwing aircraft, took place late Tuesday.
Military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had used a lightwing aircraft to drop two bombs between 9 p.m. and 9.15 p.m. on the Trincomalee dockyard area.
Two killed, 100 injured in Greek quake
By DPA,
Athens : A major earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale struck south-western Greece Sunday, killing two people and injuring at least 100, officials said.
Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos said one man was discovered dead under a collapsed roof in the village of Kato Achaia, near the epicentre, while a 80-year-old woman died from her injuries in hospital after her home collapsed.
"We have two dead as a result of the earthquake," Pavlopoulos said. "There are many injured and emergency forces are at the scene."
Thousands throng India Day Parade in New York
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Thousands of people flocked to the annual India Day Parade held here that saw Bollywood beauty Priyanka Chopra as grand marshal and astronaut Sunita Williams as the guest of honour.
The event Sunday saw people fill up the sidewalks on the parade route along Madison Avenue from 41st Street to 24th Street in Manhattan. The atmosphere was charged with the hues and vibrancy of Indian culture, with many people waving the tricolour and quite a few dressed in the colours of the national flag.
Seven dead in US campus shooting, no Indian casualty
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Six students were killed and 16 injured when a gunman opened fire inside a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in suburban Chicago before shooting himself. There was no Indian casualty in the campus that has 862 international students, officials said.
Four women are among those who died in the Thursday afternoon shooting and the condition of two of the wounded was critical, NIU president John Peters said at a news conference Thursday evening. One of the critically injured has also died since.
Mexico shocked after 12 decapitated bodies found in Yucatan
By DPA,
Mexico City : The discovery of 12 decapitated bodies in the southeast Mexican state of Yucatan has shocked Mexico, Yucatan Governor Ivonne Ortega has said.
Over the last three months, officials had received threats that bodies would begin to appear in the state if security checkpoints were not removed, Ortega said Friday. She added, however, that she had no plans of giving in to the blackmail.
The checkpoints are part of a widespread effort to curb organised crime and were introduced by President Felipe Calderon in late 2006.
Quake in Indonesia raises tsunami fears
By SPA
Banda Aceh, Indonesia : A magnitude-6.3 earthquake off the coast of Indonesia on Sunday could trigger a tsunami on coasts near its epicenter, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
The earthquake happened about 12:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. Saturday ET) off the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Japan's Meteorological Agency may issue more information; the warning center was quoted as saying by CNN.
Judge falls to death in China
By IANS,
Beijing : A judge in a southern Chinese province fell to his death Saturday, officials said.
Latin America has world’s highest murder rate
By IANS/EFE,
Buenos Aires : Latin America has the highest murder rate in the world, a report from the Organisation of American States (OAS) has said.
The murder rate in Latin America is 25.6 per 100,000 people, the study conducted by the OAS Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said Thursday.
In comparison, the murder rate in Europe is 8.9 per 100,000 people, while that for the Western Pacific region is 3.4 and in Southeast Asia it is 5.8.
Haiti quake survivors prepare to spend third night in open
By DPA,
Port-au-Prince : As Haitians covered thousands of decomposing bodies in sheets, hundreds of survivors cocooned themselves in shroud-like cloths as they prepared to spend another cold night in the open.
Port-au-Prince is a ghost town at night, the devastation of the magnitude-7.0 earthquake deceptively masked in silhouettes and shadows of shattered buildings, piles of rubble, precariously hanging balconies and mangled cars.
Pentagon chief plans to reduce US army size
By IANS,
Washington: US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel Monday outlined his priorities for 2015 defence budget cut, including plans to reduce the size of the...
Sri Lanka: A vital lifeline for families torn apart
By IANS
Colombo : Shanthi Rajah left her home in the Tamil Tigers town of Kilinochchi to get medical treatment for her six-month-old baby, risking their lives while crossing battle zones to reach a hospital.
After several weeks of no communication, her anxious husband asked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to trace his wife and child, who had headed for Vavuniya, a town in the government's control, reports the UN-backed IRIN news agency.
Colombo : Shanthi Rajah left her home in the Tamil Tigers town of Kilinochchi to get medical treatment for her six-month-old baby, risking their lives while crossing battle zones to reach a hospital.
After several weeks of no communication, her anxious husband asked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to trace his wife and child, who had headed for Vavuniya, a town in the government's control, reports the UN-backed IRIN news agency.
Fiji says Australia, New Zealand interference prompted talks pullout
By Xinhua,
Wellington : Fiji's interim government said Monday that it has suspended talks with the Pacific Island Forum Joint Working Group on Fiji because of what it sees as a lack of support by Australia and New Zealand, Radio New Zealand International reported.
