Belarus advises U.S. to reduce embassy staff to seven – ministry
By RIA Novosti
Minsk : Belarus has cut its diplomatic staff in its embassy in the U.S. to seven and is advising the U.S. to follow suit, a deputy Belarusian foreign minister said Wednesday.
"We would like to bring our diplomatic missions to an equal number - in line with the one plus six formula," Viktor Gaisenok said, adding that 1+6 means an ambassador and six other embassy personnel.
Ecuador province hit by moderate quake
By NNN-Prensa Latina
Quito : A moderate earthquake measuring four on the Richter scale rattled the Ecuadorian province of Imbabura Tuesday, but with no reports of casualties or damage.
The tremor was registered at 01:15, three miles west of Otavalo city and 36 miles north of Quito, the National Geophysics Institute reported.
The epicenter was 0.27 degrees North Latitude, 78.28 degrees West Longitude and 7.4 miles deep.
Chinese religious leaders call for interreligious dialogue
By Xinhu,
Madrid : Chinese religious leaders called for dialogues between different religions and the creation of a harmonious world at an interfaith conference ended here Friday.
The estrangement, conflicts and wars between different religions and nations would lead to more bloodshed and even more severe natural disasters, said Chen Guangyuan, president of the Islamic Association of China.
Israel, Palestinians to resume talks in Cairo
Gaza: Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will officially resume Egypt-sponsored ceasefire indirect talks Sunday, Azzam el-Ahmed, chief of the Palestinian delegation in Cairo, said.
The negotiators...
Scarf-covered Muslim girls banned from Russian schools
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Several Muslim families in southern Russia have complained that their daughters were not allowed to attend school wearing head scarves.
Australia provides 462 mln USD aid for Indonesia
By Xinhua,
Jakarta : Australia has agreed to provide 462 million U.S. dollars to help Indonesia develop its infrastructure, education, health and good governance, local daily Bisnis Indonesia reported Saturday.
The assistance is in the forms of 336-million-U.S. dollar grant and 126-million-U.S. dollar soft loan. The money will be used for the fiscal year of 2008 and 2009.
Moldova asks Russia to help investigate air crash that killed 8
By RIA Novosti
Chisinau : Moldova's aviation authorities have asked Russian colleagues to help decipher the flight recorders of an An-32 Cline plane that crashed late Friday killing eight crew.
Acting head of the Moldovan civil aviation department's state administration Yury Zidu told journalists the An-32 military transport aircraft was registered in Sudan. "This machine underwent maintenance in Chisinau," he said.
No sign of success in Kenyan election mediation
By DPA
Nairobi : Ghanaian President John Kufuor ended his mediation efforts in the Kenyan election dispute without any visible success as newly elected President Mwai Kibaki began swearing in his new cabinet in Nairobi.
Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan would chair further talks, Kufuor said Thursday before flying back to Accra.
There were "no signs of success" after the two-day talks between Kufuor, controversial President Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, a government spokesman in Nairobi said.
China opens rural work conference, paints picture of rural development in 2008
By Xinhua
Beijing : China kicked off an annual rural work conference here on Saturday to map out the country's strategies and policies for agricultural and rural development in 2008.
China's rural development will continue to be one of the areas that top the government's agenda in the coming year, as stressed at the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded in October.
Dialogue only after all issues put on agenda
Islamabad: Sartaj Aziz, the Pakistan prime minister's advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs, has said Islamabad will not resume dialogue with New Delhi...
China punished five mn criminals in five years
By IANS,
Beijing : Courts in China convicted and punished a total of 5.24 million criminals from 2008 to 2012, the country's top judge said in a report published Sunday.
UN Calls Summit for Africa
By Prensa Latina
United Nations : The UN General Assembly agreed to hold a top-level conference September 22 concerning Africa's development needs, due to the great delay in attaining goals planned by the international organization in 2000.
The Assembly requested that Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon present an advance integral report on the panorama in that region and its most pressing needs.
Book fiesta: 1,100 exhibitors from 23 nations at World Book Fair
By IANS,
New Delhi: More than 1,100 exhibitors from 23 countries will flock to the Pragati Maidan in the capital for the New Delhi World Book Fair 2013 during Feb 4-10.
Medvedev says no progress on key issues after talks with Bush
By RIA Novosti,
Toyako : Russia's president said on Tuesday talks with his U.S. counterpart yielded little progress on key controversial issues, but both sides said they were willing to continue discussions.
"There are positive things, and topics that we disagree on. But still there hasn't been any forward progress," Dmitry Medvedev told a news conference after a summit of the Group of Eight leading nations on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.
Tibetan refugees ask Nepal to address rights in new constitution
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Vancouver Indo-Guyanese to fight Canadian elections
By IANS
Vancouver : An Indo-Guyanese has been nominated by Ontario's New Democratic Party (NDP) as its candidate from the Brampton-Springdale area for provincial elections next month.
Mani Singh, 47, who moved to Canada in his late teens with his parents, is a realtor. He has lived in Brampton for 26 years with his wife Prema and four children.
The provincial elections are slated for Oct 10.
Vietnam assumes UN Security Council presidency
By DPA,
New York : Vietnam took over the UN Security Council presidency Tuesday, a position that will for the first time thrust the communist regime into the role of top keeper of world peace and security.
The monthly rotating post among the 15-nation council has placed some of the world's poorest and smallest countries on par with more powerful nations. The council is dominated by permanent members: the US, Russia, China, France and Britain.
Medvedev says Russia could cancel plans for missiles near Poland
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russia could abandon its plans to place short-range missiles in the Kaliningrad Region if the new U.S. administration reverses its decision to deploy a missile shield in Central Europe, the president said.
