Canadian prime minister restakes claims to the Arctic
By DPA
Ottawa/New York : Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has restaked his country's claims to the resource-rich Arctic region by going on an "Arctic sovereignty tour".
Harper started the three-day tour with the announcement of an expansion of a nature reserve in Canada's far north, one of the remotest regions on the planet.
The announcement means that the Nahanni National Park in the North-West Territories would cover 28,000 sq. km in the future.
39 dead, 5 missing as ferry sinks in Vietnam
By Xinhua,
Hanoi : Thirty nine people died and five others were missing after a ferry with more than 80 passengers on board sank in Quang Binh province of central Vietnam Sunday morning, said a government official here.
The overloaded ferry hit strong winds and sank into a river in Quang Binh province. The ferry was designed to carry only 40 to 50 people, said the unnamed official.
Rescue workers have found bodies of 39 victims so far, said the official.
World Bank warns of rising protectionism amid global recession
By DPA,
Washington : The World Bank warned Tuesday that protectionism has been on the rise across the globe since the financial crisis plunged the world into recession, despite government promises to avoid moves that restrict global trade.
The World Bank said it had identified 47 national measures that restrict trade since the financial crisis exploded in September. The development lender earlier this month predicted that world trade was headed for its steepest decline in 80 years.
Australia spurns US request to take Guantanamo inmates
By DPA,
Sydney : Australia rejected Saturday a formal request from the US to resettle Chinese nationals currently detained in the Guantanamo Bay military prison.
The Australian newspaper said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had been urged by Beijing not to take the 17 former terror suspects who are ethnic Uyghurs.
President George W. Bush is reluctant to let China take the Uyghurs for fear they would be tortured or even executed.
UN Security Council urges Iraqis to form new government
By DPA,
New York : The UN Security Council Thursday urged "all political entities" in Iraq to form a new government now that the country's constitutional court has certified results of the March 7 parliamentary elections.
The council issued a statement read by its president, Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller, which called the elections an important step in Iraq's political process to reaffirm its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Myanmar military junta frees protesters ahead of Gambari’s visit
By NNN-Bernama
Nay Pyi Tiaw (Myanmar) : The Myanmar military junta released most of the 2,000-odd people who were held for questioning on their involvement in last month's anti-government protests ahead of UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari's visit to Myanmar next month.
Information Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan said the government had freed 2,147 of the 2,284 people arrested in Yangon at the height of the street protests.
It had also released 551 of the 643 people detained for participation in pro-democracy protests in other towns.
German minister in plagiarism row to resign: Report
By DPA,
Berlin : German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who has been embroiled in a plagiarism scandal, will resign Tuesday, Bild newspaper reported.
China installs largest optical telescope in Antarctica
By IANS,
Beijing : A Chinese expedition team to Antarctica has finished installing and testing the largest optical telescope in the snow-capped region, experts said.
EU should review relations with Russia: Brown
By DPA,
London/Moscow : The European Union (EU), due Monday to hold an emergency meeting on the Georgia crisis, should make a "root and branch" review of its relations with Russia, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a newspaper article published Sunday.
Russia's "hostile action towards Georgia" raised two urgent questions: How best to stabilise Georgia now, "and how to make it clear to Russia that its unilateral approach is dangerous and unacceptable," he wrote in The Observer.
Cambodia, Thailand to solve problem of Thai troops stationed in disputed area
By Xinhua,
Phnom Penh : The Cambodian and Thai governments will have a top meeting to solve the matter of nearly 200 Thai troops stationed inside a Cambodian pagoda 200 meters away from the Preah Vihear Temple, a Cambodian official said here on Wednesday.
The border committees of both countries will have a top meeting as soon as possible to solve the problem of Thai troops who went into a pagoda on Cambodian territory without moving back, Khieu Kanharith, Cambodian Minister of Information and government spokesman, told reporters in a press conference.
Nude picture of Carla Bruni sold for $91,000
By DPA
New York : The auction house Christie's Thursday sold a nude photograph of Carla Bruni, wife of French President Nicholas Sarkozy, to an anonymous buyer for $91,000.
Christie's said that the photograph was taken in 1993 by photographer Michel Comte and was part of a collection held by Gert Elfering of Munich.
American Airlines cancels over 3,000 flights in week
By NNN-Xinhua
Beijing : American Airlines canceled 570 flights scheduled for Friday as it continues its weeklong struggle with aircraft safety inspections.
The cancellation raised the number of flights canceled in this week to more than 3,000 for inspection and repair of wiring in the wheel wells of its Boeing MD-80s.
On Thursday, American canceled over 930 flights related to the MD-80 inspections. That followed the cancellation of 1,094 flights on Wednesday and 460 canceled flights on Tuesday.
About 400,000 Vietnamese Suffer From Blindness
By Bernama,
Hanoi : About 400,000 Vietnamese people suffer from blindness while 1.5 million people lost sight in one eye, according to figures released by the Vietnamese National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO) ahead of the World Sight Day.
The rate of blindness currently stood at 0.43 in Vietnam, the Chinese news agency XINHUA quoted the NIO figures as showing.
The main causes include cataract and glaucoma.
Why pirates stay undeterred
By Ilya Kramnik, RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The pirates who hijacked the Danish vessel CEC Future in the Gulf of Aden last week were not deterred by a large group of warships from different countries, including Russia's Neustrashimy frigate, sent to the gulf to protect merchant vessels.
The general cargo vessel registered in the Bahamas was attacked as it was crossing the Gulf and was forced to divert toward the Somalian coastline.
Eleven of the 13-member crew of the hijacked vessel are Russian citizens. Clipper Projects, the Danish operator of the vessel, is negotiating their release.
Suspected gang members kill seven in Guatemala
By IANS
Guatemala City : Seven people have been gunned down by a suspected gang members in northern Guatemala city, the police have said.
According to a police spokesman, the massacre occurred Saturday night in Chinautla, a working-class neighborhood that has been plagued by gang violence, EFE news agency reported Monday.
"According to the investigation, we are dealing with 'Mara 18' members who used a vehicle and a motorcycle. They had automatic weapons and assault rifles," the police spokesman said.
Ukraine to bid for Euro 2020
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Kiev : Euro 2012 host Ukraine has announced it would bid for the right to stage some Euro 2020 games.
