Indonesia threatens to ban BlackBerry over porn content
By IANS,
Jakarta : Indonesia has threatened to close BlackBerry service in the country if it refuses to block pornographic content.
Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said Tuesday that he had requested the Canada- based Research In Motion, the maker of BlackBerry, to block adult content for its service in the country, Xinhua said, citing local media reports.
"If they are still not responding to our request, we have to close it down," the minister said.
Malaysia to hold 50th independence celebrations at London’s Convent Garden
By Bernama
Kuala Lumpur : Covent Garden, the entertainment centre for opera, theatre and street performances in London, will be transformed with the sights, sounds and flavours of Malaysia from June 6 to 10 June.
The week will be the highlight of Visit Malaysia Year 2007 and Malaysia's 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations in the English capital.
Thai protestors prepare for siege of Parliament
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thousands of anti-government protestors gathered at Bangkok's "Royal Grounds" Sunday as others erected barricades outside parliament in preparation for a major demonstration this week aimed at toppling the new administration.
In a scene familiar to Bangkok residents, more than 100 members of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) set up barricades near Parliament House to protect themselves from 3,000 police who have been deployed to keep the peace in the area.
In Tamil Nadu politics, wheel has turned full circle over Sri Lanka
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
New Delhi : Tamil Nadu's political circus over the Sri Lankan conflict is a virtual copy of the 1980s but for a key difference: the Tamil Tigers were poised to grow then; now they face a deathly crisis.
Once anti-Tamil riots engulfed Colombo in July 1983, the same DMK and AIADMK - the latter ruled Tamil Nadu then - took on one another to show who supported Sri Lanka's Tamils more.
DMK chief M. Karunanidhi was the opposition leader at that time and M.G. Ramachandran or MGR was the AIADMK chief minister.
10 die in blast at Chinese plant
By IANS,
Beijing : Ten people were killed after a blast ripped through a steel plant in northeast China's Liaoning province, authorities said Tuesday.
End caste discrimination, says rights body
By IANS,
New York : Governments in countries with caste systems should respond to the call from a top UN official to end caste discrimination, Human Rights Watch, the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights as well as the International Dalit Solidarity Network have said.
The organisations urged governments in South Asia and other regions to cooperate with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who has issued a strong call to end caste discrimination.
Ecuador declares moratorium on foreign debt payment
By Prensa Latina,
Guayaquil (Ecuador) : Ecuador has declared a moratorium on payment of part of its $10 billion foreign debt citing contract irregularities.
President Rafael Correa said the government would not pay the $30 million as interest on 2012 global bonds, the payment deadline of which expires Monday.
"I gave the order to suspend payment of interests (on 2012 global bonds). So the country is in default of its external debt," Correa told reporters in the southwestern city.
Nine die in Mexico fireworks blast
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City: Nine people were killed Friday when a vehicle carrying fireworks exploded during a religious festival in the central Mexican state of Tlaxcala, authorities said.
Zambian president dies in Paris
By Xinhua,
Lusaka : Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has died in the Percy Military Hospital in Paris after being hospitalised there for more than a month, Vice President Rupiah Banda said Tuesday.
Banda said on television that Mwanawasa died at 10.30 a.m. (0830 GMT) Tuesday.
Banda appealed to his fellow citizens to remain calm and announced that Zambia would observe a seven-day mourning from Tuesday.
Mwanawasa, who was around 60 years of age, suffered a stroke on June 29 in Sharm-el-Sheik, Egypt, where he was to attend the African Union summit.
Ram temple in New York consecrates deities
By IANS,
New York : The only Ram temple in the Tri-State area, built at a cost of nearly $1.5 million, here consecrated a number of deities at a three-day ceremony that concluded Sunday.
At the only Hindu temple in Staten Island borough of New York, Hindu deities consecrated included Hanuman, Radha-Krishna, Shiva-Parvati, and goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. The Ram Parivar deities were installed last year.
Castro not to make public appearance anymore: Chavez
By IANS,
Caracas : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said that Cuban leader Fidel Castro would not appear at official public events in future because of his delicate health, EFE reported Monday.
"Regrettably, we know that that will not occur again... the former Fidel, who went through the streets and towns at daybreak... with his uniform and embracing the people. It won't happen. It will remain a memory," Chavez said during his Sunday radio and television programme “Alo Presidente”.
China to cut fuel prices
By IANS,
Beijing: China will cut the prices of gasoline and diesel from Friday.
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel to resign
Washington : US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel will step down from his post after coming under pressure from President Barack Obama, The New York...
LTTE supporters attack Indian Army convoy
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : An Indian Army convoy was attacked by Tamil Tiger supporters in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore city Saturday, a defence spokesman said here.
Supporters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) stopped five army trucks carrying ammunition and personnel who were returning from training in Secunderabad in Andhra Pradesh. They were on their way to Thiruvananthapuram.
Nobody was injured even as the angry protesters pelted stones causing minor damages to a couple of trucks.
Australia’s prison population at 10-year high
Canberra : Australia's prison population has jumped 10 percent over the last 12 months and reached a 10-year high, authorities said on Thursday.
According...
Dalai Lama “optimistic” about China talks
By DPA,
Sydney : Exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama said Thursday he was optimistic peace talks with China could resume next month.
"Basically, I'm optimistic," he said in Sydney at the start of a world tour that will take him to five countries.
The monk said Beijing's response to the earthquake in Sechuan province had been "wonderful" and predicted the Tibet leg of the Olympic torch relay would be free of trouble.
Vandana Shiva invited to lecture in Canada
By IANS,
Toronto : India's award-winning ecologist Vandana Shiva has been invited to speak on alternative forms of democracy at the world-famous University of Waterloo in Canada.
A recipient of the 1993 Right Livelihood Award - which is considered to be the alternative Nobel Prize - Shiva has been given the honour of speaking on 'Earth Democracy: Beyond Dead Democracy and Killing Economies' at this year's Hagey lecture series at the university next week.