As an "asymmetric" response to the missile shield, President Dmitry Medvedev announced last week the possible deployment of Iskander-M short-range missile systems in the Kaliningrad exclave, sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea.
Sri Lankan Kirinda Tsunami project nominated for architecture award
By NNN-LK News
Colombo : Sri Lanka’s tsunami reconstruction project in Kirinda has been selected as a finalist for the 2007 CNBC International Property Awards in Las Vegas in November.
The project is organized by Colliers International and the project was previously honoured at the MIPIM real estate awards in Cannes in March where it won the Best Residential Development award and received a Special Tribute award. Following its success at the summit a new prize was announced, the Green Building award.
Europe’s biggest wind energy park inaugurated in Portugal
By DPA,
Lisbon : Portugal's Economy Minister Manuel Pinho Wednesday inaugurated what was described as Europe's biggest wind energy park in the northern region of Viana do Castelo.
The Alto Minho I park began generating energy already a year ago, gradually increasing its production to the full potential Wednesday.
The 120 turbines divided between five sub-stations will produce 530 gigawatts annually or one percent of Portugal's energy.
The park, which cost 400 million euros ($520 million), was expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 370,000 tonnes annually.
Gales and rain hits northern Britain
By DPA
London : Strong gales and heavy rain pounded the north of Britain and Northern Ireland early Wednesday in a second series of storms to hit the country in three days.
The police said gusts of more than 130 km per hour caused a number of lorries to overturn on the M6 motorway in northwest Britain as an Atlantic weather front moved eastwards.
The province of Northern Ireland was also hit by strong gales.
Forecasts said snowfalls were likely in parts of northern England and southern Scotland, as severe flood warnings remained in place in northwest England.
Israel recalls ambassador after Sweden recognises Palestinian state
Jerusalem: Israel recalled its ambassador to Sweden Thursday to protest the Scandinavian country's decision to recognise a Palestinian state, an Israeli foreign ministry source...
Gandhian on the road, Maoist in the jungle: Arundhati Roy’s message to Harvard
By TwoCircles.net special correspondent
Cambridge, Massachusetts: Speaking to a packed house in Piper Auditorium of Harvard University, famous Indian author Arundhati Roy talked about India, development, and resistance on a lecture titled “Can We Leave the Bauxite in the Mountain? Field Notes on Democracy.”
Russian Navy to get latest N-sub
By IANS,
St. Petersburg: Yury Dolgoruky, Russia's latest ballistic missile nuclear submarine, will be put into service with the navy Sunday.
Drew Barrymore becomes advocate for UN World Food Programme
TwoCircles.net newsdesk
The American actress Drew Barrymore was named today as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and charged with the task of using her celebrity status as a film star to advocate for school feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Ms. Barrymore, 32, becomes the latest Ambassador for the WFP, joining Kenyan world marathon record-holder Paul Tergat, himself a former recipient of school feeding programmes, among others. Last year WFP fed 19.4 million children across 71 countries through such projects.
Obama unveils economic stimulus plan
By Xinhua,
Washington : US president-elect Barack Obama Thursday unveiled details of his economic stimulus plan aimed at lifting the US economy out of a deepening recession, and urged the Congress to approve the plan as soon as possible.
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.
‘Introvert’ Chinese lady loses civil service race
By IANS,
Beijing: A 27-year-old Chinese woman, who was ranked among the top in a civil service test, was eliminated from the race because she was an "introvert".
Two out of every three blind in India are women
By IANS,
New Delhi: Nearly two million people are blind in India but what is startling is that around 66 percent of them are women, government authorities and experts said Thursday, observed as the World Sight Day (WSD).
This year, the focus was on gender and eye care. G.V.S Murthy, a professor of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said that out of every three blind in the country, two are women and there is need to bring a gender equity while providing eye care.
Pakistan to seek $4 bn aid at Tokyo meet
By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan will seek $4 billion in aid at a donor conference to be held in Tokyo Friday.
Shaukat Tarin, finance adviser to Pakistan's prime minister, has said that the $4 billion assistance will be spent on health, education and poverty alleviation programmes over a period of two years.
The US Agency for International Development, Britain's Department for International Development, Canadian International Development Agency, Asian Development Bank and the World Bank will attend the donors' conference, IRNA reported Thursday.
It’s already new year in Nepal!
By IANS,
Kathmandu : While the rest of the world has begun an eager countdown to the new year, which will be ushered in from Thursday midnight, it is already 2010 in the exotic Himalayan land of Nepal.
For the Tamu or Gurung community of Nepal, an ethnic people believed by many to have migrated from western Mongolia, 2010 starts from this Wednesday, the last day of the lunar calendar they follow traditionally.
Plane with 150 on board crashes in Comoros
By DPA,
Paris : A Yemenia Air plane with 150 people on board crashed in the Indian Ocean island of Comoros early Tuesday, French radio station RFI reported.
It was unclear whether there were any survivors, Comoros government officials were quoted as saying by broadcaster CNN.
Comoros is located off the eastern coast of Africa between Madagascar and Mozambique.
No further details were immediately available.
Quake hits China
Beijing : An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale jolted China's Yunnan province Sunday, according to China Earthquake Networks Centre.
The temblor, having a...
UK uses English test to curb immigration
By IRNA,
London : British Prime Minister David Cameron’s government is seeking to curb immigration by extending the use of English language tests to all non-Europeans wishing to marry or join their spouses in Britain.
From autumn, all migrants from outside Europe will have to demonstrate basic communication skills that enable them to deal with everyday life before receiving a visa.
The Homes Office said Wednesday that the new measure would apply to spouses and unmarried couples who are already in Britain as well as overseas applicants.
