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Japan: Delay in PM moving into residence revives talk of ghosts

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:08:15 +0530

A delay in Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife moving into their official residence, the site of past assassinations, has revived talk of ghosts in the corridors, prompting the government to deny any knowledge of hauntings. Abe has not moved into the prime minister's official residence for five months since he took power.

No exodus of Indians from Saudi Arabia: officials

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:21:19 +0530

Terming the 'Nitaqat' law as an "opportunity" for those who are stuck in Saudi Arabia for years, India on Saturday said that contrary to perceptions, the number of Indians coming to the Gulf Kingdom has increased "significantly" in the last few months.

Teen in devastated Oklahoma town handing out hugs

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:20:25 +0530

The people of the Oklahoma town where a deadly tornado struck could use just about everything - cleaning supplies, food, water, shelter. Thirteen-year-old Halle Carr thought residents of her hometown could also use a hug after the twister Monday that killed 24 people in Moore.

Saudi's Nitaqat law: 75,000 Indians set to return

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:06:09 +0530

With thousands of Indians set to return from Saudi Arabia due to the 'Nitaqat' law, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday said state governments have been "forewarned" so that the situation does not become "unmanageable".

Psy imposter caught living the high life at Cannes

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:35:16 +0530

A man pretending to be South Korean rapper Psy talked his way into glitzy parties at the Cannes film festival and posed with fans until he was spotted drinking champagne by the real Psy's manager. Psy, in Singapore on Thursday night to perform at the inaugural Social Star awards, said that Scooter Braun spotted the imposter, took a photo and sent it to the musician.

Lee was due to come home: Wife of slain UK soldier

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:56:27 +0530

The family of the British soldier who was beheaded by two armed men outside a military barrack in Woolwich in London have expressed their sorrow and grief on the soldier's death. Lee Rigby was due to travel home from London to see them this weekend, his family informed.

Bosnia president, charged with graft, freed from jail

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:02:02 +0530

The president of Bosnia's autonomous Muslim-Croat federation was freed from jail on Friday after the Constitutional Court ordered his release following his arrest last month on corruption charges.

US: Truck crash may have caused state bridge collapse

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:50:14 +0530

A bridge collapse that sent cars and drivers tumbling off a four-lane interstate and into a frigid river in Washington state may have been caused when a semi-trailer truck crashed into the structure, officials said on Friday.

US: Bail denied to teen accused of Facebook terror post

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:35:18 +0530

A judge denied bail on Friday to a Massachusetts teenager who was arrested on terrorism charges after posting lyrics on his Facebook page suggesting he could do worse than the Boston Marathon bombers.

Obama urges US military to stamp out sexual assault

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:25:09 +0530

President Barack Obama urged the future leaders of the US military on Friday to stamp out sexual assault from their ranks, warning that a few individuals could undermine the strongest military in the world.

British security services in spotlight after murder

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:15:41 +0530

Britain's security services faced questions on Friday over whether they could have done more to prevent the murder of a soldier hacked to death in a busy London street after it emerged that his suspected killers were known to intelligence officers.

Private firms may travel to lunar surface: NASA report

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:08:03 +0530

A study of future human missions has indicated corporate researchers could be living on the moon by the time NASA astronauts head off to visit an asteroid in the 2020s. The study by Bigelow Aerospace, commissioned by NASA, shows "a lot of excitement and interest from various companies" for such ventures, Daily Mail quoted Robert Bigelow, founder and president of the Las Vegas-based firm, as saying.

UK fighters escort Pakistan plane to airport; 2 arrested

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:13:06 +0530

British fighter jets escorted a Pakistan International Airlines passenger plane to Stansted Airport near London on Friday, where police went on board and arrested two men on suspicion of endangering an aircraft. Passengers were leaving the plane and no one was hurt in the incident, a spokesman for the airport said.

UK: Fighter jets escort a Pak passenger plane in British airspace

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:58:45 +0530

Britain launched fighter jets on Friday to escort a Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying 297 passengers from Lahore after it was diverted from Manchester, a spokesman for the Defence Ministry said.

There are signs of new conservatism among the young in UK: Sanjay Suri

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:31:00 +0530

The beheading of Lee Rigby in broad daylight in Woolwich, London, has got authorities in the UK, Europe and the US brainstorming over the possibility of 'homegrown' terror groups taking over the mantle of jehadi terror from trans-national entities like al-Qaeda. With groups like al-Muhajiroun, led by Anjem Choudhary, operating in the UK for long with impunity, is this the new concern for the west? CNN-IBN's London Correspondent Sanjay Suri joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the issue.

Kabul: Explosion heard, blast not near Indian Embassy

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:56:54 +0530

An explosion has sent smoke rising over the heart of Afghanistan's capital. The strong blast was felt several kilometers away. An Associated Press cameraman who witnessed Friday's blast said it was near a hospital for the National Security Directorate, the state intelligence service.

UK soldier beheading: Terror suspects were known to MI5

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:59:54 +0530

The British government on Friday defended the country's security services against criticism they missed signs which might have helped prevent the brutal murder of a soldier on a street of south-east London. MI5 now faces a House of Commons inquiry after it was confirmed the two terror suspects arrested over his murder were known to the national security agency.

London: BA flight makes emergency landing

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:27:41 +0530

Reports of smoke coming out the rear of a plane caused chaos at London's Heathrow Airport and forced the authorities to shut down two runways on Friday.

UK: Woman who confronted soldier's killers becomes a national hero

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:25:07 +0530

A brave scout leader 48-year-old Ingrid Loyau-Kennett has become an unlikely star after confronting two alleged attackers who beheaded a British soldier outside military barracks in Woolwich in London. Kennett arrived at the spot soon after the soldier Drummer Lee Rigby was beheaded and tried to convince one of the attackers to throw away his arms and surrender without any concern for her safety.

Earthquake measuring 8.2 hits Russia's Far East

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:28:24 +0530

A magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck Russia's Far East in the Sea of Okhotsk off the Kamchatka Peninsula, according to the US Geological Survey. The epicentre of the quake was located 244 miles west north west of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy at a depth of 385 miles, the USGS said.

UK soldier beheading: Islamist group claims it knows one attacker

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:37:06 +0530

The Muslim Council of Britain has condemned the brutal attack on the UK soldier, Lee Rigby, in Woolwich and appealed for calm and prevention of reprisal attacks on Muslims. However, Anjem Choudary, the head of the radical British Islamist group Al-Muhajiroun raised concerns about the Muslim affairs worldwide and the British foreign policy in Muslim countries.

Japanese octogenarian becomes oldest person to scale Everest

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:21:25 +0530

An 80-year-old Japanese man has become the oldest person to scale Mount Everest. Yuichiro Miura first climbed Everest in 2003 and repeated the feat five years later, breaking the record of Nepal's Min Bahadur Sherchan who reached the summit at the age of 76 in 2008.

Salman Khurshid on three-day visit to Saudi Arabia

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:15:19 +0530

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will pay a three-day visit to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia starting from Friday, the first visit by an Indian foreign minister in the last five years, during which the kingdom's Nitaqat work policy, regional and international issues would be discussed.

56,700 Indians face deportation from Saudi: Khurshid

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:05:14 +0530

As many as 56,700 Indians face deportation from Saudi Arabia in the next one-and-half months and ten officials have been dispatched to the kingdom to help the Indian mission prepare emergency certificates for their exit, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said on Thursday.

US: Obama outlines rules for armed drone strikes

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:45:36 +0530

In a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy on Thursday, US President Barack Obama defended his administration's use of drones to kill terrorists abroad, and in a nod to concerns, outlined plans to limit the use of such strikes.

Indian-origin Srinivasan confirmed as top US court judge

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:26:25 +0530

Indian-American Srikanth Srinivasan on Thursday scripted history after he was confirmed as the first South Asian judge to America's second highest court.

Australia looks into allowing Sikhs to wear turban at work

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:06:28 +0530

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Thursday promised to look into allowing Sikhs to wear turbans at work places and also while riding a motorcycle.

Barack Obama limits use of US drone strikes

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:46:06 +0530

President Barack Obama outlined plans on Thursday to limit the use of US drone strikes against extremists abroad and took steps aimed at breaking a deadlock on closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison.

London attack: Scotland Yard arrests two more people

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:06:52 +0530

The Scotland Yard on Thursday arrested two more people, including a woman, in connection with the murder of a soldier on a busy London street by two suspected Islamist extremists, as Prime Minister David Cameron vowed the country would remain resolute in its opposition to terrorism.

UK will never give in to terror: British PM David Cameron

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:03:37 +0530

British Police on Thursday carried out raids to probe the murder of a soldier who was butchered and beheaded on a busy London street by two suspected Islamist extremists, as Prime Minister David Cameron vowed the country would remain resolute in its opposition to terrorism.

London attackers are British of Nigerian origin: Source

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:53:10 +0530

British authorities believe that two men accused of hacking a soldier to death on a London street in revenge for wars in Muslim countries are British of Nigerian descent, a source close to the investigation said on Thursday.

London terror attack: Emergency committee to meet today

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:15:36 +0530

The British government's emergency committee is set to meet on Thursday after two attackers butchered a man in a brutal daylight attack in London that raised fears terrorism had returned to the capital.

80-year-old Japanese is the oldest to scale Everest

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:45:55 +0530

An 80-year-old Japanese national on Thursday set a new world record by becoming the oldest climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest, world's highest peak.

UK soldier beheading: Emergency committee to meet

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:50:44 +0530

The British government's emergency committee is going to meet after two attackers butchered a man in a brutal daylight attack in London amid fears that terrorism has returned to the capital.

UK: Woman onlooker told the London attacker that he will lose

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:16:55 +0530

"You're going to lose," a brave woman told one of the two machete-wielding London attackers who killed a soldier. "You're going to lose. It's only you versus many," said Ingrid Loyau-Kennett as she tried keep the attacker talking so he would not kill anyone else.

US: 21 lawmakers back Indian-American as top judge

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:40:54 +0530

Ahead of an expected Senate vote on the nomination of Chandigarh-born Indian-American legal luminary Srikanth Srinivasan to a top US court, 21 lawmakers have penned their support for him.

New cancer drugs to be a $ 35 billion market

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:59:09 +0530

A new wave of medicines that tap the power of the immune system to fight cancer could become the biggest drug class in history, with potential sales of $35 billion a year.

Man shot to death while questioned during Boston probe

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:59:27 +0530

A Chechen immigrant was shot to death by authorities in central Florida on early Wednesday after he turned violent while being questioned about his ties to one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, officials said.

UK: Cameron calls beheading of soldier 'an appalling murder'

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:30:24 +0530

Two men with butcher knives hacked another to death on Wednesday near a London military barracks and one then went on video to explain the crime - shouting political statements, gesturing with bloodied hands and waving a meat cleaver. Soon after, arriving police shot and wounded the unidentified assailants and took them into custody.

Beheading soldier was revenge for UK army crimes abroad: Attacker

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:16:45 +0530

In a shocking attack, a British soldier was beheaded by two armed men outside military barracks in Woolwich in London. The two men were shot by police as they arrived on the scene minutes later.

Oklahoma tornado victims astounded at how they survived

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:21:21 +0530

Tornado survivors thanked God, sturdy closets and luck in explaining how they lived through the colossal twister that devastated an Oklahoma town and killed 24 people, an astonishingly low toll given the extent of destruction.

US acknowledges killing four Americans in drone strikes

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:48:08 +0530

The US government formally acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday that it had killed four Americans, including militant cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who died in drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan.

Indian-origin boy wins National Geographic Bee contest

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:08:55 +0530

Indian-origin Sathwik Karnik has won National Geographic Bee 2013 contest after gruelling rounds testing his geographic knowledge about lions in Botswana, mountain ranges in Asia and port cities in England. To clinch the title, Karnik, 12, correctly named Chimborazo as the mountain in Ecuador that represents the farthest point from the Earth's center.

Lydia Davis wins Man Booker International fiction prize

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:35:29 +0530

American short story writer Lydia Davis won the fifth Man Booker International Prize for fiction on Wednesday for a body of work that includes some of the briefest tales ever published.

China, Pak ink economic corridor, boundary management accords

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:22:25 +0530

Pakistan and China On Wednesday inked several agreements and memoranda of understanding, including a pact on a system to manage the border between Xinjiang autonomous region and Gilgit-Baltistan area. President Asif Ali Zardari and visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang witnessed the signing of the agreements by representatives of the two countries during a ceremony at the presidency. Others agreements covered an economic corridor plan, maritime cooperation and satellite navigation.

UK: 'Soldier' beheaded in 'Islamist terror attack' outside military barracks

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:52:24 +0530

The UK government on Wednesday swung into action after a man was beheaded in an alleged Islamist terror attack outside Royal Military Barracks in Woolwich in southeast London. Unconfirmed reports said that victim was a soldier.

Sweden's capital hit by worst riots in years

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:44:10 +0530

Hundreds of youths have set fire to cars and attacked police and rescue services in poor immigrant suburbs in three nights of rioting in Stockholm, Sweden's worst disorder in years.

Karzai gives wishlist to PM for military supplies

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:10:43 +0530

In the backdrop of NATO troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is keen to enhance defence cooperation with India and get supply of 'lethal and non-lethal' weapons.

With wary eye on the US, China courts India

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:40:00 +0530

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, smiling and effusive, was out to smooth ruffled feathers in India this week, promising to ease tensions and increase trade between Asia's fastest growing economies in his first trip overseas since taking office.

US: India seeks access to 26/11convicts Rana, Headley

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:27:35 +0530

India has sought access from the US to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict David Headley and his accomplice Tahawwur Rana - both of whom were sentenced by a Chicago court after being found guilty of terrorism charges.

US: Senate passes landmark immigration reform bill

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:16:53 +0530

The landmark immigration bill, which offers a path to citizenship for more than 11 million - including over 260,000 Indians - undocumented immigrants and increasing H-1B visas today passed its first legislative test.

Singapore: Indian jailed for causing fatal accident

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:40:22 +0530

A 25-year-old Indian lorry driver has been jailed by a Singapore court for eight weeks and banned from driving for five years for causing the death of a compatriot worker and injuring 14 others.

US, India pledge to collaborate on combating terrorism

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:15:21 +0530

The US has pledged to collaborate with India on developing global approach to combat increasing terror threats and asked international community to take effective steps to eliminate sanctuaries and infrastructure that support terrorism.

North Korea sends top official to China

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:59:31 +0530

North Korea sent one of its top military officials to Beijing on Wednesday as a "special envoy" of its leader Kim Jong-un, state news agency KCNA reported. There were few details of Choe Ryong-hae's visit, which came amid strained relations between China and North Korea after Beijing backed UN sanctions on Pyongyang for its February nuclear test.

US: Obama assures aid to all affected in Oklahoma tornado

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:39:09 +0530

Barack Obama on Tuesday offered condolences for the victims of a deadly tornado in Oklahoma and pledged to focus the nation's resources on recovery and rebuilding.

China's bird flu outbreak cost $ 6.5 billion

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:35:20 +0530

The H7N9 bird flu outbreak in China has caused economic losses of more than $6.5 billion so far, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's chief veterinary officer said on Tuesday.

US: Sikh caucus calls on FBI to track hate crimes

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:25:40 +0530

In the face of continued violence against Sikhs, the bipartisan American Congressional Sikh Caucus asked the Department of Justice to include an anti-Sikh hate crime category on the Hate Crime Incident Report.

Shinde in US; to press for India getting access for Headley, Rana

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:59:09 +0530

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Tuesday met with US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano in the United States.

US: Oklahoma tornado toll lowered to 24 from 91

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:24:19 +0530

As rescuers searched for survivors of Monday's devastating tornado that pulverized a vast swath of the Oklahoma City suburbs, authorities revised the death toll down to 24 from 91. Nine of the fatalities are children.

US court studies wiretaps in Rajat Gupta insider case

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:04:06 +0530

Lawyers for former Goldman Sachs Group Inc board member Rajat Gupta sought to reverse his insider-trading conviction on Tuesday, arguing that wiretap evidence used by the prosecution should not have been introduced at trial.

US: Senate panel approves sweeping immigration bill

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:51:41 +0530

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved legislation that would bring about the biggest changes in US immigration policy in a generation, setting up a spirited debate in the full Senate in June 2013.

Attacks in Iraq kill over 40, sectarian tensions high

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:34:04 +0530

A series of bomb and gun attacks across Iraq killed more than 40 people on Tuesday, a day after over 70 died in violence targeting majority Shi'ites that has stoked fears of all-out sectarian war with minority Sunnis.

Obama pledges all necessary help for storm-hit Oklahoma

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:08:45 +0530

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday offered condolences for the victims of a deadly tornado in Oklahoma and pledged to focus the nation's resources on recovery and rebuilding.

US, India ask the world to shut out terror sanctuaries

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:30:50 +0530

The United States and India on Tuesday asked the international community to take effective steps towards eliminating sanctuaries and infrastructure that support terrorism. After talks between visiting Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, a joint communique said the two countries also agreed to enhance bilateral co-operation to combat terror financing and currency counterfeiting.

US: Survivors pulled from tornado debris

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:20:50 +0530

Emergency workers pulled more than 100 survivors from the rubble of homes, schools and a hospital in an Oklahoma town hit by a powerful tornado, and officials lowered the death toll from the storm to 24, including nine children.

US: Senators reach deal on H-1B visa expansion plan

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:40:35 +0530

In a "major breakthrough", two influential American Senators on Tuesday reached an agreement on the contentious H-1B visa expansion plan, which Congressional aides said is a compromise between the demand of the tech-industry and the concerns of the labour unions. The deal reached between Democratic Senator Charles Schumer and Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, covers eight amendments sponsored by the latter to make the process for granting H-1B visas more palatable to high-tech companies.

