Fake video footage can radically alter eyewitness accounts
By IANS,
London : Fake video footage can dramatically alter people's perceptions of events, even convincing them to testify to a non-event, says a new study.
Kimberley Wade, psychology professor from Warwick University (WU), led an experiment to see whether such faux footage could induce people to accuse another of doing something they never did.
Wade found nearly 50 percent of those shown fake footage of something they witnessed first hand were prepared to believe the video version rather than what they actually saw.
21 killed, 60 injured in blast near Colombo
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : At least 21 people were killed and 60 injured Friday when a powerful bomb ripped through a packed public transport bus near the Sri Lankan capital in the third such attack in two weeks.
The roadside bomb went off at about 7.30 a.m. near the Moratuwa University, some 20 km south of Colombo, and a bus passing that way on its way to Mount Lavinia just outside the capital bore the brunt.
Officials said the bomb had been detonated by remote control. The dead included 13 men and eight women. The explosion site is close to a Buddhist temple.
Reporter freed after kidnap ordeal
By KUNA,
London : A journalist kidnapped by a group associated with the Taliban is back in the UK Tuesday after a three month ordeal, his family said. Freelance reporter Sean Langan was working for the commercial TV station Channel 4s programme "Dispatches" when he was kidnapped on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A spokesman for the British Foreign Office confirmed that Langan was "safe and well" after his release last Saturday night.
Langan's family, that lives in London, said he arrived back in the UK last night.
Kenyan premier’s party wins three seats in peaceful by-elections
By DPA,
Nairobi : The party of Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga won three parliamentary seats Thursday after by-elections that were seen as the first major test for the grand coalition formed to end months of deadly post-election violence.
Over 1,500 people died in clashes between members of tribes affiliated to political parties after opposition leader Raila Odinga claimed December's presidential elections were stolen from him.
Hundreds of thousands fled their homes as the tit-for-tat violence caused chaos, particularly in the western Rift Valley province.
Democratic process necessary for stability in Nepal: Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi: "Concerned" over the crisis in Nepal, India's ruling Congress party Monday said "democratic process is necessary" for stability in that country.
"Its an internal matter of Nepal. We are not going to interfere. But we have done everything to put Nepal on the democratic path," Congress spokesperson M. Veerappa Moily told reporters here.
"We are greatly concerned about the developments in Nepal and there are some disturbances (there). They are our close neighbours. Democratic process is necessary for stability," Moily said.
Obama calls for global support to tackle IS, other extremists
By Arul Louis,
United Nations : President Barack Obama Wednesday called on all nations to join the fight against the Islamic State (IS) and other...
Poland, US agree on missile shield terms
By RIA Novosti,
Warsaw : Poland and the US have reached an agreement on the deployment of an American missile base in Poland, a Polish TV channel reported.
Both the countries have been engaged in talks over a plan to place 10 interceptor missiles in northern Poland as part of a US missile shield for Europe and North America against possible attacks from "rogue states".
Inform us before sending aid, says Nepal
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : Nepal on Tuesday denied it was refusing any aid but requested all countries and international organisations to inform it prior...
Religion gives people more self-control
By IANS,
London: People muster greater self-control when they are given unrelated tasks, especially after thinking about religion.
Why didn’t Bush mention North Korea in his State of the Union Address?
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Ivan Zakharchenko) - U.S. President George W. Bush never missed a chance to lash out at North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Il, but he did not even mention North Korea in his latest State of the Union Address.
There must be a reason for this. It is doubtful that Washington has suddenly forgotten all about Pyongyang. In 2002, Bush included North Korea in the Axis of Evil and has since accused it of cheating and human rights violations. He also called it one of the most dangerous countries in the world.
Brazilian pilot reports possible sighting of disappeared French plane’s wreckage
By DPA,
Rio de Janeiro : A pilot from Brazil's airline TAM possibly spotted a burning piece of wreckage on the Atlantic Ocean while he was crossing the Atlantic early Monday morning.
The Brazilian Air Force confirmed late Monday that the pilot saw "orange-coloured spots" in the middle of the Atlantic. The observation could have approximately corresponded to the time Air France 447 disappeared from radar.
AF447, with 228 people on board, went missing at about 0215 GMT Monday. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in Paris the chances of finding any survivors are "very slim".
New Zealand to raise defence expenditure
Wellington : The New Zealand government is to increase defence spending by 100.9 million NZ dollars (about $86 million) over the 2014-2015 financial year...
McCain cancels attendance at Munich security conference
By IRNA
Berlin : US Senator John McCain who is the front-runner for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, has called off his attendance at the 44th Munich Conference on Security Policy, due to take place in Munich from February 8 to 10, the organizer of the confab Horst Teltschik said Thursday.
He added that McCain's election team believed that the Republican presidential candidate should continue to focus on the primaries in the US states.
13 killed in Tibet earthquake
Beijing: At least 13 people were killed and four others went missing in Tibet after a powerful earthquake struck neighbouring Nepal on Saturday, officials...
UN millennium campaign creates Guinness record
By IANS,
New Delhi: The UN millennium campaign, which has been rallying behind world leaders reminding them about the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, has created a world record by mobilising the maximum support that any campaign ever has, officials said Thursday.
According to Minar Pimple, deputy director and head of Asia Pacific, UN Millennium Campaign, more than 173 million people gathered around the world in over 3,000 events spread across 120 countries to call for the fulfilment of the MDGs.
Russian hackers attack Pentagon e-mail: Report
Washington: A "sophisticated cyber attack" by alleged Russian hackers forced the US department of defence to shut down its joint staff unclassified e-mail system,...
Chinese PM meets Obama
By IANS,
Phnom Penh : Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao met US President Barack Obama Tuesday on the sidelines of the seventh East Asia Summit in Cambodia.
Iran ready for talks without preconditions: Official
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Iran is ready to hold talks on its nuclear programme with the West without any preconditions, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday.
"Iran's main position on talks regarding (the country's) nuclear programme is that discussions should be held without any preliminary conditions," said Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Stress killed Shanghai’s bus drivers
By IANS,
Beijing : Old age and stress are the major reasons behind the sudden death of eight bus drivers while on duty in Shanghai, a study said.