UN Human Rights Council affirms improvement of human rights situation in Sudan
By NNN-SUNA
Geneva : The UN Human Rights Council has unanimously approved an draft resolution on the human rights situation in Sudan, which referred to the improvement in the human rights situation in the country on the light of the positive developments in Darfur.
The resolution was considered objective and came far away from politicization and selectivity.
The draft resolution was sponsored by the African Group through consultation and contacts with the European Group and the backing of Russia, China and Cuba.
South Africans condemn racist video filmed by white students
By DPA
Johannesburg : South African media and citizens reacted strongly Thursday to a racist video showing white students at a university humiliating black workers, including serving them food in which a student had urinated.
"They urinate on the Rainbow Nation," the Citizen newspaper, popular among white readers, said in an editorial, describing the video made by students at the Bloemfontein campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) as "sick, disgusting and depraved".
Hong Kong shares fall 3.35 percent in morning trading
By DPA,
Hong Kong : Hong Kong share prices fell by more than three percent Monday morning as investors across the region joined in a sell-off over fears the financial turmoil in Europe is deepening.
The Hang Seng Index closed for lunch down 592.83 points, or 3.35 percent, at 17.089.57 points. Turnover was 22.55 billion Hong Kong dollars ($2.9 billion).
All 43 blue-chip companies closed the morning session down lower in Hong Kong with the heaviest falls in insurance companies and banks exposed to troubled US and European institutions.
Sikhs patrol to protect gurdwara
By IANS,
London : Over 100 Sikh men took to the streets armed with sticks and metal bars in a British town to protect a gurdwara from rioters, a media report said.
Global innovator calls for new approach to science
By IANS
Washington : A leading global innovator and researcher has called for a radical new approach to science, combining the potential of digital connectivity with lab research methodology, static since Francis Bacon promoted it about 400 years ago.
University of Maryland's Ben Shneiderman calls it Science 2.0 and believes the new approach would help vastly improve use of new human networks spurred by digital connectivity.
He feels they can be applied to homeland security, medical care and the environment, according to a university press release.
Need more information to expedite 26/11 trial, says Pakistan
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his meeting in Russian city of Ufa told Indian Premier Narendra Modi that more information...
Nepal’s lawmakers fail yet again to elect a PM – after 100 days
By Sudeshna Sarkar,IANS,
Obama has responsibility to solve financial crisis: Lula
By DPA,
Rio de Janeiro : Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday that US president-elect Barack Obama could lose the political capital he has gained if the financial crisis extends for another year.
Obama faces the "greatest responsibility" to solve the widening credit crunch, Lula said.
"Obviously he will have to make moves to solve it, because that crisis cannot extend much longer. All the political capital he gained can be lost if the crisis extends for one or two years."
On forgiveness
By Jaspal Singh for TwoCircles.net
Every society has developed a notion of forgiveness. Every major religion also has a concept of forgiveness. It implies that...
Hurricane Bill heads for Obamas’ vacation island
By DPA,
Washington : Hurricane Bill, the first major Atlantic storm of the season, churned up the US East Coast late Saturday and was within reach of Martha's Vineyard, where the US first family plans to spend their vacation.
With the worst of the storm expected to pass by the island within the next 24 hours, there were no changes in US President Barack Obama's plans to spend the week at a large waterfront property on the prestigious vacation island.
Myanmar defence minister promises further probe into border bombing
Kuala Lumpur : Myanmar's Defence Minister Wai Lwin said on Monday that his government will conduct further investigations into the bombing incident across the...
US, Cuba ‘much closer’ to opening embassies
Washington : The US and Cuba ended on Friday their fourth round of negotiations to restore diplomatic relations, with the message that the opening...
ASEAN inaugurates human rights body
By IANS,
Hua Hin (Thailand) : Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations inaugurated the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in the summit held here Friday, Xinhua reported.
The leaders announced "Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on the Inauguration of the AICHR" to pledge full support to this new ASEAN body and emphasise their commitment to further develop cooperation to promote and protect human rights in the region, according to a press release issued Friday.
Polish defense minister to discuss U.S. missile plans in Washington
By RIA Novosti
Warsaw : Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich is to discuss Washington's plans for a missile defense base in Poland during his current visit to the U.S., a Polish Defense Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Barbara Bartkowska said Klich would meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and negotiations would focus on the deployment of a U.S. missile defense base in Poland and the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan.
Japan rolls out environment tax
By IANS,
Tokyo : The Japanese government Monday introduced an environment tax to help curb the use of fossil fuel and combat global warming.
Powerful earthquake strikes Indonesia
By Xinhua
Jakarta : A powerful earthquake struck the western coast off Indonesia's Sumatra island early Sunday morning, but there were immediate report of casualties and structural damages.
According to the country's Meteorological agency, the quake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale rocked Mukomuko district in Bengkulu province on Sumatra island at 09:52 a.m. local time.
Prabhakaran still in Sri Lanka, but son playing key role
By IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka's elusive Tamil Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is still in the island but his elder son Charles Antony is playing a key role in the fight against advancing troops, a newspaper said Sunday quoting two surrendered suicide bombers.
The state-run Sunday Observer reported on the basis of the confessional statements by the two guerrillas that Charles Antony, who was born in 1985, was commanding the guerrillas along with top leaders of the outfit, Banu and Lakshman.
Britain warns Libya over Lockerbie bomber celebration
By IANS,
London : Britain has warned Libya not to celebrate the first anniversary of Lockerbie bomber's release from a Scottish jail Friday, saying any celebration of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's freedom will be "offensive and deeply insensitive to the victims' families".
"The government is clear that Megrahi's release was a mistake. Both the current prime pinister and the Foreign Secretary made this clear at the time," the Daily Telegraph quoted a spokeswoman for the foreign office as saying.
