US does not rule out sending ground troops to Iraq
Washington: Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that US ground troops could be called into battle against the...
Pentagon’s weapon spending surges to $1.6 trillion in 2007
By Xinhua
Washington : The U.S. Defense Department's spending on weapon systems has surged to 1.6 trillion dollars in 2007, doubling from 790 billion dollars in 2000, said a congressional report released on Tuesday.
According to the report by the Government Accountability Office(GAO), the acquisition costs were 26 percent higher than the original estimates in 2007, and the spending on research and development were 40 percent over the budget.
UN Human Rights Council issues resolution condemning Israel
By IRNA,
Vienna : Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council in its emergency Wednesday evening session issued a majority vote resolution condemning seriously Zionist for its attack against humanitarian peace Flotilla.
British Indian cop’s promotion upsets white colleague
By IANS
London : A white policeman has accused his department of racial discrimination after a British Indian colleague was promoted ahead of him.
Peter Richmond told an employment tribunal Wednesday that he was next in line for the post of inspector with West Yorkshire police, one of the country's most racially divided areas, but senior officers ignored departmental protocol and promoted Kash Singh ahead of him as a token representative.
In Sri Lanka, a gift of life for endangered turtles
By Rahul Dass, IANS,
Kosgoda (Sri Lanka) : It's 6.30 p.m. Dusk begins to give way to nightfall when a man walks up to the beach here with a big box containing a special load -- three-day-old turtles. The box is tipped over, the hatchlings scamper towards the ocean and within minutes they are bobbing away into the waves.
Yet another `regular' day for 47-year-old K. Chandrasiri Abbrew who has released 3.5 million turtle hatchlings in the past three decades.
Nepal’s ex-royals line up to pay tax
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Bowing to the winds of change that overthrew Nepal's 239-year-old monarchy and ordered the deposed king and his family to start paying taxes and utility bills like other commoners, the country's former princesses are now ready to comply with the law of the land.
Three nieces of Nepal's last king Gyanendra, who lost their royal prerogatives in 2006 after the king's gamble to seize absolute power with the support of the army failed, have become the first members of the family to apply to the city authorities for paying property taxes, a report said.
South Korean military staff to be vaccinated against swine flu
By IANS,
Seoul: The South Korean government plans to vaccinate its entire 655,000-strong military personnel against the influenza A (H1N1) virus, also called swine flu, WAM news agency reported Monday.
The anti-flu drugs will be administered in November, the report said citing the South Korean state media.
The decision to vaccinate the military staff comes after 81 soldiers have contracted the swine flu virus, the South Korean defence ministry said.
The vaccination project will cost $7.5 million, the report said citing the ministry.
Two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar for 7 years
Yangon, Sep 3 (IANS) Two Reuters reporters were jailed on Monday for seven years for violating a state secrets act during their reporting of the Rohingya...
British Terror Suspect Arrested In Bangladesh
By BERNAMA,
DHAKA : Bangladesh's elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) early Monday arrested British man Faisal Mustafa, alleged patron of a Islamic school-cum-orphanage in the country where huge arms and ammunition were retrieved last month.
Senior RAB spokesman Major Sakhawat Hossain told Xinhua news agency on Monday, "A contingent of RAB arrested the chief of the London-based NGO Green Crescent Faisal Mustafa and his accomplice Saifuddin Badal from a near by district of capital Dhaka early this morning."
Russia’s Lavrov urges end to Gaza violence, aid to enclave
MOSCOW, December 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged an end to military actions in the Gaza Strip and the need to allow humanitarian aid into the enclave, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Lavrov held a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni on the initiative of the Israeli side, the ministry's press office said.
Israeli war planes bombard Rafah S. Gaza
By KUNA,
GAZA : Israeli war planes launched last night and early Saturday morning air strikes targeting several areas in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Witnesses said that f-16 fighter jets and Apache helicopters launched more than 15 sorties during a raid against the southern and eastern parts of the border city.
The witnesses added the Israeli missiles inflicted damage to tunnels area south of the city without causing casualties.
Dot-Asia following in the footsteps of Dot-EU. Cultural connotations for domain names?
By EuAsiaNews
Brussels : Is a domain name just a domain name? Or does it have a cultural connotation? Does it sell a "sense of belonging" to a particular region and thereby help those living in that region to benefit from it?
The selling of domain names, which is perhaps viewed merely as a business churning out large returns for organisations, and individual speculators alike, has been receiving a bit of an image makeover with the launch of dot-asia.
Dalai Lama arrives in Britain after extended German tour
By DPA,
London : The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, arrived in Britain Tuesday for a 10-day tour that will include a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and an address to the British parliament.
However, controversy has been raging about Brown's decision to meet the 72-year-old leader at the headquarters of the Anglican Church in London, rather than in Downing Street, underlining that the visit is of a "spiritual rather than a political" nature.
Brown is due to meet the Dalai Lama Friday at Lambeth Palace, together with Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Ancient Shiva temple in ruins in Bangladesh
By IANS
Dhaka : A seventh century Shiva temple in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh is on the verge of ruin due to lack of maintenance and high salinity in the soil, a report said Tuesday.
The large brick-built temple called Baroshivaloy at Delmala has terracotta plaques and is surrounded by 11 other smaller similar temples, archaeology officials said.
The officials admitted they could not maintain the temple complex due to the lack of funds, The Daily Star reported Tuesday.
Fire erupts in N London market with no injuries
By Xinhua
London : Hazardous response teams were sent to battle a major fire broke out in Camden Town market, northern London, on Saturday evening, with no injuries reported.
The flames, which is said to have leapt up to over 10 meters in the air, started at about 19:20 local time in Camden Market, one of the biggest tourist attraction in London.
Up to 100 firefighters and 25 fire engines were sent there for the fire fight, which lasted about three hours.
London : Hazardous response teams were sent to battle a major fire broke out in Camden Town market, northern London, on Saturday evening, with no injuries reported.
The flames, which is said to have leapt up to over 10 meters in the air, started at about 19:20 local time in Camden Market, one of the biggest tourist attraction in London.
Up to 100 firefighters and 25 fire engines were sent there for the fire fight, which lasted about three hours.
Opposition cries foul as ruling party scoops votes in Zimbabwe
By DPA
Johannesburg/Harare : Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was crying foul Monday as election results trickling down showed President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party and the MDC running almost neck and neck.
