UK rules out likelihood of re-intervention in Iraq
London, Feb 22, IRNA ,The British government Friday ruled out the need to maintain a separate capacity for re-intervention in Iraq if the security situation in the south deteriorates.
UK forces in Iraq retain the capability to provide support to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) if requested and envisages this taking various forms of 'light touch' support in areas such as planning, logistics, and surveillance, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
EU underlines that Kosovo is “unique case”
By KUNA
Brussels : EU Commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, called Monday on EU member states to show "maximum unity" on the status of Kosovo.
"Most important is to find the maximum possible unity in the European Union. I think this is what we want to do,'' she told journalists here today.
EU Council of foreign ministers is meeting in Brussels today to discuss a common reaction to the declaration of independence by Kosovo from Serbia on Sunday.
Internet watchdog needed to protect children, say UK MPs
By IRNA,
London : An all-party group of British MPs Thursday called for the setting up of a self-regulatory body to police the internet.
The Culture, Media and Sport select committee said that leaving internet service providers to regulate themselves in protecting users from potential harm has resulted in an "unsatisfactory piecemeal approach which lacks consistency and transparency."
China to rebuild three mn houses for villagers
By IANS,
Beijing: The Chinese government plans to rebuild three million dilapidated houses for people in rural areas this year.
Modi, Kerry pay tribute to Paris terror victims
Gandhinagar : With Parisians gearing up Sunday to hold a massive solidarity rally in France against the terror attack on French magazine Charlie Hebdo,...
Brown calls on G-8 to handle World vital issues
By KUNA,
London : Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on Britain's G8 partners Saturday to handle the threats to the global economy which required speeding up efforts to fight poverty and climate changes.
Amid fears the credit crunch would cause the G-8 to backpedal on pledges to cut carbon emissions and increase aid to poor countries by USD 50 Billion a year, the Prime Minister used an interview with the Guardian ahead of the G8 summit to stress the need for united action in the west to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and boost food production in developing countries.
Four students killed in Nepal boat capsize
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Four teenaged students, including three girls, were killed in central Nepal Monday when the boat they were travelling in capsized.
Shivaraj Kharel, Rachana Tamang, Ekata Kharel, and Srijana Tamang were drowned in the Kosi river in Timalbesi in Kavre district while heading for a nearby temple, reported a TV channel.
Two other teenaged girls, who were also in the tiny boat, managed to swim to safety.
US presidential candidate accused of sexual harassment
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Washington: Two US women have complained of "inappropriate behaviour" from Herman Cain, a presidential Republican frontrunner, the Politico newspaper said Monday.
China jails quake activist for five years for subversion
By DPA,
Beijing : China Tuesday sentenced a rights activist to five years in prison after convicting him on subversion charges that supporters said were a pretext to punish him for investigating the deaths of thousands of schoolchildren in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
The court in the provincial capital, Chengdu, convicted Tan Zuoren of "inciting subversion of state power" after he criticised the ruling Communist Party and circulated e-mails urging people to commemorate the party's military crackdown on democracy protesters in Beijing on June 4, 1989, his lawyers said.
Australia says ‘sorry’ to Aboriginals for `Stolen Generations’
By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Sydney : In a symbolic yet significant act to undo the wrongs of the past, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Wednesday offered an unconditional apology to indigenous Australians for the wrongs committed by the state in the past.
Obama greets Sikhs, says all can draw inspiration from Guru Nanak
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
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.
Plans for UK students to make loyalty oaths
By IRNA
London : British students may be required to swear an oath of allegiance to the monarchy and country when they graduate from school, according to controversial proposals unveiled Tuesday.
Plans, proposed by former attorney general Lord Goldsmith, include making school children take part in citizenship ceremonies and a new public holiday by 2012 to celebrate "Britishness."
India frees 88 Pakistani fishermen for Ramadan
New Delhi: India said on Friday it has released 88 Pakistani fishermen lodged in Gujarat jails, following a decision Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed...
O’donoghue wants to work with Jessie J
By IANS,
London: Irish singer Danny O'Donoghue is going to write a song with his fellow "Voice" judge Jessie J for her next album.
Maoists wage war on Terai pact
By IANS
Kathmandu : Within 24 hours of it being inked, Nepal's Maoists Friday rejected a pact signed between the government and a key party from the Terai plains, describing it as a "conspiracy" and demanding that it be scrapped.
Maoist supremo Prachanda issued a statement a day after the government signed a 22-point agreement with the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, the guerrillas' prime foe in the plains, saying his party was opposed to the pact.
Clinton hammers on Obama’s gun, religion remarks
By Pat Reber, DPA,
Washington : Pennsylvania, site of the next clash over the Democratic presidential nomination, is a state of somewhat-rusting industry and farming spread among small towns where people go to church Sundays and love to hunt and fish.
In recent weeks, Senator Barack Obama, 46, has been steadily closing on the double-digit lead that Senator Hillary Clinton, 60, once held among the working-class, largely white Democratic voters of the state - one of the last hopes for rescuing her floundering candidacy.
Man held after wife’s remains found encased in concrete
By IANS,
London : A businessman was arrested after the burnt remains of his wife were found covered in concrete in their mansion in France, it was reported here Tuesday.
Joanna Hall may have died last week during a drunken argument with her husband Robert, 55.
Daily Express reported that one of their three children could have reported Robert Hall to the police over the accusation that he covered up the crime at the estate in Le Chatellier, Fougeres, close to the western city of Rennes, in Brittany, France.
Bullied on Facebook, Australian teen jumps on rail track
By IANS,
Melbourne : A 16-year-old Australian boy jumped onto a railway track in an "absolute act of desperation" after he was bullied in a vicious Facebook campaign for several months.
Another boy, aged 17, saved the boy's life as he pulled him out of the tracks at the Gardenvale railway station in Melbourne's suburb Brighton, the boy's mother said.
The boy's mother, known only by her first name Karen, told a radio programme Thursday that her son had been the target of a cyber and school bullying campaign over the past several months, Herald Sun reported.
Cuba celebrates 50th anniversary of Hemingway-Castro meet
By IANS/EFE,
Havana : Cuban citizens at a small coastal village near the capital city of Havana are celebrating the 50th anniversary of a meeting between former president Fidel Castro and Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway.