Abkhazian border guards in shootout with ‘Georgian saboteurs’
By RIA Novosti,
Sukhumi : Abkhazian border guards were involved on Saturday in a shootout with a group of "Georgian saboteurs" in the Gali district of the rebel republic, a police spokesman said.
According to Lourens Kogoniya, at around 1:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT), a border guard patrol came across an armed group of six people near the village of Saberio, on the de facto border with the undisputed part of Georgia.
"A shootout took place. According to unconfirmed information there were deaths on the Georgian side," he said, adding that the group had then fled back across the border.
Over 20 foreign banks open branches in China
By Xinhua
Shanghai (China) : More than 20 foreign banks opened branches to operate on the Chinese mainland with corporate status in 2007, according to data released here during a summit on foreign banks.
The banks, including Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Mizuho Corporate Bank, may conduct businesses in foreign currencies, including Renminbi, the Chinese currency.
‘Hugging’ vest to help kids with autism
By IANS,
New York : A vest capable of giving a "portable hug" could soon lessen anxiety among children with autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).
Currently under development at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the "deep pressure" vest can also be used for adults with mental illness, ScienceDaily reported.
Developed by Brian Mullen at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the vest delivers a "portable hug" called deep pressure touch stimulation (DPTS).
Booker Prize is like backward shining light on all my works: Howard Jacobson
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Amnesty for South Africans surrendering firearms
By IANS,
Pretoria : South Africa has announced amnesty for surrendering illegal firearms till the next three months, a move aimed at curbing violent crimes.
The firearms amnesty period beginning Monday will end April 11. The dispossession of illegal and unwanted legal firearms during this period will significantly help in the fight against crime, says Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
Laskhar as big a threat to US, Britain as Al Qaeda, CIA tells Obama
By IANS,
London : The CIA has told President Barack Obama that British-born Pakistani terrorists, who have extensive contacts with Lashkar-e-Taiba, are the biggest threat to the US, the Sunday Telegraph reported. American spy chiefs have told the president that the Central Intelligence Agency has launched a vast spying operation in Britain to prevent a repeat of the 9/11 attacks being launched from Britain, the paper said.
Sotheby’s withdraws Sikh body armour from auction
By IANS
London : Sotheby's auction house Monday withdrew from auction a body armour after protests from Sikh groups.
The 18th century armour, estimated at 10-12,000 pounds, became controversial after some Sikh cultural experts claimed it might have belonged to the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh.
The London auctioneers later clarified that it did not belong to Guru Gobind Singh.
Sotheby's nevertheless said it was withdrawing the item from the April 9 auction at the request of the seller, who wanted it acquired by a member of the Sikh community.
Canadian markets lose all gains of New Year
By IANS,
Toronto : After posting gains of almost five percent since Jan 1, Canadian markets retreated into the negative territory for the first time in the New Year Monday.
As commodity prices slipped lower, the Toronto stock market crumbled more than 3.45 percent to almost wipe off the gains made this year.
The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) composite index fell 317 points to close the day at 8,768.1, slipping below the 9,000-mark for the first time in 2009.
The Canadian dollar also lost gains of recent days against the US dollar, diving by 1.75 cents to close at 82.23 cents US.
Sarkozy pays tribute to schoolchildren killed in collision
By DPA,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday paid tribute to seven schoolchildren, aged between 12 years and 14 years, who were killed when a regional train slammed into their bus Monday.
Accompanied by education minister Xavier Darcos, farms minister Michel Barnier and the speaker of the National Assembly, Bernard Accoyer, Sarkozy took part in a brief ceremony in a small church in the south-eastern town of Allinges, where the bodies of the victims lay in state.
The French president left the site after about 45 minutes without commenting.
Miss Nepal faces old nemesis Ms Maoist
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Though struggling for more than a month to form a new government, Nepal's Maoist party however indicated Wednesday that they remained unwavering about a secondary target: Miss Nepal.
Nepal's oldest and most popular beauty pageant, to be held later this month, once again faces opposition from the Maoists' women's wing, which has kicked off a campaign to stop the contest.
The All Nepal Women's Federation (Revolutionary) has issued a press statement, asking for public support to stop Miss Nepal 2010 and warning of a street protest.
15 members of Nigerian soccer team die in accident
By IANS,
Abuja : Fifteen members of the Nigerian soccer team were killed Sunday in a road accident, Geo TV reported.
The accident occurred Sunday afternoon when the bus in which they were travelling collided head-on with a truck near the Nigerian capital. The truck was carrying cattle.
The police said 12 players and their three coaches died on the spot.
Seven others who were injured rushed to a hospital for treatment, witnesses said.
At least 5 killed in rebel attacks in Colombia
By Xinhua,
Bogota : Five civilians were killed and five injured in attacks launched by rebels in northwest Colombia, authorities said Tuesday.
Tatiana Valencia, representative of the local government, said the attacks were launched by the Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia (FARC), which has not been confirmed yet.
"We are waiting for the assistance from the Red Cross to deal with the dead and the injured," he added.
Obama pushes economic plan
By Matt Spetalnick and Jeff Mason,BERNAMA,
WASHINGTON : U.S. President Barack Obama sought to rally support for his emerging economic rescue package on Saturday, as he stood by his latest Cabinet nominee to run into tax problems that could impede confirmation.
Obama, in his second weekly radio address since taking office, pledged to help lower Americans' mortgage costs under a new plan to be unveiled soon to help revive the financial system and "get credit flowing again."
Obama asks Iran to seize n-talks opportunity
Washington: US President Barack Obama Thursday called on Iran to seize the opportunity of nuclear talks to open a "new chapter in the history".
"There...