China, South Korea, Japan move to strengthen ties
By DPA,
Seoul : The heads of three of Asia's leading nations agreed Saturday to create a liaison office to help cement their international cooperation.
The new office, based in Seoul and focusing on the interests of South Korea, China and Japan, should "strengthen, institutionalise and facilitate cooperation among the three nations".
The agreement was made during a three-way summit by South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
Can cell phones protect us against deadly chemicals?
By IANS,
Washington: The "smartphones" many of us now carry have a three to five mega pixel lens, not to mention an MP3 player, GPS or even a bar code scanner. What if new functions on our cell phones can also protect us from toxic chemicals?
The US Deparment of Homeland Security's science and technology directorate's Cell-All is such an initiative.
Cell-All aims to equip cell phones with a sensor capable of detecting deadly chemicals. The technology is ingenious.
Modi takes tour of Cheonggyecheon Stream urban renewal project
Seoul : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a tour of the Cheonggyecheon Stream urban renewal project and praised the vision that converted...
Three killed in Italy avalanches
By DPA,
Rome : At least three people, including a Czech man, were killed in Italy Saturday in three separate incidents involving avalanches on the country's Alps, news reports said.
The deaths brought to four the weekend's toll and follow a spate of fatal accidents that have prompted the government to mull proposals to curb reckless behaviour such as off-track skiing in unstable snow conditions.
Experts say such activities are among the major causes of avalanches.
US House passes surveillance bill despite Bush veto threat
By DPA
Washington : The US House of Representatives has passed a terrorist surveillance bill that President George W. Bush had pledged to veto as it does not protect phone companies who cooperate with the government without court approval.
The Democrat-controlled House refused to grant lawsuit immunity to telecoms cooperating in the secret monitoring of phone calls or emails of suspected foreign terrorists passing through the US. The House approved the measure by a 213-197 vote.
Clooney plans fundraiser for Haiti victims
By DPA,
Los Angeles : Hollywood superstar George Clooney is organising a marathon for Haitian earthquake relief and is calling on his A-list colleagues to join him, MTV Networks said Thursday.
MTV gave no date for the celebrity fundraiser, but unconfirmed reports said it would air Friday Jan 22. No stars have officially signed on to the initiative yet, but reports said that stars such as Sting and many others are expected to appear.
Paraguayan president fined for traffic violation
By IANS,
Asuncion : Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, who hogged the headlines recently by admitting to have fathered a child while he was a bishop, has now been fined for violating the country's traffic rules, EFE reported Sunday.
Highway transit chief Eduardo Petta said that he imposed a fine of 520,000 guaranis (about $100) on the head of state for illegally overtaking another vehicle between the towns of Paraguari and Carapegua, some 100 km southeast of the capital Asuncion. His driving licence had also expired.
Security Council authorizes 3,500 more UN peacekeepers for Haiti
By IRNA,
Tehran : The Security Council Tuesday backed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call to increase the overall force levels of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
According to a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) here on Wednesday, such a move is to support the immediate recovery, reconstruction and stability efforts following last week’s devastating earthquake.
Thai Supreme Commander says soldiers to follow if PM orders them to drive protestors
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Thailand's Supreme Commander Boonsang Niampradit said on Saturday that the soldiers have the duty to follow if the premier orders the military to crack down the anti-government protestors.
Boonsang's statement came shortly after Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said police and soldiers will crack down on protestors if they fail to move out of the Rajdamnen Road in central Bangkok Saturday.
4 die in US plane crash
By IANS/EFE,
Washington : Four people died when an aircraft on a test flight crashed at the airport in Roswell, New Mexico, police said.
Obama writes to ‘absolutely critical country’ India
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington: Underscoring the importance of working closely with India, "an absolutely critical country" in the region, US President Barack Obama has despatched a personal letter to New Delhi through a top envoy.
"We consider India an absolutely critical country in the region," the US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, said Wednesday disclosing the despatch of the "presidential letter" through US Undersecretary of State William Burns.
Undersea Quake Rocks East Timor
By Prensa Latina,
Dili : An earthquake with magnitude of 6.4 on the Ritcher scale has struck off the East Timor coast in Dili on Saturday, causing panic among people who ran on the streets.
The Indonesian Meteorological Agency, located the epicenter of the tremor northeast of Dili, said the quake struck about 54 miles north of the capital, Dili, at a depth of approximately six miles, at 03:12, local hour.
There were no reports of injuries or damage due to Saturday's earthquake, an Indonesian Meteorological and Geophysics Agency official said.
France suspects Syrian regime of using chemical weapons
Paris : France suspects that the Syrian regime under Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons in an attack in the northwest of the country over...
Two killed in US tornado
By IANS,
Washington : A tornado hit southern US state of Mississippi, killing at least two and damaging around 20 houses, authorities said.
The tornado razed across three counties in mid-eastern Mississippi Saturday.
Yazoo City Mayor McArthur Straughter said at least two were killed in the "devastating" fury in which 15 to 20 buildings sustained extensive damage, Xinhua reported.
The tornado was reported to be over a kilometer wide, striking Valley Park, Yazoo City and Durantand.
Hollande recalls French ‘debt’ to Muslim soldiers
By IINA,
Paris : President Francois Hollande Tuesday said France “owed a debt” to Muslim soldiers who died in World War I and pledged a...
Primary school head in China executed for serial rape
By ANTARA News/AFP,
Beijing : A primary school principal was executed in northern China after being convicted of raping and sexually abusing 39 girls during an 18-year reign of terror, state press said Thursday.
Luo Yanlin, 48, was executed in Gansu province on Wednesday -- National Teacher's Day in China, the local Lanzhou Morning Post reported.
Luo was sentenced for raping and sexually abusing 39 girls aged from seven to 14 when he worked at three schools in the province between 1988 and 2006, it said.
Georgian president declares emergency in capital amidst worsening protests
By RIA Novosti
Tbilisi (Georgia) : The Georgian government has issued a decree declaring a state of emergency banning all public demonstrations in the country's capital Tbilisi citing fast deteriorating law and order situation in the wake of opposition protests.
Wednesday's emergency proclamation came after a week of intense opposition demonstrations reached its culmination in Tbilisi demanding President Mikheil Saakashvili's resignation accusing him of corruption, authoritarianism and failure to stem the economic downslide.