US can keep Osama's photos under wraps: Court

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:46:19 +0530

A federal appeals court on Tuesday backed the US government's decision not to release photos and video taken of Osama bin Laden during and after a raid in which the terrorist leader was killed by US commandos.

Rajat Gupta to appeal against insider trading conviction

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:27:10 +0530

India-born former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta will seek overturning of his insider-trading conviction in a US court today by arguing that the case rested exclusively on circumstantial evidence that relied on wiretap statements that did not involve him.

India would stand by Afghanistan in its transition: Pranab

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:50:31 +0530

India is prepared to increase bilateral contribution to Afghanistan's institution-building, training and equipment to the extent possible and would stand by that country during its critical period of transition, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday.

Karzai meets Manmohan, discusses enhanced defence cooperation

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:34:10 +0530

Afghan President Hamid Karzai held talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday night discussing the situation in the region in the backdrop of Afghanistan's keenness to enhance defence cooperation with India and get supply of "lethal and non-lethal" weapons.

New Zealand: 4 Indian-origin men face gangrape charges

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:18:07 +0530

Four Indian-origin men accused of gangraping a young girl today appeared in a court in New Zealand. The men - Amir Chand, 25, Harvinder Singh, 22, Kamaljeet Singh, 27, and Sumit Vermani, 26 - are defending the charges of raping the girl in April 2011, Fairfax NZ News reported.

Finland: Sikh man fights for right to wear turban at work

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:40:41 +0530

Sikh bus driver in Finland is fighting for his right to wear a turban while at work. Gill Sukhdarshan Singh, who works at the Veolia bus company at Vantaa near the Finnish capital of Helsinki, is trying to set a precedent by making the authorities allow him to wear a turban at work, a Finnish public broadcasting company reported on Tuesday.

Li's India trip to enhance regional growth: Chinese daily

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:15:31 +0530

Premier Li Keqiang's visit to India will contribute to regional economic development and integration, a Chinese daily said on Tuesday. An editorial in China Daily noted that Li's ongoing visit to India will create a new chapter in Sino-Indian relations.

Death toll climbs to 91 as tornado rips through Oklahoma

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:57:49 +0530

Over 90 people, including 20 children, were killed after a monstrous tornado ripped through the US city of Oklahoma, flattening entire neighbourhoods, crushing two elementary schools and turning the area into a war-zone.

India, China have far more common interests: Li Keqiang

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:17:44 +0530

Pledged to build trust with India, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that the two countries have far more common interests than differences.

Deadliest tornadoes in US since 1900

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:58:59 +0530

The devastating tornado that swept through Oklahoma turned houses into matchsticks and sent parents and teachers running to pull children from the wreckage of an elementary school in the eye of the storm.

US welcomes India's bilateral assistance to Afghanistan

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:56:46 +0530

The US on Monday welcomed India's generous bilateral assistance to Afghanistan but remained non-committal on reports about Kabul seeking supply of military equipment from New Delhi.

Copenhagen: Sudarsan Pattnaik wins 'The Danish Grand Prize'

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:46:22 +0530

Internationally acclaimed Indian Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the grand prize at the prestigious Copenhagen International Sand sculpture festival in Denmark for his sculpture on environment.

US: Shinde visits national counter-terrorism center

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:17:43 +0530

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has visited America's top counter-terrorism center, to have the first-hand experience of its functioning. Shinde, who arrived here on Sunday, visited the centre on Monday.

London: Microscope slide with Gandhi's blood to be auctioned

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:45:54 +0530

A large collection of Mahatma Gandhi's memorabilia will go under the hammer on Tuesday in London. Auction house Mullocks will auction the collection including a copy of a will, a pair of worn out sandals, a shawl woven by Gandhi himself, recordings of his speeches and a drop of his blood.

Tornado devastates Oklahoma town, at least 51 dead

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:16:34 +0530

A massive tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Monday, killing at least 51 people with winds of up to 200 miles per hour (320 kph) that flattened entire tracts of homes, two schools and a hospital, leaving a wake of tangled wreckage.

Obama urges Myanmar to stop violence against Muslims

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:21:48 +0530

President Barack Obama urged the president of Myanmar on Monday to take steps to halt violence against Muslims in his country and move ahead with economic and political reforms.

Bomb attacks kill more than 70 Shi'ites across Iraq

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:07:05 +0530

More than 70 people were killed in a series of car bombings and suicide attacks targeting Shi'ite Muslims across Iraq on Monday, police and medics said, extending the worst sectarian violence since US troops withdrew in December 2011.

Monster tornado devastates area near Oklahoma City

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:48:05 +0530

A huge tornado with winds of up to 200 miles per hour (320 kph) tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Monday, ripping up at least two schools and leaving a wake of tangled wreckage as a dangerous storm system threatened as many as 10 US states.

Iraq: Wave of attacks kills at least 86 in Shiite and Sunni areas

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:32:12 +0530

A wave of attacks killed at least 86 people in Shiite and Sunni areas of Iraq on Monday, officials said, pushing the death toll over the past week to more than 230 and extending one of the most sustained bouts of sectarian violence the country has seen in years. The bloodshed is still far shy of the pace, scale and brutality of the dark days of 2006-2007, when Sunni and Shiite militias carried out retaliatory attacks against each other in a cycle of violence that left the country awash in blood.

North Korea fires sixth missile in three days

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:17:28 +0530

North Korea fired two short-range missiles on Monday, making six launches in three days, and it condemned South Korea for criticising what it said were its legitimate military drills. South Korea's Defense Ministry said North Korea had fired one missile on Monday morning and a second one in the afternoon. Both were fired into the sea off North Korea's east coast, a ministry official said.

Indian Embassy starts delivering exit papers in Saudi

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:07:33 +0530

India on Monday started verification and issuance of Emergency Certificates allowing its citizens to leave Saudi Arabia following concerns over a new labour policy in the Gulf Kingdom.

Iraq: Series of car bombs kills at least 31

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:59:38 +0530

At least 20 people were killed by a series of car bombs in mainly Shiite districts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Monday and 11 others were killed by attacks in the southern city of Basra, police and medics said.

Obama tells Americans to be more competitive

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:16:12 +0530

US President Barack Obama has asked Americans to be more competitive as millions of young people from countries like India, China and Brazil are joining the global workforce.

China deploys Su-27 fighters in Tibet, can target key Indian air bases

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:52:00 +0530

China's all-weather fighter base in Tibet is now widening its range of options in the event of a conflict with India. Intelligence intercepts and satellite monitoring has confirmed that China may have to some extent overcome Tibet's extreme altitude and temperatures to operationalise an all-weather airfield near the Tibetan capital Lhasa.

Connecting the dots: The Raki Nulla face-off, Li Keqiang's visit

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:50:36 +0530

"Tensions along the Line of Actual Control don't give leverage unless you stay there," said a senior diplomat with long experience of China. And China didn't stay on at Raki Nulla in eastern Ladakh during the face off last month, raising the question as to why it happened in the first place.

US: Sikh group to challenge dismissal of Badal case

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:40:39 +0530

A US-based Sikh group on Monday said that it will challenge the decision of an American district court last week to dismiss alleged human rights violations case against Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

United States: Tornadoes hit central states

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:17:33 +0530

Tornadoes tore through three central American states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa with baseball-sized hail and wind blasts ripping roofs off homes and turning trees to matchsticks, as severe weather swept the region.

Hamid Karzai to arrive in India today

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:59:10 +0530

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is expected to arrive in India on Monday. Karzai is set to receive an honorary doctorate from a Chandigarh university, after which he will visit the national capital.

NASA's Mars rover examines rock altered by water

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:41:13 +0530

NASA's Mars rover, Opportunity, has finished examining a fractured rock on the red planet intensely altered by water, providing evidence about a wet ancient environment possibly favourable for life. Opportunity is now driving to a new study area after a dramatic finish to 20 months on "Cape York."

Nigeria: 17 killed in military crackdown

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:07:20 +0530

At least 14 Islamist insurgents and three soldiers have been killed in Nigerian military crackdown on terrorists, as the restive Maiduguri city in northern state of Borno was placed under a 24-hour curfew.

Honeybees trained in Croatia to find land mines

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:40:23 +0530

Mirjana Filipovic is still haunted by the land mine blast that killed her boyfriend and blew off her left leg while on a fishing trip nearly a decade ago. It happened in a field that was supposedly de-mined.

Tornado levels homes in Oklahoma City trailer park

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:03:00 +0530

One of several tornadoes spawned by a powerful storm system rumbling through the Plains and Midwest has leveled several mobile homes in an area southeast of Oklahoma City.

Officer shot in Boston Marathon showdown wants to work

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:46:41 +0530

With a bullet still in his body, the police officer who survived a showdown with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects said on Sunday he's determined to return to duty.

Hezbollah steps up Syria battle, Israel threatens strikes

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:23:05 +0530

Lebanese Hezbollah militants attacked a Syrian rebel-held town alongside Syrian troops on Sunday and Israel threatened more attacks on Syria to rein the militia in, highlighting the risks of a wider regional conflict if planned peace talks fail.

SA president not involved in Gupta jet scandal: Minister

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:16:12 +0530

South African President Jacob Zuma was not involved in a wedding scandal in which a private plane of the affluent and well-connected Indian Gupta family landed at a sensitive military airbase, an investigation revealed on Sunday, reported Xinhua.

Bangladesh bans political rallies for one month

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:40:35 +0530

Bangladesh on Sunday slapped a ban on political rallies for a month to maintain law and order in the wake of deadly protests by Islamists that left at least 28 people dead earlier in May 2013. "Some political parties have caused a law and order problem in the name of holding their programmes. Hence, no one would be allowed to hold any kind of rally for the next one month," Home Minister Mahiuddin Khan Alamgir said.

PM Manmohan Singh holds talks with Chinese Premier

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:33:20 +0530

In a firm message to China, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday night voiced India's serious concern over the recent Chinese incursion in Ladakh and told his counterpart Li Keqiang that in the absence of peace and tranquility along the border, bilateral ties will suffer as the two leaders held hour-long cordial but candid talks. 57-year-old Li, on his first foreign trip since becoming Prime Minister two months ago, met Singh at his official residence along with select number of aides from both sides when they exchanged views on the contentious boundary dispute, trans-border rivers and trade deficit.

Wales: One killed, two injured in plane crash

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:06:28 +0530

One person was killed and two others were critically injured on Sunday after a light aircraft crashed at Caernarfon Airport in Gwynedd in Wales, police said. A man in his 60s suffered "serious multiple lower limb injuries" and a boy had head and abdomen injuries following the incident, the ambulance service said.

Obama not involved in tax scandal: White House

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:20:30 +0530

A top White House adviser insisted President Barack Obama learned that the federal tax collection agency had targeted conservative groups only "when it came out in the news" while Republicans continued to press the administration for answers on Sunday.

PM, Chinese Premier hold talks on border issues

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:27:47 +0530

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday began talks with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on all crucial bilateral issues within hours of his arrival here when he affirmed that his visit will "inject new vigour" into bilateral ties and strengthen mutual trust.

Karzai seeks Indian military aid amid Pakistan row

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:35:24 +0530

Afghan President Hamid Karzai will seek increased military aid from India during a three-day visit starting Monday and will discuss recent cross-border clashes with Pakistan, India's archrival, an aide said. The comments follow a weekend report by the Times of India that said Afghanistan's ambassador to India had said the country needs India's help with "equipment and weapons to fight."

British Sikh ex-MP found pig's head outside his home

Sun, 19 May 2013 06:42:49 +0530

One of Britain's prominent Sikh politicians, Parmjit Dhanda, has told a probe panel inquiring into racism during elections that a pig's severed head was left outside his home. The former Labour MP made the revelation to an all-party inquiry into electoral conduct in the UK, which is recording racist abuse suffered during election campaigns in the country.

Gigantic asteroid to fly past Earth on May 31

Sun, 19 May 2013 05:28:53 +0530

A gigantic asteroid will fly by Earth at the end of this month, making its closest approach for at least the next two centuries. On May 31, asteroid 1998 QE2, believed to be about 2.7 kilometres or nine Queen Elizabeth 2 ship-lengths in size, will sail serenely past Earth, getting no closer than about 5.8 million kilometres, or about 15 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.

Chinese Premier in India, PM likely to raise border incursion issue

Sun, 19 May 2013 03:44:17 +0530

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in New Delhi on Sunday on a three-day state visit, his first overseas trip after assuming office in March, during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a string of issues including the recent border row.

Counter-terrorism to top Indo-US Security dialogue agenda

Sun, 19 May 2013 03:05:26 +0530

Threats from terror groups like LeT and al-Qaeda, illicit financing and transnational crimes will be top on the agenda of the four-day India-US Homeland Security dialogue between Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and his American counterpart beginning in Washington on Monday.

US: Plane makes belly landing at Newark, 34 escape unhurt

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:45:44 +0530

All 34 people aboard a US Airways plane escaped unhurt when the aircraft made a belly landing at Newark Liberty International Airport after experiencing landing gear problem.

Month after Ladakh face-off, Chinese Premier arrives in India today

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:21:53 +0530

Outstanding issues between New Delhi and Beijing remain the focus as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrives in India on Sunday. The three-day visit comes just a month after a bitter face-off between troops of the two countries in Ladakh.

I won't step down, says Syria President Bashar al-Assad

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:50:50 +0530

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he won't step down before elections are held in his war-ravaged country.

Germany approves bank reform to protect taxpayers

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:40:23 +0530

Germany has approved new measures to rein in high-risk financial business of banks and to decouple them from retail banking as part of a comprehensive reform to prevent a repeat of the financial crisis five years ago and to minimise the costs for taxpayers if banks were to be bailed out in the future.

Dozens injured as car plows through parade in Virginia

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:35:01 +0530

A car driven by an elderly man who may have lost consciousness plowed through a small-town parade of hiking enthusiasts in southwestern Virginia on Saturday, injuring dozens of people, nine seriously enough to be sent to hospitals, authorities said.

US Powerball jackpot could go higher than $600 million

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:11:48 +0530

The Powerball jackpot Saturday night could be even higher than the record $600 million being advertised, possibly rivaling the largest lottery jackpot in US history, a Texas Lottery official said on Saturday.

Meteoroid impact triggers bright flash on lunar surface

Sun, 19 May 2013 06:53:12 +0530

An automated telescope monitoring the moon has captured images of an 88-pound (40 kg) rock slamming into the lunar surface, creating a bright flash of light, NASA scientists said on Friday.

Plane catches fire during landing at airport in Moscow

Sun, 19 May 2013 06:32:36 +0530

Part of an airliner carrying more than 130 people caught fire as it was landing in Moscow, and passengers evacuated the plane by jumping off one of its wings and shooting down an evacuation slide.

Tamils want to live in one country: Rajapaksa

Sat, 18 May 2013 03:30:18 +0530

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday said the Tamil minority now wants to live peacefully in one country and slammed the Tamil diaspora for the lack of support in his reconciliation and rebuilding efforts in the former conflict zones.

North Korea fires three short-range missiles

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:59:57 +0530

North Korea fired three short-range missiles from its east coast on Saturday, South Korea's Defence Ministry said, but the purpose of the launches was unknown.

5.9 magnitude earthquake hits Japan, no tsunami warning

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:56:28 +0530

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 jolted northeastern Japan on Saturday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. No tsunami warnings have been issued.

France legalises gay marriage, says law is constitutional

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:46:56 +0530

France's constitutional council has rejected a challenge by conservative lawmakers to the country's new gay marriage law, saying the law was constitutional.

Meteoroid impact triggers bright flash on the moon

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:36:24 +0530

An automated telescope monitoring the moon has captured images of an 88-pound (40 kg) rock slamming into the lunar surface, creating a bright flash of light, NASA scientists said on Friday.

Former Argentine dictator Videla dies in prison at 87

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:57:47 +0530

Jorge Rafael Videla, an austere former army commander who led Argentina during the bloodiest period of a "dirty war" dictatorship and was unrepentant about kidnappings and murders ordered by the state, died on Friday at age 87.

China: 'Death toll from new bird flu rises to 36'

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:30:15 +0530

Four more people in China have died from a new strain of bird flu, bringing the death toll from the H7N9 virus to 36 from 131 confirmed cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday.

Syrian refugees exceed 1.5 million: UNHCR

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:59:42 +0530

The number of Syrian refugees, who are either registered or awaiting registration, has surpassed 1.5 million, while the actual number is much higher, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Shots fired at Cannes Film Festival, actors flee for cover

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:20:57 +0530

And it appears to have been a crime spree in Cannes after an unidentified person fired two shots into the air during the live broadcast of a TV show. Cannes Film Festival jury members including Christoph Waltz and Daniel Auteuil who were being interviewed had to run for cover. The Police have managed to arrest the man at the scene. The suspect was found carrying a dummy grenade and a knife.

US: 60 hurt as two trains collide in Connecticut

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:30:34 +0530

Two passenger trains heading in opposite directions collided during rush hour in southwestern Connecticut, injuring 60 people, five of them critically, and closing the key corridor between New York and Boston.

Manmohan Singh to visit US on Obama's invitation

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:20:52 +0530

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to travel to Washington in a few months at the invitation of US President Barack Obama.

Ex-porn star begins showy drive across Russia

Sat, 18 May 2013 08:32:44 +0530

Grey, 25, became one of the most well-known porn stars in the late 2000s, but retired from the industry in 2011.

US Mother's Day parade shooting: Police arrest 6 suspects

Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:45 +0530

Residents of one of America's most violent cities cheered six arrests in a Mother's Day parade shooting that left 19 people wounded and three in critical condition.

Iraq: Two blasts outside Sunni Muslim mosque kill 76

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:45:31 +0530

Bombs struck Sunni areas in Baghdad and surrounding areas on Friday, killing at least 76 people in the deadliest day in Iraq in more than eight months, officials said, as a spike in violence has raised fears the country could be on the path to a new round of sectarian bloodshed.

