Nepal extends UN peace monitors’ term yet again
By Sudeshna Sarkarm, IANS,
Kathmandu : Having seen the end of a 10-year communist insurgency but yet to usher in stability and a new pro-people constitution, the fledgling Himalayan republic of Nepal has decided to extend the term of the UN agency monitoring the delicate peace process despite growing criticism of the world body by its main opposition party.
Man forces son to eat school report
By IANS,
London : Furious at his son's poor school report, a father in France forced the boy to chew and swallow the sheets of paper and later admitted that he had "lost his temper" and had "over-reacted".
The angry father stuffed the school report into his 12-year-old son's mouth and ordered him to eat it earlier this month.
The boy found it difficult to eat the three sheets of paper. His father then attempted to force it down his throat with his finger, a court in Poitiers, western France, was told.
All Chinese hostages in Indonesia set free
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : All five Chinese nationals taken hostage by a group of gunmen in Indonesia's Aceh province were released Tuesday after being held since Saturday.
The Jakarta-based Metro TV reported the five Chinese were taken to a local government office in Pining sub-district, Aceh province, on the northern tip of Sumatra island.
Their conditions were not immediately known and local officials were not available for comments.
A group of gunmen abducted seven Chinese workers and an Indonesian citizen in Gayo Lues district, Aceh province, late on Saturday.
Potentially fatal intestinal virus spreads in China
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : A potentially fatal intestinal virus is spreading rapidly in China, with 766 new cases registered in the past 24 hours, national media said on Sunday.
Enterovirus 71 first appeared in March when young children were admitted to hospitals in Fuyung, a city in the central Chinese province of Anhui, suffering from fever, rashes, blisters and mouth ulcers. The virus has so far killed 22 children in the province. Over 4,500 people, mostly children, have also been infected.
China's Health Ministry has now issued a nationwide alert.
Norway’s biggest quake hits Svalbard archipelago
By SPA
Oslo : An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude -- the biggest in Norwegian history -- jolted the sparsely
populated Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic on Wednesday night, the Norsar seismic research institute said on Thursday.
"This is the biggest earthquake on Norwegian territory in history," the institute said in a statement.
"The earthquake happened at sea about 10 km (six miles) below the surface, and was felt strongly in (the Norwegian town of) Longyearbyen."
37 Nepalese students receive EU scholarship By Pushpranjan
By EuAsiaNews,
Kathmandu : Thirty seven Nepalese students and one academic are among the 10,000 awardees of the European Union’s Erasmus Mundus Scholarship (EMS) for the academic year 2009-2010.
The Delegation of the European Commission to Nepal announced the grants here last Friday.
Sameer is one of the 37 Nepalese students who received the EMS."I am overjoyed on bagging such a prestigious scholarship," said Sameer K.C., 25, of Sarlahi district.
Fire kills 11 at China karaoke centre
By DPA
Beijing : At least 11 people, 10 of them young women, were burnt to death in their sleep early Wednesday when a fire swept through a karaoke centre in northern China's Hebei province, state media said.
The 10 women and one man died at the Gedu Love Song Hall in Chengde County, about 230 km north of Beijing, the semi-official China News Service said. They were all aged around 20 and worked at the karaoke centre.
Police were investigating the cause of the blaze, which began around 4 a.m. in the two-storey concrete building.
Honduran president to sue ex-US diplomat for slander
By EFE,
Tegucigalpa : Honduran President Mel Zelaya has said that he will sue former US diplomat Otto Reich for slander after the erstwhile official said Honduras' leader had condoned corruption at state-run telephone company Hondutel.
Zelaya said in a nationally broadcast address that he would contact a Miami law firm next week to file suit against Reich, accusing the controversial Cuban American activist of waging a vendetta against him.
US to increase Asian refugee admissions
By Xinhua
Washington : The US is to increase admissions of refugees from the Middle East, South and East Asia while restricting refugee influx from other regions, local media reported.
Up to 80,000 refugees from across the world can be admitted to the US in the next year, according to a memo from US President George W. Bush to the secretary of state.
A total of 70,000 international refugees were admitted last year.
Congo Conflict Endangers Region, UN
By Prensa Latina,
Nairobi : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that the armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is endangering the area near the African Great Lakes, and demanded a ceasefire.
A summit was held in Kenya to analyze the Congolese conflict and attendants urged an immediate ceasefire in North Kivu, the opening of a humanitarian row, the abidance by agreements signed between Congo and neighboring Rwanda, and the reinforcement of the UN mission to Congo.
Islamic Sharia law zones set up across Britain
By IANS,
London: Islamists across Britain have launched a poster campaign, setting up zones where the Sharia law would be enforced, a media report said Thursday.
US apologises to Guatemala for medical experiments
By DPA,
Washington: The US formally apologised to Guatemala Friday for intentionally infecting hundreds of people with sexually transmitted diseases during medical experiments decades ago.
Russia to put 68 spacecraft into orbit by 2015
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russia plans to put 68 spacecraft into orbit by 2015 and to almost double the number of its communications satellites to 44 by 2020, an official said.
Security Council convenes to end war in South Ossetia
By IRNA,
New York : United Nations Security Council convenes on Saturday to end war in South Ossetia as it failed to agree Friday on a statement calling for an immediate truce.
Diplomats said a Belgian-drafted compromise text also urges the warring sides to "show restraint and to refrain from any further acts of violence or force," calls for respect by the parties of past accords and for the provision of humanitarian aid to victims.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin insisted on the need for Georgia to agree to a formal renunciation of the use of force by either side.
Flood-hit North Korea seeks help from South Korea
by IANS,
Seoul : North Korea has asked South Korea to send rice and necessary construction equipment to help it recover from floods, the government here said Tuesday.
The request was made in a reply to an offer last week by South Korea's Red Cross to give North Korea emergency relief aid worth $8.4 million, Xinhua reported.
Seoul is considering the request, the unification ministry said in a statement.
US blames Tamil Tigers for Sri Lanka blasts
By IANS
Colombo : The US Sunday "strongly" condemned the bomb blasts in Sri Lanka and blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the attacks just ahead of the country's independence day Monday.
