Nepal Maoists want poll process deferred by 15 days
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : As the countdown to Nepal's ill-fated critical national election started, the Maoist party that had earlier opposed the exercise urged that the poll process be postponed by a fortnight.
Prachanda, chairperson of the once banned Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, that had prevented the crucial constituent assembly election from being held last November, has asked the multi-party government to put off by 15 days the implementation of the election code of conduct, which was to have been enforced from Wednesday.
For political comedians, Obama is not a ‘subject’
By IANS,
Washington : Few would have noticed the Great Presidential Comedy Drought but American political satirists have quietened down after George W. Bush passed the baton to Barack Obama, inviting the charge of hero worship and misplaced political correctness.
Stand-up legend Jackie Mason says his peers are "panicky" about "being called a racist" in targeting the first African American president. He adds too many once-fearless satirists are settling for "hero worship" of Obama.
Eight Injured In Southern Thai Explosion
By D.Arul Rajoo, Bernama,
Bangkok : Three soldiers and five civilians were injured when a bomb planted by suspected insurgents exploded near a market in the restive southern province of Yala early today.
A police spokesman said that in the 7.20am incident, 12 soldiers who had just finished their patrol had gone to buy food at the market.
"While walking back to their vehicle, a bomb exploded near the fence of the sub-district office. The explosion was triggered using a mobile phone and was intended to kill the soldiers," he said when contacted.
Maldives vice president takes oath as head of state
By IANS,
Colombo : Maldives Vice President Mohammad Waheed Hassan Tuesday took oath as the president after Mohamed Nasheed announced his resignation amid protests.
Nepal Maoists quit government yet again
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas Friday pulled out of the coalition government - for the second time this month - after power negotiations with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and his Nepali Congress (NC) party failed to resolve a dragging deadlock, casting a shadow over the fate of the new constitution.
The seven Maoist ministers in the cabinet handed over their resignations collectively late in the evening at a meeting of the seven ruling parties even as it had seemed the warring parties were on the verge of reaching an understanding.
Eight killed in US house fire
By IANS,
Washington : At least eight people, including six children, were killed in the US state of West Virginia during an early morning house fire, a media report said Saturday.
20 killed in Mexico bus accident
By Xinhua
Mexico City : At least 20 people were killed and 15 injured in a bus accident in Nayarit in western Mexico, officials said Sunday.
The bus went off the road and fell down a 120-meter cliff Saturday after the driver lost control, said a spokesman of Mexico's public security ministry.
The driver was suspected to have fallen asleep when the accident happened, initial reports said.
Nayarit is about 800 km northwest of Mexico City.
Japan demands explanation over journalist killed in Myanmar
By DPA
Tokyo : The Japanese government has condemned the killing of a Japanese journalist in the anti-government protests in Myanmar and demanded an explanation from the military junta in Yangon, reports said Saturday.
Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koruma protested in the strongest terms at the killing of the 50-year-old journalist, Kenji Nagai, with his Myanmar counterpart, the Japanese press agency Kyodo reported Saturday.
China bus accident kills 24
By Xinhua,
Urumqi (China) : At least 24 people, including children, were killed Tuesday when a bus overturned in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang Uygur, officials said.
The accident occurred at around 2 p.m. on the highway between Akqi County and Atux City.
Most of the dead are students who were accompanied by parents to a health-checkup camp after having passed their high school entrance examination.
The local officials and residents were involved in the rescue work.
The cause of the accident is being investigated.
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.
Sarkozy pledges more police for riot-hit French neighborhoods
By SPA
Paris : President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday pledged more police and major investments for neglected housing projects nationwide in a plan for neighborhoods that exploded in riots in 2005 and late last year.
Sarkozy unveiled the much-awaited, far-reaching plan for reinvigorating isolated suburban housing projects and better integrating their youths. The conservative president stressed security measures and declared a war without mercy against drug traffickers in such neighborhoods, according to a report of the Associated Press.
Two killed, 20 injured in day’s second blast in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : At least two people were killed and 20 more wounded when a bomb went off inside a private transport bus in the central Kandy district, Friday, the military said here. Another blast Friday morning in a bus near Colombo killed at least 21.
Military sources said that the explosion, suspected to be the handiwork of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), occurred inside a bus from Waththegama to Kandy, when it was near a teachers' training school in Polgolla, about 12 km north of Kandy.
Obama wins a Grammy, beating Bill Clinton this time
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has scored another victory over the Clintons, but this one outside the political arena.
Obama, who is vying to become America's first black president, won a Grammy Sunday, beating former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
He won the best-spoken word album category for the audio version of his book "The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream".
Powerful typhoon affects over 450,000 people in China
By RIA Novosti,
Beijing : Over 450,000 people have been affected by a powerful typhoon in eastern China, the eighth to hit the country this year, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.
The typhoon named Fung Wong, meaning phoenix, leveled over 100 buildings in the worst-hit province of Fujian, forcing 390,000 people to evacuate.
Almost 70 enterprises had to suspend operations, causing economic damages of around $74 million.
Over 100 domestic and international flights have been cancelled to and from Changle International Airport in the provincial capital of Fuzhou.
Two plead guilty to attack on Sikh taxi driver in US
By IANS,
Washington : Two men accused of attacking a Sikh taxi driver in November have entered no-contest pleas in a California court, with one man admitting that his attack was a hate crime.
Religious commission urges US to put Vietnam on list of oppressors
By DPA,
Washington : An independent US group that monitors religious freedom around the world has urged the US government to put Vietnam back on its list of most serious violators.
In its annual report to the State Department Friday, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said Vietnam continued to impose "severe religious restrictions" on minority religions including Protestants, Buddhists, Mennonites and others.
Major emitters meet to narrow climate differences after Copenhagen
By DPA,
Washington : Climate representatives of the world's biggest polluters held their first meeting Monday since a disappointing Copenhagen summit failed to reach agreement on a new treaty.
