Webdunia News

Rare Darwin book found on toilet bookshelf

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:36:21 GMT

auction house says it is selling a rare first edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species found in a family’s guest lavatory in southern England.Christie’s auction house said Sunday the book — one of around 1,250 copies first printed in 1859 — had been on a toilet bookshelf at a family’s home in Oxford. The book will be auctioned on Tuesday, the 150th anniversary of the publication of the

Expat jihadis worry Pak watchers

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:33:02 GMT

emergence of non-traditional recruits from jihadi groups has left many Pakistan-watchers worried, with one saying that this may be something that “would eventually blow up in our face.”Analysts across the board have expressed worry over the recruitment of Westerners by jihadi outfits. Political analyst Zahid Husain, however, said these recruitments were “not a recent thing” and that pockets of sympathy

Macau hotel to display Jacko’s glove

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:40:26 GMT

hotel in the glitzy Asian gambling haven of Macau will display Michael Jackson’s rhinestone-encrusted glove after paying 350,000 dollars for the piece of pop history at auction, the hotel said.Jackson wore the sparkling glove when he performed his first “moonwalk” dance in 1983. The auction in New York on Saturday featured more than 70 items from the pop icon’s career.Hoffman Ma, deputy chief executive

MJ's moonwalk glove fetches USD 350,000

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:03:00 GMT

href=http://music.ndtv.com/Music_Story.aspx?id=ENTEN20090117925>Michael Jackson's famous sequined white glove, worn at his first Moon Walk concert, went for $350,000 at an auction at Hard Rock cafe

Stability still eludes Nepal

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:45:09 GMT

historic peace pact that ended 10 years of Maoist-led civil war in Nepal turned three on Saturday. But the changes it promised are yet to be witnessed.Now, with the Maoists announcing month-long agitation from Sunday seeking restoration of ‘civilian supremacy’, the country is on the brink of another crisis in the coming days.The silver lining in the political impasse is that the Maoists are willing

Suicide bomber kills Iraqi policeman, injures eight

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:47:54 GMT

Baghdad, Nov 22 : A man detonated explosives packed into his car as he approached a police checkpoint north of the western Iraqi city of Falluja Sunday, killing a policeman, authorities said.Health officials said five policemen and three civilian bystanders were injured.Falluja, some 60 km to the west of Baghdad in Iraq's Sunni Muslim heartland, was formerly the site of some of the worst fighting between

KFC, Pizza Hut come to Nepal

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:50:20 GMT

Sudeshna Sarkar, Kathmandu, Nov 22 : After setting the capital abuzz for months, fast food giants Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Pizza Hut Sunday finally descended on Kathmandu with a soft launch in one of the most upmarket shopping and touristy areas of the city.The two American food chains have been brought to the Himalayan capital by Devyani International, an associate company of India's RJ Corp

Church of England head meets Pope to protest mass conversion

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:44:16 GMT

head of the Church of England has personally confronted the Pope over attempts by the Catholic Church to convert disillusioned Anglicans.Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, voiced his protest at a meeting at the Vatican Saturday with Pope Benedict XVI following the Pope's offer last month to arrange a mass conversion of Church of England followers.The meeting, which lasted barely 20 minutes,

No big-ticket item but PM, Obama meet to pack a punch

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:21:44 GMT

AGENDA OF HOPE: Observers say the meet will pack in a lot of items that will cover a host of issues.Copyright

Pirates hijack Greek owned bulk carrier off Yemen

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:18:00 GMT

Pirates hijacked a Greek-owned bulk carrier on Thursday in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen, a Kenyan maritime official said on Sunday, but Greek officials said the attack may have been unsuccessful.The vessel was taken 36 nautical miles off the Yemeni port of Balhaf and news of the seizure only emerged on Saturday, said Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance

Denmark says 65 leaders to join climate talks

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:35:00 GMT

Sixty-five world leaders have confirmed they will attend a UN conference in Copenhagen in December that will try to clinch a new global climate deal, and many more are considering, Danish officials said on Sunday.Facing splits in the climate talks, Denmark 10 days ago formally invited the heads of state and government of 191 UN member states to come for the final two days of the December 7-18 conference

‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ earns $72.7 mn, breaks opening day record

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:55:05 GMT

New York, Nov 22 (IANS) ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ raked in an estimated $72.7 million on approximately 8,500 screens at 4,024 centres and has broken the record for the biggest one-day gross.Director Chris Weitz’s film beats out ‘The Dark Knight’, which earned $67.2 million on around 9,300 screens at 4,366 centres.The first day collection of ‘New Moon’ is more than double that of its predecessor

29 dead in Indonesia ferry accident

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:14 GMT

JAKARTA: Rescuers saved more than 240 people aboard an Indonesian passenger ferry that sank on Sunday in rough waters off Sumatra island, but at least 29 people have died, officials said. Search operations were called off after nightfall for the unknown number of passengers still missing.A second ferry was still stranded in nearby waters after running aground, but all its passengers were said to be

Death toll in coal mine blast rises to 92

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:14 GMT

BEIJING: The death toll in Saturday’s coal mine blast in northern China rose to 92 on Sunday, authorities said, as rescue-workers continued their search for survivors trapped underground.A gas explosion shattered a colliery in Heilongjiang province where 528 miners were at work on Saturday morning. The blast at the State-run coal mine is one of the biggest accidents in recent months in a country which

Nepal Maoists suspend parliament stir for 3 days

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:43:01 GMT

KATHMANDU: As the Nepal government onSunday began gearing up for fresh unrest by the Maoists, the former guerrillas,in a conciliatory gesture, said they would suspend their obstruction ofparliament for three days from Monday to allow the budget to bepassed.The parliamentary party of the former guerrillas met Sundayto take the decision after Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda said hisparty was

Book on life of Inna Ramamohan Rao released

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:57:03 GMT

Adamya, a book on the lifeand achievements of Inna Ramamohan Rao, former principal information officer tothe Prime Minister, was released at a function held here on Sunday.Releasing the book, former minister H K Pateel said Rao was not onlya successful communicator but also had the rare opportunity of handling the keyposition of the country under four prime ministers.Recollecting therole played by

Egypt's president warns Israel over Jerusalem

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:32:03 GMT

CAIRO: Israel will anger all Muslimsif it does not resolve Jerusalem's disputed status, Egypt's president warned hisIsraeli counterpart on Sunday.Egyptian President Hosni Mubarakemphasized to Israeli President Shimon Peres that the future of Jerusalem, whichboth Israelis and Palestinians claim as their capital, is an issue for theentire Islamic world."I expressed my concern to President Peresthat peace

Nokia to bid for Nortel assets

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:01:00 GMT

Dying Canadian telecom giant Nortel has put up its optical networking and carrier ethernet business for auction.Toronto-based Nortel has been selling its businesses bit by bit to pay off its creditors after it sought and got bankruptcy protection in the US and Canada in January after last year's huge losses. Nokia Siemens Networks, which failed to acquire Nortel's next-generation wireless business

Israeli president discusses Mideast talks in Egypt

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:40:00 GMT

Israelipresident Shimon Peres held discussions in Egypt on Sunday on efforts to restart Middle East peace talks after the Egyptian president accused Israel of creating obstacles to a settlement with the Palestinians.Egypt, the first Arab state to sign a peace deal with Israel, has long played a mediation role. That has recently included involvement in a bid to secure an Israeli soldier's release from

Meltdown in the neighbourhood

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:40:41 GMT

As an expedition from Chinese state television worked its way across the remote Tibetan plateau earlier this year, the explorers were amazed by what they found. The plateau has been called the world's third largest ice store after the North and South Poles. Yet according to Chinese scientists, the "third pole" is warming up faster than anywhere else on earth. The TV team found bare rock where glaciers