UN General Assembly to discuss Kosovo independence
By DPA,
New York : The UN General Assembly agreed Friday to hold discussion on Kosovo's declaration of independence and to support Serbia's request for an opinion from the International Court of Justice on whether that independence is legal.
Serbia, which still claims Kosovo as its province, asked the 192-nation to debate the legal aspects of Kosovo's independence and inscribe the issue on its agenda of discussion during the 63rd session.
Russia successfully launches two European satellites
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A Rokot carrier rocket with two European satellites has been successfully launched from the Plesetsk space center in northwest Russia, a spokesman for the Russian Space Forces said on Monday.
"A Rokot carrier rocket with the SMOS spacecraft and the Proba-2 mini-satellite, developed under European Space Agency's initiative, has been successfully launched," Aleksei Zolotukhin said, adding the launch took place at 4:50 a.m. Moscow time (01:50 GMT).
Gordon Brown defends decision not to call for polls
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : Shrugging off a miserable weekend, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Monday made a stout defence of his decision not to call general elections this year, saying he needs more time to implement his political, social and economic vision for Britain.
"Yes, I did consider holding elections, but went with my first instinct, which was to get on with the job of implementing my vision for Britain," Brown told a crowded press conference.
"You've had a better weekend than I had," he told his media critics.
Everything on discount in Britain, even Woolworths at one pound?
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : The bell tolls for the British high street retail industry as it launches a desperate discount war for a piece of the shrinking pre-Christmas sales even as one of the biggest retailers is said to be on the brink of selling its 800-store business for a paltry sum of one pound ($1.5).
A bleak Wednesday at the stock exchange saw the FTSE 100 slide by 200 points, with shares of most high street retailers plunging anywhere between 10 and 31 percent, prompting panic measures from retailers.
Fate deals Sobhraj another blow in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal's Supreme Court Sunday put off announcement of the final verdict on a 30-year-old murder case involving Charles Sobhraj, dealing a fresh blow to the hopes of the 63-year-old international criminal who is lodged in a prison here.
Ever since the Supreme Court sent him a missive, indicating his fate would be sealed Sunday, Sobhraj, yesteryear's "serpent", serving life imprisonment, had been living for the day, wavering between hope and alarm.
WHO confirms Taiwan invited to World Health Assembly
By DPA,
Geneva : The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed Friday that Taiwan has been invited to attend the World Health Assembly later this month in Geneva, symbolically marking a step in Taipei's fight to end its international isolation.
WHO spokesman Thomas Abrahams said the move to invite Taiwan as an observer followed a consensus reached between Taiwan and China on the assembly and attendance.
Taiwan lost its WHO seat in 1972, one year after it was expelled from the UN.
Obama kicks off 10-day vacation
By Xinhua,
Washington : US President Barack Obama Friday started a 10-day vacation, briefly breaking off from debates on the country's health care reform and other key issues.
According to the White House, Obama left the presidential residence in the afternoon aboard a Marine helicopter to Camp David outside the capital with his family and dog, and then they would head on Sunday morning to a vineyard in the eastern state of Massachusetts.
Human error caused blackout in Brazil
By IANS,
Rio de Janeiro : A blackout that plunged northeast Brazil into complete darkness for several hours last week was caused by human error, an official said.
Taiwanese Opposition Ready to Retake Power
By Prensa Latina
Taipei : The Kuomintang Party (KMT), the major opposition organization in Taiwan, is ready to retake power over the next few months, after an overwhelming victory in last Saturday's legislative elections.
All analysts think it will be almost impossible for Frank Hsieh, the candidate for the governing Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), to prevent KMT Candidate Ma Ying-jeou from winning the presidential elections on March 22.
Four Chinese workers dead in Vietnam riots
Beijing: Four workers employed in the Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) were killed in the anti-China riot at a construction site in Vietnam May...
Recent events will galvanise Australia: Border
By IANS,
Mohali : Australia's Test great Alan Border feels that introduction of young players like Steve Smith in the team will energise the Michael Clarke-led side against a confident India.
Two military jets crash during drill in China
By Xinhua,
Hohhot (China) : Two fighter jets belonging to China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) crashed after colliding during a drill Wednesday in northern China, officials said.
The accident occurred in Qingshuihe county in the suburbs of inner Mongolia region when the two Jian-8 planes attached to the PLA's military command based in the northeastern city of Shenyang collided and crashed in a village.
However, the pilots of both the planes survived with minor injuries by parachuting to safety moments before the crash, officials said.
Mosque collapse kills seven in China
By Xinhua,
Xining (China) : At least seven people have been killed and 20 injured when an under construction mosque collapsed in China's northwestern province of Qinghai.
The incident took place in a small town at around 5.40 p.m. Thursday.
Officials Friday said the toll could increase, as many people are feared trapped in the debris.
Is anjuman mein aap ko aana hai baar baar: Celebrating Urdu Cultural Mela in...
By Zafar Iqbal for TwoCircles.net
It was so pleasing to watch a beautiful rendition of Urdu poetry through a classical dance by Anupma Sharma, student...
Eight killed in Chilean juvenile detention centre mutiny
By DPA
Santiago : A fiery uprising in a juvenile detention centre in the southern Chilean city of Puerto Montt left eight inmates aged 14-18 dead and two others with irreparable brain damage, Chilean media reported.
Citing authorities, the reports said the inmates used furniture to barricade entrances to their wing of the jail and then set fire to mattresses. The obstructions blocked fire fighters from gaining entry to fight the blaze.
The victims suffered smoke inhalation and suffocated.
Jada Pinkett Smith defends parenting skills
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Actress Jada Pinkett Smith believes in giving the freedom to her children, and so she has defended her parenting skills following allegations she is far too lenient a mum.
49 LTTE fighters killed by Sri Lankan military: army
By IANS,
Colombo : At least 49 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed when confronted by advancing government troops in Sri Lanka's Wanni battlefront, the military claimed Monday.