The 17-nation Major Economies Forum gathered in Washington in hopes of narrowing the gap between wealthy and developing countries over tackling climate change, but sought to lower expectations for quick progress.
15 suspected militants killed in Pakistan airstrikes
Islamabad: At least 15 suspected militants were killed by airstrikes near the the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.
The...
Astronauts take call from White House
By DPA,
Washington : The crew of the International Space Station and space shuttle Discovery received a phone call from US President Barack Obama Tuesday.
Obama made the call from the White House along with a group of school children and members of Congress, whom he described as just as excited as the kids to speak with astronauts. He said he was proud of the US astronauts, but also of the international cooperation in the building and operation of the space station.
Cambodian PM: ASEAN members not hostage of Thai political crisis
By Xinhua,
Phnom Penh : Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Monday that the other members of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) should not be the hostage of Thai political crisis while Thailand requested to delay the ASEAN summit to March.
The summit should not be postponed, Hun Sen told reporters here, adding that "we have to meet to solve many issues, including the global financial crisis."
"If we delay the summit, the ASEAN will move backward," he said.
First trial International Criminal Court in June
By DPA
Amsterdam : The first trial of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is due to begin on June 23.
An earlier date of March 31 was previously cancelled after the court said it was insufficiently prepared.
The ICC is the first permanent court that will prosecute suspects of war crimes and other serious violations of human rights. It was established in 2002 but no trials have been conducted so far.
Ralph Nader annonces plan to run for White House elections
WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (KUNA) -- Ralph Nader, who once angered Democrats when he ran for White House elections in 2000 that brought President George Bush to office in razon-thin victory against Al Gore, on Sunday announced he will run for the White House office, accusing both Republican and Decomcratis condenders of making political speeches and turning away from addressing serious problems.
Nader, 74, ran for the white house in 2000 as an independent canddidate, and in 2004 campiagned as a green party condidate.
Bangladesh PM in Delhi to attend Suvra Mukherjee’s funeral
New Delhi : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived here on Wednesday to attend the funeral of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's wife Suvra...
Singapore forecasts up to 3 percent growth for 2012
By IANS,
Singapore : The Singapore economy is expected to grow by 1 to 3 percent next year on weak external demand and sluggish global economy, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said Monday.
British unions welcome Corus move to save jobs
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London: British union leaders Thursday welcomed a decision by Tata-owned steelmaker Corus not to shut down a coking plant - saving 120 jobs - and to postpone the mothballing of a huge steel factory in northeast England.
Corus, the world's second largest steelmaker that is owned by Tata Steel, made the twin announcements after a meeting Tuesday of a task force set up by the company to explore alternatives to its December 2009-decision to mothball the Teesside Cast Products (TCP) facility in Redcar.
German economics minister offers to resign
By DPA,
Berlin/Munich : In a surprise move, German Economics Minister Michael Glos offered to resign Saturday, less that eight months before the country votes in a general election, but the offer was promptly turned down by his party boss. In a letter to Christian Social Union (CSU) leader Horst Seehofer, the 64-year-old Glos cited age reasons and the need for the CSU, after disappointing state election results last fall, to renew itself ahead of next fall's general elections.
Ukraine president offers temporary autonomy to rebel-held areas
Kiev : Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko has proposed granting temporary autonomy to some rebel-held areas in the eastern part of the country.
The autonomy would...
‘Doubters of human-caused climate change lack expertise’
By IANS,
Washington: Scientists who are not convinced that human beings have contributed significantly to climate change have far less expertise and prominence in climate research than peers who are convinced, says a new study.
In a quantitative assessment - the first of its kind to address this issue - a Stanford University team analysed the number of research papers published by more than 900 climate researchers and the number of times their work was cited by other scientists.
Russia’s tests new n-sub
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's Project 885 Yasen-class attack submarine, the Severodvinsk, has embarked on its latest series of official tests in the White Sea.
Biodiversity Can Help Food Crisis
By Prensa Latina,
United Nations : A high ranking UN official explained that the biological wealth of the planet is of prime importance to confront the worst food crisis in modern history.
In a declaration released at the UN headquarters in New York, the deputy director general of the UN for Agriculture and Food (FAO), Alexander Muller, referred to the importance of biodiversity for food security.
Muller added his concern over the loss last century of almost three quarters of genetic varieties of agricultural crops as well as the threat of extinction of 7,000 species of animals.
Pre Election Silence in Serbia
By Prensa Latina
Belgrade : Serbia is under a campaign silence from early Friday until polls close at 8 pm Sunday in the crucial presidential elections, after a month of campaigning.
These will be the first Serbian presidential elections since the separation from Montenegro in 2006 and the approval of a new Constitution that same year.
Plane was too low, too slow to reach airport: Hudson crash pilot
By DPA,
New York : In his first statement on the Airbus crash landing on the Hudson River, captain Chesley Sullenberger told investigators the plane was "too low, too slow" to reach the next airport after its engines were hit by birds.
The machine had also been too close to "too many buildings, too populated an area", said the former US Air force pilot, who said he wanted to avoid a catastrophe last Thursday. He steered the Airbus 320 plane operated by US Airways to land in the river without breaking up, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew.
Obama to dismantle ‘Muslim registry’ before Trump can revive it
Washington : US President Barack Obama has taken steps to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from establishing a registry of American Muslims and banning people...
FM spokeswoman: China strongly opposes U.S. Senate’s Tibet resolution
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China on Monday expressed indignation over and opposition to a resolution on Tibet adopted by the U.S. Senate.
The resolution, proposed by a few senators in disregard of China's strong protests, "persistently favored the Dalai clique and interfered with China's internal affairs," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu in a statement.
"China is strongly indignant and resolutely opposed to the resolution," she said.
South Africa’s new cabinet sworn in
Johannesburg : South Africa's new cabinet was sworn in Monday amid criticism for being bloated.
