Rice has High-Level Talks on North Korea
By SPA,
Washington : U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke Friday to her counterparts in the North Korean nuclear negotiations but “no decision has been taken yet” to remove Pyongyang from a U.S. terrorism blacklist, the State Department said.
Recent reports from several countries said the United States is close to removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in the hope of saving an unraveling nuclear disarmament agreement.
China, US to cooperate on use of strategic oil reserves
TOKYO, Dec 13 (KUNA) -- China and the US, two of the world's largest consumers of oil, have agreed to cooperate on the use of their strategic petroleum reserves as they wound up a high-level economic dialogue on Thursday.
"The US and China agreed to strengthen cooperation on construction and management of strategic oil stocks," said the statement from the US after the conclusion of the 3rd China-US Strategic Economic Dialogue, which was held in Beijing, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Russian troops begin dismantling posts in Georgia
By Xinhua,
Moscow : Russian troops started dismantling posts in the buffer zone around South Ossetia and Abkhazia to meet the Friday deadline for withdrawal from Georgia's territory, Itar-Tass news agency reported Sunday.
"Indeed, we started withdrawing material property and dismantling defence barriers at peacekeeping observer posts, put up on the southern border in the security zone, adjoining South Ossetia," Igor Konashenkov, the assistant to the commander-in-chief of the land troops, was quoted as saying.
Russia seeks legal settlement of British Council dispute
By Xinhua
Moscow : Russia hopes for a legal resolution of the dispute with Britain that has caused the closing of part of the British Council, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
"Russia is for a legal resolution of the problem related to the British Council," Russian news agency ITAR-TASS quoted Lavrov as saying Sunday.
"We will present the legal arguments showing that the British Council in Russia has no legal basis," he said.
44 wounded in Colombo explosion
By IANS,
Colombo : An explosion in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital Saturday morning wounded at least 44 people, including four women and two children, police and hospital sources said.
According to police, the explosion occurred near a small watch outlet at Olcott Mawatha in Colombo Pattah around 12.15 p.m.
Hector Weerasinghe, director of the Colombo National Hospital, said there were four women and two children among the 44 wounded who have been taken to the hospital from the blast site.
Child torture rampant in Nepal even after democracy: report
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Even two years after the fall of king Gyanendra's dictatorial regime and the restoration of democracy, Nepal continues to witness rampant torture of children by police, at times just to provide "entertainment", a report says.
Rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement issued from New York late Tuesday that this year alone, it has received "credible claims" of more than 200 cases of torture or abuse committed by Nepal Police against boys and girls, some of whom were as young as 13.
China opposes US-Taiwan relations
By IANS,
Beijing : China Thursday said it was opposed to official relations between the US and Taiwan, after an American official visited the island nation off the eastern coast of China.
Jamaica declares emergency after attacks on police
By IANS,
Kingston (Jamaica) : Jamaica has declared a state of emergency in the capital city of Kingston after masked gunmen attacked a police station and exchanged fire with security forces, reports said.
Sunday's attacks were allegedly conducted by suspected supporters of a drug lord who faced extradition to the US, sources said. At least one policeman was injured in the attack.
Gunshots and black smoke were seen from a police station in West Kingston district after the attacks, Xinhua reported Monday.
Humans first ate fish 40,000 years ago
By IANS,
Washington : Freshwater fish remains a staple in many regions of the world, but it remains unclear when it became a year-round diet for early humans. A new study led by Erik Trinkaus, anthropology professor at Washington University, St. Louis, shows it may have happened in China as far back as 40,000 years ago.
Chemical analysis of collagen, a protein, can show whether such fish consumption was an occasional treat or a regular food item.
Putin visions new development plans for Russia
By Xinhua
Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined a series of new development strategies for the country at a State Council session here on Friday.
The president, who will step down after eight years in office following the March 2 presidential elections, said that Russia has so far failed to get rid of an 'inert' dependence on natural resources, the RIA news agency reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said here Friday that the world is facing a new arms race, RIA news agency reported.
British press slams Musharraf’s ‘coup within a coup’
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's grim visage was splashed across the front pages of most British newspapers Sunday as the media came down heavily on his imposition of an emergency on the beleaguered country.
Britain has a large number of Pakistan-origin residents who maintain close links with home. A large section of the community was glued to private Pakistani channels such as Geo TV - before they were yanked off the air - Saturday evening as events unfolded in Islamabad and other parts of Pakistan.
US-based Indian researchers shocked, discomfited at UCLA shooting
Kolkata : Shocked at the shooting incident in the prestigious University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA), some Indian researchers in the US have...
Clinton’s big West Virginia win too little, too late
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Hillary Clinton scored a landslide victory in the West Virginia primary, but it may be too little and too late to stop frontrunner Barack Obama from winning the Democratic presidential nomination.
Running in a state tailored to her strengths - 95 percent white, less educated and less well-off than most other states and a little more than half the voters coming from rural areas - she posted a 41 point lead, one of her biggest winning margins of the primary season.
Blast damages Spanish premier’s party office in Basque
By DPA
Bilbao (Spain) : A bomb damaged an office of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist Party in the Basque town of Derio, ten days before the country's parliamentary elections, the police said Friday.
The overnight attack, which caused no injuries, was attributed to the militant Basque separatist group ETA.
An anonymous caller warned an emergency service that the bomb would explode, giving police time to evacuate the area. The caller spoke in the name of ETA.
China congratulates Putin on election victory
By IANS,
Beijing : China Monday congratulated Vladimir Putin for his victory in the Russian presidential election and said it hopes to further improve its ties with Russia.
Customs official killed during shooting of TV drama
By IANS
Kuala Lumpur : In a tragic case of reel life getting real, a Malaysian customs official was killed during the filming of a special television drama for the department's anti-smuggling campaign.
Mohamad Noh Zainuddin, 33, was severely injured Thursday when a customs department's boat collided with one of a 'smuggler' during the shooting of a high-speed chase.
He was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital, The Star newspaper reported Friday.
British parents in court over selling daughter for sex
By IANS,
London: A British couple has been arrested in Spain for allegedly pimping out their 11-year-old daughter to an over 70 year-old man as prostitute, a media report said.