US chides Russia over Syria missiles as peace plans suffer

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:35:04 +0530

The United States chided Russia for sending missiles to the Syrian government as plans for a peace conference promoted by Washington and Moscow were hit by diplomatic rifts over its scope and purpose.

Boston: Court rejects defence bid to photograph Dzhokhar

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:15:08 +0530

A judge has rejected a request from lawyers for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who want to take periodic photos of him in prison. US Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler on Friday said the prison where Tsarnaev is housed has a policy against visitors bringing cameras.

Nearly 50 hurt as two trains collide in Connecticut

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:02:15 +0530

Nearly 50 people were injured on Friday when two commuter trains collided during evening rush hour near the Connecticut town of Fairfield, shutting down Amtrak service between New York and Boston indefinitely, police and transit officials said.

Former Argentine dictator Videla dies in prison at age 87

Sat, 18 May 2013 06:51:31 +0530

Iraq: Two blasts outside Sunni Muslim mosque kill 43

Sat, 18 May 2013 06:41:06 +0530

Two bombs exploded outside a Sunni Muslim mosque in the Iraqi city of Baquba as worshippers left Friday prayers, killing at least 43 people in one of the deadliest attacks in a month-long surge in sectarian violence.

US: Indian sentenced to three years for human trafficking

Sat, 18 May 2013 06:27:11 +0530

An Indian has been sentenced to three years of imprisonment on charges of trafficking immigrants from India into the United States, the Department of Justice said. Kaushik Jayantibhai Thakkar, 33, along with Brazilian national Fabiano Augusto Amorim were sentenced on Friday to serve 36 months in prison for their roles in smuggling undocumented migrants to the US for private financial gain, the Acting Assistant US Attorney General Mythili Raman said.

$ 1 mn Chopard jewels' heist rocks Cannes Film Festival

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:24:21 +0530

Thieves ripped a safe from the wall of a hotel room near the Cannes Film Festival and made off with around $1 million worth of jewellery, in a brazen late-night burglary just hours after the screening of a film about break-ins at the homes of Hollywood celebrities, French officials said Friday.

Dancer says showgirls dressed as Obama, nuns at Berlusconi party

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:20:26 +0530

The nightclub dancer at the centre of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's "bunga bunga" sex trial told a court on Friday that guests at the media tycoon's parties dressed as nuns, nurses and US President Barack Obama.

Pro-Assad hackers attack Financial Times

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:29:46 +0530

The website and Twitter feed of British newspaper the Financial Times were hacked on Friday, apparently by the "Syrian Electronic Army", a group of online activists who say they support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Women cannot be president, says Iranian cleric

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:13:34 +0530

A member of Iran's constitutional watchdog group insists that women cannot be presidential candidates, a report said Thursday, effectively killing the largely symbolic bids by about 30 women seeking to run in the June 14 election. Even before the comments by Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, chances for a woman candidate in Iran's presidential election were considered nearly impossible.

Singapore: Indian jailed for molesting a boy

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:56:18 +0530

A Singaporean Indian was on Friday sentenced to 24 months jail for molesting a 13-year-old boy at his home. S Subramaniam, 45, was found guilty last week after a six-day trial of fondling the boy's private parts in a bedroom at his flat on December 23, 2011 in the suburb Yishun housing estate.

New issue of al Qaeda magazine out, contents hacked

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:42:50 +0530

A purported new issue of an English-language al-Qaeda magazine, linked to the Boston terrorist attacks, has been posted on the web but its contents were hacked. The "Inspire" magazine, produced by al-Qaeda's Yemeni affiliate - al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which regularly includes how-to instructions for followers to carry out terrorist attacks in the West - has received significant scrutiny in recent weeks.

Chandigarh-born Srinivasan set to be first South Asian judge in US

Fri, 17 May 2013 03:16:21 +0530

Indian-American Srikanth Srinivasan inched closer to scripting history as the first South Asian judge after a key Senate committee confirmed his nomination to the DC Circuit Court, America's second highest. Described as "trailblazer" by US President Barack Obama, Chandigarh-born Srinivasan's nomination to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was unanimously approved by the 18-member Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

Money laundering: Information being shared with India, says Mauritius

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:48:10 +0530

Facing allegations of being a route for round-tripping of funds and money laundering by Indian entities, Mauritius says it is fully committed to remain a credible financial centre and there has been 170 cases of exchange of information with Indian authorities in the past three years.

US: 16 deadly tornadoes tear through Texas, six killed

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:54:00 +0530

Habitat for Humanity spent years in a North Texas subdivision, helping build many of the 110 homes in the low-income area. But its work was largely undone during an outbreak of 16 tornadoes on Wednesday night that killed six people and injured dozens.

Australia: Man gets 45 yrs in jail for raping, killing Indian girl

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:12:49 +0530

A 21-year-old Australian man was on Friday sentenced to 45 years in jail with a minimum non-parole period of 30 years for the "planned and premeditated" rape and murder of Indian student Tosha Thakkar, who he strangled to death, stuffed into a suitcase and dumped in a canal.

British rulers created confusion over Aksai Chin: Chinese daily

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:31:46 +0530

Confusion over Aksai Chin, the area occupied by China during 1962 war with India, was created by colonial British rulers who have never presented it to Chinese governments in the past, an article in an official daily in Beijing said on Thursday.

US general warns of sexual assault 'crisis', meets Obama

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:21:33 +0530

The top general in the US Armed Forces warned of a crisis of confidence in the growing ranks of women soldiers due to a rash of sexual assault cases that has prompted lawmakers to act.

Bomber in Afghanistan kills 15, including six Americans

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:44:22 +0530

A suicide bomber in a car attacked a convoy of foreign troops in Kabul on Thursday, killing at least 15 people including six Americans, Afghan and foreign officials said, in one of the worst attacks in the Afghan capital in months.

China president takes charge of sweeping economic reforms

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:30:28 +0530

Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken charge of drawing up ambitious reform plans to revitalise the economy, sources close to the government said, shunning policy stimulus for fear it could worsen local government debt and inflate property prices.

Military options remain open in Syria crisis, says Obama

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:45:03 +0530

President Barack Obama said on Thursday he reserves the right to resort to a range of both diplomatic and military options if he receives conclusive proof that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons in the country's civil war.

Suicide bomber hits Shiite mosque in north Iraq, 8 dead

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:40:20 +0530

A suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside a Shiite mosque in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Thursday, killing at least eight people as they attended a mourning ceremony, police said.

Cyclonic storm Mahasen kills 14 in Bangladesh

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:39:55 +0530

At least 14 people were killed today as cyclonic storm Mahasen battered Bangladesh's southwestern coastlines, damaging thousands of thatched houses and forcing evacuation of over one million people from low-lying areas. "All the deaths were reported from the southwestern coastlines where the cyclone hit with its maximum strength before being weakened gradually," a disaster management ministry spokesman said.

'Boston suspect left note in boat blaming US wars for attack'

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:50:36 +0530

The lone-surviving Boston bombings suspect has claimed responsibility for the deadly terror attack in a note written on the wall of the boat he hid in, saying it was retribution for US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Boston bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, left a note in the boat he hid during a massive manhunt for the April 15 attack on the Boston Marathon that killed three people and wounded over 250 others, CBS News reported on Thursday.

Myanmar: 2 injured as plane overshoots runway

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:44:08 +0530

Two passengers have been injured when a plane landing in Myanmar shot past the end of the runway when its brakes failed. The Facebook page of Myanmar state radio and TV reported that a Fokker plane of Myanmar Airways carrying 55 passengers went 200 meters past the end of the runway at Monghsat in northern Shan state on Thursday before it hit a fence and stopped.

Karzai to visit India, looks for enhanced defence ties

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:50:14 +0530

Ahead of its President's visit here from May 20, Afghanistan on Thursday said it was looking for enhanced defence cooperation with India, from where it was expecting supply of lethal and non-lethal military equipment.

Cyclonic storm Mahasen claims 4 lives in Bangladesh

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:30:44 +0530

At least four people were killed on Thursday as cyclonic storm 'Mahasen' battered Bangladesh's southwestern coastlines, forcing authorities to evacuate over one million people from low-lying areas. The cyclone lashed the southern Patuakhali coast with wind speed up to 90 kilometres per hour and now proceeded towards northeastern coastlines.

Afghanistan: Suicide bomber kills 2 NATO troops

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:10:24 +0530

Two members of Afghanistan's NATO-led force were killed on Thursday when a suicide car bomber attacked their two-car convoy in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the force said in a statement.

Nepal: 22 injured as plane skids off runway

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:22:36 +0530

All 22 people, including eight Japanese tourists on board a Nepal Airlines aircraft on Thursday escaped with minor injuries after the small plane skidded off the runway while trying to land and plunged into a river in northwestern Nepal. The accident occurred as the Twin Otter airplane on a flight from Pokhara skidded off the runway while trying to land at Jomsom Airport in a mountainous region and crashed into the Kali Gandaki river, Rhishikesh Sharma, an official at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said.

Top US tax official forced to resign over scandal

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:59:41 +0530

US President Barack Obama has forced the acting head of the Internal Revenue Service to resign amid furor over the tax agency's handling of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.

US: 10-year-old gets jail for plotting to rape and kill a girl

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:23:17 +0530

A 10-year-old Washington state boy was sentenced on Wednesday to up to five-and-a-half year in a juvenile detention facility for his role in a foiled plot to rape and kill a girl at his school and harm other children.

Five Indian restaurants among Asia's 101 best: Survey

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:31:48 +0530

A Taiwanese eatery famed for its dumplings was crowned Asia's best restaurant, while restaurants in Beijing claimed the lion's share of spots in the top 10 of a new survey of the food-obsessed region's best dining. Five Indian restaurants made it to the list of 101 best Asian restaurants.

Geneva: Colourless diamond auctioned for record $26.7 million

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:40:46 +0530

A huge diamond unearthed in Botswana commanded an unearthly price of $26.7 million from Christie's auction house on Wednesday amid the spring ritual of well-heeled bidders flocking or phoning in to Geneva's luxury sales.

Bangladesh: 1 million evacuated as cyclone nears

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:04:56 +0530

Bangladesh is evacuating one million people with Cyclone Mahasen expected to hit its low-lying delta coast on Thursday evening, said the United Nations, which estimated 4.1 million people were at risk due to gale-force winds, heavy rain and flooding. Bangladesh has raised its storm warning to seven, on a scale with a maximum of 10, as Mahasen approaches one of the poorest countries in Asia with winds of around 60 mph.

India abstains from voting on Syria resolution

Thu, 16 May 2013 07:20:53 +0530

India abstained from voting on the Arab-backed, US supported resolution on Syria in the UN General Assembly, which called for a political transition.

Lawmakers accuse Obama administration of abusing free speech rights

Thu, 16 May 2013 03:48:05 +0530

US lawmakers accused the Obama administration on Wednesday of trampling on free speech rights and evading questions about the Justice Department's secret seizure of Associated Press telephone records.

UN condemns Assad forces, but unease grows about rebels

Thu, 16 May 2013 03:26:25 +0530

The UN General Assembly condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces and praised the opposition on Wednesday, but a decline in support for the resolution suggested growing unease about extremism among Syria's fractious rebels.

US Navy makes aviation history with carrier drone launch

Thu, 16 May 2013 02:46:47 +0530

The US Navy made aviation history on Tuesday by launching an unmanned jet off an aircraft carrier for the first time, taking an important step toward expanded use of drones by the American military with an eye on possible rivals like China and Iran.

Scientists finally create human stem cells through cloning

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:20:02 +0530

After more than 15 years of failures by scientists around the world and one outright fraud, biologists have finally created human stem cells by the same technique that produced Dolly the cloned sheep in 1996: They transplanted genetic material from an adult cell into an egg whose own DNA had been removed.

Bhutan: Foreign Secy to discuss India-assisted projects

Wed, 15 May 2013 06:05:46 +0530

Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai arrived here on Wednesday to hold consultations with senior Bhutanese officials during which status of India-assisted projects and other key bilateral issues will be discussed.

Sri Lanka investigates British TV footage on rights abuse

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:45:58 +0530

The Sri Lankan government is investigating a controversial video footage aired by a British Channel accusing the army of war crimes during the final phase of the battle with the LTTE.

Horrific video shows rebel eating Syrian government soldier's heart

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:20:33 +0530

A ghastly video posted online shows how barbaric the Syrian civil war can be. A rebel fighter is seen carving into the body of a Syrian government soldier, cutting out his heart and liver, putting the heart in his mouth and taking a bite, CNN has reported.

Russia expels US diplomat, says he's a CIA agent

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:46:43 +0530

Russia expelled a US diplomat on Tuesday after saying he had been caught red-handed with disguises, special equipment and wads of cash as he tried to recruit a Russian intelligence agent to work for the CIA. Apparently detained in an incongruous-looking blond wig, with props reminiscent of a schoolboy's spy kit, US Embassy Third Secretary Ryan Fogle hardly looked like a Cold War secret agent.

India, China army officers to discuss border management

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:14:44 +0530

In the backdrop of the Ladakh incursion and the rising Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean, Indian and Chinese army officers will discuss border management and confidence building measures at Nathu La in Sikkim on Wednesday. Indian Army officers will go across to the Chinese side for the talks.

Financial sanctions delay North Korea's atom bomb work: UN

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:06:23 +0530

A combination of increasingly tough financial sanctions, an arms embargo and other international restrictions on trade with North Korea have not stopped Pyongyang's illicit nuclear arms program but appear to have significantly delayed it, according to a confidential report by a UN panel of experts seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

US urged to take tougher line on Indian trade practices

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:26:24 +0530

A US think tank on Tuesday recommended Congress suspend trade benefits for India, in the latest sign of US frustration over Indian policies that block American exports and "free ride" on costly US research to develop new medicines and other forms of valuable intellectual property.

Russia says CIA agent caught trying to recruit spy

Wed, 15 May 2013 02:46:12 +0530

Death toll in Syria likely as high as 120,000: Rights group

Wed, 15 May 2013 02:06:41 +0530

At least 94,000 people have been killed during Syria's two-year conflict, but the death toll is likely to be as high as 120,000, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.

UK: The Sun's politics editor charged over bribery

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:40:00 +0530

Britain's prosecutors say The Sun tabloid's politics editor Clodagh Hartley has been charged over a conspiracy to pay thousands of pounds worth of bribes to a press officer working in the British government's tax department.

UK launches 'super-priority' visas for Indians

Tue, 14 May 2013 06:35:59 +0530

Britain has launched a new "super priority" same-day visa service for urgent travellers from India, the first-of-of-its-kind service to be launched by the UK anywhere in the world. The Super Priority Visa Service had been announced by British Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to the country in February, 2013.

Bangladesh building collapse: Mourners pray as army wraps up rescue op

Tue, 14 May 2013 03:21:39 +0530

Thousands of mourners gathered on Tuesday at the wreckage of the Bangladesh's worst building disaster to offer prayers for the 1,127 people who died when the eight-storeyed structure collapsed in April. The Islamic prayer service was held a day after the army ended the nearly three week, painstaking search for bodies among the rubble and turned control of the site over to the civilian government for cleanup.

Afghanistan: Motorcycle bomb at market kills 3

Tue, 14 May 2013 03:07:07 +0530

An Afghan official says a bomb hidden in a parked motorcycle has ripped through a crowded bazaar in a remote region of the southern Helmand province on Tuesday, killing at least three people and wounding seven. Omer Zawak, the spokesman for the provincial governor, says the explosion occurred today at the market in the village of Safar.

US engineers ask Senate to reject expansion of H1B visas

Tue, 14 May 2013 02:54:42 +0530

A professional US body of engineers has asked the Senators to reject any move to increase the number of H-1B visas, popular among Indian professionals, arguing that it has a damaging effect on American economy. In a statement issued on Monday, IEEE-USA - the largest American body of professional engineers asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject amendments to the comprehensive immigration bill that would increase H-1B temporary visa numbers, weaken safeguards for US and foreign workers and facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs.

'Dalai Lama instigating self-immolation bids'

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:31:44 +0530

Tibetans are committing self-immolations at the instigation of Dalai Lama, a top Tibetan official has alleged. "Since March 2012, there have been some cases of self immolation of monks at the instigation of the Dalai Lama," Tonga, Director general of Ethnic, Religious, Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of the People's Congress of Tibet Autonomous Region, told a group of visiting foreign journalists.

Astronaut's music video aboard ISS goes viral

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:58:33 +0530

A music video shot aboard the International Space Station went viral on Monday, turning an astronaut into an overnight music sensation with his zero-gravity version of David Bowie's hit "Space Oddity." As the first Canadian to command the space station, a $100 million project of 15 nations, Chris Hadfield had already earned himself a place in the history books.

Malaysia: Academic calls for closure of Tamil medium schools

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:46:13 +0530

A Malaysian academic has called for the closure of Tamil and Chinese medium school in the country to strengthen national unity, drawing sharp reaction from largest ethnic Indian political party which said the remarks are against the Federal Constitution. Former education ministry director-general Abdul Rahman Arshad has called for the abolishment of vernacular schools in favour of a single stream school which uses Malay as medium.

Passenger thrown out of the plane for singing non-stop

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:40:43 +0530

The pilot declared an emergency and requested clearance for an emergency landing at the Kansas City airport.

US DoJ secretly obtains AP journalists' phone records

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:56:36 +0530

In an unusual move, US Justice Department secretly obtained two months' of telephone records of journalists working for the Associated Press, an action termed by the global news wire as a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how it gathers the news. The Justice Department obtained secret records as part of a year-long investigation into the disclosure of classified information about a failed al-Qaeda plot in 2012.

Berlusconi sex trial: Prosecutors want six-year jail for ex-PM

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:48:03 +0530

Prosecutors have urged a Milan court to hand a six-year prison sentence and life ban from office to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi for having sex with a minor and for abuse of power. Prosecutor Ilda Boccassini asked the court to give Berlusconi five years in jail for corruption and one year for paying an underage prostitute for sex.