"The United States strongly condemns the terrorist bombing on Feb 3 at Fort railway station and Dehiwela Zoo in Colombo, and on Feb 2 in a bus in Dambulla," a release from the US embassy here said.
U.S. Envoy to U.N. ‘Outraged’ by Storming of Belgrade Embassy
By SPA
United Nations : The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Thursday he was “outraged” by the storming of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade by rioters opposed to Western backing of Kosovo’s independence.
“I am outraged by the mob attack against the U.S. embassy in Belgrade,” Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters. “The embassy is sovereign U.S. territory. The government of Serbia has a responsibility under international law to protect diplomatic facilities, particularly embassies.”
Alarming fall in the number of Nepal’s endangered tigers
By DPA,
Kathmandu : A survey into the number of Nepal's endangered tigers has shown the population has declined to dangerous levels, reports said Wednesday.
The survey carried out in western Nepal's Bardiya National Park estimated the number of Royal Bengal Tigers at just 14, down from 36 in 1999.
"During the survey we were able to photograph only five adult tigers in the 82-day period," said Annapurna Das, director of the National Parks and Conservation Department.
"Analyzing the photographs, we estimate the number of tigers, including the cubs to be not more than 14."
Militants demand $1.5 mn for release of Russian sailors
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Nigerian militants are demanding a $1.5 million ransom for the release of two Russian sailors abducted from a ship at a Cameroon port last month, a media report said Wednesday.
The North Spirit vessel with a Russian-Ukrainian crew and owned by Greece's Balthellas Chartering S.A., was attacked May 16 while anchored in Cameroon's largest port of Douala, the Jour newspaper reported.
"The hostages will not be released until the ship owners pay $1.5 million," the newspaper said, citing a local militant called Perewei.
IMF gives increased voting powers to developing countries
By DPA,
Washington : A long-awaited reform of the voting procedures of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that gives developing countries a modest increase in influence was formally adopted Tuesday, said Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the organisation's managing director.
The IMF Board of Governors adopted by a more than 90 percent vote far-reaching reforms of the institution's governance. The move shifts voting rights by 2.7 percent away from advanced economies and in favour of developing countries.
Radio gaining listeners in Europe
By Clive Freeman, DPA
Berlin : Raina Konstantinova, president of the powerful European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has claimed in Berlin that radio continues to attract "ever-increasing numbers of listeners throughout Europe and the world".
"Right now you have in Europe almost 95 million people who listen to the radio almost three hours a day," the EBU boss told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) in a weekend interview in Berlin.
Far from dying, radio listenership is increasing, she insists, "with statistics proving this."
Tamil-Army Clashes Leave 15 Dead
By Prensa Latina,
Colombo : At least 12 Tamil rebels and three government soldiers died in clashes in northern Sri Lanka, military sources in this capital reported on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the army launched a counterattack in Palampiddi area, about 205 miles north of Colombo, on Monday, in response to a Tamil rebels attack to a military defense line.
The military report says that at least 15 soldiers and over 50 rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam died on Sunday during an army advance to conquer Palampiddi.
Powerful earthquake hits northwest China
By Xinhua,
Beijing : A powerful earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale hit China's remote northwestern province of Qinghai Monday, the State Seismological Bureau said.
The quake struck at 9:22 a.m. with an epicentre in Qinghai's Haixi prefecture, an area mainly inhabited by Mongolians and Tibetans, in a depth of about 10 km, according to the bureau.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Russia to unveil documents on WW II massacre of Poles
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's federal archive agency will provide access to digital copies of documents on the Katyn massacre, in which thousands of Poles were executed, to end speculations about their authenticity, the agency's chief said Wednesday.
This year will mark 20 years since Russian authorities first admitted that thousands of Poles were executed by the NKVD secret police in "one of the gravest crimes of Stalinism".
Andrei Artizov said that until now many people had doubted the authenticity of documents related to the crime.
Egyptian Church confirms Coptic Christians’ execution by IS
Cairo: The Egyptian Orthodox Church confirmed late Sunday that the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians abducted by the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Libya...
One Russian officer wounded in attack in Kyrgyzstan
By RIA Novosti,
Bishkek : One Russian officer was wounded in an attack by unidentified assailants near the Russian airbase in Kyrgyzstan, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in the Central Asian country said on Sunday.
The incident occurred early on Sunday when several persons wearing the uniform of Kyrgyz police stopped a car with three Russian offices and tried to force them into their jeep. During the incident, one of the Russian officers was seriously wounded, the spokesman said.
The officer has been hospitalized, the spokesman said.
Toll rises to 96 in Tuesday’s Nepal quake
Kathmandu : The toll in the powerful earthquake that rocked Nepal on Tuesday has reached 96, Nepal Police said on Thursday.
The 7.3- magnitude quake...
12 Chinese held in Malaysia telecom fraud
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur: Police in Malaysia have smashed a telecom fraud syndicate and arrested 12 Chinese suspects in a crackdown on cross-border cyber crime.
Animal activists propose vegetarian diet against food crisis
By DPA,
Manila : Animal protection activists Thursday urged Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to adopt and publicly advocate a vegetarian diet as part of efforts to ease a food supply crunch and sky-rocketing prices.
In an open letter to Arroyo, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) noted that while the world is already growing enough crops to feed every human being, some of this food is used to feed animals being raised for consumption.
WFP suspends flights to Myanmar as military holds up aid (Roundup)
By DPA,
Rome/Bangkok : With reports of a possible 100,000 cyclone deaths in Myanmar, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Friday suspended relief flights to Myanmar after 38 tons of aid were impounded by authorities in the disaster-struck country.
"We are in discussions with the government in Myanmar and we hope to find a resolution soon," WFP Director of Communications, Brenda Barton, told DPA at the Rome headquarters.
Nearly 100 dead in Namibia’s worst floods in decades
By DPA,
Windhoek : Residents of the south-west African desert state of Namibia are bracing for what could be "the worst flood in four decades" in the north of the country, local media reported Thursday. The flood waters have already claimed close to 100 lives.
Earlier this week, Namibia's government declared an emergency and appealed for international aid over the floods that have displaced over 5,000 people and destroyed vast tracts of precious farmland.
