04 June 2016

Monthly World News May 2016

World News For The Month Jun

Nato to designate cyber as operational domain of war

Nato members will likely agree to designate cyber as an official operational domain of warfare along with air, sea, land and space, according to a German official. The agreement will be made during a summit meeting in Warsaw in July.
2016-06-01

Saudi Arabia sentences 14 to death for terrorism

Some Saudi Shi'ites complain they suffer systematic discrimination in Saudi Arabia, whose majority follow a strict form of Sunni Islam that regards the minority sect as heretical. The government denies that.
2016-06-01

China's textbook criticized for including Bible story

The inclusion of a Bible story for the first time in a textbook in secondary schools in Beijing has sparked a controversy. Some outraged people criticized the book saying that it spreads Western values and violates the law which separated education from religion.
2016-06-01

Brazil approves increased penalties for gang rape

With the new law approved by the Senate , the penalty for gang rape would be increased up to over 13 years, although the sentence could be higher if the victim is under 14 or dies after the assault.
2016-06-01

Mass sexual assault reported at German music festival

The women, who between them filed 14 criminal complaints, said they were encircled and groped by groups of men in ways that recalled mob attacks at chaotic New Year's festivities in Cologne. Police said three Pakistani men aged 28 to 31, at least two of them asylum seekers, were arrested.
2016-06-01

Thousands flee Fallujah as battle continues: UN

Nearly 3,700 people have fled Fallujah over the past week amid a new offensive by Iraqi forces to retake the besieged city from the Islamic State, the UN said . But around 50,000 civilians trapped inside the Iraqi city risk being turned into "human shields" by the terrorists.
2016-06-01

US warns Euro 2016 soccer possible terror target

The United States warned its citizens that this summer's Euro 2016 soccer tournament and related events across France and Europe will present "potential targets for terrorists."
2016-06-01

Boeing wins $3.2 billion US defense contract

Boeing Co was awarded a USD 3.2 billion contract modification to a previously awarded contract for Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tailkits, the Pentagon said .
2016-06-01

Philippine president-elect offers bounties for drug lords

The Philippine president-elect said he will pay bounties to police or military officials who capture suspected drug lords "dead or alive", adding that there is enough reward money to leave "100 persons dead". Rodrigo Duterte said he will pay up to 3 million pesos ($64,000) for every drug lord that officials turn in.
2016-05-31

Gorilla murder in US zoo sparks widespread outrage

Public fury is mounting against human stupidity amid continuing uproar over the "murder" of a rare gorilla that had to be put down by authorities at the Cincinnati Zoo after a toddler who slipped into the primates enclosure was assessed to be in a life-threatening situation.
2016-05-31

Ukraine's released pilot assumes parliament seat

Ukrainian pilot and MP Nadiya Savchenko has turned into a national symbol of resistance to Russia since joining a volunteer battalion fighting pro-Kremlin eastern separatist insurgents and then being taken prisoner in June 2014.
2016-05-31

EU's top lawyer backs work headscarf ban

A senior lawyer at the European Union Court of Justice expressed that companies may ban Muslim headscarves if they are enforcing a general prohibition on religious symbols in the workplace. The case concerns a woman, Samira Achbita, who was fired for wearing a headscarf at workplace.
2016-05-31

Germany risks Turkey wrath with Armenian genocide vote

Germany's parliament votes on a resolution that qualifies the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces as "genocide", despite a strong warning from Turkey. More than 20 nations, including France and Russia, have recognized the Armenian genocide, but Germany has not.
2016-05-31

Aid group warns of human catastrophe in Iraqs Fallujah

The siege of the jihadist-held Iraqi city of Fallujah and the 50,000 civilians believed trapped inside it is a catastrophe in the making, the Norwegian Refugee Council warned. Iraqi forces launched an operation on May 22-23 to retake the ISIS bastion, which lies only 50 kilometres west of Baghdad.
2016-05-31

Top N Korea official visits China in bid to mend ties

Ri Su-yong, vice-chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, made a rare visit to China in bid by Pyongyang to mend frayed ties with Beijing. China is North Korea's largest trading partner and key diplomatic protector, but relations have soured following Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.
2016-05-31

Hamas executes 3 convicts in Gaza, sparks criticism

Gaza's Hamas rulers executed three Palestinians convicted of murder , sparking criticism from human rights groups and defying an agreement with the rival Palestinian Fatah faction. The executions were carried out without the required approval of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
2016-05-31

Taliban attack buses in Afghanistan, kill 9, kidnap 35

The Taliban attacked several buses on a road in northern Afghanistan morning, forcing passengers to disembark and killing nine people and kidnapping at least 35, officials said. The attack in northern Kunduz province took place in Aliabad district as the buses were travelling from Kabul.
2016-05-31

South Korea says North's missile launch likely failed

A North Korean missile launch likely failed , South Korea's military said, the fourth in a series of high-profile failures. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missile was a powerful mid-range Musudan, which could potentially reach US military bases in Asia and the Pacific.
2016-05-31

Student burned alive by ex-boyfriend in Rome: Police

A Rome university student, Sara Di Pietrantonio (22), was burned alive by her ex-boyfriend, Vincenzo Paduano (27) . Paduano set her car afire and chased her after she ran out of the car, setting her ablaze when he caught up with her.
2016-05-31