Plane crash pilot to go on trial this week
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : A pilot of a plane crash in Yogyakarta province of central Java last year that killed 21 people will be tried at a district court of the province on Thursday, prosecutor and court said on Tuesday.
Deputy Attorney General for General Crimes Abdul Hakim Ritonga said that Captain Marwoto Komar, who was arrested in February this year, would be charged under Indonesian criminal and aviation laws.
"He can be charged under both criminal and aviation codes," Ritonga told Xinhua.
Obama defends decision on torture memos in CIA speech
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama visited the CIA Monday to defend his decision to release memos detailing harsh interrogation tactics that the agency used against suspects in the war on terrorism.
Obama sought to assure a gathering of CIA employees that he was committed to protecting classified documents and the secrecy the agency needs to succeed, but said his administration was running out of legal options to keep the Bush-era memos out of the public domain.
Couple who met on ugly people’s dating site gets engaged
By IANS,
London : A couple got engaged following their whirlwind romance sparked on Britain's first dating website for ugly people, a media report said Friday.
‘Australian police on footing similar to terror attack’
Sydney : The police forces have moved to a "footing" similar to tackling a terror attack, said an official Monday after a gunman took...
World Bank’s board approves Zoellick as next president
By Xinhua
Washington : Robert B. Zoellick, U.S. President Bush's nominee for president of the World Bank, won the unanimous approval of the World Bank's board to succeed Paul Wolfowitz, who was forced to resign under a favoritism scandal.
   The board said in a brief statement that Zoellick brings "strong leadership and managerial qualities as well as a proven track record in international affairs and the drive required to enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the bank."
Ethnic divide marks attitude to Sri Lanka war
By IANS
Colombo : Sri Lankans are divided on ethnic lines on President Mahinda Rajapaksa's war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a survey conducted by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) shows.
Interviews with 1,600 Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Indian origin Tamils conducted in eight of the nine provinces in November revealed that 87.3 percent of Sinhalese - the majority community - were "satisfied" with the way the government was waging the war.
Europe’s central bank unlikely to change interest rates
By DPA,
Frankfurt : The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to leave interest rates on hold at an historic low of 1 percent Thursday as it faces up to a string of new challenges.
The question for the 22 members of the ECB's rate-setting council will be how to balance out concerns about deflation, tighter credit and rising unemployment against signs that the 16-member eurozone has started to emerge from the world's steepest economic slump in over 60 years.
Peruvian ex-general ordered to pay $37 mn to massacre survivors
By IANS
Miami : A US federal judge here ordered a former Peruvian Army general to pay $37 million in damages to two survivors of a 1985 massacre in the Andean nation, Spain's EFE news agency reported Thursday.
Judge Adalberto Jordan, besides ordering retired army officer Maj. Telmo Hurtado Hurtado to pay the damages, ruled that he "should be extradited to Peru" to face a possible criminal trial for his role in the Accomarca massacre.
India announces more troops for UN peacekeeping, pushes for UNSC reform
New York: India on Monday announced plans to contribute an additional 850 troops to the UN Peacekeeping Missions around the world and also pushed...
Extremists may hijack Russian parliament polls: Minister
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Extremist groups may attempt to disrupt Russia's upcoming parliamentary election campaign, a minister said Thursday.
Head of Lufthansa attacks EU’s climate policies
By DPA,
Berlin : German carrier Lufthansa's chairman Wolfgang Mayrhuber has criticised the European Union (EU) plans to extend the carbon-trading scheme to the airline industry, saying the move would lead to a dramatic increase in ticket prices, according to a report in Thursday's German daily Bild.
"What Brussels is planning is lunacy," he was quoted as saying.
"The politicians are creating new burdens for the travelling public without helping to protect the climate. Where they could do something to ease the burden, nothing is happening," he said.
I won’t see you again, British gunman said before rampage
By IANS,
London : The taxi driver, who killed 12 people in a shooting rampage in Britain before turning the gun on himself, had given a chilling warning of his intention to a friend, saying: "I won't see you again."
Peter Ledder, a friend of Derrick Bird who killed 12 and injured 25, told The Times: "I came into work in the morning and heard what was happening. He must have had it pre-planned."
Bird had told him at midnight Tuesday: "I won’t see you again."
After lending spree, Baltics feel the pinch
By Aleks Tapinsh, DPA,
Riga : After years of easy credit that boosted spectacular economic growth in the Baltics, tougher times are ahead for lenders and borrowers in the three European Union nations.
"In the last four months, we saw the same number of loan default cases as in all of 2007," the head of the Euler Hermes debt collection agency in the Baltics, Frank Wille, told DPA.
New York to observe seventh anniversary of 9/11 attacks
By DPA,
New York : Seven years after the Sep 11 terrorist strikes, New Yorkers Thursday will remember the attacks that killed more than 2,700 people with the destruction of the World Trade Center's twin towers.
The city will observe the anniversary with renewed calls for vigilance against the constant threats of new terrorist attacks. Names of the dead will be read yet again.
The presidential nominees of both US major parties, Republican senator John McCain and his rival, Democratic senator Barack Obama, plan to attend ceremonies at Ground Zero, site of the destroyed towers.
Over 1,000 foreign monitors to observe Azerbaijan polls
By RIA Novosti,
Baku : Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission has so far registered 1,104 international monitors to observe the country's October 15 presidential election, the top election official said Thursday.
The elections will be monitored by observers from 59 countries, including more than 300 from Russia, 50 from the United States, 20 from Britain, 60 from Germany and 40 from France.
Russian Troops to Provide Security
By Prensa Latina,
Moscow : Russian Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov reiterated Friday that his country will provide internal security to the rebel republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, by virtue of bilateral agreements.
By a telephone conversation with the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Lavrov emphasized that international observers will be deployed only around the territories already mentioned.
Pro-Thaksin party wins Thai elections
By Xinhua
Bangkok : Thailand Elections Commission said here Sunday that 80 percent of votes counted show the People Power Party (PPP) supporting deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has won Thailand's post-coup election but fell short of an absolute majority in parliament.