Russia, Saudi Arabia sign n-cooperation agreement
St. Petersburg: Both Russia and Saudi Arabia signed an inter-governmental agreement on Thursday on cooperation in nuclear energy for peaceful purposes during the International...
Aide pays for 76-yr-old’s Everest record
By IANS,
Kathmandu : A Nepali helper who helped the world's oldest climber summit Mt Everest this year has had to pay dearly for the record, losing his fingers and toes.
Dharma Bahadur Rai was part of the six-member Senior Citizens' Mount Everest Expedition that saw 76-year-old Min Bahadur Sherchan conquer the 8,848-metre peak May 25 and add a new record in the nearly six-decade-long climbing annals of the world's most charismatic mountain.
Clean energy, nuclear power get money in Obama’s 2011 budget
By DPA,
Washington : President Barack Obama expects lawmakers to approve reductions in US greenhouse-gas emissions and is pushing for more investments in clean energy and nuclear power, according to the administration's 2011 budget released Monday.
Obama also plans to cut more than $40 billion worth of subsidies for fossil fuel producers, according to his budget for the 2011 fiscal year, which begins Oct 1.
I receive death threats from US soldiers: Assange
By IANS,
London : WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has claimed that he receives death threats from US soldiers regularly, a media report said Monday.
ADB raises $1 bn for 3-year global bond
By Xinhua,
Manila : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Tuesday said it had raised $1 billion for the three-year global benchmark bond issue to return to the US dollar bond market.
The bonds, with a coupon rate of 2.125 percent per annum payable semiannually and a maturity date of March 15, 2012, were priced at 99.779 percent to yield 92.25 basis points over the 1.125 percent US Treasury note due January 2012, ADB said in a press release.
Simpson criticised over daughter’s bikini dress
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Singer Jessica Simpson has been criticised by British charity Kidscape for dressing her four-month-old daughter Maxwell in a bikini.
Obama nears Democratic nomination; Clinton still running
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Barack Obama moved closer to making history as the first black presidential nominee with an emphatic win in Oregon Democratic primary overshadowing rival Hillary Clinton's equally facile win in Kentucky.
But the former first lady vowed to continue her uphill battle even as Obama with a 61 per cent to 39 percent vote victory in Oregon reached a coveted milestone in the race - capturing a majority of his party's pledged delegates in primaries and caucuses.
More action required on human rights education – Hammarberg
By KUNA,
Paris : Education on human rights is "central to the effective implementation of the agreed standards," the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg affirmed Monday.
In his latest Viewpoint, the Commissioner stressed that governments have not given sufficient priority to human rights education in schools, calling for further efforts in promoting inter-cultural understanding and respect.
Britain’s Royal Navy ship to help in plane’s search
London: Britain will deploy a Royal Navy ship to help in search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 plane in the southern corridor...
China stages its biggest maritime rescue exercise
By Xinhua,
Ningbo (China) : China's maritime rescue services staged their biggest exercise so far in the East China Sea Friday by involving 35 ships, three aircraft and 1,000 personnel.
The exercise was jointly held by the Ministry of Transport and east China's Zhejiang province, said He Yipei, deputy director of the Zhejiang Maritime Safety Administration.
The exercise began at 9 a.m. off the coast of Ningbo and lasted about an hour.
Urban-rural income gap widest since China began reforms
By IANS,
Beijing : China last year recorded its widest rural-urban income gap since the nation launched its reform policy in 1978 and an expert warned that the gap would "continue to expand as the country focuses its efforts on urban sprawl, rather than rural development", a media report said Tuesday.
The urban per capita net income stood at 17,175 yuan ($2,525) last year, in contrast to 5,153 yuan in the countryside, China Daily reported Tuesday citing the latest figures from the National Bureau of Statistics.
28 Dead, 90 injured in Brazil accidents
By IANS
Rio de Janeiro : Two separate accidents at the same location killed 28 people and injured 90 in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina, the country's Federal Highway Police said.
The first accident occurred late Tuesday when a truck collided with a bus while trying to pass another vehicle on a curve, while the second incident, which happened two hours later, was caused when a truck lost control, hitting several emergency vehicles and people working on the rescue operation at the scene of the initial accident, reports Spanish news agency EFE.
Pirates leave hijacked Yemeni ship without ransom: Owner
By DPA,
Sanaa (Yemen) : Eight Somali pirates have abandoned a Yemeni cargo ship after negotiations with Somali tribal leaders, but two other pirates were still on board the ship Monday, the ship's owner said.
"Eight pirates have already left the ship after tribal dignitaries convinced them to do so," Attas Salim Aboud told reporters.
He said the two other pirates who were still holding the ship's crew hostage and would likely leave the vessel within the next few hours.
Eight crew members - three Yemenis, three Somalis and two Tanzanians - were taken hostage by the pirates.
Sri Lanka escapes Commonwealth focus despite British MPs’ demand
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : The political watchdog of the Commonwealth refrained from discussing the civil war in Sri Lanka despite a last-minute plea by a group of British MPs to place it on the agenda of its meeting in London Wednesday, a Sri Lankan diplomat has said.
"There was a brief mention of pressure being put by some MPs, but there was no discussion," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity, refusing to say who raised the matter.
UN engineer kills himself after Nepal chopper crash
By IANS
Kathmandu : Five days after three of his associates died in a helicopter crash in eastern Nepal, a Russian engineer working for the UN Mission in Nepal (Unmin) killed himself, apparently due to depression.
Evegeny Alexandrov, a 50-year-old Russian engineer hired by Unmin for "air service support in Nepal", hanged himself in the Kapan area of Kathmandu valley Saturday, the police said.
Bolivia nationalizes four oil firms, telecom company
By DPA,
La Paz : Bolivia Thursday said it had taken over four international energy companies in a continuation of the nationalization of its oil industry and would also take control of a telecommunications firm.
The energy companies are Transredes, part of British firm Ashmore; Andina owned by Spain's Repsol; Chaco, a subsidiary of Pan American Energy; and CLHB, controlled by joint Peruvian and German firm Kapital/Oiltanking GmbH, newspaper La Razon reported.
The government also said it would take control of telecommunications firm Entel, which is owned by Italy's Telecom Italia.
Syrian diplomats’ expulsion counter-productive: Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia believes expulsion of Syrian ambassadors from a number of Western countries is counter- productive, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday.