Animal rights activists disrupt Sanders Oakland rally

A group of animal rights activists briefly interrupted a Bernie Sanders rally at Frank Ogawa Plaza at Oakland's City Hall when they jumped barricades and tried to rush the podium. The security stopped the protesters before they could reach Sanders.
2016-05-31

New Zealand backs plain packaging for cigarettes

New Zealand has decided to introduce plain packagings plastered with health warnings and gruesome pictures of ill-effects of smoking for cigarettes. The move coincides with the World No Tobacco day. The list of such countries is growing despite the threat of legal action by industry.
2016-05-31

Quake measuring 6.1 jolts parts of Taiwan

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 centred about 110 km northeast of Taipei, shook parts of Taiwan and was felt in the capital, residents and officials said. There were no immediate reports of damage.
2016-05-31

Carter to discuss South China Sea at Asian summit

United States defense secretary Ashton Carter will depart for an Asian security summit in Singapore, where Beijing's military expansion across the South China Sea likely will lead to discussions among the fretting nations.
2016-05-31

More than 45 million trapped in modern slavery: Study

More than 45 million men, women and children globally are trapped in modern slavery, with two-thirds in the Asia-Pacific, a study showed. Modern slavery refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot leave because of threats, violence, coercion, and abuse of power or deception.
2016-05-31

6 killed, 20 injured in two bomb attacks in Turkey

Six persons, including two police officers, were killed and 20 others were injured in two bomb attacks in Turkey's Sirnak province after rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants detonated two car bombs.
2016-05-31

Brazil's anti-corruption minister quits over leaked recordings

Brazil's Transparency Minister Fabiano Silveira resigned after leaked recordings suggested he tried to derail a sprawling corruption probe, the latest cabinet casualty impacting interim President Michel Temer's administration.
2016-05-31

White House back to normal after partial lockdown

The White House has returned to "normal operations" after a partial lockdown triggered when an individual threw a metal object over the fence, a US Secret Service spokesman said .
2016-05-31

Attempted North Korea missile launch fails

North Korea attempted to fire a missile from its east coast early but the launch appears to have failed, South Korean officials said about what could be the latest in a string of unsuccessful ballistic missile tests by the isolated country.
2016-05-31

On cutting-edge voter data, Trump behind Clinton

Donald Trump trails Hillary Clinton by months, even years, in using fast-evolving digital campaigning to win over voters, GOP data specialists say. Trump has dismissed the science that defines 21st century political campaigns, a tool that Barack Obama used effectively.
2016-05-30

Nato urged to show stronger resolve on Russia

Nato's parliamentary assembly urged alliance members to stand up to Russia's military assertiveness and to do a better job sharing the burden of collective defence. It sought to strengthen conventional and nuclear deterrence measures and heighten Nato military preparedness.
2016-05-30

Restoration starts at Kabuls war-battered palace

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani launched restoration work at Kabul's historic Darul Aman Palace, whose bombed out ruins have symbolized the suffering caused by decades of conflict. Up to $20 million will be spent on restoring the former glory of the palace, built by King Amanullah Khan in the 1920s.
2016-05-30

Rebels kill 5 Ukrainian soldiers in countrys east

Five Ukrainian soldiers and two rebel fighters have been killed in fresh clashes between government forces and pro-Russian separatists in the country's east, the military said. It was the second-biggest death toll in a single day this year for the Ukrainian army.
2016-05-30

Chad ex-dictator gets life imprisonment for war crimes

A Senegal court sentenced former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre to life in prison for war crimes, crimes against humanity, rape, etc. The verdict brings a long-awaited reckoning to families of the up to 40,000 people killed and the many kidnapped, raped or tortured under his 1982-1990 rule.
2016-05-30

Iraqi forces push into Fallujah as ISIS bombings kill 24

Iraqi forces started pushing into the city of Fallujah as a wave of bombings claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Baghdad and near the Iraqi capital killed at least 24 people. The advance is part of an offensive to rout militants from Fallujah and recapture the city from the ISIS.
2016-05-30

Four die, several injured in Germany floods

Eyewitnesses posted videos on social network sites showing cars being carried away by the floods and crashing into shop windows. State authorities said as many as 7,000 firefighters, police and rescue workers were pressed into service.
2016-05-30

Turkey says it could seize IS stronghold with US

Turkey's foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, says joint US-Turkish military action could oust the Islamic State group from Syria. American special operations forces and Syria Democratic Forces have begun clearing areas north of Raqqa in preparation for an eventual assault on the city.
2016-05-30

Germany to draft law on nuclear storage costs in August

German Cabinet will approve a draft law on nuclear storage on August 3. This will require its utility firms to pay to a state fund to help cover the cost of nuclear storage. A commission recommended in April that Germany's "big four" power firms pay 23.3 billion euros ($26 billion) for the same.
2016-05-30

Turkish leader rejects family planning for Muslims

Speaking at an educational foundation in Istanbul , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, " We will increase our descendants, we will increase our population. Family planning, birth control, no Muslim family can practice it."
2016-05-30

Paris tourism hit by attacks, protests

France is the world's most visited country, but tourists have been scared off by the November attacks in the capital that left 130 people dead and the January 2015 killings at Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket.
2016-05-30