Mandela and wife voted 'heroes' by world's children

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:18:38 GMT

Former South African president Nelson Mandela and his wife Graca Machel have been voted Decade Child Rights Heroes by 7.1 million children, the World's Children's Prize foundation said on Friday."The 7,136,222 voting children have elected Graca Machel and Nelson Mandela as their first Decade Child Heroes," the World's Children Prize for the Rights of the Child foundation, based in Sweden, said in a

Tony Gonzalez & wife October bare in PETA ad

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:29:47 GMT

While the whole world is busy talking, seeking, planning Black Friday best deals we could not ignore this daring act of compassion by Tony Gonzalez with his wife October in the PETA ad.WHILE THE whole world is busy talking, seeking, planning Black Friday best deals we could not ignore this daring act of compassion by Tony Gonzalez with his wife October in the PETA ad. This news cross my eyes while

Man who killed wife in sleep goes free

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:19:02 GMT

A British man who said he strangledhis wife during a nightmare about fighting off an intruder has been found notguilty in her death.Prosecutors had asked a jury to find the man,Brian Thomas, not guilty by reason of insanity, which could have sent him to apsychiatric hospital. But they withdrew the case as experts said hospitalizationwas not appropriate.The court erupted into shouts of“Yes” as family

H1N1 mutation seen in Norway

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:42:02 GMT

OSLO: Norwegian health authoritiessaid that they have discovered a potentially significant mutation in the H1N1influenza strain that could be responsible for causing the severest symptomsamong those infected.“The mutation could be affecting thevirus’ ability to go deeper into the respiratory system, thus causing moreserious illness,” the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said in astatement on Friday.The

Gujarat Assembly will drop Q-hour

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:01:03 GMT

size="2">Deepal Trivedi

Gandhinagar

Nov. 21: In a complete turn over from established norms and parliamentary practice, the Gujarat Legislative Assembly’s forthcoming session will skip all sorts of question-answers. The till now mandatory question-answer session has been simply dropped.

In a decision that has taken the ruling BJP MLAs, besides the

Rain-lashed UK braces for fresh deluges

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:49:00 GMT

Residents walk past pass a hole in the road created by floods in Cockermouth, England. Photo Courtesy: AFP.Britain's flood-hit northwest braced on Saturday for more devastation after river levels rose again and forecasters warned of more rain, following unprecedented torrential deluges.Prime Minister Gordon Brown surveyed the grim aftermath on a visit to the badly hit town of Cockermouth, with houses

Pakistan city hospital in war-time crisis

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:45:38 GMT

Doctors and nurses battle round the clock to save lives in Pakistan's war against the Taliban, threatened with death and struggling to treat horrific injuries at a colonial-era hospital."We're under severe psychological pressure. How long will we get bodies of men, women and children, severed limbs, severed heads?" said Sajida Nasreen, catching her breath on duty at the main hospital in the northwest

Nepal Maoists to start agitation for ‘civilian supremacy’

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:58:57 GMT

ongoing political deadlock in Nepal took a new turn on Saturday with the Maoists deciding to start the third phase of their agitation to restore ‘civilian supremacy’ from next month.The central committee of the party, however, agreed to let the parliament function without obstruction for three days in order to pass the country’s annual budget, which has got delayed by four months.“In view of the present

China troops eye USD 23,000 bonus for Tibet service!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:05:22 GMT

Guangzhou: Chinese soldiers from the southern boomtown of Guangzhou who are newly assigned to Tibet will get a "special allowance" of up to 160,000 yuan ($23,440) for serving there, a local newspaper reported on Saturday.There are 240 soldiers from Guangzhou in a contingent of 520 from Guangdong province assigned to the restive Himalayan region, the Guangzhou daily reported in a front page story also

Death threats for Thai PM in pro-Thaksin stronghold: MP!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:05:22 GMT

Bangkok: Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva visited the north of the country amid heavy security Saturday after receiving death threats over a planned trip to a stronghold of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.Some 1,500 police were sent to guard Abhisit as he toured the three northern provinces of Sukhothai, Phitsanulok and Phichit, to inspect government works.A supporter of fugitive Thaksin has reportedly

Fire destroys 106 homes in Ecuador !