World is close to recession: IMF
By DPA,
Washington : The world stands on the brink of a recession, led by a devastating financial crisis that is sending rich nations on a downward spiral unlikely to end before 2010, the International Monetary Fund warned Wednesday.
In a semi-annual report on the global economy, the IMF slashed its 2008 global growth forecast to 3.9 percent and its 2009 prediction to three percent. Growth of under three percent is considered a global recession.
Obama to visit four Asian countries in April
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama will visit Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines in late April, the White House said Wednesday.
The...
Sarkozy’s popularity in free fall to ‘disgrace’
By Siegfried Mortkowitz, IANS
Paris : You know things are going badly for French President Nicolas Sarkozy when friends from abroad try to give him a helping hand.
His good friend Tony Blair, the former prime minister of Britain, has said that in a crisis of popularity the best approach was to keep a stiff upper lip.
"One must not let your eyes be ruled by polls, or you will go crazy," Blair told Europe 1 radio Friday. "When you carry out reforms, you are not necessarily popular. But later, if they work, you will gain recognition."
Nineteen killed in Mexico prison riot
By DPA,
Mexico City: At least 19 prisoners were killed and another 20 wounded during a four-hour prison riot in the northern Mexican state of Durango, officials said Saturday.
The fighting started Friday after security was increased at the prison in Gomez Palacio town following the transfer of prisoners from a high-security facility, the state's director for security, Jorge Torres, said.
Toronto bans kite flying
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Toronto, home to the largest concentration of South Asians in North America, has banned their favourite pastime of kite flying in the city's popular Milliken Park which is filled every weekend with enthusiasts.
Anyone violating the ban faces a fine of $100.
The ban follows after residents complained about the kite debris falling in their properties, and the fallen kite string ensnaring birds, cutting people's limbs, and disrupting lawn-mowing.
New York police try to shut down gay bar
By IANS,
New York : New York police are trying to shut down a bar for gay and transsexual black men after undercover officers found drug deals going on inside it.
Gay activists and civil rights lawyers have, however, said they will go to court to try to stop the New York Police Department (NYPD) from closing the Chi Chiz bar.
The NYPD told the Manhattan Supreme Court that undercover officers have witnessed the sale of marijuana, cocaine and other contraband substances in the bar, which opened 12 years ago, the New York Post reported Saturday.
World’s oldest rocks discovered in Canada
By IANS,
Toronto : Canadian researchers have discovered the world's oldest rocks in the country's Quebec province that could shed more light on our planet's mysterious beginnings.
Estimated to be 4.28 billion years old, the rocks were discovered along the Hudson's Bay coast in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone belt.
The new discovery by researchers at McGill University in Montreal pushes back the age of most ancient rocks by 300 million years, they said in a study published in the journal Science Friday.
Indian ship with relief supply reaches Colombo
By IANS,
Colombo : An Indian ship carrying 1,700 tonnes of relief supplies for civilians in Sri Lanka's war-ravaged north has arrived here, Indian diplomats said Sunday.
According to the sources, the Indian Shipping Corp ship was carrying the first consignment of relief material meant for the civilian population made homeless by the war. It reached the Colombo harbour late Saturday.
The cargo is to be distributed primarily through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Nepal quake: Teenager, cousin have miraculous escape
By Gaurav Sharma,
Lalitpur (Nepal) : A young woman and her cousin who had an unbelievable escape in Nepal's killer earthquake are thanking god for...
Britain toasts health of world’s largest democracy
By IANS,
London: Britain's foreign minister Tuesday praised the outcome of the Indian elections, saying another five years of stable government will enable the two countries to jointly tackle "urgent global and regional challenges".
Welcoming the Indian elections as a testimony to the "health of the world's largest democracy", Stephen Miliband said: "We look forward to continuing working closely with the new Indian government to address the many urgent global and regional challenges we face.
US Troop Probed in S Korea Rape
By Prensa Latina
Seúl : An American soldier is under investigation this Thursday after being accused yesterday of sexually abusing a nineteen-year old South Korean girl in Seoul, whom he met over the Internet, informed the Yonhap news agency.
He is one of the almost 37, 000 soldiers stationed on American bases in South Korea.
Kim Young Kyu, a spokesman for the Pentagon, said they are fully cooperating with the South Korean authorities in the investigation.
Vietnamese president to pay state visit to Japan
Hanoi: Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang will pay a state visit to Japan between March 16-19, Vietnamese foreign ministry announced Sunday.
He will visit the...
Life ruled out on Mars after 600 mn year drought
By IANS,
London : Arid conditions on Mars for more than 600 million years may have been too hostile for any life to survive on its surface
Over 700 Russian scientists part of Large Hadron Collider project
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The development of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator, has involved over 700 Russian physicists from 12 research institutes, a project coordinator said Monday.
The $5.8 billion international project, which will be officially unveiled on October 21 at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known by its French initials CERN, has involved more than 2,000 physicists from hundreds of universities and laboratories in 34 countries since 1984.
Kartarpur corridor talks begin at Attari
Attari (Punjab), March 14 (IANS) Exactly a month after the Pulwama terror attack killed 40 CRPF troopers, Indian and Pakistani officials met on Thursday...
Britain, France agree on joint nuclear weapons tests
By IANS,
London : Britain and France will sign an agreement for joint development and testing of nuclear weapons, the BBC reported Tuesday.
Taiwan Opposition Sweeps to Victory
By Prensa Latina
Taipei : Opposition Kuomintang Party (KMT) swept to victory on Saturday at polls in Taiwan, dealing a tough blow to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) intentions to separate the Island from China.
The group, which promotes better relations with the Chinese mainland and rejects the policy of the current Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, will control two-thirds of the new 113-member Legislative Assembly.
Obama and McCain make final pitch amid massive early turnout
By DPA,
Washington : As US presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama geared up for a final weekend of campaigning, volunteering and television advertisements, voters turned out in droves to cast their ballots early in states across the country.
Both campaigns claimed an edge in the early voting stakes in key battlegrounds including Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and North Carolina, as well as absentee ballots cast in other states.