Thai farmers, the majority of Thailand's 64 million population, gave most of their support to PPP because of Shinawatra's efforts to improve the rural economy during his five-year's term in office, observers commented.
Modi’s temple message confuses monks in China
Beijing : A message written by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his native language during a visit to a Chinese temple, went through...
New European energy security strategy proposed
Brussels : The European Commission (EC) Wednesday proposed a new European Energy Security Strategy to enhance the security of the European Union's (EU) energy...
Chavez buys a million laptops from Portugal
By IANS,
Lisbon : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has signed an agreement to buy one million laptop computers from Portugal during a visit to the Iberian nation, the EFE news agency reported Sunday.
The agreement was signed at a function Saturday following a meeting between Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates and Chavez, who praised his country's bilateral relations with Portugal.
US court agrees to partial sale of Lehman Brothers
By DPA,
New York : A US bankruptcy court approved the sale of investment bank Lehman Brothers' investment-management division Neuberger Berman, media reports said.
The sale to a group of executives of Neuberger Berman will provide about $922 million worth of stocks in proceeds, which are planned to be passed on to creditors of Lehman Brothers, once the fourth-largest US investment bank.
The Neuberger employees beat two bids by private equity firms Bain Capital Partners and Hellman & Friedmann.
World’s oldest dog dies in Britain
By DPA,
London : Otto, a British dachshund officially crowned the oldest dog in the world, has died just a month short of his 21st birthday, British media reported Friday.
Its owner, Lynn Jones, said Otto, recognized as the world's oldest dog by the Guinness Book of Records in October, died of stomach cancer and was put down Thursday.
Otto, a cross between a dachshund and terrier, would be cremated Friday at his home in Shrewsbury, in the county of Shropshire, western England.
75 kg cocaine seized at Moroccan airport
Rabat (Morocco): At least 75 kg of cocaine was seized in Morrocco after two people were arrested at the Casablanca airport, a media report...
Paris attacks spur Syria talks in Austria
Vienna: The deadly terrorist attacks in Paris have failed to stymie the talks in Vienna between senior officials from 19 countries that aim to...
Clinton rejects call to quit race
By IRNA
New York : US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has rejected calls by supporters of her rival, Barack Obama, to abandon her campaign for the Democratic nomination.
Senator Patrick Leahy, an influential Democrat and Obama supporter, had said that by remaining in the race she was helping the Republican party.
Mrs Clinton told supporters she had no intention of abandoning the race.
She is trailing Obama in the number of delegates needed to obtain the nomination.
S.Ossetian president to fly to Moscow with sovereignty appeal
By RIA Novosti,
Tskhinvali : South Ossetia's president and parliamentary leadership will fly to Moscow on Saturday to deliver the republic's sovereignty appeal to the Russian authorities in person.
South Ossetia's parliament adopted Friday the address to Russia's president and both houses of parliament to recognize the Georgian separatist republic's independence.
"We appeal to Russia to be the first country from the international community to recognize the independence of the republic of South Ossetia," reads Tskhinvali's request.
20,000 phone lines cut in New Jersey
By IANS,
New York : Over 20,000 government telephones in New Jersey have been disconnected after an audit found they were lying useless and costing the economy over $3 million.
Telecommunications authorities disconnected the phones that "no one was using", after the audit report was released.
New Jersey State Comptroller Matthew Boxer said the Office of Information Technology will "generate periodic reports of lines with zero usage to ensure agencies are disconnecting their unused lines", Fox News reported.
Bodies of Israeli rabbi, wife among five found in Nariman House
By IANS,
Mumbai : The bodies of an Israeli rabbi and his wife were among the five bodies found by Indian commandos at the Jewish centre of Nariman House here Friday evening after a fierce gunbattle with terrorists.
The bodies were found by the National Security Guards (NSG) in the five-storeyed Nariman House or Chabad House Friday evening.
"Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai, were killed during one of the worst terrorist attacks to strike India in recent memory," the Jewish site chabad.org news said.
Russia recognizes independence of Georgia’s rebel regions
By DPA,
Sochi (Russia) : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Tuesday signed a decree recognizing the independence of Georgia's rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
"In the current crisis it became necessary to make a decision," Medvedev said in a nationally televised statement Tuesday. "Taking into consideration the will of the people and guided by the UN Charter of 1970... and other basic international law, I have signed a decree recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia."
Armed man takes hostages in bank near Heathrow
By IANS,
London : The police have arrested a gunman who held a dozen people hostage for over three hours Monday evening in a Barclays Bank branch in Ashford, a town in Surrey near the Heathrow Airport.
The gunman entered the bank at 4 p.m. (GMT) brandishing a sawn-off shotgun and then handcuffed the staff and customers using plastic cable ties and made them put on white boiler suits. One of the hostages said he ordered them to black out the windows of the bank using spray paint.
Australia Can Ride Out Turbulence, Says Treasurer
MELBOURNE, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- Australia's Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan says the country is well placed to ride out the turbulence in global financial markets.
The Australian share market plummeted more than six per cent on Tuesday -- extending the run of losses to 12 trading days -- on fears of a US recession hitting global economic growth.
Swan said world markets continue to experience volatility as a result of the US subprime crisis.
Pakistan urged to extend Afghan refugee status
New York: The Pakistan government should reduce rights violations against Afghan refugees by extending their legal residency status until at least end of 2017,...
It’s all or nothing for Nigeria, South Korea
By DPA,
Durban: There's little to speculate on for Nigeria and South Korea when they meet in Group B of the football World Cup here Tuesday. The winner will most likely qualify for the second round, provided Argentina beat Greece, while the loser will almost certainly go home.
"I told the players that the World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," South Korea coach Huh Jung Moo was quoted as saying in his country's media.
Russia-NATO talks to focus on missile shield, CFE, Kosovo
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Missile defense, arms control and Kosovo will dominate a Russia-NATO Council meeting in Romania on Friday to be attended by Russia's outgoing president Vladimir Putin, a Kremlin aide said on Thursday.
Sergei Prikhodko, who will accompany Putin to Bucharest along with the foreign and defense ministers later today, said those issues, along with the western military alliance's ongoing expansion, have hampered cooperation between Russia and NATO members.
Bourbon triggers worse hangover than vodka
By IANS,
Washington: American whiskey bourbon triggers a worse hangover than vodka the next day, says a new study.