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:05:22 GMT

Quito (Ecuador): A serious fire destroyed 106 homes in a poor neighbourhood in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador.There were no immediately reports of deaths due to the fire which ravaged these homes Friday. However, the Ecuadorian Public Health Ministry said 14 children had to be admitted into hospital with symptoms of suffocation.The neighbourhood Cooperativa Esmeraldas Chiquito, in southern

Obama asks Americans for patience on economy!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:08:30 GMT

President Barack Obama on Saturday urged Americans to show patience over the economy and argued that his just-concluded Asia trip was critical for US exports, countering criticism he had returned empty-handed.With unemployment at a generation high of 10.2 percent and once-lofty popularity ratings down, Obama said a December White House forum will leave no stone unturned in the hunt for jobs."Even though

Hugo Chavez invites Fidel Castro to Venezuela!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:09:53 GMT

Caracas: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is inviting his mentor Fidel Castro to visit Venezuela during the coming months.Chavez read aloud a letter to the 83-year-old former Cuban leader during a televised speech on Saturday night, saying "Venezuela awaits you." Chavez proposed that Castro visit at some point between now and April, during a congress of his socialist party.The 83-year-old Castro has

Rain-lashed Britain braces for fresh deluges!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:09:53 GMT

Cockermouth: Britain's flood-hit northwest braced on Saturday for more devastation after river levels rose again and forecasters warned of more rain following unprecedented torrential deluges.Prime Minister Gordon Brown surveyed the grim aftermath on a visit to the badly hit town of Cockermouth, with houses filled with muddy water, silt and sludge carpeting the roads and cars left awkwardly where the

US regional banks grow on the cheap amid crisis!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:11:08 GMT

20-year record high bankruptcy rate for US banks and businesses is giving regional banks on sound footing the opportunity to expand swiftly and on the cheap."It's a significant opportunity because they are able to acquire assets that have been backed-stopped by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation), that means the losses are covered by the FDIC," Standard Poor's analyst Erik Oja told a

Tibetan exiles to attend meet on environment

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:10:50 GMT

Dharamsala, Nov 22 : Tibetan exiles of India, Nepal and Bhutan will participate in a two-day conference on environment in Haryana from Monday, a spokesperson for the Tibetan government-in-exile said here Sunday.The department of religion and culture of the Central Tibetan Administration has been organising the conference."Around 85 Buddhist monks, lamas and 'tulkus' (reincarnated lamas) from traditional

'UN knows what Copenhagen failure can entail'

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:30:00 GMT

Among those keeping a close eye on the outcome of next month's climate summit in Copenhagen is the head of the United Nations body dealing with disaster risk reduction, who has seen first-hand the devastation wrought by increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters aggravated by climate change.“Those of us that have worked with disasters for a long time have already seen these extremes developing,”

Frustration creeps in, yet faith in Dalai Lama keeps Tibetans going

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:00:02 GMT

Azera Rahman, New Delhi, Nov 22 : The red-blue-yellow coloured Tibetan flags flutter everywhere in Majnu Ka Tila, a Tibetan settlement in the northern part of the capital. Five decades after the Tibetans fled to India, members of the community living here still have unflinching faith in the Dalai Lama and that their homeland, Tibet, will one day be free.However, the long wait has given way to hints

Robert Pattinson signs $500m Twilight TV deal

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:01:45 GMT

actor Robert Pattinson is said to have signed a 500-million-dollar Twilight television deal.Summit Entertainment, the studio that makes the monster-hit film franchise, is branching out into TV production, and bosses want Pattinson to reprise his big-screen role as Edward Cullen.The 23-year-old actor could land as much as 1.5million-dollar an episode as part of the deal, which could kick in as early