American author Hemingway (1899-1961) had met Castro May 15, 1960, in Cojimar village, where fans of both the icons gathered this week to pay homage. The celebrations will conclude Saturday at the Hemingway Marina, the place where Castro and the novelist had met during a fishing tournament.
Obama wants Iran sanctions within ‘weeks’
By DPA,
Washington : US President Barack Obama declared that he wants to see the UN Security Council adopt sanctions against Iran within "weeks" over the Islamic republic's refusal to resolve the dispute over its nuclear activities.
"I'm not interested in waiting months for a sanctions regime to be in place. I'm interested in seeing that regime in place in weeks," Obama said Tuesday at a press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Asian woman charged with killing her children
By IANS,
London : A Sri Lankan-origin woman has been charged with murdering two of her children and wounding the third.
Sasikala Navaneethan, 36, stabbed Shanjayan, five, and his four-year-old sister Sharani to death in their quiet south London suburban house May 30.
She was also charged with the attempted murder of her six-month-old daughter, who survived the attack.
Magistrates remanded Navaneethan in custody Friday, and she is due to appear in court January 13 next year.
Seven miners killed in bus accident
By DPA,
Bogota : At least seven miners died Friday when the bus they were travelling in fell into a 400-metre ravine in the northeastern Colombian province of Santander, authorities said.
Pope Benedict on first outing after attack
By DPA,
Rome: Pope Benedict XVI made his first trip outside the Vatican amid tight security Sunday - three days after he was floored by a reportedly deranged woman at midnight mass in St Peter's Basilica.
The 82-year-old pontiff visited the Catholic community of Sant'Egidio community area of Trastevere in Rome, where he dined with the poor.
Thai army begins crackdown on anti-government protests
By DPA,
Bangkok : Thai soldiers fired shots in the air early Monday and used tear gas against protestors blocking a main road junction in Bangkok, witnesses said.
The city health department reported that 68 people had been treated for injuries, mostly minor, after troops cleared the intersection. A protest leader, Jatuporn Promphan, claimed the Army killed six people.
The Army moved in early morning in what appeared to be a slow but firm start to the anticipated crackdown against protestors loyal to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who have shut down much of central Bangkok.
Japan’s industrial production plummets
By DPA,
Tokyo : Japan's industrial output suffered a record fall in November, as unemployment numbers rose and slowing inflation rates caused deflation fears, officials said Friday.
The Ministry for Economy, Trade and Industry said production dropped by 8.1 percent compared to the previous month, the largest drop on record since 1953, as foreign demand in cars or electronic goods plunged, dealing a heavy blow to Japan's export-oriented industry.
India-Saudi ties growing stronger: Envoy
New Delhi: India-Saudi Arabia ties are going strong and their bilateral energy cooperation is at a high level, the kingdom's envoy, Saud bin Mohammed...
Turkey bans Google Groups
By DPA
Ankara : Turkish Internet users have been blocked from using the popular Google Groups service, a site which hosts thousands of forums for discussions, the Anadolu news agency reported Thursday
Anadolu reported that the site, a sub-domain of search engine giant Google, had been blocked by order of a court in western Turkey.
Antonis Samaras sworn in as Greece prime minister
By IANS,
Athens : Antonis Samaras, leader of the New Democracy party, was Wednesday evening sworn in as the new prime minister of Greece.
Mass grave found in Mexican city
By EFE,
Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) : Nine bodies were found in a mass grave in this Mexican city, officials said.
The mass grave was discovered Friday night in the city's southwest section, said prosecutors in Chihuahua state, where Juarez is located.
Chihuahua Attorney General's Office personnel, federal agents and coroner's office employees went to a field in the city after residents told authorities half-buried bodies were on the property.
The search of the lot will continue and more bodies may be found, officials said.
India, Nigeria forge strategic ties, sign four pacts
By Manish Chand
Abuja,(IANS) India and Nigeria Monday announced a "strategic partnership" and signed four pacts to cement ties between one of the world's fastest growing economies and Africa's largest oil producing country.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua on a wide spectrum of bilateral and global issues including energy security, intensification of bilateral trade, UN reforms, WTO trade talks and terrorism.
‘Men more enthused about online creative work than women’
By IANS,
Washington : Men appear more enthused or active in sharing creative work online than women, though both engage in Net-based creative pursuits almost equally.
In a new study, almost two-thirds of men surveyed reported posting their work online while only half of women said they did.
“Sharing information on the Net is a form of participating in public culture and contributing to public discourse, that tells us men's voices are being disproportionately heard,” said Eszter Hargittai of Northwestern University and co-author of the study.
UEFA Champions League winners
Berlin: The following are European Champions League winners after Barcelona beat Juventus 3-1 to win the 2014-2015 competition here on Saturday:
2014-2015: Barcelona (Spain)
2013-2014: Real...
Can’t get through tough times? Focus on ‘non material wealth’
By IANS,
Washington : Focussing on non material wealth rather than financial wealth can help people get through today's tough times, according to two of the world's leading psychological experts on happiness.
More money makes people feel better about their lives, but it won't necessarily improve their quality of life, they said.
Ed Diener of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UI-UC) and Robert Biswas-Diener of the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology in Milwaukee conducted the study.
Two-year-old to hold painting exhibition in Australia
By DPA,
Sydney : The finger-paintings of a two-year-old would normally be praised for their creativity by doting parents and get a place under a fridge magnet along with shopping lists, bills and postcards. But Aelita Andre's parents have managed to convince a Melbourne gallery that their tot's acrylics deserve a solo exhibition next month.
Australian national broadcaster ABC said that art critics are bitterly divided over the honour Brunswick Street Gallery owner Mark Jamieson has bestowed on the daughter of Russian-born photographer Nikka Kalashnikova and husband Michael Andre.
Flood fears in Britain after heavy rain
By DPA
London : Parts of Britain were at "serious risk of flooding" Sunday as heavy rainfall across England and Wales was slowly easing, media reports said.
Britain's Environment Agency had issued eight severe flood warnings for the counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire in southwest England and for parts of London, BBC reported.
Meanwhile in Worcestershire, more than 750 people were rescued from flooding, with around 100 being airlifted to safety by the Royal Air Force. More than 1,000 people spent the night in emergency shelters.