A soldier was also killed in the fighting Sunday.
According to the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), 19 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels and a government soldier were killed when troops mounted a major assault on LTTE targets in Vavuniya district.
Five dismembered bodies found in Mexico
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Five dismembered bodies were found on a highway near Tanhuato, a city in the western Mexican state of Michoacan, police said.
LTTE declares unilateral ceasefire, Sri Lanka rejects it
By IANS,
Colombo : The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), holding less than eight sq km of territory in the island's north, Sunday announced a unilateral ceasefire in Sri Lanka, a pro-rebel website reported. But the Sri Lankan government rejected the truce.
"In the face of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and in response to the calls made by the UN, EU, the governments of the US, India and others, the LTTE has announced a unilateral ceasefire," TamilNet reported.
"All of LTTE's offensive military operations will cease with immediate effect," said the press statement.
Approval rating for Fukuda Cabinet rises
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's Cabinet rose sharply to 31.5 percent following the Cabinet reshuffle, an opinion poll conducted by Kyodo News on Friday and Saturday showed.
In the major Japanese news organization's last such poll in July, the rate was 26.8 percent.
Japanese media said the rise in support rate showed the public's recognition of the new lineup as well as Fukuda's decision to make a change.
19 killed in Congo plane crash
By IANS,
Kinshasa : At least 19 people including the pilot were killed in a plane crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo, police said.
The accident took place around midday Wednesday when the plane was landing at the airport in Bandundu, the capital of Bandundu province, spokesman of the UN mission in Congo, Madnodje Mounoubai, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
Police said two survivors were found.
The aircraft was owned by local airline Filair.
Navies step in as natural disasters rise four-fold
By Ritu Sharma, IANS,
Port Blair : With natural disasters registering a four-fold increase in the past decade owing to a variety of factors, the navies of the Asia-Pacific region are gearing up for an increasing humanitarian role and deliberating on the means to provide succour during calamities.
Time to step on the gas to bolster US economy: Obama
By IANS,
Washington : The US should step up efforts to revive its economy even after the private sector has been creating jobs over the past 21 months in a row, President Barack Obama has said.
2,000 civilians killed in Sri Lanka war zone: Pro-LTTE website
By IANS,
Colombo/New Delhi : Over 2,000 Tamil civilians were killed in a single night during "indiscriminate barrage of shelling by the Sri Lanka Army on the safety zone" in the island's north, a website sympathetic to the Tamil Tigers said Sunday.
The shelling by the army, starting from Saturday night to Sunday morning, "slaughtered more than 2,000 civilians including large number of women and children", the pro-LTTE website TamilNet reported quoting medical sources in Vanni.
China, South Korea hold talks
Seoul : Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se discussed bilateral relations here Monday.
Wang, who arrived in Seoul early...
UN Security Council reform inevitable: Brazil
By IANS,
Rio De Janeiro : The structure of United Nations Security Council reflects the reality of 65 years ago and a reform in the world body is inevitable, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim has said.
The UN Security Council should make changes to reflect the current global situation as its structure reflects the reality of 65 years ago, Amorim said Monday
"The reform is inevitable," he said. "If you ask me (when it will happen), I will not be able to say, but it is not plausible to keep it the way it is."
Canadian Sikh body welcomes Air India crash interim report
By IANS
Toronto : The World Sikh Organisation (WSO), which claims to represent the Sikhs of Canada, has welcomed the interim report of the Air India public inquiry commission, saying it paid a fitting tribute to the devastating loss which has been experienced as a result of the Air India tragedy.
Titled 'The Families Remember', the report released Tuesday details the turmoil of the families of the victims after the bombing of the Air India Kanishka flight 182, allegedly by radical Sikhs, on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board.
Most Russians against nuclear disarmament: Poll
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: The majority of Russians are against further nuclear disarmament, the Russia Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM) said Thursday.
Sixty percent of Russians believe the country needs nuclear weapons to assure its security in case of war, according to a survey by VTsIOM.
A total of 1,600 people took part in the poll. The statistical margin of error is 3.4 percent.
A quarter said nuclear weapons should be preserved to demonstrate Russia's political power, with only four percent saying the stockpile is needed to counter US military potential.
Nepal’s battered dailies back on stands after outcry
By IANS
Kathmandu : Two popular Nepal dailies, forced off the stands last week by Maoists, made a triumphant comeback Thursday after the court and a growing public condemnation of the attack forced the rebels to withdraw.
Taiwan worker lifts 230 kg with ‘iron crotch’
By IANS,
Taipei : An ailing Taiwanese worker has reportedly regained his health by practising "iron crotch", in which men use their genitals to lift iron disks weighing hundreds of kilograms.
Indonesia sandslide buries 25 miners
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : At least 25 sand miners were buried in a sandslide in the country's eastern Sulawesi Island, the health ministry said Friday.
The head of crisis centre Rustam Pakaya said the mishap occurred Thursday when the miners were collecting sand in a local sand mine.
"A huge amount of sand fell down and buried the 25 people yesterday afternoon," Pakaya said.
The rescue operation was underway as none of the bodies were yet found, he said.
Lack of safety regulations and measures has been blamed for the accident.
Satisfaction of basic needs Cuba’s priority: Raul Castro
By Prensa Latina
Havana : Newly elected Cuban President Raúl Castro has said his government gives the highest priority to meeting the basic needs of the people.
In his keynote address to the opening session of the 7th National People's Power Assembly Sunday, Castro referred to several measures of the government aimed at improving the economy and living standard of the people.
He said that authorities are working on "progressive and gradual revaluation of the Cuban peso".
Bird flu toll in China rises to 24
By IANS/EFE,
Shanghai: An 89-year-old man has died in Shanghai from bird flu, raising the toll from the outbreak of the H7N9 strain of the disease to 24, media reports said.
Ukrainian coast guards detain Turkish schooner on Black Sea
By RIA Novosti
Kiev : Ukraine's coast guards have detained a Turkish fishing vessel whose crew failed to show authorization to enter the country's economic zone, the Ukrainian border guard service said Saturday.