The proceedings got underway with President Jacob Zuma swearing in...
24,000 ‘stolen’ brides in Kyrgyzstan in three years
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Around 24,000 women were kidnapped and forced into marriage in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan in the past three years, an official report said.
‘Cow Holy, Dalit Unholy?’: Ambedkar group raises slogan during protest rallies in USA
BY TCN News,
Detroit: Giving a global voice to the ongoing protests against the caste atrocities committed in India against Dalits, the Ambedkar Association...
No unilateral release of Betancourt: Colombian rebels
By IANS
Bogota : Colombia's leftist insurgents have said they would free former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt only after the government releases the jailed guerrillas, EFE news agency reported Friday.
The reaction from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Thursday came after the Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said his government was ready for a prisoner swap but the first move must come from the rebels.
Don’t insult us, Pashupatinath priest tells Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Smarting under the continuing attacks on Indian priests and the allegation that they were siphoning off the offerings made by devotees at the altar of Pashupatinath, one of the holiest Hindu shrines, the chief priest at the temple said he and his ilk were ready to go back to India.
UN peace mission’s fate hangs in balance in Nepal
By IANS,
Kathmandu : The UN, which played a key role in Nepal's peace process that saw an end to 10 years' communist insurgency and an election that made the Himalayan kingdom the world's newest republic, may be asked to wind up its peace agency this year.
Nepal's Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, whose former guerrilla party had insisted on UN monitoring when it began peace talks with a coalition government two years ago, has now indicated that the peace agency could have its role come to a logical end by July.
New Rail Service To China To Launch On New Year’s Day
By Bernama,
Hanoi : A railway service from Hanoi to Nanning province of China will be launched on January 1, 2009, according to an announcement by the Vietnam Railway Corporation.
Nguyen Huu Tuyen, Head of the corporation's Transport Business Department, said the train used for the route will have six air-conditioned carriages, each with 40 hard beds and 30 soft beds.
All of these first-class carriages have been provided by China, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) quoted Nguyen as saying.
ASEAN summit cancelled after protests in Thailand
By DPA,
Pattaya (Thailand) : Thai officials cancelled a summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Saturday after anti-government protesters broke into the summit venue at Pattaya, a resort town 100 km south of Bangkok.
The Thai government said the summit between ASEAN members and six dialogue partners, including China, Japan and India, was cancelled due to security concerns and would be held again into about two months time.
Rice to visit Georgia, Russians not moving out
By DPA,
Tbilisi : US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was en route to Tbilisi Friday, as Russia's military continued to occupy two Georgian provinces despite a ceasefire agreement obliging them to leave.
Rice was set to meet with members of the Georgian leadership to discuss the implementation of a ceasefire plan for the region, and humanitarian aid to Georgia being delivered by the US Air Force and Navy.
Jobs becoming a must for students to pay bills in Britain
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : Students flocking to Britain from the world over to study face a stark reality that has already dawned on home students: unless they are well off, they'll have to work to pay for their bills.
Many home students, already in debt or struggling to make both ends meet, are finding it difficult to remain in full-time studies without part-time jobs.
Rising living costs and tuition fees are estimated to raise the cost of university education this academic year to around 10.8 billion pounds: up by 500 million pounds over last year.
Mandela, 89, out to end ‘Madiba mythology’
By DPA
Johannesburg : The front-page headline in one of the country's dailies the day after a cyclone hit Mozambique in February perfectly summed up the hysteria that at times characterizes South Africans' adoration for their former president Nelson Mandela.
"He's safe," the headline in The Citizen newspaper screamed. Upon closer inspection it became clear the object of the paper's concern was the anti-apartheid hero.
Russian military to get Il-476 transport plane in 2014
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The Russian armed forces will start receiving Il-476 heavy transport planes in 2014, the defence ministry said.
EU, Asia agree on finance, climate change, Myanmar
By DPA,
Beijing : Leaders of 16 Asian and 27 European Union (EU) nations issued three documents Friday and Saturday setting out their joint positions on the global financial crisis, climate change and a range of other issues.
The leaders were joined at the seventh biannual Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) by EU President Jose Manuel Barroso and Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, representing the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean).
Eight killed in China road accident
By IANS,
Beijing : Eight people died in a tourist bus accident in northern China Thursday.
The accident took place in Hebei province. Twenty-four others were injured.
Egypt to extradite detained Libyan officials
By IANS,
Cairo: Egypt's Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah has decided to hand over two former Libyan officials to the Egyptian Interpol for extradition to Libya, state news agency MENA reported.
ASEM summit to debate global financial crisis
By Murali Krishnan, IANS,
Beijing : The global financial crisis and ways to reshape the international economic system will be uppermost on the agenda at the seventh Asia-Europe Summit (ASEM) beginning here Friday that India will attend for the first time.
For India, its engagement with Asia and Europe is expected to get a further boost after its induction into the grouping.
In addition, this will also be the first multilateral meeting that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be attending after the inking of India's historic civil nuclear pacts with the US and France.
One mn Nepal kids may not return to school: Unicef
Kathmandu : About 950,000 children in Nepal will not be able to return to school unless urgent action is taken to provide temporary learning...
Tibet leg of China olympic torch relay to proceed despite Lahasa riots
By Tham Choy Lin, NNN-Bernama
Beijing : The Tibet leg of the Olympic Torch Relay is to proceed as planned despite last week's deadly riots in Lhasa, Beijing Olympic Games organisers say .
The flames for the opening of the Games in August will be lit on Monday in Greece, and arrive in Beijing on March 31 after a six-day relay before embarking on the international circuit and back to China for the domestic run.
Egypt slams HRW report on crackdown deaths as ‘biased’
Cairo : Egypt on Saturday slammed a report by New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on the killings of supporters of ousted Islamist...