Australia and New Zealand interference continued to hamper efforts to move Fiji forward, it said.
Fiji Ministry of Information's acting deputy secretary, Major Neumi Leweni, said Fiji's interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama felt that the talks should be suspended because little progress is made.
28 rebels killed, LTTE vehicles recovered: Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : Advancing further into the last pockets of territory controlled by the Tamil Tigers, troops have fought fierce battles with the rebels, killing at least 28 guerrillas in the northeastern Mullaitivu district, Sri Lanka's defence ministry said Thursday.
It said the troops of the army's 58 Division operating in the north of the A-35 highway that links Paranthan to the jungle district of Mullaitivu have made "significant gains" on the battleground since last week.
Cuba accuses US diplomats of providing money to dissidents
By DPA,
Havana : Cuba has accused the top US diplomat in Havana of providing money from exiled groups in the US to dissidents on the communist island.
The Cuban government said Monday that Michael Parmly and other US diplomats acted as "vulgar couriers" by passing the money on to the dissidents in the form of letters.
Santiago Alvarez Fernandez-Magrina, an anti-Castro activist jailed in the US for illegal possession of firearms, provided the money that was sent through the US Interest Section in Havana (USINT), Cuban officials charged.
US envoy meets Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi
By DPA,
Yangon : US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell - the highest ranking American official to visit military-ruled Myanmar in 14 years - met Wednesday Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Campbell, accompanied by US Deputy Assistant Secretary Scot Marciel, met Thein Sein in the capital Naypyitaw Wednesday morning before flying to Yangon where he was allowed a rare interview with Nobel laureate Suu Kyi.
China must allow currency revaluation: EU official
By DPA,
Brussels : China must allow its currency to revalue in order to remove imbalances in world trade, the European Union's designated trade commissioner said Tuesday.
The EU has long called on China to allow the renminbi to appreciate, arguing that it is kept at artificially low levels to boost China's exports.
China "must show its responsibility by being able to address thorny questions (of trade), such as currency misalignment," Karel De Gucht told his confirmation hearing in the European Parliament.
200,000 now evacuated from flood-risk area in China
By SPA,
Mianyang, China : Chinese authorities had evacuated nearly 200,000 people by early Saturday and warned more than 1 million others to be ready to leave quickly as a lake formed by a devastating earthquake threatened to breach its dam.
Hundreds of Chinese troops were working around the clock to drain Sichuan province's Tangjiashan lake, which formed above Beichuan town in the Mianyang region when a hillside
plunged into a river valley during the May 12 quake that killed more than 68,000 people.
New Year fire kills 54 at Bangkok pub
By DPA,
Bangkok : A fire that broke out shortly after New Year's Thursday at a popular Bangkok pub killed at least 54 revellers and left 15 other hospitalised with serious injuries, police said.
Thonglor district police deputy chief Sutin Pongkhamphan said many of the victims died trying to get out of the main exit of the Santika Pub on Ekkamai Road.
The fire, the cause of which remains unknown, broke out at 12.20 a.m.
Police said they feared more casualties as they had not yet been able to check the bathrooms of the pub, which was totally destroyed by the blaze.
An open letter to Australian PM on ‘clean chit’ to his Indian counterpart in...
By Abdul Majid Zargar,
Excellency,
While on a two day state visit to India, you have stated that Narendra Modi, as Gujarat Chief Minister should not be blamed for the 2002 riots in the state as he was just a "presiding officer" who has been cleared in "endless inquiries". We understand your compulsions in promoting trade & commerce with India, particularly the sale of vast stocks of unsold uranium left with your country following US led sanctions on Russia but disprove your award of a clean chit to Mr. Modi based on vague understanding of facts without any hard evaluation of evidence, direct or circumstantial.
Observe Pakistan-India tensions, urges Pakistan diplomat
Islamabad: A top Pakistani official on Monday urged the international community to observe the dangerous escalation in tensions between Pakistan and India.
"Even if we...
World powers agree UN draft statement on North Korea
By RIA Novosti,
New York : The world powers have agreed on a UN Security Council draft statement condemning North Korea's rocket launch, diplomats said Sunday.
The five permanent members of the council and Japan agreed Saturday to the draft statement seen as a compromise between the supporters of tough measures against North Korea and restrained response to the communist regime's rocket launch.
According to the draft, the UN Security Council condemns the rocket launch by North Korea, which is in contravention of Security Council Resolution 1718.