Canada apologizes for abuse of aboriginal children inschools
By DPA,
Montreal : Two years after the Canadian government reached a $1.9-billion settlement over the abuse of aboriginal children in special schools, Canada's prime minister formally apologized Wednesday for the suffering.
I come before you today to offer an apology to former students of Indian Residential Schools," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said addressing a packed House of Commons. The treatment of children in Indian Residential Schools is a sad chapter in our history."
Nepal starts time-travel to 12th century
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Amidst the celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights in South Asia, and Chhath, the worship of the sun in the Terai plains, Nepal will observe yet another festival Monday when it ushers in a new year, according to an ethnic calendar.
In an amazing leap-back in time, from Monday starts the year 1130, according to the Nepal Sambat, the calendar followed by the Newars. The Newars were the first inhabitants of Kathmandu valley, a clan remarkable for its trading acumen and skill in architecture, painting and sculpture.
Two killed in US school bus crash
By IANS,
Washington : The driver of a school bus and a student were killed when their vehicle crashed in the Indiana state of the US Monday.
Zimbabwe’s medical bodies implore end to political violence
By DPA,
Harare : Some 2,900 victims of political violence wracking Zimbabwe ahead of a presidential election run-off have been treated in hospital since elections March 29, medical specialists said Sunday.
The specialist doctors in Zimbabwe, comprising surgeons, anaesthetists, physicians and paediatricians, said in a statement Sunday that over 200 people had had to be hospitalized with injuries and complications as a result of injuries.
Russian, Indian presidents to discuss trade, nuclear cooperation
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The presidents of Russia and India will discuss cooperation in trade, economics, science, nuclear power and space industry, at talks in Moscow later Thursday, a Kremlin source said.
Pratibha Patil was invited to pay an official visit by Dmitry Medvedev and arrived Wednesday. She will leave Russia Sep 6.
The source said the two leaders will also touch upon urgent international and regional issues and noted that bilateral trade is growing.
TNK-BP CEO fails to show up for prosecutors’ questioning
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : TNK-BP's chief executive, who was summoned to a Moscow district prosecutor's office to answer new allegations against the company on Monday, failed to show up at the designated time.
Business daily Kommersant said on Monday that Robert Dudley had been summoned to the prosecutor's office over suspected violations of Russian labor and migration laws by the Russian-British oil venture.
Russian, US officials discuss strategic arms reduction in Rome
By RIA Novosti,
Rome : The first round of Russian-US consultations on a new strategic arms reductions treaty began here Friday.
The Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty (START 1), signed in 1991, obliges Russia and the US to reduce nuclear warheads to 6,000 and their delivery vehicles to 1,600 each. The treaty expires Dec 5 this year.
US Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller and Russia's Anatoly Antonov, the director of foreign ministry's department for security and disarmament, are leading the negotiations.
Smuggler stopped with pigeons in his pants
By DPA,
Sydney : An Australian man was stopped at the Melbourne airport Tuesday with two pigeons concealed in his underwear.
The 23-year-old arrived on a flight from Dubai and was discovered to be wearing tights that held a bird tightly to each leg.
A customs check found he had also broken quarantine rules by trying to smuggle birds' eggs, plant seeds and eggplants in his suitcase.
Big Chinese chopper passes cold weather flight test
By IANS,
Beijing : China's first independently-developed large civil helicopter has passed a cold weather flight test, said China Aviation Industrial Helicopter Co. Monday.
Russia offers free university education for Haitians
By RIA Novosti,
Cheboksary (Russia) : Students from quake-hit Haiti will get funds to pursue their studies at Russian universities, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Monday.
"We have decided that all those who are studying on a paid basis will study at the expense of the Russian federal budget," Putin said, addressing students at the state university in the central Russian republic of Chuvashia.
The prime minister said that currently 75 Haitian students are enlisted in Russian higher education establishments.
Brazil, US sign military cooperation pact
By IANS/EFE,
Washington : Brazil and the US have signed a military cooperation pact.
Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates signed the agreement here Monday.
The Brazilian government emphasised that the pact does not include giving the US Armed Forces access to any military bases in Brazil. It denied media reports, which compared the pact with the one signed between Washington and Bogota that allows US soldiers to set up bases in that country.
The ceremony took place at the Pentagon, where Jobim held a private meeting with Gates.
Around 20 pilgrims seek asylum in Australia
By Xinhua,
Canberra : Around 20 World Youth Day pilgrims have applied for asylum in Australia once their three-month visa expires, a support group says.
That number has not surprised the Asylum Seeker Center of New South Wales which is handling the applications.
"At this stage we've had about 20 people present to us as identified pilgrims, indicating that they're needing to seek protection in Australia," center director Tamara Domicelj told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
UK intelligence suffering from terrorism focus, report warns
By IRNA
London : The high focus on counter-terrorism is jeopardizing the capabilities of the UK's intelligences service, parliament's watchdog committee has warned.
Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which reports direct to the prime minister, said it was 'concerned that aspects of key intelligence and security work are suffering as a consequence of the focus on counter-terrorism priorities'.
At least 23 killed in Colombia bus accident
By IANS,
Bogota : At least 23 people have been killed and 21 injured when a bus they were travelling in slid into a 500-metre deep ravine in southwestern Colombia, EFE news agency reported Wednesday citing the police.
The accident occurred Tuesday on the highway connecting the cities of Pasto and Puerto Asis in Narino province bordernig Ecuador, provincial highway police chief General Luis Alberto Moore said.
Among the dead were two children, Moore said and added that nine of the injured were in serious condition.
Russian presidential election proceeds smoothly
By Xinhua
Moscow : The Russian presidential election was proceeding smoothly Sunday as voting already ended in the country's most regions.