UN Nepal mission rejects criticism over Maoist verification
By DPA,
Kathmandu : The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) defended itself late Tuesday against criticism from Nepalese political parties over its role in the verification process of Maoist combatants.
The verification process is supposed to aid the integration of genuine Maoist rebels into the Nepalese army as part of a peace deal.
Why do people have false memories?
New York(IANS) : Ever been absolutely sure of a past event that never happened? You could be drawing your memory from a wrong part of the brain.
A team of Duke University neuroscientists has found that the place a memory is processed in the brain determines whether it is a true or false memory.
These findings, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, could help understand memory changes that accompany normal aging or even lead to early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
‘Fight against violent extremism does not equate fight against Islam’
Washington : US President Barack Obama said that the fight against violent extremism did not mean it was a fight against Islam and the...
Thai premier meets protesters, hopes to ease tensions
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thailand's prime minister and the leaders of anti-government protests started face-to-face talks Sunday in an effort to defuse political tensions that turned violent on the weekend.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, along with representatives of his government, met with leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD). They greeted each other warmly just before the meeting at 4 p.m. Sunday (0900 GMT) at the King Prajadhipok Institute on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Two arrested with 138 grenades
By IANS
Bogota : Two people carrying 138 grenades in a passenger bus have been arrested in Cimitarra town in Colombia, Spain's EFE news agency reported.
The seizures were made Saturday. A police official said the bus, carrying 25 people, was stopped for a routine check.
Northern Ireland to host G8 summit in 2013
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
London: The leaders of eight of the world's richest countries will meet in Northern Ireland for their annual summit in June 2013, British Prime Minister David Cameron said.
Tibetans rally to mark uprising
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : About 300 Tibetan refugees held a rally here Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against the Chinese government in Tibet, police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Himanshu Lal said that the Tibetans, carrying banners and shouting slogans like "Long Live the Dalai Lama" and "Free Tibet, Save Tibet", marched for about one kilometre.
After the Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule was crushed by the People's Liberation Army in 1959, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans fled to India.
Thousands protest against Arizona immigration law
By DPA,
Washington : Thousands of demonstrators converged in the capital of Arizona state in the US on the weekend to protest a controversial state migration law they claim will institutionalise racial discrimination.
Protesters from around the nation began arriving in Phoenix early Friday to make a stand and urge the Obama administration to push for "integral" federal immigration law reform, media reports said.
After quake, Nepal parties mull national government
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : To overcome the national crisis caused by the destructive earthquake of April 25, Nepal's major political parties are now opting...
Man killed in bizarre custody plot
By IANS,
Dallas : A Dallas man died while executing a twisted plot to win custody of his child, police said.
According to investigators, 20-year-old Dwayne Lamont Moten hired a friend to shoot him, intending to blame the crime on his wife's boyfriend and gain custody of his three-year-old son, Dwayne Jr., myfoxdfw.com reported Friday.
"(This) was two individuals trying to frame a third individual," Sr. Cpl. Kevin Janse said.
Janse said the plan was that Jacob Wheeler, also 20, would shoot Moten but only injure him.
This weekend vital for missing plane’s search: Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian acting Transport Minister Hishammudin Hussein said here Friday that this weekend would be very important for the search of missing plane...
Not in wildest dreams, says dad of new Australian PM
By IANS,
Sydney: The father of Julia Gillard, who became Australia's first female prime minister Thursday, said he was elated but he had not anticipated "anything like this" in his wildest dreams.
John Gillard told reporters at his Adelaide home Thursday that he was "elated, excited, mindful of the enormous job ahead of binding the party together".
Julia Gillard became prime minister when incumbent Kevin Rudd stood aside in her favour. After Rudd conceded that numbers were against him, a secret ballot of the Labor Party members of parliament was not needed.
French parliament approves extention of military operation in Iraq
Paris: France's National Assembly (lower house) Tuesday approved to extend by four month military offensive in Iraq targeting the Islamic State (IS), which seized...
134 dead in Bangladesh landslides, many missing
Dhaka, (IANS): The death toll from the devastating rain-triggered landslides in Bangladesh's three southeastern districts has risen to 134 as rescuers retrieved more bodies...
Nepal Muslims criticise government’s Haj ‘ban’
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : After protests by Buddhist monks against the Nepal government's alleged intervention in their religion, now the Muslim community is in an uproar over the bid to control the number of devotees making the annual pilgrimage - Haj - to Saudi Arabia's holy city Mecca, warning to take to streets in protest.
The protests started after the new government of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal formed a 20-member Haj Committee this month to facilitate the passage of Haj pilgrims to Mecca in November.
Dutch ING Group to cut 7,000 jobs
By DPA,
Amsterdam : Dutch banking and insurance group ING Monday announced it plans to cut 7,000 jobs and that its chief executive Michel Tilmant is to step down.
ING, in a statement, said the job cuts should save 1 billion euros ($1.287 billion). The financial giant is expecting a loss of 0.4 billion euros for 2008.
The group's banking division retained a net profit of 0.5 billion euros but its insurance division is expected to post a 0.9-billion-euro loss, according to the statement.
Don’t dismiss god for Darwin’s sake, British scientist tells schools
By Venkata Vemuri, IANS,
London : It is a case of god versus Charles Darwin as a leading British scientist asks the country's schools to teach creationism in science classes, calling it as legitimate a point of view as evolution.
Biologist and director of education at the Royal Society, Reverend Michael Reiss, says it was "self-defeating" to dismiss as wrong or misguided the belief of a section of school students that god created the universe.
FIFA World Cup ticket demand hits 2.56 mn
Rio de Janeiro: Fans have already bought 2.56 million tickets for this year's World Cup, according to football's governing body FIFA.
The demand for tickets...
Beijing to shut small businesses to curb urban population
By IANS,
Beijing : Low-wage and migrant workers will be discouraged from entering the Chinese capital by closing down small businesses like "floating stalls and junkyards" in order to control the rising urban population, a report said Wednesday.