China releases report on human rights
By AINS,
Beijing: China Thursday released a report that said the country has fulfilled all targets of its national human rights action plan.
18 civilians injured in a bus blast in Sri Lanka
By IRNA
New Delhi : At least 18 people, including an eight months old infant were injured in the bus blast at Mt. Lavinia, near national capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo Saturday.
The explosion occurred in a private passenger bus that was plying from Moratuwa in the south to Colombo, All India Radio (AIR) reported here quoting Spokesman at the Media Center for Sri Lankan National Security.
All the injured have been admitted to the hospital. 'However condition of none of them is serious'.
Myanmar allows three more parties to contest polls
By IANS,
Yangon : The Myanmar Union Election Commission Friday granted permission to three more new political parties to contest in the upcoming general elections, Xinhua reported.
The parties are Pa-Oh National Organisation, Taaung National Party and Wunthanu NLD.
The commission Thursday allowed two other new parties to contest in the polls.
They are 88 Generation Student Youths (Union of Myanmar) and the Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics. The election date has not been fixed yet.
President Bakiyev flies out of Kyrgyzstan
By DPA,
Bishkek : Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has flown out of the country to neighbouring Kazakhstan, following last week's bloody protests, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said Thursday.
The president's leaving the country was engineered in a joint effort by leaders in neighbouring Kazakhstan, the United States and Russia, the Vienna-based OSCE said in a statement.
More family members desert Nepal’s deposed king
By IANS,
Kathmandu : His son and controversial former crown prince Paras was the first member of Nepal's disgraced former royal family to leave his motherland after the abolition of the 239-year-old institution of monarchy.
After the playboy former royal's exit from Nepal last month for greener pastures in Singapore, his wife, erstwhile crown princess Himani, and their three minor young children followed suit within a fortnight.
Now deposed king Gyanendra's remaining child, daughter Prerana, has also followed her brother.
Russia fully cuts gas to Ukraine, ups supplies to Europe
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia's gas export monopoly Gazprom said Thursday that it has fully cut gas supplies to Ukraine but increased deliveries to Europe after last-ditch talks failed late Wednesday.
"Deliveries to Ukraine were cut in full at 10:00 a.m. Jan 1 (Thursday). The volume of the reduction is 90 million cubic metres. Gas transits to Europe are continuing at a volume of 300 million cubic metres per day," Gazprom said.
A source at Ukraine's state company Naftogaz also confirmed that gas supplies had been cut. "We have noticed a reduction in pressure," the source said.
Shuttle launch cancelled due to gas leak
By DPA,
Washington : The launch of the space shuttle Discovery planned for Wednesday was abruptly cancelled just hours ahead of blast off.
NASA called off the launch after it discovered a leak in a hydrogen vent line between the shuttle and its external fuel tank. The US space agency made the decision ahead of a planned 9.20 p.m. launch.
Technicians had been filling the tank with fuel and would now have to completely drain it. A new launch time was set for 8.54 p.m. Thursday, depending on what repairs were deemed necessary. Officials were to meet to discuss the problem.
Top LTTE leader’s family found among fleeing civilians
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan Navy Friday identified a top Tamil Tiger leader's family members trying to flee the war zone along with a group of civilians, the defence ministry said.
The members were identified as LTTE's Sea Tiger wing leader Soosai's wife, son, daughter, sister-in-law and her son, who were among a group of 11 people on board a boat rescued by the navy, the ministry said on its website.
A large sum of money has also been found in possession of the Soosai's kin.
China’s 30 years of reform and opening up
By Wu Qi, Xinhua,
Beijing : This autumn was a season of revelry and national pride for the Chinese. Still basking in the glory of spectacular summer Olympics in August, the whole nation had something else to celebrate as its astronaut became the first Chinese to perform a space walk.
Zhai Zhigang Sep 27 emerged from the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft and walked the space for about 20 minutes, seen by the whole nation in a live telecast.
OJ Simpson on trial for kidnapping, robbery
By DPA
Las Vegas : OJ Simpson is to stand trial for alleged kidnapping and armed robbery in a case that could finally see him serving a jail term, 12 years after he was sensationally acquitted of the murder of his estranged wife and her friend.
Las Vegas Township Justice of the Peace Joseph Bonaventure ruled that there was sufficient evidence to put Simpson and two associates on trial for 12 charges stemming from an incident in September in a Las Vegas hotel.
Toll in Ukraine violence 25
By IANS,
Kiev : At least 25 people died and more than 370 were injured when anti-government protestors clashed early Wednesday with riot police in...
Focus on South Asian nations for disabled: UN
By IANS,
New Delhi: South Asian countries will continue to be on the United Nations's agenda for improvement in conditions for disabled people, a UN member said here Wednesday.
McCain wins Kentucky, Obama claims Vermont
By Xinhua,
Washington : Republican presidential hopeful John McCain and his Democratic rival Barack Obama split the first batch of electoral votes, as projected election results came out from Kentucky and Vermont Tuesday night.
McCain took away the eight electoral votes in Kentucky while Obama carried the three votes in Vermont.
There is no surprise in the outcome because Kentucky is a solid red state while Vermont a traditional blue.
More results are expected to pour in as the day-long marathon balloting are closing across the nation.
Germany warms up to Sarkozy’s Mediterranean Union plans
By IRNA
Berlin : Germany is apparently giving up its stiff opposition to plans by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to press ahead with the creation of the Mediterranean Union.
Deputy government spokesman Thomas Steg said in remarks to the press in Berlin that all European Union states agreed that the so-called 'Barcelona process' needed a "new impetus."
Pointing out that the 'Barcelona process' referred to the EU's institutional cooperation with surrounding Mediterranean countries, Steg called for "reviving the 'Barcelona process'.
Ban orders UN envoy to Myanmar, urges cooperation
By DPA
New York : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon decided Wednesday to send an envoy to Myanmar, where clashes between military forces and pro-democracy protesters have resulted in deaths and fears of more violence.
The UN Security Council also will meet later to discuss the situation in Myanmar and possibly make a statement expressing concern.
UN concerned over civilian casualties in Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Colombo : A top visiting UN envoy Thursday expressed concern over civilian casualties in Sri Lanka's north where thousands of Tamil civilians are caught in fierce clashes between the troops and the Tamil Tigers.