Filipino police uncover plot to kill President Arroyo
By DPA
Manila : The Filipino police have reportedly uncovered a plot by Islamic militants to assassinate President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo amid renewed calls for her resignation, chief of Presidential Security Group said Thursday.
Brigadier General Romeo Prestoza said the plot was uncovered last week by the police.
According to intelligence reports, Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) operatives were behind the assassination plot.
Peru quake: UN agencies press with aid effort while identifying key needs
By NNN-UNNS
Lima : Clean water, basic sanitation, food, shelter and temporary jobs have become the priority needs in the wake of last week’s deadly earthquake in Peru, United Nations relief officials said Monday as they prepared to launch a flash appeal to help survivors while maintaining an emergency aid effort that has continued since the disaster hit.
Two rebels killed in Philippines
By IANS,
Manila: Two leftist rebels were killed by the security forces in the Philippines Friday, the military said.
Birds of a flock work together
By Ernest Gill, DPA,
Hamburg (Germany) : Hitchcock was right: birds do cooperate to solve tasks which no individual bird could master alone, says a team of German scientists.
Until now, such group problem-solving efforts have been thought to be restricted to humans and other primates, such as chimpanzees. But the team of scientists headed by Amanda Seed at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, discovered the same group techniques used among pairs of rooks.
Nabbed Nepali says he extorted ex-king’s daughter ‘with respect’
By IANS,
Kathmandu : A man, who was arrested by Nepal Police for trying to extract money from deposed king Gyanendra Shah's daughter Prerana Singh, is trying to mitigate his action saying he had treated the former princess with "respect" throughout the extortion attempt.
Rajesh Hamal created a sensation in the former Himalayan kingdom after police disclosed he had sent three text messages to the personal cellphone of the former princess, asking her to pay NRS 10 million or face the killing of her husband and son.
UN Kosovo mission to be reorganised soon
By RIA Novosti,
Belgrade : A decision on reorganising the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (Unmik) will be taken in the next few days, a UN spokesman said Thursday.
"We will give detailed information on the UN's future presence in Kosovo when we receive instructions on the reorganisation," said Alexander Ivanko, a spokesman for the Unmik mission in the Balkan region which declared unilateral independence from Serbia in February.
‘वंडर मदर ‘ बुशरा बानो का एक और कमाल, शादी के 13 साल बाद...
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भारत की सबसे प्रेरणादायक बेटियों में से एक बुशरा अरशद बानो ने एक और कमाल कर दिया है। सोमवार को सिविल सर्विस...
Number of ex-soldiers in UK jails on the rise; combat trauma blamed
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : At nearly a tenth of the British prison population, ex-soldiers form the largest occupational group in the country's penal system. Post-traumatic stress caused by military operations in recent years is said to be the main reason for around 8,500 ex-soldiers finding themselves behind bars for violent offences. The actual figure could be even more, experts believe.
British school furniture too small for modern children: study
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : British schools are being asked to change classroom furniture as children are taller and heavier than their counterparts in the 1960s, when the last table-desk change was affected.
A study by a policy commission on the future of education led by former cabinet minister Charles Clarke has said children who are squashed into small seats suffer not only backache but also loss of concentration because they are fidgeting constantly.
Help whites compete with foreign migrants for jobs: British watchdog
By IANS,
London : Britain's Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned that the country's immigrants may face the anger of the white working class currently disadvantaged in both education and employment when compared to foreign migrants.
EHRC chairman Trevor Phillips has said at a conference of the Confederation of British Industry that in some parts of the country, “the colour of disadvantage is not black or brown, it is white”.
North Korea fires three short-range missiles into East Sea
Seoul: North Korea fired three short-range missiles into the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
North Korea "fired three...
Putin, Medvedev disclose incomes for 2012
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev each earned almost 5.8 million rubles (about $187,000) in 2012, according to their tax reports.
Nepal Maoists fail to form govt within deadline
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Despite their stunning electoral victory four months ago, Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas failed to garner consensus of all major parties and announce a new government within the seven-day presidential deadline given to them, that expired Tuesday.
“We need some more time to finalise a common minimum programme as well as the council of ministers,” Maoist supremo Prachanda, who had staked claim to the prime minister's post after his party bagged the highest number of seats in the April election, told the media.
Panama Canal remembers “liberation” amidst great challenges
By DPA
Panama City/Washington : Only four days after the formal start of work to expand its world-famous canal, Panama will mark on Friday the 30th anniversary of the historic Torrijos-Carter Treaties.
The agreements that Panamanian strongman Omar Torrijos and then US president Jimmy Carter signed on Sep 7, 1977 launched a process, which concluded on Dec 31, 1999 with the US handing control of the canal to Panamanian authorities.
South American leaders launch new alliance Unasur
By DPA,
Brasilia : The representatives of 12 South American countries - including several heads of state - met Friday to launch the region's latest integration mechanism, the Union of South American Nations (Unasur).
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in Brasilia that a united South America could shift the global balance of power.
"South America, united, will move the board game of power in the world, not for its own benefit, but for everyone's," Lula said.
Modi gifts ‘Tree of Life’ painting to Hollande
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted French President Francois Hollande a painting titled 'Tree of Life', reflecting traditional societal respect for nature...
Venezuela doesn’t plan to halt sending oil to US: Chavez
By IANS
Caracas : President Hugo Chavez has said his country has no plans to halt oil exports to the US as long as the latter doesn't launch an attack on Venezuela.
"We have no plans to stop sending oil to the US, but exports to that country will be suspended if it attacks us and tries to harm us," Chavez said, referring to his dispute with US oil major ExxonMobil Corp during his weekend broadcast Alo Presidente, Spain's EFE news agency reported Monday.
$20-mn project to protect environment
By IANS
Washington : The World Bank and the Conservation International (CI) have signed an agreement to spend around $20 million to protect some of the world's most unique and threatened flora and fauna, including island ecosystems and temperate forests.