Russia: 2 men allegedly rape, murder a man for being gay

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:09:40 +0530

A 23-year-old man beaten to death in Volgograd in south Russia was the victim of a homophobic gang, Russian investigators have said. The naked body of the man with various injuries, including to his genitalia, was found in the courtyard of an apartment building May 10.

US Marine captain to face court martial over urination video

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:31 +0530

A US Marine officer will be court martialed for his alleged role in the scandal sparked by a 2011 video that showed American soldiers urinating on the corpse of Taliban fighter. Captain James V Clement will be tried at a special court-martial for his alleged misconduct during a counter-insurgency operation in the vicinity of Sandala, Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on or about July 27, 2011, the US Marine Corps said in a statement.

David Cameron congratulates Nawaz Sharif

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:36:45 +0530

British Prime Minister David Cameron has telephoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif to congratulate him on his party's success in general elections. Cameron, who took time out of an official US tour to telephone Sharif, agreed to work with him to strengthen bilateral relationship.

Pakistan Ambassador to US Sherry Rehman resigns

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:30:40 +0530

Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Sherry Rehman, has resigned from her post. Congratulating the new parliament on its election, Ambassador Rehman has sent in her resignation to the Prime Minister, saying that it is time a new envoy come in as quickly as possible so that there is no gap in the relationship, an Embassy spokesman said.

Ranbaxy fined $ 500 mn for selling adulterated drugs

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:30:40 +0530

Generic drugmaker Ranbaxy has been fined $500 million by the US government after its subsidiary pleaded guilty to sale of adulterated drugs manufactured in India. It is the largest settlement by a generic medicine maker till date. It includes $150 million in payments for a criminal fine and forfeiture and $350 million in payments for civil claims.

Search ends in Bangladesh; death toll put at 1127

Tue, 14 May 2013 06:50:34 +0530

Several of the biggest Western retailers embraced a plan that would require them to pay for factory improvements in Bangladesh as the three-week search for victims of the worst garment-industry disaster in history ended on Monday with the death toll at a staggering 1,127.

Obama says Cameron should fix relationship with EU

Tue, 14 May 2013 06:32:14 +0530

President Barack Obama intervened in Britain's emotive debate about its membership of the European Union on Monday, saying Prime Minister David Cameron should "fix" his country's relationship with the bloc before taking any steps to leave.

Police release images of Mother's Day parade shooting

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:27:04 +0530

Police have released video surveillance of a suspect wanted in the Mother's Day parade shooting in New Orleans, the largest city in Indian American Governor Bobby Jindal's state of Louisiana, injuring at least 19 people.

Bangladesh PM's dialogue offer 'good starting point': UN

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:59:01 +0530

A top UN official on Monday termed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's dialogue offer to the opposition as a good "starting point" to resolve the current political crisis in Bangladesh, but feared the failure of talks could invite an unwanted scenario. "It is good starting point," visiting UN assistant secretary general Oscar Fernandez-Taranco said, referring to the Prime Minister's dialogue offer to opposition parties to end the ongoing political impasse in the country.

UN urges world to eat insects to fight hunger

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:24:32 +0530

The latest weapon in the UN's fight against hunger, global warming and pollution might be flying by you right now. Edible insects are being promoted as a low-fat, high-protein food for people, pets and livestock. According to the UN, they come with appetizing side benefits: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and livestock pollution, creating jobs in developing countries and feeding the millions of hungry people in the world.

Bahrain: Indian man, daughter forced to live out in the open

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:38:47 +0530

An expatriate Indian man and his three-year-old daughter in Bahrain have been forced to rough it out in the open for the last six months after a business deal went sour.

US: 19 injured in New Orleans shooting

Mon, 13 May 2013 06:25:01 +0530

Gunmen fired shots during an informal Mother's Day afternoon parade in New Orleans in Louisiana state injuring 19 people, two of them children, according to police. The wounded in Sunday afternoon's shooting in the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana, governed by Indian-American Bobby Jindal, included 10 men and seven women as well as a boy and a girl, both 10.

Transsexual woman wins legal battle to marry boyfriend

Mon, 13 May 2013 04:00:15 +0530

A transsexual woman won an appeal in a Hong Kong court on Monday to marry her boyfriend, forcing the government to rewrite marriage laws in the city. The Court of Final Appeal, by a majority of four to one, ruled that the appellant, identified only as W, was entitled to be included as a woman and was therefore eligible to marry a man.

New Chinese premier to visit Pakistan next week

Mon, 13 May 2013 03:44:29 +0530

China's new Premier Li Keqiang will arrive in Islamabad next week to meet Pakistan's new leadership to give "further impetus" to the strategic ties between the two 'all-weather' allies. Li's two-day visit from May 22-23 comes at the invitation of President Asif Ali Zardari. It will be Li's first visit to Pakistan after becoming premier and comes at a time when the country has held its landmark general elections.

Savita's death: Midwives warn of more tragedies

Mon, 13 May 2013 03:30:45 +0530

Midwives and nurses in Ireland have warned that staff shortages at maternity units in the country could lead to a repeat of system failures that were blamed for Savita Halappanavar's death. The 31-year-old dentist had died at Galway University Hospital on October 28, 2012, after a miscarriage at 17 weeks.

NRI elected as Deputy Mayor of London Borough

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:03:39 +0530

A leading NRI in the UK has been elected as the Deputy Mayor of a London Borough. Councillor Sunil Chopra, has been elected as the Deputy Mayor of Southwark for 2013-14.

US: At least 19 injured in Mother's Day parade shooting

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:30:55 +0530

At least 19 people, including two children, have been wounded in New Orleans as gunmen opened fired on crowds taking part in a Mother's Day parade. Police say the shotting took place from different guns and three suspects were seen. No arrests have been made so far.

Turkey says world must act against Syria after bombings

Mon, 13 May 2013 06:40:24 +0530

Turkey accused a group with links to Syrian intelligence of carrying out car bombings that killed 46 people in a Turkish border town, and said on Sunday it was time for the world to act against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Bangladesh building collapse toll goes past 1,100

Mon, 13 May 2013 02:04:00 +0530

The death toll in Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster on Sunday rose to 1,125 after 15 more decomposed bodies were recovered from the debris of the ill-fated eight-storey building, 19 days after the tragedy. Rain has caused delays in recovery operations as overnight rainstorms forced rescuers to suspend work for several hours, and more rain today morning caused a brief delay. By afternoon, crews were back at work as they continued looking for bodies.

Syria rebels free four abducted UN peacekeepers

Sun, 12 May 2013 03:25:33 +0530

A UN sergeant stationed on the Golan Heights said all Filipino UN peacekeepers abducted last week have been released and are in good condition.

US Gurdwara shootout: Obama honours security personnel

Sun, 12 May 2013 11:16:57 +0530

The police officer who risked his life to save victims of the Wisconsin Gurdwara shootout in 2012 was honoured by US President Barack Obama at a White House award ceremony.

India most important partner in Asia: US

Sun, 12 May 2013 07:52:57 +0530

There is no more important partner for the United States in Asia than India and the growing convergence interests and outlook has brought about unprecedented cooperation between the two nations on regional and global security, a top US official has said.

Hosni Mubarak's retrial in Egypt to include new evidence

Sun, 12 May 2013 07:40:42 +0530

The retrial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resumed on Saturday, with prosecutors requesting to present new evidence from a fact-finding commission's report that claims the ex-leader had full knowledge of the extent of the violence used against protesters.

Astronauts conduct spacewalk to fix ammonia leak on ISS

Sun, 12 May 2013 07:18:09 +0530

Two astronauts aboard the International Space Station took a hurriedly arranged spacewalk on Saturday to try to fix an ammonia leak in a cooling system on one of the station's solar arrays that provide electricity to the orbital outpost.

Turkey: Car bombs kill 43 in Reyhanli near Syrian border

Sun, 12 May 2013 06:56:43 +0530

Twin car bombs killed around 43 people and wounded many more in a Turkish town near the Syrian border on Saturday and Turkey said it suspected Syrian involvement.

Rafsanjani rolls the dice last time to fix Iran's future

Sun, 12 May 2013 06:29:56 +0530

Iran's best known political grandee, former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, looms large in the history of the Islamic Republic - now registered to run in Iran's presidential election June 2013 he may also get the chance to carve out its future.

Bulgarian authorities seize fake ballots before election

Sun, 12 May 2013 01:40:19 +0530

Bulgaria has seized 350,000 fake ballot papers, prosecutors said on Saturday, a day before a parliamentary election that is likely to deliver no party a majority and more political turmoil in the EU's poorest country.

US: White House temporarily evacuated due to fire alarm

Sat, 11 May 2013 08:40:09 +0530

Reporters and photographers were temporarily evacuated from the West Wing of the White House on Saturday morning as an electrical problem set off a smoke alarm. The First Family was not affected, a White House official said.

India, China working on new border agreement: Khurshid

Sat, 11 May 2013 05:18:52 +0530

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who reached New Delhi on Saturday after his two-day China visit, said that his meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing was "fruitful" and the two countries are working on new border agreement.

Indian wonder boy Ritankar is youngest Berkeley topper in a century

Sat, 11 May 2013 11:20:32 +0530

Kolkata-born Ritankar Das, a bioengineering and chemical biology double major at the University of California at Berkeley, has become the youngest student to receive the University Medal in more than a century. The medal is given to the year's top graduating senior. Das, who began his freshman term when he was 15, will be graduating with more than 200 credits and a GPA of 3.99, which includes eight A+ marks, in three years, according to the university news centre.

Chinese media hails Salman Khurshid's visit

Sat, 11 May 2013 08:30:05 +0530

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's visit to China reaffirmed the consensus of the two neighbours to achieve win-win results despite attempts by Western media to drive a wedge between the two counties, Chinese media said on Friday. Khurshid's trip drew world's attention as it took place soon after a border incident between the two nations, and Western media tended to cast China-India ties in the light of "border row" or "strategic rivalry."

US returning trove of dinosaur fossils to Mongolia

Sat, 11 May 2013 07:50:23 +0530

The United States will return to Mongolia more than a dozen illegally smuggled dinosaur skeletons, including two Tyrannosaurus bataars that are 70 million years old and at least six fossilized Oviraptors, US officials said on Friday.

Boston bombing suspect buried in Virginia cemetery

Sat, 11 May 2013 07:35:21 +0530

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been buried in a cemetery in central Virginia, infuriating some members of the area's Islamic community who say they weren't consulted and flooring at least one neighbor who said she didn't even know she lived near a burial ground.

Former Guatemala dictator found guilty of genocide

Sat, 11 May 2013 07:11:37 +0530

A Guatemalan court on Friday found former dictator Efrain Rios Montt guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity during the bloodiest phase of the country's 36-year civil war.

Wounded Syrians show signs of chemical attack, says Turkey

Sat, 11 May 2013 06:56:05 +0530

Syrian casualties treated in Turkey show signs of being victims of chemical weapons, the Turkish foreign minister said on Friday, adding to indications that President Barack Obama's "red line" on the use of such arms may have been crossed.

Longest held Cleveland captive now out of hospital

Sat, 11 May 2013 06:41:58 +0530

Michelle Knight, freed earlier this week as the longest held of four captives in a dungeon-like Cleveland house, was discharged from the hospital on Friday and went into seclusion.

Spacewalk planned to fix ammonia leak on space station

Sat, 11 May 2013 06:17:02 +0530

NASA plans to send two astronauts aboard the International Space Station out on a spacewalk on Saturday to try to fix an ammonia leak in a cooling system on one of the station's solar arrays, the US space agency said on Friday.

China, India pledge to strengthen ties

Sat, 11 May 2013 04:25:09 +0530

China-India relations have "strategic significance" and "global impact" as both are large developing countries and emerging markets, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told India's visiting External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid in Beijing on Friday.

Modi to address NRIs in 18 US cities through video conference

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:22:40 +0530

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has been refused US visa since 2005, will address Indian diaspora in 18 cities in that country through a video conference on June 13 as a part of Gujarat Day celebrations.

Bangladesh building collapse: Woman rescued alive after 17 days

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:28:49 +0530

A woman was rescued on Friday after spending 17 days trapped under the rubble of a Bangladesh factory building that collapsed on April 24, killing more than 1,000 people, police and military officials said.

'Too pretty' label mars South Korean boxing starlet's win

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:40:51 +0530

Lee Si-young's victories triggered a storm of protest that has marred her unexpected success in the ring.

Palestinians chose a new president on reality TV

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:13:00 +0530

'The President' is broadcast weekly on Maan TV, a popular independent Palestinian TV station.

Will Zhang Yimou be fined for having seven children?

Fri, 10 May 2013 02:42:21 +0530

Chinese authorities have begun investigating reports that Zhang Yimou has seven children.

China will consider improving Brahmaputra water mechanism: Khurshid

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:07:16 +0530

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Thursday said China has responded positively to India's concerns over dams being built by them on the River Brahmaputra. Khurshid was all praise for the Chinese and said both countries have shown maturity in dealing with the border crisis. Khurshid is likely to meet the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang later on Friday.

Bangladesh factory building collapse death toll hits 1,021

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:56:42 +0530

The death toll from a garment factory building that collapsed more than two weeks ago outside the Bangladeshi capital soared past 1,000 on Friday, while the list of the dead from a fresh fire at a sweater manufacturer showed the entanglement of the industry and top Bangladeshi officials.

Refrain from statements denigrating Dalai Lama: US to China

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:46:45 +0530

Asking China to refrain from making statements that denigrate the Dalai Lama and Tibet's unique cultural, linguistic and religious traditions, the United States has said the Tibetans be permitted to express their grievances freely.

Syria 'likely' to have used chemical weapons, says UK

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:06:50 +0530

Britain said on Thursday it was "very likely" the Syrian government had used chemical weapons, and Turkey announced it was stepping up testing of people fleeing the Syrian civil war for traces.

China has not given any reason for intrusion: Khurshid

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:46:50 +0530

China has not yet given any reason for the recent intrusion in Ladakh, an episode that has cast a shadow on bilateral ties, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said on Thursday.

Bangladesh building collapse toll reaches 931

Thu, 09 May 2013 06:25:27 +0530

The death toll in Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster on Thursday rose to 931 as rescuers overnight pulled out 97 more decomposed bodies from sandwiched floors of the ill-fated eight-storey building that collapsed in April. "Ninety seven more bodies were retrieved since Wednesday night ... the figure now stands at 931," an official of the makeshift army control room told reporters as the military-led salvage operation entered the 16th day on Thursday.

A weak Parliament is being predicted in Pak: Ayesha Siddiqa

Thu, 09 May 2013 06:22:35 +0530

As Pakistan braces for the May 11 national elections, this will be the first time that a democratically elected government has completed its full term and elections are being held on time. So how are the odds stacked up? Can President Zardari's PPP beat the anti-incumbency wave? Or are Imran Khan's PTI and Nawaz Sharif's PML-N poised to put up a formidable fight? What are the main issues? Pakistani political analyst Ayesha Siddiqa joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the issue.

B'desh war crimes: Jamaat leader gets death penalty

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:56:27 +0530

A top leader of Bangladesh's fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami was on Thursday sentenced to death for mass murder and "crimes against humanity" he committed during the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan, becoming the fourth person to be convicted in the case.

Bangladesh: 8 killed in fire at a garment factory in Dhaka

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:55:20 +0530

A major fire at a garment factory in Dhaka killed its managing director, a top police official and six others, officials said on Thursday.

Japan's new 'Abenomics' bra links bust sizes to national economy

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:43:02 +0530

The latest 'Branomics Bra' follows earlier solar-powered, recycled and "husband-hunting" models but, like its predecessors, will not go on sale.

Berlusconi tax fraud sentence upheld by Italian court

Thu, 09 May 2013 07:40:16 +0530

A Milan appeals court upheld a four-year sentence for tax fraud against former prime minister and centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday, adding to the complications facing Italy's fragile coalition government.

US, Russia seek new Syria peace talks; rebels sceptical

Thu, 09 May 2013 07:27:40 +0530

Russia and the United States agreed to seek new peace talks with both sides to end Syria's civil war, but opposition leaders were sceptical on Wednesday of an initiative they fear might let President Bashar al-Assad hang on to power.

US: Captive tells police she took first chance to escape

Thu, 09 May 2013 06:47:06 +0530

Amanda Berry and two other women were isolated, held captive and raped in a house stocked with ropes and chains for nearly a decade, and she told police her escape two days ago was her first chance to break free.

US administration weighs options for expanding wiretap laws

Thu, 09 May 2013 06:20:36 +0530

The Obama administration may seek to end a long-running debate over Internet wiretaps with proposed legislation that would enable law-enforcement agencies to tap into many types of Internet communications, US officials with knowledge of the matter said.

SBI California ordered to clean up US operations

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:28:40 +0530

The California-based subsidiary of State Bank of India (SBI) has agreed to take a series of steps to improve its banking practices related to bad loans following a review by US regulators. The largest Indian bank consented March 6, 2013 to the orders of the federal and state regulators "without admitting or denying any charges of unsafe or unsound banking practices relating to the June 18, 2012, examination"

30 TN fishermen released by Lankan court return home

Thu, 09 May 2013 01:52:58 +0530

Thirty fishermen from Rameswaram, who were set free by a Sri Lankan court after being arrested by the island Navy in April 2013 on charges of poaching, arrived at Rameswaram on Wednesday. The fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on April 6, 2013 while fishing near Katchatheevu, an islet ceded by India to the island republic, for allegedly entering into Lankan waters.

Finland best place to be a mother; India behind China, Pakistan

Wed, 08 May 2013 05:47:23 +0530

Finland has topped the list of countries where mothers enjoy the best conditions in the world, while India ranks a low 142nd, below China and Pakistan, according to a new global report.