The country held combined presidential, parliamentary and local elections Saturday.
With 25 of 210 seats of the parliamentary assembly counted, the MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, had taken 13 seats to Zanu-PF's 12, the state-controlled Zimbabwe Election Commission announced.
Israel re-arrests released Palestinian hunger-striker
Jerusalem : The Israeli police on Monday evening re-arrested a Palestinian in east Jerusalem a day after he was freed following a 55-day...
US charges drugmaker with overseas bribery
By IANS,
Washington : The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Thursday charged Eli Lilly and Company with violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
Bali roadmap is victory for EU, world: Portugal
By Xinhua
Lisbon : Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates has said that the Bali roadmap adopted at the UN climate change conference is a victory for the European Union (EU) and the whole world.
Socrates, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, said Sunday the conference was a victory for the world as well as for EU for fighting climate change, as the achievement has basically reached the goal set by the 27-member bloc.
580 Chinese wanted for economic crimes at large abroad
By IANS,
Beijing : As many as 580 Chinese fugitives involved in economic crimes are at large in foreign countries, said a senior police officer.
37 injured as New York ferry hits dock
By IANS,
New York : At least 37 people were injured when a ferry boat, carrying 252 passengers and 18 crew members, struck a pier as it approached the dock in New York's Staten Island, authorities have said.
The brakes failed Saturday on the Andrew J. Barberi ferry boat as it hit the dock of the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island at about 9.25 a.m. local time, Janette Sadik-Khan, commissioner of the city's department of transportation, told NY1 television channel.
Nepal Maoists celebrate ‘People’s War’ amid angst
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu, Feb 13 (IANS) Fourteen years after they took up arms against the government and four years after the rebellion ended with a truce, Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas Saturday celebrated the anniversary of the uprising amidst angst and suspicion of the ruling parties.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, the farmer's son who was catapulted into world limelight in February 1996 when he led his Maoist party to war against Nepal's powerful royal family and the government, said he saw no reason for optimism.
German gov’t slams calls for IQ tests of migrants as “absurd”
By IRNA,
Berlin : The German government here Monday rejected calls by right-wing politicians who urged intelligence tests for migrants.
Speaking at a routine weekly press briefing, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel labeled such controversial demands as "clearly discriminating" and "absurd."
Christoph Steegmans stressed such calls would only further divide the nation instead of promoting unity.
He was reacting to statements by a Christian Democratic lawmaker in Berlin's state parliament, Peter Trapp who advocated intelligence tests for migrants.
India condemns Israeli attacks in Gaza
By IANS,
New Delhi : India Monday condemned the Israeli attacks in Palestine saying it was "disappointing" to note that the use of "disproportionate force" has resulted in a large number of civilian casualties in Gaza.
A statement by the ministry of external affairs said: "This continued use of indiscriminate force is unwarranted and condemnable."
"It is disappointing that the use of disproportionate force was resulting in a large number of civilian casualties one one hand and escalating violence on the other.
Finding MH370 impossible without new leads: Australian expert
Canberra: An Australian deep sea expert said Friday that finding the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will be "virtually impossible" without new clues.
After three...
Myanmar leader pledges to spare no efforts to hold general election in 2010
By Xinhua,
Yangon : Myanmar leader Lieutenant-General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo has pledged that the country will spare no efforts to hold the general election in 2010, according to Saturday's official newspaper New Light of Myanmar.
Tin Aung Myint Oo, First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council, made the pledge at a ceremony marking the 63rd anniversary of the United Nations Day in Nay Pyi Taw Friday evening.
Most corrupt Chinese officials involved in sex crimes
By DPA
Hong Kong : Nearly 90 percent of the disgraced Chinese communist party officials exposed in recent years have kept mistresses, a Hong Kong news report said Monday.
Fourteen of the 16 senior officials found guilty of corruption in the past five years were found to have mistresses and many used public money to fund their affairs.
Ten of them sold land cheap in return for bribes from developers or siphoned off public funds intended for construction projects, the South China Morning Post reported.
Treaty to curb nuclear terrorism comes into force
By NNN-PTI
United Nations : The International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, which aims to protect nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors from terror attacks, came into force Saturday.
The Convention, apart from protecting a broad range of targets including nuclear power plants and reactors from the terror attacks, will also help bring perpetrators to justice and promote cooperation among member States to fight nuclear terrorism.
36 dead in Vietnam bus accident
By IANS,
Hanoi : At least 36 people died in central Vietnam when their bus fell into a river after crashing through the banister of a bridge, Xinhua reported Friday.
50 households evacuated as wildfire spreads in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture
By Xinhua,
Tokyo : The municipal government of Imabari on Monday ordered the evacuation of 50 households as a wildfire spread as close as 150 meters to their homes, said reports from Matsuyama, capital of Ehime Prefecture.
The conflagration, which broke out in the mountainous area Sunday afternoon, had destroyed some 75 hectares of forest by 11 a.m. (0200 GMT) Monday, said local authorities, adding that there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to properties.
Honduras jail massacre convict gets 1,035 years in jail
By IANS,
Tegucigalpa (Honduras) : A Honduras court has sentenced a former jail official to 1,035 years in prison for involvement in the massacre of 69 inmates during a jail riot, EFE reported.
The court of La Ceiba province of Hoduras also convicted and sentenced 21 people to various terms in jail for the mass killing at the El Porvenir prison farm in the Caribbean province of Atlanta during an armed clash in April 2003, a spokesperson of the Attorney General's office said Saturday.
Two killed, 10 wounded in Sri Lanka blast
By IANS,
Colombo : At least two people, including a policeman, were killed and 10 people, including four schoolchildren, were wounded in a powerful blast by suspected LTTE cadres in Sri Lanka's eastern Batticaloa district, an official said Wednesday.
Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that a claymore bomb fixed to a bicycle and kept at a petrol pump opposite the Batticaloa police station exploded around 7.30 a.m. Wednesday, killing two people and injuring 10 more.
Obama 44th US President with win in California
By KUNA,
Washington : US Democratic candidate Barack Obama won the Presidency post after winning the traditionally-Democratic State of California, which has 55 electoral votes, the highest nationwide.
Major wins in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Mexico, Virginia and California helped Obama to build his lead to win the race.