Largest gold coin sold at $4 mn in Austria
By IANS,
Vienna: The world's largest gold coin, weighing 100 kg with a diameter of 52 cm, was sold for 3.27 million euros (about $3.99 million) at an auction here.
Spanish dealer Oro Direct offered the price and became the owner, Xinhua reported.
Six bidders were registered for the auction. Oro Direct offered the bid in a written form, while the other five applicants participated through telephone.
The coin was originally owned by Auer von Welsbah (AvW), an Austrian investment management company, which went bankrupt in May 2010.
Obama surveys Gulf as BP’s top-kill effort continues
By DPA,
Washington : President Barack Obama toured Louisiana's southern coastline Friday to survey what has become the worst-ever US oil disaster, as energy company BP's critical top-kill operation to cap the ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico entered its third day.
Obama toured one of the state's beaches, picking up tiny oil tar balls that had washed up along the shore, warning of the impact on wildlife and pledging never to ignore the local community's plight.
Science advocacy group calls for US candidate debate
By DPA
Washington : With illegal immigration and the economy dominating US political debate, a group of scientists has called for presidential candidates to turn more attention to the "vital" areas of environmental and other scientific issues.
The first round of party selection of November 2008 candidates is set for Jan 3 in Iowa, and the eight top candidates in each party - the Democrats and Republicans - have been debating monthly and sometimes weekly since May.
Sobhraj freedom hope dashed again
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Charles Sobhraj's hope that he would be acquitted of the 1975 murder of an American tourist in Nepal receded again Sunday with a critical hearing being deferred.
Now the "Bikini Killer" of yesteryear would have to wait for a month when his appeal is heard again Dec 8.
Sobhraj is serving life imprisonment in Kathmandu's Central Jail for the murder of Connie Jo Bronzich 33 years ago. If the appeal is rejected by Nepal's Supreme Court, the 64-year-old would have to serve at least 10 more years behind bars.
The lessons from Haiti
By IRNA,
Tehran : The former United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, urged the world to invest in adequate risk reduction for the Haitian disaster ridden nation.
According to a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) here on Sunday, Egeland, who is Director of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, wrote in his article that there is too much focus on international relief, while local efforts and national preparedness are largely ignored in Haiti.
The full text of his article is as follows:
Two climbers missing on Nepal’s Mt. Dhaulagiri
By DPA,
Kathmandu : Two climbers attempting to scale Nepal's Mount Dhaulagiri have gone missing, sparking off a frantic search to rescue the men, media reports said Friday.
Dario Bracali, an Argentine national, and an unidentified Spanish climber went missing Thursday from Camp 3 on the slope of Dhaulagiri, at 7,400 metres above sea level in western Nepal, the Himalayan Times newspaper reported.
Both men were solo climbers, the newspaper said.
Bloody May Day riots hit Berlin and Hamburg
By IRNA,
Berlin : Berlin and Hamburg became the scene of riots Saturday evening as thousands of mostly militant radical leftists and anarchists led bloody street clashes with baton-wielding riot police, resulting in mass arrests and numerous injuries, media reports said.
A police spokesman in Berlin confirmed that one of their officers was critically wounded after being stabbed by an unidentified assailant.
Violence erupted in Berlin's Kreuzberg district as night fell,
with black-clad masked rioters throwing stones, bottles and firecrackers at riot police.
Bush welcomes G20 leaders for critical financial summit
By DPA,
Washington : US President George W. Bush greeted leaders from the world's 20 top economies Saturday for an historic summit aimed at stabilizing the financial system and halting a global economic slide.
Bush, in a brief statement, said he was pleased with the early results after leaders held a working dinner Friday night, but again warned against nations restricting free markets and trade as a result of the financial crisis.
10 rebels killed in Colombia
By IANS,
Bogota : Ten members of Colombia's largest leftist guerrilla group have been killed in fighting with the security forces in northeastern part of the country, officials said.
The fighting between security forces and the guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) took place in Arauquita municipality near the border with Venezuela. A female member of the outfit was captured, and weapons and explosives were seized, Xinhua reported Monday.
A military report said the victims belonged to the group's 10th Front.
Criminal’s plea for caning denied by Singapore judge
By DPA,
Singapore : A career criminal's plea to be caned instead of spending at least seven years in prison has been denied, news reports said Friday.
The district court could not grant Murugaian Kandasamy his request because he is 50. The law stipulates that convicts 50 and over cannot be whipped, The Straits Times said.
Murugaian was convicted of robbing two maids earlier this year.
Plane carrying 46 believed crashed in Venezuela
By SPA
Caracas : A Venezuelan passenger plane with 46 people aboard went missing and likely crashed in a remote mountain region soon after taking off from an Andean city just before dusk on Thursday, authorities said, according to Reuters.
Mountain villagers reported hearing a huge noise they thought could be a crash after the twin-engine plane flew out of the high-altitude city of Merida headed for the capital Caracas roughly 300 miles (500 km) away, Civil Defense official Gerardo Rojas said.
Ukrainian Communists Reject NATO Membership
By Prensa Latina
Kiev : The Communist Party of Ukraine asked the other political organizations to analyze a draft open letter to the secretary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The Ukrainian communists said the letter, signed by President Viktor Yuschenko, Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko and the Supreme Rada president for NATO membership, was drawn up without consulting society and Parliament.
The opposition Communist Party urged all patriotic forces and progressive movements in the country to discuss the letter at a roundtable debate.
Gas pipeline explodes in Moscow
BY RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A natural gas pipeline exploded in southwest Moscow early Sunday, sending flames up to 300 meters in the air, the emergencies ministry said.
At least five people were treated for burns, an official said adding that the fire was visible for many kilometers but no damage was caused to the residential buildings.
Twenty-five firefighting teams had been sent to the site.
The pipeline exploded shortly after the Victory Day celebrations that included a massive fireworks show.
Climate change threatens Arctic animals
By IANS,
Washington : Climate change, which is eroding Arctic shelves, is likely to spell disaster for polar bears and other marine mammals.