Multiple terror attacks kill at least 17 in Baghdad

Militants unleashed a wave of attacks targeting commercial areas in and around Baghdad , killing at least 17 people and injuring over 40 others. No terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
2016-05-30

Pak files FIR against US officials for drone strike

Police in Pakistan's Balochistan province registered a case against unnamed American officials for the US drone strike that killed Afghan Taliban leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, and driver of a taxi in which he was travelling on May 21.
2016-05-30

Obama support can clinch it for Hillary: Report

US Democratic Party front-runner Hillary Clinton could have President Obama as a secret weapon in her presidential run, a report said . Obama retains immense popularity with the Democratic base, including vital groups such as young people, with whom Clinton has struggled, the report noted.
2016-05-30

Trump connects with bikers at Rolling Thunder rally

Ã¢Â€ÂœLook at all these bikers,Ã¢Â€Â Trump, standing before a crowd in front of the Lincoln Memorial, said. Ã¢Â€ÂœDo we love the bikers? Yes. We love the bikers.Ã¢Â€Â Known to maintain a fleet of planes, Trump chose to pay respects to an incongruous constituency which takes pride in their two-wheeled machines.
2016-05-30

At this IS-hit cafe, Iraqi fans are the 'Real' champs

Wearing a pink Ronaldo tee-shirt, Ali Qais stares nervously at one of the Al-Furat cafe's TV screens to watch his beloved Real Madrid in the Iraqi town of Balad.
2016-05-30

Iraq forces poised for Fallujah assault

Elite Iraqi troops were poised to assault one of the Islamic State group's most emblematic bastions, Fallujah, as the jihadists counterattacked in both Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
2016-05-30

Shooting rampage in Houston leaves two dead, 6 wounded

Police in Houston killed a gunman in a chaotic shootout that left one other person dead, six wounded - including two officers - and set off a fire at a nearby gas station when bullets struck a gas pump, authorities said.
2016-05-30

Five UN soldiers killed in central Mali attack

Five United Nations peacekeepers were killed and one other seriously injured in an ambush in central Mali . The northern Mali region has seen repeated violence since separatists joined jihadists to seize the region from the government in Bamako.
2016-05-29

700 migrants feared dead in Mediterranean shipwrecks: UN

Over 700 migrants are feared dead in three Mediterranean Sea shipwrecks south of Italy in the last few days as they tried desperately to reach Europe in unseaworthy smuggling boats, the UN refugee agency said . This is the largest loss of life reported in the Mediterranean since April 2015.
2016-05-29

Violence mars Bangladesh local body polls, 12 killed

At least 12 people, including two candidates and two children, were killed and over 200 injured in violence during Bangladesh's fifth phase of voting in the local body polls which have turned out to be the deadliest so far, media reports said .
2016-05-29

Iraqi forces complete buildup around ISIS-held Fallujah

Iraq's special forces completed a troop buildup around Fallujah ahead of an operation to retake the Islamic State-held city west of Baghdad, a military spokesman said . The city, about 40 kilometres west of Baghdad, is one of the last major ISIS strongholds in Iraq.
2016-05-29

German, French leaders mark Verdun battle centenary

In solemn ceremonies in the forests of eastern France, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel marked 100 years since the Battle of Verdun, determined to show that, despite the bloodbath of World War I, their countries' improbable friendship is now a source of hope for today's fractured Europe.
2016-05-29

Fire at home for elderly kill 17 in Ukraine

Seventeen people died when a makeshift home for elderly people in Ukraine caught fire in the early hours of , the latest tragedy to shake the conflict-riven country. The fire tore through the two-storey shelter for the elderly in a village, located some 50 kilometres north of capital Kiev.
2016-05-29

Iran to miss hajj, says Saudi 'blocking path to Allah'

"Saudi Arabia is opposing the absolute right of Iranians to go on the hajj and is blocking the path leading to Allah," said the Iranian Hajj Organisation. Shiite Iran and predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia are at odds over a raft of regional issues.
2016-05-29

German, French leaders mark 100 years of Verdun battle

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angella Merkel marked 100 years since the 10-month Battle of Verdun, which killed 163,000 French and 143,000 German soldiers and wounded hundreds of thousands.
2016-05-29

700 migrants feared dead in Mediterranean shipwrecks

The United Nations refugee agency says over 700 migrants may have drowned in Mediterranean Sea shipwrecks south of Italy in the last few days as they tried to reach Europe. An estimated 100 people are missing from a smugglers' boat that capsized .
2016-05-29

Ohio zoo shuts gorilla exhibit, boy falls in moat

The Cincinnati Zoo has temporarily closed its gorilla exhibit after a special zoo response team shot and killed a 17-year-old gorilla, Harambe, that grabbed and dragged a 4-year-old boy who fell into a moat. The child, who has not been identified, fell 10 to 12 feet.
2016-05-29

Documents in Trump University suit to be released

The US District Judge is ordering the release of Trump University internal documents in a class-action lawsuit against the now-defunct real estate school owned by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Trump's lawyers deny any wrongdoing in the case.
2016-05-29

Can Maulana Diesel fuel Sharif-Zardari pact?