Obama made history through becoming the first Afro-American to lead the United States in the costliest and longest campaigning elections in the American history.
Trust the people, Clinton urges Brown
By KUNA,
London : Former US President Bill Clinton lent his support to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Tuesday, praising him as a man with a "big brain and a good heart."
Clinton told BBC radio he was not about to predict the Prime Minister's demise, and called on him to apply his talents to working through the economic turbulence facing the country.
He said it would be "difficult to maintain a very high level of popularity" for any politician amid the increasing costs of living and soaring petrol prices.
Bring 26/11 perpetrators to speedy justice: Krishna
By IANS,
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Saturday called upon Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack to "speedy" justice.
Sri Lanka: Provincial Councils election results first on www.news.lk
By NNN-Govt Portal,
Colombo : The Department of Government Information has made all necessary arrangements to post the official results of the elections for the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils on the Official Government News Portal, www.news.lk, courtesy of the University of Colombo School of Computing immediately after they are released by the Commissioner of Elections, Mr. Dayananda Dissanayake..
The provincial councils election was held on Saturday.
Senator Kennedy suffers seizure during Obama’s luncheon
By IANS,
Washington : Long-time US Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who is battling brain cancer since May, collapsed in the middle of the Inauguration Day luncheon honouring President Obama Tuesday, according to media reports.
Kennedy, 76, the last surviving brother of former president John F. Kennedy, suffered a seizure shortly before 3 p.m. just after Obama took oath as the president, and was taken from the Satatuary Hall in the Capitol in a wheelchair, CNN reported.
The news put a damper on the spirits of Obama's historic inauguration celebration.
China criticises French officials’ remarks on Tibet
By Xinhua
Beijing : China Wednesday criticized two French officials' remarks on the Tibetan riots, saying the riots were a secessionist, violent incident planned by the Dalai Lama.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Tuesday he could not tolerate China's "crackdown" in the Tibet, while French human rights junior minister Rama Yade said she would definitely meet the Dalai Lama if the latter visited France.
"The Lhasa riot is a violent, secessionist incident planned and incited by the Dalai group," foreign ministry Qin Gang said.
UN rushing aid to hurricane-hit Caribbean
By DPA,
New York : The United Nations has said it was rushing relief assistance to some of the worst-hit Caribbean islands, with Haiti and Cuba heading the list, while damage and threats to residents were being assessed.
John Holmes, chief coordinator of the UN humanitarian emergency programme, said Friday that the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic have been affected by heavy flooding.
The Caribbean has been hit by three Atlantic storms and hurricanes in three weeks, with the latest - Tropical Storm Hanna - now heading towards southeastern US.
Gates Foundation, Asian group win UN population prize
By DPA,
New York : The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) were selected Tuesday winners of the 2010 UN Population Award.
The award has been given out annually to individuals or groups for their outstanding work in population and in improving the health of individuals.
Ugandan finance minister: Mutual respect should be built between donors and recipients
By Xinhua,
Kampala : As the members of the Group of Eight (G8) will gather in Japan from Monday to Wednesday for the annual summit in Japan, Ugandan Minister of Finance Ezra Suruma has reiterated here that mutual respect should be built between donor nations and recipient nations.
Leaders from the G8 industrialized countries and delegates from several African nations are expected to have a dialogue Monday morning to discuss, among other things, African development, soaring food prices and challenges posed by the climate change in northern Japan.
Beirut blast strikes US embassy vehicle
By SPA
Beirut : A bomb struck a car belonging to the US embassy north of Beirut on Tuesday, killing at least three people and injuring 20, US, Lebanese and Red Cross officials said, according to DPA.
The US embassy issued a statement late Tuesday confirming that one of its vehicles was "involved in an explosion in the Karantina district of Beirut" near Doura.
"Two embassy security employees, both Lebanese, were in the vehicle at the time of the explosion. One suffered from minor injuries. No Americans were involved," it said.
EU and US pledge unity over regulating credit default trading
By DPA,
Brussels : European Union (EU) and US regulators pledged Monday to act together in regulating speculative trading in credit default swaps (CDS), a tool used by investors to cover themselves against losses.
Authorities on both sides of the Atlantic have launched investigations over the role of CDS trading in connection with Greece's debt crisis.
Australians warned there is no free lunch
By DPA,
Sydney : Australians were warned of higher taxes to pay for the cash hand-outs they began receiving Thursday from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's 42-billion-Australian-dollar ($26-billion) stimulus package.
"They've got to understand that the cheques that are going out now are borrowed money," former treasurer Peter Costello said. "No one's going to turn back a cheque are they? But remember this: it's borrowed money."
Campaign outsourcing: Bangalore techies root for Obama
By Maitreyee Boruah, IANS,
Bangalore : Democrat Barack Obama may not be enthusiastic about outsourcing work to India's Silicon Valley but that has not deterred a group of techies here from drumming up support for him in Tuesday's US elections.
The Barack Obama Bangalore Fan Club has not only been calling up, SMSing and emailing friends and relatives in the US to vote for him, it has also raised Rs.200,000 (about $4,100) from fellow Bangaloreans as contribution to his election fund!
French claim Europe fertility crown — but shun marriage
Paris (ANTARA News) - France overtook Ireland as the fertility champion of Europe in 2007 but a majority of babies are now being born out of wedlock, according to new census figures released on Tuesday.
With 1.98 children per woman, France's fertility rate is now ahead of Ireland on 1.90, according to the latest government figures, and well above the European Union average of 1.52.
Bhutan PM declines revised salary
Thimphu : Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay has refused to take his enhanced salary, and announced he would donate the additional Nu 50,000 (Rs.50,000)...
Former Ukraine PM released from jail
By IANS/ITAR -TASS,
Kiev: Former Ukraine prime minister Yulia Timoshenko was released from jail Saturday, a media report said.
Relatives have left for the east Ukrainian...
In Kathmandu, teenaged boys openly fix sex deals
By Sahil Makkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : They are barely 16 years old, but it is not difficult to spot Nepali boys expertly luring customers for equally young sex workers on the capital's streets. The demons of poverty, unemployment and the lure of quick money have pushed hundreds of them into a dark trade.
Dressed in simple clothes, these boys look out for foreign tourists visiting Kathmandu's Thamel market - famous for its dance bars, pubs, restaurants, shops and nightlife - especially after dusk.