Bourbon has 37 times the amount of toxic chemicals called congeners that vodka has and can cause a worse hangover, though impairment in people's next-day task performance is about the same for both beverages, it says.
Congeners are found in byproducts of the materials used in the fermenting process of alcoholic beverages. These byproducts are complex organic molecules with toxic effects.
US-Pakistan cooperation will continue: Rice
By Xinhua,
Washington : The US will continue to work with the Pakistani government, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation Monday.
Rice thanked Musharraf, a key US counter-terrorism ally, for his help in the fight against Al Qaeda.
Musharraf, who took power in 1999 in a military coup, announced his decision to step down in a televised speech to the nation earlier in the day.
Hacker breaks into Ecuador’s presidential website
By IANS
Quito : An investigation has been launched to find the hacker who broke into the website of Ecuador's presidential office while it was undergoing maintenance, senior officials have said.
"Unscrupulous persons managed to enter the website and leave messages that had nothing to do with the national government," said Carlos Medina, a member of the presidential communications office, Spain's EFE news agency reported Monday.
The unidentified hacker entered the presidential website Saturday.
Can the G8 live up to the climate challenge?
By Ben Nimmo, DPA,
Brussels : A year ago, the leaders of the world's eight leading industrialised nations promised that their children would fight climate change. This summer, they will have to show whether they are willing to do something about it themselves.
The leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US are set to meet during July 8-10 in the earthquake-stricken Italian town of L'Aquila, with climate change high on the agenda ahead of UN talks in Copenhagen in December.
EU imposes ban on meat, milk export from Britain
By DPA
London/Brussels : The EU Commission Monday imposed an official ban on exports of meat, milk and animals from Britain as investigation continued into the source of the foot and mouth disease outbreak at a farm in southern England.
Merial Animal Health, a private US pharmaceutical company located at the Pirbright site 5 km away from the affected farm, where an identical strain of the disease was found, denied Monday that there had been any breach in biosecurity procedures.
Italy quake toll rises to 250
By DPA,
L'Aquila (Italy) : Following a night of cold and further misery in central Italy the death count since Monday's earthquake has risen to 250, authorities said Wednesday.
Officials said the death toll could rise as workers continued to find people buried under buildings which collapsed during the earthquake that registered between 5.8 and 6.2 on the Richter scale.
Strong aftershocks continued to shake the region, making rescue operations difficult.
Eleven of the bodies pulled from the rubble remain unidentified.
PM meet security officials on Nepali ex-King’s leave from royal palace
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala consulted with Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula as well as security officials here Wednesday morning, as the ex-King Gyanendra prepares to vacate the Narayanhiti palace in Kathmandu Wednesday evening.
According to a leading website, nepalnews.com report, Koirala held talks with the security officials on the security arrangement for the palace and ex-royals.
At least five senior officials of the Nepali Army including chief of army staff Rookmangud Katwal were present at the meeting.
US and Russian satellites collide in space
By DPA,
Washington/Moscow : A US satellite was destroyed in an unprecedented collision with a spent Russian satellite, raising fears of danger to other satellites, a report said Thursday.
The collision between Iridium-33, a commercial US communications satellite and Russia's Cosmos 2251 satellite, which had been turned off for years, occurred Tuesday at 04:55 GMT above Siberia at a height of 790 km, the space.com site said, quoting a statement by US space agency NASA.
China donates 90 vehicles to Ethiopia
By IANS,
Addis Ababa : China has donated 90 vehicles valued at 40 million yuan (about $6 million) to Ethiopia.
Nigerian president vows to end terror
Abuja : The abduction of teenage girls in the northeast region of Nigeria will mark the end of terrorism in the country, Nigerian President...
Russia seeks new arms reduction deal with US
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow, Oct 8: Russia believes that a new strategic arms reduction deal with the US should be signed before cuts in tactical nuclear weapons are discussed, the foreign ministry said Thursday.
"As to tactical nuclear weapons, we share the view expressed by (US Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs) Alexander Vershbow that the discussion of this issue is premature," ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said.
"It would be more logical to finish work on a new agreement to replace the START treaty first," he said.
US stocks end six-week losing streak despite gloomy predictions
By DPA,
New York : US stocks defied a week of gloomy predictions and controversial financial decisions by US officials, bouncing back by Friday after a slump Monday and Tuesday.
For Friday, better-than-estimated results from Citigroup Inc, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo & Co relieved worries that they would extend their yearlong slump, Bloomberg financial news reported.
US banking giant Citigroup Inc reported a loss of $2.5 billion in the second quarter amid credit losses and write downs in the troubled financial market.
Russian aircraft in near-miss with Israeli jets
By DPA
Tel Aviv : A Russian freight aircraft was involved in a near-miss with several Israeli military jets at Tel Aviv airport Tuesday after the pilot failed to hear air traffic controllers' instructions, radio reports said.
The Russian pilot took off in the wrong direction just as the military jets were overflying the airport, the reports said. An investigation was ordered.
The airport experienced a near-miss of two airliners at the end of September.
Envoys to brief Dalliz Lama on China talks Wednesday
By IANS,
Dharamsala : The Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's two envoys who held talks with the Chinese government will update him WEdnesday about the outcome, a spokesman of the Tibetan government-in-exile said here.
"The two envoys, Kasur Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, who held discussions with the Chinese authorities on May 3 in Schenzen (South China) will arrive here Wednesday and will meet his holiness the Dalai Lama the same day," the official said Tuesday.
"On Thursday, they will brief the media," he said.
ASEAN to create commission on women and children next year
By NNN-PNA,
Cha-Am, Hua Hin, Thailand : The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will create next year a special body that will be tasked to protect the rights of women and children in the region.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva bared this Friday shortly after the inauguration of the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), which marked the first day of the three-day 15th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits being held here in southern Thailand.
Researchers developing more powerful solar cells
By IANS,
Washington : University of Rochester researchers are designing more efficient solar cells by using special coatings that split light into colours like blue and red, to boost their power by 50 percent.
Researchers then would then use different types of solar cell materials that each optimally absorbs energy from a light of different colour, said Duncan Moore, a professor at Rochester research, who is leading the team that is trying to boost this further by finding ways to intensify the light.