"The UN is concerned over the civilian casualties in the war-zone. We urge the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) to respect the international humanitarian laws," John Holmes, UN under secretary general on Humanitarian Affairs said here Thursday.
EU spent 210 bn euro over science and technology reseach
By KUNA
Brussels : In 2006, the 27-member European Union spent 1. 84 percent of GDP on Research and Development (RD) amounting to more than 210 billion euro. In 2006, the highest RD intensity in the EU was registered in Sweden (3.82 percent of GDP) and Finland (3.45 percent), followed by Germany (2.51 percent), Austria (2.45 percent) and Denmark (2.43 percent), according to figures released Monday by Eurostat, the EUs statistical office.
Hailstorms, floods leave 18 dead, 12 missing in China
By Xinhua,
Guiyang (China) : Hailstorms and floods triggered by torrential rains have left 18 people dead and 12 missing in southwest China's Guizhou province, local authorities said here Tuesday.
A total of 166 people were injured and more than 4,600 have been evacuated since the flooding and hailstorms began to hit Guiyang, capital of Guizhou, Sunday night.
More than 538,000 people in 17 cities and counties in Guizhou were affected in the floods and about 6,700 houses were reduced to rubble or damaged.
Mugabe arrives in Rome for food talks
By DPA,
Rome : Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was one of the first leaders to arrive in Rome for this week's summit on soaring food prices and climate change organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), reports said Monday.
Mugabe is the first of 40 leaders expected at the three-day summit in the Italian capital that starts Tuesday.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also expected to attend, marking the first occasion since his election in 2005 that he would visit a European Union member state.
UN chief praises women’s role in advancing peace
By IANS,
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday praised women's role in advancing peace after this year's Nobel Peace Prize were awarded to three women.
Russian MPs expect more balanced U.S. administration under Obama
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia can hope for more U.S. accommodation on issues such as Iraq and missile defense under Barack Obama when the Democrat is forced to focus on domestic problems as president next year, leading MPs said on Wednesday.
The deputy chairman of the lower house of parliament's defense committee, Igor Barinov, said he believed that the Obama administration would cut back on military operations in Iraq and on the missile defense system planned to be based in Eastern Europe.
Letter from Titanic passenger sells for 55,000 pounds
By IANS,
London : A letter written by a man aboard the Titanic to his wife, saying he did not like leaving her behind, sold for 55,000 pounds Sunday, a media report said.
The letter, written by first-class passenger Adolphe Saafeld, to his "wifey", gives a rare glimpse into the day-to-day life on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, which sank on April 15, 1912 taking down 1,517 people with it.
The letter was one of 350 White Star Line memorabilia sold Sunday to an unidentified museum in Britain, which is yet to formally announce its purchase, the Telegraph reported Sunday.
New MPs join lobby against UK’s replacement of Trident
By IRNA,
London : A number of newly-elected MPs from different parties were handing in a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron Wednesday calling for action by his coalition government on nuclear disarmament.
The letter, produced in response to the NPT review conference, is an early show of opposition among the intake of 232 new MPs to controversial multi-billion plans to replace the country’s Trident nuclear missile system.
Spain carries out 94 organ transplants in 72 hours
By IANS/EFE,
Madrid : Spain's National Transplant Organization set a new record with 94 organ transplants during the period of Nov 23-25.
Russia to raise oil output by 20 percent
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Oil production in Russia will grow by up to 20 percent, and natural gas by 42 percent by 2030 in line with Russia's draft energy strategy, business daily Vedomosti reported Tuesday.
The draft, prepared by several research institutes and the energy ministry, will be submitted to the government in January after discussions and approvals.
In August the economics ministry set a task of ending the economy's dependence on raw material exports by 2020.
Lenin’s statue to be restored in Russia
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : A statue of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, which was damaged in a bomb blast last year, will be restored in St. Petersburg.
The bronze statue of the communist leader was unveiled November 7, 1926 at the Finlyandsky railway station where he made a historic speech after returning from exile in 1917 to lead the October Revolution. The statue was later moved closer to the Neva River.
Russia rejects US criticism over Georgian ‘invasion’
By DPA,
Moscow : Rejecting US criticism, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted Wednesday that Russia's attacks in Georgia had been a "peace mission," the Russian news agency Interfax reported.
Even French President Nicolas Sarkozy, representing the European Union as the current holder of the bloc's presidency, had said this, Lavrov said.
Lavrov also commented in an article in Wednesday's Financial Times that Russia had no intention of toppling the government of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
China brings together US, Myanmar meeting
By Xinhua
Beijing : Representatives of the US and Myanmar had met recently in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
Former US envoy calls Serb leader Karadzic an ‘evil’
By DPA,
Washington : The US envoy and architect of the peace deal that ended the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina has called former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic an "evil" whose arrest was "historic".
"He was the most evil man I have ever met in my life," Richard Holbrooke, the US ambassador who brokered the 1995 Dayton Accords to end the 1992-1995 ethnic war, said in an interview with CNN Tuesday.
US boy shoots sister, kills self over argument
By IANS,
Washington: A 10-year-old boy in the US shot and injured his 15-year-old sister over an argument and then killed himself, Xinhua reported.
British share Tibet’s ‘frustration’
By IANS,
London : Britain shares the "frustration" of the Tibetan exile movement in failing to make headway in autonomy talks with China, a British minister said.
But in comments made Monday, Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell also said an autonomous Tibet must remain within the "framework of the Chinese Constitution."
Tension clears in Zimbabwe over election results release delay
By IRNA
Pretoria : Four days after elections in Zimbabwe, pressure is growing on the country's electoral commission to issue results.
Amid intensifying global scrutiny, Morgan Tsvangirai said his Movement for Democratic Change would issue its own results if the commission did not.
Tsvangirai has said he is convinced he defeated President Robert Mugabe but that he will not claim victory until the official count is known.
He denied rumours of a secret deal allowing Mugabe to step down.
The MDC leader said no negotiations would take place until the final result was known.
Volcano erupts in Colombia
By IANS,
Bogota : The Galeras volcano, located near San Juan de Pasto in southwestern Colombia, erupted Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of any damage caused.