Polish PM says president should lose veto power

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:10:00 GMT

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday that he aimed to strip the country's president of his veto powers in a constitutional revamp designed to end institutional conflicts that have blocked key reforms.President Lech Kaczynski, Tusk's conservative arch rival, has vetoed a number of government bills, including media, health and pensions reforms, citing their impact on ordinary workers.Kaczynski

Russia submarine returns to base after engine problem

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:23:00 GMT

Russian submarine broke off a mission in the Black Sea on Saturday and headed back to base, apparently because of engine trouble, the stateThe Alrosa, a diesel-electric submarine, was on a training exercise when the problem occurred, the agency quoted a source at the Russian Black Sea fleet as saying.The source said there was no danger to the crew of the Kilo-class vessel, the only operational submarine

Iraq could join WTO by end of 2011: US official

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:29:00 GMT

Iraq could get membership in the World Trade Organisation by end-2011 if it actively pursues accession, which could help the country's rebuilding efforts by boosting trade and investment, a US official said.Iraq began the accession process in 2004 but has taken only the initial steps needed for membership. It's benefits might also be limited since Iran, one of its main trading partners, is not a member.But

China’s deadly mine accidents

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:14 GMT

miners killed in explosion in Tunlan, Shanxi, at another mine run by State-run firmThe Liaoning incident triggers the central government to introduce stricter safety regulations and close down more than 13,000 illegal mines. Number of deaths have since decreased1,549 miners die at a mine in northern Liaoning, one of the world’s worst mining disasters©

Iran threatens unilateral action

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:14 GMT

DUBAI: Iran has warned that it would be forced to enrich uranium on its own to a level required for use in the treatment of cancer patients if a breakthrough in its talks with the global powers is not urgently achieved., Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali-Asghar Soltanieh stressed that in case the Iranian proposal to obtain enriched uranium fuel from abroad was rejected,

US acknowledges there is problem of trust with Pakistan

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:54:37 GMT

Even as the US galvanised the international community at a donors meet in Tokyo to have a global commitment of a whooping $ 5.2 billion aid to Pakistan in next two years, the Obama administration on Saturday conceded that it has the issue of "trust" with Islamabad. "Trust deficit – look, there's no question that there is a trust – issues of trust. But that's why we're working hard to try to resolve

Indian American Rajiv Shah to head Obama's agro-research

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:54:37 GMT

President Barack Obama has named Rajiv J. Shah, an Indian American scientist managing a programme at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help the world's poor lead healthy and productive lives, to a key post. Obama intends to nominate Shah as under secretary for research, education and economics in the department of agriculture, the White House announced on Friday. Shah is currently the director

US working to jam radio stations, websites of Taliban: WSJ

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:54:37 GMT

The US is trying to prevent the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan from using radio stations and websites to intimidate civilians and plan attacks, pushing deeper into "psychological operations" against the militants who have an edge in the "information war", a media report said on Saturday. Under the broad effort launched by the Obama Administration, US military and intelligence personnel are working

Suicide blast kills 5 policemen in Pakistan

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:54:37 GMT

Five policemen were killed on Saturday in a suicide car bomb attack in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, a media report said. A suicide bomber rammed an explosives laden vehicle into a security check post in Doaba area of Hangu district, the private Express TV channel reported. The check post was completely destroyed in the attack. Five policemen were killed and several others injured, the report

Swat girl flogging video 'fake': Pak probe team

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:54:37 GMT

A five-member team probing the public "flogging" of a teenage girl by the Taliban in Pakistan's troubled Swat valley has concluded that the video footage of the alleged incident which sent shock waves across the country was "fake". The probe team, formed after the Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar M. Chaudhry took suo motu notice of the issue, has "completed its investigation and handed over a report

Obama cleans slate to rewrite US-Latin American ties

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:54:37 GMT

US President Barack Obama delivered a good mix of words and gestures at the Summit of the Americas to wipe the slate clean for his new approach to US-Latin American relations, despite a deep heritage of mistrust. Obama acknowledged a history of US interventionism that many in Latin America continue to resent. But he sought - and by all accounts left Trinidad and Tobago with - the space to write a new