Mass intestinal virus infection up to 1,520, kills 20
By Xinhua,
Hefei : A lethal outbreak of intestinal virus in Fuyang City in east China's Anhui Province has killed 20 children and befallen 1,500 others, the provincial health department said on Tuesday.
Du Changzhi, Anhui Provincial Health Department deputy chief, said the virus, known as enterovirus 71, or EV71, had altogether sickened 1,520 children, claiming 20 lives by Tuesday morning.
Of the sick, 585 had recovered thus far. At present, 412 sick children have remained in hospital for further medical observation. Of the total, 26 are seriously ill.
Jenkins denies affair with Beckham
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Opera singer Katherine Jenkins is fuming over rumours that she was ever in an affair with soccer ace David Beckham.
Hillary backs troop-exit plans
WASHINGTON, Oct 7, SPA -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who clashed with defense officials this summer over demands for a briefing on troop-withdrawal plans for Iraq, has signed on to a bill mandating the Pentagon report those plans to Congress. The bill by Sen. Ken Salazar, Colorado Democrat, would require Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to report within 60 days and every 90 days thereafter on the development of plans for the U.S. mission and reduced troop strength in Iraq, including potential timetables for force reductions.
Junta blocking news from trickling out of Myanmar
By Syed Zarir Hussain
Moreh (Myanmar-India border), Sep 27 (IANS) The military junta in Myanmar has launched a massive drive to restrict information on the ongoing crackdown on monks by jamming Internet connectivity and telephones, besides blocking blogs.
The only source of information for most Myanmarese is now the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), a dissident radio and television network from Oslo.
Be ‘prudent’ with money, Obama advises Americans
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama has said there is no assurance that the economy will start growing in 2009 and advised the American public to be "prudent in your personal financial decisions".
"What I don't think people should do is suddenly stuff money in their mattresses and pull back completely from spending," he said in an interview to the New York Times Sunday.
Rajapaksa to meet Sri Lankan Tamil parties
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will soon meet Tamil political leaders to discuss a "democracy road map" for the areas seized from the Tamil Tigers.
The president revealed this to Asian Tribune website, adding that the meeting may coincide with the virtual liquidation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the island's north.
As world faces hunger, G8 leaders feast in Japan
By IANS,
London : A day after Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged Britain not to waste food, a disgusted British press dished out in great detail - with liberal servings of irony - the menu at the world's top table in Japan.
World leaders gathered in Japan to discuss food shortages were Monday night served an eight-course, 19-dish dinner prepared by 25 chefs.
Southern Africa scales up disaster preparedness
By Fakir Hassen, IANS
Johannesburg : Disaster managers in eight Southern African and Indian Ocean countries have agreed to work more closely to combat the devastating effects of natural disasters as the third anniversary of the Tsunami that hit nations on both sides of the Indian Ocean on Dec 26, 2004 looms.
The special needs of integrating treatment and rehabilitation under disaster conditions for the huge number of people with HIV/AIDS in the region will also be taken into consideration.
Aftershock felt in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty
By Xinhua,
Wellington : A mild quake hit the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island on Saturday afternoon, thought to be an aftershock following Friday's 5.4-magnitude tremor in the region, GNS Science reported.
Volcanologists have warned tourists and other visitors that they should stay away from White Island, offshore from Whakatane, this weekend.
The 3.1-magnitude quake struck at 1:58 p.m. (0158 GMT) and was centered 10 km southwest of White Island, at a depth of 5 km, GNS Science reported.
Obama’s ‘Slurpee summit’ has convenience store salivating
By DPA,
Washington : Barack Obama seems to have a thing for naming summits after drinks. The makers of those beverages couldn't be happier.
Sri Lankan ruling party takes early lead in provincial poll
By Xinhua,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's ruling party led by President Mahinda Rajapakse had taken an early lead in the vote count in Saturday's Eastern Provincial Council election, the state radio said Sunday.
At 6 a.m. (0030 GMT) Sunday morning, the United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) took a lead of over 28,000 votes over the main opposition United National Party (UNP) in the overall vote count, the island's state radio Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Famed Pakistani qawwal Amjad Sabri gunned down
Karachi : Unidentified gunmen shot dead renowned qawwal Amjad Sabri -- whose late father and uncle enjoy huge popularity in India -- on a...
Withdraw or face serious consequences, Sarkozy warns Russia
By DPA,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy demanded that Russian troops withdraw "without delay" from Georgia, adding that "this point is not negotiable in my eyes".
In an article to appear in Le Figaro newspaper Monday, Sarkozy said he would convene a special European Union summit if Russia failed to remove its military troops that entered Georgia on and after Aug 7.
"If this clause of the ceasefire accord is not applied rapidly and totally, I would summon an extraordinary European Council to decide what consequences to draw," the article said.
Israel, US to begin air defence drill
By IANS,
Jerusalem: The US and Israel plan to hold their largest joint air defence exercise.
Thousands march for gay rights in Washington
By DPA,
Washington : Thousands of demonstrators marched to the US Capitol Sunday to advocate for gay rights and urge President Barack Obama and lawmakers to repeal laws they say are discriminatory.
The demonstrators chanted slogans and carried banners urging the recognition of gay marriage and an end to a ban on openly gay people serving in the military. The marchers, many of them young and some accompanied by their children, passed the White House on their way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol.
FARC rebel who killed his leader for reward is on strike
By DPA,
Bogota : A former Colombian rebel who had killed one of his leaders in search of a reward has been on hunger strike for more than a week now as the government did not keep its promises.
Pablo Montoya, a member of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), had killed Ivan Rios - part of FARC's seven-member leadership - and his partner March 3. He had also cut off his late boss's right hand and turned it in to the Colombian Army as proof of the killing, along with ID documents and a computer allegedly belonging to Rios.
Tibetan government-in-exile justifies protests against Olympic torch
By IANS
Agra : The prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Samdhong Rinpoche, said Saturday that protests against the Olympic torch relay was justified as the Tibetans were not allowed to live a free life under the present Chinese government.
"The demonstrations against the Olympic torch are not aimed against sportspersons but against the repressive measures of the Chinese in Tibet," Rinpoche told a gathering of Gandhian organisations.