A report released by the municipal legislature has suggested that population-control measures be part of the city's 2011-15 development plan, China Daily reported.
Rajapaksa’s foreign policy advisor quits
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : Jayantha Dhanapala, senior advisor to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on foreign affairs, resigned Sunday, citing "personal reasons".
There was much speculation in Colombo about why the veteran diplomat resigned at this juncture. Dhanapala himself was not in the country to answer queries, but his former colleagues at the government peace secretariat told IANS that he was pressed for time.
Will let Indonesia lead search for missing plane: AirAsia CEO
Jakarta : AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandez Sunday said his firm would let Indonesian agencies lead the search for the missing flight QZ8501, and refused...
34 rebels killed in fresh fighting
By SPA,
Colombo : Sri Lankan troops killed 34 Tamil Tiger rebels in fresh fighting in the north of the island, the military said on Tuesday, as government forces continue their push against the rebels' northern stronghold.
The fighting in several northern districts came as security was beefed up in the capital for a summit meeting for regional leaders and amid the government's dismissal of a declaration of a unilateral ceasefire by the rebels.
More than 45 percent Colombians live in poverty
By IANS/EFE,
Bogota : More than 20 million Colombians - 45.5 percent of the population of the Latin American nation - are living below the poverty line, an official report has said.
Poverty in Colombia last year affected 19.9 million people. Of them, more than 7.1 million were destitute, the study released by the country's statistics office said.
Colombia has a total population of 43.7 million.
France calls for European sanctions against Iran
Paris, Sep 21 (Xinhua) France is calling on its European partners to take their own economic measures against Iran over its nuclear programme while working to secure new UN sanctions at the same time, the presidential office said.
These are basically "additional measures outside the UN" which "could even be taken without a common agreement between the Europeans", presidential office spokesman David Martinon said Thursday.
Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell area evacuated
By IANS,
Washington : The area near the famous tourist attraction of Liberty Bell in Philadelphia was evacuated after a suspicious item was found nearby.
Houses and streets around the building that houses the Liberty Bell were evacuated Thursday, after a blue-coloured balloon-like object with a "white powdery substance" over it was found, Xinhua reported.
Police evacuated the area after the National Park Service Rangers gave an emergency call.
Security Council reviews UN presence in Kosovo
By DPA
New York : The UN Security Council met to review its mission in Kosovo while tensions remain high between Serbia and the Albanian-led government in the breakaway province, which has threatened to unilaterally declare independence.
The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has been assisting the Kosovo Albanian government in Pristina in establishing democratic institutions and organising elections in close cooperation with EU groups.
Serbian president ordered to pay fine over World Cup champagne
By DPA,
Belgrade: A Belgrade court ordered Serbian President Boris Tadic to pay a fine of 40,000 dinars ($617) for drinking champagne at a stadium after Serbia qualified for the World Cup in October, local media reported Thursday.
Tadic, along with the sports minister and a Belgrade city hall official, appeared last week in court where they faced misdemeanour charges for drinking alcohol at a sports stadium.
Russian FM: Russia, U.S. may reach common ground on missile defense
By Xinhua
Moscow : The consultations between Russia and America on missile defense might see an agreement that considers Russia's interests, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
A Russian-American working group on the missile defense, set up under an accord between Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush, meets for the first time on Monday in Washington.
The two-day consultations will be held behind closed doors.
Princeton university to host Indian festival in chapel
By IANS,
New York : America's prestigious Princeton University will host its official celebration of the Indian festival of Diwali at the university chapel Nov 14 as part of its recently created Hindu Life Programme.
The Diwali celebration will be hosted by the university's recently created Hindu Life Programme with Vineet Chander as a full-time coordinator. The unique appointment makes Chander the first Hindu chaplain in the more than 200 year history of the prestigious university.
US Navy missile hits spy satellite
By SPA
Washington : A missile launched from a U.S. Navy cruiser soared 130 miles (210 kilometers) above the Pacific and smashed a dying and potentially deadly U.S. spy satellite, the Pentagon said. Two defense officials said it apparently achieved the main aim of destroying an onboard tank of toxic fuel, AP reported.
Two Germans held for taking dead relative on plane
BY IANS,
London : Two German women were caught trying to wheel in the corpse of a relative on board an aircraft in Britain. The airport authorities got suspicious about the inert figure, face hidden behind sunglasses, on the wheelchair and decided to check the pulse, officials said.
Gitta Jarant, 66, and her daughter Anke Anusic, 41, were arrested at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport after it was found that 91-year-old passenger Kurt Willi Jarant was dead, Sky News reported.
UK delayed renditions admission undermines US ties
By IRNA
London : The British government has come under stinging criticism over its delayed admission that UK territories have been used by the US in the rendition of terrorist suspects.
The opposition Conservative's shadow foreign secretary William Hague warned that the admission, made by Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Thursday, after more than two years of denials, could damage the perception of UK-US relations.
UN: Search and rescue phase in Haiti over, 132 saved
By DPA,
Geneva: The government of Haiti has declared the search and rescue phase of the relief efforts over, the United Nations said Saturday.
The focus would shift to helping the survivors of the devastating Jan 12 earthquake.
"The Government has declared the search and rescue phase over. There were 132 live rescues by international search and rescue teams," the latest report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
Kyrgyz activists demand closure of US airbase
By IANS,
Bishkek : Social activists in Kyrgyzstan plan to block the entrance to a US airbase next week in a bid to demand its early closure, a media report said Thursday.
UN chief concerned about natural disaster in India, Pakistan
By Xinhua
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply concerned on Tuesday by the loss of life and serious damage caused by severe storms and flooding in parts of India and Pakistan.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Ban commended the prompt and effective response to this disaster in both countries, and reaffirmed the UN readiness to support national and local efforts to provide emergency assistance to the survivors.