The loss of Arctic ice, which serves as a platform for resting and reproduction and provides a refuge from predators, would be particularly severe for species like the hooded seal.
The April special issue of Ecological Applications examines such potential effects and describes possible conservation measures to mitigate them.
The assessment reflects the latest thinking of experts representing multiple scientific disciplines.
OAPEC calls for considering interests of developing nations
By KUNA
Bali, (Indonesia) : The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) has urged participants in the ongoing UN climate change conference to focus debates on cutting greenhouse emissions and refrain from neglecting interests of developing nations.
OAPEC, in a statement released on sidelines of the conference on Saturday, said the conferees should seek to devise plans to cut the emissions, provided such an approach would not undermine interests of the developing nations.
Proximity confab kicks off in London
By IRNA,
London : Muslim scholars from Islamic and European countries on Saturday kicked off a one-day conference in support of the holy Quran and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
The second international conference on Proximity Among Islamic Schools of Thought was launched at the Islamic Center of England (ICE).
Secretary-General of the Tehran-based World Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri sent a message to the conference, stressing the freedom of expression in Islam based on consciousness and wisdom.
China’s new president to attend BRICS summit
By IANS,
Beijing: China's new President Xi Jinping will attend the fifth summit of BRICS countries' leaders in South Africa, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said here Saturday.
Ang Lee was robbed on first LA trip
By IANS,
London: Filmmaker Ang Lee has revealed that his first trip to Los Angeles was quite a let down, as he was robbed by a group of so-called "do-gooders".
Three killed as New Zealand air force helicopter crashes
By IANS,
Wellington : At least three people were killed and one seriously injured after a helicopter of the New Zealand air force crashed, officials said Sunday.
The Iroquois helicopter of the Royal New Zealand Air Force crashed while enroute from Ohakea to Anzac Day commemorations in Wellington.
Police and ambulance services said they were called to the scene on farmland near the Paekakariki Hill Rd, 40km north east of Wellington about 6.45am.
China, US 2008 Trade Ups 10.5 Percent
By Prensa Latina,
Beijing : Trade between the US and China grew 10.5 per cent in 2008, netting $333.7 billion, say specialized sources.
This is the smallest growth since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002 but reflects an active bilateral exchange.
The General Customs Administration (GCA) rates Chinese sales to the US in $252.3 billion, which is 8.4 per cent higher than 2007.
US exports to China netted $81.4 billion, for a 17.4 per cent growth compared to the previous year.
British coastguards on strike for first time
By DPA
London : Coastguards around Britain staged the first strike in their history Thursday demanding that their pay should be increased to match that of other emergency services in the country.
Some 700 men and women at 19 search-and rescue coordination centres around the coasts of Britain took part in the 24-hour walkout Thursday, but their union said Mayday and distress calls from ships would still be answered.
A year later, Obama falters on pledge to shut Guantanamo
By Mike McCarthy, DPA,
Washington : When President Barack Obama took office, one of his first acts was to order within a year the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison for holding suspects in the war on terrorism. The directive, which came two days after his inauguration, was welcomed worldwide after years of allegations that the prison violated civil rights.
Singapore prime minister rules out another dip for economy
By DPA,
Singapore : Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Tuesday said the city-state's economy had bottomed out and was not expected to take another dip after it emerged from its worst recession in history.
"We are out of the trough," said Lee. "We do not expect another dip in the economy."
In the third quarter, Singapore's economy showed its first year-on-year expansion after three quarters of decline, climbing 0.8 percent compared to a year earlier.
Growth of 0.8 percent was "nothing to crow about, but something to be grateful for", Lee said.
25 killed in Nepal bus accident
By IANS,
Kathmandu : In the worst road accident in Nepal this year, at least 25 people were killed when a bus fell off the highway and plunged into a river in western Nepal Thursday with eyewitnesses fearing the toll could go up.
The accident occurred around 7 a.m. in a village called Kittu as the passenger bus run by the Kakre Vihar Yatayat, a private transport company, was heading towards Surkhet district from Dailekh, police said.
It fell off the Kalikot-Surkhet highway into the swirling Karnali river below, killing 18 people on the spot.
Man killed in Russia for being gay
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: A 23-year-old man beaten to death in Volgograd in south Russia was the victim of a homophobic gang, Russian investigators have said.
President Obama orders probe to prevent future drilling disasters
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama named two veteran officials Saturday to lead a panel studying ways to prevent or mitigate future oil spills.
In his weekly radio address, Obama announced that he has formed a bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. Former US senator Bob Graham, a former governor of the Gulf state of Florida, and former Environmental Protection Agency chief William Reilly were appointed as co-chairmen.
Hu urges global media to promote world peace
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The media should promote world peace and development, Chinese President Hu Jintao said Friday at the opening ceremony of the World Media Summit, attended by about 300 representatives from over 170 media outlets from all over the globe.
Hu said: "The media should use their distinctive assets and advantages to convey the messages of peace, development, cooperation, mutual benefit and tolerance."
"All media organisations should be dedicated to the lofty cause of pushing forward peace and development."
38 people die in Philippine evacuation centres
By Xinhua,
Talayan (Philippines) : At least 38 homeless people, including ten children, have died due to health problems in various evacuation centres, witnesses said Monday.
The deaths took place at the evacuation centres amid the ongoing fighting between government troops and rebels in the southern Philippines.
In a small marketplace where 1,257 families set up their makeshift dwellings in the township of Talayan in Maguindanao Province, 24 displaced people - six of whom are children - have died since August last year, said Hassan Kalupa, a leader of the evacuees.
Obama considers levy on big banks
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama is considering a tax on large banks bailed out with government money, media reports said Tuesday.
The idea was to recover as much of the losses as possible from a $700-billion bail-out fund set up to rescue US banks in 2008, officials told The New York Times. The losses were estimated as high as $120 billion.
The new taxes, or fees, could be included in the budget Obama is to submit to Congress in early February, The Washington Post and Bloomberg financial news service reported.
575 schools completely damaged in Nepal
Kathmandu : As many as 575 schools were completely flattened in 36 districts of Nepal in the massive earthquake that devastated the country on...
