27 killed in China mine blast
By Xinhua,
Xiaoyi (China) : Rescuers Saturday pulled out 27 bodies of miners from a shaft that collapsed after a blast in a coal mine in north China's Shanxi province.
Seven people were still trapped, rescue officials said, adding 58 people were inside the shaft when the explosion occurred Friday. Fifteen workers moved to safety while rescuers evacuated nine.
More than 100 rescuers from Xiaoyi and other areas have been mobilised to search for those still inside the mine.
17 killed in US plane crash
By Xinhua,
Washington : A small passenger plane crashed Sunday afternoon in the western US state of Montana, killing an estimated 17 people including a number of children, federal officials said.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman Mike Fergus told reporters that preliminary reports indicate many of the victims are children.
"We think that it was probably a ski trip for the kids," Fergus said.
The single-engine propeller plane was traveling from Oroville, California to Bozeman in Montana before it crashed into Holy Cross cemetery, he said.
Talks fail, Chrysler bankruptcy imminent: Report
By DPA,
Washington : Talks aimed at saving the ailing US carmaker Chrysler LLC from bankruptcy failed late Wednesday, making the company filing for court protection "all but certain", the Wall Street Journal said in its online edition.
The US government now expects to get the company through its bankruptcy-filing process quickly to pave the way for a takeover by Italian carmaker Fiat SPA, the paper wrote, quoting administration sources.
Britain to probe identity leak of Indian visa seekers
By Prasun Sonwalkar
IANS
London : A Channel 4 report that personal data of Indian citizens applying for British visa in India may have been compromised due to flaws in the online application system there has prompted an investigation here.
Blast kills 23 in Sri Lanka as ceasefire ends
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : At least 23 people were killed and 57 others injured Wednesday when a blast ripped through a bus carrying factory workers and schoolchildren in Sri Lanka's southern Monaragala district, a military spokesman said.
The blast took place as the six-year-old ceasefire agreement (CFA) between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) officially ended.
US says differences in global climate talks narrowing
By DPA,
Washington : The United States' top climate official said there had been a "narrowing of differences" after a meeting of the world's 17 top polluters that are critical to reaching any international deal on curbing climate change.
Todd Stern, the US State Department's envoy on climate change, said Friday some "concrete initiatives" that could help broker a deal were considered during two days of talks by the climate officials in Washington.
Nepal Maoists finally agree to free child soldiers
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu: Witnessed by top UN officials and envoys from foreign governments, Nepal's Maoist chief and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Wednesday finally gave his consent to a new accord with the coalition government to release nearly 3,000 child soldiers from his party's guerrilla army.
Atlantis shuttle returns safely to Florida
By DPA
Washinton : Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down safely at Florida's Kennedy Space Center Wednesday morning after a near 13-day mission to the International Space Station.
"We appreciate all the great help and support," Commander Steve Frick told NASA's mission control in Houston after the shuttle came to a stop at 9:08 a.m. (1408 GMT).
Frick and his six crewmembers returned to Earth after bringing up and installing the Columbus laboratory on the ISS - Europe's most significant contribution to the space station so far.
Sarkozy, other leaders set to launch Mediterranean Union
By DPA,
Paris : Leaders and representatives from 43 nations were set to meet later Sunday in Paris to launch the Union for the Mediterranean, an ambitious project intended to deepen relations between the European Union (EU) and countries along the Mediterranean basin.
Early Sunday, EU foreign ministers and their counterparts from 14 non-EU Mediterranean states, were meeting to prepare the union's establishment.
N-talks at ‘difficult’ stage as Iran insists on red lines
Tehran : Nuclear talks between Iran and the world powers to tackle the obstacles in the way of reaching a final deal are at...
Nepal lawyers rally behind Sobhraj’s lawyer, fiancee
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu: In an act of solidarity, Nepal's lawyers Thursday rallied behind former international master criminal Charles Sobhraj's beleaguered lawyer Shakuntala Thapa and her daughter Nihita Biswas, better known as Sobhraj's fiancee, opposing the decision by two Supreme Court judges to keep them under police detention while hearing a contempt of court case against them.
Thapa and Nihita, forced to spend Wednesday night in a police cell near the Supreme Court, will now be allowed to go free till the trial lasts.
Over 60 killed in Lanka’s fierce fighting
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : At least 63 people, including 33 Tamil Tiger rebels, were killed and over 50 wounded when Sri Lankan government troops launched a fresh offensive into the rebel stronghold in northwestern Mannar district Friday.
Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said troops, backed by artillery and aerial bombardment, broke out from their forward defences and "forced into the LTTE stronghold during a multi-pronged offensive launched Friday morning".
UN ban on Lashkar front will limit terror group’s ability: US
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Welcoming the UN ban on a Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) front body and sanctions against four of its members, the US has said the action would limit the Pakistan-based terror group's ability to plan new attacks, acquire weapons and raise funds.
"These actions will limit the ability of known terrorists to travel, acquire weapons, plan, carry out, or raise funds for new terrorist attacks," the State Department said on the UN action against front operations of LeT, prime suspect in the Nov 26 Mumbai terror attacks.
11 victims of Air France crash identified
By DPA,
Sao Paulo : Brazilian authorities have identified 11 victims, three weeks after an Air France jet carrying 228 people crashed on its way to France, a news report said.
The forensics department in the port town Recife identified 10 Brazilians, among them five women, and one foreigner, whose bodies were among the 50 recovered after the Airbus A330 crashed June 1 off Brazil's coast.
The victims could be identified by their fingerprints and dental records, the O Globo newspaper reported.
Putin announces new government
By SPA,
Moscow : Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced an array of government changes including splitting Russia's ministry of energy and industry in two.
The move appears to reflect Russia's growing emphasis on trying to resuscitate its industrial base while still relying on oil and gas export revenues, the Associated Press reported.
Putin turned over the Russian presidency to protege Dmitry Medvedev last week and quickly was nominated and confirmed as prime minister.
He announced the government changes on Monday after meeting with Medvedev.
Foreign direct investment in Brazil plunges 60 percent
By EFE,
Rio de Janeiro : Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Brazil totalled $1.29 billion last month, down 60.3 percent from July 2008, the central bank has said.