Pak identifies all terrorists in Lankan team attack case

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:54:37 GMT

Pakistani investigators have identified the 13 terrorists who attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team's motorcade here last month and made "enough progress" in their probe into the incident, a senior police official said on Tuesday. Shaukat Javed, the outgoing police chief of Punjab province, said all the 13 terrorists involved in the attack had been identified. He told reporters on Tuesday evening that

Musharraf accused of taking kickbacks in aircraft deal

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:54:37 GMT

Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has been accused of accepting kickbacks in a $1.2 billion deal for six surveillance aircraft that eventually saw the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) acquiring two incompatible systems. The contract, signed in June 2006, was originally meant for acquiring six Saab-2000 airborne early warning and control systems (AEWCS) and one Saab-2000 in a VIP configuration. However,

Iran to become nuclear fuel producer by 2010

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:54:37 GMT

Iran would become a nuclear fuel-producing country by the end of its fourth five-year development plan (2005-2010), Iranian news agency IRNA reported on Thursday quoting a senior official. Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, said in Beijing on Wednesday at the end of International Conference on Nuclear Energy in 21st Century that the country has a clear programme

Govt unhappy with ministries' last minute proposals

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:53:44 GMT

Expressing displeasure overministries coming to Union Cabinet at the last minute withtheir proposals for inclusion, the government has askedofficials to ensure that the time limits for sending notes arestrictly adhered to."Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed hisdispleasure at this approach," Cabinet Secretary K MChandrasekhar said in a letter to all secretaries in thegovernment.The Prime Minister

Iran will strike Tel Aviv if attacked: Khamenei`s aide!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:12:58 GMT

aide to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that if the Islamic republic is attacked, it will retaliate against the Israeli metropolis of Tel Aviv, official media reported on Sunday."If the enemy attacks Iran, our missiles will strike Tel Aviv," the official IRNA news agency quoted Khamenei's representative in the elite Revolutionary Guards, Mojhtaba Zolnoor, as saying late yesterday.His

Polls open in Romanian Presidential Election!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:09:53 GMT

Bucharest: Polls opened on Sunday in Romania's Presidential Election, as the country struggles with a severe recession and the political turmoil following the government's fall mid-October.This is the first election of a head of state since Romania entered the European Union in January 2007.More than 18 million people out of the population of 21.5 million are listed to vote in more than 21,400 polling

60% US employees unhappy with present jobs: Survey!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:11:08 GMT

York: As many as six in every 10American employees are unhappy with their present jobs and areplanning to look for new jobs next year, a survey says.According to a report by talent and career managementconsulting firm Right Management, about 60 percent ofthe employees it surveyed intend to leave their jobs in 2010.About 21 percent may leave their present jobs and willbe networking to pursue new job

US spurring tribal rebellion against Taliban in Afghanistan

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:01:45 GMT

Hoping to spur-up a large-scale tribal rebellion against the Taliban in Afghanistan, American and local officials have started supporting independent militias which are defending their neighbourhoods from Taliban insurgents.American and Afghan were encouraged to support the growth of armed militias across the Taliban heartland in the southern and eastern parts when leaders of anti-Taliban militias

Japan to admit secret nuclear pact with US: reports

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:13:49 GMT

A Japanese government team has found documents on an alleged secret pact with theto transport nuclear weapons through its territory, after decades of official denial, reports revealed on Sunday.Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's centre-left government launched a probe into the alleged nuclear pact and other secret agreements with theThe probe team reported to Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on Friday that

Nepal Maoists begin third phase of protest to dislodge govt

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:44:00 GMT

Nepal's Maoists today began the third phase of their agitation, leading to a three-day general strike from December 20, in a bid to dislodge the government even as it ended its blockade of the parliament to allow the passage of the crucial budget.The former rebels, after a key meeting of the Unified CPN (Maoist), decided to allow the parliament to function for three days so as to facilitate the passage