The alert on the volcano was raised from "orange" to "red", the highest level which implies an "imminent or current eruption". This made the authorities order evacuation of thousands of residents in nearby villages and towns, Martha Calvache, assistant director of the Colombian Geology and Mining Institute, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
60 journalists killed in 2008, says press watchdog
By DPA,
Paris : At least 60 journalists and one media assistant were killed around the world while carrying out their work this year, the press watchdog Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday.
Some 673 journalists were arrested, 29 were kidnapped and 929 were physically attacked or threatened, the Paris-based organization said in its Press Freedom Roundup for 2008.
Small plane crashes into New York building
By IANS,
New York : A small plane carrying two people crashed into a building in New York's Suffolk county, leaving the building on fire and critically injuring the two on board, police said.
The two-seat Cessna crashed Saturday into the Varsity Plumbing Supplies company building near the Long Island MacArthur Airport, Xinhua reported citing a statement from WABC television.
The two people - including a student pilot - on board the aircraft were critically injured and the building was on fire, police said.
The fire was later put out and the two people were taken to hospital.
Greek conservatives win despite voter fury over fires
Athens, Sep 17 (DPA) When devastating forest fires struck Greece last month, thousands of angry citizens took to the streets nationwide to protest the government's slow response to the disaster.
On Sunday, Greeks appeared to have forgiven the conservative government by voting them in for a second four-year term, giving the green light to move ahead with key economic, pension and educational reforms.
China orders mass evacuation from quake area
By Xinhua,
Mianyang (China) : China Friday ordered evacuation of 1.3 million people from the quake-hit Sichuan province to higher grounds for fear of a rapidly swelling "quake lake" burst as the quake toll reached beyond 68,000.
Tan Li, chief of Mianyang city quake control and relief headquarters, Friday issued order that 1.3 million people living downstream of Tangjiashan, a dangerously swelling quake-created lake, must evacuate to higher grounds demarcated by government departments.
Sacked Nepal Army chief likely to move court
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's tough army chief Gen Rookmangud Katawal, who was relieved of his responsibilities by the ruling Maoist party Sunday, is likely to challenge the decision in court, former army officers predicted.
The 61-year-old, who received his marching orders just three months before he is due to retire, is expected to knock at Nepal's Supreme Court to stay the Maoists' hand.
"It is a routine procedure," said a Nepal Army brigadier-general who had served for 33 years.
U.S. presidential hopefuls trade barbs on economy
By Xinhua
Washington : U.S. presidential hopefuls waged verbal wars against each other Thursday on economic policy.
Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-ILL.) laid out their proposals to reinvigorate the economy as they attacked the plan advocated by Republican presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona as "ineffective."
Clinton's campaign also attacked Obama's economic address as "just words" and accused him of copying her plan.
Snow-hit Chinese travellers spend another night stranded
By DPA
Beijing : Hundreds of thousands of snow-affected travellers were facing another night sleeping in streets, railway stations, vehicles and public buildings Thursday as the government tried to restore transport and power services.
Some 200,000 passengers were expected to board the 98 trains scheduled to leave Thursday from the southern transport hub of Guangzhou, where 800,000 people were reportedly stranded Wednesday.
300 Muslim Brotherhood loyalists jailed in Egypt
Cairo : An Egyptian court sentenced 300 loyalists of the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi for three to...
Missing Venezuelan cargo plane’s wreckage found in Ecuador
By IANS,
Quito (Ecuador) : The wreckage of a Venezuelan cargo plane that was missing since Saturday and believed to have crashed has been spotted in central Ecuador, the EFE news agency reported Monday quoting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The rescue team, which comprised more than 200 police, military and Red Cross personnel, has spotted a section of the plane on a high plateau between the towns of Sigchos and Toacaso, some 80 km south of Ecudor's capital Quito, ICRC officials said.
81 arrested in South Africa as protests continue
By DPA,
Johannesburg : A wave of strikes and protests continued Wednesday in South Africa with police arresting 81 striking workers in the Eastern Cape province during a violent demonstration, a little over two weeks before the start of the football World Cup.
Police fired rubber bullets to disperse around 200 workers, who demonstrated as part of a pay dispute in the remote town of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.
A police spokesman told the SAPA news agency that the tea plantation workers had stoned passing vehicles and set fire to a building belonging to the Magwa tea company.
Stop backing Afghan Taliban, Kabul warns Islamabad
Islamabad : In a sign that Afghanistan is rethinking its outreach efforts to Pakistan, President Ashraf Ghani has demanded that Islamabad end its longstanding...
Ukraine likely to cut gas supply to Europe
By Xinhua
Kiev : Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz said Tuesday that it may reduce gas supplies to Europe if Russia cuts gas deliveries to Ukraine by another 25 percent.
"Naftogaz recognizes that it can guarantee uninterrupted gas transit to Europe, but we reserve the right to take appropriate action if Ukraine's energy security comes under threat," Naftogaz said in a statement.
Chinese stocks sink amid global financial turmoil
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Chinese shares plunged 4.47 percent amid global financial turmoil Tuesday, as investors reacted to losses on Wall Street and the People's Bank of China's (PBOC) decision to slash interest rates.
Debt-heavy property stocks, however, bucked the powerful downtrend, while aviation issues got a lift from China's upcoming space launch.
Pakistan for trade talks with Kabul minus India
Islamabad: Pakistan wants to resume trade and transit talks with Afghanistan but minus India. Kabul is not ready for that.
Pakistan has asked Afghanistan to...
Spanish economy contracts for first time in 15 years
By DPA,
Madrid : The Spanish economy contracted for the first time in 15 years in the third quarter, leaving the country on the verge of recession.
The gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.2 percent in its first quarterly contraction since 1993, the National Statistics Institute said.
Between July and September, the economy grew only 0.9 percent year-on-year.
Analysts attribute the slowdown mainly to the collapse of the key construction sector and the international financial crisis.
EU offers 10,000 scholarships for 2009-2010
By EuAsiaNews,
Brussels : The European Commission announced here
Wednesday that it has awarded almost 10,000 new grants to be funded by the EU's Erasmus Mundus programme in the academic year 2009-2010.
1,833 students are being awarded scholarships to study for one or two years at the Masters course of their choice, alongside students from Europe .
The scholarship-winners come from 105 countries: China is the most-represented country, followed by India, Brazil, Mexico, Bangladesh, the US, Ethiopia, Russia and Indonesia;
Pakistan, China to jointly develop satellite
By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan and China Friday signed an agreement to build a communication satellite in the next three years, officials said.
