Typhoon Lekima claims 20 lives in Vietnam
By RIA Novosti
Hanoi : Floods caused by Typhoon Lekima have claimed 20 lives in northern Vietnam, a representative from a local organisation supervising the relief operations said Friday.
Typhoon Lekima, which struck Vietnam earlier this week, caused the water level to rise in rivers in the country's northern region.
Winds raging at speeds of more than 130 kmph have devastated Vietnam's central region, the country's poorest, destroying crops over an area of nearly 74,000 acres, knocking down phone and power lines.
Ethnic pact brings partial peace in Nepal’s Terai
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : A series of strikes, blockades and other disruptive demonstrations scheduled to start in Nepal's Terai from Friday were called off after the Nepal government managed to cobble a last-minute pact with one of the biggest protesting groups in the southern plains.
"We have called off our protest programme after the government agreed to our major demands," Upendra Yadav, chief of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, emerging as one of the most influential parties in the Terai, told IANS.
Australian FM: Aust-U.S. alliance to continue
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said here on Sunday that his country's alliance with the United States will continue to serve both countries under the U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's new administration.
Smith told Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he also expected the two countries to put a greater emphasis on dialogue and multilateralism when Obama takes office in January next year.
Sri Lanka air force pounds rebel territory
Colombo, Jan 25 (Xinhua) The Sri Lanka air force continued to bomb Tamil rebel positions in the island's embattled north, defence officials said Friday.
The air force fighter jets had bombed a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) transport facility two kilometres southwest of the northern Kilinochchi town at around 7.30 a.m. local time.
The government continues its bombardment of rebel positions in the northern Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi districts.
एक रिफ्यूजी बच्चे की फ़रयाद
डॉक्टर नदीम ज़फर जिलानी, मेनचेस्टर, इंग्लैंड
तंग-दिल लोग हैं ज़मीं पे बहुत
चल सु-ए-आसमाँ करें हिजरत!
कब समुन्दर उबूर कर पाती
नाऊ काग़ज़ की हो गई...
Hong Kong leader draws flak on Tiananmen dissident handed to China
By DPA,
Hong Kong : Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang was under increasing pressure Tuesday to investigate the case of a former Tiananmen Square dissident sent over the border into China to be arrested.
Zhou Yongjun, 42, a student leader in the 1989 pro-democracy movement who is now in the process of becoming a US citizen, has been held for a year in China after being picked up in Hong Kong.
He faces fraud charges in mainland China after being found allegedly using fraudulent identity documents in Sep 2008 to enter Hong Kong from neighbouring Macau.
China’s inflation likely to ease in November
By IANS,
Beijing : China's inflation is predicted to fall for a fourth consecutive month in November with the consumer price index (CPI) likely to drop to 4.3 percent, a bank report said.
63 arrested in Spain for child pornography
By DPA
Madrid : The Spanish police smashed several distribution rings and arrested 63 suspects on charges of child pornography, police sources said here Sunday.
Officers from Germany, the US and New Zealand were also involved in the operation.
Members of the ring had offered pornographic videos and photographs on the Internet for 60 to 80 euros ($87 to $115). The money was being transferred to Russia.
9/11 terrorists came from Canada: John McCain
By IANS,
Toronto : Former Republican presidential candidate John McCain created a diplomatic flap Friday when he told a US television network that 9/11 terrorists came from Canada.
He joined US homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano who earlier this week suggested that the 9/11 terrorists entered the US from Canada.
McCain told Fox News channel that the homeland security secretary was right in suggesting that the terrorists entered the US from Canada to carry out the biggest attack on American soil eight years ago.
Crippling strike in southern Nepal continues as talks falter
By DPA
Kathmandu : The people of southern Nepal Saturday faced the prospect of a prolonged crippling strike across the region as talks to resolve the crisis faltered over a key demand.
The indefinite strike called by the ethnic United Democratic Madhesi Front entered its 11th day Saturday, worsening conditions for people across the region with growing shortages of medicine, food and fuel.
New Zealand firm to hold fair to attract investors
By IANS,
New Delhi: Auckland-based investment company NZ Financial Solutions is organising a two-day event here from Jan 23 to boost investments in real estate, sports and lifestyle opportunities in New Zealand.
Investors and entrepreneurs will also get to explore possibilities of business tie-ups in pinewood shipping, meat processing, food processing, dairy farming and fruit packing, the company said in a statement.
The event will be inaugurated by former cricketer Richard Hadlee, it said, adding that similar events will also be held in Chandigarh and Ludhiana.
Over 53,000 couples in Beijing opt for second child
Beijing: Over 53,000 couples in Beijing have applied for a second child since the capital city changed its birth control policy in early 2014.
By...
Stiletto-wearing sexy British minister booted from cabinet
By IANS,
London : A British woman minister who once posed for a magazine photo shoot in a provocative pose wearing a short red dress has quit, complaining the prime minister treated women as "female window dressing".
"You have a two-tier government, your inner circle and then the remainder of cabinet," Europe Minister Caroline Flint said in a letter to British premier Gordon Brown, hours after he ignored her for promotion Friday.
Ban “strongly condemns” suicide car bombing in Yemen
By NNN-KUNA
United Nations : Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly denounced Monday's suicide car bombing near an archaeological site in the province of Mareb in Yemen.
"He strongly condemns this terrorist attack and reiterates that no cause can justify such acts of indiscriminate violence against civilians," the secretary-general's office said in a statement, released late on Monday.
The attack, supposedly by al-Qaeda, killed seven Spanish tourists, two Yemeni nationals and wounded eight other people.
China orders pollution control measures for Olympics
By DPA
Beijing : China Monday announced more plans to control industrial pollution, vehicle emissions and suspended dust particles to improve Beijing's air quality during the Olympic Games in August.
The city government will ban all excavations and concrete pouring at construction sites from July 20 until Sep 20, Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, told reporters.
Toll in China floods reaches 50
By IANS,
Beijing: At least 50 people have died while 15 are missing following floods, landslides and mud flows triggered by days of torrential rains in central and southern China, the ministry of civil affairs said Saturday.