When a rightist coalition bagged 11% votes in 2002, it was the first time conservatives had managed double-digit vote share in Pakistan's electoral history.
2016-05-29

Far right's defeat leaves Austria politically cleaved

With the dust settling over the new Austrian presidency, its almost amusing to consider that all of Europe agonised for weeks over a possible far-right triumph in a contest involving just 64 lakh voters.
2016-05-29

Sri Lanka says 100 missing in landslides are dead

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said 67 bodies had been recovered from the worst hit central district of Kegalle where 99 people were still listed as missing following the rain-triggered May 17 disaster.
2016-05-28

Pak had achieved N-capability in 1984: Qadeer Khan

The father of Pakistan's nuclear programme Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan claimed that the country had a plan to launch nuclear test in 1984 but General Zia-ul-Haq opposed it, fearing that the world would intervene militarily.
2016-05-28

4.6-magnitude tremor jolts Nepal

A mild tremor measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale jolted central Nepal . According to the National Seismological Centre, the quake hit at 3:24pm and its epicenter was in Sindhupalchowk, 100km northeast of Kathmandu.
2016-05-28

Pakistan bans contraceptive ads on TV, radio

Pakistan has banned advertisements of contraceptives on TV and radio after complaints from parents that such "undesired" commercials make children inquisitive about their use and features. The ban came despite a government initiative to encourage birth control in the country.
2016-05-28

Philippine cops, vigilantes shoot dead 6 drug suspects

Philippine police shot dead four suspected drug dealers while unknown men gunned down two others, officials said , raising the death toll for narcotics suspects to 14 this week, after president-elect Rodrigo Duterte vowed a war against crime.
2016-05-28

Italy to sell old prisons to build new ones

Italy plans to sell historic prisons in Rome, Milan, and Naples to pay for new ones. Italy's overcrowded prison system, which now holds some 54,000, was built to hold no more than 50,000 inmates. The older prisons may be converted into hotels or private residences.
2016-05-28

Brazil in crisis talks after mass rape of teenage girl

Police said they have identified and are searching for four of more than 30 men suspected in the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl, which rocked nation. Meanwhile, acting President Michel Temer called an emergency meeting of the security ministers of all states to consider gender-related crimes.
2016-05-28

ISIS attacks Syrian rebels in northern strongholds

Islamic State jihadists entered a Syrian opposition stronghold in the country's north , clashing with rebels on the edges of the town as the extremist group built on its most significant advance near the Turkish border in two years.
2016-05-28

Argentine court sentences ex-dictator for atrocities

Argentina's last dictator Reynaldo Bignone, 88, and 14 other former military officials were sentenced to prison for human rights crimes, marking the first time a court has ruled that Operation Condor was a criminal conspiracy to kidnap and forcibly disappear people across international borders.
2016-05-28

US military restricts troops after murder in Okinawa

The US military in Japan is restricting celebrations and off-base alcohol consumption in Okinawa after the arrest of a former marine suspected of killing a woman on the southern Japanese island. The 30,000 US troops won't be allowed to drink alcohol off-base, and visiting bars will be prohibited.
2016-05-28

Quake hits South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands

An earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale hit South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands , the epicenter of which was monitored at 56.2 degrees south latitude and 27.1 degrees west longitude, with a depth of 70 km.
2016-05-28

Museum of Russian impressionist art opens in Moscow

A museum of Russian impressionist art opened in a former chocolate factory in Moscow , to promote the country's art movement of which little is known. It exhibits some 70 works by Russian artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
2016-05-28

US tells Pakistan to go after terrorists

Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, James B Cunningham said that the killing of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in Pakistan's Balochistan province by American drones would force Pakistan to rethink the wisdom of providing safe heavens to terrorists.
2016-05-28

More than 2,000 boat migrants rescued off Italy

Italian Coastguards saved over 2000 Libyan migrants in 17 different operations in the Mediterranean. Around 14,000 people were taken off often flimsy vessels over the whole week. There is no official record of the casualities but the IOM estimates total Mediterranean deaths to be 1,475 this year.
2016-05-28

Trump raises US$ 6 million in first fund raising event

Donald Trump has raised an impressive US$ 6 million and received pledges for another US$ 4 million in his first fundraising event after emerging as presumptive Republican presidential nominee, a media report has said.
2016-05-28

US senators push for enhanced military ties with India

Top US Senator John Sullivan moved the amendment 'Military-to- Military exchanges with India' to National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) 2017 . It is being co-sponsored by Senator John Corny and Mark Warner, the two co-chairs of the Senate India Caucus, along with Senator Mark Kirk.
2016-05-28

Russian activists struggle as HIV epidemic grows

Vadim Pokrovsky, head of Russia's federal AIDS centre expressed his deep concerns on the near epidemic like situation of HIV AIDS in Russia. In 2015 alone, some 100,000 new HIV cases were reported in Russia. The number of HIV-positive minors has jumped by 8.5 per cent in one year.
2016-05-28

Panama Papers law firm shuts Jersey, Gibraltar offices

Mossack Fonseca, the law firm at the heart of Panama Paper leaks has decided to wind up its operations from British dependent territories of Jersey and Isle of Man and Gibraltar after 20 years of presence in these areas. The firm said that the wind up was part of office network consolidation.
2016-05-28