The fund will be provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which helps in funding projects and programmes in developing countries to protect global environment, BuaNews agency reported Monday.
No frenzy crowds to buy BlackBerry tablet on launch
By Gurmukh Singh,IANS,
Toronto : BlackBerry maker Research In Motion's PlayBook tablet, launched in Canada and the US Tuesday, received a lukewarm response.
Tibetologist: 14th Dalai Lama political figure bent on “Tibet independence”
By Xinhua,
New York : The 14th Dalai Lama, described as a "spiritual leader" by some Western media outlets, is actually a political figure who has never given up "Tibet independence," a Tibetologist said here Friday.
"Painting him as a 'spiritual leader' is totally misleading," said Renzhen Luose, an ethnic Tibetan native of Yajiang County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province who once served as director of the province's Institute of Tibetan Studies.
India-French bilateral trade set to increase: Envoy
By IANS,
Chennai: Bilateral trade between India and France is expected to rise with French firms starting to supply nuclear reactors and participating in Indian infrastructure and other projects, French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said.
"The land acquisition for the civil nuclear plant using French reactors has been completed in Jaitapur in Maharashtra. A lot of nuclear reactor components will be locally sourced," Bonnafont told reporters here on the sidelines of a seminar 'Investment opportunities in France' organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Predators too prefer food with nutritional value
By IANS,
Sydney: Predators can also be quite finicky about food, preferring that which offers high nutritional value rather than calorie content.
Over 100 countries hit by electronic spying operation
By DPA,
New York/Toronto : A spying operation that infiltrated computers - many of them belonging to governments - in 103 countries has been uncovered by a group of Canadian researchers, the New York Times reported Sunday.
Victims of the malicious software, or malware, include computers in the offices of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan exile centres around the world, NATO headquarters in Brussels, and the Indian embassy to the United States.
In all, 1,295 computers might have been accessed and had documents copied by the system, which the researchers dubbed GhostNet.
Extremely shy? You need therapy
By IANS,
Sydney : Extreme shyness can hold people back in social situations, prevent them from meeting other people or even going on a date. Such people need cognitive behaviour therapy, say researchers.
While just about all of us would admit to being shy from time to time in social situations, about one in 20 people suffer from an extreme form of shyness known as social phobia.
Current treatments including cognitive therapy and the common-sense system of teaching people practical skills to manage their fears, can achieve good results.
Rajapaksa to meet Sri Lankan Tamil parties
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will soon meet Tamil political leaders to discuss a "democracy road map" for the areas seized from the Tamil Tigers.
The president revealed this to Asian Tribune website, adding that the meeting may coincide with the virtual liquidation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the island's north.
On eve of Jamestown events, native Indian recognition closer
By DPA
Washington : The descendants of Native Americans who encountered the first permanent British settlement in the New World are one step closer to a long-sought goal.
Bush signs $50-billion AIDS package expansion
By IANS,
Washington : President George W. Bush Wednesday signed a nearly $50-billion US aid package to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in the developing world, more than tripling an initiative that was first championed by him at the start of his eight-year term in office.
The new funds, spread over five years, are intended to curb AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis epidemics that have struck the African continent and a number of other poor regions.
China Indignant, Opposed To U.S. House Resolution On Tibet: FM
By Bernama
Beijing : China expressed early Friday morning strong indignation and opposition over a resolution on Tibet adopted by the United States House of Representatives, Xinhua news agency reported.
The resolution proposed by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "flagrantly distorted the history and reality of Tibet", said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu in a statement.
Colombia announces major oil discovery
By IANS,
Bogota : In what could be its most important hydrocarbons find in 10 years, Colombia has announced the discovery of a huge oil reserve in the eastern plain region, EFE news agency reported Wednesday.
British firm Emerald discovered the the petroleum deposit in the eastern plains region which is home to a number of oil rigs and natural gas extraction plants, Energy Minister Hernan Martinez announced Tuesday.
He told Caracol Radio that the field located in Meta province, 200 km east of Bogota, could contain reserves of about 100 million barrels of heavy crude.
Beijing to reward terror whistleblowers
By IANS,
Beijing: People helping authorities in exposing terror plots in the Chinese capital city will be rewarded, police in Beijing have announced.
According to Beijing...
Cuban blogger protests travel ban
By EFE,
Havana : Internationally acclaimed blogger Yoani Sanchez has posted an entry protesting the Cuban government's decision to bar her from travelling to the US to receive an award.
"Bypass machines that go out, baby's cries that echo. Stamps that fall on pages to deny and to censor; kilobytes that carry my voice by Internet without my having to stir. Someone who watches me frowning as he speaks on control's walkie-talkie," says the post on Sanchez's Generacion Y blog Wednesday.
Bushfires in Australia: Two held for suspicious activity
By Xinhua,
Melbourne : Australian police have arrested two people for suspicious activity in the aftermath of the deadly bushfires, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported Thursday.
The police said detectives responded to a report of suspicious activity Thursday morning, but did not reveal details about the arrests.
The investigations were in their initial stages and the two people were assisting with their inquiries, the police said.
UN General Assembly Chairman to Tour LatAm
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : The chairman of the United Nations General Assembly, Srgjan Kerim, will kick off a Latin American tour on Wednesday that will include Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Peru, where he will promote prioritized issues on the agenda of the 62nd session.
At his meetings with authorities and UN representatives in each of the countries, Kerim will discuss such issues as global warming and the Millennium Development Goals.
He will also analyze the financing for development and UN reforms.
Better-looking politicians get more media coverage
By IANS,
Washington : The better a politician looks, the higher the frequency of his or her television news coverage. So says a study in Israel that also found that physical appearance has more influence on the amount of coverage for women than men.
"Earlier studies had shown that people generally tend to prefer the company of physically attractive people and even value them as more worthy people," said University of Haifa researchers in Israel.
"Our study reveals that journalists probably behave just like the rest," they noted.