FDI was also down 11.2 percent last month from the June figure of $1.45 billion, the bank said.
As of July 31, accumulated FDI in Latin America's biggest economy stood at $13.97 billion, or 30 percent less than in the same period in 2008.
The figures, however, improved from the beginning of the year, when FDI was down 60 percent.
Salma Hayek weds on-off billionaire fiance in Paris
By IANS,
London : Mexican actress Salma Hayek has married on-off fiance Francois-Henri Pinaul in a surprise ceremony in Paris on Valentine's Day.
The Mexican actress, 42, and the French billionaire, 46, married in the City Hall in the St. Germain area of the French capital Saturday, reports dailymail.co.uk.
The decision to wed on Valentine's Day also has a special meaning for the couple, as their 17-month-old daughter is named Valentina.
News of their marriage comes as a surprise after they publicly announced the end of their engagement last July.
Serbia adopts resolution against Kosovo independence
By Xinhua
Belgrade : The Serbian parliament overwhelmingly adopted a resolution Wednesday evening that obliges Serbian officials to reject Kosovo's independence and denounces NATO for supporting the separatist Kosovo Albanians.
The resolution, passed with 220 votes in favor and 14 against in the 250-seat parliament, says Serbia must "reconsider" diplomatic ties with Western countries that recognize Kosovo's statehood.
It says that because of NATO's support for Kosovo's independence, Serbia must remain outside the Western military alliance.
Over three million people jobless in France
By IANS,
Paris: The number of unemployed people in France has risen to over three million for the first time since 1999, according to the labour ministry's latest statistics.
Two dead, 192 injured after quake hits Greece
By RIA Novosti,
Athens : Greece is continuing to be hit by aftershocks following Sunday's earthquake, which killed two and injured 192, the country's state television said on Monday.
The quake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, with an epicenter at the Peloponnese Peninsula some 205 km (127 miles) east of the capital Athens, destroyed over 50 buildings and damaged more than 200 others.
Fonseka’s arrest aimed to suppress war crimes: Tamil Canadians
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Calling the arrest of former Sri Lankan army chief Sarath Fonseka "the murder of dissent'' by Colombo, Sri Lankan Tamils in Canada have sought immediate international trial of President Mahinda Rajapaksa for war crimes.
"If Rajapaksa can do this to his former chief, what can Tamils expect from his government? These four brothers (President Rajapaksha and his three brothers) will never give anything to Tamils,'' said Canadian Tamil Congress spokesman David Popalapillai here Monday.
Death toll from south Brazil floods rises to 65
By RIA Novosti,
Rio De Janeiro : At least 65 people have died and another 44,000 have been left homeless in southern Brazil after more than two months of heavy rains, the country's Civil Defense Service said on Tuesday.
Eight towns in the state of Santa Catarina have been blocked off due to flooded roads. Many of those killed were crushed by landslides, some of them inside their homes, the service said.
Over 50 cm (20 inches) of rain has fallen in the region in the past few days, four times more than the average for this time of year.
Food a Human Right, UN Council
By Prensa Latina,
United Nations : The United Nations Council on Human Rights has been called to take action to confront the world food crisis, according to an initiative announced by the new Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food, Oliver De Schutter.
In remarks to journalists here on Friday, the Belgian expert proposed to hold a special, high-level meeting of the CHR to discuss the crisis triggered by soaring food prices.
Will institution of Dalai Lama continue?
By IANS,
Dharamsala : Should the institution of the Dalai Lama continue? The incumbent spiritual leader of Tibetans says he will initiate a debate on it after 14 years.
Baby Xeno born from ashes of South Africa’s racist violence
By DPA,
Johannesburg : Zimbabweans are famous for the eye-popping names they give their children.To the ranks of the Tears, Lovemores, Cowboys and Carry-Ons now comes the unfortunately-named Baby Xeno, the Johannesburg-based Star newspaper reported Friday.
Xeno, who was born to Zimbabwean national Diana Sakala two days ago, takes his name from the xenophobic attacks that have claimed at least 43 lives in South Africa since May 11.
Quake-hit Nepalese protest shortage of relief items
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : Hundreds of Nepal quake-victims here protested against the government on Wednesday for its alleged failure to provide relief materials and...
New Russian supertanker on Pacific trip
By RIA Novosti
Vladivostok : A new supertanker built in South Korea for a Russian company has set off on its debut voyage to the Pacific Coast of the United States, a spokesman for a Russian shipping company said on Tuesday.
The Zaliv America is one of several supertankers that South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., the world's largest shipbuilder, is building for Russia's Primorsk Shipping Company.
14 rebels killed in Sri Lanka
By Xinhua
Colombo : Fourteen Tamil Tiger guerrillas were killed and 15 soldiers injured in separate clashes in northern Sri Lanka Thursday, officials from the defence ministry said.
The officials said that eight fighters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were killed when they tried to attack the Forward Defence Line at Muhamalai in Jaffna peninsula around 3 a.m. Thursday.
Five soldiers were injured in the battle that lasted more than one hour.
More people riding bicycles tend to have less accidents
By IANS,
Sydney : The more the people ride bicycles, the less likely are they to be injured in traffic accidents, according to a study.
International research reveals that a cyclist is far less likely to collide with a motor vehicle or suffer injury and death - and what's true for cyclists is true for pedestrians.
"It's a virtuous cycle," said Julie Hatfield, an injury expert from University of North South Wales (UNSW) who addressed a cycling safety seminar in Sydney Sep 5.
No general election before adoption of FY 2009 budget: Japanese PM
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said that he will not dissolve the House of Representatives for a general election before the Diet adopts the fiscal 2009 state budget, Kyodo News reported Saturday.
In an interview with media, Aso said it is essential to lay the ground work for economic measures.
Noting the necessity of electoral reform, he said under the current single-seat constituency system, it would be difficult to form a "grand coalition" with the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan.
S. Korean official: Six-party talks might be resumed in June
By Xinhua,
Seoul : The six-party talks on the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula might be resumed before June 15 after an eight-month suspension, said Kim Sook, South Korea's chief negotiator for the talks, on Friday.
"The six-party talks are expected to be held in the first half of June, if consultations among related nations and preparations, currently under way, go well," Kim, who returned from Beijing on Thursday after meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei, told a press briefing.