Heavy polling as Bhutan becomes world’s newest democracy
By Syed Zarir Hussain
Thimphu, March 24 (IANS) Brisk voting was underway Monday for the first ever parliamentary elections in Bhutan, marking the end of a 100-year-old monarchy in the Himalayan kingdom.
"The enthusiasm is tremendous with heavy polling recorded so far till midday in all the 20 districts. This is a historic moment for all of us," said Bhutan's Chief Election Commissioner Dasho Kunzang Wangdi.
Suu Kyi meets senior Myanmar junta official
By DPA
Yangon : Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was Friday permitted to leave her home, where she is under house arrest, to meet a senior member of the military junta, according to witnesses.
The junta's shadowy chief, General Than Shwe, has promised to enter into talks with Suu Kyi if she abandons her call for economic sanctions and drops her "confrontational" approach.
Vietnamese say My Lai apology `better late than never’
By DPA,
Hanoi : Vietnamese Monday welcomed last week's apology by the US officer convicted of leading the notorious My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, but said more senior officers should be held responsible as well.
"Lieutenant William Calley's apology for his massacre comes too late, but I think it is better late than never," said Pham Thanh Cong, 52, director of a museum at the site where the massacres took place in 1968.
27 dead in Haiti truck crash
By IANS,
Santo Domingo : At least 27 people have died in Haiti when a truck overturned after the driver lost control of the vehicle.
Welcome Modi’s remarks on religious freedom: EU
New Delhi: The European Union Wednesday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on religious freedom and said that his remarks were "entirely in line...
The travails of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
Kuala Lumpur's imaginative 'Malaysia truly Asia' campaign emphasising the country's multicultural society has taken a hit following the recent violence involving local Indians, many of whom are Tamil Hindus.
Although the outbreak was brought under control fairly quickly, the fact that the agitation was spearheaded by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) was a disturbing sign. Though small, such outfits can remain active for a long time if the grievances of its ethnic supporters are not adequately addressed.
Obama, Cameron try to ease tensions over BP
By IANS,
Washington : US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron Tuesday tried to ease recent tensions over the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster and oil giant BP's alleged role in the release of the Lockerbie bomber last August.
"The US and the United Kingdom enjoy a truly special relationship, ... the US has no closer ally and no stronger partner than Great Britain," said Obama at a joint news conference with Cameron here.
US announces new sanctions on Russian officials, bank
Washington: US President Barack Obama Thursday announced new sanctions against senior Russian officials and a bank in a bid to "impose additional costs" on...
US plane crash kills 10
By Xinhua,
Los Angeles : At least 10 people were killed when the plane in which they were travelling crashed near the Arches National Park in the US state of Utah, officials said Saturday.
Rescue officials rushed to the crash site but no survivors were found, Grand County Sheriff James Nyland said.
The twin-engine plane crashed and burst into flames shortly after take off from the Canyonlands Field airport late Friday, Nyland said.
India asks Sri Lanka to extend truce, halt civilian casualties
By IANS,
New Delhi : With the humanitarian crisis aggravating in Sri Lanka, India Friday urged Colombo to extend the pause in hostilities to enable civilians trapped in the war zone to move to safe areas and made it clear that any further civilian casualties will be "totally unacceptable".
"The government of Sri Lanka must extend this pause in hostilities to prevent further casualties and enable trapped civilians to leave the area to secure locations," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a hard-hitting statement here.
Remembering Abdul Sattar Edhi & Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan, two icons of Pakistan
By Nasim Yousaf for Twocircles.net
Pakistan recently lost another icon, Abdul Sattar Edhi, who died in Karachi at the age of eighty-eight. Edhi’s...
Russian Air Defence Force starts massive drills
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Russian Air Defence Force has begun massive drills
Russian forces kill 5 in Ingushetia rebel operation
By SPA,
Nazran, Russia : Russian special forces killed five people, including one woman, in an operation against insurgents in the southern region of Ingushetia on Wednesday, a spokesman at the Ingush interior ministry said.
Special forces surrounded a house in the village of Karabulak, about 10 kilometres (6 miles) north east of the main city of Nazran, and attacked when the rebels refused to surrender, the spokesman was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Russian forces have been combating a growing insurgency in Ingushetia.
SAARC business conference in Pakistan postponed
By IANS,
Islamabad : A two-day SAARC business leaders conference scheduled to be held here in February has been deferred due to Pakistan-India tensions in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, Geo TV reported.
SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Chamber of Commerce and Industry executive member Zubair Ahmad Malik told the channel that the Feb 21-22 meeting had been put off as the Indian delegation's visit to Pakistan didn't seem possible due to the highly charged sub-continental atmosphere.
Another bus blast in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : A second bomb exploded inside a bus in Sri Lanka Friday, this time in the central district of Kandy, the authorities said.
The defence ministry said the explosion occurred around 3.50 p.m. in a bus plying from Waththegama to Kandy.
Police sources said the incident took place near a Teachers Training School at Polgolla, 12 km north of Kandy town.
Affleck struggles between work and family
By IANS,
London: Actor Ben Affleck finds it difficult to balance between work and family life.
More delay in Colombian hostage release
By IANS
Caracas : The much-awaited handover of three high-profile hostages by Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels may take a few more days, officials have said.
Officials engaged in the hostage release mission said the left-wing rebels have so far failed to finalise the forest location where the release was to take place, Spain's EFE news agency reported Monday.
Syria admits shooting down Turkish warplane
By IANS,
Damascus: Syria Saturday confirmed having shot down a Turkish fighter jet which had entered the Syrian airspace earlier Friday.
Bush praises US-Europe ties in Paris speech
By DPA,
Paris : US President George W. Bush Friday praised the closeness of US-European ties and called for continued close collaboration in the fight against terrorism and other vital global issues.
In the speech, which was delivered shortly after his arrival in Paris, Bush told his audience at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): "Instead of dwelling on our differences, we are increasingly united in our interests and ideals".
Malaysia to hold 50th independence celebrations at London’s Convent Garden
By Bernama
Kuala Lumpur : Covent Garden, the entertainment centre for opera, theatre and street performances in London, will be transformed with the sights, sounds and flavours of Malaysia from June 6 to 10 June.
The week will be the highlight of Visit Malaysia Year 2007 and Malaysia's 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations in the English capital.