Over 17.2 million people in nine provinces have been affected by the floods while over 597,000 people have been relocated since July 1, Xinhua reported citing the ministry's disaster relief update.
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.
Buddhist temple vandalised in London
By IANS,
London : A Sri Lankan Buddhist temple has been vandalised on the outskirts of London, the police said.
Vandals broke the front windows of the Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre in Kingsbury, northwest London, in early hours of Friday, the police said.
The vandals, said to be two men, also damaged two cars parked in front of the temple, which is used by many Sinhala-speaking Sri Lankans based in London.
The Sri Lankan high commission condemned the “act of destruction”.
Kenya violence spirals, 10 burnt alive
By DPA
Nairobi : Ethnic-based violence in Kenya's Rift Valley province has left up to 150 dead since clashes ignited Thursday, reports said, in a spiral of chaos that has engulfed the East African nation after disputed elections.
The violence spread east Sunday to the flower-growing town of Naivasha where at least 10 people were burnt alive after the house they locked themselves in to escape an angry mob was set ablaze.
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.
Butler dating Romanian model?
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Actor Gerard Butler is reportedly dating Romanian model-actress Madalina Ghenea.
EU parliamentary delegation in Mumbai safe
By IANS,
Brussels : A delegation of 13 European Parliament (EP) representatives who were caught in the terror attacks in Mumbai are safe and will return home soon, EUAsia News reported Thursday.
EP president Hans-Gert Poettering said he was in touch with the French consulate in Mumbai, which was arranging for the return of the delegation members.
France is the current president of the European Union.
The delegation was in Mumbai as part of the EP International Trade Committee.
US group blasts Sri Lanka over rights abuses
By IANS
New York : The Sri Lankan government is responsible for unlawful killings, enforced disappearances and other serious human rights violations since the resumption of major hostilities with the Tamil Tigers, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Friday.
Human Rights Watch has documented a dramatic increase in abuses by government forces over the past 18 months, and called on the country's donors and concerned governments to support a UN monitoring mission in Sri Lanka.
Germanwings co-pilot feared losing licence, investigators believe
Berlin : German investigators of the Germanwings plane crash last week in the French Alps with 150 people on board, are developing a hypothesis...
Tibetan leader Karmapa Lama flies to the US Thursday
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual leader the Karmapa Lama, the only major monk reincarnate recognised by both the Dalai Lama and China, will leave for the US Thursday on a fortnight-long visit, a spokesman of the Tibetan government-in-exile said here Wednesday.
"His eminence the 17th Karmapa, head of the Kamtsang Kagyu sect, will go on a historic visit to the US from May 15 to June 2," the spokesman said.
New Zealand voters go to polls to elect a new gov’t
By Huang Xingwei, Xinhua,
Wellington : The eligible voters in New Zealand began to cast their ballots on Saturday to elect members of the parliament.
Some 2,700 polling stations around the country opened at 09:00 a.m. local time on Saturday (2000 GMT Friday) and will close at 07:00 p.m. (0600 GMT). Nearly 3 million eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots. New Zealand's total population is 4.3 million.
Two bus bombings kill 23, injured 80 in Sri Lanka
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : At least 23 people were killed and about 80 injured Friday as suspected Tamil Tigers bombed two passenger buses in strife-hit Sri Lanka, triggering a furious response from President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
A deafening blast triggered by remote control during morning rush hour killed 21 people and injured 60 near a university in Moratuwa town, south of Colombo. And just before 4 p.m., another bomb went off inside a bus in Kandy district, killing two people and wounding over 20.
At least seven people were in critical condition in hospitals.
Rajaratnam’s insider scheme twice as large as suspected
By DPA,
New York : Federal prosecutors have doubled the amount they believe Sri Lankan billionaire Raj Rajaratnam skimmed off an insider New York trading scheme, charging his profits were a whopping $36 million.
The allegation was contained in court papers filed Tuesday in Manhattan opposing Rajaratnam's bid for reduced bail, Bloomberg financial news service reported. Investigators were worried that the founder of Galleon Group hedge fund could flee along with the ill-gotten money into his homeland, media reports said Wednesday.
Quarter of UK workers unhappy about their jobs, poll finds
By IRNA,
London : Some six million employees, equivalent to 24 per cent of the British workforce, are not satisfied with their jobs, according to a report from trade unions.
The commonest problem that faces British people at work was found to be increased workload, with complaints coming from as many as 11 million workers (46 per cent).
The report, based on an extensive YouGov poll of more than 2,500 workers, found that 42 per cent also protested that "pay not keeping up with the cost of living."
German lawmaker urges anti-China sanctions over Tibet crackdown
By IRNA
Berlin : The head of the German-Chinese parliamentary group, Johannes Pflug called for economic sanctions against China over its security clampdown on Tibet.
One has to talk about what kind of goods should be delivered to China and how these economic ties would look like, the Social Democratic legislator told Wednesday's edition of the Neuen Osnabruecker Zeitung newspaper.
Jung proposed a temporary export ban of hi-tech goods as well as products for the energy sector in China.
EU sends 150,000 euros in aid to Samoa tsunami victims
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union is sending 150,000 euros ($219,000) in aid to the victims of the tsunami in the Pacific islands of Samoa, officials in Brussels said Wednesday.
The money will be given to the Red Cross for front-line emergency work, European Commission spokesman John Clancy said.
While information from the disaster area is still scant, the EU expects that victims will need immediate medical treatment, shelter and fresh water.
17 migrants dead, 217 rescued off Libyan coast by Italian Navy
Rome: The Italian Navy has found 17 dead migrants onboard a boat off the Libyan coast and rescued another 217 people from the same...
Man commits suicide before eviction from home
By Xinhua,
Los Angeles : A man fatally shot himself when officials came to his rented home in a suburb here to handover an eviction notice, the police said Saturday.
The incident took place Friday in Northridge when officials went to his home to handover the court order, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
Police officers, escorted to the home by a property manager, announced their presence and asked David Smith, the tenant, to come to the door.