China will provide $200 million to Pakistan to build the PAKSAT-1R satellite.
Pakistan Space and Upper Atmospheric Research Commission (SUPARCO) and China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) will jointly develop the satellite.
The agreement was signed by Pakistan's Economic Affairs Division (EAD) Secretary Farrakh Qayyum and China' Ambassador to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui.
Guinea coup leader invites foreign diplomats for talks
By DPA,
Conakry (Guinea) : The leader of a military coup in Guinea has invited foreign diplomats to come to the West African nation this weekend for talks in a move intended to reassure the international community.
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara said in a statement on national radio late Thursday that the UN, European Union , African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were amongst those invited for a meeting aimed at clarifying the junta's intentions.
Britain launches helpline for victims of forced marriages
By IANS
London : Worried about the spread of the controversial practice of forced marriage and honour-based violence among Asian communities, the British government Friday launched a national helpline for such victims.
The Honour Network will be run by the charity Karma Nirvana - a dedicated forced marriage and honour-based violence helpline staffed by former victims offering emotional and practical support, Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said.
Interfaith survey dispels many myths, say British Muslims
By IRNA,
London : British Muslims have welcomed the findings of an ongoing international survey that dispels many myths about the UK’s two million Muslim community.
“The poll reveals a triumph of fact over opinion – it challenges the idea that Muslims have divided loyalties, are separatist and, because of their faith and religiosity, have nothing in common with fellow Britons,” the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said.
33 illegal Asian immigrants arrested in China
By IANS,
Beijing : At least 33 Asian immigrants have been arrested in China's Guangdong province, where they went to look for work.
According to frontier...
Nepali CA members begin voting in presidential election
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Nepali Constituent Assembly (CA)members began voting in presidential election at 11:36 a.m. (0551 GMT) on Saturday at the CA venue International Conference Center (ICC) in Kathmandu, to elect the first president and vice president of the youngest republic in the world.
Nepal was declared a federal democratic republic at the first CA meeting on May 28, ending the 240-year Shah dynasty.
Three candidates have been registered for the post of president and four for the vice president till the fixed time on Thursday.
EU demands end to Ukraine-Russia gas row
By DPA,
Moscow/Brussels : Russian natural gas deliveries fell substantially in downstream markets Saturday, drawing a sharp European Union (EU) demand that the Kremlin and Ukraine end a row over energy.
Russian natural gas volumes pumped via Ukrainian pipelines to Romania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania were all down, with Romania registering a 33 percent cut in deliveries.
Russia Thursday halted natural gas deliveries to Ukraine because of a delivery contract dispute. Fuel volumes moving onward to Europe fell marginally Friday.
Sri Lankan immigrant damages church statue in Italy
By IANS/AKI,
Milan : A 51-year-old Sri Lankan immigrant allegedly vandalised a stautue of the Madonna and child, causing damages worth over 20,000 euro ($25,140), at a church here.
The immigrant, who was not named, was drunk and allegedly seized a candlestick and repeatedly smashed the statue, a priest at the Santisssima Trinita' church in Milan, said.
Police was called, who detained the man in the city's San Vittore jail.
The immigrant has no permit of stay in Italy, police said.
Shipwreck laden with treasures found off Namibian coast
By DPA
Windhoek (Nambia) : Geologists prospecting for diamonds off the Namibian coast discovered a shipwreck laden with gold coins, cannons and elephant tusks on the seabed, reports said Friday.
The remains of the ship were first found April 1 when geologists, who had cleared a stretch of seabed at the site and drained it, came across with some copper canon barrels and ingots, according to the reports.
Over 960 inmates freed in DR Congo prison attack
By IANS,
Kinshasa : Over 960 inmates were freed by unidentified gunmen in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) by attacking a prison Wednesday, Xinhua reported.
US cites India’s economic sacrifice for Iran deal
Washington : The White House has again warned that if the Republican controlled congress unilaterally kills the Iran nuclear deal it would greatly damage...
Bush to attend interfaith debate at UN
By DPA,
New York : US President George W. Bush will join other heads of state at the UN next week for discussion on religion and cooperation for peace, the UN said Wednesday.
The Kings of Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and presidents of the Philippines, Pakistan, Bahrain, Israel, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are among those expected to attend the session in the UN General Assembly Nov 12-13.
Enrique Yeves, spokesman for the 192-nation assembly, said a dozen heads of state and 40 to 50 government delegations have confirmed attendance.
New jobless claims in US at lowest level in nine months
By IANS/EFE,
Washington : The number of people filing initial applications for unemployment benefits fell by 23,000 last week to 381,000, the US Labor Department said Thursday.
US Defense Secretary fires air force chiefs over nuclear blunders
By AFP,
Washington : US Defense Secretary Robert Gates sacked the air force's civilian secretary and chief of staff, blaming them for two major blunders that shook confidence in US control over its nuclear arsenal.
Gates said "a substantial number" of generals and colonels also face possible disciplinary action as a result of an investigation into a mistaken shipment of fuses for nuclear weapons to Taiwan. Gates asked for and received the resignations of General T. Michael Moseley, the air force chief of staff, and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne.
Philippines to seek apology from ‘Desperate Housewives’ producer
By Xinhua
Manila : The Philippine government said Wednesday it would ask for an apology from the producers of a US television series, "Desperate Housewives", for an alleged "racial slur" against Filipino medical practitioners in one of its episodes.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that in an episode of the show, one of the lead characters in the play wanted to make sure that the nurses attending to her during a medical consultation "did not graduate from some med school in the Philippines".
Nine Indians injured in Grand Mosque accident in Makkah
New Delhi/Riyadh: Nine Indians have been injured in the accident at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson...
Fresh fighting kills 25 Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka
By SPA,
Colombo, Sri Lanka : Government forces and Tamil separatists fought separate battles across northern Sri Lanka, leaving 25 rebels dead, the military said Wednesday.
The latest round of fighting took place throughout Tuesday in the Welioya, Vavuniya and Mannar areas, the Associated Press reported.
No suspected case of swine flu in India: WHO
By IANS,
New Delhi : The World Health Organisation (WHO) Thursday said India has not reported any swine flu case and the country is prepared to handle a possible outbreak.