60 injured in Moscow train blast
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : At least 60 people were injured when a powerful explosion derailed an express near Veliky Novgorod in northwestern Russia, officials said, adding terrorist sabotage was the only "possible explanation".
More than 30 people were hospitalised after 12 of 13 cars and the locomotive of the four-hour Nevsky Express went off the rails Monday at 9.38 p.m. (5:38 p.m. GMT). The train from Moscow to St. Petersburg travels at a speed of 200 km/h.
The injured included two foreigners, a hospital official said.
Indian schoolchildren hail ‘cute’ Obama’s victory
By IANS,
New Delhi : Many found him merely cute but many others sensed that something momentous had taken place with the US voting in its first African American president in Barack Obama. As the world celebrated Wednesday, so did students in the Indian capital who realised the import of the day even if they did not understand the nuances of American politics.
The news of Obama's landslide victory was flashed at a time when many of Obama's young supporters in India were in their classrooms.
US shooting spree kills one
By Xinhua,
Washington : A 60-year-old man was killed and eight wounded Sunday in a shooting spree at a church in the southern US state of Tennessee, the police said.
“A man opened fire with a shotgun in a church in Knoxville, killing a 60-year-old man on the spot,” police chief, Sterling Owen, said.
The gunman was later arrested.
Five of the wounded are in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.
A witness said there were around 200 people in the church and watching a youth programme at the time of the incident.
Myanmar’s junta stages referendum despite cyclone, world criticism
By DPA,
Yangon : Myanmar's military rulers proceeded Saturday with a referendum intended to cement their political power despite international appeals to postpone the vote in the wake of Cyclone Nargis that could have killed 100,000 people.
Voting began at 6.00 a.m. Saturday (2330 GMT Friday) as planned and was scheduled to end at 4.00 p.m.
New institute to address Asia’s water challenges
By DPA,
Singapore : The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy launched Tuesday the Institute of Water Policy to meet some of Asia's most critical water challenges with respect to policy and governance.
"Water is a global priority," said Kishore Mahbubani, the school's dean. "There will be strong synergies between the work we do on water and the ongoing research on energy and climate change, public health and public management," he said.
UN acquits Sobhraj, asks Nepal for his release, compensation
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Seven years after remaining behind bars in Nepal for the alleged murder of an American tourist and having his "not guilty" plea rejected by Nepali courts, Charles Sobhraj has finally a silver lining with the UN saying he did not get a fair trial and asking the government of Nepal to free him as well as pay compensation.
Obama’s British stepmother flies out for inauguration
By IANS,
London : Barrack Obama’s British stepmother was given the royal treatment at Heathrow airport as she flew out for the ceremony of his inauguration as US president.
Kezia Obama, 67, was received at the airport by a battalion of Virgin Atlantic staff Thursday - they even had a cake ready for her because she was also celebrating her birthday.
Kenyan-born Kezia wore a glittering traditional African dress and hat, and left her home in Bracknell, Berkshire, in the early hours to be present for the ceremony in Washington next Tuesday.
Russia’s NATO envoy says alliance respects Moscow’s position
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : NATO is now taking Russia's opinion into consideration when making decisions, a government daily on Monday quoted the country's envoy to the alliance, Dmitry Rogozin, as saying.
At a summit in Bucharest on Thursday, NATO members decided to postpone offering Georgia and Ukraine the chance to join the alliance's Membership Action Plan (MAP), but promised to review the decision in December. The ex-Soviet republics had received strong U.S. backing for their bids.
Tropical Storm Kalmaegi Heads For China’s Southeast Coast
By Bernama,
Fuzhou : Tropical storm Kalmaegi is approaching China's southeast coast, and is expected to bring heavy rains in the next two days to Fujian Province, the provincial observatory said on Thursday.
The storm was moving northwest from Hualian County, Taiwan, on Thursday morning, bringing winds gusting up to 108 kilometers per hour at the center, according to a report by Xinhua news agency.
Kalmaegi, the seventh tropical storm to hit Fujian this year, became a strong tropical storm on Wednesday night.
World Bank warns Ebola’s economic impact in West Africa
Washington: The Ebola virus that has become rampant in West Africa will enormously hurt fragile economic growth of the three hard-hit nations of Guinea,...
IAEA chief calls Iran talks constructive
By IANS,
Tehran : International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano has said talks with Iran on a previously proposed nuclear fuel exchange deal have been constructive.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Yukiya Amano held talks in the Austrian capital Sunday, Mehr News agency reported Monday.
Amano said the talks would continue until a final agreement is reached.
"The issue of the fuel swap was discussed, but there should not be any expectation of signing an agreement (now). The talks will continue," he added.
Caroline Kennedy withdrawals from Senate bid
WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (KUNA) -- Caroline Kennedy, daughter of assassinated US President John F. Kennedy, officially withdrew her name from consideration for the US Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton early Thursday morning, citing personal reasons.
In a brief statement Kennedy said she informed New York Governor Patterson that "for personal reasons I am withdrawing my name from consideration for the United States Senate." Kennedy's adviser, Josh Isay, would not specify what "personal reasons" had caused Kennedy to bow out, referring to her written statement.
Chinese aviation giant establishes defence branch
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China's largest aircraft maker, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), has opened a defence branch in Beijing that will take over most of the military-related business of building combat aircraft, including China's own third generation fighter J-10.
The defence branch will primarily develop and make training aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
It will also conduct research and manufacture business jets as well as sell its products internationally, a statement released by AVIC Thursday said.
‘Britain under attack from 20 foreign spy agencies’
By IANS,
London : Russia and China lead a list of 20 foreign intelligence agencies targeting Britain for cutting edge technologies and other secrets, a British government document was quoted saying Sunday. While Russia and China have "the most active spy networks" operating in Britain, other countries, including European allies such as France and Germany, are also spying on Britain, the Sunday Telegraph reported quoting from the Jan 19 document that it said had been circulated to all government departments.
Not appropriate to talk to Hurriyat, India warns Pakistan
New Delhi: Taking a tough stance, India on Friday said it had advised Pakistan that it would "not be appropriate" for its NSA,...