Mongolian president lifts state of emergency in capital Ulan Bator
By Xinhua,
Ulan Bator : Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar declared late Saturday night that the four-day state of emergency in the country's capital of Ulan Bator was lifted as of midnight Saturday local time (1600 GMT).
Enkhbayar said the state of emergency soon calmed down the Tuesday's riots and kept the order of society. He hoped the parties of Mongolia to deal with the disputed issues of parliament election with rule of laws.
7.2-magnitude quake jolts Pacific islands
By IANS,
Beijing : An earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale Friday jolted the New Caledonia's Loyalty Islands in the South Pacific, reports Xinhua.
Denmark welcomes resumption of talks on Tibet
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Welcoming the resumption of talks between China and exiled Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama over the political status of Tibet, Denmark has said that the two nations should ensure that the Tibetans attain genuine self-rule within the framework of the Chinese constitution.
Envoys of the Dalai Lama, Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, reached Beijing Tuesday for a meeting with Chinese government officials, the first since a November 2008 round of talks ended in mutual recrimination.
World’s largest solar power plant launched in Spain
By RIA Novosti
Madrid : A Spanish company, Avanzalia Solar, has launched the world's largest solar power plant in Salamanca, the company said Wednesday.
The facility, called Planta Solar de Salamanca, consists of 70,000 modules on a site of 36 hectares. It produces 13.8 MW of energy, enough to meet the needs of 5,000 houses. The company plans to gradually increase the output to 25 MW.
Study sheds new light on dating violence
By IANS,
Washington : A new study sheds light on the lives of troubled teenagers, mostly from broken homes, who often witness violence at home, leading to them abusing their own girlfriends.
The study advocated taking a broader view of such behaviours within dating relationships to explore environments at school, home and community - that affect boys' lives and actions.
DPRK urges normalization of relations with Japan
By Xinhua,
Pyongyang : The normalization of ties between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Japan is in the interests of both countries and peoples, the official news agency KCNA said Monday.
The normalization of the DPRK-Japan relationship is part of the six-nation talks agreement, said the KCNA.
It blamed the Japanese rightists' attempts to blockade the establishment of the DPRK-Japan relations and warned Japan not to be a "trouble" as the six-party talks are making progress.
Sri Lanka to shut some embassies in Europe
By IANS,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan government has decided to shut down some of its embassies in Europe, the external affairs ministry said Tuesday.
Mexican kidnapper becomes first woman to be jailed for life
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : The leader of a gang that carried out kidnappings in Mexico's northern state of Chihuahua has become the first woman in the country to be sentenced to life in prison.
Russian-Chinese Su-33 fighter deal collapses
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia has refused to sell its Su-33 carrier-based fighters to China over fears that Beijing could produce cheaper export versions of the aircraft, a Russian daily said Tuesday.
The Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper said that since 2006 China and Russia had been in negotiations for the sale of 50 Su-33 Flanker-D fighters, to be used on future Chinese aircraft carriers. But the talks collapsed recently over China's request for an initial delivery of two aircraft for a "trial".
Over 444,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon: UN
By IANS,
Beirut: The number of Syrian refugees who fled the turmoil in their country to Lebanon have soared to over 444,000, the UN Higher Council for Refugees (UNHCR) has said.
Facebook connecting millions in Nepal
New Delhi : Over seven million people in Nepal used Facebook to reach out to over 150 million friends and family members across the...
UN Secty General: Act on Climate Change
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called on Wednesday to maintain the push given by the Conference of Bali to fight climate changes, and urged practical actions.
In his message to the Monaco conference of 100 nations seekingfinancing for technologies to fight climate change, Ban Ki Moon said ó We ó ve got22 months before the convention in Copenhagen,where we hope we get a new agreement in our struggle against climate change. ó
US-led forces start targeted killings of militants in Afghanistan
By IANS,
Washington: In a major shift that could change the nature of the war in Afghanistan, the US-led forces have started the targeted killings of insurgents from Al Qaeda and the Taliban, a media report said.
The Obama administration's new strategy of hunting down militants has turned out to work well, The New York Times said.
UN rejects punishment for homosexuality in 80 countries
By DPA,
New York : Some 80 countries still penalise homosexuals, including passing criminal laws that fuel discrimination against them, the joint UN programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) said.
On World AIDS Day, UNAIDS said that such laws have prevented effective national responses to help those living with HIV and are a violation of their human rights. World AIDS Day is held annually Dec 1.