Shootout in Ottawa: Indian-Canadian MP’s first person account
By Nina Grewal,
When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was speaking at about 9.30 a.m. Wednesday in a caucus room of parliament, we heard a couple of shots. We were not alarmed as we thought some construction work was going on. Then, more shots were heard and we were alarmed, more so as the Prime Minister was in the room, standing and speaking.
British village square turns into shrine for late Goan sailor
By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : Part of a village square in Hampshire has been turned into a shrine as villagers continue to mourn the racially aggravated attack and subsequent death of the Indian sailor of Goan origin on Oct 20.
Gregory Fernandes, the sailor, and his friend were attacked by a gang in Fawley as they were returning to their ship, Garonne. The death plunged the village into shame and mourning that found expression in an emotional candlelight vigil in the village square last week.
Terrorist gets 14-year jail in Canada
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : A Canadian Muslim youth was jailed for 14 years Thursday for his role in the country's first home-grown terrorist plot.
Justice Bruce Dorno of the city court in Brampton on the outskirts of Toronto sentenced 22-year-old Saad Khalid for his role in the so-called Toronto-18 terror plot to avenge Canada's participation in the Afghan mission.
The plot was unearthed in June 2006, with arrest of 18 Canadian Muslims allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda.
From leaders on down, millions mourn quake dead
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Millions of people in China and overseas observed three minutes of silence at 2:28 p.m. on Monday as they mourned the many killed in a deadly earthquake in Sichuan Province a week ago.
President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao, and other top leaders including Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang also stood in silence in the central government compound of Zhongnanhai in Beijing.
Eight human heads dumped in Mexican city
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Eight severed human heads were found in the Mexican city of Durango, authorities said.
Police were directed to some of the heads by a series of anonymous telephone calls that began shortly before 7 a.m. Tuesday, the Durango state attorney general's (AG) office said.
The eight heads were scattered among various roads on the edge of the city, according to a statement from the AG office, which said authorities had yet to find the corresponding bodies or identity the victims.
Snow havoc in China causes $7.5 billion loss
By Xinhua
Beijing : The heavy snow that hit China's central and southern regions over the past three weeks has caused economic loss of about 53.9 billion yuan ($7.5 billion), the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Friday.
The worst snow in five decades has so far killed 60 and forced more than one million people to relocate. More than 200,000 houses were destroyed and another 800,000 were damaged in heavy snow, said Zou Ming, deputy director of the ministry's disaster-relief department.
Russian foreign minister begins visit to Cyprus
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov begins his two-day visit to Cyprus on Sunday.
During his visit, Lavrov is expected to meet with Cypriot President Tassos Papadopolous and his Cypriot counterpart Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis.
The talks will focus on "key regional problems, the situation in the Middle East, Iraq, the Mediterranean region and in the Balkans," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin earlier said.
Kremlin aide says surprise successor to Putin possible
By IANS
Washington : A senior Kremlin official said Friday that a successor to President Vladimir Putin, whose tenure expires next year, could be someone not widely considered as a potential candidate.
Britain supports November poll in Nepal
By IANS
London : Britain has expressed support for the forthcoming elections to Nepal's Constituent Assembly on Nov 22, and has called on all parties to ensure that credible elections are held in the country.
Shahid Malik, Britain's International Development Minister, will travel to Nepal Monday for a three-day visit. He will meet Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and express Britain's support for the historic elections to the Constituent Assembly.
Rath Yatra held in Bulgaria
By IANS
Warsaw : A Ratha Yatra (chariot festival) organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) along a main boulevard in the Bulgarian capital Sofia drew huge crowds.
US accountable for tensions in Pakistan, says Clinton
By IANS,
Washington : US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has acknowledged that the US too had a share in creating the problem that plagues Pakistan today, a media report said Saturday.
In an appearance before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee Thursday, Clinton explained how the militancy in Pakistan was linked to the US-backed proxy war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, Geo TV reported.
Indefinite curfew in Terai as Nepal riot toll rises
By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu, Sep 17 (IANS) The death toll in the violence triggered in south Nepal after the murder of a powerful local leader rose to four Monday, resulting in closures by his supporters and an indefinite curfew clamped by the administration.
Shops, markets and educational institutions remained closed and roads were deserted a day after unidentified gunmen shot dead Abdul Moit Khan, father-in-law of late controversial minister Mirza Dilshad Beg, who was alleged to be the front man of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Nepal.
Sri Lanka fighting kills 72 in north
By SPA
Colombo : Sri Lankan troops killed 72 Tamil Tiger rebels and eight soldiers also died in weekend fighting in the far north of the island, the military said on Sunday.
The rebels meanwhile claimed 31 soldiers and a policeman killed against three of their own dead, Reuters reported.
"There had been a confrontation in Mannar (district) on Saturday where our soldiers went ahead and attacked terrorists.
Troops killed 60 LTTE (Tamil Tiger) terrorists and injured 51," said Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.
Doval, Jaishankar meet Myanmar president, discuss security ties
New Delhi: Days after the Indian Army's operation to strike at hideouts of northeast militants along the border with Myanmar, National Security Advisor Ajit...
Only way to stop Gaza rockets is to kill Haniyeh — Israeli minister
By KUNA,
GAZA : Only way to stop Gaza rockets is to kill Prime Minister of the ousted Hamas-led Palestinian government Ismael Haniyeh, said Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction Zeev Boim.
U.S.: DPRK misses nuclear declaration deadline
By Xinhua
Washington : The United States said on Monday that it will have consultations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after the latter missed a year-end deadline to disclose fully its nuclear program.
"There has been no last-minute change," said State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey as the deadline passed. "It's unfortunate but we are going to keep on working on this.
"I expect there will be some consultations on this over the next few days among the parties to see how we want to proceed from here," the spokesman said.
Ukraine celebrating 17th anniversary of independence
By IRNA,
Tehran : On the 24th August 1991 Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (parliament) declared Ukraine as an independent state.
At the same year (December 1, 1991) over 90% of the people of reborn Ukrainian state confirmed the independence of Ukraine at the referendum.
Tibetans to make tallest Buddha statue in Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Tibetan sculptors will create a statue of Buddha for Russia's Tuva region that will be the tallest Buddha monument in the country, an official said.