Trade, terror to be focus of Modi-Erdogan talks
By Aroonim Bhuyan
New Delhi, (IANS): Economic ties and cooperation in the fight against terrorism are expected to dominate the bilateral talks Prime Minister Narendra...
Tropical diseases ignored by Western media: study
By IANS,
Washington : Western media rarely carry news about tropical diseases, notwithstanding the huge suffering and poverty that they cause in the developing world, according to a study.
Mangai Balasegaram of Bordeaux University combed the archives of 11 leading international, English-language media, from Jan 1, 2003, to June 1, 2007, to evaluate news coverage of what is known as neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs.
U.S. says it is time to resolve Kosovo’s final status
By Xinhua
Washington : The United States said Friday that it is time to resolve Kosovo's final status in keeping with U.N. Resolution 1244.
"We believe that, in keeping with U.N. Resolution 1244, it's time to resolve Kosovo's final status," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.
"That, for us and for the broad cross-section of the international community, means proceeding with implementation of the Ahtisaari plan. And that's we'll be working for in the coming days and weeks," Casey said.
11-year-old girl pleads guilty in Hong Kong ‘rampage of hooliganism’
By DPA,
Hong Kong : An 11-year-old girl gang member pleaded guilty before a Hong Kong court after a crime spree involving three burglaries and two robberies, a news report said Thursday.
She entered her plea Wednesday for robbery and burglary involving $3,500 between January and March this year, the South China Morning Post said.
Some of her victims were lured into meetings with the girl via internet chat rooms and were then bound and robbed by other gang members.
A probation report submitted to the court said the girl had a history of running away and skipping school.
New stamps on 100th anniversary of Titanic disaster
By IANS,
London : Britain will launch a collection of stamps to mark the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster.
China quake toll rises to 69,225
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The death toll in the May 12 earthquake in southeast China's Sichuan province and its neighbouring region has risen to 69,225, the State Council information office said Monday.
The number of people missing and injured reached 17,939 and 374,640 respectively, the statement said.
The government has so far spend about $9.4 billion in relief and reconstruction, it said.
The killer quake affected some 24 million people and wreaked havoc over an area of 44,000 square km..
UN Chief arrives to visit quake area in China
By SPA,
Yingxiu, China : A state news agency says U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has arrived in the Southwestern town of Yingxiu near the epicenter of China's devastating earthquake.
Xinhua News Agency says Ban flew to Yingxiu, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of the May 12 quake's epicenter. He was meeting Saturday morning with Premier Wen Jiabao, who also was visiting the area.
The agency says Ban's visit is meant to express his care for those who suffered in the quake, which killed at least 55,000 people.
Four killed, two missing in Chile shipwrecks
By IANS,
Santiago (Chile) : Four people have been killed and two reported missing in two shipwrecks caused by a storm in Chile's southern region of Los Lagos, the navy said.
Three security guards headed out in bad weather on a small boat Friday night from Puerto Montt, the capital of Los Rios, located 1,000 km south of Santiago, for a sports-fishing trip without permission from maritime officials.
The boat sank near Maillen Island due to bad weather, poor visibility and lack of precautions by the passengers, Spain's EFE news agency said Monday quoting officials.
South Africa to boost trade with Cuba
Cape Town (South Africa), Nov 11 (IANS) South Africa and Cuba are to establish a task force to boost trade between the two countries.
"We have identified this [trade] as a challenge and we have agreed to establish a task team of officials from both countries to pay more attention to trade and to see how we can improve the trade and economic co-operation between our two countries," South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said here Saturday.
Small Aircraft Causes Few Evacuations by White House
By SPA
Washington : A small aircraft entered restricted airspace near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, causing some concern, and evacuations in the area.
The commotion was due to a small aircraft that entered into the airspace, but then abruptly turned around, and was not considered a threat, according to the U.S. Homeland Security Department.
Research to study domestic violence in south Asian households
New York, Sep 28 (IANS) A new research has been launched in the US to study the degree to which South Asian women in the country seek help to deal with domestic violence and the effectiveness of criminal justice interventions.
The Asian Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence (APIIDV), in association with the University of Michigan School of Social Work, has launched the research project, funded by the National Institute of Justice.
Chaos at US airports as winter storms strike
By DPA,
Washington : Airports were shut down and several hundred flights were cancelled Friday as winter storms swept across the Midwest and northeastern US.
More than 500 flights were cancelled at airports across New York state, and the storm was expected to dump more than 20 centimetres of snow, and later sleet and rain in some areas.
Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport was shut down, and areas in southern Wisconsin received about 30 centimetres of snow.
Russia, China sign $25-bn energy deal
By DPA,
Moscow : Russia and China signed a $25-billion energy deal in Beijing Tuesday under which Russia will pump oil to its energy-hungry neighbour for the next 20 years in return for loans, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said.
Sechin, who overseas energy, secured the deal in a meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in the Chinese capital.
The agreement provides for the completion of a pipeline linking Siberian oil fields to northern China, agreed to in talks between the two countries' premiers in October.
Russia cancels arms deal with Iran
By DPA,
Moscow: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev cancelled a planned arms deal with Iran because of the UN sanctions against the country, the Kremlin announced late Wednesday.
Large oil deposit discovered in Brazil
By RIA Novosti,
Rio De Janeiro : Brazil's state-run oil major Petrobras Thursday announced it has discovered a large oil deposit around 250 km off the coast of Sao Paulo state.
In the last six months, Petrobras has discovered three super-giant oil fields in Brazil's offshore Santos Basin. The company also confirmed in January the discovery of a massive gas deposit off the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro.
The Tupi discovery in Sao Paulo, on the shelf of the country's southeastern coast, announced in November, holds estimated reserves of around 8 billion barrels.
Japan, U.S. discuss foreign exchange before G8 meeting
By Xinhua,
Osaka, Japan : Japanese Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga held talks Friday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on foreign exchange before the opening of the Group of Eight (G8) finance ministers meeting in the central Japanese city of Osaka.
After the talks, Nukaga told reporters that he would not comment on foreign exchange.
As there are many risky factors, the two countries need to coordinate their actions closely, he said.
And it was unclear whether currency matters will be discussed at the G8 session, he added.