Russia would lose in confrontation with West: Polish minister
By DPA,
Warsaw : Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski has said he'd prefer Russia to work with the West, but Russia would lose again if it came to confrontation.
"As Europe, we're ten times richer than Russia and along with the United States twenty times," Sikorski told the daily Dziennik Wednesday.
"I'd prefer if Russia worked together and integrated itself with the wider-known West, but if it comes to confrontation, then it will lose again."
3 killed, 25 wounded in explosion in Sri Lankan capital
By Xinhua,
Colombo : At least three people were killed and 25 wounded Monday afternoon when an explosion hit a passenger train near Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, the military said.
The explosion occurred inside the Colombo-Panadura train while it reached the Dehiwala railway station, defense officials said.
Abkhazian minister shot dead
By RIA Novosti,
Sukhumi : Abkhazia's deputy interior minister, Zakan Dzhugelia, was shot dead in a cafe here, Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba has said.
He said Dzhugelia was shot dead Monday evening in a cafe in the centre of the city by an unknown assailant who used a shotgun, adding that law enforcement officials believe the killing was connected to his work.
"According to unconfirmed information, an unknown assailant entered the Kiki cafe and fired several shots at Dzhugelia," a source said.
14 hurt in Nairobi grenade attack
By IANS,
Nairobi : Fourteen people were wounded when a club in downtown Nairobi came under a grenade attack, media reports said Monday.
Second Kenyan opposition lawmaker shot dead
By DPA
Nairobi : A Kenyan opposition legislator was shot dead outside a hotel in the volatile Rift Valley, the police said Thursday, the second legislator to be shot dead in less than a week in the country's spiralling post-election violence.
Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said the man was shot as he was leaving a hotel in the town of Eldoret with a female police constable and was pronounced dead at hospital. The woman was seriously injured.
Boston Marathon bomber sentenced to death
Washington : A US jury has sentenced Dzokhar Tsarnaev to death by lethal injection for his role in killing three people and injuring hundred...
At least 87,000 feared dead in China’s May 12 quake
By Xinhua,
Beijing : At least 87,000 people are feared to have perished in the deadly May 12 earthquake in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, an expert said Thursday in a revised estimate.
"The toll in the quake had topped 69,000 by mid July, with another 18,000 missing," Shi Peijun with the National Wenchuan Earthquake Expert Committee told a press conference here.
"Given that it has been three months since the deadly earthquake struck, the hope of survival for the missing is very slim," Shi said.
20 killed, 2.4 lakh (240,000) affected in Sri Lanka floods
By NNN-PTI,
Colombo : At least 20 people have been killed and over 2.4 lakh persons displaced due to flash floods following heavy rains in various parts of Sri Lanka.
One Lakh:100,000
The Government has allocated over 20 million Sri Lankan Rupees to provide immediate relief to the affected people.
Though floodwaters in many areas are now receding, the Meteorological department has forecast continued inclement weather that could throw the relief measures out of gear.
Displaced families had been provided temporary shelter mainly at government schools and Buddhist temples.
Nepal elected as UNICEF’s executive board member
Kathmandu: Nepal was elected as a member of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) executive board on Saturday, representing the group of Asia-Pacific states...
Strong earthquake hits western China
By DPA
Washington : A 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook western China's Xinjiang province early Friday, the US Geological Survey said here.
The quake at 6:33 a.m. (2233 GMT Thursday) was located some 230 km southeast of the city of Hotan in Xinjiang province, the US earthquake monitoring agency said.
Australia ‘aware of Indian concerns’ over attacks
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Australian government is aware of the "real and deep concern" in India about the attacks on Indian students, Australia's Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Evans said here Wednesday.
He said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was likely to visit India later this year.
No Russian troops in humanitarian convoy, Moscow tells US
Washington: Russian defence minister assured US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel Friday that the humanitarian convoy Moscow sent to Ukraine is not carrying any...
80 percent Chinese official websites malfunction: Report
By IANS,
Beijing: Eighty percent of Chinese government websites malfunction, an official report said Saturday.
Wall Street continues to shed value on US bailout uncertainty
By DPA,
Washington : US stocks dropped by more than one per cent, in the worst two-day slump in six years on concern that Congress would not act fast enough to adopt the government's $700-billion bank rescue plan that the central bank head says is direly needed to avoid a recession.
Hardest hit companies included General Motors Corp., department store chain Dillard's Inc. and Regions Financial Corp., which tumbled more than seven percent. Members of the Senate banking committee Tuesday were sceptical over US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan.
A. Q. Khan world’s greatest proliferator: US
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The United States has branded disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist as "probably the world's greatest proliferator" but appears reluctant to link aid to Islamabad with getting information from him about his activities.
"We do think that there need to be the right kind of conditions," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee responding to a question from Republican Michael McCaul.
Now, a film on Sarkozy’s political career
By IANS,
Paris : Work has begun on a new film about the political career of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the newspaper Le Parisien reported Friday.
"The Conquest", starring Denis Podalydes in the role of the head of state, tracks Sarkozy's career from interior minister to his election as president in 2007.
The movie is expected to be shown in cinemas at the end of next year, a few months before the next presidential election in the early part of 2012.
The first scenes have already been shot in the town of Saint-Denis, north of Paris.
Brazil promotes ambitious nuclear programme
By IANS,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazil plans to move ahead over the next few years with an ambitious nuclear programme that includes power plants and a nuclear submarine, EFE news agency reported Thursday quoting a minister.
Speaking to foreign reporters Wednesday, science and technology minister Sergio Rezende said that the government had been discussing the entire programme and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva "is close to signing an executive order to create a committee to look after the programme."
Obama sweeps, Huckabee hangs tough against McCain in US presidential campaign
By Ronald Baygents, KUNA
Washington : Barack Obama continued his surge by sweeping three states on Saturday in the latest voting for the US Democratic presidential nomination, while Mike Huckabee showed resilience in winning two of three states against presumed Republican nominee John McCain; the third state was too close to call.