British minister walks out of segregated Muslim wedding
By IANS,
London : A British minister Friday defended his decision to walk out of a Muslim wedding where men and women were separated, saying such practices ran against his efforts to build "inclusion."
Farming Minister Jim Fitzpatrick and his wife walked out of the marriage ceremony in his east London constituency - home to a large number of Bangladeshis - after discovering they would have to sit in separate rooms.
He told BBC radio Friday that such practices promoted "exclusion rather than inclusion," which his government was trying to build in areas like east London.
US Congress agrees on $1-tn budget bill to avoid shutdown
Washington : US Congressional leaders have agreed on a budget bill of $1 trillion to finance the federal government until 2015 and avert a...
The hitchhiker’s guide to European Union jargon
By DPA,
Brussels : The problem with trying to understand European Union (EU) jargon is that half the time you need a political dictionary, and the other half you need a map.
It sometimes seems that half of the EU's main policies were named after the cities in which they were created. The problem is that the nicknames almost never come with footnotes, leaving the unsuspecting visitor drowning in a sea of place-names.
US professor fired for criticizing Israel
By NNN-Prensa Latina
Washington : The University of DePaul, in the US city of Chicago, fired a professor of political theory for accusing Israel of using the Jewish holocaust to hide its current crimes, the TV channel Fox News reported on Tuesday.
The administration of the university told Prof. Norman Finkelstein that it would let him go, although he will continue to be on the school's payroll for another year, in compliance with his work contract.
Switzerland hails India’s economic power, backs n-energy: Envoy
By Manish Chand, IANS,
New Delhi : Switzerland sees India as "a rising economic power" and backs its efforts to develop civil nuclear energy, Swiss envoy Dominique Dreyer said here, days before a key meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in Vienna Aug 21.
"Switzerland is in favour of India developing its civilian nuclear energy. Switzerland depends on nuclear power for 30 percent of its energy needs. We have had a good experience with nuclear energy so far," the envoy told IANS in an interview.
Thousands attend Havana concert for peace
By DPA
Havana: Hundreds of thousands of Cubans gathered at the Revolution Plaza in Havana Sunday for a "Peace Without Borders" concert headlined by popular Colombian singer Juanes.
An estimated 650,000 people attended the concert making this the biggest event in Havana since Pope John Paul II's visit in 1998, CNN reported.
Most people wore white to symbolize peace and many held up signs that said "Peace on Earth" and "We Love You Juanes".
Six killed as inmates escape Tajik prison
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Dushanbe : Twenty-five inmates escaped from a prison in Tajikistan's capital of Dushanbe overnight, killing six security personnel in a dramatic jail break, a police source said Monday.
The incident occurred after 1 a.m. (local time) when one of the convicts attacked a duty officer, took his keys and opened the cells with other inmates. The prisoners later grabbed weapons from the duty room and opened fire at the guards.
GCC countries face numerous agricultural obstacles – expert
By NNN-KUNA,
Manama : Harsh weather conditions, lack of irrigation resources, and poor soil are some of the numerous obstacles facing agricultural development in the GCC region, stated an agricultural expert.
Desert science and wasteland expert Dr Assad Al-Ajmi said in a forum on GCC agriculture that the performance of agriculture as a productive force in the region was very weak, saying that the lack of sources to irrigate crops was also in the way of development for this sector.
Talks on Zimbabwe cabinet deferred
By DPA,
Harare : Talks set for Tuesday between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai on the appointment of ministers in a new unity government have been postponed indefinitely.
While both Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Mugabe's Zanu-PF confirmed the postponement, they would not be drawn on whether the delay spelled trouble for the country's day-old power-sharing deal.
S. Korea Names New Top Nuclear Envoy
By Bernama,
Seoul : South Korea replaced its chief nuclear negotiators Tuesday, putting the final touches on a sweeping shake-up of senior diplomats under the new government, Yonhap news agency reported.
Kim Sook, a veteran diplomat who spent most of his career handling North American affairs, takes the baton from Chun Yung-woo, who has been tapped the country's ambassador to an European nation. The Foreign Ministry withheld the name of the nation, citing the need for receiving diplomatic agreement from it on Chun's appointment.
Nepal’s ruling parties recruit private armies
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Fourteen years after Nepal's Maoist party formed its own army and waged a decade-long war on the government, the republic's ruling parties have now begun to recruit their own private armies, triggering a fresh controversy bound to impact the fragile peace process.
The Nepali Congress (NC), the biggest party in the ruling alliance, is set to present to the public Saturday the Tarun Dosta, a "young force" of 900 cadre trained in defence arts.
South Korea to send envoys to hasten nuclear talks
By RIA Novosti
Seoul : South Korea's president-elect will dispatch envoys to the US, Japan, China and Russia next month in an effort to achieve a breakthrough on the North Korean nuclear issue, a presidential aide has said.
"Lee Myung-bak has decided to convey through envoys his wish to visit the four countries soon after his February 25 inauguration," the aide said Monday. "The exact dates have yet to be determined, but we expect the visits to take place sometime next month."
Maldives headed towards presidential system
Male, Aug 19 (IANS) Maldives is headed towards a presidential system of government, early trends of results of Saturday's historic referendum in the Indian Ocean nation show.
Over 62,700 votes have gone in favour of a presidential system as against around 31,300 votes for a Westminster-style multiparty democracy, according to trends available at 9.30 a.m. India time Sunday.
Nepal landslide toll rises to 33
Kathmandu : The toll in the landside in Nepal's Sidhupalchok district climbed to 33 Tuesday as rescuers desperately searched for 120 people who are...
Bush signs historic n-deal law, assures fuel supply
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : US President George W. Bush has signed the enabling law on the India-US civil nuclear deal with an assurance that the US would honour its commitment on nuclear fuel supply assurances and processing of spent fuel.
"India can count on reliable fuel supplies (from US) for its reactors," said Bush as he signed the historic law, assuring the legislation makes no changes in the implementing 123 Agreement and it does not affect fuel exchange and reprocessing.