Even as news of confirmed swine flu cases are going up in the world, India is putting its surveillance in place to check any infection slipping in.
"There has been no suspected case in India," J.P. Narain, director communicable disease in the WHO regional office for Southeast Asia, told reporters here.
Indo-US ties ‘defining partnership of 21st century’: Senate
By IANS,
Washington: Noting that President Barack Obama considers India-US relationship as "one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century," the US senate has resolved to foster and advance the strategic partnership between the two nations.
A bipartisan resolution introduced by Republican John Cornyn and co-sponsored by Democrat Christopher Dodd, to mark the 63rd anniversary of India's independence, also celebrated "the contributions of Americans of Indian descent to society in the United States."
51 killed in Zambia bus accident
By IANS,
Lusaka : At least 51 people were killed in Zambia Thursday when the bus they were travelling in collided with a truck in the southern African country, Xinhua reported.
24 killed in China bus fire
By Xinhua,
Chengdu (China) : At least 24 people were killed when a bus caught fire Friday morning in the city of Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan province, officials said.
The accident took place at 8 a.m. as the bus was on its way from Tianhui township to downtown Chengdu, and caught fire under the Chuanshan viaduct, said Mao Zhiqiong, spokesman with the Chengdu city government.
More than 10 people escaped the burning bus, which caught fire near the city zoo, in north Chengdu.
US astronomer receives top prize in China
By IANS,
Beijing: A US astronomer received a top honour in China Tuesday for his team's measurements of cosmic microwaves, which may prove invaluable in researching the Big Bang.
Teachers fired in China for thrashing kid
By IANS,
Beijing : Two kindergarten women teachers in China have been fired after a video posted online showed them thrashing and kicking a four-year-old boy.
Cuban medical team in China
By Xinhua,
Chengdu (China) : A Cuban medical team has arrived in China's quake-ravaged Sichuan province to help rescue and relief efforts.
The 35-member team, including surgeons and orthopaedists, is carrying 3.5 tonnes of medicines and medical equipment, team head Jose Rodriguiez said. At least 56,000 people have died in China's May 12 earthquake.
New Zealand PM congratulates Obama
By Xinhua,
Wellington : New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark Wednesday congratulated Democrat Barack Obama on his victory in the US presidential election.
"The New Zealand government very much looks forward to working with the new Obama administration," Clark said in a statement.
"New Zealand and the United States have a long history of friendship and cooperation. We look forward to building on what is already a strong relationship with the United States," she added.
US climate plan must not substitute UN treaties: China
By Xinhua
Beijing : The new climate plan of the US should complement rather than substitute the Kyoto Protocol and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), China's top economic planner Ma Kai said Monday.
Obama names Richardson as commerce secretary
By DPA,
Washington : US president-elect Barack Obama nominated Bill Richardson as his commerce secretary Wednesday, the first Hispanic member of his cabinet and the latest key player in the new administration's economic recovery team.
Richardson, who endorsed Obama for president after his own abbreviated run for the White House this year, brings a wealth of experience in executive and legislative positions to Obama's administration, which will take over Jan 20.
Nigeria, Chinese firm sign $1 bn power project
By IANS,
Abuja : The Nigerian government has signed an agreement with a Chinese firm for the construction of a 700 MW power plant in Niger state.
Industrial output down 17.4 percent in Spain
By EFE,
Madrid : Industrial production in Spain fell 17.4 percent in July compared with the same month in 2008, the National Statistics Institute has said.
The 12-month decline in July - the 15th straight month of falling industrial output - was worse than the 16 percent drop registered in June.
Production of capital goods plunged 26.7 percent in July from 12 months earlier, while output of intermediate goods was down 20.8 percent and that of consumer products, 10.7 percent.
Output of consumer durables dropped 31.7 percent from the levels of July 2008, the institute said.
Poland uncertain whether to reveal black box records
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Warsaw : Polish investigators have not yet decided on whether to make public data from flight recorders of the Tu-154 plane, which crashed April 10 in western Russia, killing Poland's first couple and other top officials.
Poland's chief prosecutor Andrzej Seremet said Polish prosecutors will postpone revealing the black box contents until they obtain other necessary information from Russia. The final decision on whether to disclose flight details is expected in two weeks.
Hamburg edge struggling Hoffenheim in Bundesliga
By IANS,
Berlin: Artjoms Rudnevs brace was enough to inflict Hoffenheim their fifth loss in a row and the tenth of the season in the German Bundesliga.
Basque separatist leader released from prison
By SPA,
Madrid : A former leader of Basque separatist party Batasuna was released from prison on Saturday, having served a 15-month sentence for "glorifying" terrorism, reported dpa.
Arnaldo Otegi, 50, was met by dozens of supporters as he left the jail in the northern coastal town of San Sebastian.
He was imprisoned following a failed appeal against charges of glorifying terrorism in a speech praising a member of ETA, the Basque separatist group.
Russia may prioritise nuclear submarine development: Official
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia may prioritise the development of nuclear-powered attack submarines armed with nuclear-capable cruise missiles in the future, while maintaining its fleet of strategic submarines, a senior navy official said.
The Russian Navy maintains a fleet of about 60 submarines, including 10 nuclear-powered strategic submarines, over 30 nuclear-powered attack submarines, diesel-electric submarines and special-purpose submarines.
At least 68 journalists killed in 2009
By DPA,
New York : At least 68 journalists were killed in 2009, with the largest death toll in the Philippines, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Thursday.
More than 30 media persons were slaughtered in the Philippine province of Maguindanao during November's electoral campaign, CPJ said. Twenty-nine journalists and two supporting staff were among the 57 people murdered in an ambush mounted by rival political clans.
CPJ said it was still investigating the deaths of 20 other journalists in 2009 to confirm whether they were work-related.
Respect human rights, EU warns Russia
By DPA,
Brussels: Russia must respect human rights, including in its sentencing of jailed former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the European Union's foreign policy chief said Monday.
Death toll from Bus Crash in Spain reaches 9
By SPA,
Madrid, Spain : The death toll from the crash of a bus filled with Finnish tourists in southern Spain has reached nine, the Finnish Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
The bus collided with another vehicle and overturned on the AP-7 coastal highway, near the resort town of Benalmadena, late Saturday. The dead included a 7-year-old girl.