Over 18,000 Indians in Saudi seek emergency certificate

Wed, 08 May 2013 04:25:27 +0530

Over 18,000 Indians have approached the Indian embassy in Riyadh seeking 'emergency certificate' to leave Saudi Arabia amid concerns about possible job losses due to implementation of a new labour law "Nitaqat" that seeks to reserve 10 per cent jobs for locals. The Indian workers have applied for issuance of Emergency Certificate (EC) to leave the country as they had given their passports to the sponsors.

Sri Lankan court orders release of 30 Indian fishermen

Wed, 08 May 2013 03:20:33 +0530

A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday ordered release of 30 fishermen from here, arrested in April by Island Navy on charges of poaching, according to Fishermen Association sources here.

Chinese tofu feud lands on Obama's plate!

Wed, 08 May 2013 01:32:19 +0530

Internet users in China, a country with a long tradition of petitioning, are appealing to a new authority to resolve grievances and controversies such as the merits of salty or sweet tofu - the US White House petitions website.

US: Elderly Sikh man assaulted outside gurudwara, 1 arrested

Wed, 08 May 2013 01:28:14 +0530

In a suspected hate crime, an elderly Sikh man has been brutally assaulted with an iron rod outside a Gurudwara in the US and was in a serious condition, as police arrested a person in connection with the incident.

US: Indian-Ameican Congressman Ami Bera joins Sikh caucus

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:40:54 +0530

The newly-formed American Sikh Congressional Caucus, which is backed by groups and individuals who in the past have openly supported the Khalistan movement, has got a shot in the arm with Ami Bera, the only Indian-American Congressman, joining the group.

Turkey's national airline bans female flight attendants from wearing red lipstick, nail polish

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:19:55 +0530

Turkey's national airline has barred female flight attendants from wearing red lipstick and nail polish, striking a nerve among secular Turks worried the country is becoming more Islamic.

Nigeria: 55 killed as Boko Haram attacks Borno state

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:35 +0530

At least 55 people, including 13 terrorists of radical Islamic sect Boko Haram, were killed when the latter attacked an army base, a police station and a prison in Nigeria's northern state of Borno, official sources said.

North Korea has to pay a price for provocations: Obama

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:50:30 +0530

Emphasising that North Korea has to pay for its recent provocative behaviour, US President Barack Obama and his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-Hye have said that engagement process would be initiated if Pyongyang gives up its nuclear ambitions.

China calls US the 'real hacking empire' after Pentagon report

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:32:18 +0530

China on Wednesday accused the United States of sowing discord between China and its neighbours after the Pentagon said Beijing is using espionage to fuel its military modernisation, branding Washington the "real hacking empire".

US: Abduction victims will need therapy, survivors say

Wed, 08 May 2013 06:42:34 +0530

The three young women imprisoned for around a decade in a white two-story house in Ohio are going to need support and, most of all, privacy as they re-integrate into society, survivors of other long-term kidnapping ordeals said on Tuesday.

US, Russia push for rapid talks to end Syria carnage

Wed, 08 May 2013 05:58:51 +0530

Russia and the United States have agreed to bury their differences over Syria and hold urgent international talks to find a settlement that can end the carnage of a civil war that is inflaming the entire Middle East.

Philanthropic campaign by Bill Gates gets more pledges

Wed, 08 May 2013 05:46:34 +0530

Nine more wealthy families and individuals have pledged to give at least half of their fortunes to charity as part of a philanthropic campaign by two of the world's richest men, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

Four United Nations peacekeepers abducted on Golan Heights

Wed, 08 May 2013 04:56:09 +0530

Four UN peacekeepers, all from the Philippines, were abducted on the Golan Heights on Tuesday by an armed group believed to be the same one to have abducted 21 Filipino peacekeepers two months ago, the United Nations said. The abduction took place "near Position 86", a UN spokeswoman told Xinhua. "Efforts to secure their release are underway."

India kept phone line open with China to resolve stand-off

Wed, 08 May 2013 04:19:29 +0530

India's quiet diplomacy was at work again, as New Delhi kept the phone lines with Beijing continuously ringing to defuse the 20-day stand-off on the border, conveying firmly that the Chinese troops would have to revert to status quo that existed before the April 15, 2013 incursion.

Dubai: Indian faces trial for allegedly raping 6-year-old

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:40:06 +0530

An Indian, working as a cleaner in a school in Bahrain, has been put on trial on charges of raping a six-year-old schoolboy. The 24-year-old, whose name has not been divulged, is alleged to have raped the boy in the toilet of a private school in December 2012, the Gulf Daily News reported on Tuesday.

China rejects US Pentagon's charges of military espionage

Tue, 07 May 2013 08:25:50 +0530

The Pentagon said on Monday that China is using espionage to acquire technology to fuel its military modernization. The Pentagon for the first time accused the Chinese of trying to break into US defence computer networks, though China on Tuesday firmly desmised the allegations.

Thirty dead dogs found in Danish man's freezer

Tue, 07 May 2013 07:23:12 +0530

Danish police found 30 dead dogs, including 25 puppies, in a freezer while investigating complaints of loud barking. Police spokesman Soeren Bach said that they discovered the dogs on Monday at a 66-year-old man's house after he had refused to pay fines for disturbing the peace and ignored an April court order banning him from keeping dogs on his property in Hjoerring, northern Denmark.

Queen Elizabeth to skip Commonwealth summit in Colombo

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:15:32 +0530

For the first time in 40 years, Queen Elizabeth II will skip the Commonwealth summit to be held in Sri Lanka in November, deciding to send her son Prince Charles instead for the biennial event. 87-year-old Queen will miss the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for the first time since 1973, Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday.

Indian-origin surgeon faces re-trial in Australia

Tue, 07 May 2013 03:15:19 +0530

Prosecutors have filed in an Australian court for a fresh trial of a former Indian origin surgeon in a hospital in that country for causing grievous bodily harm to a patient.

Bangladesh building collapse toll climbs to 700

Tue, 07 May 2013 02:04:58 +0530

The death in the worst-ever industrial disaster in Bangladesh rose to nearly 700 as rescuers on Tuesday pulled out 18 more decomposed bodies from the debris of the ill-fated eight-storey building that toppled down in April.

Not establishing a military base in Maldives: US

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:58:46 +0530

Ruling out establishing a military base or having permanent boots on the ground in Maldives, a top Obama Administration official has said that the US has consulted India on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which it is currently negotiating with the island nation.

US honours 2 Indian-Americans as 'champions of change'

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:22:59 +0530

The US has honoured 15 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women, including two Indian-Americans, as "champions of change" in recognition of their significant contribution to the community.

US: Three missing women found in Ohio, three arrested

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:59:32 +0530

Three women who went missing separately about a decade ago, when they were in their teens or early 20s, had been tied up and held in a home just south of downtown before being found on Monday, and three brothers were arrested, police said.

US: World's first 3D-printed gun fires real bullets

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:42:32 +0530

A non-profit group from Texas claims to have successfully fired a plastic gun that was made using a 3D printer.

Border tensions between India and China remain: US department

Tue, 07 May 2013 07:32:32 +0530

After three weeks of a standoff between India and China along the LAC in Ladakh which ended on Monday, speculation is rising that Delhi agreed to demolish a border observation bunker.

At least 20 dead in Islamist protests in Bangladesh

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:53:00 +0530

At least 20 Bangladeshis were killed on Monday in clashes between police and hardline Islamists demanding religious reforms, as violence spread beyond the capital Dhaka to other parts of the country.

US: Bombing suspect's family struggles to find burial site

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:38:48 +0530

The body of suspected Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev remained in limbo on Monday as his family searched for a cemetery that would accept the remains.

Israel says 'no winds of war' despite Syria air strikes

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:10:27 +0530

Israel played down weekend air strikes reported to have killed dozens of Syrian soldiers close to Damascus, saying they were not aimed at influencing its neighbour's civil war but only at stopping Iranian missiles reaching Lebanese Hezbollah militants.

Bangladesh building collapse toll tops 640

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:58:14 +0530

Bangladeshi police are investigating possible murder charges against the owner of a shoddily built factory that collapsed nearly two weeks ago after the wife of a garment worker crushed in the accident filed a complaint. The legal development comes as officials today said that the death toll from the country's worst industrial disaster had reached 645.

Air strikes did not aim to help Syria rebels, says Israel

Mon, 06 May 2013 05:30:12 +0530

Israel sought to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday that its recent air strikes around Damascus did not aim to weaken him in the face of a more than two-year-old rebellion. Officials say Israel is reluctant to take sides in Syria's civil war for fear its actions would boost Islamists who are even more hostile to Israel than the Assad family, which has maintained a stable stand off with the Jewish state for decades.

UK: New pill can help you cut back on alcohol

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:25:19 +0530

Got a drinking problem? Pop this pill! A new once-a-day pill which could help problem drinkers reduce the amount of alcohol they consume has been launched in the UK. Manufacturers claim that dependent drinkers who take the drug nalmefene and undergo counselling can cut their alcohol consumption levels by 61 per cent.

Australia: India-born doctor escapes deportation

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:10:06 +0530

An India-born doctor in Australia, convicted of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old patient, has walked free from an immigration detention centre. Suhail Durani, 36, was convicted of inappropriately touching the patient and asking her indecent questions in the February 20, 2010, incident at the Royal Perth Hospital.

China tacitly acknowledges withdrawal of troops from Ladakh

Mon, 06 May 2013 03:50:54 +0530

Tacitly acknowledging the withdrawal of its troops from Depsang Valley in Ladakh, China on Monday said the "standoff incident" with India was resolved through "fruitful consultations", keeping the larger interests of bilateral relations in mind.

No deal was struck with China to end Ladakh face off: Sources

Mon, 06 May 2013 02:07:30 +0530

With China-India standoff in Ladakh sector coming to an end, sources said on Monday that Delhi has not given in to any of the demands made by Beijing.

Venezuela rebuffs Obama, repeats case against US 'spy'

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:30:34 +0530

Venezuela brushed off criticism from US President Barack Obama on Sunday and maintained its accusation that an American detainee in Caracas is a spy pretending to be a filmmaker. During his visit to Latin America, Obama said on Saturday the allegations against Tim Tracy, 35, were "ridiculous."

Is it a baby boy for Kate Middleton?

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:59:32 +0530

Prince Harry has reportedly revealed the sex of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first child, saying it will be a boy and that he is excited about welcoming his first nephew.

Bangladesh: Protesters clash with police over blasphemy law

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:24:46 +0530

Bangladesh's police and paramilitary troops on Sunday night dispersed a huge demonstration by thousands of Islamist protesters after violent clashes in Dhaka left seven people dead and scores injured.

Aircraft crashes in a fireball at Spanish air show

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:00:26 +0530

A historic jet plane crashed into a hangar and exploded in a fireball at an air show southwest of the capital on Sunday, severely injuring its pilot who later died in the hospital, officials said.

Israel: PM Benjamin Netanyahu silent on Syria attack

Mon, 06 May 2013 07:09:28 +0530

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made no mention at a public appearance on Sunday of Israeli air strikes on Syria in recent days but spoke pointedly about a commitment to keeping Israel secure.

Somalia: Suicide bomber kills seven in Mogadishu

Mon, 06 May 2013 06:47:43 +0530

Seven people were killed on Sunday morning when a suicide bomber attempted to ram a car laden with explosives into a military convoy escorting a four-member Qatari delegation.

Israeli airstrikes on Syria prompt threats, anger

Mon, 06 May 2013 06:19:33 +0530

Israel rushed to beef up its rocket defenses on its northern border on Sunday to shield against possible retaliation after carrying out two airstrikes in Syria over 48 hours - an unprecedented escalation of Israeli involvement in the Syrian civil war.

US: Uncle arranging Boston bomb suspect's burial rites

Mon, 06 May 2013 01:32:57 +0530

The uncle of a Boston Marathon bombing suspect killed in a gun battle with police arrived at a funeral home on Sunday to prepare his body for burial.

Malaysia coalition extends rule in tight election

Mon, 06 May 2013 01:13:31 +0530

Malaysia's governing coalition won a tight national election on Sunday to extend its 56-year rule, fending off an opposition alliance that pledged to clean up politics and end race-based policies in Southeast Asia's third-largest economy.

Bangladesh: Building owner faces murder complaint

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:55:52 +0530

The wife of a Bangladeshi garment worker who was killed when a building collapsed filed a murder complaint against the building's owner on Sunday as the death toll from the country's worst industrial disaster climbed to 622.

Libya tense ahead of vote on former Gaddafi officials

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:47:52 +0530

Libya's legislative assembly gathered on Sunday to vote on a law banning officials who worked for Muammar Gaddafi from the new administration, a step that could potentially force out the prime minister and other senior officials.

Malaysians vote in record numbers, ruling party ahead

Sun, 05 May 2013 10:32:21 +0530

Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional took an early lead in Sundays's in the knife-edge election that saw a record 80 per cent polling, with one of the world's longest-serving governments that has been in power for almost six decades, winning 37 of the 49 seats declared so far.

Tension escalates after Israel warplanes strike Syria

Sun, 05 May 2013 09:16:52 +0530

Israeli warplanes struck areas in and around the Syrian capital on Sunday, setting off a series of explosions as they targeted a shipment of highly accurate, Iranian-made guided missiles believed to be bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, officials and activists said. The attack, the second in three days and the third this year, signaled a sharp escalation of Israel's involvement in Syria's bloody civil war.

Bangladesh building collapse toll nears 600

Sun, 05 May 2013 07:53:11 +0530

The toll in the building collapse on the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka has swelled to nearly 600, authorities said on Sunday, even as rescuers continued removing concrete slabs and debris 12 days after the industrial tragedy.

Boston blasts: Jailed friend of bomber seeks release

Sun, 05 May 2013 04:45:12 +0530

Lawyers for one of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's friends, who was arrested and charged with aiding the Boston bombings suspect, have sought his release describing him as a "frightened and confused" teenager who did not deliberately lie to investigators.

Israel strikes Syria, targeting missiles: Security source

Sun, 05 May 2013 01:28:02 +0530

Israel carried out its second air strikes in days on Syria early on Sunday, a Western intelligence source said, in an attack that shook Damascus with a series of powerful blasts and drove columns of fire into the night sky.

Proposed US immigration bill gives preference to better educated people

Sun, 05 May 2013 01:07:26 +0530

US immigration authorities would give preference to better-educated and trained visa-seekers who can contribute to the American economy under a less-noticed provision of the immigration bill in the US Congress.

VVIP chopper deal: Former Finmeccanica chief released from jail

Sun, 05 May 2013 12:56:25 +0530

The former CEO of the Italian defense giant Finmeccanica was released on Saturday from jail pending his trial on corruption charges in June.

Ready to defend Syria against Israel, US, says Hezbollah

Sun, 05 May 2013 10:07:00 +0530

The Lebanese Hezbollah's political council has said the group stands ready to engage in the fight to prevent Syria's collapse as well as being controlled by Israel and the US, a media report said.

UK: Lawmaker Nigel Evans arrested for allegedly raping two men

Sun, 05 May 2013 07:23:05 +0530

British MP and senior Conservative Party politician Nigel Evans was arrested by the London Police after being accused of raping two men.

Solar-powered plane wraps first leg of flight across US

Sun, 05 May 2013 07:00:50 +0530

The flight from San Fransisco to Phoenix took 18 hours and 18 minutes on Saturday - and didn't use a drop of fuel. A solar-powered airplane that developers hope eventually to pilot around the world landed safely in Phoenix on the first leg of an attempt to fly across the United States using only the sun's energy, project organizers said.

Lawmaker arrested on suspicion of rape, say reports

Sun, 05 May 2013 03:00:44 +0530

British media say that a senior Conservative Party politician has been arrested for questioning on suspicion of rape and sexual assault.

India, Iran discuss Afghanistan, ink 3 MoUs

Sat, 04 May 2013 11:43:47 +0530

India and Iran on Friday discussed the developing situation in Afghanistan and agreed to remain in regular contact. The two sides also inked three MoUs during the 17th meeting of the Iran-India Joint Economic Commission which is being held here on May 3-5.

Singapore: Indian-origin student jailed for forgery

Sat, 04 May 2013 07:20:57 +0530

A 22-year-old Indian-origin student has been sentenced to 22 months in jail by a Singapore court for a series of cheating and forgery cases. Suraj Kumar Sarabjeet admitted to 10 counts of cheating and forgery in a district court in this city-state on Friday, the Straits Times reported.

After Boston blasts, US orders new visa reviews for arriving students

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:59:43 +0530

The Homeland Security Department ordered border agents to verify that every international student who arrives in the US has a valid student visa, according to an internal memorandum obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

South Africa: 5 officials suspended over an Indian wedding scandal

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:38:22 +0530

Five South African officials, including police and military commanders, have been suspended after a chartered plane carrying about 200 guests from India to a lavish family wedding was allowed to land at a South African air force base, the government said on Friday.

US: Dow hits 15, 000 on job market strength

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:37:17 +0530

US stocks added to gains on Friday, with the Dow industrials at a record high above 15,000 after a strong payrolls report for April and large upward revisions showed the jobs market is healing despite the sluggish recovery in the overall economy.

Bangladesh building collapse toll exceeds 500, engineer arrested

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:24:52 +0530

Police on Friday arrested an engineer for negligence in duty in connection with the worst building collapse in Bangladesh that left at least 509 people dead.

US, Latin America must strengthen economies: Obama

Sat, 04 May 2013 07:30:00 +0530

President Barack Obama came to Latin America eager to move the region's relationship with the US beyond fighting drugs and organized crime, yet the pervasive problems still trailed him throughout his three-day trip to Mexico and Costa Rica.

Investigators believe Boston bombs made at Tsarnaev's home

Sat, 04 May 2013 06:52:25 +0530

Investigators believe Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his younger brother, Dzhokhar, likely made the bombs they are suspected of setting off at last month's Boston Marathon in Tamerlan's home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, law enforcement officials said on Friday.