EU offers emergency aid for South Ossetia victims
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union's (EU) executive Sunday offered one million euros ($1.5 million) in emergency aid to the victims of fighting in the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia.
The aid is meant to "help cover the urgent humanitarian needs of thousands of civilians affected by the fighting in the region of South Ossetia and beyond in Georgia," a statement from the European Commission announcing the measure said.
Rail Service In Thailand’s Southern Border Area Resumes Amid Tight Security
By Bernama,
Hat Yai : Train services in Thailand's restive South resumed early Saturday amid tight security, six days after being suspended as a result of an attack in which three people and a police officer were killed, Thailand News Agency (TNA) reported.
Saturday's first train to the far south, packed with passengers, left Bangkok for Sungai Golok district in Narathiwat province on the Malaysian border, after State Railway of Thailand (SRT)'s staff returned to work as they were satisfied with the security measures.
Ahmadinejad: Obama, US’ final chance to repair lost image
By IRNA,
Tehran : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the US President Barack Obama is the US' last ditch hope for "real change" and for saving its image worldwide.
"Mr. Obama is the greatest and the last chance for the United States to make real change and repair its image in the world,” Ahmadinejad said in an interview with the New York Times on Thursday.
The Iranian president said that the US should seize this opportunity, because such an occasion will not come around again.
Chinese police officer who owns 192 houses sacked
By IANS,
Beijing : Authorities in south China's Guangdong province have sacked a senior policeman who allegedly owns a staggering 192 houses.
Sarkozy to run for second presidential term
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced his plans to run in the forthcoming presidential election for a second term in the office.
Argentinian driver returns $460,000 to passenger
By EFE,
Buenos Aires : A bus driver returned a suitcase containing more than $460,000 to a passenger who left it on the vehicle while going to a bank in the western Argentine city of San Juan.
Bus driver Alberto Rios got an $80 reward for his efforts from the passenger, a business executive, who said he was under great stress after losing track of the money belonging to the company he works for.
Rios found the suitcase, which contained pesos, dollars and euros, earlier this month while inspecting his bus at the end of a shift, the Diario de Cuyo newspaper reported.
Pope to baptize Muslim journalist: report
By DPA
Vatican City : An Italian journalist who is under police protection in the wake of threats from Muslim extremists is set to be baptized late Saturday by Pope Benedict XVI, according to news reports citing the Vatican's spokesman.
The Egyptian-born Magdi Allam, a deputy editor for Italy's most respected newspaper Corriere della Sera, will join five other converts who will receive sacraments from the pope, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency.
Sharif sentenced to 10 years for graft, daughter gets 7 (Lead)
By IANS
Islamabad, July 6 (IANS) Dealing a severe blow to the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) ahead of the general elections, former Prime Minister Nawaz...
Sobhraj found guilty again, freedom dream recedes
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Once known for his adroitness in escaping from the most stringently guarded prisons across the world, yesteryear's crime maestro Charles Sobhraj now seems fated to languish in Nepal's dingy central jail for life with a lower court Thursday delivering a guilty verdict that has grave implications for the murder case he has been fighting for six years.
Obama presses for action on his plan to jumpstart economy
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Picking up the theme from his first news conference, US President-elect Barack Obama used his first radio address since winning the presidency to press for action on his proposals to restore the economy.
In the weekly Democratic radio address Saturday, Obama hit upon key points that he made a day earlier, saying that he recognises "we only have one president at a time," but that "we don't have a moment to lose."
Missing Mexican students’ parents seek suspension of state powers
Mexico City : The families of Mexico's 43 missing students are seeking the suspension of powers of the government of Guerrero state where the...
White House puts aside FBI’s warnings on detainee abuse
By Xinhua,
Washington : The White House ignored early warnings from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, that U.S. interrogators may have abused detainees, according to a new report from the Justice Department.
The report, released here Wednesday, shows that FBI agents started reporting as early as 2002 about abusive interrogations methods used on detained terror suspects, including sexual humiliation, prolonged shackling and exposure to extreme temperatures.
Sri Lanka president ‘war criminal’, try him, demand Tamils
By IANS,
Toronto : Sri Lankan Tamils in Canada have called for an international trial of the Sri Lankan president for allegedly ordering the killing of surrendering LTTE leaders during the ethnic war that ended in May.
Former Sri Lankan army chief and opposition presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka has alleged that Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered troops to kill three top LTTE leaders when they raised white flags to surrender.
The defence secretary is the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Tsunami destroys Samoa villages after powerful quake
By DPA,
Washington/Wellington : At least 25 people died in the Pacific island states of Samoa and American Samoa after a tsunami was triggered by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake Tuesday, according to reports from the region.
A number of coastal villages were swept away and reports said the death toll was bound to rise as people who were evacuated to higher ground after the shake returned to lower levels.
28 jailed in Beijing investment scam
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Twenty-eight people were jailed Monday by a Beijing court that found them guilty of running an investment scam that defrauded over 22,000 investors.
The accused, who all worked for the Yilin Wood Company, were alleged to have defrauded more than 22,000 investors of 1.68 billion yuan ($246 million) by promising high returns on sales of forestry plantations.
The scam, which is also referred to as a pyramid scheme, involves one salesperson recruiting other sales people, who in turn recruit more.
Russia Takes Measures against Social Problems
By Prensa Latina
Moscow : Russia has taken measures to guarantee the continuity of the social policy implemented by President Vladimir Putin over the past eight years after the transfer of power.
Less than two months before the presidential elections, Putin is aiming the government's efforts to solve the most pressing social problems.
Commandos rescue Sri Lankan minister held hostage in TV station
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : Armed Sri Lankan commandos Thursday rescued a minister held hostage for hours by furious employees of the state-owned television here after he allegedly assaulted a senior official of the station.
Labour Minister Mervyn Silva, who once hit the headlines for asking the Tamils to go back "to their homes in India", was confined to a room by thousands of employees after he allegedly assaulted the director of news for not featuring him in a telecast.