23 killed in China thunderstorm
By IANS,
Beijing : At least 23 people were killed and 161 injured after strong gale and heavy rain swept China's Chongqing region Thursday morning, officials said.
The disastrous weather started at around 2.00 a.m. local time in Dianjiang and Liangping counties, toppling houses and damaging crops, Xinhua quoted government officials as saying.
Six people were killed and 34 injured in Liangping county while 17 people died and 127 were injured in Dianjiang county, they said.
The government has started relief work in the region.
US Fed sees recovery as interest rates kept at 0 percent
By DPA,
Washington : The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates at near 0 percent Wednesday and showed no signs of changing course as it said the US may be emerging from a 20-month recession.
The central bank in a statement said US economic activity was "levelling out" and the financial sector had "continued to improve" in the last few weeks. Household spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of economic output, was also "stabilizing."
Georgian president fears leaving country for EU summit
By RIA Novosti,
Berlin : Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili has said he will not attend a European Union (EU) summit to address his country's conflict with Russia, as he fears Moscow would not let him return.
"If I leave Georgia, the Russians will close our airspace and prevent me from returning home," Saakashvili said in an interview published in popular German newspaper Bild Wednesday.
‘Indian students seldom breach Australian visa rules’
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : Indian overseas students are the second largest cohort of international students in Australia and they seldom breach immigration rules.
Only 16 out of 63,500 Indian overseas students enrolled in Australian education institutions had in the past three years breached student visa rules and spent some time in a detention centre.
UN ends US diplomat’s appointment in Afghanistan
By DPA,
New York: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday terminated the appointment of a UN deputy representative in Afghanistan, who apparently left his job in disagreement with his superior.
Ban said he decided to recall Peter Galbraith, a US diplomat, and ended his posting as deputy to the UN chief of mission in Afghanistan, Kai Eide. News reports said Galbraith had disagreed with Eide over the recent elections in Afghanistan.
Middle East Quartet to meet in Cairo late June
By RIA Novosti
Malmo (Sweden) : Four international mediators in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians will gather for their next meeting in Cairo June 26-27, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.
Four killed in Argentina helicopter crash
By IANS
Buenos Aires : Four people were killed when a helicopter belonging to the Buenos Aires province police department, the largest law enforcement agency in Argentina, crashed in a rural area, the Spanish news agency EFE said
The accident occurred Monday night in Balcarce, a city about 460 km south of the capital while the police helicopter was searching for a lost girl.
The aircraft's occupants, three police officers and a civilian, were killed in the crash.
Round-the-world solar plane suspends flight
Geneva : The world's largest solar-powered aircraft, Solar Impulse 2, was forced to push back the second half of it's round-the-world flight to...
Modi to attend BRICS meet; India to take up UNSC reforms
New Delhi: In his first participation in a global meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the sixth summit of BRICS countries in Brazil...
Myanmar president meets leaders of 14 political parties
By IANS,
Yangon : Myanmar President U Thein Sein had a rare meeting Saturday with leaders of the country's 14 political parties in the capital Nay Pyi Taw, Xinhua reported.
Economic gloom lifting in Europe, surveys show
By DPA,
Berlin : The economic gloom which descended on Europe over the last 12 months is slowly continuing to lift, with key surveys released Friday showing industry confidence gaining ground this month.
The economics research group Markit said its composite purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the 16-member eurozone showed the currency bloc's economy edging its way towards expansion this month after posting its seventh consecutive rise.
Earthquake causes panic in Bogota
By DPA,
Bogota : A moderate earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale caused panic among thousands of residents in the Colombian capital, Bogota, Saturday.
There were no immediate reports of large-scale damages or injuries from the quake, with an epicentre some 55 km southeast of Bogota. Several buildings suffered cracks and telephone service was interrupted, Interior Minister Carlos Holguin said.
Israel and Palestine agree on Gaza reconstruction: UN official
United Nations: An agreement has been reached between Israel, Palestine and the United Nations (UN) under which nearly 25,000 homeowners in Gaza can access...
Pneumonic plague claims second victim in China
By Xinhua,
Xining (China) : A 37-year-old man died of pneumonic plague in northwest China's Qinghai province, raising the death toll from the infectious disease to two, authorities said late Sunday.
Danzin, a resident of Ziketan town in Xinghai county of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture died Sunday morning.
He is a neighbour of the 32-year-old herdsman who was the first person to die due to the disease outbreak that was first reported July 30. Ten other people are also sick in Ziketan.
Australian held for smuggling animal mummies in Egypt
By DPA,
Cairo : An Australian teacher who allegedly tried to leave Cairo with 2,000-year old animal mummies and statues was charged with smuggling antiquities Wednesday.
An official at the airport became suspicious at the small statues that were wrapped as gifts in the 61-year-old teacher's suitcase.
When unwrapped, it was found that the tourist had two mummies of a cat and an ibis, a long-beaked bird. He also had 19 statues of the ancient Egyptian gods Horus and Thoth.
Nuclear decommissioning costs in UK rise to Dlrs 145 bn
London, Jan 30, IRNA ,The estimated cost of decommissioning the UK's 19 ageing nuclear power plants had risen to Pnds 73 billion (Dlrs 145 bn), almost a third higher than five years ago, a parliamentary watchdog has warned.
The National Audit Office (NAO) said the cost has jumped from Pnds 61 bn in the last two years and could land British taxpayer with even higher bills in the future.
In a report into the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), set up by the government to take responsibility for cleaning up sites, the NAO was critical of the inconsistencies in official estimates.
LTTE aircraft destroyed during raid on Sri Lankan air base
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Two light-wing aircraft of the Tamil Tigers carried out a pre-dawn air raid Tuesday on the Sri Lankan Air Force base in the country's north, but the air force retaliated and destroyed one of the planes, a defence official said.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) tried to bomb the air force in Vavuniya, 254 km north of Colombo, but for once the Sri Lankan military appeared to be ready.
Americans threatened more by IS than Russia, Iran: Poll
Washington : Americans see the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group as a bigger threat to the US than Iran, Russia or other countries, according...