Cold weather kills 55 children in Peru
By Xinhua
Lima : At least 55 children under the age of five have died in Peru due to a cold wave that has hit most parts of the country, Peru's Health Minister Carlos Vallejos said.
French Muslims protest against IS militants
Paris:Thousands of Muslims in France took to the streets in the country's major cities to denounce the beheading of mountain guide Herve Gourdel in...
Russia sends extra troops to Georgian rebel region
By SPA,
Moscow : Extra Russian troops have begun arriving in Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region, Russian media said on Thursday, according to Reuters.
Russia announced this week it was deploying about 1,000 additional peacekeeping troops to the region to counter what it said were Georgian plans for an attack.
Georgia's pro-Western leaders have called the re-enforcement irresponsible and illegal. The Russian defence ministry said the contingent would remain within the 3,000 limit allowed under a
United Nations-brokered ceasefire agreement signed in 1994.
Rohingya’s rise to militancy claimed 100 lives, says report
Naypyidaw (IANS): Members of a Rohingya militant group allegedly massacred as many as 99 people, including women and children, in Hindu villages in Myanmar's...
Sixty-seven pct say journalism is “out of touch” with American”s needs — study
By KUNA
Washington : Nearly 67 percent od Americans say journalism is out of touch with what Americans want from news, according to a new study released Wednesday, which found the internet has topped newspapers and TV as the top source of news for about half of Americans.
About 70 percent of Americans think journalism is important to the quality of life, but 64 percent are "dissatisfied with the quality of journalism in their communities," according to the We Media/Zogby Interactive poll.
Gordon Brown calls for new world order sans protectionism
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for a "new global order" shorn of protectionism and he hopes that American President-elect Barack Obama would lead the way in helping build such a world.
In comments made ahead of this week's emergency summit of the Group of 20 (G20) developed and biggest emerging economies in Washington, the British leader also urged solutions to the global financial crisis based on a "new multilateralism".
Quake hits China, damages 678 homes
By IANS,
Beijing : A 4.8-magnitude earthquake jolted southwest China, affecting more than 80,000 people and damaging over 600 homes, authorities said Wednesday.
Italian PM Berlusconi resigns
By IANS,
Rome : Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi handed in his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano Saturday, Italy's presidential palace said.
Brazil fire toll reaches 235
By IANS/EFE,
Santa Maria (Brazil) : The toll from last weekend's fire at a discotheque in this southern Brazilian city rose to 235 and 143 people remain hospitalized, authorities said Wednesday.
LTTE supporters attack Indian Army convoy
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : An Indian Army convoy was attacked by Tamil Tiger supporters in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore city Saturday, a defence spokesman said here.
Supporters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) stopped five army trucks carrying ammunition and personnel who were returning from training in Secunderabad in Andhra Pradesh. They were on their way to Thiruvananthapuram.
Nobody was injured even as the angry protesters pelted stones causing minor damages to a couple of trucks.
Britain’s Hardy in talks to buy out RIL stake in Gujarat offshore block
New Delhi: British firm Hardy Oil and Gas is in talks to acquire Reliance Industries Ltd's complete 90 percent stake in a gas discovery...
Gorbachev alarmed by growing militarization of U.S. policy
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev voiced alarm over the United States' increasing tendency to seek military solutions to political problems, in an appeal to presidential candidates published on Tuesday.
"I am deeply concerned over increasingly visible signs of the militarization of politics and thinking in the modern world... even though the military route again and again leads to a dead-end," Gorbachev wrote in an article printed in the Russian government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
EU offers more funds to dismantle aging n-plants
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: The European Union (EU) has offered Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania additional funding to dismantle their nuclear power facilities, reported the Sofia News Agency.
Fidel Castro: Energy revolution crucial
By NNN-Prensa Latina,
Havana : Cuban President Fidel Castro alerted the world to the immediate need for an energy revolution, such as is underway in Cuba, and said the nation needs a massive recycling of high-energy using equipment.
The leader said it is painful to think of annually consuming 10 billion tons of fossil fuels that took a million years to create.
Cuba’s industries face an enormous task to accomplish such recycling that will increase employment and gain a little time, he said.
O.J. Simpson also charged with kidnapping
By DPA
Las Vegas : Former American football star O.J. Simpson was charged with kidnapping in addition to seven other charges made earlier, after he allegedly organised an armed raid to recover memorabilia he claimed had been stolen from him.
The charges were filed Tuesday in a court in Las Vegas where Simpson, 60, is being held without bail until a hearing set for Wednesday.
500 arrested amid protests during G20 summit
By DPA,
Toronto : More than 500 people have been arrested amid mass demonstrations in Canada's largest city during the weekend summit of the world's 20 largest economies, police said Sunday.
Sporadic violence marred otherwise peaceful protests Saturday, the first day of the Group of 20 (G20) summit, forcing Toronto police to use tear gas for the first time in the city's history.
The violence continued through the night, prompting authorities Sunday to crack down on key locations where demonstrators were gathering.
NATO fighters accompany Russian bombers near Alaska
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : NATO fighters accompanied Russian Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers on a regular strategic patrol flight on Wednesday, a Russian Air Force spokesman said.
Two Bear bombers and two Il-78 aerial tankers conducted a 16-hour patrol mission on Wednesday over the Arctic and the Pacific Ocean and performed aerial refueling.
"During the flight over neutral waters near Alaska, the Russian planes were accompanied by NATO fighters," Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky said.
5,000 evacuated in Mexico due to heavy rains
By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Over 5,000 people have been evacuated in Mexico's southern state of Tabasco as torrential rains caused two rivers to overflow their banks.
"The situation is very critical," Tabasco state Governor Andres Granier said Saturday.
Three years ago, in 2007, the state had seen heavy flooding that displaced around one million people.
The evacuation Saturday was being conducted by the army and navy in the face of rising water levels in the Carrizal and Samaria rivers.
Powerful quake rocks eastern Indonesia
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale Sunday jolted the Sulawesi province of eastern Indonesia, the meteorology and disaster management agencies said.
The quake occurred at 0908 GMT. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The epicentre of the quake was around 90 km southwest of Tolitoli town in Sulawesi province, an official said.
The quake spread panic in the region. Many people fled from their homes after the quake, a rescue official in Luwu district said.