Silent in the past, why has the Gulf reacted so strongly this time?
The experts said that targeting Prophet Muhammad, the most revered figure in Islam is a red line for Muslims across the world.
Zafar Aafaq |...
EU constantly works to enhance relations with GCC — official
By KUNA,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) constantly works to enhance its relations with the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), through agreements over important issues, said an EU official.
The official, requesting anonymity, told KUNA that there were a number of issues that needed to be addressed before the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two sides could be signed.
China police rescue 248 people from slavery in brick kilns
By Xinhua
Zhengzhou : Chinese police have rescued 248 people who had been forced to work as 'slaves' in brick kilns, while widespread crackdown is underway.
    Police in central Henan Province have rescued 217 people, including 29 children, and detained 120 suspects after a 4-day crackdown campaign involving more than 35,000 police to check 7,500 kilns in the province.
    In the area around Xinxiang, north of Zhengzhou, police raided 20 brick kilns on Saturday and rescued 23 people including 16 children.
Venezuela proposes oil-for-food fund
By Xinhua,
Managua (Nicaragua) : The Venezuelan government has urged Latin American energy-rich countries to create an oil-for-food fund for regional development.
“The time has arrived for the Latin American and Caribbean people to discuss our right to quality food," Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's foreign minister, said at the Sovereignty and Food Security Summit in Managua Wednesday.
After nuclear test, North Korea test-fires missile
By Xinhua,
Seoul : North Korea appeared to have test-fired a short-range missile Monday after it conducted a nuclear test, a media report said. The 130 km-range missile was fired from its Musudanri missile base in Southern Hamkyung province, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said.
"The US and South Korean authorities are working together to assess the missile launch," Yonhap said, quoting sources.
World Bank official urges Singapore to relax social controls
By ANTARA News/AFP,
Singapore : Singapore should consider relaxing some of its strict social laws to allow for greater creativity, which will help it stay competitive in the long term, a top World Bank official said here Tuesday.
The city-state, Southeast Asia's richest economy, is seen by many developing countries as a model of economic progress but it also has its critics who point out its restricted press freedom and political expression.
Sri Lankan court opens hearing against ex-army chief
By DPA,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan High Court held its first hearing Thursday in a case against the former army chief, charged with bringing disrepute to the government.
General Sarath Fonseka stands accused of claiming that the defence secretary gave the order not to spare surrendering Tamil rebels in the closing stages of the conflict last year.
On the first day of the hearing, the court issued summons to 20 witnesses including an editor of the newspaper which published the comments by Fonseka.
The witnesses were to appear in court Sep 27.
Boeing jet with 123 on board crashes in Kyrgyzstan
By DPA,
Bishkek/Moscow : A Boeing 737 passenger jet with 123 people on board crashed in Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek city airport Sunday, the Kyrgyz Civil Defence Ministry reported.
A spokesman for the airport confirmed that fatalities did occur, but could provide no details, according to the Interfax news agency.
The jet, on its way to Iran, was five kilometres from Bishkek airport when it went down. The airline that owned the plane was not yet known.
2,000-year-old palace discovered in Mexico
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : A team of Mexican specialists discovered remnants of a 2,000-year-old Mayan palace at an archaeological site in the southeastern state of Chiapas.
Norwegian firm ready to join missing jet hunt
Oslo: Swire Seabed, a Bergen-based Norwegian company involved in the search for a missing Air France jetliner nearly five years back, has said it...
US airline traffic dips
By IANS,
Washington : US airline system traffic in September shrank from a year ago, authorities said.
Chinese home prices likely to fall this year: Analysts
By IANS,
Beijing: Chinese home prices are likely to fall by more than 10 percent this year due to the government's prudent monetary policy and other tightening measures, analysts said.
Georgia warns Russia, Abkhazia against establishing sea links
By RIA Novosti,
Tbilisi : Georgia pledged Wednesday to appeal to international organizations if regular sea links are set up between its breakaway republic of Abkhazia and Russia.
Russian media reported recently that regular passenger routes between Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi and Gagra in Abkhazia will be restarted on July 1.
With Love from Obama, a ‘Chadar’ for Ajmer Sharif
By Quaid Najmi ,
Mumbai: The 803rd Urs (annual feast) celebrations of the revered saint Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisty of Ajmer, starting Monday, will...
McCain concedes defeat; pledges to help Obama lead
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Within minutes of TV networks projecting Democrat Barack Obama as the next president of the United States, Republican rival John McCain conceded defeat and vowed to help Obama lead the nation through its challenges.
"I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face," said McCain before his supporters in Phoenix, Arizona urging all Americans to join him in congratulating Obama.
McCain's running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, was standing with him, but she did not speak, CNN said.
ILO adopts standards for fisheries sector
By NNN-ZANIS
Lusaka : The just ended 96th session of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has adopted new standards designed to improve the conditions of more than 30 million men and women working in the fisheries sector worldwide.
The new standards, contained in a convention, to be known as “The Work in Fishing Convention, 2007", will come into effect when it is ratified by 10 of the ILO’s 180 member states.
Thousands visit UAE’s Shanghai Expo pavilion
By IANS,
Shanghai : The UAE pavilion at the ongoing Shanghai Expo is attracting thousands of people daily.
Firgilo Sosa, general commissioner of Panama's pavilion, said the UAE pavilion showcases history and current urban landmarks of the UAE.
Tenj Kong, one of the visitors, told WAM that although he knows about the Islamic country, he was surprised at how well the pavilion showcased the country's progress.
Another visitor said she was looking forward to travelling to the country after visiting the pavilion.
US commission wants Pakistan designated for violations of religious freedom
By Arun Kumar
Washington : An independent US commission has asked the State Department to designate Pakistan and seven others as "countries of particular concern,"...
Google sponsors $30 million prize for moon shot
By DPA
San Francisco : Internet giant Google has announced a $30 million prize for a team that manages to send an unmanned buggy to the moon and beam back one gigabyte of images and video.