Bush lifts ban on offshore oil drilling
By DPA,
Washington : US President George W. Bush Monday lifted a ban on offshore oil drilling in an effort to relax record high gasoline prices.
But exploration and drilling cannot proceed until Congress repeals legislation that prohibits offshore production because of the risk of oil spills and other environmental hazards. The Democratic majority has refused to end the moratorium.
"Democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal. And now Americans are paying at the pump," Bush said.
Yemen situation should not turn into Shia-Sunni conflict: Russia
Moscow : Moscow cannot allow the situation in Yemen to turn into an open conflict between the Arabs and Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey...
Why does the world weep for Michael Jackson?
By Rajendra K. Aneja, IANS,
My cook Kundan was heart-broken. "Michael Jackson is gone," he told me in anguish. Kundan hails from a remote village in India. He has never heard a Jackson song nor seen him perform. Yet he was shattered. I wondered why?
Then it dawned on me that Michael had over the last three decades become a part of our lives, through his music, songs, dance, episodes. We had assumed he is always there - like the clouds, stars, rivers, flowers. And then suddenly, he is gone. And suddenly now, we feel older, more vulnerable.
Russia brings in new law on foreign officials’ financial deals
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia is tightening its control over financial transactions by foreign officials as a new version of the law on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism comes into effect on January 15.
The law obliges Russian banks, pawn shops, insurers and other organizations to ascertain and record the origins and destinations of monies received and sent by foreign public officials. The same measures also apply to their relatives.
US Federal Reserve cuts discount rate
By DPA
Washington : The US central bank Sunday cut its lending rate to banks by a quarter of a percentage point and established a new lending facility to make short-term loans to banks, in a dramatic bid to boost liquidity in an economy hit hard by defaults on home mortgages and a tightening credit market.
The Federal Reserve approved the move unanimously in an emergency weekend meeting, immediately decreasing the so-called discount rate from 3.5 percent to 3.25 percent.
‘US focused on bringing India n-deal to fruition’
By Arun Kumar,
Washington : The United States has reiterated its priority right now is to bring into fruition the India-US nuclear deal and that's where its policy was focused presently.
"...With regard to civil nuclear cooperation, as I said a few days ago, the priority for the administration right now is to try to bring into fruition the 123 Agreement with India," US state department deputy spokesman, Robert Wood, told reporters Thursday.
"And that civil nuclear cooperation agreement, that's where our focus is right now," he added.
Small Vietnamese tanker spills oil, 14 crew missing
By APP
Hanoi : A small Vietnamese oil tanker capsized off the south-central coast, spilling fuel oil and
leaving 14 crew missing, provincial officials said on Thursday, according to Reuters.
The officials in Binh Thuan province said the tanker Duc Tri was carrying 1,700 tonnes of fuel oil, about 30 tonnes of which have leaked 50 km (32 miles) off the popular beach resort
of Mui Ne on March 2.
Two injured in blast outside Colombo
By IANS
Colombo : At least two people were injured in an explosion on a bus on the outskirts of the city Saturday morning.
The explosion occurred in Mount Lavinia, 8 km south of the Sri Lankan capital city of Colombo, the police said.
According to military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara, the explosion occurred in a bus at about 10.55 a.m.
About the casualties, the spokesman said: "We have no idea. Troops have gone there to investigate."
Nepal government begins talks with Terai group
By IANS
Kathmandu : The Nepal government Friday began formal talks with one of the most powerful groups in the Terai plains, reviving memories of the motions it had gone through with the Maoist guerrillas.
Thai army to return to barracks after elections
By DPA
Bangkok : Thailand's military will return to the barracks after the upcoming Dec 23 general election and not interfere in the next government, Junta Chief General Sonthi Boonyaratkaline vowed Friday in a speech marking the anniversary of last year's coup.
"Those of us who are scheduled to retire will take a rest and the military will return to its normal duties. We will be professional soldiers," Sonthi told a press conference marking the anniversary of the Sep 19 coup he led against former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Bush urged to protect religious rights of Sikh prisoners
By Lalit K. Jha,IANS,
New York : An American Vietnam War veteran, who converted to Sikhism 20 years ago, has asked President George W. Bush to intervene in protecting the religious rights of a Sikh prisoner in Florida whose hair were cut by prison authorities.
This is a violation of the First Amendment, Frank Paul Tarney has written in his Nov 12 letter to the president.
Tarney said Jagmohan Singh Ahuja's hair were forcibly cut by officials of the Duval County Jail in Jacksonville, Florida. Ahuja is serving a three year sentence for misdemeanour violations.