Putin calls for closer economic ties with China
By IANS,
Beijing : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Tuesday gave a call for closer economic ties with China, saying the two countries share a lot of common interests, Xinhua reported.
Mom gene linked to key parenting skills
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Washington: What does it take to be a great mom? Of course there's love, devotion, nurturing, and maybe the right gene.
Toll in Iranian boat tragedy rises to 17
By IANS,
Tehran: Seventeen people died after a boat sank off the Iranian coast, Fars news agency reported Sunday.
Nine cars pass European crash test with flying colours
By DPA,
Brussels: Ten new cars taken from all vehicle categories have been rated in the latest European NCAP crash test, with nine cars achieving all five possible stars, the organisation announced.
The top scorers with five star results are the BMW X1, Chevrolet Cruze, Citroen DS3, Infiniti FX, Mazda 3, Mercedes E-Class, Mercedes GLK, Opel Astra, Peugeot 5008 and the Volkswagen Scirocco.
Several killed in US church shooting
Washington: Several people have been killed in a shooting at a historic African-American church in US' South Carolina state, media reported on Thursday.
The shooting...
Serbian Security Council Discuss Belgrade Riots
By Prensa Latina
Belgrade : Serbia's Council for National Security is discussing the violent acts that took place in this capital last Thursday, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told reporters on Tuesday.
After a mass and peaceful demonstration to protest against the Albanians' unilateral declaration of independence in the Serbian province of Kosovo, violent elements clashed with the police and attacked several embassies from countries that recognized that unilateral decision.
Nepal royals trade blows as snake throne burns
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : While the sword hanging over Nepal's two-century snake throne lowers with a decisive election in April, the royal family has failed to show its best face to the nation and woo voters, says a report.
Although just a little over a month is left for the critical constituent assembly election in which people will for the first time choose between the king and a republic, King Gyanendra's kin is still preoccupied with feasting, drinking and squabbling, Nepali weekly Ghatana R Bichar reported Wednesday.
More than 3.78 mn Chinese people vaccinated against swine flu
By IANS,
Beijing : The Chinese health ministry said Sunday that more than 3.78 million people in the country have been vaccinated against swine flu as of Saturday with no reports of serious adverse reaction.
The vaccination campaign has been launched across the country except in Chongqing municipality and provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi and Sichuan, a Xinhua report quoted health ministry sources as saying.
Illiterate Spanish thief sentenced to school time
By DPA,
Madrid : A Spanish judge has ordered an illiterate young thief to learn to read and write as punishment for his crimes, Spanish media reported Friday.
The 17-year-old, who lived in a village in the southern province of Granada, was convicted of stealing a dog, but returned it on request.
It was discovered during the trial that he was illiterate, despite having attended school until age 11.
"These boys are cannon fodder, vulnerable" and exposed to bad influences, said judge Emilio Calatayud, who ordered the thief to take a six-month literacy course.
US stocks continue to drop
By DPA,
New York : Dropping oil prices and waning investor confidence over the government's plan to save Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage firms brought the US Standard & Poor's 500 Index to its lowest level since 2005 Tuesday, despite a pitch by US President Goerge W. Bush to calm market jitters.
The NASDAQ high tech index was up slightly, but the Dow Jones also declined.
Exxon Mobil Corp slid the most since March as crude fell more than $6 a barrel amidst growing concern a slower economy will reduce demand.
US classifies polar bear as threatened species
By DPA,
Washington : Under the pressure of a court-ordered deadline, the US Wednesday classified the polar bear as a threatened species because of global warming and rapidly melting Arctic ice.
In the surprise decision, US Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne said the decision was prompted by the prospect that the polar bear could become endangered within 45 years, a status that would mean it is facing extinction.
Alcohol ‘more harmful than heroin’, British study finds
London, Nov 1, IRNA – Alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack, according to a study co-authored by the UK’s former chief drugs adviser Professor David Nutt.
Myanmar cyclone death toll exceeds 22,500
By IRNA,
Kuala Lumpur : Myanmar's military rulers say Cyclone Nargis killed more than 22,500 people, with a further 41,000 still missing. More deaths were caused by a massive storm surge than by the cyclone itself, according to national media.
The figures confirm this weekend's catastrophe as the worst cyclone to hit Asia since 1991.
Taiwan, China to launch regular flights in mid-2009
By DPA,
Taipei : Taiwan and China will launch daily charter flights next month and introduce regular passenger and cargo flights in mid-2009, the Central News Agency (CNA) said Sunday.
According to CNA, Taiwanese and Chinese representative will meet in Shanghai in early December to sign an air control agreement for launching daily charter flights on Dec 15.
Half a year later, regular passenger and cargo flights will be launched across the Taiwan Strait under the air pact signed by Beijing and Taipei on Nov 4, CNA said.
Tiger cub found among toys in Bangkok airport
By IANS,
Bangkok : A two-month-old tiger cub was found sedated and hidden among stuffed toys inside a woman's luggage at the Bangkok airport, wildlife officials said.
Wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic said the Thai woman was trying to board a flight to Iran but had difficulty with a large bag at check-in. X-rays aroused suspicion among airport staff who said they saw an image resembling a real animal. Wildlife officers were called in, who discovered the tranquilised cub, the BBC reported Thursday.
Big gains for Canadian markets
By IANS,
Toronto : US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's assessment Tuesday that the recession may be over by the end of the year had a positive impact even on Canadian markets.
The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), which had sunk to a five-year low Monday, made a big recovery on the positive assessment from Washington, with the composite index jumping 211.66 points.
Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee in Washington, Bernanke had said that the US economic slide may stop after six months, paving the way for recovery later this year.
UN’s Nepal mission cannot be completed by Jan 23
By IANS,
United Nations : Despite considerable political progress being made, the task assigned to the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) cannot be completed before the end of its current mandate on Jan 23, UN envoy for Nepal Ian Martin has said.