Fasting has a positive impact on maintenance of glucose level: Malaysian study
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Kualalumpur: A study by researchers at National Defence University of Malaysia have come to conclusion that fasting during Ramadan has a...
Dutch anti-Islam party doubles seats in election
By IANS,
Amsterdam : The anti-Islam party founded by far-right politician Geert Wilders has more than doubled its seats in the Dutch parliamentary elections, becoming the country's largest party.
With at least 96 percent of the votes counted Thursday, the Freedom Party (VVD) won 31 out of 150 seats, more than the centre-left Labour Party's 30 seats.
The election - the fourth since 2002 - was called after the centrist coalition government, between the Christian Democrats and the Labour Party, collapsed in February.
Republicans split over backing Nikki Haley
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : While national Republicans are busy advancing Indian American lawmaker Nikki Haley's bid for governor of South Carolina, much of the state party establishment seems to be working furiously to torpedo her chances in the June 22 runoff.
Sikhs challenge French law banning turbans on IDs
By IANS
Brussels : Sikhs in France have filed a case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg challenging a French law that demands that turbans be taken off while being photographed for identity cards.
Chinese newspaper staff fined for swear-word misprint
By DPA,
Beijing : A misprint over "arse-kissing" officials in a Chinese newspaper story led to fines for the editorial staff, media reports said.
Annoyed by a gushing story of visits by a party functionary to migrant workers, a proof-reader wrote, "How can they kiss arse like that?" on the proof copy, which was mistakenly included in the story when it went into print in the southern Chinese Nanfang Dushibao newspaper.
56 would-be migrants rescued off Malta
By SPA,
Valletta, Malta : A total of 56 would-be immigrants were rescued off Malta early Thursday morning and brought to shore following two separate operations, DPA reported.
In the first, the owner of a tanker vessel alerted Maltese officials that his crew had come across a group of Africans on board a rickety boat who were asking for fuel and food.
A Maltese rescue vessel was dispatched to the scene, bringing 26 would-be immigrants, including two women to shore.
Over 40,000 dead, missing or buried in China quake
By AFP,
Dujiangyan, China : More than 40,000 people were dead, missing or buried under rubble in China's southwest, officials said Wednesday, as the full horror of its devastating earthquake began to emerge.
Limit use of Taser stun guns, UK told
By IRNA,
London : The British government Tuesday was urged to limit the police use of controversial Taser stun guns in the light of a new report that says nearly 350 people have died in the US in the last seven years after being stunned by one.
"The Taser is clearly a dangerous weapon and should only be used in very limited circumstances where strictly necessary to protect life or avoid very serious injuries," said Amnesty International director, Oliver Sprague.
15 civilians killed in eastern Ukraine
Lugansk : Fifteen civilians were killed and about 60 injured in mortar attacks on Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, media reported Saturday.
Lugansk was under massive...
Mexico cocaine ‘hidden in sharks’
By IANS,
Mexico City : The Mexican Navy says it has seized more than a tonne of cocaine hidden inside the carcasses of frozen sharks, BBC reported Wednesday.
Armed officers found slabs of cocaine inside more than 20 sharks aboard a freight ship in the Gulf coast port of Progreso in Yucatan state.
Correspondents say cartels are coming up with increasingly creative ways of smuggling drugs into the US.
Shipments of cocaine have also been discovered hidden inside sealed beer cans, religious statues and furniture.
Over 30 injured in blast at Nepal poll rally
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Over 30 people were wounded Wednesday in a bomb blast during an election rally of Nepal's ruling coalition parties in frontier Birgunj town, despite stringent security measures.
The mass meeting of the seven ruling parties in Nepal's industrial capital Birgunj, the seventh joint campaign for the April 10 constituent assembly elections, received a jolt when a powerful bomb went off at the Narayani Stadium, where thousands had flocked to hear the leaders.
Pokeberries hold secret to low cost solar power
By IANS,
Washington : Pokeberries - weeds that children smash to stain their cheeks purple-red - could be the key to spreading solar power across the globe, according to researchers.
Scientists from Wake Forest University's (WFU) Centre for Nanotechnology used the red dye made from pokeberries to coat their efficient and inexpensive fibre-based solar cells. The dye acts as an absorber, helping the cell's tiny fibres trap more sunlight to convert into power.
Lithuania hosted secret CIA prison: Report
By DPA,
Washington : Lithuania was among three European countries that hosted secret CIA prisons for holding high-value Al Qaeda suspects, ABC News reported Thursday, citing unnamed former CIA officials.
The CIA held up to eight prisoners in a building outside Vilnius for as long as a year, until late 2005, when the secret prison operation was ended after it surfaced publicly, the officials said.
One injured in shooting outside US court
By IANS,
Washington: A county employee was shot and injured by two unidentified men Thursday outside a court building in the US state of Texas, Xinhua reported.
Former Israeli premier Sharon’s son jailed for fraud
By DPA
Tel Aviv : The son of former Israeli premier Ariel Sharon began serving a seven-month prison term Wednesday for fraudulently raising millions of Israeli shekels for his father's 1999 primaries campaign.
Awaited by scores of reporters, Omri Sharon, 43, arrived at Tel Aviv's district court Wednesday morning, from where he was taken to Israel's Ma'asiyahu prison, in Ramle south-east of Tel Aviv.
New Zealand counts rebuilding costs after quakes
By DPA,
Wellington : Rebuilding quake-ravaged Christchurch is set to cost more than $7 billion, the New Zealand government said Friday.
BRICS summit to change course of 21st century
Fortaleza (Brazil) : Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said the decisions taken at the BRICS summit will change the course of the 21st century,...
Israel forces training for strike inside Iran: media
By DPA
Tel Aviv : Israel is training for a scenario under which it may have to carry out an aerial strike against Iran, the Israeli Ma'ariv daily reported here Friday.
Recession closes 7,000 SMEs in Taiwan
By DPA,
Taipei : More than 7,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs)have shut down in Taiwan in the past two years due to recession, a government agency said Monday.
"At the end of 2006, there were 1.23 million SMEs enterprises in Taiwan. By the end of 2007, the number had dropped by more than 7,000," Lin Ping-pin, secretary-general of the National Association for Small and Medium Enterprises, said at a conference for smalland medium enterprises, which is held every third year.