Small WWII-era plane crashes in Hudson River

A small World War II vintage plane, P-47 Thunderbolt, crashed in the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey celebrating its 75th anniversary. New York police department detective Michael Debonis said that scuba divers recovered a body from the plane around 10.30pm.
2016-05-28

UN to Trump: Climate deal is critical to saving planet

The UN has lashed out at Donald Trump after he said that if he becomes the US President he would scrap the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The UN has said that the agreement is crucial to the sustainability of the planet. UN chief has called this agreement the biggest achievement of his tenure.
2016-05-28

Demonstrators face off at Trump rally in California

Thousands of pro- and anti-Donald Trump demonstrators faced off outside a rally for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in San Diego (California) with police out in force to head off violence.
2016-05-28

North Korea warns South's ships after sea border chase

South Korean Army fired at two North Korean ships after they briefly crossed the boundary. North Korea has called this reckless military provocation and that the two ships were unarmed. A North Korean military vessel and fishing boat had crossed the borders.
2016-05-28

Obama mourns the dead on historic trip to Hiroshima

President Barack Obama arrived in Hiroshima, the first visit by a sitting US president to the site of the world's first atomic bombing and paid a moving tribute to victims of the nuclear attack.
2016-05-27

300 passengers evacuated as Korean Air plane catches fire

Smoke was seen coming from a Korean Air Boeing 777 at Tokyo's Haneda airport as it was about to take off. About 300 passengers and crew members were evacuated from the plane after one of the engines caught fire. No serious injuries were reported.
2016-05-27

US asks Pakistan to cooperate with India on 26/11 probe

US State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said the US has asked Pakistan to co-operate with India in the 26/11 investigations and have appealed them to check all terror groups operating on their soil.
2016-05-27

Obama says, Taliban still bent on violence despite new leadership

Hopes of peace negotiation with the new Afghan Taliban leader came floundering down as US President Barack Obama warned that the extremist movement will continue killing in Afghanistan. Obama made his doubt clears in Japan, where he is meeting with other leaders of the Group of Seven nations.
2016-05-26

Uganda 2010 bombing mastermind found guilty

ma, the Ugandan ringleader of a 2010 bombing by the al-Qaida-linked Shabaab that killed 76 people in Kampala, has been found guilty of masterminding one of the region's worst attacks in decades. According to the prosecution, he planned the attacks but left Uganda the day before.
2016-05-26

Up to 30 migrants feared dead in shipwreck off Libya

Up to 30 people are feared dead after a shipwreck off Libya, while some 50 migrants have been rescued from the waves, the EU's naval force said . The shipwreck followed sharply on the heels of a disaster when a migrant boat overturned leaving five people dead,
2016-05-26

Indonesia to punish child rapists with death, castration

Indonesia's introduction of the death penalty and chemical castration for child sex offenders won applause from the public, but activists warned the punishments would not serve as a deterrent. The new punishments mostly won praise in Indonesia, where there is strong backing for the death penalty.
2016-05-26

Obama says world leaders 'rattled' by Trump

US President Barack Obama accused Donald Trump of ignorance about world affairs and stated that foreign leaders are "rattled" by him and have good reason to feel so. Obama made his assessment while addressing a summit on a Group of Seven advanced economies in Japan.
2016-05-26

UN alarmed by Hamas move to hold executions in Gaza

UN envoy for the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov expressed alarmed after Hamas authorities in the Gaza Strip moved to hold public executions, and urged them to change course. Thirteen men, mostly murder convicts connected to robberies, are currently awaiting execution, according to Hamas officials.
2016-05-26

France labour strikes intensify, N-workers join stir

France faced fresh strikes after nuclear power station workers voted to join gathering protests against labour law reforms that have forced the country to dip into strategic fuel reserves due to refinery blockades. The reforms are designed to make hiring and firing workers in labour market easier .
2016-05-26

Nepal to honour 9 Sherpas on International Everest Day

Nine Sherpa 'icefall doctors', who risked their lives to fix ropes on Mount Everest after last year's devastating earthquakes, will be given a cash award of Rs 50,000 each along with certificates of appreciation by Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on May 29 at the 9th International Everest Day.
2016-05-26

US states sue federal government over transgender loo use

Eleven US states are suing the federal government over guidelines telling public schools to let transgender students use the bathroom of their choice. In a joint filing seeking to quash the directive, the 11 states accused the federal government of trying to rewrite laws by "executive fiat."
2016-05-26

UN chief urges dialogue with North Korea

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged a return to talks with North Korea, during a visit to South Korea that has fuelled speculation of his presidential ambitions in his home country.
2016-05-26

US lawmakers push for strong defence ties with India

The top US lawmakers cutting across party lines are pushing for building a strong defence relationship with India. "It is essential that Washington and Delhi stand together to uphold democratic values...as China seeks to gain greater influence in the region," Senator Bob Corker said
2016-05-26

Australia to examine more possible MH370 debris

Three new pieces of airplane debris believed to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are set to be examined in Australia. Two of the new pieces of debris are coming from the small nation of Mauritius while the third piece was found in Mozambique
2016-05-26

Azerbaijan frees top anti-corruption journalist

Azerbaijan's top court ordered the release of prominent investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova, who was jailed on corruption charges last year. The incident had triggered an international uproar. Ismayilova, an award-winning journalist, was jailed for 7 years for economic crimes.
2016-05-25