Houston airport shooter wrote in note of 'monster within'

Sat, 04 May 2013 06:34:26 +0530

A man who caused a panic when he fired a Glock semi-automatic pistol in the air at a busy Houston airport terminal and then killed himself, left a suicide note that spoke of "the monster within me," police said on Friday.

India shares culture with Bangladesh, says Meira Kumar

Sat, 04 May 2013 04:51:49 +0530

India attaches the highest importance to its relationship with Bangladesh due to their shared history, common heritage, linguistic and cultural ties, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said on Friday.

India to participate in upgradation of Chahbahar port

Sat, 04 May 2013 02:30:46 +0530

India will participate in the upgradation of strategically crucial Chahbahar port in Iran, that gives access to Afghanistan, and the issue will be discussed when External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid holds talks with his counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi. "We have taken a decision. We will collaborate for development of the port," Khurshid told reporters accompanying him on a three-day visit to Iran.

Building collapse: Pressure on retailers to fix factories

Sat, 04 May 2013 01:51:01 +0530

In the aftermath of a building collapse that killed more than 500 people, Bangladesh's garment manufacturers may face a choice of reform or perish. Home to five factories that supplied clothing to retailers in Europe and the United States, the shoddily constructed building's collapse has put a focus on the high human price paid when Bangladeshi government ineptitude, Western consumer apathy and global retailing's drive for the lowest cost of production intersect.

Bangladesh: Disaster not 'really serious', says minister

Sat, 04 May 2013 12:47:15 +0530

Bangladesh's finance minister has downplayed the impact of last week's factory-building collapse on his country's garment industry, saying he didn't think it was "really serious" hours after the 500th body was pulled from the debris. Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith spoke today as the government cracked down on those it blamed for the disaster in the Dhaka suburb of Savar. It suspended Savar's mayor and arrested an engineer who had called for the building's evacuation last week, but was also accused of helping the owner add three illegal floors to the eight-story structure.

Italy: Trial in VVIP chopper scam to begin from June 19

Fri, 03 May 2013 08:09:47 +0530

The 'instant trial' in Rome against ex-CEO of the Italian state-controlled defence giant Finmeccanica, Giuseppe Orsi and the CEO of its helicopter unit AgustaWestland, Bruno Spagnoli for alleged kickbacks in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal with India will begin on June 19.

FBI adds first woman to its most-wanted list

Fri, 03 May 2013 03:31:40 +0530

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has put a woman on its most wanted terrorist list for the first time, announcing a reward of $1 million for information leading to her arrest.

China: Police bust million-dollar rat meat ring

Fri, 03 May 2013 02:22:50 +0530

Chinese police have broken a crime ring that passed off more than $1 million in rat and small mammal meat as mutton, authorities said, in a food safety crackdown that coincides with a bird flu outbreak and other environmental pressures.

US seeks N Korean amnesty for American jailed for 15 years

Fri, 03 May 2013 07:42:24 +0530

North Korea sentenced an American citizen to 15 years of hard labor on Thursday for crimes against the state, prompting a US call for his amnesty in hopes of avoiding him becoming a bargaining chip between the two countries.

Mayor suspended as Bangladesh disaster toll climbs to 430

Fri, 03 May 2013 07:12:49 +0530

The mayor of the Bangladesh municipality where a factory building collapsed killing more than 400 people was suspended from office on Thursday, a government minister said, as rescuers pressed on with the task of recovering bodies from the wreckage.

Man dead after Houston airport shooting sparks panic

Fri, 03 May 2013 06:51:05 +0530

A man sparked a panic at a busy Houston airport terminal on Thursday when he pulled out a gun and shot at the ceiling, then either shot himself or was killed by a security officer who confronted him.

Boeing plans to build world's longest-range passenger jet

Fri, 03 May 2013 06:43:06 +0530

Boeing has shown airlines a blueprint for the world's longest-range passenger jet, adding spice to a long-awaited revamp of its 777 wide-body jet, people familiar with the matter said.

Remains of Boston Marathon bombing suspect claimed

Fri, 03 May 2013 06:25:06 +0530

The body of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was the subject of a massive manhunt and died after a gunbattle with police, was claimed on Thursday.

Khurshid will go ahead with Beijing visit: Official

Fri, 03 May 2013 04:25:45 +0530

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid is to go ahead with his May 9, 2013 Beijing visit amid the stand-off between the two countries over the incursion by Chinese troops in Depsang area of Ladakh. External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said on Thursday, in answer to a question, that Khurshid has said that "he intends to go and that is the last word".

Trade issues to dominate Khurshid's visit to Iran

Fri, 03 May 2013 03:25:22 +0530

Ways to increase commercial links with sanctions-hit Iran to reduce huge bilateral trade imbalance will be high on the agenda when External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid travels to Tehran on Friday on a three-day visit. India's participation in the upgradation of Iran's Chahbahar port, which gives access to Afghanistan, will also be among a host of issues expected to figure in the talks that Khurshid will have with his counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi and President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

Boston suspect texted 'LoL' when warned by friend: FBI

Thu, 02 May 2013 07:10:41 +0530

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the lone surviving Chechen-origin Boston bombings suspect, texted 'LOL' in a chilling response to a message from his friend who warned him that police was on the look out for him.

NASA invites public to send names, poems and messages to Mars

Thu, 02 May 2013 01:31:59 +0530

Want to be a part of space exploration history? NASA is inviting public to submit their names, short poems and personal messages online for a DVD to be carried aboard a spacecraft that will study the Martian atmosphere. The DVD will carry every name submitted. The public also is encouraged to submit a message in the form of a three-line poem, or haiku, NASA said.

Sikh group offers a million dollars for Sajjan Kumar's conviction

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:20:05 +0530

A US based Sikh rights group has announced a million-dollar reward for those individuals whose testimony and evidence may result in the conviction of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar.

US: 5-year-old boy shoots and kills his 2-year-old sister

Thu, 02 May 2013 04:49:13 +0530

In a shocking incident, a 5-year-old toddler in the US accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old sister with a rifle that was given to him as a gift.

US may give lethal weapons to Syrian rebels: Report

Thu, 02 May 2013 04:29:21 +0530

The US is considering providing lethal weapons to Syrian opposition forces and a decision is expected within weeks, a media report said Wednesday.

Boston blasts: 3 arrested men charged with undermining probe

Thu, 02 May 2013 03:50:06 +0530

US authorities on Wednesday charged three men with interfering with the investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing, saying they hid fireworks and a backpack belonging to one of the suspected bombers as a manhunt was under way.

Bangladesh factory collapse: EU considers trade action

Thu, 02 May 2013 03:12:47 +0530

The European Union is considering trade action against Bangladesh, which has preferential access to EU markets for its garments, to pressure Dhaka to improve safety standards after a building collapse killed more than 400 factory workers.

Indian-origin professor denied tenure by Singapore university

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:26:57 +0530

Singapore's second largest university has rejected an appeal to renew the tenure of an Indian-origin journalism Professor who is said to be critical of censorship in the city-state, a media report said on Wednesday.

Boston blasts: 3 more suspects in custody, say police

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:50:34 +0530

Three more suspects have been taken into custody in the Boston Marathon bombings, city police said Wednesday. The police department made the announcement in a tweet Wednesday morning, saying more details would follow.

Failing to cool down itself makes Saturn bright, young

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:40:27 +0530

Astronomers trying to understand why Saturn appears 'young' - brighter than expected for a planet of its age - have found that gas generated deep within keeps it looking young and hot. As planets age they become darker and cooler. Saturn however is much brighter than expected - a question that has puzzled scientists since the late sixties.

Ireland: Savita's death prompts review of abortion laws

Wed, 01 May 2013 05:14:50 +0530

The Irish cabinet has reached an agreement which will allow limited legal abortions for the first time ever. This historic bill is part of legislative changes that were promised after Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar died after she was denied a life-saving abortion.

Manmohan, Sonia among 500 powerful people on the planet

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:45:51 +0530

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi are among 16 Indians who have found a place in the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine's list of the 500 most powerful people on the planet.

Willem-Alexander becomes new Dutch king

Wed, 01 May 2013 01:08:28 +0530

Millions of Dutch people dressed in orange flocked to celebrations around the Netherlands in honour of a once-in-a-generation milestone for the country's ruling House of Orange-Nassau: after a 33-year reign, Queen Beatrix abdicated in favour of her eldest son, Willem-Alexander.

Shirt that can be worn for 100 days without being washed

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:50:02 +0530

Who needs laundry? A US company claims to have developed an incredible shirt that can be worn for 100 days straight without needing a wash or ironing.

US panel calls Pakistan world's worst violator of religious freedom

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:37:58 +0530

A panel in the United States has asked the government to continue its visa ban on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The same report has deemed Pakistan the world's worst violator of religious freedom.

South African President criticised for broadcasting Mandela's video

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:03:07 +0530

The public broadcast of a video showing African National Congress President Jacob Zuma and other officials visiting ailing anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela at his home in Johannesburg has drawn severe criticism from public.

Rapper Psy's story immortalised in a comic book

Wed, 01 May 2013 10:31:17 +0530

The story of South Korean rap sensation Psy's ascent to global stardom with his megahit 'Gangnam Style' has now been immortalised in full color and with appropriate dramatic flourishes in a comic book.

US calls on Sri Lanka to ensure freedom of press

Wed, 01 May 2013 07:20:19 +0530

Expressing deep concern over the recent surge in attacks on Sri Lankan media organisations, the US on Tuesday called on the country to ensure freedom of press.

UPA afraid of taking action on China issue: Uma Bharati

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:26:19 +0530

BJP leader Uma Bharati on Tuesday alleged that UPA government was "afraid" of taking any action on China issue. Uma told reporters in Etawah, "Delaying any step on China issue was not in the national interest."

US: Obama defends FBI handling of Boston suspect

Wed, 01 May 2013 03:26:26 +0530

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday defended the FBI on its investigations related to the suspected Chechen-origin Boston bombers, even as he praised Russia for its co-operation in the probe into the attacks.

NASA gets close-up views of large hurricane on Saturn

Wed, 01 May 2013 03:06:43 +0530

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has provided scientists the first close-up, visible-light views of a behemoth hurricane swirling around Saturn's North Pole.

US: 2-year-old girl gets windpipe made from stem cells

Wed, 01 May 2013 02:26:35 +0530

A 2-year-old girl born without a windpipe now has a new one grown from her own stem cells, the youngest patient in the world to benefit from the experimental treatment.

Guantanamo prison is expensive, inefficient: Obama

Wed, 01 May 2013 01:45:03 +0530

Asserting his commitment to close the terrorist detention center in Guantanamo, US President Barack Obama on Tuesday said that the prison is a no-man's land that is not only "expensive" and "inefficient" but also hurts America in terms of its international standing.

Indian-origin woman short-listed for 'best job in world'

Wed, 01 May 2013 01:26:20 +0530

One for the taste buds! An Indian-origin woman in the UK has been shortlisted out of 600,000 applicants for the post of Western Australia taste master, described as one of the "best jobs in the world".

Bangladesh: Parliament elects first woman speaker

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:44:18 +0530

Bangladesh's Parliament on Tuesday elected Shrin Sharmin Chowdhury, currently the state minister for women and child affairs, as its first woman and youngest speaker.

Immigration reform should attract the best: Obama

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:05:42 +0530

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday said that the country's immigration reform, currently underway, should be able to attract "the best and the brightest" people from across the world "in a legal fashion".

Michael Jackson's death trial begins today

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:15:17 +0530

Millions, and possibly billions, of dollars are at stake in a civil trial starting on Tuesday over allegations from Michael Jackson's mother that the company promoting his comeback failed to properly investigate the doctor convicted in his death.

South Africa: Indian-origin student stabbed to death

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:43:08 +0530

An Indian-origin schoolboy was stabbed to death and his brother injured in a gang attack after a spat over a girl. Dareshan Moodley, 16, was stabbed to death and his brother Revarsheen, 18, is recovering in a hospital here after they were stabbed, beaten and left for dead in a street in the mainly-Indian suburb of Chatsworth.

Herschel space telescope closes its eyes on Universe

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:25:35 +0530

Europe's Herschel space observatory - the largest infrared telescope ever launched - has stopped working after exhausting its supply of liquid helium coolant, ending more than three years of pioneering observations of the cool Universe.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander succeeds mother Beatrix

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:35:30 +0530

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands abdicated on Tuesday, handing over to her eldest son, Willem-Alexander, who became the first King of the Netherlands in over 120 years. An estimated 25,000 well-wishers cheered outside the Royal Palace in Amsterdam as the abdication and automatic succession were broadcast live.

Fiji: Indian-origin man gets life term for slaughtering his family

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:49:43 +0530

An Indian-origin man, convicted of murdering his wife and two minor daughters, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by an court in Fiji. 33-year-old Bimlesh Dayal was sentenced by the high court in Suva, the capital of the island nation of Fiji, for murdering his wife Ranjini Rekha Singh and two daughters, Amisha and Anisha, on October 28, 2011, at their family home in Vatuwaqa, the 'Fiji Times' reported. He later tried to commit suicide.

Nelson Mandela makes first TV appearance in a year

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:53:09 +0530

Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has appeared on television for the first time in almost a year, with South African President Jacob Zuma saying the ailing leader was in "good shape." Led by Zuma, an African National Congress delegation met the 94-year-old statesman at his residence on Monday.

US: Boston bomb contained traces of woman DNA

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:24:13 +0530

A woman's DNA has been found on at least one of the explosive devices used in the Boston bombings, adding a new dimension to the probe into the terror attack that killed three people and wounded over 200 others. The findings, reported by the US media, have raised the possibility of involvement of a woman in the Boston Marathon twin blasts, which is blamed on two Chechen-origin brothers.

Boston bombings suspect out of danger: US lawmaker

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:31:17 +0530

Boston bombings suspect teenager Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was being treated in a city hospital with multiple injuries including gunshots, is out of danger, a US lawmaker familiar with his health situation has said. "He is certainly out of danger. He certainly was able to communicate. He had an operation some kind of surgical procedure in the middle of his interrogation and he's doing fairly well," Congressman Peter King said.

UK: Mother forces adopted 14-year-old to get pregnant

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:16:57 +0530

A woman desperate for another child forced her 14-year-old daughter to get pregnant using syringes of donor sperm, a British judge said. In a ruling reported for the first time Monday, High Court judge Peter Jackson said the mother had behaved in "a wicked and selfish way" that almost defied belief.

Bahrain: 35-year-old Indian stabbed by boss

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:11:51 +0530

A 35-year-old Indian salesman was allegedly stabbed by one of his bosses in Bahrain as he tried to take back his passport ahead of a planned holiday. Radhakrishnan Thankappan Nair from Kerala suffered injuries to his left hand and shoulder and remains in the Intensive Care Unit at Salmaniya Medical Complex.

US to honour two Indian-Americans as 'champions of change'

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:59:11 +0530

Marking the community's heritage month this May, the White House has announced to honour 15 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women including two Indian-Americans as "champions of change" in recognition of their significant contribution to the community. The two Indian-American women to be recognised next week by the White House are Aparna Bhattacharyya from Atlanta and Pramila Jayapal from Washington state.

UK: Guardian newspaper's Twitter feeds hacked

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:51:27 +0530

The Guardian newspaper says its Twitter accounts have come under a cyberattack, and it cited a claim of responsibility from the group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army. The British paper reported on its website on Monday that several of its Twitter feeds were broken into over the weekend.

Loblaw to compensate Bangladesh collapse victims

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:44:30 +0530

A Canadian company has said it will provide compensation for the families of victims who worked in the collapsed Bangladeshi garment factory that made products for its Joe Fresh clothing line. Loblaw Inc said on Monday it aims to ensure that victims and their families "receive benefits now and in the future."

Syrian Prime Minister escapes assassination bid

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:33:22 +0530

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi escaped an assassination bid when a bomb exploded near his convoy in Damascus. The attack killed at least five people and left several others injured including the country's interior minister.

Trapped in S Korea, veteran spies still believe in North

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:03:13 +0530

Park Hee-sung, a 78-year-old North Korean former agent who has been held in the enemy South for close to half a century, remains staunchly loyal to his homeland, the ruling Kim family and its Juche ideology of economic self-reliance.

FBI takes DNA samples of Boston bombing suspect's widow

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 06:37:46 +0530

Investigators on Monday removed bags of evidence including some containing DNA samples from the home in Rhode Island where the widow of suspected Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been living, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

Bangladesh building collapse: Police interrogate owner

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 06:16:31 +0530

A Bangladesh court on Monday gave police 15 days to interrogate the owner of a building that collapsed last week, killing at least 382 people, as rescuers used heavy machinery to cut through the destroyed structure after giving up hopes of finding any more survivors.

Bangladesh to get first ever woman parliament speaker

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:35:48 +0530

Bangladesh will get its first ever woman speaker for its parliament as the ruling Awami League parliamentary party unanimously nominated Minister of Women and Child Affairs Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury for the post on Monday evening. reported Xinhua.

Chinese troops erect 1 more tent in Ladakh, standoff enters third week

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:01:56 +0530

Chinese troops have erected one more tent in Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector in Ladakh raising to five the number of such structures in the area of incursion, as the standoff between India and China on Monday entered the third week.

Syrian Prime Minister survives Damascus bombing, 6 die

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:10:26 +0530

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halki survived a bomb attack on his convoy in Damascus on Monday, state media and activists said, as rebels struck in the heart of President Bashar al-Assad's capital.

Bangladesh building owner sent to 15-day police custody

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:10:48 +0530

A Bangladeshi court on Monday sent the owner of an illegally-built building that crashed to 15 days police custody as rescuers began the second phase of the country's biggest ever salvage drill to look for more survivors in the tragedy that killed nearly 400 people.