Won’t accept temporal division of al Aqsa, says Palestine
Ramallha : Palestinians won't let pass the Israeli measures in Jerusalem and the Israeli scheme for the temporal division of Al Aqsa Mosque, President...
Nobel laureate Irwin Rose passes away
Washington: American biochemist and Nobel laureate Irwin Rose has died at the age of 88, said the University of California, Irvine (UCI), where Rose...
U.S. Supreme Court allows foreign prisoners in Guantanamo to appeal
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that foreign terrorism prisoners held in U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo, Cuba, can challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts.
In response, the White House said that President George W. Bush, who is currently in his visit to Europe, has expressed strong disagreement with the Supreme Court ruling for not keeping American people safe, but he said he would abide by the decision.
Six killed after Colombian military plane crash
By SPA
Bogota : Three crew members and three soldiers were killed when a Colombian military aero plane went down in mountains in the south of the country, DPA reported today.
The cause of the accident was not yet known.
Association of Cuban Residents in Russia Created
By Prensa Latina,
Moscow : The fight against the US blockade and for the release of five Cuban anti-terrorists imprisoned in that country are permanent tasks of the Association of Cuban Residents established in Russia.
Addressing about one hundred people at the Cuban embassy in Moscow, Ambassador Jorge Marti highlighted that the defense of the country is the first duty of those morally and spiritually committed to the homeland.
He denounced the aggressive police unsuccessfully maintained by US governments for nearly 50 years, and reinforced by the Bush administration.
Rebels say eight civilians killed by Sri Lankan troops
By DPA
Colombo : At least eight civilians were killed Thursday in two claymore mine blast carried out by government troops in northern Sri Lanka, Tamil rebels claimed.
The attacks came as fresh fighting left nine rebels dead and scores wounded in the north since Wednesday.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) blamed the army's deep penetration unit for carrying out the claymore mine attacks in Panankamam and Maruthamadu in Wanni district, 260 km north of the capital.
The Sri Lankan military denied that the army was involved in the attacks.
UN launches Internet campaign to fight violence against women
By Xinhua
United Nations : The UN Development Fund for Women (Unifem) has launched an Internet campaign in an effort to end violence against women.
The Unifem initiative, titled "Say NO to Violence against Women", is aimed at gathering on-line signatures through a website so as to urge decision-makers to place ending violence against women high on the global agenda. The campaign will run until March 8, 2008, International Women's Day.
Tunisian president elected to fifth term
By DPA,
Tunis/Paris : Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was elected to a fifth term with almost 90 percent of the vote, the Tunisian interior ministry announced Monday.
With all the votes counted from Sunday's election, the 73-year-old Ben Ali was credited with 89.62 percent of the vote, the first time he has received less than 90 percent in an election.
In 2004, Ben Ali had garnered 94.48 per cent, after receiving more than 99 percent in the previous poll.
World’s oldest weather report found in Egypt
New York: If you thought weather prediction was a recent phenomenon, you would be in for a surprise if told that weather prediction was...
German Footballer reverts to Islam
Bavaria, Germany : Germany's young footballer Danny Blum has announced his reversion to Islam, describing it as a religion of hope and strength, OnIslam.net reported.
US accuses Zimbabwe of hijacking food aid
By DPA,
Washington : The US Thursday accused the Zimbabwean government of intercepting a shipment of food aid and dishing it out to ruling party officials.
Twenty tonnes of the food was taken off a truck near Bambazonke and then given to Zanu-PF party officials during a rally June 6, said Gonzalo Gallegos, a US State Department spokesman.
"What we had here was the Zimbabwe military and police officials hijacking a truck that was carrying 20 tonnes of humanitarian food aid that was directed for hungry Zimbabwean children," Gallegos said.
Ex-NASA scientist jailed for 13 years
By IANS,
London : A former NASA scientist has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after admitting that he tried to sell space and defence secrets to Israel.
Keys keeps her Grammy awards in box
By IANS,
Los Angeles: Singer Alicia Keys has bagged 14 Grammy awards in her career, and she keeps all the trophies in a box as she can't think of what to do with them.
India will support Palestine cause, engage with Israel: Mukherjee
By Arvind Padmanabhan
Amman : India will continue to support separate statehood for Palestine while also engaging with Israel to forge an independent...
Serbia Rejects Self-Appointed Monitors
By Prensa Latina
Belgrade : Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica condemned on Friday the formation of an international group to monitor the unilateral separation of the Serbian province of Kosovo.
The International Supervision Group, created in Vienna yesterday, is composed of 15 countries and is unaffiliated with the UN Security Council. It recognizes the separation of Kosovo, and elected Dutch diplomat Pieter Feith as "international civil representative" for Kosovo.
Britain’s killer track claims more Asian women
By IANS
London : There has been a dramatic rise in the number of Asian women, including Indians, committing suicide on just one stretch of a railway track in west London, a train company's internal report has revealed.
The First Great Western manager's report said one third of the total such suicides in England and Wales now happen on the line passing through Southall, which has a very large Asian community and a "disproportionately high number" of the total fatalities in the area were women of Asian origin.
Tsvangirai formally delivers withdrawal letter
By DPA,
Harare : Morgan Tsvangirai, the major contender in Zimbabwe's bloody presidential run-off election, Tuesday formally notified electoral authorities of his withdrawal from the race, officials of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) confirmed.
"The letter was delivered to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission this afternoon," said MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa. "It was signed by Morgan Tsvangirai."
World Pro-Cuba Event in Sri Lanka
By Prensa Latina,
Colombo : The president of the Sri Lanka-Cuba Parliamentary Friendship Group, Tissa Vitharana, convened the 4th Asia-Pacific Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba for June 14-16.
Colombo will host this meeting for the first time with delegations from nearly 20 countries of Asia plus Cuba, and India will be the largest representation with 40 members.
In a press conference, Vitharana said "the meeting will crown the work of close friends of Cuba."
US downplays Syrian offer to discuss Assad’s resignation
By IANS,
Washington: The US has downplayed the latest Syrian offer to discuss President Bashar al-Assad's resignation through dialogue, saying it sees nothing "terribly new", Xinhua reported.