Airbus delivers first China-assembled A320 jet
By Xinhua,
Tianjin (China) : Airbus delivered its first China-assembled A320 jet Tuesday in the northern port city of Tianjin, the base of the manufacturer's only final assembly line outside Europe.
The plane was delivered to Beijing-based Dragon Aviation Leasing, which will lease it to Sichuan Airlines. The plane will first fly on the Chengdu-Beijing route Wednesday.
The aircraft had a successful four-hour test flight May 18 from the Tianjin Binhai International Airport.
UN says tougher targets needed to avert climate disaster
By DPA,
Bali Island (Indonesia) : Countries need to set tougher targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions if the world is to avert a climate-change catastrophe, according to a new UN report released Tuesday.
A study compiled by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that between 2020 and 2050, global emissions need to fall by between 48 and 72 percent.
Russia to launch its first weather satellite
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia is set to launch its first weather satellite, Meteor-M1, in the fourth quarter of 2008, the satellite's manufacturer said Wednesday.
Russia currently has no weather satellites and gets its information from foreign sources.
The Russian state research and development company VNIIEM said its specialists had assembled the satellite and launched "the final stage of complex tests".
The 2.7-tonne Meteor-M1 will be put into a 830-km orbit by a Soyuz-2 launch vehicle and a Frigate upper stage.
Its service life will be five to seven years.
Myanmar ratifies ASEAN charter
By Xinhua,
Singapore : Myanmar's ratification of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Charter was formalized here at a ceremony Monday afternoon.
In the ceremony for the deposit of the instrument of ratification for the ASEAN Charter by Myanmar, Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of the ASEAN, said he was confident the Charter will be fully ratified by all 10 ASEAN members at the end of the year.
Global warming killing 150,000 more people in poor countries: WHO
By IANS,
Copenhagen : Around 150,000 deaths now occur in low-income countries each year due to climate change that causes crop failure and malnutrition, diarrhoea, malaria and flooding, says the World Health Organisation (WHO).
"Almost 85 percent of these excess deaths are among young children," WHO spokesperson Sari Setiogi said Thursday.
Health hazards from climate change are diverse, global and difficult to reverse over human time scales, WHO experts said at the Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions conference here, according to Setiogi.
Blasts, gunfire rock renegade Comoro island: Radio
Johannesburg, March 25 (DPA) Explosions and gunfire broke out Tuesday morning on the renegade Comoro island of Anjouan, signalling the beginning of an invasion by African Union and central government troops, radio reports said.
Colonel Mohamed Bacar and his supporters took over the Indian Ocean island off Mozambique in May, and Bacar declared himself president after winning election in June in voting not recognized by the central government of the archipelago nation.
The African Union dispatched 1,500 soldiers from Tanzania, Senegal, Sudan and Libya to intervene in the dispute.
Rice to Visit South Korea for Presidential Inauguration
By SPA
Washington : U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to attend next month’s inauguration of the next South Korean President-elect, a U.S. official said on Thursday.
Rice, who will attend the ceremony for Lee Myung-bak in Seoul, would also make other stops in the region during her trip, according to the official. The inauguration is scheduled to take place on February 25, 2008.
Rice’s trip comes amid an effort by the United States to revive the deal under which North Korea agreed to give up nuclear arms in exchange for economic and diplomatic aid.
Obama’s remark on solving Kashmir dispute welcome: separatist body
By Lalit K. Jha, IANS,
New York : A separatist Kashmiri leader in the US has welcomed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's remarks emphasising the need to resolve the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan.
In an interview with Rachel Meadow on MSNBC news channel Friday, Obama said: "We should probably try to facilitate a better understanding between Pakistan and India and try to resolve the Kashmir crisis so that they can stay focused not on India, but on the situation with those militants."
US condemns attack on reporter, British embassy official
By IANS,
Colombo : The US Tuesday condemned the assault on a journalist and a British high commission officer and asked the Sri Lankan authorities to bring the perpetrators to book at the earliest.
“The US condemns the brutal and unprovoked attack on a member of the British high commission staff and an official of the Sri Lankan Press Institute June 30. We call on the authorities to bring the perpetrators of this crime swiftly to justice,” the US embassy said in a statement.
Bush transfers Presidential power to Cheney before colonoscopy
By NNN-PTI
Washington : US President George W Bush Saturday transferred the powers of the presidency to Vice President Dick Cheney prior to be sedated for a routine medical procedure to detect colon cancer.
Bush signed a letter as per the requirements of the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution to the leaders of the House and Senate. Cheney is not in Washington DC but at his home in St Michaels, Maryland, about 30 miles from here.
Pakistan takes ‘serious exception’ to Pentagon report, conveys protest
Islamabad: Pakistan Wednesday took "serious exception" to the Pentagon report critical of Islamabad, including its "unsubstantiated allegations" of the existence of terrorist "sanctuaries" or...
No Russian withdrawal yet from Georgian positions
By DPA,
Tbilisi : Russian military forces Sunday were showing few signs of falling back from positions deep in Georgia, as US President George W. Bush called on the Kremlin to honour a ceasefire stipulating they leave.
Russian infantry backed by armoured personnel carriers and tanks were digging in on the banks of the Lekhura river, having fallen back some four km from the village Igoeti Saturday.
The army checkpoint next to the Lekhura bridge was the most forward Russian force in Georgia, some 30 km from the Georgian capital here.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon makes first visit to Russia
By DPA
Moscow : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Moscow Wednesday to meet Russian leaders in his first three-day visit to Russia, one of the five veto powers on the UN Security Council.
Ban began meetings with President Vladimir Putin and president-elect Dmitry Medvedev Wednesday, UN officials in Moscow said.
While Russia backed Ban to head the Security Council two years ago, Moscow has reacted sourly to his stance towards Kosovo and resents what it views as unbalanced US influence on the international organization.
Mandela making ‘steady progress’ in hospital
By IANS,
Johannesburg : Former South African president Nelson Mandela was in good spirits while recovering from lung infection at a Pretorial hospital, the South African presidency said Friday.