Beijing sets standard for teachers
By IANS,
Beijing : Beijing has set new standards for Chinese language teachers who teach foreign students, authorities said.
Earthquake kills girl in Brazil
By IANS
Brasilia : A 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, killing a five-year-old girl and causing damage across the region, the seismology centre at the University of Brasilia said.
The epicentre of the temblor, which occurred at 12:15 a.m. (0315 GMT) Sunday, was located five kilometres underground and some 190 km north of the city of Montes Claros, which is some 600 km southeast of the Brazilian capital, the Spanish news agency EFE said.
Myanmar failed to warn citizens: US first lady
By DPA,
Washington : Myanmar failed to adequately warn its population in advance of the cyclone that hit the nation over the weekend and left thousands of people dead, US first lady Laura Bush said Monday.
"Although they were aware of the threat, Burma's state run media failed to issue a timely warning to citizens in the storm's path," Bush said, using the country's historical name.
Doc declines donation raised by pic of French first lady in the nude
By ANTARA News
Geneva : A doctor running hospitals in Cambodia said Sunday he had refused a donation raised by selling a picture of France's first lady in the nude, because Cambodians disapproved of exploiting female flesh for money.
Swiss pediatrician Beat Richner, head of a children's medical care group, said he had turned down an offer of 91,000 dollars (57,000 euros) raised at a New York auction last week of the 1993 picture of Italian ex-model Carla Bruni, now married to President Nicolas Sarkozy.
‘Very difficult’ to do without n-energy: Japanese minister
Tokyo : Japan's newly-appointed Industry Minister Yuko Obuchi has said it would be "very difficult" for Japan to do without nuclear energy, as the...
Somali gunmen kidnap two UN workers
By DPA,
Nairobi/Mogadishu : Gunmen have abducted two people working for the UN' mine action programme in Somalia, the BBC said Saturday.
Reports said that gunmen seized the two, believed to be Scandinavian, and a Somali aid worker after temporarily gaining control of a town in southern Somalia.
Nobody from the UN's mine programme in Somali or its coordinating office in neighbouring Kenya was available to confirm the reports.
Dalai Lama on five day visit to Germany
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama began his five day visit to Germany Thursday, a spokesman of the Tibetan government-in-exile said here.
"At the invitation of the Tibet's Initiative Deutschland, Germany's largest Tibet support group, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is on a visit to Germany from May 15 to May 19," the spokesman said.
"The Dalai Lama will visit four major German cultural and historical cities besides capital Berlin. This is his 33rd visit to Germany. The theme of his visit this time is 'No peace without human rights'," he added.
Malaysia awaiting debris verification results
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia is awaiting a verification as to whether the debris found on Reunion island is from the missing Malaysia Airlines...
‘Russia will cut weapon programmes if US drops missile shield’
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia will halt some strategic weapons programmes if the US drops plans for a missile defence shield in Eastern Europe, a senior Russian general said Friday.
Nikolai Solovtsov, commander of Russia's strategic missile forces, was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying Washington could save Russia from the necessity of investing in retaliatory measures.
"And an array of programmes, expensive programmes, would simply become unnecessary for us," Solovtsov said.
Ukraine Rails against NATO, US
By Prensa Latina,
Kiev : Boats mobilized by the Ukrainian "Brotherhood" Party blocked Monday the entrance of the Odessa port to impede NATO war ships from participating in the Sea Breeze 2008 naval exercises.
About 10 vessels blocked the port where the foreign combat units are located so they cannot participate in the military drills, a release from the political organization stated.
Authorities stopped three boats, but another seven continued protesting, the Brotherhood press release noted.
Computer programmed to read human faces
By IANS,
Sydney: Scientists have programmed computers to read human expressions and to tell whether one is in pain.
"Each facial expression is made up of many different components - a twitch of the mouth here, a widening of the eyes there - some lasting only a fraction of a second," said Simon Lucey of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
"Our computer program looks at these components, matches them against a list drawn up by expert psychologists and decides what expression just flitted across a face," said Lucey, a computer scientist.
US slaps visa ban on 20 Ukrainians over violence
By IANS,
Washington : The US slapped visa ban on 20 senior Ukrainian officials and other people it accused of being behind a violent crackdown...
MAS mounting additional flights for West Asian tourists in July/Aug
By NNN-Bernama,
Dubai : Malaysia Airlines is mounting an additional six flights which will transit in Dubai to cater for the increased demand from West Asian tourists wanting to holiday in Malaysia from July to August this year.
MAS's Regional Vice President for the Middle East and Africa, Halimy Mahmood, said the demand for flights to Kuala Lumpur was expected to increase as July-August was the peak summer holiday period.
Albanian parliament elects new president
By Xinhua
Tirana : The Albanian parliament has elected Bamir Topi to be the country's new president, local media reported.
Bamir Topi, the deputy leader of the ruling Democratic coalition, was elected as the president Friday night after he won 85 votes, while his rival got 55 votes.
A candidate needs at least 84 votes, or three-fifths of the 140-seat parliament, to secure the post of the presidency, which has powers over the country's judiciary and armed forces.
Russia agrees to international gas observers
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia Saturday gave its approval to a European Union (EU) proposal for international observers to monitor Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine.
An agreement to this effect was signed as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Czech Premier Mirek Topolanek - acting in his EU presidency capacity - looked on.
The presence of independent observers to monitor Russian gas exports to Europe via Ukrainian pipelines was a key pre-condition set by Moscow for an end to a total embargo on such shipments, imposed last week.
Nepal opposition’s youth wing to take on Maoists over Pashupatinath
By IANS,
Kathmandu : The youth wing of Nepal's main opposition party Monday joined the fray over the ouster of Indian priests at the revered Pashupatinath temple, saying they were ready to cross swords with the Maoists.
Mahendra Yadav, chief of Nepal Tarun Dal, the youth wing of former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala's Nepali Congress party, Monday issued a statement saying his organisation was ready to wage a struggle for faith.
Nepal king calls for reconciliation
By IANS
Kathmandu : Pushing aside attempts by Maoists to prevent him from playing any significant public role, Nepal's embattled King Gyanendra Sunday issued a message for the nation, calling for unity and reconciliation.
Dalai Lama reaches Poland on week-long visit
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Friday reached Poland on a week-long visit, his aide said here.