"At about 9 a.m. [14 GMT] on Friday, April 4, the Ukrainian coast guard ship Podillya discovered the fishing vessel Ozgur 50 miles to the southeast of Zmeiny Island in Ukraine's economic zone. After being ordered to stop, the schooner stopped and a supervision group boarded it," the service said.
Poland’s Kaczynski ratifies Lisbon Treaty
By DPA,
Warsaw : Polish President Lech Kaczynski ratified the Lisbon Treaty Saturday and left his Czech counterpart as the only European leader remaining to sign the document before it can take effect.
Kaczynski signed the treaty, intended to streamline European Union decision-making, a week after it received a Yes vote in a second Irish referendum.
Kaczynski called the EU "a great experiment in the history of mankind," that would "function even more effectively" when the treaty takes effect.
Doctors worked an hour to resuscitate him: Jackson’s brother
By DPA,
Washington/Los Angeles : Physicians at the UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles worked for more than an hour to resuscitate pop icon Michael Jackson, according to his brother Jermaine Jackson in broadcast remarks Thursday.
The sudden death of the rock star on a hot Thursday afternoon triggered not only worldwide mourning but also an odd disconnect as he came back to life with his star power in nonstop broadcasts of file footage.
Paramedics answered an emergency call at Jackson's rented mansion outside Los Angeles to find him unresponsive, officials said.
Senior militant killed in Indonesia shootout
By DPA,
Jatiasih (Indonesia) : One of Asia's most-wanted men, Islamic militant Noordin Mohammed Top, was killed after 18 hours of armed standoff with Indonesian anti-terrorism police in Central Java Saturday, local television reported.
Police believe Malaysian-born Noordin was the mastermind behind bomb attacks on two Jakarta luxury hotels last month, which killed nine people including two suicide bombers.
TV One channel, citing police sources at the scene, said Noordin was killed in a raid on a house in a remote village in Temanggung district after a siege that lasted 18 hours.
PM to visit Seychelles, Mauritius, Sri Lanka next week
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka from March 10-14.
On March 11, in Seychelles, Modi will...
Nepal may declare emergency in flood-hit areas
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Faced with his first crisis within 72 hours of being sworn in, Nepal's new Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" is likely to declare Thursday a state of emergency in the flood-devastated areas in the south of the country.
The newly expanded six-party cabinet began readying for a meeting in the prime minister's office in Singh Durbar, at the heart of Nepal's administrative complex, to finalise the details of the announcement and a comprehensive relief package.
Seven kiilled in El Salvador bus crash
By IANS
San Salvador : Seven people have been killed and 82 others injured when a bus overturned on a highway in western El Salvador, authorities said.
Fire chief Abner Hurtado told YSKL radio Wednesday that the vehicle flipped over on a highway over bridge while transporting some 90 workers to an assembly plant, Spanish news agency EFE reported Thursday.
One person was killed on the spot while six others died at hospitals in Santa Ana, where 82 injured passengers were being treated.
Ask Europeans to take Guantanamo detainees, US tells Spain
By EFE,
Washington : The US has asked Spain to persuade other European countries to accept Guantanamo detainees, Spanish Justice Minister Francisco Caamano said here.
Spain is among a handful of European nations that have agreed to accept people released from the detention centre for suspected terrorists at the US base in Guantanamo, Cuba.
US Attorney General Eric Holder said Spain was specially suited to lobby its partners in Europe on this matter "as a country that has directly experienced jihadist terrorism", Caamano said Wednesday.
US Senate moves forward on immigration law
By DPA
Washington : The US Senate voted Tuesday to move forward with a revised immigration bill that would strengthen border security, expand "guest worker" jobs and offer a path to citizenship to an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
Over 200,000 people displaced in Somalia conflict: UNHCR
By Xinhua,
Geneva : The number of people displaced by the escalating conflict in Mogadishu has reached 204,000, making it the biggest exodus from the troubled Somali capital since the Ethiopian intervention in 2007, the UN refugee agency has said.
The eight-week-long offensive led by the Al-Shabab and Hisb-ul-Islam militia against government forces "is having a devastating impact on the city's population, causing enormous suffering and massive displacement", Ron Redmond, spokesman of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news briefing in Geneva Tuesday.
Protests against temple’s plans to sell cremation land
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : Hindus in a Malaysian town are protesting the move by a Hindu temple to sell part of its land meant for cremations to a private developer.
The Sri Selvavinayagar Temple committee in Butterworth, Penang, said Thursday that they would sell the land meant for cremation.
"We have received the consent of the temple committee and the local community during a public meeting recently," said temple committee chairperson S. Somu.
German parliament approves anti-pirate force
By SPA,
Berlin : German lawmakers agreed on Friday to send up to 1,400 soldiers and a frigate to the Gulf of Aden as part of a European Union operation to fight pirates off the
coast of Somalia.
The troops will take part in the first such naval operation organized by the 27-member EU, which aims to provide protection to ships delivering aid to Somalia and to civilian vessels, Reuters reported.
British council shuts Russian office as staff summoned
Moscow (ANTARA News) - The British government`s cultural arm said on Thursday it had halted work in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg because staff were being interviewed by Russia`s domestic intelligence service.
The British Council has been caught up in an escalating dispute with Russia over the legality of its regional branches, part of a wider diplomatic row between London and Moscow.
South Africa to pursue safe n-power: Minister
By IANS,
Pretoria : The South African government will pursue safe nuclear power and build more nuclear power plants, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said.
More Than 200 Injured In Aba Riot: Official
By Bernama
Beijing : Rioters injured more than 200 people, burned 24 shops and 81 vehicles in a March 16 riot in the Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of southwestern Sichuan Province, China's Xinhua news agency quoted an official as saying.
The official from the prefecture told a press conference here on Thursday that two public security office buildings were also burned during the violence.
"The economic loss from the smashing, looting and arson amounts to more than 10 years of the Aba county's fiscal revenue," said Xiao Youcai, vice governor of the prefecture.