The UNMIN needs another extension, though on a smaller scale, Martin told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York Monday.
Martin is here to brief the top UN officials about the current situation in the Himalayan country. Last week, briefed the powerful 15-member Security Council.
Asian cop’s long fight for justice ends happily
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : A celebrated Asian traffic cop's 14-year-long fight for justice had a happy ending after a court quashed his criminal conviction and a police chief offered to help him rejoin the force he once accused as racist.
Sultan Alam, who was arrested and thrown into jail in 1996 just before a hearing on charges of racial harassment brought by him against his Cleveland police force, broke down in tears when the Court of Appeal ruled Monday that he did not commit the theft for which he was jailed for nine months.
Russian Universities Fight Drugs
By Prensa Latina
Moscow : Russian Federal Anti-Drug Services said local universities are running compulsory anti-drug tests among the students.
Victor Jvorostian, head of the Anti-Drug Services, quoted by RIA Novosati, said the Duma (legislative lower house) proposal may be approved in the fall and said there is dangerous addiction in many professions.
The expert lauded some tests run at Moscow's Polytechnic University at admission and called the test a tool to help reduce drug abuse on campus, double last year from 2006.
Nuclear energy key to combat climate change: Ahmadinejad
By DPA,
Copenhagen: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Thursday accused the US of hindering his country's efforts to combat climate change by opposing its nuclear programme.
"American leaders and their friends emphasise continued increase of fossil fuel production, whilst they resort to various coercive methods to hinder development of new technologies intended to promote the use of renewable and clean energy," Ahmadinejad said at a UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.
Accept appeal against detention, Suu Kyi tells court
By DPA,
Yangon : Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's legal team Monday asked the Supreme Court to accept her appeal against an 18-month sentence of house detention that would make it impossible for the democracy icon to participate in next year's planned election.
"My client Daw (Madame) Aung San Suu Kyi is not guilty," Nyan Win, one of Suu Kyi's attorneys, said before he entered the court.
On Aug 11, a special court set up in Yangon's Insein Prison found Suu Kyi, 64, guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest and sentenced her to three years in prison with labour.
Five mn Russians fail to identify their ethnicity
By IANS,
Moscow: Around 5.6 million people in Russia failed to identify their ethnicity during the 2010 census, according to a latest report.
US envoy to Belarus leaves
By RIA Novosti
Minsk : The US Ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart left Minsk for Washington Wednesday, the embassy here said on its website.
Belarus last week advised the ambassador to leave the capital and recalled its ambassador from Washington for consultations over new US sanctions against its national petrochemical company, Belneftekhim.
Belarus reiterated Tuesday its demand for Stewart to leave.
"Ambassador Stewart's absence is temporary, and she remains the US ambassador to Belarus," the embassy said, adding that Washington's policy toward Minsk remained unchanged.
Storm sinks boats, causes damage in northern Spain
By SPA
San Sebastian, Spain : Stormy weather caused damage Tuesday in northern Spain, sinking about 50 boats in the port of San Sebastian and wreaking havoc in the city, DPA quoted officials as saying.
Waves 9.5 metres high hit the coast while wind blew at up to 100 kilometres per hour.
Floodwater smashed protective walls and damaged phone booths and some buildings at the seaside.
Russia to seek stake in Bulgarian nuclear power plant
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia will seek a stake in the Belene nuclear power plant being built by a Russian company in northern Bulgaria, Russia's nuclear chief said on Monday.
"If Bulgaria announces a tender for its stake in the Belene NPP, we'll participate in it," Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Russian state-run civilian nuclear power corporation Rosatom, said in an interview with the Bulgarian newspaper Standart.
Hu, Obama to meet during nuclear security summit
By IANS,
Beijing: Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama will discuss a wide range of issues during their meeting on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington next week, Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said Wednesday.
"The two leaders will have an in-depth exchange of views on a wide range of issues," Xinhua quoted Cui as saying.
Hu and Obama held talks over phone April 2 on issues of common concern and "reached a new consensus", Cui told reporters.
China was ready to strengthen cooperation with the US in various areas, he said.
Australia to boost diplomatic presence in China
By IANS,
Canberra : Australia will boost its diplomatic presence in China, a senior official said Thursday.
Abkhazia says Tbilisi reluctant to resume peace talks
By RIA Novosti,
Sukhumi : The president of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia accused Tbilisi during an annual parliamentary address Tuesday of trying to avoid resuming peace talks.
He said "Georgia is taking action depriving Abkhazia of a possibility to participate in the negotiating process, including attempts to maintain a regime of sanctions against the republic, obstructing any measures for Abkhazia's social-economic and humanitarian development and using special reconnaissance flights."
Nepal’s main opposition to boycott parliamentary meetings
Kathmandu : Amid deepening political crisis, Nepal's main opposition United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Wednesday announced it would boycott meetings of parliamentary committees to...
Incoming mayor, vice mayor shot dead in N Philippines
By Xinhua
Manila : The incoming mayor and vice mayor of Lupao town in Nueva Ecija province of northern Philippines were shot dead before midnight Friday, although they had won the local officials' election in May, a local radio reported on Saturday.
    Mayor-elect Alfredo Vendivil and his cousin, vice mayor-elect Virgilio Vendivil were shot dead in an ambush staged by five gunmen in San Jose City, dzRH radio reported.
NASA spacecraft to take images of Apollo landing sites
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Washington : A NASA spacecraft will move 30 km closer to the moon for a week to take clearer images of the Apollo lunar landing sites.
Private firms extend help to quake hit Nepal
New Delhi : Two days after Nepal was rocked by an earthquake that left over 3,700 persons dead and thousands injured, several private Indian...
Medvedev appoints aide in charge of Kremlin personnel department
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has appointed Oleg Markov to the post of presidential aide in charge of personnel issues, Kremlin press service said.
Markov, 54, the former head of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring), is the seventh presidential aide to be appointed by the president this week.