Twitter ends 140-character limit for sending direct messages
New York : Starting Wednesday, the micro-blogging site Twitter lifted the 140-character limit for its 300 million-plus users to send direct messages, an...
US Sikh body campaigns for prisoners to keep hair
By IANS,
New York : A Sikh body is mobilising opinion against forcing prisoners of the community to cut their hair following the case of Florida prison authorities forcibly cutting the hair of a Sikh inmate, Jagmohan Singh Ahuja.
United Sikhs, a US-based advocacy group, which termed the July incident involving Ahuja as "gross violation" of religious rights, has started a signature campaign in favour of the right for Sikh prisoners to keep 'kesh' (unshorn hair).
Grenade explosion injures 19 people at wedding in Chechnya
By RIA Novosti
Grozny : Nineteen people were injured after a grenade exploded at a wedding party in Chechnya in Russia's North Caucasus region, local police said on Sunday.
The incident occurred late on Saturday in the village of Sary-Su in the Shelkovskoi district in northeastern Chechnya when young people started quarrelling, the police said.
"Mostly young people aged 17-25 suffered from the explosion. They received fragmentation wounds," the police said, adding that the injuries were not life-threatening.
An investigation is under way, the police said.
Drought hits 672,000 people in Chinese metropolis
By IANS,
Beijing : A lingering drought has left 672,000 people and 317,000 livestock short of drinking water in a major Chinese metropolis, Xinhua reported.
Modi logs in to Silicon Valley, tech leaders endorse ‘Digital India’
San Jose: Prime Minister Narendra Modi couldn't have secured a better endorsement for his "Digital India" initiative, as chief executives of some of the...
Australian PM concerned about nationals in Mumbai
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Friday his government was gearing up for another "very difficult" day amid the terror attacks in India, with concerns that Australians are still held hostage.
"This terrorist incident is still unfolding in parts of Mumbai and therefore we are getting ready for a very difficult day ahead," Rudd told the Nine Network Friday morning.
Rudd said he had spoken to the Australian high commissioner in Mumbai and understood that the situation was "still tense on the ground".
Germany urges Israel, Palestinians to ease tensions
Ramallah: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier Saturday warned of turning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from political into religious due to the growing tension in Jerusalem.
Steinmeier's...
Police searching for actress Jennifer Hudson’s nephew in murder case
By DPA,
Washington : Police were searching for the missing nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson, a day after her mother and brother were found dead in their Chicago home in an apparent domestic dispute, the Chicago Sun Times newspaper reported.
The bodies of Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, were found shot dead Friday afternoon, police said.
Hudson's nephew, seven-year-old Julian King, was reported missing from the home.
No takers for a fast track to green cards
By Arun Kumar
IANSWashington : As President George Bush embarks on a mission to sell his plan to legalise as many as 12 million illegal immigrants, an Indian American official's blueprint to slash waiting times for green cards has found no takers.
Jupiter moon lander project to get first funding in 2014
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's Jupiter research project, which includes a lander mission to its moon Ganymede, will receive its first funding next year, a space agency official said.
Obama slams cartoon, calling it an insult to Muslims
By IINA,
Washington : Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate, has spoken out about the satirical depiction of him and his wife on a magazine cover, calling it an insult to Muslims. Speaking on Tuesday night on the CNN's Larry King show, Obama said the cartoon, which depicts him and his wife as flag-burning "radicals", did not bother him. "You know, there are wonderful Muslim Americans all across the country who are doing wonderful things and for this to be used as sort of an insult, or to raise suspicions about me, I think is unfortunate," he said.
Su-27 Flanker fighter crashes in Russia’s Far East, 1 pilot dead
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A Russian Su-27 Flanker air superiority fighter crashed on Tuesday in the Primorye Territory in Russia's Far East, killing one pilot, an Air Force spokesman said.
The $35-mln combat aircraft crashed at 11.30 Moscow time (07.30 GMT) while conducting a routine training flight near an airfield 12 kilometers (7 miles) north of Ussuriisk.
"One of the pilots was killed, and the other survived the crash," Lt. Colonel Vladimir Drik said, adding that no casualties or damage on the ground had been reported.
Three soldiers killed in Philippines ambush
Manila: Three soldiers were killed when suspected New People's Army militants ambushed government troops at Sitio Daing village in Ilocos Sur province in northern...
Indian Americans applaud Bush signing n-deal into law
By IANS,
New York : Indian American community leaders and businessmen have applauded President George W. Bush for signing a historic law on the India-US civil nuclear deal Wednesday that will help India meet its energy demands while giving the US access to a growing market for nuclear technology and material.
Indian Americans constituted more than half of the 250 prominent people present at the White House reception that followed the bill signing by the president.
Rescue US from ‘failed’ Bush presidency: Obama
By DPA,
Denver (Colorado) : Barack Obama laid out a plan to rescue the US from "failed policies", rebuild the military and withdraw responsibly from Iraq, in his acceptance of the Democratic Party's nomination Thursday in Denver.
Obama, the first African-American major-party presidential nominee, charged that Republican Party candidate John McCain would merely continue US President George Bush's unpopular administration.
Obama vowed to end US dependence on Middle East oil within 10 years "for the sake of our economy, our security and the future of our planet".
Flawless Gangjee stays second in King’s Cup
By IANS,
Khon Kaen: Indian golfer Rahil Gangjee, who is struggling to save his 2010 playing rights, put himself in title contention with a bogey-free 68 in the third round of the King's Cup, the final tournament of the Asian Tour season, here Saturday.
Gangjee, who came here sitting precariously in 63rd place on Money List, sank four birdies against no bogeys to stay in second place for the second day running at the Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club.
New British rules favour non-EU workers for high-end jobs
London, Jan 2 (IANS) British employers may no longer have to advertise highly paid jobs locally before hiring overseas as new rules from July open up opportunities for Indian and other non-European white-collar workers.
From July, employers will no longer have to advertise British jobs offering salaries of over £40,000 a year in Britain before they make the posts available to workers outside the European Union, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Wednesday.