The competition will be run by the X Prize Foundation, a California-based non-profit group whose $10 million Ansari X Prize spurred a private-sector space race that was won in 2004 by aircraft designer Burt Rutan and financier Paul Allen for a pair of flights by SpaceShipOne.
OPEC oil price rises above $65
By DPA,
Vienna : The price of oil produced by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) rose for the sixth straight day and passed the $65-mark Tuesday, the Vienna-based group said Wednesday.
The cartel's basket price reached $65.04 per barrel (159 litres) Tuesday, gaining $0.40 from the previous day.
Traders and analysts have attributed the upward trend to positive signals from the US housing market, along with better-than-expected quarterly results by US companies such as Apple and Caterpillar.
African AIDS epidemic slows down: World Bank
By Xinhua
Abidjan : The pace of the deadly AIDS epidemic is slowing down in some African countries due to a series of effective prevention measures, Cote d'Ivoire media quoted a World Bank report as saying.
Twenty killed in fighting in Somalia
By XINHUA,
Mogadishu : Twenty civilians were killed and 33 wounded in heavy artillery exchange between insurgents and African Union (AU) peacekeepers here, witnesses and hospital sources said Wednesday.
Witnesses in Hawlwadag, Hodon and K4 areas said a number of mortar and artillery shells landed in local neighbourhoods after insurgents attacked the bases of AU peacekeepers, who then retaliated with heavy artillery.
"Five people died in a house near ours when artillery shell hit their house overnight," a witness said.
Night curfew in cyclone-hit Fiji, seven killed
By DPA
Wellington : A 24-hour curfew from 6 p.m. Wednesday was declared in the town of Nadi, near Fiji's main international airport, after it was flooded by tropical Cyclone Gene which strafed the Pacific island state, killing at least seven people.
Police commissioner Esala Teleni said the curfew was necessary for public safety as the town - the main gateway for foreign tourists heading for Fiji's offshore island resorts - remained flooded, the Fiji Times website reported.
Teleni said the curfew would be reviewed daily.
Australia sends plane to bring back MH17 victims
Canberra : Australia Tuesday sent a C-17 military plane to the Netherlands to bring back the victims of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 which...
Nepalese ‘Buddha boy’ resurfaces after year-long absence
By DPA,
Kathmandu : A Nepalese teenager dubbed the "Buddha boy" has resurfaced in the southern part of the country a year after he disappeared from his meditation place, police said Tuesday.
Ram Bahadur Bomjam, 18, captured the imagination of Nepalese in 2005 when he reportedly meditated in a jungle for several months without food, water or sleep.
He quietly left the site in a jungle in southern Nepal last year after thousands of people had made their way to get a glimpse of him.
Lewis to sing for US president-elect Barack Obama
By IANS,
London : Upcoming British singer Leona Lewis is planning to join rappers Jay-Z and Beyonce to sing for US president-elect Barack Obama at an inauguration function Jan 20 in Washington DC.
According to thesun.co.uk, Lewis had joined other musicians like Will.i.am, Bruce Springsteen and P Diddy in campaigning for Obama.
Myanmar leader pledges to spare no efforts to hold general election in 2010
By Xinhua,
Yangon : Myanmar leader Lieutenant-General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo has pledged that the country will spare no efforts to hold the general election in 2010, according to Saturday's official newspaper New Light of Myanmar.
Tin Aung Myint Oo, First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council, made the pledge at a ceremony marking the 63rd anniversary of the United Nations Day in Nay Pyi Taw Friday evening.
Obama wins big in North Carolina, Clinton ahead in Indiana
By Ronald Baygents, KUNA,
Washington : Barack Obama soundly defeated Hillary Clinton on Tuesday in the North Carolina primary, while Clinton held a narrow lead in the Indiana primary as the U.S.
Democratic presidential campaign entered its final four weeks with the nomination undecided, but Obama still the favorite.
Mugabe dismisses opposition claims of violence
By DPA,
Johannesburg/Harare : Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has dismissed opposition claims of violence ahead of next week's presidential run-off election, saying the claims were aimed at tainting the vote, state media as reported.
The Herald newspaper quoted the 84-year-old Mugabe speaking at a rally in the country's second city Bulawayo on Friday as saying: "They have been saying their supporters are being beaten up by our soldiers. They say this so that they can later say the elections were not free and fair, which is a damn lie!"
US envoy heads to China for talks on North Korea
By SPA
Washington : US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill will travel to Beijing this weekend for discussions with Chinese officials on ending North Korea’s nuclear-weapons programs, the State Department said Friday.
“He’ll have further discussions there with Chinese officials on how to move the six-party process forward,” deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters, adding that Hill’s talks would take place on Saturday. The spokesman said he did not know whether Hill’s North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye-gwan, would also be in Beijing.
Russian police detain 2,100 to prevent ethnic clash
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian police have detained more than 2,100 protesters in and around Moscow to prevent clash between ultra-nationalists and migrants.
Indonesians mourn as former president Soeharto buried
By Xinhua
Jakarta : Thousands of people flocked to the Astana Giribangun mausoleum in the Indonesian town of Solo Monday to pay their last respects to former president Soeharto who left a complex legacy after 32 years in power.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono led the top-class military procession, attended also by the military commander, the chiefs of the three branches of the armed forces and the national police chief in the royal city, about 400 km east of Jakarta.
No war crimes questions, Sri Lankan general returns from US
By DPA,
Colombo : General Sarath Fonseka, who was Sri Lanka's army commander when it defeated Tamil separatist rebels in May, returned home from US Thursday without being questioned by US authorities about alleged war crimes.
Fonseka, who is now chief of the defence staff, was on a private visit to the US to visit his daughters when the US Department of Homeland Security asked him to present himself for an interview Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
Chinese student gets life sentence for killing teacher
By Xinhua,
Taiyuan (China) : A 17-year-old student was sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing a teacher last year in north China's Shanxi Province, a court announced Wednesday.
The student, identified only by his surname of Li, was dissatisfied with the work of head teacher Hao Xudong, according to evidence heard by the Intermediate People's Court of Shuozhou City during the initial trial.