LTTE attacks Sri Lankan Navy detachment in Jaffna
By IANS,
Colombo : The Sri Lankan Army Thursday said that a pre-dawn attack by the Tamil Tiger rebels on a naval detachment in an islet in the northern Jaffna peninsula was repulsed by a joint army-navy counter operation.
According to military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the Tamil Tigers came in a flotilla of eight small boats and mounted an attack on navy and army troops deployed at Chiraththivu islet, located between Kurunagar and Mandaitivu, close to the northern town of Jaffna.
Air passengers enter Britain without passport checks
By IANS,
London : Air passengers were left stunned when they flew into Britain and no one checked their passports, a media report said Wednesday.
Sexy fathers have sexy sons
By IANS
London : It was long suspected, and now a new study confirms that attractiveness is hereditary. And sexy dads will produce sexy sons -- at least in the insect world.
The study, by researchers at the University of Exeter, focussed on the fruit fly to arrive a their conclusion, Sciencedaily.com reported.
Findings of the study have been published in the latest edition of the journal Current Biology.
The study paired male and female fruit flies at random and found the length of time it took for them to mate ranged from just two minutes to two hours.
UN chief warns of instability in Kosovo
United Nations, January 04, SPA -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday uncertainty and a loss of momentum in the future status process of Kosovo could lead to a risk of instability, both in Kosovo and the wider region, Xinhua reported.
Ban said in his latest report on the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in the province, "the parties are urged to reaffirm and act upon their declared commitments to refrain from any actions or statements that could endanger peace, incite violence or jeopardize security in Kosovo and the region."
80 percent of underwater search for missing jet completed
Canberra : The Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) has completed 80 percent of the planned underwater search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370...
100,000 Tamils march through London
By IANS,
London : Between 50,000 and 100,000 Tamils, accompanied by two influential British MPs, marched through central London in a Tamil rally Saturday demanding an immediate ceasefire and end to the killing of innocent civilians in Sri Lanka.
"More than 50,000 were at the demonstration," a spokesman for London's Metropolitan Police said.
But Keith Vaz, Britain's senior Asian MP, and several television news channels put the number at 100,000 - a third of the Tamil population in Britain and a massive figure for a London demonstration.
Israeli nuclear spy sent back to prison
By DPA
Jerusalem : Israeli nuclear spy Mordechai Vanunu is returning to prison after a Jerusalem court convicted him Monday to six months jail for violating the terms of his parole, Israel Radio reported.
China’s high-speed rail network set to take off
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China is edging into the elite world club of high-speed train operators with the month-long trial of its latest service between Beijing and the northern city of Tianjin on July 1.
A China Railway High-speed (CRH) train hit a record speed of 394.3 km per hour (kmph) in a trial run June 24.
It was about half of a commercial airliner's cruising speed, with a per unit energy consumption of just one sixth that of a private car.
Fear shadows Nepal gays, lesbians: rights body
By IANS,
New York : Nepal should allow lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups to operate freely and end arbitrary arrests of LGBT people, Human Rights Watch said Monday.
US House passes historic Wall Street reform bill
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington: In a major victory for President Barack Obama, the US House of Representatives passed a package of sweeping reforms to the financial regulatory system to avoid another economic crisis.
The 237-192 House vote Wednesday moved the bill a step closer to the finish line, but the Senate isn't likely to take up the measure until the week of July 12. And it's not clear whether Democrats have secured the votes they need to beat a Republican filibuster.
UN chief lays out challenging agenda for 2008
By Xinhua
New York : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday put peacekeeping, pre-emptive diplomacy, climate change, improving the lot of poor countries and internal reform on top of the body's priorities in 2008.
Addressing staff in a meeting held at the UN Headquarters, Ban called all UN colleagues to remember the great expectations the world placed on the organization.
Bus passenger beheaded in Canada, cannibalism feared
By IANS,
Toronto : In a shocking incident described as "one-of-a-kind in Canadian history", a bus passenger stabbed to death and beheaded the man sitting beside him, and then waved the 20-year-old victim's severed head in front of other passengers.
A media outlet reported that the killer allegedly cannibalized his victim, though police didn't confirm it. Passengers said the killer carried the severed head of his victim around the bus before dropping it on the floor of the bus Wednesday night.
Assange wins right to pursue extradition fight
By IANS,
London : Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has won the right to petition the British Supreme Court in his fight against extradition to Sweden, BBC reported Monday.
Russian military “considering stationing bombers on Cuba”
By ANTARA News/DPA,
Moscow : The Russian military is considering deploying long-range bombers to Cuba to counter the perceived threat of the US missile defence shield planned to be based in the Czech Republic and Poland, according to Russian media reports Monday.
"At the moment, there are just thoughts - but that doesn't mean there isn't something concrete behind it," an unidentified officer was quoted Monday as telling Izvestiya newspaper.
At last… a first puppy for the Obamas: Report
By DPA,
Washington : Sure, he's had a lot to deal with: The finance crisis, North Korea, the $787 billion stimulus package, how to shut down Guantanamo, when to withdraw from Iraq.
But the question that has nipped at his heels every step of the way, ever since he made the promise on election day before tens of thousands in Chicago, was this: When would President Barack Obama and his family get the much-awaited first puppy?
The answer is a black and white, six-month-old Portuguese water dog named Bo - a gift from Senator Edward Kennedy, the Washington Post reported online Sunday.
Sudanese forces breached human rights laws: UN
By DPA
Geneva : The UN condemned Thursday attacks on villages by the Sudanese armed forces and militia in the West Darfur region of Sudan earlier this year as a violation of humanitarian and human rights law.
At least 115 people, including women and children, were killed and up to 30,000 people fled, many to neighbouring Chad, when government forces used aircraft and helicopter gunship in a major push to drive out the insurgent group, the Justice and Equality Movement.
Ban telephones Zardari on Mumbai terror attack
By IANS,
United Nations : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday spoke to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari over telephone on the Mumbai terror attacks, an official said.
Michele Montas, spokesperson for the secretary-general, told reporters at the UN headquarters that Ban telephoned Zardari to discuss with him issues related to the terrorist attack on Mumbai last week that killed as many as 183 people, including several foreign nationals.
Details of the phone call were not immediately available.