He replaces Viktor Ivanov, who was named head of the state drug control service Thursday.
Everest to be Edmund Hillary’s last resting place
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu: Mt Everest, the world's highest peak whose name came to be inextricably associated with its first conqueror, Sir Edmund Hillary, will be the last resting place of the New Zealander in a grateful tribute by Nepal, the tiny country he made famous worldwide.
A historic Everest expedition, led by another mountaineering legend Apa Sherpa, the man who has conquered the peak 19 times and is now eyeing his 20th ascent, will flag off from Kathmandu next week to place Hillary's ashes on the 8,848-metre summit.
Russia’s Pacific Fleet warships join anti-piracy mission
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A naval task force from Russia's Pacific Fleet led by the Admiral Vinogradov destroyer has joined a Russian frigate on an anti-piracy mission off Somalia, a source in the fleet's headquarters said Friday.
"A group of warships of the Pacific Fleet has entered the Arabian Sea to join the Baltic Fleet's escort ship Neustrashimy. They will be jointly accomplishing their mission according to plan," the source said.
Holmes hates singledom
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Actress Katie Holmes' father is on a mission to find a new man for his daughter, who hates being single.
At least one dead in shooting at Orlando high-rise in US
By DPA,
Washington : At least one person was killed and five others injured in a shooting Friday at a high-rise office building in Orlando, Florida in the US.
The suspect, Jason Rodriguez, opened fire in the morning at the offices of his former employer in downtown Orlando, police said. Rodriguez fled the scene and was apprehended later at his mother's residence.
Rainstorms leave 13 dead in China
By Xinhua
Chengdu (China) : At least 13 people were killed after continuous rainstorms ravaged Yibin city in southwest China's Sichuan province, officials said Sunday.
Torrential rains hit the city in southern Sichuan from Wednesday to Saturday. The region recorded a rainfall of 268 mm that triggered landslides and floods, the provincial disaster relief office said.
The 13 deaths included five who were killed after a landslide hit a residential community in Xinshi late Saturday.
E-mail etiquette: A matter of survival
By Jay Dougherty, DPA,
Washington : Business people send out some six trillion e-mail messages each year, according to US-based Ferris Research. That's probably not much of a surprise to most office workers today, who have seen e-mail usurp meetings and face-to-face conversations as a primary form of communication.
UN chief urges donor countries to honor pledge to double aid to Africa
By Xinhua,
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in remarks at the high-level meeting on Africa's development needs on Monday, urged donor countries to implement their 2005 pledge to double their aid to Africa.
"I appeal to all donors to implement the 2005 Gleneagles summit to more than double aid to Africa," Ban said, referring to the summit meeting held at the Scottish town of Gleneagles by the Group of Eight -- the United States, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia.
Sri Lanka warns diplomats, media, NGOs to act ‘responsibly’
By DPA,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa warned ambassadors, news agencies and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to act "with responsibility" as security forces were set to defeat the Tamil rebels.
In an interview with the Sunday Island newspaper, Rajapaksa warned that those acting irresponsibly will face "dire consequences" if they "attempt to give the LTTE terrorists a second breath of life".
US candidates spar in TV debate
By IRNA,
New York : From the economy to foreign affairs to the way they carried themselves on stage, John McCain and Barack Obama offered a dramatic contrast Friday night in their first presidential debate.
The two men met for 90 minutes against the backdrop of the worst US financial crisis since the Great Depression and intensive negotiations in Congress over a $700 billion bailout plan for Wall Street.
25 rebels killed in Sri Lanka clashes
By DPA
Colombo : Fighting between government troops and Tamil rebels continued Thursday in northern Sri Lanka, with at least 25 insurgents killed, military officials said.
Ten of the rebels were killed in two separate engagements in Mannar, some 320 km north of the capital Wednesday, when troops repulsed two rebel attacks in the area, while two government soldiers were wounded, officials said.
Eight more rebels were killed in Vavuniya, 240 km north of the capital, in two confrontations Wednesday. Two anti-tank mines were recovered in the area.
Maoists give up claim to Nepal president’s post
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Faced with steadfast opposition from the other major parties, Nepal's Maoists Thursday decided to abandon their claim to the post of president but said they remained firm on the other contentious demand for an amendment to the constitution.
The political deadlock that had gripped Nepal since the election two months ago eased slightly following the former rebels' announcement that they would not demand the two top posts in the government.
Russia’s foreign minister to attend EU-Russia meeting
By RIA Novosti,
Brussels : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend a meeting of the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council in Brussels on Monday, a ministry spokesman said.
Carl Bildt, the foreign minister of current EU president Sweden, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, and European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner will also attend the meeting.
Russia says nuclear sector open to foreign investment
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's nuclear industry is open to both domestic and foreign investors, a Russian deputy prime minister told an international nuclear forum on Wednesday.
"In addition to large-scale investment of state funds, we have grounds to count on substantial private investment. The Russian nuclear sector is now open to cooperation. Furthermore, not only with domestic businesses, but also with foreign investors," Sergei Ivanov told an international forum, ATOMCON-2008.
UN General Assembly President-elect to visit India
By Arul Louis
United Nations : Sustainable development will be high on the agenda when General Assembly President-elect Peter Thomson visits India next week...
Sarkozy’s office to take over control of French secret services
By DPA,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy plans to restructure the country's secret services and place them directly under presidential control, the Le Monde newspaper is expected to report in its Tuesday edition.
Diplomat Bernard Bajolet, 59, is tipped to take over the newly created post of secret service coordinator, the report seen Monday said.
Bajolet has worked as French ambassador to Iraq and Algeria.
The coordination of France's assorted secret services used to fall under the prime minister's office.
US automakers plead for bail-out with skeptical Congress
By DPA,
Washington : Chiefs of the three US automakers went before Congress Tuesday seeking an emergency injection of government money to stave off bankruptcies that could cost the US economy millions of jobs.