Growing voices of solidarity with Tibetans among Chinese netizens
By Vishal Gulati, IANS,
Respect for rights no better under Raul: Cuban dissidents
By IANS,
Havana : The banned Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation has said that the February 2008 elevation of Raul Castro to the presidency brought no "significant improvements" on the island, EFE reported.
"The worst scene in all of Ibero-Americo continues to prevail in the matter of civil, political and economic rights, due to the fact that the Cuban government tramples on each and every one of those said rights," the group says in its latest report.
A list of 205 political prisoners, down from 234 a year ago, is included in the document.
Italy quake: 98-year-old woman rescued after 30 hours
By Xinhua,
Rome : A 98-year-old woman was pulled out alive from the earthquake rubble in Italy's L'Aquila city after being trapped for 30 hours, Italian media reported.
Maria D'Antuono told ANSA news agency that while trapped under her house, she killed time by "doing crochet". She is in good condition.
The death toll in Monday's earthquake, which centred near L'Aquila about 95 km northeast of Rome, has hit 250, a government official was quoted as saying by local media.
South Korea to grant asylum to three North Koreans
Seoul : South Korea will grant asylum to three North Koreans rescued from the sea, who requested to stay back in the country, the...
800 Chinese officials punished for negligence
By IANS,
Beijing : Over 800 government officials and party workers of the Communist Party of China have been punished for negligence of duty, the government said Monday.
Westerwelle, Mottaki discuss Iranian nuclear issue
By IRNA,
Munich : German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle met his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki on the sidelines of the 46th Munich Security Conference on Friday.
Talks focused on the latest developments in Iranian nuclear case, according to a German Foreign Ministry press statement.
Mottaki who addressed the Munich security meeting Friday evening, was also due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The three-day Munich Security Conference is widely regarded as the leading annual gathering of political movers and shakers on global strategic issues.
California removes Islamophobic contents from syllabus and corrects Islamic history
State Board of Education accepts some of the recommendations from scholars to reverse Islamophobic edits pushed by US based Hindu nationalist groups
By TCN News,
California:...
OPEC oil prices continue to rise
By IANS,
Vienna : Weekly average oil prices of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) rose to $122.87 per barrel last week, the Vienna-based cartel said Monday.
1,200-year-old royal tomb found in Peru
By IANS/EFE,
Lima : The 1,200-year-old tomb of a ruler of the pre-Incan Sican culture has been found in Peru's Lambayaque region, an official said.
Six LTTE suspects arrested for French policeman’s murder
By IANS,
London : Six suspected members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been arrested in Paris for the murder of a French policeman, a Sri Lankan diplomat said Tuesday.
The incident happened at around 9 p.m Saturday night when an armed policeman in civvies spotted the six collecting funds in the Tamil-dominated La Courneuve area, said Walter Jayawardhana, a press spokesman at the Sri Lankan High Commission in London.
Jayawardhana, quoting from reports from the Sri Lankan embassy in Paris, said a scuffle ensued when the policeman challenged the group,
Serbs go to polls in crucial parliamentary elections
By RIA Novosti,
Belgrade : Serbs are voting on Sunday in a key parliamentary election expected to decide the country's future.
A pro-Western alliance led by President Boris Tadic is running against the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party in a closely contested early parliamentary vote.
The Radicals want to put Serbia's EU membership on hold and continue to lay claim to Serbia's former province of Kosovo that unilaterally declared independence in February while the Democrats push for the country's integration with Europe.
Two killed in Mexico earthquake
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Two people have been killed and 233 injured in the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the northwestern Mexican state of Baja California, the state's governor said Monday.
Most of the damage in the earthquake that occurred Sunday was concentrated around Mexicali, a city of nearly 1 million people that serves as the state capital, Governor Jose Guadalupe Osuna told Televisa.
UN official visits Sri Lanka amid human rights concern
By DPA,
Colombo : UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe met with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Wednesday, as concerns persisted over human rights in the final stages of the battle between government forces and Tamil rebels.
Pascoe had earlier visited former Tamil-held areas in the Mullatitivu district, 360 km north of the capital Colombo, where the government is making arrangements to resettle thousands displaced by the fighting.
18th Saarc Summit to focus on peace, prosperity, unity in region: Diplomats
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : The forthcoming 18th Saarc Summit to be held in Kathmandu will focus on installing durable peace and prosperity among the...
Titanic survivor to sell off mementoes to pay medical fees
By DPA,
London : The last remaining survivor of the Titanic in Britain has said she is forced to sell mementoes from the ill-fated cruise liner to pay for her nursing home fees, reports said.
Millvina Dean, 96, is hoping to raise more than 3,000 pounds ($5,200) from selling a suitcase full of clothes given to her family by the people of New York when they arrived in America after their rescue.
Dean is also putting up for auction rare prints of the Titanic which have been signed by the artists along with compensation letters sent to her mother by the Titanic Relief Fund.
Brown praises Obama’s ‘energizing politics’
By DPA,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Wednesday praised the "energizing politics and progressive values" of US president-elect Barack Obama and said he was looking forward to working with him.
In a statement issued by Downing Street Wednesday morning, Brown said: "I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to Barack Obama on winning the presidency of the United States."
Goldman Sachs could be sued for helping hide Greece’s debts: Report
Athens : If Greece follows the advice of a former Goldman Sachs banker, the global investment banking firm could face legal action for...
Rice to sign treaty on US radar base in Prague
By ANTARA News/Xinhua
Prague : U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will sign a treaty on the stationing of the planned U.S. radar base on Czech soil in Prague in early May, Victoria Silverman, spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy here said on Monday.
According to the information from the Czech news agency CTK, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg is to sign the treaty on behalf of the Czech Republic.
Sri Lankan refugees arrive at Tamil Nadu coastal town
By IANS,
Chennai : Three Sri Lankan refugees from strife-torn northern areas of the island nation arrived in the coastal Tamil Nadu town of Rameshwaram by a fishing boat after reportedly paying Rs.25,000 for the cross over, police said Friday.
"The refugees had paid upto Rs.50,000 in Sri Lankan currency (Rs.25,000) to reach the Indian territorial waters," a police source said.