Girls, beware of discussing problems with friends…
By IANS
New York : Here's a scientist's advice to girls who talk extensively with friends about their problems: don't. This can lead to a greater risk of developing anxiety and depression.
This is the conclusion of a research project conducted by Amanda Rose, associate professor of psychological sciences in the College of Arts and Science of the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Israeli daily critical of India’s ‘slow’ response to terror strike
By IANS,
New Delhi : As India turned down Israel's offer to send its crack commandos to Mumbai to rescue Israeli hostages held in a Jewish centre, an influential newspaper in Tel Aviv has criticised "slow, confused and inefficient" response of Indian authorities to the terror attacks in Mumbai.
"In the first several hours after the Mumbai incidents began, the response of the Indian authorities was slow, confused and inefficient," said an article in Haaretz, entitled "Is Al Qaeda behind the Mumbai terror attacks?"
US Senate debates economic stimulus deal
By DPA,
Washington : The US Senate spent much of Saturday debating the economic stimulus package on which lawmakers had reached a compromise a day earlier in a bid to pull the United States out of recession.A bipartisan group of senators put forward a tentative deal late Friday on a $780-billion recovery plan. The compromise would strip some $150 billion out of an earlier version of the legislation before the Senate.
BBC staff condemn Gaza aid ban as ‘pro-Israeli’
London, Jan 26, IRNA -- BBC staff Monday condemned the state-funded broadcaster for refusing to show an appeal for Gaza aid, saying the ban showed "a bias in favour of Israel at the expense of 1.5 million Palestinian civilians suffering an acute humanitarian crisis."
The leaders of the two biggest unions representing workers at the corporation, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph, and Theatre Union (BECTU), said last Thursday’s decision was “wrong.”
Man sets ablaze Singapore lawmaker
By DPA,
Singapore : A 70-year-old man Monday faced charges of grievously harming a Singapore legislator by setting him on fire during a Sunday afternoon community club event.
Ong Kah Chua, a former taxi driver, was remanded in the custody of the Institute of Mental Health and is to reappear in court Jan 23, Channel News Asia reported.
He is accused of attacking Member of Parliament Seng Han Thong at the club, causing burns to 10 to 15 percent of his body.
Chua had poured paint thinner over the legislator and set him alight.
New ISS crew confirmed
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Baikonur (Kazakhstan) : A three-member crew to lift-off Tuesday for the International Space Station (ISS) has been confirmed.
Major fire razes market in Myanmar’s second largest city
By Xinhua
Yangon : A huge fire razed a major market building in Myanmar's second largest city of Mandalay Monday morning, the police said.
The fire started at about 8 a.m. and burned down the five-storey Yadanabon Market in downtown Mandalay near the railway station.
More than 10 people, mostly fire fighters, were injured in the fire, the police said.
Sobhraj spends bleak Christmas in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : For the last two years, Charles Sobhraj, yesteryear's sensational crime maestro, had looked forward to Christmas, hoping to be released from Nepal's biggest prison, where he is doing time for murder, and be reunited with the apple of his eye, his little daughter in Paris.
But this Christmas, there's no such joyful anticipation for the 65-year-old with a protracted legal battle having just begun.
Experts sent to Iraq to study non-combat deaths
Washington, (Xinhua) The US military has sent a team of army safety experts to Iraq to investigate a surge in non-combat deaths, a senior official said.
The team from the Army Safety Centre was sent at the request of military commanders in Iraq to "analyse that and to map out the way ahead, to maintain focus on safety for all the troops on the ground", said Lieutenant General Carter Ham, operations director of the Joint Staff.
N-power crucial to China: Expert
By IANS,
Hong Kong : Nuclear power is important to China because of its quest for climate change mitigation, an expert with the environment ministry has said.
Everest conqueror Hillary’s ashes scattered on sea off Auckland
By DPA
Wellington : The ashes of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man atop the Everest and Antarctic explorer who died in January at the age of 88, were scattered on the Hauraki Gulf off his home city of Auckland Friday, in accordance with his wishes.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Auckland when he was given the rare honour of a state funeral last month.
Air force helicopter crashes in Sri Lanka
By DPA,
Colombo : A Russian built Mi-24 Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter Friday crashed in southeastern region of the island-country after an air display to mark the start of construction work of a new international airport, an Air Force spokesman said.
The fate of the pilot and the two other people on board remained unclear as the helicopter crashed into a jungle, the spokesman said, adding that the accident was caused by a technical fault.
The crash occurred in Badalkumbura, 310 km south-east of Colombo.
EU seeks normalising ties with Cuba
By Xinhua
Brussels : The European Union stands ready to work with Cuba to improve and deepen cooperation on issues of common interest such as the environment and climate change, EU Commissioner Louis Michel said here Thursday.
Speaking on the eve of his two-day visit to Cuba, Michel, the commissioner for EU's development and humanitarian aid affairs, said he looks forward to "positive engagement" with Cuba.
"This is an important visit for both the EU and Cuba that takes place only few days after the nomination of Raul Castro as head of state," Michel said in a statement.
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.
London riots: Home secretary cuts short holiday, 100 held
By IANS,
London : British Home Secretary Theresa May Monday cut short her holidays after over a 100 people were arrested following a second night of rioting across London.
Thailand Donates Medicines Worth Bt10 Million To Cyclone-Hit Myanmar
By Bernama,
Bangkok : Thailand's Public Health Ministry will dispatch medicines and syringes worth almost Bt10 million (almost US$314,960) to treat cyclone victims in neighbouring Myanmar and plans to send 19 teams of doctors to the devastated country upon request, Thailand News Agency (TNA) quoted Minister Chaiya Sasomsup as saying on Tuesday.
Chaiya said the pharmaceuticals and kits would be sent by a C-130 military transport aircraft to cyclone areas in Myanmar soon with Thai Foreign Ministry help.
20 killed in Mexico bus accident
By Xinhua
Mexico City : At least 20 people were killed and 15 injured in a bus accident in Nayarit in western Mexico, officials said Sunday.