As Russia's vast territory encompasses 11 time zones, voting actually first began in its far eastern region of Kamchatka Saturday evening and will end in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave located between Poland and Lithuania, at 1800 GMT Sunday.
"The election is going on smoothly without any incident," said French observer Thierry Mariani, adding the Russian election generally corresponded to European democratic traditions.
China working on five-year plan to curb corruption
Beijing(Xinhua) : China is working on a new plan to put in place an improved anti-corruption mechanism, He Yong, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), said Thursday.
The plan will collect new ideas and measures to prevent corruption and punish corrupt officials, he said at a meeting held by the CCDI and Ministry of Supervision here.
A draft plan had come out, but He did not give the details.
The plan would implement the guidelines issued at the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
White House: Bush-Medvedev meeting possible in APEC summit
By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. President George W. Bush and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev may have talks when they attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum this weekend in Lima, Peru, the White House said Wednesday.
"Although there is not a firm time yet it is very likely that President Bush will meet with the president of the Russian Federation," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
NASA, Europeans plan new missions to Jupiter, Saturn
By Xinhua,
Washington : The US space agency NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) would conduct missions to Jupiter, Saturn and many moons that circle the planets, the agencies announced.
The missions include sending multiple spacecraft to the Jupiter and Saturn systems to explore the planets and their unique satellites, such as Jupiter's ice-covered Europa and Saturn's shrouded moon Titan.
Times Square to re-enact famous V-J Day kiss
By DPA,
New York : The famous kiss between a US sailor and a nurse in Times Square was to be repeated Saturday to mark the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific with the defeat of Japan.
The war ended Aug 14, 1945, after the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing Japan to surrender to allied forces. The date has been known as V-J Day.
Myanmar to privatise many state-owned properties
By IANS,
Yangon : Myanmar is gearing up for a major privatisation process. It has announced the auction of many state-owned properties, including land and buildings, across the country.
White House denies FBI chief contradicted attorney general over spying program
By Xinhua
Washington : The White House denied on Friday that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller III on Thursday contradicted the sworn testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales over the administration's internal dissent about a warrantless eavesdropping program.
Washington : The White House denied on Friday that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller III on Thursday contradicted the sworn testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales over the administration's internal dissent about a warrantless eavesdropping program.
China prevents Nepal from attending celebrations at Tibetan monastery
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Though China failed to prevent US President Barack Obama from meeting exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, it has succeeded in stopping top Nepalese officials from attending the birth centenary celebrations of a revered Tibetan monk.
Nepal's President Ram Baran Yadav, Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala, who is also the deputy prime minister, and Culture Minister Minendra Rijal have received invitations to attend the birth centenary celebrations of the monk at a Tibetan monastery in Kathmandu.
Philippines rebel group to form political party
Manila : The heads of Philippines' largest Muslim rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), will hold talks Monday to finalise the formation of...
US rocket ready to crash into moon
By DPA,
Washington : A US rocket is to crash into the moon Friday in an experiment scientists hope will provide data about ice hidden in the perpetually dark lunar craters.
Astronomers around the world are prepared to capture the impact of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) into the moon's Caebus crater at 1130 GMT. The rocket will deliberately crash into the moon, kicking up a plume of dust that scientists hope to analyse for traces of water that they believe are abundant in the
cold, shadowy craters.
UN racism conference begins amid widespread boycott
By DPA,
Geneva : The United Nations Durban Review Conference on racism began Monday in Geneva amid controversy and the notable absence of several Western states.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in the opening statement of the conference that he was "profoundly disappointed" by the boycott.
"Some nations who should be working to forge a path to a better future are not here," Ban said. "I deeply regret that some have chosen to stand aside and I hope they will not do so for long."
UN ecology experts look to new nature-given technologies
By DPA,
Bonn (Germany) : New technologies gleaned from observing nature are set to provide exciting applications in the decades ahead that will supersede current environmentally destructive practices, UN experts said Wednesday.
Ahmed Djoghlaf, general secretary of the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), called on entrepreneurs to "wake up" to the new possibilities and to "work with nature, not against it."
Djoghlaf was speaking on the sidelines of the ninth conference of the parties to the CBD being held in the German city of Bonn.
Velupillai Prabhakaran: His life, times and death
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
New Delhi : From Nov 26, 1954 to May 18, 2009 - the following is a chronological account of the life and times of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Tamil Tigers chief who was killed Monday in the north of Sri Lanka:
1954 (Nov 26): Born in Jaffna in a Hindu middle class family, the youngest of two sons and two daughters.
1960-70s: Takes to militancy, indulges in minor acts of violence.
1972: Forms Tamil New Tigers (TNT), flees home for good.
1975: Assassinates Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duriappah at Hindu temple.
Copenhagen summit fizzling out
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Copenhagen : Representatives of 192 countries quibbled over every word through the night as a weak political declaration started to emerge out of the climate summit once scheduled to finalise a treaty that would tackle global warming. As security helicopters circled atop snow flurries, 130-odd heads of state gathered here Friday were told by their environment ministers and officials that there had been no breakthrough.
Gunmen open fire at Prophet cartoon contest venue in US, killed
By Arun Kumar,
Washington : In what was probably the first such attack on American soil, two gunmen opened fire outside the venue of a controversial cartoon contest on Prophet Mohammed in Texas on Sunday, only to be killed themselves as police returned fire.
31 killed in Burundi bar attack
By IANS,
Bujumbura (Burundi) : Thirty-one people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a bar in western Burundi, Xinhua reported Monday.
Putin to take up literature, sports after quitting politics
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow: Literature, sports, jurisprudence and public projects will top the list of Vladimir Putin's interests when he decides to quit politics, the Russian president said.