The so-called Big Three - General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler LLC - are asking for $25 billion from the $700-billion financial rescue package passed in October, arguing that the ongoing credit crisis has pushed their already struggling industry to the brink of collapse.
Obama delays vacation for healthcare reform
By IANS,
Washington : President Barack Obama will push back the start of his year-end vacation by a day and remain in Washington while the Senate completes work on healthcare legislation, his top domestic priority.
"I will not leave until my friends in the Senate have completed their work," the president told reporters Tuesday after a meeting with community bankers.
"My attitude is if they are making these sacrifices to provide health care to all Americans, the least I can do is be around and provide them any encouragement and last-minute help" they may need.
Unemployment rises in Spain
By IANS/EFE,
Madrid : The number of people in Spain without jobs grew by 38,769 last month to more than 4.75 million, the Employment and Social Security Ministry said Tuesday.
Four Indians among ‘America’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs’
By Arun KumarIANS,
Washington : Four Indian Americans figure in Inc. magazine’s list of "30 Under 30: America's Coolest Young Entrepreneurs" who are "building unique brands, making money along the way and changing the way we do business".
Some, like Naveen Sevadurai, 28, who co-founded Foursquare, run one of the hottest tech startups in the world, while others run companies just now getting noticed, says the monthly US business magazine.
11 Venezuelan soldiers killed in accident
By IANS,
Caracas : At least 11 soldiers were killed and 21 injured in a road accident in Venezuela's Montes municipality, Spain's EFE news agency reported.
"The dead included eight students from the army training school for non-commissioned officers," army commander Gen. Carlos Mata Figueroa said Tuesday. One of the injured soldiers was in serious condition.
Former Soviet, U.S., German leaders mark fall of Berlin Wall
By RIA Novosti,
Berlin : German President Horst Koehler thanked on Saturday the former Soviet, U.S. and West German leaders - Mikhail Gorbachev, George Bush Sr. and Helmut Kohl - for their efforts in Germany's reunification.
The ex-leaders, as well as Koehler, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other officials, guests and journalists gathered in a concert hall in the center of former East Berlin shortly before celebrations dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Soviet nostalgia becomes display of Russian military might
By Alissa de Carbonnel, DPA,
Moscow : Russia presented a heady show that it could defend itself in a full-blown military parade that drew smiles from World War II veterans, cheers from the public and foul language from a few irate drivers in the capital.
Tanks, ballistic missiles and heavy artillery rolled through Red Square for the first time in 18 years Friday, reviving one of the country's most-loved holidays.
Thief caught encashing cheque at bank by victim’s daughter
By DPA,
Taipei : A Taiwanese handbag thief who tried to withdraw cash from his victim's bank account was caught in the act by the victim's daughter, who happened to work at the bank branch.
Taipei police said Chang Shih-chun, 55, broke into the house of a retired teacher Tuesday and stole her handbag containing some cash, a bank book and an ink seal used by the victim to stamp her signature when withdrawing money.
Russian freighter disappears in Caspian Sea
By IRNA
Moscow : A sea rescue center in Astrakhan, in southern Russia, on November 17 launched a search-and-rescue operation to answer a distress call from a Russian freighter that had disappeared in the Caspian Sea, the transportation ministry said.
The Kamyust-1 freighter, sailing under the Russian flag and registered at the Taganrog port, was on its way from Astrakhan to the Iranian port of Anzali, but failed to arrive to its destination on schedule," a ministry spokesperson said.
PACE President to visit Azerbaijan
By KUNA,
Paris : The President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Lluis Maria de Puig will be making an official visit to Azerbaijan on Tuesday during which he will be holding talks with senior officials there.
Paris, Tehran blast Iran media insults of Carla Bruni
By DPA,
Tehran/Paris : Both the Iranian and French governments Tuesday condemned the Iranian media for calling the French first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, "immoral" and a "prostitute".
Iranian media attacked Bruni-Sarkozy after she made a plea online for the life of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery.
Obama begins vacation by picking up summer reading
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama picked up some summer reading Friday on the first full day of his 10-day vacation on the Massachusetts vacation island of Martha's Vineyard.
Obama, relaxing in jeans and a polo shirt, dropped into the local bookstore Bunch of Grapes with his daughters Malia and Sasha and emerged carrying two shopping bags.
The shop was also popular with former president Bill Clinton, who also vacationed on Martha's Vineyard, a popular destination for the nation's elite and where Obama also spent time at a rented home last summer.
Over 20 people injured in clash in south Nepal
By Xinhua
Kathmandu : A total of 25 agitators were injured in south Nepal during a clash with police on Friday, local media reported.
In Gaur, the district headquarters of Rautahat district, some 110 km south of capital Kathmandu, a clash occurred when cadres of United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) tried to seize the material carried by the Election Commission (EC) officials.
Hundreds of the UDMF cadres gathered to seize the EC material including forms and stationary when a helicopter landed at Chaur of Gaur, local leading media group's website THT Online reported.
Somali pirates seize Thai vessel
By DPA,
Nairobi/Brussels : Somali pirates seized a Thailand-flagged fishing boat on Thursday, the European Union's anti-piracy force said, as a British couple also believed to be in pirate hands were reportedly taken into Somalia.
The European Union's anti-piracy patrol off Somalia NAVFOR said it had spotted the Thai Union 3 coming under attack by two pirate skiffs at 0530 GMT.
C China city on high alert as flood peak passing through
By Xinhua
Wuhan : Wuhan, a city in central China, is on high alert as a flood peak in Yangtze River, China's longest, is passing through and water level keeps rising.
The capital city of Hubei Province has ordered local authorities to step up patrol along dikes and sluice gates.
It has prepared sand, soil and bags for possible breaches. Drills on the rescue of stranded residents and closing up breacheswould be held on Thursday and Friday.
Nepal highlights security, stronger ties at Saarc summit
Kathmandu : Nepal as the new chair of Saarc will focus on connectivity, security and eradicating extreme poverty, said Prime Minister Sushil Koirala Wednesday.
Speaking...
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