The court was told that Oct. 4, Li, a student at the No. 2 Middle School of Shuozhou City, repeatedly stabbed Hao with a knife in a classroom. Hao died of blood loss.
Powerful quake rocks southern New Zealand
By DPA,
Wellington : A powerful earthquake estimated between 6.6 and 8.2 on the Richter scale rocked southern New Zealand Wednesday, forcing authorities to issue a tsunami warning.
New Zealand seismologists said the temblor measured 6.6 but reports from the US Geological Survey said it was 7.8 and another measurement put it at 8.2, according to a local civil defence official.
Minister escapes suspected LTTE assassination bid
By IANS,
Colombo : A Sri Lankan cabinet minister Thursday escaped an assassination attempt by a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber on the outskirts of Colombo that left one of his guards dead.
Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the suicide bomber blew himself up targeting the motorcade of Agricultural Development Minister Maithiripala Sirisena at a traffic junction at Boralasgamuwa, about 10 km east of Colombo, around 1.15 p.m.
US riots: Six gunshots killed African-American teenager, says report
New York : Six gunshots, two of them in the head, killed African-American teenager Michael Brown, whose death has sparked unrest in the US...
Emirates orders 32 more A380s from Airbus for $11.5 billion
By D. Balaji,IANS,
Berlin : Dubai-based Emirates Airline Tuesday placed a fresh order with Airbus Industrie for an additional 32 A380 super jumbos at a cost of $11.5 billion.
"This latest order, adding to 58 A380s we have booked, affirms our strategy to become a world leading carrier and establish Dubai as a central gateway to global air travel," Emirates chief executive Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum told reporters on the margins of the 100th Berlin air show here.
Hot water truck explodes in China, one dead
By IANS,
Shanghai: One worker was killed and another was injured Tuesday when a hot water supply truck exploded here in the Chinese business hub.
US, Norway deny helping Fonseka
By IANS,
New Delhi: The US and Norway Thursday denied Sri Lankan Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa's allegation that they helped former army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka during the polls.
"There is no truth to the defense secretary's claims that the US provided financial support to the opposition candidate in Sri Lanka's presidential election," the US embassy in Colombo said in a statement.
"The US backed no candidate but strongly supported a free, fair, and credible democratic process," it said.
North Korea rejects UN resolution on human rights
Pyongyang : North Korea Monday rejected a UN resolution condemning human rights violations in the country.
North Korea "totally opposes and rejects" the resolution, "a...
Russia to veto draft UN resolution on Syrian war
United Nations: Russia will veto a draft resolution of the UN Security Council which intends to refer the Syrian civil war to the International...
Court Sentences Abusers during Genoa Summit
By Prensa Latina,
Rome : An Italian court sentenced 15 of 45 defendants involved in abuses and beatings of demonstrators during the G-8 Summit in Genoa to a total of 24 years in prison.
After 12 hours of deliberations, the court of the Italian city of Bolzaneto announced the sentences handed over to the defendants, including riot police officers, prison officials and medical personnel, who were involved in the events that took place in July 2001.
Thai poll winner party says it can form coalition
By Xinhua
Bangkok : The People Power Party (PPP), which secured the highest number of seats in Thailand's first post-coup general elections Sunday, said Monday it is in a position to form a coalition government.
PPP secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee said Monday that the PPP would ally with some other parties to reach 280 to 290 seats, which will be enough for it to form a coalition government.
He said the PPP would not reveal the names of the parties, but would rather wait until the voting results are confirmed by the Election Commission (EC) after Jan 3.
Presidential election begins in Maldives
By Xinhua,
Male : The first-ever multi party presidential election began Wednesday in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Maldives with six candidates contesting the presidency.
The incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has been the president since November 1978, will run for the presidency representing the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People's Party).
MH17 crash: Obama points to rebels in Ukraine
Washington : US President Barack Obama Friday said at the missile that took down a Malaysian jetliner killing 298 people on board was fired...
Japan seabed shifted 24 metres after quake
By IANS,
Tokyo : A magnitude-9 quake that rocked northeastern Japan last month has shifted the seabed near the epicentre by 24 metres, a media report said Thursday.
Seven die as military plane crashes into building in Ecuador capital
By DPA,
Quito : Seven people were killed when a military aircraft crashed into an apartment building in thick fog and exploded in the capital of Ecuador.
All five people on board the eight-seat propeller Beechcraft plane and two people on the ground died in Thursday night's crash in northern Quito, authorities said. Four people were injured, one seriously.
The plane was flying low as it prepared to land in Quito and grazed a tree before it flew into the building, witnesses said.
Three-year-old buys $12,200 excavator on website
By DPA,
Wellington : Three-year-old New Zealand girl Pipi Quinlan is pretty smart on the computer - too smart for her parents, who woke up one morning to find she had bought a full-size excavating digger on an auction website for 20,000 New Zealand dollars ($12,200), a newspaper reported Friday.
Waking up early at their home in Stanmore Bay, near Auckland, Pipi decided to play with the computer while her parents slept in, the Rodney Times reported.
China quake toll 10,000, thousands still cut off
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Rescuers were Tuesday racing against time to reach survivors, a day after China's strongest quake in more than three decades jolted the southwestern province of Sichuan.
By 7 a.m. Tuesday, the death toll from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake had climbed to 9,219. Of these, at least 8,993 were killed in Sichuan, the ministry of civil affairs said.
Wenchuan county, the epicentre, reported 57 confirmed deaths, and about 60,000 locals could still not be contacted.
Spanish Opposition Moves Far Right
By Prensa Latina
Madrid : Spain's president of government candidate for IU (United Left), Gaspar Llamazares, warned on Friday that opposition PP (Popular Party) is taking up the standards of the extreme right in its campaign.
In a meeting with foreign journalists in Madrid, Llamazares strongly criticized the so-called contract for immigrants proposed by PP hopeful Mariano Rajoy as "pure Islamophobia."
Thai PM says he accepts court ban on him, his party
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said Tuesday he accepted the ruling by the constitutional court banning him from politics for five years and dissolving his party for electoral fraud.