The bus went off the road and fell down a 120-meter cliff Saturday after the driver lost control, said a spokesman of Mexico's public security ministry.
The driver was suspected to have fallen asleep when the accident happened, initial reports said.
Nayarit is about 800 km northwest of Mexico City.
Breakaway Abkhazia says it downed Georgian drone plane
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The air defense forces of Georgia's breakaway province of Abkhazia have shot down a Georgian pilotless reconnaissance aircraft, Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh said over the phone on Sunday.
"The plane has been shot down. Now efforts are under way to find its fragments," Bagapsh said.
The Abkhaz president said Abkhazia had informed the peace-keeping forces in the region about the incident, adding that similar violations by Georgia had also been registered previously.
EU commissioner “deeply shocked”over Israeli shelling of UN compound
Berlin, Jan 16, IRNA -- The European Union's Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel strongly criticized Israel for its shelling of the main UN compound in Gaza, branding it "not acceptable."
"I am deeply shocked and dismayed over the incident," Michel was quoted saying
in a statement in Brussels on Thursday.
The safety of the personnel working for the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) has to be ensured in their bid to help the
Palestinian population, he added.
The EU Commission was the largest donor of UNRWA in 2008 with 113 million
euros.
Taro Aso succeeds Fukuda as Japan’s prime minister
By DPA,
Tokyo : The head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Taro Aso, was elected Japan's prime minister Wednesday after Yasuo Fukuda and his cabinet resigned en masse earlier in the day.
Aso, 68, received 337 votes from the 478 members in the LDP-controlled House of Representatives, which has the final say in selecting a prime minister. The opposition Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa got 117 votes.
The upper house of parliament endorsed Ozawa in a second-ballot vote of 125 to 240. Aso received 108 votes.
China loses one-tenth forest resources in snowfall
By Xinhua
Beijing : Around 17.3 million hectares of forests, nearly one-tenth of China's forest resources, have been damaged by the unprecedented snowfall in at least five decades, an official report said.
The State Forestry Administration (SFA) in its latest report released Friday said forests in the 18 provinces in southern China has been damaged.
PPP Victory Ahead in Thai Elections
By Prensa Latina
Bangkok : PPP (People´s Power Party) won 233 seats out of the 480 seats of Parliament, although without reaching absolute majority in general voting, Thailand Electoral Commission confirmed Tuesday.
In that way, the supporters of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra widely surpassed their main rival the Democratic Party, which obtained 165 seats in the House of Representatives.
US plane on secret mission returns to Earth
Los Angeles: After spending about 22 months orbiting the Earth on a secret mission, a US Air Force X-37B unmanned, reusable space plane has...
Outsize G8 beach chair may be sold for charity
By DPA
Berlin : The outsize blue-and-white wickerwork beach chair in which G8 leaders posed at Heiligendamm, could be sold to raise funds for charity, according to an official of the German state that hosted the event.
Fijian PM urges int’l support for nation “in deep rut”
By Xinhua
United Nations : Fijian Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama urged the international community on Friday to understand and support his country that he describes as being "in a deep rut."
A teenage pregnancy and US presidential elections
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
Chicago : In this season thick with ideological intransigence, the news that the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant is symptomatic of how irresolvable the pregnancy-abortion-abstinence debate really is.
Georgia moves ICJ against Russia
By DPA,
Amsterdam : Georgia has instituted proceedings against Russia before the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the ICJ said in a statement Wednesday.
Georgia is suing the Russian Federation over what it calls "its actions on and around the territory of Georgia" in breach of the 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
In its application, Georgia "also seeks to ensure that the individual rights" under the convention "of all persons on the territory of Georgia are fully respected and protected."
Mexican island named after French explorer Cousteau
By EFE,
Mexico City : Cerralvo, an uninhabited island in the Sea of Cortez, has been named after French explorer Jacques Cousteau, Mexican authorities said.
The INEGI statistics institute said Tuesday that it will undertake steps to register the island's name change in the National Registry of Geographical Information, where the archipelago's "continental, insular, and underwater" topography will be recorded.
French explorer Jacques Cousteau (1910-97) spent a great deal of time studying marine life in the Sea of Cortez.
EU to reduce energy dependency on Russia
Brussels: The European Union (EU) said Friday that it would reduce Europe's high gas dependency rates to the external markets, notably on Russia.
"Reducing our...
UN mulls deployment of 3,000 new troops in Congo
By DPA,
New York : The UN Security Council was considering the deployment of an additional 3,000 military and police personnel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, diplomats said Wednesday.
The extra troops were to man a separation zone between the warring parties in eastern Congo, where fighting has disrupted entire areas and displaced tens of thousands of Congolese.
The UN mission in Congo (MONUC) comprises more than 17,000 military troops, who are stretched thin in the vast Congolese territory.
Out of love, out of home
By DPA
Sydney : A wonderful thing about research is its capacity to blow apart received notions. Consider home ownership.
Hardly a day goes by in Australia without a newspaper story or a politician declaring that the rising cost of housing is preventing younger Australians from owning homes.
It's simply not true, say Flinders University researchers Andrew Beer and Debbie Faulkner.
They found more young people are taking out mortgages than ever before. A survey of 2,600 people found the average age of a first homebuyer had fallen over the last 30 years rather than risen.
China releases democracy activist after nine years
By DPA,
Beijing : China Thursday released a well-known dissident after he served more than nine years of a 13-year prison sentence, a Hong Kong-based rights group said.
Veteran activist Liu Xianbin was released from the Chandong prison in the south-western province of Sichuan, the Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said.
Liu, 40, had returned to his family in Sichuan province's Suining city following his early release for good behaviour, the group said.
Thais vote to elect remaining members of Senate
By DPA
Bangkok : Thais went to the polls Sunday to elect 76 members of a new Senate, which already includes 74 appointees.
Under Thailand's new constitution passed last year, only 76 of the 150-member upper house are elected for each of the 76 provinces, while the rest are appointed by a committee comprising mostly judges and bureaucrats.
Under the previous constitution, which was discarded after the Sep 19, 2006 coup, the entire Senate was elected.