Judge falls to death in China
By IANS,
Beijing : A judge in a southern Chinese province fell to his death Saturday, officials said.
Brazilian president to run for re-election
Rio de Janeiro : Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said she will run for re-election in October with or without the support of allied parties...
Rushdie slams ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
By Arun Kumar,IANS,
Washington : India-born "Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie is not impressed by the triumph of "Slumdog Millionaire" at the 81st Academy Awards and says the movie "piles impossibility on impossibility".
In a speech at Atlanta's Emory University, Rushdie called the book and movie nothing more than "feel-good".
He also complained about various portions of the narrative, from how characters manage to acquire a gun in India to how they mysteriously wind up at the Taj Mahal, 1,000 miles away from the previous scene.
Sri Lanka Assumes SAARC Chair
By Prensa Latina,
Colombo : Sri Lanka assumed the presidency of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), made up of eight countries, which are preparing projects for the 15th Regional Summit to be held from August 2-3.
The 25th session of that panel discussed the agenda of the important event that will gather Head of States from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Falkland Islands, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, which entered as full member.
China to invest over $313 bn in green economy
By IANS,
Beijing : China will invest two trillion yuan ($313 billion) till 2015 to promote low-carbon economy, a media report said Sunday.
Over 30,000 cats sterilised in Beijing
By IANS,
Beijing : Over 30,000 stray cats have been sterilised in Beijing, after the rapidly increasing feline population started threatening survival of birds and smaller animals like squirrels.
The government-backed Trap Neuter Return (TNR) project, which was launched in July 2006, has been implemented in more than 100 animal hospitals and clinics, and conducts more than 1,000 free sterilisations every month, Wei Haitao, veterinary chief of Beijing's agriculture bureau, was quoted as saying by Xinhua Saturday.
California almond shipments to India increase 19 percent
By IANS,
New Delhi : Almond shipments from California to India increased 19 percent to 39,460 tonnes in 2008-09, says a US study.
According to the Almond Board of California report, India has become the fourth largest export market for US almonds following Spain, Germany and China.
"India is amongst the fastest-growing markets for California almonds and a top priority for long-term investment for the California almond industry," said Richard Waycott, president and chief executive of the Almond Board that is in charge of promoting almonds, California's largest tree crop.
Muslims in France to observe Ramadan fast from Saturday
By IANS,
Paris : The Muslims in France will observe the holy month of Ramadan from Saturday, WAM news agency reported Friday citing the French Council of the Muslim Faith.
Muslims fast from daybreak until sunset during the holy month of Ramadan.
China factory blast toll 71
Bejing : At least 71 people were killed and 200 injured in a factory explosion in east China's Jiangsu province, a government statement said...
World’s richest man against pledging his fortune to charity
By DPA,
Mexico City: Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine, is against pledging half his fortune to charity as some of his peers have done.
Forty of the richest individuals and families in the US Wednesday pledged to give at least half of their fortunes to charity as part of an initiative organised by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and legendary investor Warren Buffet.
Gates and Buffet are second and third on the list.
China arrests nine for murder scam in mines
By DPA,
Beijing : Police in south-western China's Sichuan province have arrested nine suspects accused of murdering at least nine people with learning difficulties and then claiming compensation from mine owners, state media said Thursday.
The victims were taken from Sichuan's Leibo county to mines across China, where they were allegedly murdered underground by men who posed as their relatives to claim compensation from mine owners, the official Xinhua news agency said.
तालिबान पर बयान के बाद अब शायर मनव्वर राणा पर मुक़दमा
स्टाफ़ रिपोर्टर।Twocircles.net
शायर मुनव्वर राणा एक बार फिर अपने बयान को लेकर चर्चा में हैं। लखनऊ में मुनव्वर राणा पर उनके एक विवादित बयान...
Crime-weary Latin Americans lose faith in state mechanism
By IANS,
Mexico City : Six out of 10 people in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil have said they depend more on security outside the due process of law given the high crime rate and corrupt law enforcement in their countries, says a recent report quoted by the EFE news agency.
During the presentation of the report at the headquarters of the Mexico City municipal government recently, former Bogota mayor Antanas Mockus said that 28 percent of Mexicans are prepared to carry a gun to defend themselves, while in Barranquilla, Colombia, that figure was 23 percent.
Go vote, say last minute calls from Americans in India
By IANS,
New Delhi : Thousands of US phones have been ringing with last minute reminders to go to the poll booth for the presidential elections Tuesday - and many of them were made right here from India.
Thirty six-year-old Sridhar Venkatesh, an Indian American living in Chennai, has been working his fingers for the last one week. "I think I have made nearly 60 phone calls whenever I got time between work," he told IANS on the eve of one of America's most historic presidential elections.
US reports first swine flu death as epidemic spreads
By IANS,
Mexico City/Washington/Toronto/London : The swine flu epidemic took its first toll outside Mexico, where it originated, with a 23-month-old baby dying in the US border state of Texas Wednesday as fresh cases were reported from several countries, including Germany and Canada.
Responding to the crisis in the US, which is left with 63 confirmed cases of the flu, President Barack Obama asked Congress for an added $1.5 billion to tackle the problem.
UN urges new Somali government to settle conflict
By DPA,
New York : The United Nations Security Council Tuesday welcomed the new Somali government of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, and urged him to reach a political settlement in the decades-long conflict in the Horn of Africa nation.
Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, was sworn in as Somalia's new president Saturday. His predecessor resigned last month, allowing for a peaceful transition in the war-torn country.
The Security Council urged the new president to move promptly to form a government of national unity "at the earliest possible date".