Monks in Sri Lanka to counter Valentine’s Day celebrations
By IANS
Colombo : Sri Lankan Buddhist monks plan to counter Valentine's Day celebrations in the island with programmes to lure the youth away from romantic love which they denounce as an undesirable Western concept.
The Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya (JSS), a national organisation of monks, will hold 'Adishtana' and 'Ashirwada' prayers Valentine's Day Thursday in a bid to make the youth love the country and the security forces battling Tamil Tigers.
Maoists take poll plunge with manifesto for ‘new Nepal’
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Nearly two decades since they last fought an election in Nepal and then chose to begin a guerrilla war, Nepal's Maoists Friday finally took the plunge for a poll that would be the first of its kind in the Himalayan state, releasing their party's election manifesto and rooting for a new leadership.
China, Nepal vow to widen ties, cooperate between armies
By Xinhua
Beijing : China and Nepal Tuesday said they would work together to widen bilateral ties and deepen cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries.
Chinese Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan told visiting Nepalese Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal that bilateral relations between the two countries have been moving forward on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence for many years.
German state legislator backs Sharia law introduction in Bavaria
By IRNA,
Berlin : A liberal lawmaker from the south German state of Bavaria has supported the introduction of the Sharia law in his conservative home state, the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported Thursday.
Georg Barfuss of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) said the Sharia should be allowed if there areas which are "compatible with the constitution."
The MP, who is also the integration commissioner in Bavaria, added that key elements of Muslim life like prayers, fasting and the pilgrimage to Mecca should be officially recognized in Bavaria.
6 killed in Missouri city council shooting
By Xinhua
Washington : Two policemen and three other people were shot dead when a gunman stormed into a city council meeting in the U.S. state of Missouri before he was killed by police, television reports said on Thursday.
CNN said the gunman killed a police officer late on Thursday evening in a parking lot outside the St. Louis County police station, before breaking into Kirkwood city council chambers nearby where a meeting was going on.
Firefighters gain on California fire
By DPA,
Los Angeles: A layer of marine fog helped firefighters make progress against a wildfire that has burnt over 3,500 hectares and 80 houses in the upscale communities around Santa Barbara, California, authorities said Saturday.
Fire officials said the fire was 30 percent contained as over 4,200 personnel mobilised to attack the flames and prevent them reaching the city centre. Some 30,000 people were evacuated and another 20,000 people were placed on evacuation alert as the fire spread across an eight-km front Friday in the mountains and canyons above the oceanfront city.
‘A galaxy is like a giant soap bubble’
By IANS,
London : Although little is known about how the universe is structured, latest observations support the theory that large galaxies are clustered together in structures similar to giant soap bubbles, with tinier galaxies sprinkled on the surface of this "soapy" layer.
Discovering Ukraine’s Carpathia Mountain region
By DPA
Yakivsko (Ukraine) : Spicy Hutsul sausages sizzle over our fire, ignored by placid cows and yapping shepherd dogs in the pasture nearby. Down in the valley, on a deserted road, a horse-drawn wagon clops homeward, carrying field workers and their scythes past pastoral haystacks, pumpkin patches, and split rail fences straight from the 19th century. Above, the blue-green Carpathian Mountains roll their way to the EU.
Historic cancer study project launched in Canada
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : In one of the biggest cancer research projects ever undertaken in the world, Canada has launched a $100 million long-term study called The Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project to know how genetics, the environment, lifestyle and behaviour contribute to the development of the deadly disease.
Cancer is the second biggest killer in Canada, causing nearly 70,000 deaths in 2004 in this nation of 32 millions. In fact, cancer deaths will soon surpass deaths caused by heart ailments, says Statistics Canada.
Hounded by office stares – someone maybe gossipping about you
By IANS,
London: Do you wonder why your colleagues keep staring at you? Lingering stares in office may be a sign that you are being targeted by malicious gossip or wagging tongues.
South Korean team to probe UN chopper crash in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : The South Korean government is sending a fact finding mission to investigate a UN helicopter crash in Nepal that killed all 12 people aboard, including a 50-year-old South Korean soldier who is the first foreigner to be identified.
EU approves agreement on invasive alien species management
Brussels: The European Union (EU) Wednesday approved a compromise regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species.
The...
UN: Prevent More Genocide in Rwanda
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the international community on Monday to step up efforts to prevent another genocide in Rwanda like that occurred 14 years ago, when more than 800,000 people were killed.
In his message in memory of those victims, marking a new anniversary of the massacre, Ban insisted in "the moral commitment not to forget painful the lessons drawn from what happened in Rwanda."
He described as "a moving experience" his visit to the monument in memory of the massacre in Kigali.
Obama holds first presidential interview on YouTube
By DPA,
Washington : Barack Obama conducted the first interview of a sitting US President on YouTube Monday, answering text and video questions submitted by users and chosen in an online poll.
Obama last held court on the popular video site when he was running for president. Monday's interview took place amidst a concerted White House effort to incorporate the latest communications technology.
Last month for instance it launched an iPhone app for White House events, and convened a panel of technology leaders to advise on overhauling the government's use of technology.
Lennox committed to helping Mandela fight AIDS
By IANS
London : Singer Annie Lennox is dedicated to helping former South African president Nelson Mandela fight AIDS in Africa.
Lennox has tirelessly campaigned against the disease and is the main force behind the Sing Project. Contactmusic.com reports that the project aims to provide better treatment and access to HIV drugs in Africa.
Lennox began her quest after she heard Mandela give a passionate speech on this issue. She says she cannot comprehend how can more people died of AIDS in Africa than "the combined figures of the two world wars".
Three Indian Americans get innovation, research awards from Obama
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington : Recognising the work of two Indian American inventors and a researcher, President Barack
Nepal arrests 100 Tibetan protestors, UN expresses concerns
By DPA
Kathmandu : Nepalese police Tuesday arrested over 100 Tibetan demonstrating in front of China's embassy's visa office in the capital Kathmandu amid growing concerns by the United Nations over the detentions.
Tuesday's demonstrations were the first by Tibetan exiles in Nepal targeting the Chinese embassy since the start of their campaign against Chinese rule in their homeland nearly two weeks ago.
Police said they detained the demonstrators after they refused to move away from the Chinese visa office.