10 US schools locked down after gun battle: report
By IANS,
Washington: Ten schools were locked down Friday after police exchanged fire with a suspect in the US state of South Carolina, local media reported.
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.
Dalai Lama to receive International Freedom Award
By IANS,
Dharamsala : The National Civil Rights Museum in the US will confer the International Freedom Award on the Dalai Lama for his "steadfast commitment to protecting and defending the rights of oppressed people of Tibet and elsewhere in the world".
The museum recognises the Dalai Lama's contributions to world peace through the promotion of human values, inter-faith harmony and universal responsibility.
Museum Board chairman Benjamin L. Hooks described the Dalai Lama as a living example of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi who stood for non-violence.
Sri Lanka military: Fighting kills 35 Tamil rebels
By SPA
Colombo, Sri Lanka : Battles between government troops and Tamil Tiger fighters killed 35 rebels and one soldier along the front lines in northern Sri Lanka, the military said Saturday.
Soldiers destroyed three rebel bunkers and killed 12 guerrillas Friday in the Mannar district, southwest of the rebels' northern headquarters, said military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara. One soldier was wounded in the fighting, he said.
US missile shield plans may affect Asia: Russia
By RIA Novosti
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) : US plans to deploy missile defences in Central Europe may affect the situation in Asia, the Russian foreign minister said Monday.
Russia to launch four spacecraft
By IANS,
Moscow : Russia plans to launch four spacecraft before February next year, including two manned mission to the International Space Station, Xinhua reported Tuesday.
Huge blast in Colombo, suicide bomber suspected
By IANS,
Colombo : A powerful bomb, apparently triggered by a suicide bomber, exploded in the heart of Colombo during rush hour Friday morning, killing and wounding an unspecified number of people.
Military officials and witnesses said the deafening blast took place near Hotel Hilton, in the commercial district of the Sri Lankan capital.
The attack was apparently targeted at a police bus that was passing by. Ambulances quickly evacuated the wounded to hospitals.
No winner in Polish presidential elections: Exit poll
By DPA,
Warsaw: Exit polls suggested that there would be no clear winner in Sunday's Polish presidential election, requiring a second round of voting.
None of the candidates got above 50 percent support as needed to win outright Sunday.
Bronislaw Komorowski of the centre-right Civic Platform party got nearly 46 percent support, exit polls conducted by TVN 24 said. Jaroslaw Kaczynski of the right-wing Law and Justice party received 33 percent.
Lost Russian satellite a threat in space?
By IANS,
Moscow : A Russian satellite that was lost in space may pose a threat to other space vehicles or satellites, an official said.
AU summit closed after discussions on MDGs, food crisis and Zimbabwe
By Xinhua,
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt : The 11th African Union (AU) summit closed here Tuesday after African leaders discussed the impact of soaring food prices, the situation in Zimbabwe, and how to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in Africa,
The AU leaders have shown great concern on the impact of soaring food prices on Africa.
"This sharp increase (in basic food prices) has had a particularly negative effect on African countries," Jean Ping, chairman of the AU Commission, told a meeting of AU foreign ministers.
Israel approves Yoav Galant as new military chief
By DPA,
Jerusalem : The government of Israel Sunday approved the appointment of Major General Yoav Galant as the next chief of staff of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
Galant, who currently heads the IDF's Southern Command, would become the country's 20th military chief, according to media reports.
The 51-year-old son of Holocaust survivors has served in the military for over three decades and led Israeli forces during the 2008/2009 Gaza incursion. Galant is considered more determined and hawkish than his predecessor, Gabi Ashkenazi.
Heavy snowfall hits search operations on Mt. Everest
Kathmandu: Heavy snowfall has been impeding search operations on Mt. Everest after at least 13 people were killed in the deadliest single-day loss of...
Blast rocks Philippine mayor’s fishpond
By Xinhua,
Manila : At least one was hurt in an explosion that shook the fishpond owned by a city mayor in southern Philippines Wednesday afternoon.
According to local radio reports, the blast was caused by a 40-millimeter mortar shell placed near the fishpond of Mayor MusliminSema in Cotabato City.
Sema is also the chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front, a former anti-government rebel group that signed a peace agreement with the authority in 1996.
The injured, identified as a fishpond worker, has been sent to hospital. The police probe was under way.
Canadian Muslim seeks millions for racial abuse
By IANS,
Toronto : Another Canadian Muslim is suing authorities for millions on alleged racial harassment.
Twenty-six-year-old Mohamad Jouduh, who is a resident of the auto town of Windsor, is seeking $1.75 millions in damages for what he calls racially motivated intimidation and harassment by police officers. He joins many other Canadian Muslims who have slapped - and won - multi-million suits against authorities for alleged violations of their rights.
India drop 15 spots to be 156th, Argentina top FIFA rankings
Zurich : India on Thursday dropped 15 places to be 156th in the latest FIFA rankings while Copa America runners-up Argentina moved up two...
U.S. Condemns Mauritania Coup
By SPA,
Washington : The United States condemned Wednesday’s coup in Mauritania and was in talks with the African Union to mount a formal opposition to the military’s overthrow of the country’s democratic government.
China’s president dons Mao suit for National Day
By Xinhua,
Beijing : On a sunny Thursday morning, Chinese President Hu Jintao made his first appearance in a high-collared dark Mao suit at a grand national ceremony, following the dress code which has prevailed when Chinese leaders review National Day military parades.
75 dead in Philippine landslides
By DPA,
Manila : At least 75 people were killed in a series of landslides brought about by days of heavy rains in the northern Philippines, officials said Friday.
Seventy two remained missing in the landslides, which occurred in Benguet and Mountain provinces since Thursday.
The northern Philippines has been battered by heavy rains brought about by weakened typhoon Parma, which has been hovering over the area since the weekend.
NATO: No Russian troop withdrawal seen at Ukraine border
Brussels: NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen Tuesday said there was no sign of Russia pulling its forces back from the border with Ukraine,...
Dalai Lama again under attack as envoys are due in China
By DPA,
Beijing : With envoys of the Dalai Lama due in China for talks with the government on the crisis in Tibet, the Chinese media Saturday again hit out at the Tibetan spiritual leader.
The Dalai Lama was once more branded a "criminal" by Xizang Ribao newspaper, which accused the "Dalai clique" of urging Tibetans to take part in the violent March 14 protests in Tibet and other Tibetan inhabited regions in neighbouring provinces.