Zimbabweans show support for Mugabe in huge rally

Tens of thousands of Robert Mugabe supporters marched in Zimbabwe's capital in a show of unity as divisions are widening within the president's party over who might succeed him. Demonstrators were shipped in from the country for the "One Million-Man" march, organized by the ZANU-PF party's youth wing.
2016-05-25

Israel forms most right-wing govt in nations history

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached a deal with a hardline nationalist party to join his government, forming what is being called the most right-wing government in the nation's history. Under the deal, Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party will join Netanyahu's coalition.
2016-05-25

21 al-Shabaab militants killed in ambush: Kenya military

A Kenyan military official said Kenyan troops in Somalia killed 21 suspected al-Shabaab extremists who were plotting an ambush in southern Somalia. Al-Shabaab espouses the Saudi Arabian Wahhabi version of Islam, which follows strict shariah law and has carried out even stoning to death.
2016-05-25

Russia frees jailed Ukrainian pilot in prisoner swap

Russia released Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko as part of a swap for two Russian servicemen jailed in Ukraine, an official in the Ukrainian presidential administration said. Savchenko was captured by Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and sentenced in March to 22 years in prison.
2016-05-25

Suicide bombing in Kabul kills 10 people

Najib Danish, the Interior Ministry's deputy spokesman, said the suicide bomber, who was on foot, detonated his explosives vest as he walked by the vehicle carrying court employees in the Afghan capital .
2016-05-25

Protests turn violent outside Donald Trump's rally in New Mexico

Protesters at Donald Trump's New Mexico rally shouted out slogans against him and held up banners which read "Trump is Fascist" and "We've heard enough". They also burned T-shirts and other items labeled with Trump's catchphrase, "Make America great again."
2016-05-25

Greek police move 2,000 migrants from Idomeni camp

Greek police officials said they transferred 2,031 migrants from the overcrowded camp of Idomeni to newly opened camps near Greece's second city Thessaloniki. The group transferred yesterday included 662 Syrians, 1,273 Kurds and 96 Yazidis. Around 700 police officers, took part in the operation.
2016-05-25

Plot revealed against Rousseff, Brazil govt in crisis

s between the planning minister and a former chief of an oil firm revealed that the impeachment process against the suspended president, Dilma Rousseff, was carried on with the intention of "killing" the investigation into the Petrobras scandal that rocked the political class.
2016-05-24

Three dead as protests turn violent in Kenya, police say

Three people died during clashes which erupted during opposition protests in two towns in western Kenya, police said. Two people died of gunshot wounds in the western town of Siaya, and one from a head injury after falling over while running from tear gas in Kisumu, also in the west.
2016-05-24

Three dead as protests turn violent in Kenya, police say

Greek police evacuate hundreds from Idomeni refugee camp

Greek authorities sent hundreds of police into the country's largest informal refugee camp to support the gradual evacuation of the Idomeni site on the Macedonian border. The camp, which sprang up at an informal pedestrian border crossing for migrants, was home to an estimated 8,400 people.
2016-05-24

Mexico begins exhumation of grave with over 100 bodies

Mexican authorities and independent experts began the exhumation of more than a hundred bodies buried in pits in the central state of Morelos. Prosecutors announced that the 116 bodies in the mass grave Ã¢Â€Â” located in the town of Tetelcingo, just south of Mexico City Ã¢Â€Â” were buried on March 28, 2014.
2016-05-24

Hardliner elected head of key Iran oversight body

Iran's "assembly of experts" chose ultraconservative Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati to head the key body which oversees the work of the country's supreme leader and will elect his successor, state TV reported. The 89-year-old cleric is one of the few hardliners who secured re-election in February.
2016-05-24

More North Koreans defect to South from China

Several more North Korean workers have fled their jobs in an overseas restaurant run by the isolated North, South Korea's unification ministry said after a media report said three people had escaped from China and were claiming asylum. This follows a similar defection of 13 Nor Koreans in April.
2016-05-24

5 Pak Navy men get death sentence over terrorism charges

At least five Pakistan Navy men were charged with having links with the Islamic State group, mutiny, hatching a conspiracy and carrying weapons to the Karachi dockyard. They were awarded death sentence by a Pakistan Navy court.
2016-05-24

Obama wants peaceful settlement of South China Sea disputes

US President Barack Obama called for territorial disputes in the South China Sea to be "resolved peacefully" as Vietnam balks at Chinese actions in the bitterly contested waters. "Big nations should not bully smaller ones, disputes should be resolved peacefully," he told an audience in Hanoi, referring to the disputed maritime region.
2016-05-24

Pak summons US envoy over Taliban chief's killing

Pakistan summoned US ambassador David Hale to the foreign ministry and protested over the drone strike in southwest of the country, that killed Taliban chief Mullaha Akhtar Mansoor.
2016-05-24

Iraq forces launch assault on ISIS bastion Fallujah

Iraqi forces battled the Islamic State in the opening stages of an operation to retake Fallujah, one of the toughest targets yet in Baghdad's war against the jihadists. Officials said several dozen families had fled the city, but the jihadists have sought to prevent civilians from leaving.
2016-05-23