Israeli NGO blames occupation for Palestinians’ poor living standards
Jerusalem: Israel's military, civil and administrative occupation of the West Bank has led to a dramatic decline in Palestinians' living conditions, according to a...
Afghan Taliban confirm Mullah Omar’s death
Kabul: The Afghan Taliban on Thursday confirmed the death of their leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, but did not say when and where he died.
"Leadership...
Nepal’s community schools short of 50,000 teachers
By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Lack of adequate number of teachers has hit education quality in community schools in Nepal, The Kathmandu Post reported on Saturday.
According to latest statistics, over 50,000 teachers are needed in 36,110 community schools across the country.
Moreover, this does not include the number of teachers required for 168,000 children enrolled in primary level this academic year.
Berlin lowers terror warning from Lebanon
By IRNA
Berlin : German security officials have scaled down their terror warning following the latest terror alert from Lebanese authorities, the spokesman for the Interior Ministry Stefan Kaller announced during a press conference in Berlin on Monday.
He added that according to the assessment of security authorities there was a "lower degree of seriousness" in terms of likely terror attacks on German soil.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Federal Crime Office (BKA) "ruled out" a terror attack.
She did not provide any further details.
Sri Lankans celebrate Tamil and Sinhala new year
By NNN-Govt. Portal,
Colombo : Sri Lanka celebrated the Sinhala and Tamil New Year on 12th and 13th of this month respectively.
Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa in his New Year message among others said:
We warmly welcome the Sinhala and Tamil New Year which brings unity and prosperity.
Senior Russian politician calls US sanctions ‘blackmail’
Moscow: Moscow Monday slammed a US decision to introduce sanctions against several Russian politicians over the Ukrainian crisis, labeling the sanctions a " political...
Media groups, activists protest massacre in the Philippines
By DPA,
Manila : Local and foreign activists and journalists marched Monday in the Philippine capital to protest the massacre of 57 civilians allegedly perpetrated by political allies of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The rallyists gathered outside the presidential palace in Manila to denounce the Nov 23 brazen mass slaughter of mostly women victims and journalists in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province, 930 kilometres south of Manila.
Floods kill 20, leave 700,000 homeless in China
By Xinhua,
Beijing : Twenty people have died and over 700,000 left homeless following torrential rains and floods in southern China over the past one week, authorities said Monday.
More than 700,000 people have been relocated as heavy rains destroyed houses, flooded crops, cut power lines, damaged roads and caused rivers to overflow, according to the latest figures from the provinces of Hunan, Fujian, Jiangxi and Guangdong and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Heavy rain causing problems in New Zealand’s Christchurch
By Xinhua,
Wellington : Heavy rain and high tides were causing problems in New Zealand South Island's largest city of Christchurch early Sunday.
Police southern communications spokesman Inspector Warren Kemp said motorists were being warned to take extreme care on roads both in the city and the surrounding areas, the New Zealand Press Association reported.
With heavy rain, countless roads and streets have surface water. High tides were causing rivers to back up.
In an exemplary act of compassion, Michigan Mulims pay for water bills of the...
Michigan : For Muslims it is often one step forward followed by several steps backward in the fight against Islamophobia.
On the morning of the...
China warns of Valentine’s Day computer viruses
By Xinhua
Tianjin (China) : China's anti-virus authorities have warned computer users to guard against Valentine's Day computer viruses.
Valentine's Day computer viruses especially "Vbs_Valentin.A" spread chiefly through e-mails or online chat systems such as MSN and QQ, the experts from Tianjin-based China National Computer Virus Emergency Response Centre warned.
Other viruses like "Worm-blebla.B" and "VBS-ILoveyou" infect computers if users open e-mails or attachments disguised as Valentine's Day greetings.
Fish may have taught us how to make a sound
By IANS,
Washington : Human speech skills and possibly all sound production in vertebrates could be traced back to similar abilities in fish, according to a study by US researchers.
Researchers from Cornell University mapped developing brain cells in newly hatched midshipman fish larvae and compared them to those of other species and found that the neural network behind sound production in vertebrates could be traced back to an era long before the first animals ventured onto dry land.
US disappointed at Iran’s non-cooperation on n-programme
By IANS,
Washington: The US has said it was "deeply disappointed" at Iran's failure to accommodate the UN nuclear watchdog over its controversial nuclear programme.
South Korean president-elect to face inquiry
By DPA
Seoul : Outgoing South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun Monday named a former judge to lead an independent inquiry into his elected successor, Lee Myung Bak, on stock fraud charges.
Lawyer Chung Ho Young, a former chief of the Seoul High Court, pledged to be impartial and do his best to discover the truth behind the charges against Lee.
Opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games begins
By Xinhua,
Beijing : The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games began in the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, in north Beijing at 8 p.m. Friday.
A formation of 2,008 young men controlled 2,008 Fou, an ancient percussion instrument of China with a 3,000-year history, all embedded with LED beads, to flash out the last seconds of the seven-year countdown to the Games, which started on July 13, 2001.
Israeli jets shoot down unidentified drone
By IANS,
Jerusalem: The Israel Air Force intercepted and shot down a drone that had penetrated the country's airspace, the military said.
Two white supremacists face charges in Obama murder plot
By DPA,
Washington : Two self-described skinheads were indicted in a plot to kill US president-elect Barack Obama and other African Americans, news reports said.
The two men are to face a federal court in Tennessee on charges of threatening a presidential candidate, illegal gun ownership and plotting to rob an arms dealer, CNN said Wednesday.
Daniel Cowart, 20, of Tennessee and Paul Schlesselman, 18, of Arkansas, both white supremacists, were arrested about two weeks ago.
US is global economy parasite, says Putin
By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Seliger (Russia) : The US spends beyond its means and "lives like a parasite off the global economy", Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Monday.