Illinois Senator Obama defeated his rival, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, in three regions; the Louisiana primary in the South, Nebraska in the Midwest and the top prize of the day, Washington state in the Pacific Northwest.
Atlantis scheduled for launch May 11, says NASA
By Xinhua,
Washington : US space agency NASA will launch its space shuttle Atlantis on May 11 to upgrade the Hubble telescope.
The Atlantis and its seven crewmembers will depart from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre at 2 p.m. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) May 11.
The 11-day mission will include five spacewalks to renovate the Hubble space telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said.
Atlantis' launch date was announced after Thursday's Flight Readiness Review, it said.
3 diners die in insurgents’ shooting in Thai Cafe
By SPA,
Bangkok, Thailand : Police say insurgents in Thailand's restive south have killed three customers at a cafe in a drive-by shooting.
Pol. Maj. Saenchai Kesarin says the insurgents drove up in a pickup truck and started shooting early Saturday as customers ate their breakfast. Four people have been wounded, the Associated Press reported.
Saenchai says the shooting occurred in Yala province's Raman district, about 480 miles (800 kilometers) south of the capital Bangkok.
SE Asia Starts Ramadan
By Prensa Latina,
Jakarta : Some 250 million Muslims from South East Asia celebrate Ramadan, 9th month of the Muslim calendar of fasting and meditation amid strong conflicts and economic hardships.
South Philippines and south Thailand, home to most Muslim at those countries, report almost daily fatalities to surging violence.
Some 40 per cent the 100 million Indonesian people live below the poverty level while the World Food Program rates at one in every eight its four million children suffering malnutrition.
Israel, Hamas extend truce in Gaza
Cairo: A five-day ceasefire extension agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas in Cairo to give the two sides a chance to hold...
One-third of Hong Kong parents have gambling habit: Survey
By DPA,
Hong Kong : One third of parents in Hong Kong have gambling habit and regularly bet on horse racing and soccer matches, a survey published Monday claimed.
The survey, carried out by an education concern group, also found that two thirds of the 864 parents interviewed believed the gambling problem in the former British colony to be serious.
More than half feared their children would become gambling addicts.
Bobby Jindal again denies running for vice-president
By IANS,
New York : Bobby Jindal, Indian American governor of Louisiana, has reiterated that he does not want to be considered as the running mate for John McCain, scotching media speculation that the Republican presidential candidate was meeting him Wednesday to be able to decide the matter this week.
"I look forward to continuing to be governor of Louisiana. This is a once in a lifetime chance to improve our state. We've cut six taxes but we've got a lot more work to do right here in Louisiana," Jindal told FOX & Friends, a morning TV programme, Wednesday.
IAEA inspectors in North Korea to discuss reactor shutdown
Pyongyang, June 26 (Xinhua) A delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived here Tuesday to discuss the shutdown of North Korea's nuclear facilities at Yongbyon.
It is the UN watchdog's first visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since late 2002. This visit came after US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill paid a productive visit to the country last Friday.
Olli Heinonen, head of the delegation and IAEA deputy director general, said he was optimistic about the talks with his North Korean counterpart.
Many feared dead in Uzbekistan blasts
By RIA Novosti,
Tashkent : Several people were feared dead or injured as a series of explosions ripped apart a Soviet-era arms depot in southern Uzbekistan overnight, the Fergana news agency reported.
The agency said the blasts at the depot situated in the town of Kagan started in the early hours of Thursday, sending artillery shells shooting into the air.
"There are fatalities and injuries but their number is not yet known," the report said.
18,500 bottles of fake vodka destroyed in China
By IANS,
Beijing : More than 18,500 bottles of counterfeit vodka were destroyed Monday after customs officers seized the goods before they entered China's northern city of Tianjin.
Al Qaeda warns France after terror attacks
Paris : The Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has issued a warning to France after the country's spate of terror attacks over...
India’s attacks on press freedoms similar to a dictatorship: RSF Asia-Pacific Director
The congressional briefing focused on India’s steep decline in the latest Press Freedom Index ranking by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which plunged from 142...
Terror suspect moved to special burns unit
By DPA
London : The Indian terror suspect fighting for his life after the attempted car bombing at Glasgow airport has been moved to a specialist burns unit Friday, health officials said.
Sri Lankan Air Force destroys three rebel arms boats
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : The Sri Lanka Air Force claimed that its attack jets had "bombed and destroyed" three arms boats of the Sea Tiger wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Mullaitivu Saturday evening.
"These arms boats were located beached near the Mullaitivu lagoon in the north and all three boats were completely destroyed during the air raid around 5.40 p.m. (Sri Lankan time)," air force spokesman Wing Commander Andy Wijesuriya told IANS over the phone.
Anti-Muslim protest at Sydney siege site
Sydney : A group of people in Australia, who went to pay their respects to the Sydney cafe siege victims Friday shouted anti-Islam slogans...
Mountain bikers to raise funds for Nepal quake victims
Shimla : Three-time champion of the Mongolia Bike Challenge Cory Wallace and Himalayan Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA) on Wednesday joined hands...
Soldiers kill 10 Tamil rebels in fresh fighting in Sri Lanka
By SPA
Colombo, Sri Lanka : Government soldiers destroyed two Tamil Tiger rebel bunkers along the front lines in northern Sri Lanka Saturday after a battle that killed 10 rebels, the military said.
In a pre-dawn attack army troops pushed across the front lines and captured a 700-meter-wide (765-yard-wide) strip of rebel territory near Adampan village in the northern district of Mannar, said Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara, the military spokesman.
UN envoy leaves Myanmar
By ANTARA News
Yangon : UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari left Myanmar for Singapore on Monday, ending a five-day mission that included two meetings with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi but few tangible concessions from the regime, AFP reported.