Somchai reacted calmly to the verdict by saying: "I did my best to administer the country."
Thailand's Constitution Court Tuesday ruled the three constituents of the ruling coalition -- People Power Party (PPP), Chart Thai Party and Matchima Thipataya Party guilty of electoral fraud and ordered them to be dissolved.
No talks before Georgia withdraw troops: Russia
By Xinhua,
Brussels : Russia will not negotiate with Georgia unless it withdraws troops from the frontlines in the Caucasian region of South Ossetia, a senior Russian official said Saturday.
Russian ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said there would be no negotiations unless Georgian troops return to their positions prior to the conflict in the breakaway region of South Ossetia.
"They must retreat to the place where they were before. They must retreat to the place where they were three days ago," Rogozin told reporters in Brussels.
US greenlight to world’s first stem cell treatment on humans
By IANS,
London : The world's first experiments using embryonic stem cells to treat humans have been given the go-ahead in the US.
California-based biotech firm Geron will begin clinical trials on patients paralysed by spinal cord injuries.
Scientists hope that injecting cells from discarded human embryos into the spines of volunteers will trigger regrowth of damaged nerve cells and eventually allow the patients to recover feeling and movement, says a Daily Mail report from the US.
Coalition parties in Thai gov’t want PM resign to defuse tension
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Coalition parties of Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's People Power Party (PPP) have agreed to ask the prime minister to step down to defuse political tension as a civil revolt appeared out of control after four days of mass protests, media here reported Friday.
The decision was made at a meeting at the residence of Banharn Silapa-archa, leader of the Chart Thai Party, one of the five coalition partners in the Samak government late Friday evening, according to a report by The Nation website, quoting unnamed sources.
Brown is Britain’s 52nd PM – moves next door
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : Gordon Brown Wednesday became the 52nd individual to take over as Britain's prime minister, entering 10, Downing Street, a residence that has been the setting for some of history's greatest politicians and epochal moments.
Moscow to expel NATO representative: Report
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia is to expel the head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's information office from Moscow, a report said Tuesday, in a sign of a continued deterioration of the country's relations with the Western military alliance.
Diplomat Isabelle Francois and a NATO colleague are expected to be told formally to leave Russia Wednesday morning, the Interfax news agency said, citing a source in the Russian foreign ministry.
US-India business successes highlighted on Capitol Hill
By Arun Kumar ,
Washington: The economic successes of three US corporations in India and three Indian companies in the US were highlighted at an...
USAID complete 50 years of partnership with Morocco
By SPA,
Rabat : “As Morocco has developed and its needs have evolved, so has the nature of the collaboration between Morocco and the United States. Cooperation continues, with the mutual goal of building a Moroccan nation that is competitive in the global marketplace,” added the release.
USAID's programmers include activities in three main areas: Governance, Education and Workforce Development, and Economic Growth.
Four killed as plane crash lands in Honduras
By IANS,
Tegucigalpa (Honduras) : Four people were killed and 60 injured when an airliner ran off the runway after landing at Tegucigalpa's Toncontin International Airport, Spain's EFE news agency reported.
The accident happened a little before 10 a.m. Friday (1600 GMT), when the airliner operated by San Salvador-based TACA airlines burst through the barrier at the end of the runway and plowed into a busy street, destroying at least two cars and breaking into three sections.
Curfew in Nepal town as maoists-UML cadres clash, 24 injured
By NNN-PTI,
Kathmandu : Indefinite curfew was clamped in an eastern Nepal town today, after some two dozen people were injured in police firing, following a violent clash between youth activists of country's two main political parties.
The police opened fire to control the situation as the activists of CPN-Maoist affiliated Young Communist League and the Youth Force of CPN-UML clashed over the issue of fund raising in Dhankuta town, police said.
Nearly two dozen activists from both of the groups injured during the incident, the police said.
Pressure mine kills two Sri Lankan soldiers
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : Within hours of the Sri Lankan government's announcement that it had decided to abrogate the ceasefire agreement with the Tamil Tigers, two soldiers were killed Thursday when their vehicle ran over a pressure mine.
The incident took place in Kebetigollewa in north central Sri Lanka, an army spokesperson told IANS.
Kebetigollewa had been the site of two claymore mine attacks earlier. The blast in 2006 claimed the lives of 64 civilian bus passengers and the one in 2007 took the lives of 15 bus passengers, again all civilians.
UN resumes aid flights to cyclone-hit Myanmar
By DPA,
Bangkok/Yangon : The World Food Programme (WFP) Saturday resumed flying emergency supplies into cyclone-devastated Myanmar despite an ongoing dispute with the country's junta over how the aid will be distributed.
"Given the humanitarian crisis, we felt the need to continue the supplies," said Marcus Prior, a spokesman for the WFP in Bangkok.
Muslim parents sue UK school for banning girl’s hijab
By IANS,
London : A Muslim couple have sued a school in Britain after it banned students from wearing the traditional Islamic headscarf or hijab, a media report said Thursday.
Between Obama, McCain how Washington will view the Middle East
By Joe Macaron, KUNA,
Washington : The Middle East awaits with anticipation the outcome of the US presidential elections to learn more about the foreign policy features of the next administration that will decide how Washington would approach challenges overseas.
Zimbabwe opposition leader to meet African leaders in Belfast
By DPA,
Johannesburg : Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, whose supporters are awaiting his return to his troubled country after more than a month's absence, was thousands of miles away in Northern Ireland Friday.
Tsvangirai's spokesman George Sibotshiwe confirmed that the MDC leader, who topped the March 29 presidential elections, was in Belfast to address a meeting of liberal democratic politicians from around the world.
World Cup to generate one million jobs in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro: The FIFA World Cup which is taking place in 12 Brazilian cities will generate one million jobs in the country.
The tournament...
US lawmaker sues Obama over NSA data collection
By IANS,
Washington : A US lawmaker Wednesday officially filed his class-action lawsuit against the Obama administration over National Security Agency (NSA) data collection, joining...