"The spiritual guru (the Dalai Lama) this morning (Friday) reached Poland, where he will stay for six days," Tenzin Taklha, a senior aide to the exiled leader, told IANS.
He said the Dalai Lama would attend ceremonies to mark the 25th anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Polish labour leader Lech Walesa there Saturday.
Prachanda finally expands cabinet amid media boycott, curfew
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Thirteen days after he took oath of office as republic Nepal's first prime minister, Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” Sunday finally expanded his fledgling cabinet, inducting 15 new ministers. Journalists boycotted the oath-taking ceremony.
With Sunday's induction, Nepal's first Maoist-led government becomes a coalition of six parties with 24 ministers, including the premier.
The new government came into being amidst strife. Prachanda was unable to name his cabinet on Aug 18, when he was sworn in by President Ram Baran Yadav.
Man kills nine in China
By IANS,
Beijing : A man in a Chinese province killed nine people as he believed his wife was cheating on him, police said.
Andhra techie Arpana was strangulated to death: US police
By Lalit K. Jha, IANS,
New York : Arpana Jinaga, a software professional from Hyderabad who was working with a major IT company in Seattle, was strangulated to death in her apartment in the wee hours of Saturday, an autopsy report has revealed.
James Sosik, investigator at the King County Medical Examination Office who conducted the autopsy, told IANS that Arpana was strangulated to death in her apartment at about 3.30 a.m. Saturday.
Swede gets world’s highest motoring fine
By IANS,
London : A Swedish driver, who sped through Switzerland and received the world's highest ever motoring fine of 650,000 euros, said: "I think the speedo on the car, which is new, is faulty."
The 37-year-old driver was clocked at 180mph while driving through Switzerland in a Mercedes SLS AMG that costs 140,000 pounds.
The car was impounded along with his driving licence and the driver is facing the world's biggest ever motoring fine of 650,000 euros - around 538,000 pounds, Daily Mail reported Thursday.
Arctic sea ice possibly at its lowest ever level
By IANS,
Washington : Arctic sea ice may have reached its lowest volumes ever, as its summer ice coverage looks like replicating last year's record lows.
Final figures on minimum ice coverage for 2008 are expected shortly, but they are already flirting with last year's record low of 1.59 million square miles, or 4.13 million square kilometres.
Boat sinks, killing, leaving missing 6 in Vietnam
By Xinhua
Hanoi : A boat sank in Vietnam's central Quang Binh province, killing two local people and left four others missing, local newspaper Labor reported Wednesday.
The boat carrying wood sank in Quang Ninh district on Tuesday due to its overload and drift water in Long Dai River. The six victims among 14 people on board included four men and two women.
Local relevant agencies and people are searching for the missing, said the paper.
Factory manufacturing spurious drugs raided, four held
By IANS,
Lucknow : A factory manufacturing spurious drugs was raided Monday and the owner of the unit along with three of his aides were arrested in Uttar Pradesh, the police said.
"Acting on a tip-off we raided the factory Monday afternoon in Khakherha locality in Baghpat district, over 350 km from Lucknow and seized fake drugs worth Rs.5 million," Police Inspector Phool Singh told IANS.
"Although we managed to arrest the owner of the factory and three of his aides, other employees managed to escape at the time of the raid," Singh said.
Russia looks forward to fresh approach in ties with US
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia said Wednesday it anticipated a "fresh approach" to leave behind the "stereotypes" in relations with the United States after Barack Obama's victory in the presidential
elections.
"The US election result testifies to the fact that everyone correctly counted on a fresh US approach to all the major problems," Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told Interfax new agency Wednesday.
Kenya minister killed in chopper crash
By IANS,
Nairobi : The internal security minister of Kenya and three other people have been killed in a helicopter crash near Nairobi, Kenyan media reported Sunday.
Seoul, Jakarta to hold first military dialogue
By Xinhua,
Seoul : South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Kim Jong-cheon and his Indonesian counterpart will meet here this week for the first-ever official military dialogue between the two countries, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
The talks between Kim and Indonesian Vice Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin will be held Thursday, according to the ministry.
New oil field discovered in Angola
By IANS/EFE,
Sao Paulo : Brazilian oil firm Petrobras said it has found a new oil field at an exploration block 100 km off the Angolan coast at a depth of 470 meters.
Preliminary estimates indicate that the new oil field contains about 500 million barrels of high-quality crude.
Petrobras which owns 5 percent share in the block has been exploring oil along with Italy's ENI, which has a 35 percent stake, and France's Total, which owns a 15 percent share.
N Korea: US Breaks 6-way Deals
By Prensa Latina
Pyongyang : The People's Democratic Republic of Korea denounced on Wednesday the US is responsible for the delayed fulfilment of the 6-way agreements adopted in Beijing for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Rodong Sinmun daily, official organ of the Korean Workers' Party, recalled in a commentary the US had committed to eliminate North Korea from the list of terror sponsors, and has not done so.
Google rejects German criticism of Street View
By DPA,
Berlin: US internet giant Google Tuesday defended its Street View application - a compendium of photographed city streets - from privacy concerns in Germany, where criticism of the company has mounted.
Minister Ilse Aigner, who is responsible for consumer affairs, again accused the US company of privacy invasion by photographing Germans' homes without asking each householder in advance for permission.
Liverpool’s oldest Indian restaurant up for sale
By IANS
London : Liverpool's oldest Indian restaurant in the city centre is closing and has been put up for sale for the price of nearly 1.3 million pounds.
The restaurant, known as Asha, first brought curry to Bold Street in 1964. Kolkata-born Dipak Choudhury, who owns the restaurant, and his wife Chandana live above the premises, but their children are pursuing careers as barristers and accountants, leaving him with no choice but to offer his beloved restaurant for sale.
Philippine Senate head confirms joining 2010 presidential election
By Xinhua,
Manila : The Philippine Senate President Manuel Villar has confirmed that he will run for the president of the country in the upcoming May 2010 elections, local media reported Thursday.
Attending a private party on Wednesday night, Villar told TV news network ABS-CBN News that there is "no turning back" once he decided to run for the top executive post.
Villar, president of the country's oldest political party Nacionalista Party, said he still has to consult his friends and allies on who will be running in his ticket for 2010.