President condoles death of Nigerian president
By IANS,
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil Thursday condoled the death of Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua.
Yar'Adua, 58, was ill for a long time. He died at the presidential palace in Nigeria's capital Abuja.
"I would like to convey our heartfelt condolences at this tragic loss. May our condolences please be conveyed to the family of the late president," Patil said in her message.
"I am confident that the friendly people of Nigeria will overcome this loss and march ahead in attaining greater social and economic progress," she added.
Belgrade’s 1968 student unrest spurs nostalgia
By DPA,
Belgrade : Belgrade is marking 40 years since Europe's 1968 student protests, a seemingly happier time long before the wars that ripped Yugoslavia apart into several countries.
As Serbia wavers over closer ties with the European Union, 1968 offers a nostalgic feeling that Serbs were then part of a global community, demonstrating for freer societies even though Josip Broz Tito's communist regime didn't shake.
Polls open in Japan to elect new parliament
By DPA,
Tokyo : Polls for electing a new House of Representatives opened across Japan Sunday.
Election results could start coming in after voting for the House of Representatives ends at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT). A newspaper survey predicted a record turnout of around 70 percent for the first House election in five years.
Based on pre-election opinion surveys, the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) was expected to secure an overwhelming majority, capturing more than 300 seats in the 480-seat lower chamber, while putting an end to more than 50 years of reign by
Berlin public transportation workers to hold 39-hour warning strike
By IRNA
Berlin : Berlin public transportation employees are to hold a 39-hour warning strike effective midnight Thursday, media reports quoted union officials as saying.
Berlin's subways, busses, trams and municipal trains will be out of service as some 12,000 BVG public transportation workers will stage a walkout over demands for a 12 percent salary hike.
Most residents of Berlin as well as sightseeing foreign tourists depend heavily on the BVG to get around the city.
Germany had been the scene of repeated nationwide railway strikes over the past months.
IS-linked group claims French tourist’s abduction in Algeria
Algiers: An Algerian armed group linked to the Islamic State (IS) Sunni extremist militants Monday claimed responsibility for the abduction of a French tourist...
Glaciers in west China shrinking
By Xinhua
Lanzhou (China) : Glaciers in China's high-altitude western areas have shrunk seven to 18 percent over the past five years, according to a new survey.
The research that started in May this year on the country's glaciers indicated an average shrinking of 7.4 percent compared with the results of the first survey completed in 2002.
A total area of nearly 20,000 square km, or around one-third of the country's total, has been surveyed in the new project.
World’s highest cable-car system opens in Bolivia
La Paz : Bolivian President Evo Morales has inaugurated the world's highest cable-car system, which began carrying passengers between this capital and the adjacent...
Medvedev says no progress on key issues after talks with Bush
By RIA Novosti,
Toyako (Japan) : Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev Tuesday said talks with his US counterpart George W. Bush 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," Medvedev told a news conference after a summit of the Group of Eight leading nations in this resort town of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.
Ex-CIA agent: German officials told of abductions in 2001
By IRNA
Berlin : The former chief of CIA's European unit Taylor Drumheller contradicted claims by German officials who have repeatedly stated that they were not informed of CIA kidnappings of terror suspects until 2004, the weekly stern news magazine said in a report to be published on Thursday.
Drumheller said that talks between top representatives of German security officials and CIA took place, focusing on US plans to kidnap terror suspects as early as fall 2001.
China shuts down 84 more sites in porn crackdown
By Xinhua,
Beijing : China Wednesday shut down 84 additional websites for containing "pornographic and lewd content" in its month-long campaign against online porn, bringing the number of blocked sites to 175.
The Special Operation Office said in a statement that government departments would step up efforts to continue to close illegal websites and "severe penalties" would be meted out to violators of law.
Public distribution of pornography is illegal in China.
Colombia has enough oil for eight years
By IANS/EFE,
Bogota : Colombia only has enough oil to last another eight years and must urgently step up exploration efforts to locate more reserves, Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas said.
Crucial question at climate change summit: is it people or peoples?
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Poznan (Poland) : Traditional forest rights of indigenous peoples from around the world have been ignored in the draft text to reduce deforestation at the ongoing climate change summit here - they have been kept out by removing the 's' from the 'peoples' in the draft text.
The removal was through a method understandable only to those who negotiate interminable United Nations documents, poring over every word and punctuation mark.
Mugabe accused of plotting rule by decree in Zimbabwe
By DPA
Johannesburg : Zimbabwe's opposition Friday accused embattled President Robert Mugabe of trying to rule "illegally" by extending the time-frame for an expected presidential run-off vote by over two months.
In an interview with South African radio, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) secretary general Tendai Biti charged Mugabe of plotting to extend the run-off period to 90 days instead of a legally mandated 21.
"He would be ruling illegally because his term expired March 28 (the day before elections)," Biti charged.
Voting in disputed Honduran election ends
By DPA,
Tegucigalpa : At least two people were injured in northern Honduras when police used force against demonstrators during the country's disputed presidential election.
Polls closed late Sunday, after electoral authorities extended voting for an hour due to an allegedly large turnout.
Turnout was regarded as crucial for the legitimacy of the election results, after ousted president Manuel Zelaya had called on Hondurans to boycott the vote. Zelaya predicted that about 65 percent of voters would abstain.
Foreign journalists robbed by armed men in hotel
By DPA,
Johannesburg : Three foreign journalists -- two Portuguese and one from Spain -- in South Africa to cover the June 11-July 11 World Cup were robbed Wednesday by armed men in their guest lodge.
One of the journalists was forced at gunpoint to lie on the ground as the robbers ransacked the room at a holiday chalet in Magaliesburg, north-west of Johannesburg, a police spokesperson said.
The other two were asleep when the early morning incident took place, the spokesperson, Hangwani Mulaudzi, told DPA.
Nobody was injured during the robbery, Mulaudzi said.
Nigeria sacks police chief after violence
By IANS,
Abuja: Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked the country's police chief following widespread violence in the west African nation.
Good relationships are important: Radcliffe
By IANS,
London: British actor Daniel Radcliffe says the most important thing in life is having good relationships with your friends, family and loved ones.