China join rush to live on Mars, 600 apply for project

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:00:45 +0530

Over 600 Chinese have applied to join an ambitious Dutch aerospace project that plans to send humans on a one-way trip to Mars for permanent settlement. The Dutch project, while triggering enthusiasm to explore outer space, is also under fire with the trip being viewed by some as a suicide mission, with applicants being shipped to a planet that is uninhabitable by humans.

Australian faces life sentence for raping, killing Indian student

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:59:45 +0530

Australian prosecutors on Monday demanded life sentence for a 21-year-old man, who has pleaded guilty of raping and killing Indian student Tosha Thakkar in 2011 before stuffing her in a suitcase and dumping it in a canal.

Explosion shakes central Prague, as many as 40 injured

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:19:28 +0530

A powerful explosion damaged an office building in the center of the Czech capital, Prague, on Monday, injuring up to 40 people. Authorities believe some people are buried in the rubble.

US: Last pieces of 1 World Trade Center are rising

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 01:15:50 +0530

One World Trade Center already is New York's tallest building. And when the last pieces of its spire rise to the roof - weather permitting - the 104-floor skyscraper that replaces the fallen twin towers will be just feet from becoming the highest in the Western Hemisphere.

Malaysia issues arrest warrant against ethnic Indian leader Uthayakumar

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:50:56 +0530

Malaysian authorities have issued an arrest warrant against an ethnic Indian leader, who is contesting general elections in May, for failing to appear in a court hearing a sedition charge against him. Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Uthayakumar has been charged under the Sedition Act. He faces three years in jail or a fine if convicted on the charge.

Bangladesh: PM visits building collapse site

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:47:36 +0530

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday visited suburban Savar to review the rescue works at the site where an eight-storey building collapsed last week killing nearly 400 people, even as rescuers lost hope to find more survivors after a fire broke out in the rubble. Hasina talked to the rescue officials about the progress of the salvage campaign and went to a nearby private facility and a military hospital where the critically wounded survivors were being treated.

The funniest Obama jokes at the White House Correspondents' dinner

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:23:41 +0530

U.S. President Barack Obama poked fun at the media, his critics and himself on Saturday at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

4 killed as bridge collapses in central Thailand

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:21:00 +0530

Police say at least four people were killed when a small bridge collapsed near Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya. Police Col Jitkasem Sonkham says several motorcycle drivers and their vehicles fell into the Pasak river on Sunday while they were crossing the suspension bridge in Ayutthaya province's Tha Ruea district.

Pyongyang glitters, but rest of North Korea still dark

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:03:34 +0530

The heart of this city, once famous for its Dickensian darkness, now pulsates with neon. Glossy construction downtown has altered the Pyongyang skyline. Inside supermarkets where shopgirls wear French designer labels, people with money can buy Italian wine, Swiss chocolates, kiwifruit imported from New Zealand and fresh-baked croissants. They can get facials, lie in tanning booths, play a round of mini golf or sip cappuccinos and cocktails while listening to classical music.

Iraq suspends Al-Jazeera and 9 Iraqi TV channels

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:52:38 +0530

Iraqi authorities suspended the operating licenses of pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera and nine Iraqi TV channels on Sunday after accusing them of escalating sectarian tension. The move signaled the Shiite-led government's mounting worries over deteriorating security amid Sunni unrest and clashes that have left more than 180 people dead in less than a week.

Boston bomb suspect living in a small cell with steel door

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:33:57 +0530

The Boston Marathon bombing suspect is being held in a small cell with a steel door at a federal medical detention center about 40 miles outside the city, a federal official said. Federal Medical Center Devens spokesman John Collauti described the conditions under which 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was being held in the Ayer facility after being moved there from a hospital on Friday.

Bangladesh building collapse: 397 dead, owner arrested

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:54:15 +0530

The death toll in the worst building collapse in the history of Bangladesh on Saturday rose to nearly 400, even as the fugitive owner of the 8-storey structure was arrested dramatically while attempting to flee to India. Sohel Rana was arrested by the country's elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from Benapole, one of the 14 land ports with India, just as he was about to cross into West Bengal, making this afternoon's arrest the fifth in the case.

Bangladesh: Fire breaks out in collapsed building where 377 died

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:56:11 +0530

Fire broke out on Sunday in a garment factory that collapsed in the Bangladeshi capital, complicating attempts to find any survivors of a disaster that has killed 377 people.

Mother of Boston bomb suspects found deeper spirituality

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:35:40 +0530

In photos of her as a younger woman, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva wears a low-cut blouse and has her hair teased like a 1980s rock star. After she arrived in the US from Russia in 2002, she went to beauty school and did facials at a suburban day spa.

India conveys concern to Saudi Arabia over Nitaqat law

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:35:23 +0530

India on Sunday conveyed its concerns to Saudi Arabia over possible job loss to a large number of Indians in the Kingdom due to its new labour law. A delegation led by Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi met Saudi Arabian Labour Minister Adel Fakieh to convey India's concern over the Nitaqat programme. Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed and Advisor to Prime Minister TKA Nair were also part of the delegation.

US lawmaker believes Boston suspects were trained

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:44:25 +0530

Boston Marathon bombing suspects were trained in carrying out the attack, top US lawmakers claimed on Sunday and said that it is too early to arrive at the conclusion that there is no foreign connection to this act of terror.

Bangladesh: Man pulled out 100 hours after building collapse

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:10:41 +0530

In a miraculous rescue, a victim was pulled out from under the mangled pile of metal and concrete, 100 hours after the collapse of an eight-storey building in Bangladesh that has claimed nearly 400 lives. The survivor, Sadik, 22, was rescued from the third floor of the building this afternoon.

Willing to work with India to deal with differences: China

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 07:25:46 +0530

China on Sunday took note of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks over PLA's incursion into the Depsang Valley and said that it is willing to work with New Delhi to deal with differences while maintaining peace at borders and forging strategic cooperative partnership.

Obama tickles audience at White House Correspondents' Dinner

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:40:42 +0530

US President Barack Obama has poked fun on himself about his young "Muslim Socialist" background and even copied his popular wife Michelle's new hairstyle to boost his image in his second innings at the White House.

Bangladesh: Collapsed building owner arrested on India border

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 03:52:47 +0530

The owner of an illegally-constructed building that collapsed last week in a deadly heap in a Dhaka suburb was arrested at a border crossing with India on Sunday in a dramatic operation by members of an elite commando force, a government minister said. A fleeing Mohammed Sohel Rana was arrested near the land-crossing in Benapole in western Bangladesh, just as he was about to cross into India's West Bengal state, said Jahangir Kabir Nanak, junior minister for local government.

Italy: Two policemen hurt in shooting near PM's office

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 03:42:52 +0530

A man was arrested on Sunday after shooting and wounding two police officers outside the Italian prime minister's office in central Rome, police said.

Bangladesh: Building collapse toll reaches 362

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 02:34:45 +0530

Bangladeshi rescuers on Sunday launched the second phase of rescue operations, as they found little evidence of survivors under tonnes of debris of the 8-storey building that collapsed this week, leaving 362 people dead. "I would like to tell you, we are getting little rhythm of life under the debris. Even if some people are alive they are not responding," said Major General Hassan Sarwardy, Commander of the rescue campaign.

Malaysian parties up the ante to get Indian votes

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:14:57 +0530

Ahead of general elections in Malaysia, the 950,000-strong ethnic Indian community, mostly Tamils, is being wooed by both the ruling and opposition parties with catchy Tamil songs, pamphlets and online videos. Both sides are vying for the votes of ethnic Indians, which can play a crucial role in as many as 60 of the total 222 parliamentary seats, where the community makes up between 10 per cent to 30 per cent of the voters.

Boston bombings: One of the suspects spoke of 'jihad' with mother

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:13:12 +0530

The older suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings spoke to his mother about "jihad" in a 2011 phone call secretly recorded by Russian officials, CBS News reported on Saturday.

Ethiopia flies first Dreamliner since grounding

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:45:38 +0530

A Boeing 787 operated by Ethiopian Airlines flew from Ethiopia to Kenya's capital Saturday, the first commercial flight since air safety authorities grounded the Dreamliners after incidents with smoldering batteries on two different planes in January.

North Korea charges US man in plot to overthrow regime

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 07:40:17 +0530

North Korea announced on Saturday that an American detained for nearly six months is being tried in the Supreme Court on charges of plotting to overthrow the government, a crime that could draw the death penalty if he is convicted.

Russia caught Boston bomb suspect on wiretap: Officials

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 06:56:33 +0530

Russian authorities secretly recorded a telephone conversation in 2011 in which one of the Boston bombing suspects vaguely discussed jihad with his mother, officials said on Saturday, days after the US government finally received details about the call.

Stalemate over, Italy's Letta names new government

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 06:35:55 +0530

Italian centre-left politician Enrico Letta named a coalition government on Saturday, making one of Silvio Berlusconi's closest allies deputy prime minister and ending two months of damaging political stalemate.

US: One arrested for sending poisonous letter to Obama

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:57:11 +0530

The FBI on Saturday arrested a man on charges of allegedly sending poisonous ricin-laced letter to US President Barack Obama and other leaders. The individual identified as Everett Dutschke, 41, was arrested from his Mississippi home, the FBI said.

Italy: Enrico Letta forms new government

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:10:45 +0530

Italian centre-left politician Enrico Letta said on Saturday he had won support of other parties to form a coalition government that will include one of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's closest allies as deputy prime minister.

Ethiopian launches first 787 Dreamliner flight since grounding

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:54:43 +0530

Ethiopian Airlines on Saturday became the world's first carrier to resume flights with Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner passenger jets, a Reuters witness said, three months after they were grounded over battery meltdowns.

Bangladesh building collapse: Death toll rises to 352

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 07:09:15 +0530

Two factory bosses and two engineers were detained in Bangladesh on Saturday, three days after the collapse of a building where low-cost garments were made for Western brands killed at least 352 people.

Obama warns Syria chemical arms a 'game changer'

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 05:13:34 +0530

President Barack Obama warned Syria on Friday that its use of chemical weapons would be a "game changer" for the United States but made clear he was in no rush to intervene in the civil war there on the basis of evidence he said was still preliminary.

US: Possible 9/11 plane landing gear part found in NY

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 04:21:03 +0530

A rusted 1.5-meter-tall piece of landing gear believed to be from one of the hijacked planes destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks has been discovered near the World Trade Center wedged between a luxury apartment building and a mosque site that once prompted virulent national debate about Islam and free speech.

Two arrested as Bangladesh building toll rises to 325

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:09:42 +0530

Two factory bosses were arrested in Bangladesh on Saturday, 72 hours after the deadly collapse of a building where low-cost garments were made for Western brands, as the death toll rose to 325 and angry workers protested on the streets of the capital.

Vodafone investors want full takeover by Verizon

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:54:40 +0530

Six major Vodafone investors said $100 billion was not enough for the British company's stake in its US joint venture with Verizon Communications, and urged the latter to come up with an offer of at least $120 billion.

Iraq: Series of blasts kill at least 20 across Baghdad

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:41:57 +0530

Bomb blasts in Baghdad killed at least 20 more people on Friday at the end of a week of bloodshed that prompted a United Nations envoy to warn Iraq was "at a crossroads".

Part of 9/11 plane landing gear found in lower Manhattan

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:26:10 +0530

A piece of landing gear believed to be from one of the commercial airplanes that crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, has been discovered, wedged between two lower Manhattan buildings, police said on Friday.

Boston suspect in prison, brother's body unclaimed

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:10:17 +0530

The surviving suspect in last week's Boston Marathon bombing was moved to a prison medical center outside Boston on Friday, while the body of his older brother who died in a shootout with police remained unclaimed, officials said.

Canada terror plot raises questions on deportation

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:15:48 +0530

Canada's immigration minister says he is reviewing the country's deportation policies following revelations that a court decided nine years ago against deporting a man who was arrested last week on terror charges.

US: 80-yr-old woman wins, swallows one-carat diamond

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 06:29:18 +0530

An 80-year-old US woman accidentally swallowed a $5,000 diamond from her champagne glass at a charity event. The Tampa Woman's Club held a fundraiser over the weekend where they poured 400 flutes of champagne. For $20, members could buy a flute of champagne and a chance to win a one-carat, $5,000 diamond.

Bangladesh building collapse: Death toll exceeds 300

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:18:23 +0530

The death toll in the collapse of an eight-storey commercial building in Savar in Bangladesh on Friday rose to 304, as authorities raced against time to look for survivors under tonnes of debris even as a total of 2,348 people were rescued alive.

Russia not cooperating on Boston bombing: US Lawmaker

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:13:55 +0530

A powerful American lawmaker has accused Russia of not co-operating with the US on the Boston Marathon bombings. Congressman Mike Rogers, who has been briefed several times by the intelligence community on the Boston bombings, believes that the Russians have information that will be incredibly valuable on the two Chechen brothers, the suspects in the case.

Bangladesh building collapse death toll rises to 290

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 02:21:26 +0530

The death toll in the collapse of an eight-storey commercial building in the Bangladeshi capital rose to 290 on Friday even as rescuers looked for last survivors under tonnes of debris at suburban Savar.

Hundreds still missing after building collapse kills 300 in Dhaka

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:01:01 +0530

Rescue operators are working non-stop for over 48 hours looking for survivors as a factory building collapsed in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Bangladesh building collapse: Death toll rises to 270

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:21:37 +0530

The search for survivors from Bangladesh's worst industrial accident stretched into a third day on Friday, with the death toll rising to 273 after the collapse of a building housing factories that made low-cost garments for Western brands.

US suspects Syria used chemical weapons against rebels

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:44:41 +0530

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the US intelligence community believes that the Syrian government used sarin gas on a small scale against the rebel forces that are trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad's government.

China hopes border issue 'won't affect relations'

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:21:57 +0530

It is still not clear whether the flag meeting India requested China to resolve the impasse will take place on Friday or not. But China does seem to be softening its stand and is talking about the need for friendly relations between neighbours.

Russia: 38 people feared dead in a fire at a psychiatric hospital

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:06:53 +0530

A fire raged through a psychiatric hospital outside Moscow early Friday, killing 38 people, including two nurses, emergency officials said.

Nearly 50 killed as sectarian violence flares in Iraq

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:47:20 +0530

Nearly 50 people were killed in clashes on Thursday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, sources said, on the third day of the most widespread violence in Iraq since US troops withdrew in December 2011.

Bangladesh building collapse: Death toll rises to 260

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:07:01 +0530

With nearly 260 people killed in one of the worst building collapses in Bangladesh, thousands of distraught people on Thursday watched rescuers search for their loved ones trapped under the debris of the eight-story complex that had come crashing down within seconds.

India to increase troops if China does so in Ladakh

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:07:47 +0530

India will increase the number of its troops if the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) enhances the strength of its soldiers in the Indian territory of Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector in eastern Ladakh, government sources said on Thursday.

Boston bombing suspects planned an attack in New York: Mayor

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:47:25 +0530

The two men accused of carrying out last week's bombing of the Boston Marathon planned a second bomb attack on New York's Times Square, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Thursday.

US: Body found in water that of missing Indian student

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:59:58 +0530

A body pulled from waters off a Providence park was that of a 22-year-old Brown University student missing since last month, the Rhode Island medical examiner's office said on Thursday. Sunil Tripathi was identified through a forensic dental exam, but a cause of death has not been determined, said Dara Chadwick, a spokeswoman for the state health department.

Incursion issue: China tones down rhetoric, urges patience

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:06:27 +0530

Toning down its rhetoric on incursion, China on Thursday counselled patience saying favourable conditions should be created for the two countries to solve the issue through friendly consolations.

Singapore: Indian-origin man sentenced for sex with minor

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:35:37 +0530

A 25-year-old Indian-origin teacher in Singapore has been sentenced to one year in jail for having sex with an underage girl student. Aravind S Menon had earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of consensual sexual intercourse with the 14-year-old girl between May and July 2009, reported the Channel News Asia.

We didn't provoke tension at the border, says China

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:40:57 +0530

Claiming that its troops or choppers have not caused any "provocation" or violated the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, China today said the incident will not affect bilateral ties or disrupt peace at the borders as both sides are trying to resolve it in a friendly manner.

US: Toy car remote control used to detonate Boston bombs

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:57:12 +0530

he Chechen-origin Boston bombings suspects used a remote-control device from a toy car to set off the pressure-cooker bomb and apparently learnt to build it from an al-Qaeda online magazine, a key US lawmaker has said. Maryland Representative Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, confirmed the details after a closed-door briefing with three senior national security officials on Capitol Hill.

Bangladesh building collapse: Death toll rises to 243

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:23:08 +0530

With nearly 250 people killed in one of the worst building collapses in Bangladesh, thousands of distraught people today watched rescuers search for their loved ones trapped under the debris of the eight-story complex that had come crashing down within seconds.

Bangladesh building collapse: Death toll rises to 194

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:16:56 +0530

With deep cracks visible in the walls, the police had ordered a Bangladesh garment building to be evacuated the day before its deadly collapse, but the factories flouted the order and kept more than 2,000 people working, officials said Thursday.

China: Tobacco pouch alert saves 800 from quake

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:14:38 +0530

A tiny tobacco pouch tied to the hand of an elderly man saved the lives of nearly 800 people in a remote Chinese village when a powerful earthquake struck Sichuan province last week, killing about 200 people.

Bangladesh mourns as building collapse toll rises to 164

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:40:18 +0530

The death toll in the collapse of an eight-storey commercial building in the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday rose to 164, as rescuers raced against time to save nearly 1,500 people still trapped under tonnes of debris.

Chinese incursion: No response from China on flag meet, Khurshid to visit Beijing

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:07:42 +0530

With Beijing sticking to its stand that its troops have not violated the Line of Actual Control (LAC), External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will be visiting China on May 9. Khurshid is hopeful the impasse would be resolved through dialogue and despite the failure of the last two flag meets, Delhi is seeking another one with Beijing. China, however, has yet not replied to India's demand for a third flag meeting.