Pope meets top Egypt cleric, ends relation freeze

Pope Francis met the grand imam of Egypt's highest Islamic authority Al-Azhar, looking to heal Vatican relations with the influential centre of Sunni Muslim learning, after dialogue was frozen five years ago.
2016-05-23

Fire at Thailand school for poor tibal girls kills 17

Fire swept through a school for girls from poor hill-tribe families in Thailand, killing at least 17 in their dormitory, police said, and leaving charred remains of metal bed frames and wooden school chairs. The girls, aged five to 12, were sleeping at the Christian school in Chiang Rai province.
2016-05-23

Blasts kill over 120 in Syrian government-held cities

Bomb blasts killed scores of people in the Syrian coastal cities of Jableh and Tartous, and wounded many others in the government-controlled territory that hosts Russian military bases, state media said. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks in the Mediterranean cites.
2016-05-23

Flood-hit Sri Lankans face uncertain future

Sri Lankan residents still sheltering in schools and other relief centres in Colombo have lost everything, and are unsure how to rebuild. The government discussed how best to respond to the floods, which has caused approximately $2 billion worth of damage.
2016-05-23

Barack Obama lifts decadesold US arms ban to Vietnam

US President Barack Obama lifted a half-century-old ban on selling arms to Vietnam, looking to bolster a government seen as a crucial, though flawed partner in a region that he has tried to place at the center of his foreign policy legacy. His move was the latest step to counter China's influence in Asia.
2016-05-23

Multiple blasts kill more than 100 in Syria

A spate of bombings in two Syrian regime stronghold cities killed at least 101 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
2016-05-23

Yemen bombings kill at least 41

A suicide bomber killed 34 people queueing up to enlist at recruitment centre near the Badr base in the Khormaksar district. A second explosion went off inside the base afterwards, killing seven soldiers.
2016-05-23

Obama confirms Taliban leader's death in US strike

President Barack Obama confirmed that Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US air strike, hailing his death as an "important milestone" in efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan.
2016-05-23

S Korea rejects North's military talks offer

The North's leader - Kim Jong-Un - offered the military dialogue during a speech to a recent congress of the ruling Workers' Party - the first event of its kind for more than 35 years. Seoul though said that talks cannot happen minus mention of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.
2016-05-23

Greek parliament approves bailout measures

Greek lawmakers adopted another batch of controversial spending cuts and tax hikes ahead of a crunch Eurogroup meeting expected to unlock much-needed bailout funds for the debt-ridden country.
2016-05-23

6 dead in pair of nightclub shootings on Mexico's Gulf coast

A total of six men were killed early in shootings at two nightclubs in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, authorities said.
2016-05-23

Iraq announces start of operation to retake Fallujah

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of a military operation to retake the city of Fallujah from the Islamic State group.
2016-05-23

US drone strike kills Afghan Taliban chief Mansour on Pak soil

ke killed Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour on Pakistani soil, leaving Islamabad to protest the violation of its sovereignty.
2016-05-23

Sikh-American called terrorist by Trump supporter

and Dubenezic, who is likely to be more American? A Donald Trump supporter put that to test with a racist tweet against a Sikh-American and came up short.
2016-05-22

US President Barack Obama lands in Vietnam to boost ties

US President Barack Obama landed in Vietnam late for a landmark visit capping two decades of rapprochement between the former wartime foes, as both countries look to push trade and check Beijings growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.
2016-05-22

Clinton slams Trump's gun policies, calls them "dangerous"

Hillary Clinton condemned Donald Trump's gun policies calling them "dangerous". Clinton's criticism comes a day after Trump labelled her as "Heartless Hillary" for backing restrictions on gun ownership in a speech before an influential gun rights lobbying group, in Louisville, Kentucky.
2016-05-22

Indians assimilate with everyone, says Prime Minister Modi in Iran

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Iran, said that Indians living abroad have the capability to assimilate with everyone. PM Modi will be accorded an official welcome following which he will hold talks with Iran's leaders
2016-05-22

Pakistan condemns US drone strike that killed Afghan Taliban chief

Pakistan hit out at the US for launching a drone strike on its soil to kill Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, describing it as a "violation of its sovereignty". Mansour was killed in a rare US drone strike deep inside Pakistan.
2016-05-22

Will meet Donald Trump despite his dangerous views on Muslims: David Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron has said he would be very happy to meet Donald Trump if the controversial presumptive Republican presidential nominee were to travel to the UK despite his "dangerous" views on Muslims.
2016-05-22

Thais protest to mark two years of army takeover

In a largest show of dissent, hundreds protested to mark the second anniversary of Thai armys overthrow of the elected government. Since their 2014 power grab, the military has banned all political protests under sedition and defamation laws.
2016-05-22

Islamic State leader urges attacks in US, Europe during Ramzan

An Islamic State spokesman has urged sympathizers in Europe and the US to launch attacks there if they are unable to travel to the group's self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq. He encouraged lone wolf attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramazan "to win the great award of martyrdom.''
2016-05-22

Lifting of sanctions on Iran opens immense opportunities: PM Modi

Lifting of international sanctions on Iran has opened up immense opportunities and India is looking to expand cooperation with the Persian Gulf nation in sectors such as trade, investment, infrastructure and energy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said .
2016-05-22