‘Golden Crescent’ narcotics spell disaster for China
By Xinhua
Urumqi (China) : Facing a growing threat of drugs from Asia's principal region of illicit opium production, the Golden Crescent, China's northwest border region is battling with problems like increased AIDS cases and drug-related crimes.
The Xinjiang Uygur region bordering eight Asian countries has become the main passage in recently years for narcotics from the Golden Crescent comprising the mountain valleys of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Spanish brand wins at Serbia beer fest
By IANS/AKI,
Belgrade: Over 700,000 people attended the Belgrade beer fest last week, and Spanish brand Corona was voted the best beer, organisers said.
New Google service allows virtual pilgrimage
By EFE,
Santiago de Compostela (Spain): Internet users can now take a virtual pilgrimage in Spain thanks to Google's Street View service.
The virtual re-creation of the "Road to Santiago", one of the most famous pilgrimage routes in Europe, is one of the features of the service, which also showcases the Alhambra in Granada, the Toledo Cathedral, the aqueduct in Segovia, the mosque in Cordoba and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
North Korea says its building n-reactor
By IANS,
Pyongyang : North Korea Wednesday said it was building a nuclear reactor and its production of low enriched uranium was underway.
US braces for ‘difficult’ diplomacy on North Korea
By DPA,
Washington : The US warned Monday of "difficult diplomacy" in finding agreement on a strong, effective international reaction to North Korea's defiant launching of a missile over the weekend.
"The issue's a bit complicated, as you know, and it's going to take time," Robert Wood, deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, told reporters. "It's not something, I would suspect, that we could resolve in the next day or so. It's going to take time."
US favours flexible approach to climate change
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : The US says it's wrong to suggest it has wide differences with India on the issue of climate change as Washington only favours a flexible approach recognising the diverse needs of nations.
"India is an active partner in the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, so it would be incorrect to suggest that there are wide differences between the US and India," a key advisor of President George Bush said here Thursday.
Former England captain Tony Greig dies
By IANS,
London: Former Engand cricket captain Tony Greig died here Saturday after suffering a heart attack. He was 66.
Obama crosses ‘colour line’, elected first black US president
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Declaring that "change has come to America", Barack Obama created history Tuesday with a resounding win over rival John McCain, crossing the country's "colour line" to be elected the country's first African American president .
"Change has come to America," the Democratic candidate said, addressing the country as the president-elect from an open blue stage with flags waving behind him before an ocean of people in his hometown of Chicago.
Google found guilty of violating film copyright
By Xinhua
Paris : US internet giant Google has been found guilty of violating copyright of a film that was posted on its site prior to seeking authorisation from the owner.
Paris District Commercial Court found Google guilty for posting the film, "The World According to Bush" (Le monde selon Bush) by William Karel, online without seeking permission from the copyright holders and despite their protests, film producer Jean-Francois Lepetit announced Friday.
Boost development to enhance women’s role in preventing conflicts: India
By Arul Louis
United Nations : Drawing attention to the challenges posed by women's under-representation in roles for preventing and ending conflicts, India has said...
Scientists make windpipe from stem cells, usher in new era of surgery
By IANS,
London : British scientists were hailed Wednesday after the first tissue-engineered windpipe, built from the patient's own stem cells, was successfully transplanted into a young woman with a failing airway.
Scientists at Bristol University were in a European team that conducted the operation on a young woman from Colombia living in Spain, they announced Wednesday. The operation was performed in June at the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona.
Arbitration court for Asian state disputes in Singapore
By DPA
Singapore : A Netherlands-based international arbitration court is setting up its first Asian centre in Singapore to resolve disputes between countries in the region, news reports said Tuesday.
Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar and the secretary general of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), Tjaco van den Hout, signed an agreement to establish the facility, the fifth of its kind in the world.
Three inmates die in Russian prison fire
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Three inmates died when a fire broke out at a penal colony in Russia's Vologda region Monday, a source in the region's law enforcement authority said.
NATO chief: Road to membership “wide open” for Georgia
By Xinhua,
Tbilisi : NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Tuesday that the alliance will continue to expand and the road to membership is "wide open" for Georgia.
The NATO secretary-general renewed his support for Georgia's bid to join the military bloc in a speech to students at Tbilisi State University on the second day of his visit to the Caucasus nation, but he offered no timetable for Georgia's NATO membership.
ADB loan for Nepal water project
By IANS,
Kathmandu : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a loan for six drinking water projects in Nepal.
Obama’s policies losing virginity: Fidel Castro
By IANS,
Havana : Former Cuban president Fidel Castro has criticised US President Barack Obama saying his "politics is losing virginity", the EFE news agency reported Saturday.
"Sooner rather than later, Obama's politics are losing their virginity," he said in his article titled "Reflection" published in official media Friday.
Castro, who earlier called Obama an "honest man" and praised his inaugural speech, took a statement of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to criticise the policies of new US administration.
Russia wants to revive space dominance of Sputnik era
By DPA
Moscow : The shock in the West was deep when the bleeping from Sputnik 1 50 years ago could be picked up from space by simple radios worldwide.
The first man-made satellite that had been blasted into space from the then Soviet missile complex in Baikonur, Kazakhstan marked Oct 4, 1957 as not only the beginning of the Space Age, but also the starting shot in the race between the US and the USSR for space - and the Soviets were ahead by a nose.
The US also feared that Moscow could use its versatile missiles to launch nuclear weapons at it.
US warns of attack in Indonesia’s Bali
By DPA,
Jakarta : The US embassy in Jakarta Thursday warned of a possible attack on New Year's Eve on Indonesia's resort island of Bali.
The embassy said in a circular posted on its website that the information was received from Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika.
"There is an indication of an attack to Bali tonight," the warning said, quoting the governor's message.
"Please don't panic, but put your security system to full alert," the warning said.
Australian officials said Thursday, however, that the warning of a possible attack was just that.
Scientists create billions of particles of anti-matter
By IANS,
Washington : When you shoot laser through a gold bit the size of a pinhead, suddenly more than 100 billion particles of anti-matter materialise.
The anti-matter, also known as positrons, shoots out of the target in a cone-shaped plasma "jet."
This new ability to create a large number of positrons in a small lab opens the door to several fresh avenues of anti-matter research, including an understanding of the physics underlying phenomena such as black holes and gamma ray bursts.