Four killed in Venezuela plane crash
By IANS,
Caracas : At least four people were killed and eight injured when a small plane crashed into a residential area in northern Venezuela, officials said.
The two-engine plane crashed Monday into a three-story house next to a school in Catia La Mar in Vargas province, some 30 km from the capital Caracas, officials said, adding that the pilot had reported engine problems shortly after takeoff.
The plane was travelling from Venezuela's main airport, Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, to the island of Curacao, Spain's EFE news agency reported Tuesday.
Barak leads in Labour Party elections
By DPA
Tel Aviv : Former premier and army chief of staff Ehud Barak was ahead in the first round of elections to choose the new leader of Israel's Labour Party, local media reported early Tuesday morning after counting of nearly all ballots.
Sikh woman killed her babies before dying: Canadian police
By IANS,
Toronto : A young Sikh woman found dead along with her three small children in Calgary in October killed the babies herself, according to investigations by Canadian police.
Harsimrat Kahlon, 27, and the babies were found dead in their apartment Oct 5 when the woman’s partner called the police.
The Chandigarh-born woman died due to childbirth complications. But before her death, she killed her children.
Their bodies were found inside suitcases hidden in the basement of the couple’s apartment in northeast Calgary.
At least four killed in mine blast in Kazakhstan
By RIA Novosty
Aatana : At least four miners were killed and another three injured in a methane gas explosion early on Friday at the Abaiskaya mine in central Kazakhstan, a local Emergencies Ministry spokesman said.
There were 195 people in the mine when the blast went off at 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. GMT). A hundred miners had been rescued as of 11:00 a.m. local time (5:00 a.m. GMT).
The exact death toll, injuries and the extent of damage to the mine has yet to be determined.
17 die in China coal mine blast
By IANS,
Beijing : Seventeen miners were killed and one was injured in an explosion at a coal mine in central China's Hunan Province, an official said Sunday.
Dynamite stored at the Shuguang Coal Mine in Rucheng county exploded at about 4 p.m. Saturday, generating huge amounts of toxic gas that killed the miners, said a spokesman with the provincial administration of coal mine safety.
Xinhua news agency said the mine began operations in 1971 and expanded its capacity in 2008.
EU to offer IMF $101 bn in top-up funds
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) is to offer the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 75 billion euros ($101.5 billion) in extra loans, the holder of the bloc's rotating presidency said Friday.
The sum of "75 billion euros is the figure for a voluntary loan to the IMF to enable it to react better in the context of the crisis", Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek told journalists in Brussels after a summit with EU leaders.
Researcher working on destruction of nerve agent
By IANS,
Washington : Texas A&M University chemist Frank Raushel is developing an enzyme that might neutralize oganophosphates, an agent in chemical weapons.
Organophosphates are neurotoxins -- they attack the nervous system by blocking the function of the enzyme acetylcholine esterase, which carries nerve signals.
When organs such as the lungs do not receive appropriate nerve signals, control is lost over respiratory muscles, and it usually results in death by asphyxiation.
EU summit to offer 1 bn euro climate sweetener
By DPA,
Brussels: The European Union leaders are to push for a cash handout of at least 1 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to help poor countries fight climate change next year when they meet for a summit in Brussels Thursday, according to internal documents.
The EU is keen to convince world powers to sign up to a deal on fighting climate change at UN talks in Copenhagen. The bloc had not been due to offer a concrete amount of funding until after the Copenhagen talks, but it is now keen to put firm figures on the table to pressurise other major states do the same.
Modi meets two emerging women leaders with deep Indian ties
New York : Two women with deep ties to India, who are are at the forefront of the emerging American leadership, gave Prime Minister...
79 people rescued from collapsed building in Chile
By IANS/EFE,
Concepcion (Chile) : Seventy-nine people were rescued from the ruins of a building here that collapsed last weekend during the earthquake that left at least 795 dead in central and southern Chile, an official said.
The head of the firefighting team, Juan Carlos Subercaseaux, told reporters that seven bodies were also recovered from the rubble of the Alto Rio apartment building in the central part of Concepcion, one of the cities most heavily damaged by the quake.
Russian walks 9,000-km home after being robbed
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A 47-year-old Russian walked 9,000 km from Moscow to his hometown on the Kamchatka Peninsula after he was robbed of money, a media report said.
Former miss Romania elected speaker of Romanian chamber of deputies
By ANTARA News/Xinhua,
US stocks tumble over concern for global recovery
By DPA,
New York : US stocks tumbled across the board Thursday over concern about global recovery as the US dollar rose.
Standard & Poors' decision Wednesday to reduce Greece's credit rating for the second time this year raised concern about the lingering global recession, making investors across Asia, Europe and the US jittery.
Another factor was the Federal Reserve's announcement after its two-day meeting that most of its lending programmes will expire as scheduled Feb 1, Bloomberg financial news service reported.
British forces hand over restive Afghan district to US
By DPA,
Kabul/London: British forces in southern Afghanistan have handed over control of volatile Sangin district to US troops in a transfer of security responsibility agreed earlier this year.
170 dead in typhoon in Philippines
By IANS,
Manila: At least 170 people have died and hundreds of others are missing after tropical storm Washin Saturday struck southern Philippines, officials said.
Terrorism more serious than recession: Zardari
By IANS,
Boao (China) : Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday said his country needed more international support in combating terrorism, which he described as being more serious than the global economic slowdown.
"Help us, help the region, in the fight against terrorism," Zardari said while addressing the annual Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in this southern Chinese city in Hainan province.
Zardari, who succeeded in getting pledges of over $5 billion in aid from the international community Friday, stressed that the world needed to stand together to fight terrorism.
Exercise for 30 minutes a day for real health benefits
By IANS,
Washington : For real health benefits, people should exercise for 30 minutes a day five times a week, a new study has found.
Although pedometers (which measure how much we walk) are widely used as a physical activity monitoring tool, they are unable to measure activity intensity. Researchers have determined that a rate of at least 100 steps per minute achieves moderate intensity activity.
Therefore a simple pedometer-based recommendation of 3,000 steps in 30 minutes can get people started on a meaningful exercise programme.
Sony cyber attack: Independent US theatres to screen film
Washington: At least two independent US theatres said Tuesday that they would screen the controversial film "The Interview", the release of which was cancelled...