A partially appointed Senate is deemed a step backward for Thai democracy by many observers.
Nepal teacher force-feeds dung to truant students
By IANS
Kathmandu : A teacher forced over 80 students in Nepal to eat dung because they had not done their homework, media reports said.
Goldman Sachs bounces back with $1.8 bn profit
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington : Bailed out US investment bank Goldman Sachs has reported a much stronger-than-expected first-quarter profit of $1.81 billion, bouncing back from its worst quarter as a public company.
The 140-year-old firm Monday also set plans to raise $5 billion through a sale of stock, saying it wants to become the first big bank to repay the $10 billion in federal loans extended during last October's financial sector meltdown.
Bush’s assurances only verbal, say Left parties
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Left parties Thursday termed US President George W. Bush's assertion that Washington would ensure fuel supply for India's civil nuclear reactors as just verbal assurances from a man whose days as president were numbered.
"We are not at all enthusiastic about what Bush says. We can't believe anybody's words. What is written is important. The things what Bush said have not been mentioned in the document signed by him," T.J. Chandrachoodan, general secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), told IANS.
Toll in Vietnam typhoon rises to 81
By IANS,
Hanoi : The toll after typhoon Mirinae hit the central Vietnamese provinces of Phu Yen, Binh Dinh and Khanh Hoa has risen to 81 Wednesday, a media report said.
An official committee for flood, storm prevention and control of Phu Yen province said that at least 81 people have died and many others have been injured by the typhoon, Xinhua reported.
Over 9,000 houses were damaged in the storm and thousands of people were rendered homeless in the province of Phu Yen and Binh Dinh. A large area of Phu Yen province was under water, the report added.
Thai anti-coup group protests against new constitution
By Xinhua
Bangkok : Hundreds of protesters from the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) gathered in front of the Thai parliament Friday morning, calling on the public not to accept the new constitution in the referendum.
Somali pirates hijack tanker with 25 Indians aboard
By Xinhua,
Nairobi : Somali pirates have hijacked a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden, with 25 Indians among a 30-man team of crew on board, a maritime official said Friday.
Andrew Mwangura, East Africa's coordinator of the Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP), said: "The pirates seized the Liberian flagged chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden with 30 crew members. There are 25 Indians, three Indonesians and the remaining could be British," Mwangura told Xinhua over telephone.
Rapid reforms could have led to riots in Tibet
By Pranay Sharma, IANS,
Beijing/Lhasa : China's rapid economic reforms could have been one of the main reasons for the violent riots in Tibet in March in which Buddhist monks played a major role, a senior Chinese official has said.
The frank admission is perhaps the first of its kind by Chinese rulers who are yet to get over the shock of what they - and the world - witnessed in Tibet.
LTTE intelligence chief’s hideout captured: Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan troops forcing their way into the last strongholds of the Tamil Tigers have captured a hideout of the rebels' intelligence wing chief, Pottu Amman, in the north-eastern Mullaitivu district, the defence ministry said Wednesday.
It said that the 58 Division have captured "the safe house (that) was used by both Pottu Amman and (another LTTE leader) Kapil Amman" in the general area south of Iranapalai at the Mullaitivu battlefront after fierce clashes Tuesday.
Soil sinks along Yangtze riverbank in China
By Xinhua
Wuhan (China): The soil at a construction site along the Yangtze river in central China's Wuhan city is sinking, posing a potential threat to the riverbank, local authorities said Saturday.
The subsidence began Friday afternoon and continued through Saturday at a residential department in Hannan district about 100 metres from the riverbank, according to the city's emergency office.
Bolivia to invest $40 mn in new gas pipeline to Argentina
By IANS/EFE,
La Paz : The Bolivian government is planning to invest $40 million in a new gas pipeline running from the southern part of the country to the Argentine border, a Bolivian cabinet minister said.
The 20-km pipeline will connect other gas pipelines in southern Bolivia to lines in northern Argentina, where the fuel will be distributed, Hydrocarbons Minister Fernando Vincenti said Wednesday.
Two soldiers, 26 Tamil rebels killed in Sri Lanka
By DPA,
Colombo : Government troops recaptured two areas controlled by Tamil Tiger rebels and killed at least 26 rebels during a military offensive in northern Sri Lanka, a military spokesman said Friday.
Two soldiers were also killed as troops advanced in the Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts, more than 300 km north of the capital.
Two strategic towns, Palamoddai and Ulathuvely, in Vavuniya were captured overnight, the spokesman said.
Brazilian firm announces new oil finds
By IANS/EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazilian independent oil company OGX has said it found hydrocarbons in a block it controls in the Campos basin, off Brazil's coast.
A 46-meter column of hydrocarbons was found in a block in which the company has a 100 percent stake and had already found traces of crude, OGX said in a statement Monday.
The well is some 79 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state at a depth of 150 meters.
Drilling will continue until a depth of 4,300 meters is reached, OGX said.
49 killed in fresh fightings in Sri Lanka
By NNN-PTI
Colombo : At least 46 LTTE militants and three Sri Lankan soldiers were killed in fierce clashes in the island nation's embattled north as the security forces captured a strategic one sq km area in the north-western Mannar, the Army said.
At least 12 Tamil Tiger rebels and two soldiers were killed Friday as the security forces captured an area south of Adampan tank in Mannar, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said on Friday.
India to send special envoys to Sri Lanka: Mukherjee
By IANS,
New Delhi: With Sri Lanka's military offensive against the Tamil Tigers coming to an end, India said Tuesday it would send send special envoys to Colombo and is also preparing a Rs.500 crore (Rs.5 billion) package to help in the rehabilitation of Tamil civilians displaced in the fighting.
Efforts must continue on North Korea nuclear issue: Ban Ki-moon
By DPA,
New York : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Friday called for efforts to verify the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, despite another impasse in the negotiations this week.
The six-party talks in Beijing ended Thursday with North Korea apparently rejecting a compromise proposal on procedures to verify disablement of its disputed nuclear programme.
The parties involved in the talks are China, the US, Russia, Japan and the two Koreas.