Astronauts transfer cargo carrier to ISS
By DPA,
Washington : The crews of the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station Monday transferred a container holding 816 kilograms of cargo to the station.
In the first day of joint operations at the station, the crews used a robotic arm to take the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module out of the shuttle's payload bay and install it outside the station for easy access during spacewalks.
Gang war leaves eight dead in Colombia
By EFE,
Bogota : Eight people were killed and four wounded in clashes between two rival gangs in the northwestern Colombia, the police said Wednesday.
Members of La 39 and La Galeras gangs, which work for drug traffickers, clashed between them in the city of Medellin following an attack on a salon in the La Pradera neighborhood that killed two youths and injured one, the police said.
After the attack, some unidentified gunmen shot dead a former paramilitary in the same area in the afternoon. The victim was shot several times while sitting in an SUV.
Haiti Child Smuggling, Abuse Revealed
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : A video prepared by the International Organization for Migration, disclosing the situation of child smuggling and abuse in Haiti was published Tuesday, a week before an international forum on the topic.
The video reveals the Restavek system, through which 173,000 Haitian minors, children of poor rural families, are sent to relatives or foreign residents in urban areas, ostensibly to receive education in exchange for domestic work.
The reality is that those children have a life of privation and abuse, and few of them go to school.
Chinese army recruitment to go online
By IANS,
Beijing : China will start online recruitment for graduates in its army, a media report said.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the ministry of education plans to recruit some 150,000 college graduates this year, Xinhua news agency reported Thursday quoting a PLA statement.
The age limit has also been extended to 24 years for those with a bachelor degree. The PLA usually recruits men aged between 18 and 20 and women aged 18 or 19.
Japan’s central bank holds rates, raises purchase of government bonds
By DPA,
Tokyo : Japan's central bank Wednesday kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.1 percent but decided to step up its purchases of government debt.
The Bank of Japan is to increase its monthly purchases of long-term government debt from 1.4 trillion yen ($14.21 billion) to 1.8 trillion yen to inject liquidity into money markets and prevent the rise of long-term interest rates.
Its unanimous decision to keep its overnight lending rate unchanged was expected after it last lowered the rate in December by 20 basis points.
First Ebola patient diagnosed in US dies
Washington: The first Ebola patient diagnosed in the US died Wednesday at a hospital in Dallas, a city in the northern part of the...
Quake shakes Nepal, India, China
Beijing : A major earthquake jolted Nepal, India and China on Tuesday, causing widespread panic across the region.
The USGS said that the temblor measured...
Anti-Islamic Dutch MP seeks Muslim immigration ban
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Europe's openly anti-Islamic parliamentarian, Dutch MP Geert Wilders, riled many Canadians Sunday when he said Canada should ban immigration from Muslim nations.
European Parliament honours Chinese dissident
By DPA,
Strasbourg (France)/Beijing : The European Union (EU) Parliament defied Chinese warnings Thursday and awarded its prestigious Sakharov Prize to Hu Jia, an imprisoned Chinese civil rights activist and dissident.
The decision was a rebuke to Beijing, which had said that honouring Hu Jia could "seriously damage" China's relations with the European Union.
Hu Jia was picked from a shortlist of candidates that also included Aleksandr Kozulin, a former presidential candidate in Belarus, and Apollinaire Malu Malu, who chairs the Independent Electoral Commission of Congo.
Dominican rape victims keep mum, fear husbands will leave them
By EFE,
Santiago (Dominican Republic) : Over two dozen victims of a serial rapist arrested in this northern Dominican city are refusing to file complaints against him as they are afraid their husbands will leave them if they learn they were raped, police said.
Police turned over to the courts a man arrested Sunday in connection with 34 rapes in Santiago between June and September.
Regional police spokesman Col. Jesus Cordero Paredes told the media that Carlos Miguel Henry Patina Santana, 30, pretended to be a taxi driver so that he could get the victims to get into his car.
Russian troops assault Ukrainian military base in Crimea
Kiev: Russian troops with armoured cars stormed a Ukrainian military base Saturday in the town of Balbek, Crimea, after issuing an ultimatum to commanders...
8 Californian Mayors attend event hosted by RSS’s international wing
By TCN Staff Reporter
Mayors and vice-mayors of eight cities in California’s San Francisco Bay area recently attended an event organized by American branch of...
Indian national jailed for theft, molestation in Singapore
Singapore: An Indian national in Singapore was jailed for six months Thursday on charges of molestation, theft and criminal trespass.
Palanisami Mohankumar, 27, pleaded guilty...
UK Government “rock of stability”, Brown
By KUNA,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown declared Monday that the UK Government would be the "rock of stability" amid the global financial turbulence as it injected 37 billion pounds of taxpayers' money into Britain's troubled banks.
The Prime Minister told a Downing Street news conference that the action the Government was taking was "unprecedented but essential".
"In extraordinary times, with financial markets ceasing to work, the Government cannot just leave people on their own to be buffeted about", he said.
Boeing delivers 200th transport aircraft to US Air Force
By Gulshan Luthra, IANS,
Los Angeles : Boeing has delivered the 200th C 17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft to the US Air Force (USAF).
The aircraft was flown from its Long Beach production facility here July 30 to the USAF Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, the aircraft's new home, company sources told India Strategic defence magazine.
USAF has ordered a total of 223 aircraft.
Boeing is slowing down production of C 17s, expecting some more new international orders before the facility is closed down in four to five years.
Baseballer Clemens indicted for lying about steroid use
By DPA,
Washington : Former star baseball pitcher Roger Clemens was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on charges that he lied before a congressional panel about his alleged steroid use.
Clemens was indicted by a district court in Washington, more than two years after he testified before the US Congress that he never took performance-enhancing drugs.
Brian McNamee, a former trainer, testified before the same congressional panel that he injected Clemens dozens of times between 1998 and 2001 with steroids and human growth hormone.
US urges Japan to stop whale hunt
By DPA
Washington : The US has urged Japan against following through on plans to hunt and kill hundreds of whales in the coming months.
"We call on Japan to refrain from conducting this year's hunt, especially with respect to humpback and fin whales," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday, noting the two types of whales are among the more endangered species.