Russia developing space defence missile systems
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia is developing a fifth-generation air defence missile that is superior to S-400 Triumf systems and capable of hitting targets in space, the air force said Wednesday.
"While working on the S-400, we have been developing fifth-generation air defence systems, which will be more compact, more manoeuvrable, and will certainly have superior technical characteristics," Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin said.
Cambodia deports Uighur asylum seekers back to China
By DPA,
Phnom Penh : The Cambodian government deported 20 Uighur asylum seekers to China on the eve of the Chinese vice president's arrival in Phnom Penh on a state visit Sunday, drawing immediate criticism from the UN.
The 20 Chinese Muslims, who arrived in Cambodia last month from the far western Xinjiang region, were deported to China Saturday night, officials confirmed.
"Those refugees came to Cambodia illegally so they had to be sent back to their country," Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said.
African Development Bank calls for alternative fuel-producing crops
By Xinhua,
Lusaka (Zambia) : Promoters of bio-fuels need to come up with second and third generations energy crops that will not compete with food crops, African Development Bank (ADB) president Donald Kaberuka has said.
Kaberuka urged southern African countries to pool their resources and address the energy crisis through regional investment in energy infrastructure instead of trying to implement efforts individually, Times of Zambia newspaper reported Tuesday.
Africa must be extra cautious about the promotion of energy crops, Kaberuka said during a programme on the Zambian radio.
Tibetan ‘political prisoner’ lands in Dalai Lama’s abode
Dharamsala : Tibetan "political prisoner" Golog Jigme, who was jailed for working in a film expressing feelings of Tibetans ahead of the 2008 Beijing...
Germany stockpiled hundreds of atomic weapons: report
By IRNA,
Berlin : Germany stockpiled around 700 atomic bombs which the US had provided to Germany, the online site of the Munich-based weekly Focus news magazine quoted German historian Detlef Bald as saying Sunday.
The Germans could have detonated the nuclear bombs at any time, if they had chosen to do so, according to Bald who cited various archives and documents.
"The atomic bombs were supposed to be ignited in case of a military attack on Germany. They were planned for a nuclear first-strike," he added.
Concern over health of Cuban prisoner on hunger strike
By IANS/EFE,
Havana : The health of Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas, who has been on a hunger strike for five days calling for the release of the country's roughly 200 political prisoners, was worsening and he was showing signs of acute dehydration, his mother said.
"He has symptoms of dehydration, headaches and joint pain," Alicia Hernandez, a nurse by profession, said Monday regarding her son's condition. "He is low in spirits, but he has not lost consciousness nor is he incoherent."
Filipino-German beauty queen killed in accident
By DPA,
Manila : A Filipino-German beauty queen and two companions were killed in a road collision in the eastern Philippines, a police spokesman said Sunday.
Melody Gersbach, 24, died on arrival at a hospital Saturday shortly after the van she was riding was struck by a passenger bus in Bula town in Camarines Sur province, 225 kilometres south-east of Manila, Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz said.
Cruz said the van driver and Gersbach's make-up artist were also killed in the accident, while another passenger survived.
Cuban Residents in Spain Support Revolution
By Prensa Latina,
Madrid : About one-hundred members of associations of Cuban residents in Barcelona reiterated their commitment with the defense of the Revolution of their native country.
In a meeting held in Barcelona, which was attended by Cuban ambassador in Spain Alberto Velazco, participants agreed with an action plan to come together Cuban residents in this European country.
The program aims to take action against the US blockade on the Caribbean country and in favor of the release of five Cuban antiterrorist fighters unfairly imprisoned in the United States.
Singapore Airlines to screen Tamil blockbuster in air
By IANS
Chennai : For the first time in its history, Singapore Airlines has bought the airborne rights of an Indian movie for its in-flight entertainment. The Tamil blockbuster "Sivaji" will now be shown on its flights.
The airline has acquired exclusive rights for the Tamil blockbuster movie "Sivaji" for an undisclosed sum, Bharath Mahadevan, manager, southern India, Singapore Airlines, told reporters here Wednesday.
"We paid three times more than what we used to pay even for Hollywood titles," he said.
Some 34 Thai anti-gov’t protestors injured in grenade explosion
By Xinhua,
Bangkok : Some 34 Thai anti-government protestors at Government House were injured in a grenade explosion here early on Sunday, local TV reports said.
News reports said the grenade landed near the prime minister's offices, which have been occupied by protestors led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) since August.
The blast occurred near at Government House where thousands of PAD supporters, who are demanding Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawatto step down, were holding a rally.
Sarkozy’s parliamentary majority smaller than expected
By DPA
Paris : Official results Monday gave French President Nicolas Sarkozy a majority in the parliamentary election run-off but it was not as large as he had hoped for or the polls had predicted.
Nepal Maoists to celebrate North Korean leader’s birthday
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal's Maoists seem all set to forge a new alliance with North Korea, condemned by US President George W. Bush as one of the "axis of evil countries". They are to celebrate with great pomp the totalitarian leader Kim Jong-il's birthday next month.
So although the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) parted ways with other communist parties in South Asia to end its armed insurgency and join the government, it will literally paint Nepal red on the birthday of Kim Jong-il, accused of being one of the most despotic leaders.
First Russian navy ship returns to Ukrainian base
By SPA,
Sevastopol, Ukraine : The first Russian navy ship returned to base in the Black Sea on Friday from operations against Georgia.
A Reuters correspondent said about 100 Ukrainian protesters, brought by bus by a local party from a nearby town, marched through the Crimean port of Sevastopol as the Mirage, a small missile ship, returned.
Ukraine, which backed Georgia in a conflict with Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia, criticised Moscow for using ships from its Black Sea Fleet, which is based on Ukraine's Crimea peninsula under a leasing agreement.
European media body slams EU Presidency over press freedom
BRUSSELS, Jan 11 (KUNA) -- The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) accused Friday the Slovenian government of interfering in press freedom at home.
The EFJ in a statement said that political meddling with media in Slovenia casts a shadow over the countrys Presidency of the European Union.
Slovenia holds the current six-month rotating EU Presidency.
"The Government cannot spin its way out of the hard truth that government and politicians have been exercising undue influence on the way Slovenian media work," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary.