Gambari came here to press the regime to include the Nobel peace prize winner in its plans to hold a referendum in May and multiparty elections in 2010.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who led her National League for Democracy party to victory in 1990 polls, has been under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years.
Office of Sri Lankan opposition news website attacked
By DPA,
Colombo : Attackers broke into the offices of an independent news website in Sri Lanka early Monday, setting fire to equipment and the premises, police said.
Dilip Kumar’s house: Court asks Pakistan government on takeover
Islamabad: A court in Peshawar city asked the archaeology department to clarify on Wednesday if the government wanted to declare legendary actor Dilip Kumar's...
Iran to issue visas for mothers of detained US hikers
By DPA,
Tehran : Iran Monday declared its readiness to issue visas for the mothers of the three detained US hikers, state media reported.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on state television that mothers of the three hikers could obtain visas at Iran's United Nations mission in New York.
Mottaki said the decision had solely humanitarian - and not political - reasons.
The three US hikers were detained in July by Iran when they strayed across the border from Iraq's Kurdish region. They have been held in Tehran's Evin prison.
Smoking, hypertension the biggest killers in Japan
By IANS,
Tokyo: Even though the Japanese have the world's highest life expectancy, smoking and high blood pressure (BP) still remain the biggest health hazards, reveals a study.
60-year-old woman helps nab burglars
By IANS,
Auckland : A 60-year-old woman who helped police nab burglars at her home in New Zealand said that she was furious like a mother angry at her child on seeing the thieves, a media report said.
Lesley Buckleigh said her first reaction upon finding two strange men at her home in her Waimauku was pure anger, New Zealand Herald reported.
She saw an unfamiliar car in her driveway and while confronting the driver, her television dropped out of her house window and into the garden.
Needing Pakistan, Bush takes Musharraf at his word
By Arun Kumar
Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) US President George W. Bush has made it clear that Washington needed Pakistan's cooperation in fighting Al Qaeda even as he again called on President Pervez Musharraf to return to the democratic path.
"We do share a common goal, and that is to eradicate Al Qaeda," Bush said at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at his Texas ranch Saturday.
Tamil party agrees to resume talks with Sri Lanka government
Colombo : Sri Lanka's main Tamil party has announced it is willing to restart talks with the government after a lapse of nearly three...
Add one enzyme, and corn can stand the cold
By IANS,
Washington : Add one enzyme, and corn plants will be able to stand the cold much better, scientists have found. The finding is crucial in a situation where the price of corn - the world's number one feed grain - is going up.
If corn's intolerance of low temperatures could be overcome, then the length of the growing season and yield could be increased wherever they are cultivated.
Azerbaijan’s air force chief shot dead
By RIA Novosti,
Baku (Azerbaijan) : The commander-in-chief of Azerbaijani air force was shot dead Wednesday, the defence ministry said.
The shooting occurred outside air force chief Lt. Gen. Rail Rzayev's home in central Baku. Rzayev was the air force chief since 1992. He was 64.
Rzayev was taken to a hospital in the Azerbaijani capital but died soon afterwards, the day.az website said.
A spokesman for the defence ministry said Rzayev died from a "gunshot wound to the head".
Another 14 bodies found under collapsed Egyptian building
By RIA Novosti
Cairo : Egyptian rescuers have pulled out another 14 bodies from underneath the rubble of a residential building that collapsed in the port city of Alexandria on Monday, national media said on Wednesday.
At least ten people remain trapped in the debris of the 12-storey building, which caved in on Monday morning after the majority of residents had left for work.
On Tuesday, Egyptian rescuers pulled out a 24-year-old woman who had been buried beneath the rubble for about 24 hours, bringing the number of survivors to three.
Switzerland confirms first swine flu case
By DPA,
Geneva : A man who recently returned from Mexico has been confirmed as having Switzerland's first case of swine flu, medical officials said Thursday.
The announcement about the 19-year-old man's condition was made by a hospital in the canton of Baden overnight following a laboratory confirmation. His condition was deemed stable.
The case had initially been misdiagnosed earlier in the week, media reports said, and the man was sent home from hospital only to return.
He was being held in isolation and treated with the anti-viral Tamiflu.
Russia hails EU readiness for free trade zone
By IANS,
Moscow: Moscow has welcomed the readiness shown by the European Union (EU) to create a free trade zone between the EU and Moscow-led...
China’s 2009 revenue to cross $1 trillion
By IANS,
Beijing: China's fiscal revenue for the year 2009 was estimated at 6.85 trillion yuan (just over $1 trillion), an increase of 11.7 percent over the previous year, Finance Minister Xie Xuren said here Sunday.
China rolled out a massive investment plan worth 4 trillion yuan in November 2008 to cope with the international financial crisis, Xinhua reported.
Xie said the central government would fulfill the target of adding 1.18 trillion yuan for public investment in the time period between the fourth quarter of 2008 and 2010.
Ukraine vetoes Crimea’s referendum, Russia to respect choice
Kiev/Moscow : Ukrainian parliament Speaker Alexandr Turchynov Friday signed a decree vetoing the Crimean parliament's decision to hold a referendum on joining Russia even...
FIA blames economic crisis for BMW’s F1 pull-out
By DPA,
Paris: Motorsport's ruling body, the FIA, reacted with disappointment Wednesday to the news that German carmaker BMW is pulling out of the sport at the end of the 2009 season, blaming the global recession for the decision.
"It has been clear for some time that motor sport cannot ignore the world economic crisis. Car manufacturers cannot be expected to continue to pour large sums of money into Formula One when their survival depends on redundancies, plant closures and the support of the taxpayer," said the organization in a statement.
China says it respects legitimacy of Abbas & Palestinian National Authority
By Xinhua
 Beijing : China on Monday said it respects the legitimate status of President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) while calling on Palestinian forces to end conflicts.
    "The Chinese government respects the legitimate status of President Abbas and the Palestinian National Authority," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.
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