Sri Lanka: 28 rebels, 4 soldiers killed
By SPA,
Colombo, Sri Lanka : Infantry combat and a roadside bomb blast in Sri Lanka's restive north and east killed 28 Tamil Tiger rebels and four government soldiers, the military said Wednesday.
Twenty-six rebels and two soldiers died in the heaviest fighting Tuesday in northern Mullaitivu district. Two rebels and a soldier were also killed in Vavuniya district,
the military said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press.
11 children killed in a claymore attack on school bus in Lanka
New Delhi, Jan 30, IRNA ,Seventeen civilians, including 11 children, were killed in a claymore attack on a school bus in Mannar district.
The territory is held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The military and the LTTE blamed each other for the tragedy. The forces did not operate in the area. "The blame for the attack on the military is a cheap propaganda tactic by the Tigers cornered in the battlefield", an Indian english daily reported here today quoting Sri Lankan military spokesperson.
Israel not to cooperate with Gaza war crimes probe
By DPA,
Jerusalem : Israel said Friday it would not cooperate with a United Nations team appointed to investigate into alleged war crimes committed during its 22-day offensive in Gaza.
The UN announced from Geneva Friday that the four-member team, headed by South African war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone, will head to the region this weekend, and wants to begin work next week.
Goldstone has previously said the investigation would go ahead with or without Israeli cooperation.
He has also indicated he will attempt to enter Gaza via Egypt if not allowed in through Israel.
LTTE military intelligence chief killed by Sri Lankan commandos
By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : The Tamil Tiger rebels suffered yet another major blow Saturday, when the chief of their military intelligence, Shanmuganathan Ravishankar alias Col. Charles, and three of his lieutenants, were killed in a Sri Lankan army ambush in Mannar in northwest Sri Lanka, the defence ministry announced Sunday.
Confirming the death of Charles, the pro-Tiger website Tamilnet said that a Deep Penetration Unit of the army had set off a claymore mine between Iluppaikadavai and Paalamadu on seeing the foursome travelling in a van.
More than 1,300 dead or missing in Philippine typhoon
By DPA,
Manila : More than 1,300 people are dead or missing in the Philippines due to accidents caused by typhoon Fengshen, including the sinking of a passenger ferry, the Office of Civil Defence (OCD) said Saturday.
A total of 713 people were killed during Fengshen's onslaught last week, while 674 are missing, the OCD said.
Most of the fatalities were results of drowning in floods and sea accidents.
They included at least 173 people who were aboard the MV Princess of the Stars when it capsized off Sibuyan Island, 300 km south of Manila, June 21.
Council of Europe rights official to discuss S.Ossetia in Moscow
By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner will visit Russia on January 18-20 to discuss the humanitarian consequences of the conflict in South Ossetia, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
Thomas Hammarberg is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the head of parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Konstantin Kosachev, Prosecutor General Yury Chaika and other officials.
Plan to build Britain’s biggest mosque blocked
By DPA,
London : Plans to build a "super-mosque" next to the site for the 2012 Olympic Games in London have collapsed and the Islamic group behind the project will be evicted later this week, a London council responsible for the district said Monday.
Newham Council in east London said the Islamic group Tablighi Jamaat, which has been operating a temporary mosque on the land in question since 2006, had been asked to leave the land by Thursday.
North Korea calls for US to decide on talks
By DPA,
Seoul : The US needs to decide whether it wants to engage in bilateral talks with North Korea on the country's nuclear weapons programme, the foreign ministry in Pyongyang said Monday.
If Washington remained unwilling, the Stalinist state would "go its own way", a ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
"As we have shown generosity and expressed a position that we can have multilateral negotiations after talks with the US, it is time for the US to make a decision," the spokesman said.
Russian president fires top police officials
By DPA,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Thursday sacked several top police officials and ordered the Interior Ministry to present him with a plan to overhaul law enforcement.
Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev must provide a plan to address corruption and crime in the ranks within a month, Medvedev said in Moscow.
He fired, effective immediately, two of Nurgaliyev's deputies and 16 other high ranking officials, the Kremlin said. The president also requested that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin quickly develop a bill to deal with police corruption.
Congress boosts jobless benefits as claims hit 16-year high
By DPA,
Washington : The US Congress agreed Thursday to extend unemployment benefits, a small portion of the massive fiscal stimulus sought by some Democrats, as the government said jobless claims hit a 16-year high last week.
A $6-billion measure to extend benefits by at least seven weeks was passed by the Senate in a voice vote after the lower House of Representatives passed the same bill in October. The total time that unemployed can receive benefits varies by state, but is typically 26 weeks.
Chilean government says errors made in quake toll tally
By IANS/EFE,
Santiago : The Chilean government has acknowledged that errors were made in compiling the official list of the people who died in last month's earthquake. It has now offered a new corrected figure of 342 deaths.
"The existence of duplications and some cases that cannot be ... deaths directly caused by the earthquake," several media outlets reported Friday, leading to the corrections, the interior ministry said.
EU sends 150,000 euros in aid to Samoa tsunami victims
By DPA,
Brussels : The European Union is sending 150,000 euros ($219,000) in aid to the victims of the tsunami in the Pacific islands of Samoa, officials in Brussels said Wednesday.
The money will be given to the Red Cross for front-line emergency work, European Commission spokesman John Clancy said.
While information from the disaster area is still scant, the EU expects that victims will need immediate medical treatment, shelter and fresh water.
David Beckham turns cook
By IANS,
London : Football star David Beckham turned to cooking after rupturing his Achilles tendon as he has "plenty of time to focus on his new hobby".
Beckham will not play in this year's world cup tournament due to injury.
"Beckham has really got into cooking recently. He learned a lot while he was in Italy and he had plenty of time to focus on his new hobby. He has been showing the boys how to make simple pasta dishes and they've all had a great time together in the kitchen," thesun.co.uk quoted a source as saying.
AFMI convention in Toronto stresses on defending pluralism and democracy in India
TCN News
The American Federation of Muslims of Indian origin (AFMI) held their 28th convention last month October in Toronto.
AFMI, that is mainly concerned about...
Seven die in shootout at Mexican cemetery
By IANS/EFE,
Monterrey (Mexico): Seven people were killed and 17 wounded in a shootout at a cemetery in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila, said authorities.
19 killed in Syria bombing, missile attack
Beirut: At least 19 people were killed in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo in regime bombing and rebel rocket attacks, the Syrian Observatory...