139 journalists killed on the job in 2012
By IANS/EFE,
Geneva : A total of 139 journalists from 29 countries lost their lives while doing their job in 2012, a 30-percent increase over 2011, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said Monday.
Man found hanging at St. Petersburg theatre
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: A workman who disappeared from St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre in December was found hanging in the theatre's attic, investigators said.
Prabhakaran’s father dies in military custody
By DPA,
Colombo : The father of slain Tamil rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, who led a failed 26-year armed campaign for a separate state for Sri Lanka's Tamil ethnic minority, died Thursday while in military custody, an army spokesman said.
Thiruvendran Velupillai, 82, and his wife had been in military custody since they surrendered to the government after their son was killed May 18 in a battle with the army in northern Sri Lanka.
Bush suggests Obama maintain friendly ties with Russia
By ANTARA News/Xinhua,
Washington : Outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday said his successor Barack Obama should try to maintain friendly relations with Russia after Bush leaves the White House in January.
"I would say that our relationship is still friendly, although I haven`t seen him (Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin) much because there`s a new president," Bush said at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington.
China world’s largest gold consumer in 2013: report
By IANS,
London: China was the largest gold market in the world for the first time in 2013, according to a report.
The report released by...
China, Korea shows interest in Ecuador’s joint refinery project : Correa
By IANS,
Quito : Ecuador's President Rafael Correa has said China and South Korea have expressed interest in investing in a joint petrochemical project undertaken by Ecuador and Venezuela, Spain's EFE news agency reported.
He said during a weekly radio programme Saturday that he met the representatives of the Venezuelan state-owned oil giant PDVSA last week to discuss the progress on the Refineria del Pacifico Project.
Correa and his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chavez, plan to lay the refinery's cornerstone July 7 in Manabi, a coastal province in western Ecuador.
Anti-drug drive leaves 18 dead in Rio
By IANS
Rio de Janeiro : At least 18 people were killed and nine wounded during a massive police drive against drug trafficking in the outskirts of here, the Spanish news agency EFE said.
Insurgents control most of Somalia: President
By DPA,
Nairobi : Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed has admitted that Islamic insurgents who have been making major gains are now in control of most of Somalia.
Insurgent group al-Shabaab this week advanced to the edge of the capital Mogadishu and has seized important towns such as the strategic port Kismayo in recent months.
Yusuf, who was in Kenyan capital Nairobi speaking to members of parliament Saturday after attempts to form a new cabinet failed, said that the government could not even keep order in Mogadishu and Baidoa, the seat of parliament.
7.1 magnitude earthquake hits remote South Pacific area
By Xinhua,
Wellington : A strong earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale struck a remote area of the South Pacific Ocean, 195 km east of the island nation of Tonga on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injury.
The quake, occurred at 6:10 p.m. local time (0510 GMT Sunday) and was at a depth of 42 km.
Radio New Zealand quoted a newspaper reporter in Tonga said that buildings in capital Nuku'alofa shook for about two minutes during the quake.
A year after, Americans less hopeful about Obama
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : A year after Barack Obama made history as America' s first black president, US voters are less optimistic about his ability to succeed and no longer favour keeping the Democrats in control of Congress, according to a new poll.
The trends shown by the new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll point to an increasingly difficult political climate for Obama as he hopes to push his domestic agenda beyond health care and to preserve his party's majorities in the House and Senate.
Elton John wants to adopt Ukrainian child
By IANS,
London: Legendary British musician Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish are trying to adopt a Ukrainian child but have run into legal hurdles because their partnership is not recognised in the east European country.
John and Furnish, who married in a civil ceremony in 2005, had hoped to be allowed to bring up 17-month-old Lev who lives in an orphanage. But they were stopped as their civil partnership is not recognised in the Eastern European country. Also Elton, at 62, is too old under Ukrainian law to adopt, reported thesun.co.uk
30 women freed from sex slavery in Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Over 30 women forced to work as prostitutes by a criminal gang have been freed after a police operation across Russia.
Woman stabs her two children to death
By IANS,
Veracruz (Mexico) : A woman stabbed two of her children to death, wounded a third and then tried to kill herself at her house in the Mexican Gulf coast state of Veracruz, EFE reported Tuesday.
The 35-year-old woman was despondent over her financial and personal situation, the state Attorney General's Office said Monday.
The incident occurred Sunday in Tres Valles, where Ofelia Parra Romero put her children in bed and slashed their throats, then tried to cut her own throat.
Nepal kicks off tourism campaign with ‘no strike’ pledge
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Sixteen major parties of Nepal, including the opposition Maoists who are seeking a change in the government, pledged not to enforce any general strikes or violent protests as Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Friday kicked off a campaign that seeks to bring at least 1 million tourists in 2011.
Region cannot ‘remain silent’ about Venezuela situation: Obama
Washington : US President Barack Obama said neither the US nor any other member of the Inter-American community "should remain silent" about the situation...
Six bureaucrats quit tough British minister Shriti Vadera
By IANS,
London : The British government has blocked an opposition query about an Indian origin minister who is a close confidante of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, amid reports that her tough approach has led to six bureaucrats quitting their jobs.
Lady Shriti Vadera, a powerful ex-banker known for her no-nonsense approach, has been a key aide to Brown since his days as finance minister.
China sets free three Japanese who entered military zone
By IANS,
Beijing : China Thursday released three of the four Japanese detained for intruding into Chinese military zone, authorities said.
Sri Lankan asylum seekers threaten hunger strike in Malaysia
By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : A group of Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers has threatened to go on hunger strike if they are sent back home.
They have been detained here by Malaysian authorities.
Sri Lanka Tamil Refugees Humanitarian Programme coordinator Eashvara Lingam said the group would go on strike unless the Malaysian government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) fulfil their demand to be sent to a third country without further delay.
Hundreds evacuated in Ecuador as volcano becomes more active
By Xinhua
Quito : More than 1,000 residents have been evacuated after the activities in the Tungurahua volcano have intensified in central Ecuador, authorities have said.
The evacuation was a precautionary measure as the volcano has been more active in these days, an emergency operation official was quoted as saying by local media Sunday.
The residents who were asked to leave their homes were however allowed to return at during daylight hours to tend to their crops and animals, the official added.