No plane crash for nearly six years in China
By IANS,
Beijing : China had kept a remarkable air travel safety record of 2,100 days or 69 months without accidents before a passenger plane crash in Heilongjiang province Tuesday night, official figures have revealed.
More than five years ago, a CRJ-200 jet, owned by China Eastern Airlines, crashed shortly after take-off into a park in Baotou city, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, killing all 53 people on board, say statistics from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
Chinese bomber to be executed for deadly blast
By IANS,
Beijing : A court in central China's Hunan province Thursday ordered the execution of a man who set off explosives at a tax office last year, killing four people and injuring 17.
UN chief hails new government in Yemen
United Nations: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday welcomed the announcement of the formation of a new government in Yemen, saying that the "announcement is...
McCain’s acceptance speech sets TV ratings record
By DPA,
Los Angeles : US Republican presidential candidate John McCain has set a television ratings record as 38.9 million viewers watched his acceptance speech Thursday night, according to figures released Friday by ratings firm Nielsen Media Research.
Thursday was also the opening night of the American football season. The New York Giants-Washington Redskins game ended minutes before McCain took to the stage.
McCain's viewing figures narrowly exceeded the 38.4 million viewers who tuned in to watch Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama last week.
Sri Lanka ranked 3rd deadliest place for journalists
By Xinhua
Colombo : Sri Lanka has been ranked as the third deadliest place for journalists in 2007 by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), a media report said Saturday.
According to the Daily Mirror, the Paris-based association said six journalists were killed in Sri Lanka last year, while eight were killed in Somalia (ranked 2nd) and 44 in Iraq (ranked 1st).
Death penalty moratorium wins first round in UN
By DPA
New York : A UN General Assembly committee has adopted a moratorium on the death penalty after countries that want to maintain the practice failed to push through amendments that would have derailed it.
The UN human rights committee Thursday voted 99-52, with 33 abstentions, to approve the moratorium, which proponents said should ultimately lead to the abolition of capital punishment. The death penalty has already been abolished by 130 countries.
GM board reluctant to sell Opel to Canada’s Magna
By IANS,
Toronto : General Motors's new board is reportedly reluctant to sell its Opel unit to Canada's auto-parts giant Magna International.
Magna, which is the world's third largest part maker, and the Savings Bank of the Russian Federation (called Sberbank), have jointly submitted a $775-mmilon bid to acquire a 55 percent stake in Opel. Brussels-based financial investor RHJ International is the rival bidder.
German-based Opel is on the block as GM, which has received $50 billion bail-out from US and Canadian governments, undertakes massive restructuring plans.
Russia must meet Georgia commitments for EU talks – MEP
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Talks between the EU and Russia on a new cooperation agreement can only be revived once Moscow fulfills its obligations in the Caucasus, the head of a European Parliament delegation said in Moscow on Saturday.
Discussions on a new agreement have been repeatedly delayed, most recently due to Russia's five-day armed conflict with Georgia in August that was sparked by Tbilisi's invasion of breakaway South Ossetia.
Quake hits Indonesia near Papua coast
By IANS,
Beijing : An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale jolted the area near the south coast of Papua in Indonesia Saturday, Xinhua reported.
Six terrorists detained in Moscow
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Moscow police have detained six suspected members of the banned Islamic Revival Party for recruiting volunteers, a police spokesman said Monday.
Jordan, China sign nuclear cooperation pact
By DPA,
Amman : Jordan and China Tuesday signed an agreement for cooperating in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, mainly in electricity generation and water desalination, an official statement said.
The accord provides for cooperation between the two countries in "basic and applied research and development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, building and operation of nuclear energy stations and reactors, exploration of minerals and disposal of nuclear waste", the statement added.
Toll in Uganda boat accident touches 251
Kinshasa : The bodies of 251 Congolese refugees returning to their country from a refugee camp in Uganda, who died Saturday in a boat...
Australia not to sell uranium to India till it signs NPT
By NNN-PTI,
Melbourne : Australian government will not sell uranium to India despite welcoming Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) decision to end the 34-year long embargo on nuclear trade with India, official said.
"However, Labor is committed to supplying uranium to only those countries party to the NPT. Australia will therefore not be supplying uranium to India while it is not a member of the NPT," Australian trade Minister Simon Crean was quoted as saying in 'The Australian' newspaper report today.
Russian embassy in Belarus attacked
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The Russian embassy in the Belarusian capital of Minsk was attacked with fire bombs by unidentified attackers late Monday but there were no casualties, an official said Tuesday.
"At around 10.50 p.m. (1950 GMT), two fire bombs were thrown into the territory of the Russian embassy," a spokesman said. "One of them hit a car parked on the premises."
There were no casualties and the bombs did not start a fire, he said.
Police are yet to establish the identity of the attackers. The embassy did not comment on the incident.
Floods wreak havocv in several districts
By NNN-Govt Portal,
Colombo : Floods following heavy rains caused heavy damage in several districts with several deaths reported and nearly 8,000 families displaced and also cutting off access roads in many areas.
A total of 7,860 families (33,408 persons) were reported displaced in Colombo, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Puttalam, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle, Gampaha and Kegalle.
Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishard Badiudeen has directed the District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries of the relevant districts to carry out immediate relief work.
Zimbabwe’s opposition rejects presidential run-off
By DPA,
Harare : The opposition in Zimbabwe Saturday said it would not participate in a presidential run-off claiming it won the March 29 poll with an outright majority.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) announced Friday that there would be a run-off between President Robert Mugabe of the ruling Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) at a date to be announced.
Brown gets opinion poll boost
By DPA,
London : Prime Minister Gordon Brown's keynote speech to the Labour Party conference appears to have left a positive mark with voters, according to an opinion poll published Thursday.
The YouGov poll showed the Labour Party at 31 per cent, a seven- point gain over previous surveys, while the Conservatives had the backing of 41 per cent of those asked which party they wished to see in government.
At the height of the speculation over Brown's leadership, Labour had lagged by more than 20 points behind the Conservatives.
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