Davydenko to take on trouble in Soderling match-up
By Bill Scott,DPA,
Rotterdam (The Netherlands): Nikolay Davydenko and Robin Soderling both claimed easy victories as they set up a semi-final between hot rivals at the ABN-AMRO World Tennis.
With number one Novak Djokovic through to the last four a day earlier thanks to the withdrawal of injured Florian Mayer, second seed Davydenko and number three Soderling did their part Friday for seeded symmetry.
13 killed as late monsoon plays havoc in Nepal
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Thirteen people were killed early Tuesday morning due to landslides in farwestern Nepal, triggered by heavy unseasonal rains.
Police said 12 people, including two women besides children, died in Mastmandu village in remote Dadeldhura district where landslides engulfed nearly a dozen houses.
They were from two families. Most of the victims were children.
Rescuers had succeeded in digging out two teenagers alive from the rubbles.
Heavy rains also lashed Kailali and Kanchanpur districts in the Nepali farwest, bordering India.
Women prefer men with deep voices
New York, Sep 27 (IANS) Researchers from the US and Canada have found that women prefer men with deep voices to those with a good physique or an attractive face.
The researchers discovered this after interviewing 52 women and 49 men from the Hadza tribe in Tanzania. Hadza has a population of 800 and their lifestyle reflects those of humans thousands of years ago.
They do not practice birth control and live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle with the women gathering berries and searching for wild plants while the men collect honey and hunt animals.
Russian presidential, parliament polls on March 2
By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, has officially announced presidential elections March 2, the speaker said Monday.
According to speaker Sergei Mironov, electioneering for the elections of the president and to the State Duma (lower house) will start Nov 28 after the decision of the federal council is published in the official government daily 'Rossiiskaya Gazeta' and parliament's daily 'Parliamentskaya Gazeta'.
"The election campaign will start on the day of publication," Mironov said.
Colombian gets 34 years in jail for killing journalist
By EFE,
Bogota : A man convicted of killing a journalist two years ago in the Colombian jungle province of Choco has been sentenced to 34 years in prison, judicial officials said.
Franklin Isnel Diaz Mosquera was sentenced by a criminal court in Quibdo, the capital of Choco, after being convicted of murder and illegal arms possession.
Elacio Murillo was shot dead Jan 10, 2007.
New Sobhraj battle from Oct 29
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal's Supreme Court said it will start hearing from Oct 29 yesteryear's 'Serpent' Charles Sobhraj's appeal in a nearly 30-year-old murder case that, for the first time in a crime career spanning two decades and several continents, found him guilty and put him behind bars with a life term.
It is the last chance for the 65-year-old -- who during his six-year imprisonment in Nepal has soaked up more of the local law than many criminal lawyers -- to prove his innocence or remain in prison till his jail term ends.
Argentina railway accident toll climbs to 50
By IANS/EFE,
Buenos Aires : The toll in the railway accident in Buenos Aires has risen to 50, Argentine officials said.
Seven killed in attack on Somali parliament: Report
By DPA,
Nairobi/Mogadishu : At least seven people have been killed in an attack by armed militias on the parliament building of Somalia, media reports said Sunday.
At least three mortar shells struck the building in an attack coming shortly after deputies had met to debate the government's new budget proposals Saturday, the Radion Garowe radio reported.
Typhoid outbreak feared in flood-hit Fiji
By DPA,
Wellington : Health authorities in the Pacific island state of Fiji warned Monday of a possible typhoid outbreak following four days of torrential rains which have flooded large areas, killed seven people and forced over 9,400 people to be evacuated from their homes.
With three towns, including Nadi, home to the country's international airport, under water and another tropical depression threatening it, the health ministry urged people to collect rainwater to drink and to beware of contamination that could cause typhoid, dengue fever and diarrhoea.
US asks Sri Lanka to share power with Tamils, Sinhalese
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Welcoming the cessation of fighting in Sri Lanka, the US has asked Colombo "to heal the wounds of the conflict" by working out new power sharing arrangements with the Tamils, Sinhalese, and all other Sri Lankans.
"To truly defeat terrorism, the government of Sri Lanka needs to begin and work toward building a democratic, prosperous, tolerant and united Sri Lanka and work toward justice and reconciliation for both sides," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Tuesday.
Winslet dares to shoot atop skyscrapers
By IANS,
London : Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet got a bird's eye-view of New York when she did a photo shoot in her underwear and a pin-striped jacket on a skyscraper rooftop.
The 33-year-old also wore a slinky little black dress and stylish four-inch heels for the photo shot and posed for a series of shots for fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar, reminiscent of the famous 'Lunchtime Atop A Skyscraper' photograph of grubby '30s builders eating lunch hundreds of feet above the city streets, reports the Daily Mail online.
Spain to hold general election
Madrid, Jan 14, IRNA ,Spain on Monday called for general election to be held on March 9.
The cabinet approved a decree at a special meeting, and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero met later with King Juan Carlos to have the monarch formally sign it.
Zapatero is seeking a second term after being elected in March 2004 elections.
Zapatero had already announced the new election date last month.
The formal campaign runs for two weeks before the poll, but the two parties have been campaigning for months.
MH17 victims’ belongings to be transferred to Netherlands
Kiev : Two trucks loaded with personal belongings of the victims aboard the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 arrived Wednesday in Ukraine's government-controlled eastern...
UN calls for ‘reinvigoration’ of agriculture
By IANS,
New York : As the world is facing a severe food crisis, agriculture needs to be reinvigorated to produce enough food to feed the burgeoning global population, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said.
"After a quarter century of relative neglect, agriculture is back on the international agenda, sadly with a vengeance," the UN chief said Wednesday in an address at the start of the three-day high-level segment of the annual meeting of the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) in New York, WAM news agency reported Thursday.
Explosion in Colombo
By IANS,
Colombo : A bomb exploded in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital Friday evening, defence sources said.
The sources said the explosion occurred close to an Air Force camp in Colombo.
Further details are awaited.
EU leaders to hold emergency summit on Georgia-Russia conflict
By Xinhua,
Brussels/Moscow : Leaders from the 27 EU member countries will gather for an emergency meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss relations with Russia in light of the Georgia crisis.
Western countries have denounced Russia's August 26 decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states as "irresponsible."