Akhilesh to share Maha Kumbh success story at Harvard

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:10:05 +0530

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday left for the United States to deliver a lecture at Harvard Business School. Akhilesh will address students on the successful hosting of Maha Kumbh 2013. Akhilesh is expected to talk about the administrative challenges faced in hosting the 55-day long event.

Chinese incursion: Delhi seeks third flag meet with Beijing

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:57:25 +0530

Even as two flag meetings with China over the issue of Chinese troop incursions in Ladakh failed, India is trying for another one. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said he was hopeful that the impasse will end.

'US wars against Muslims fuelled Boston bombers'

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:35:33 +0530

US officials say the surviving suspect in last week's attack on the Boston Marathon has told investigators he and his brother were angry about US wars in Muslim countries.

Factory building collapse in Bangladesh kills over 140

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:27:08 +0530

Rescuers tried to free people believed trapped in the concrete rubble of a building housing mainly garment factories that collapsed in Bangladesh a day after workers complained cracks had developed in the structure. The death toll jumped over 140 On Thursday after searchers worked through the night.

WikiLeaks claims victory in Iceland court case

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:54:22 +0530

WikiLeaks has said it has secured a victory in Iceland's Supreme Court against the financial blockade imposed by Visa and MasterCard on donations for the secret-spilling site. Visa and MasterCard were among half a dozen major US financial firms to pull the plug on WikiLeaks following its decision to begin publishing about 250,000 US State Department cables in late 2010.

US supports peaceful resolution of India-China issue

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:36:25 +0530

The United States has said that it supports peaceful and bilateral resolution of boundary dispute between India and China. "The United States supports India and China working together to settle their boundary disputes bilaterally and peacefully, and that's what we've continued to urge throughout this," the State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters at his news conference on Wednesday.

Boston suspect unarmed when arrested in boat: Officials

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:18:54 +0530

Two US officials say the surviving suspect in the Boston bombings was unarmed when police captured him hiding inside a boat in a neighborhood back yard. Authorities originally said they had exchanged gunfire with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-KHAHR' tsahr-NEYE'-ehv) for more than one hour on Friday evening before they were able to subdue him.

Smoking ban will save 200,000 lives a year: Medvedev

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:12:44 +0530

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said new legislation banning smoking in public places could save up to 200,000 lives annually in the country. "I hope that it (anti-smoking law) will contribute to reducing this factor (smoking)," Medvedev said at the first session of the government's health protection committee.

US urges China collaboration on cyber intrusions

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:36:27 +0530

The top US military officer said on Wednesday that he has called on China to be more transparent about cyberattacks and boost collaboration with the US to tackle a common threat to their economies. General Martin Dempsey said tackling cyber intrusions featured in his talks with his Chinese counterpart and other Chinese leaders during his three-day visit to China aimed at building mutual trust between the world's most powerful military and China's fast-growing and increasingly sophisticated force.

Chinese helicopters violated Indian airspace on April 21: Sources

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:27:13 +0530

There is no let up in tension at the India, China border with China violating Indian airspace and incursions into Ladakh. Army sources said that two Chinese helicopters violated the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on April 21. The Chinese choppers entered the Indian airspace on April 21 and hovered over the area for quite sometime and returned after dropping some food cans, cigarette packets and notes written in their local language, official sources said on Wednesday.

CERN scientists find asymmetry in particle decay

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:46:32 +0530

Scientists at the world's biggest atom smasher have found further reasons for the apparent lack of antimatter in the universe. A team working with data from CERN's Large Hadron Collider says it has discovered a particle that decays unevenly into matter and antimatter.

China sticks to its stand; says no incursion by its troops

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:31:05 +0530

Ignoring India's demand to revert to a status-quo in Depsang Valley, China on Wednesday firmly stuck to its stand that its troops have not violated the Line of Actual Control (LAC) "by a step" in the Ladakh region. "I want to reiterate here that the Chinese border troops have been acting in strict compliance with the bilateral agreements and conducting normal patrol on the Chinese side of the LAC.

Abdul Hamid sworn in as Bangladesh's president

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:18:17 +0530

Veteran politician and parliamentarian Abdul Hamid was on Wednesday sworn in as Bangladesh's 20th president. Hamid was administered the oath of office by acting speaker Shawkat Ali during a ceremony at the Bangabhaban presidential palace, two days after he was elected unopposed to the post.

After incursion, China's helicopters violate Indian airspace

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:51:14 +0530

As the intruding Chinese soldiers refuse to budge from their occupied position in Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector in Ladakh, two Chinese military helicopters have violated Indian airspace at Chumar, several hundred kms southeast of Leh, adding to the prevailing tension.

Body found in river could be of missing Indian student: Police

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:53:54 +0530

Police in Rhode Island pulled a man's body from the Providence River and authorities said it is "very possible" it is that of Indian-American student Sunil Tripathi, who has been missing since mid-March.

Italy president names Enrico Letta to form new govt

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:05:33 +0530

Italian politician Enrico Letta received a mandate to form a new government from President Giorgio Napolitano, an official at the Quirinale Palace announced on Wednesday.

Savita Halappanavar's father to sue Ireland hospital

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:20:29 +0530

The bereaved father of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar has vowed to take legal action against the Irish hospital where his daughter died after being denied abortion last October, saying he is not satisfied with the probe outcome. "I believe we will never get justice from the Irish government so we are definitely going to take legal action against the hospital (University Hospital Galway)," Andanappa Yalagi told the 'Irish Daily Star' from his home in Belgaum, Karnataka.

Bangladesh building collapse: Death toll rises to 80

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:19:36 +0530

At least 80 people were killed and 700 others injured on Wednesday when an eight-storey commercial building that housed several garment factories and thousands of workers collapsed on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital. The Rana Plaza in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka, collapsed with rescue work being carried out to pull out survivors from the rubble.

6.2 magnitude quake hits Afghanistan, tremors felt in Pak, India

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:17:22 +0530

An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the richter scale hit Afghanistan on Wednesday. Tremors were also felt in parts of Pakistan including Lahore, Abbotabad, Sargodha, Islamabad, Kasur, Peshawar, Swat and Parachinar as well as in North India including New Delhi and Kashmir.

Bangladesh: Garment factory building collapses, 70 dead

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:22:54 +0530

Bangladesh's Health Minister says 70 people have been confirmed dead in the collapse of a building housing several garment factories near the capital. Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque said that by Wednesday afternoon 70 bodies had been removed from the eight-story building. Rescuers said they had saved 600 other people from the rubble, but feared more remained inside.

Canada terror plot accused deny charges

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:00:34 +0530

The two men accused of plotting a terror attack targeting a passenger train in Canada denied the allegations made against them after they appeared before a court.

UK: New succession law to allow daughter to be queen

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:57:27 +0530

Queen Elizabeth II is set to approve a new succession law that will end the age-old precedence enjoyed by male heirs in line to Britain's throne, ending centuries of religious and gender discrimination. 'The Succession to the Crown Bill', which is set to become law in coming days, means that if Prince William and Kate Middleton were to have a daughter in July, she would be crowned Queen.

Boston bombers constructed weapons inside US: Senator

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:10:14 +0530

The two Chechen brothers - one a naturalised resident and other a lawful resident - allegedly constructed sophisticated weapons inside the US, a top American Senator has said. "They constructed the weapons inside the United States. Did they have some sort of training or inspiration or coaching inside or outside the United States? That's all still under investigation.

US lawmakers grill FBI on Boston bombing investigation

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:01:39 +0530

US lawmakers grilled top security officials on Tuesday about the handling of the Boston Marathon bombing investigation and why one of the suspects flagged as a possible Islamist radical was not tracked more closely.

US: NY lawsuit accuses Novartis of healthcare fraud

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:00:47 +0530

The US government has sued Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp, claiming it gave kickbacks to pharmacies to switch kidney transplant patients from competitors' drugs to its own. The civil health care fraud lawsuit in US District Court in Manhattan seeks unspecified damages and civil penalties for a scheme that the government said has been carried out since 2005.

NATO needs plan for Syrian chemical weapons, says Kerry

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:28:26 +0530

US Secretary of State John Kerry urged NATO on Tuesday to prepare for the possible use of chemical weapons by Syria on the same day that a senior Israeli military intelligence official said Syrian President Bashar Assad had used such weapons in March 2013 in his battle against insurgents.

Boston bomb suspect influenced by mysterious radical

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:59:45 +0530

In the years before the Boston Marathon bombings, Tamerlan Tsarnaev fell under the influence of a new friend, a Muslim convert who steered the religiously apathetic young man toward a strict strain of Islam, family members said.

Charges dropped in ricin letters sent to President Obama

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:38:32 +0530

Charges of sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and others were dropped on Tuesday against an Elvis impersonator from Mississippi who has said since his arrest last week that he had nothing to do with the case.

Government's approach towards China 'very weak': BJP

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:55:42 +0530

Terming the government's approach towards China as "very weak", BJP on Tuesday asked the Centre to spell out steps being taken to tackle the danger arising out of the Chinese troops' incursion in Ladakh. It said the government should tell the nation the truth about the issue and take the opposition also into confidence.

China may have provided Pakistan nuclear weapon designs

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:47:29 +0530

In the late 1970s, Central Intelligence Agency had information that China might have provided a fairly comprehensive package of proven nuclear weapons design information to Pakistan, a recently declassified document has revealed. According to recently declassified CIA data, obtained by the National Security Archive under the Freedom of Information Act, the CIA had evidence suggesting close Pakistan-China nuclear cooperation, to the point of facilitating a nuclear weapons capability, although the intelligence community saw this as possibly a special case based on an alliance that had existed since 1963.

AP Twitter account hacked, NY markets plunge

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:46:39 +0530

Hackers compromised Twitter accounts of The Associated Press on Tuesday, sending out an erroneous tweet about an attack at the White House. The tweet said that there had been two explosions at the White House and President Barack Obama was injured.

UN Women stresses on urgent need to protect rights of girls

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:16:01 +0530

Deploring the rape of a five-year-old child in Delhi, UN Women on Tuesday stressed the "urgent need" to promote and protect the rights of girls in India besides speedy implementation of the recently passed Criminal Law (Amendment) Act.

More details sought on 19-year-old Boston bomb suspect

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:14:11 +0530

The 19-year-old charged with the Boston Marathon bombing, his throat injured by a gunshot wound, wrote down answers to the questions of investigators about his motives and connections to any terror networks. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's answers led them to believe he and his brother were motivated by a radical brand of Islam without major terror connections, said US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymit

Walmart continues lobbying with US on FDI in India

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:40:11 +0530

Walmart continued to lobby with the American lawmakers over Indian retail FDI rules during the first quarter of 2013, even as a probe is underway into the global retail giant's US lobbying activities for facilitating its India entry.

India looks for 'peaceful' solutions to Chinese incursions

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:36:49 +0530

The Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday the latest incursion by China stemmed from "differences over alignment of Line of Actual Control (LAC)". The Ministry stressed that the issue will be resolved peacefully with neighbouring country on the "basis of agreements".

Despite two flag meets, China maintains Depsang its territory

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:03:39 +0530

It's now one week since Chinese troops quietly entered Depsang, south of Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) in eastern Ladakh. Although two flag meetings have been held between the DBO Sector brigadier and his Chinese counterpart, as yet there's no change in the status quo: The Chinese say its their territory. The army has brought in the Ladakh Scouts to beef up the ITBP unit sitting 500 metres directly across the Chinese.

China flew military choppers over Depsang: Sources

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:35:57 +0530

Chinese helicopters flew over Depsang in Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector in Ladakh on April 15, the same night a platoon-strength contingent of Chinese Army came 10 km inside the Indian territory and established a tented post in the sector, sources said.

Incursion: Indian, Chinese military commanders hold meet

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:05:20 +0530

Indian and Chinese military commanders held a flag meeting in Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector in Ladakh, according to the reports. India wants the Chinese to withdraw their troops from Depsang, where they have been present for the last one week.

US senator accuses TCS, Infosys, Wipro of abusing H-1B visas

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:32:59 +0530

Amidst Congressional debate on the comprehensive immigration reform, a top US Senator has accused big Indian IT companies - TCS, Infosys and Wipro - of abusing the H-1B visa system. "There are some specific abuses of H-1B," Senator Richard Durbin, said during a Congressional hearing on immigration reform by the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, during which the lawmakers discussed threadbare the H-1B visa issues.

Libya: French embassy hit by car bomb in Tripoli

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:55:47 +0530

French embassy in Libya was hit by what appeared to be a car bomb on Tuesday, injuring two guards in the first such attack in the capital Tripoli since the end of the 2011 war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi.

Afghan: Helicopter carrying 9 makes emergency landing

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:30:37 +0530

A helicopter owned by an Afghan company has made an emergency landing in a Taliban-controlled area of eastern Afghanistan, and the terrorists took all nine people who were aboard hostage.

Boston: Indian-American attorney to prosecute bomber

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:15:15 +0530

The high profile case of prosecuting Boston Marathon bombing suspect - Dzhokhar Tsarnaev - has been entrusted to two noted American attorneys one of whom is an Indian-American. A graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and Emory Law School, Aloke Chakravarty is an Assistant US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

Boston bomber charged with using weapon of mass destruction

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:43:22 +0530

Boston bombing suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev has been charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against persons and property in the US and could face the death penalty if convicted, the Attorney General's office said on Tuesday

US: Barack Obama praises Indian-American student

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:00:37 +0530

The US President Barack Obama has praised young Indian-American student for her science project at the third annual White House Science Fair here.

Discovery and invention is in America's DNA, says Obama

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:21:33 +0530

The United States has become the greatest economic power in the world as discovery, science and engineering is in the DNA of its people, the US President Barack Obama said. "America has always been about discovery, invention, engineering, science and evidence. That's who we are. That's in our DNA. That's how this country became the greatest economic power in the history of the world," Obama said in his remarks at the 2013 White House Science Fare on Monday.

China consolidates sea claims as Asian diplomacy struggles

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:35:52 +0530

For decades, fishermen along the northwestern Philippine coast treated the teeming fishing grounds of the Scarborough Shoal as their backyard, less than a day's boat ride away.

Suspect charged in hospital with Boston Marathon bombing

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:09:22 +0530

Prosecutors charged Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for the Boston Marathon bombings in an impromptu hearing on Monday in his hospital room, accusing him of crimes that could carry the death penalty if he is convicted.

Canada thwarts plot to blow up US-Canada rail line

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:35:57 +0530

Canadian security forces thwarted a plot to blow up a rail line between Canada and the United States and will announce arrests on Monday afternoon, police and intelligence agencies said.

Boston bombings: Investigators start quizzing suspect

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:53:51 +0530

US investigators on Monday started grilling the lone surviving Chechen-origin Boston bombings suspect after he regained consciousness and was able to scribble out written responses, as authorities were preparing a chargesheet to nail the accused.

US: Five, including a woman killed in apartment shooting

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:05:57 +0530

Five people, including a woman, were killed in a shootout, apparently sparked by a dispute, at a Washington state apartment complex, police said on Monday. Officers responding to an emergency call on Sunday night at the apartments in Federal Way, about 32 kilometres south of Seattle, encountered a chaotic scene, with bullets flying.

Boston: Authorities preparing charge sheet against Dzhokar

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:40:20 +0530

US authorities are preparing a charge sheet against Dzhokar Tsarnaev in the Boston Marathon blasts, even as he battled for life in a highly secure city hospital and was unable to speak due to serious throat injury. Federal authorities said the charge sheet against Dzhokar could be filed early next week by the US Attorney General.

Boston blasts: 'Accused Dzhokhar may have killed his elder brother'

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:52:15 +0530

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the younger of the two Chechen brothers suspected of the Boston marathon blasts, probably killed his elder brother Tamerlan by running over his SUV over him while fleeing, police said.

5.9 magnitude earthquake hits Mexico: USGS

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:25:52 +0530

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck western Mexico on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said. The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.2 off the coast, was centered 33 km (20 miles) northwest of La Union, on the border between Guerrero and Michoacan states, close to the Pacific coast.

Boston blasts bombers possibly 'lone wolves': City mayor

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:40:45 +0530

The two Chechen brothers suspected to be behind the twin bomb blasts in Boston were possibly 'lone wolves' or terrorists who act alone without assistance from any group, the city's mayor said on Sunday. "All of the information that I have is they acted alone, these two individuals, the brothers," Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, told ABC news in an interview.

At least 185 killed in Nigeria attack, say Officials

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:40:50 +0530

Fighting between Nigeria's military and Islamic extremists killed at least 185 people in a fishing community in the nation's far northeast, officials said on Sunday, an attack that saw insurgents fire rocket-propelled grenades and soldiers spray machine-gun fire into neighborhoods filled with civilians.

Boston bombing suspects planned more attacks: Police

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:20:23 +0530

As churches paused to mourn the dead and console the survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing on Sunday, the city's police commissioner said the two suspects had such a large cache of weapons that they were probably planning other attacks. The surviving suspect remained hospitalized and unable to speak with a gunshot wound to the throat.

United States asked Turkey PM to delay Gaza trip: Kerry

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:00:58 +0530

The United States asked Turkey's leader to delay a Gaza Strip visit so as not to upset US efforts to revive Ankara's ties with Israel and Middle East peace talks, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday.

Boston bombing suspect kept low profile in Dagestan

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:45:13 +0530

If Tamerlan Tsarnaev was already plotting the Boston Marathon bombings when he stayed in this bustling Russian city at the heart of an Islamist insurgency in 2012, neighbours say he hid it well.

Pentagon chief stresses Israel's right to hit Iran

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:25:36 +0530

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel held out hope on Sunday for a nonmilitary way to ending the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, but he also emphasized Washington's willingness to let Israel decide whether and when it might strike Tehran in self-defense.