Tajikistan votes to strengthen veteran presidents hold

The 63-year-old autocrat has ruled Tajikistan for nearly a quarter of a century, demonstrating an increased disregard for religious freedoms, civil society and political pluralism in recent years. The constitutional changes will now allow him to run for unlimited number of terms.
2016-05-22

Russians warplanes raid key Syrian rebel supply route

The Castello road is a key supply route for rebels leading north out of Aleppo. Even while the rest of the city witnessed relative calm in the first few weeks of the truce, fierce fighting has raged for the highway.
2016-05-22

Egypt president says no theory favoured on EgyptAir crash

The Airbus A320 carrying 66 people had crashed into the sea while flying from Paris to Cairo and some wreckage has been found. However, the black boxes are still missing. Egypt's aviation minister had said that terrorism was a more likely reason than technical failure.
2016-05-22

I'd meet Trump, but his Muslim comments are wrong: Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would be happy to meet Donald Trump if he becomes the Republican presidential candidate, but repeated that Trump's proposal for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States is "wrong and divisive".
2016-05-22

Gunman kills two, wounds 11 at concert in Austria

A gunman fired shots from a rifle or a similar long weapon into a small crowd attending an open air concert in Austria's Voralberg province, killing two people and wounding 11 others before shooting himself to death.
2016-05-22

Search on for clues in EgyptAir crash

2016 (AFP) -Three days after an EgyptAir flight plunged into the Mediterranean with 66 people on board search teams scoured the sea for the bodies of the dead and clues on why it crashed.
2016-05-22

Afghanistan probes Mansour's fate after deadly US drone attack

"Mansour was the target and was likely killed" in the Pakistani town of Ahmad Wal in Balochistan by multiple unmanned aircraft operated by US forces, said an American official . Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's office confirmed the strike, adding that an investigation was on.
2016-05-22

French PM visits Israel to push for peace plan

In an interview with Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam published , Valls spoke against the Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. He also stated, "The objective is to arrive at the creation of a Palestinian state."
2016-05-22

Flood-hit Sri Lanka pulls more bodies from landslides

Sri Lankan soldiers pulled more bodies from landslides and distributed food and water to hundreds of thousands of residents camped in shelters after major floods hit the island. Floodwaters were receding in the capital Colombo after it received the heaviest rains in a quarter of a century.
2016-05-22

Obama seeks to turn old foe Vietnam into new partner

Four decades after the Vietnam War, Obama - the first US leader to come of age after a conflict that bitterly divided America - will seek to deepen defence and economic ties with the country's communist government while also prodding them on human rights, aides say.
2016-05-22

Chinese city hit by heaviest rain in two centuries

Xinyi, a small, county-level city in Maoming received 429.5 millimetres of rainfall in just six hours, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters. Eight people died and four others were reportedly missing.
2016-05-22

Volcano erupts in western Indonesia, killing 6 people

Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province blasted volcanic ash into the sky , killing six people and dozens of farm animals, all of whom were within a 4 kilometre radius of the erupting volcano.
2016-05-22

Bolivia enacts law letting transsexuals change ID documents

"Today we've put an end to a history of social proscription. Transgender people are a reality. It is social hypocrisy to deny their existence," Vice President Alvaro Garcia said . The law was passed , despite protests from Catholic and Evangelical churches demanding more debate.
2016-05-22

Fidel Castro, Evo Morales discuss 'imperialist efforts' in Latin America

Leftist countries such as Cuba have called Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's suspension a "coup" while the President of El Salvador went as far as to say he would not recognize the centrist interim government.
2016-05-22

Solar Impulse 2 lands in Ohio on record-breaking flight

In the latest leg of a record-breaking trip to circle the globe without consuming a drop of fuel, the Solar Impulse 2 aircraft landed in Dayton, Ohio hours after taking off from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The aircraft has traversed much of the globe in stages since March 9, 2015.
2016-05-22

23 dead, 500,000 flee as Cyclone Roanu hits Bangladesh

Cyclone Roanu battered the coast of southern Bangladesh , forcing half a million people to flee their homes and leaving 23 people dead in floods and rain-triggered landslides.
2016-05-22

Iran women cut hair short to dodge moral cops

Women in Iran are cutting their hair short and dressing as men in a bid to bypass state 'morality' police who rigorously enforce penalties for not wearing a hijab.
2016-05-22

Afghan Taliban leader likely killed in US drone strike: US official

Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour and another combatant likely were killed in a US military drone strike in Pakistan authorized by US President Barack Obama, a US official said , speaking on condition of anonymity.
2016-05-21

Afghan Taliban leader killed in US drone strike

A senior commander with the Afghan Taliban has confirmed the militant group's leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US military drone strike in Pakistan authorized by US President Barack Obama.
2016-05-21

EgyptAir plane sent smoke-alarm warnings before crash

A spokesman for France's BEA air accident investigation agency said the signals did not indicate what caused the smoke or fire on board the plane, which plunged into the sea with 66 people on board as it was heading from Paris to Cairo.
2016-05-21

G7 united against Brexit but can only hope for an 'In' vote

"The G7 did not talk about a Plan B to respond to what would happen if Britain left the European Union," French Finance Minister Michel Sapin told Reuters . "We talked about ways to help Britain stay in the EU."
2016-05-21

Barack Obama leaves for Asia to boost trade, cooperation

Obama will be visiting Vietnam and Japan, and is expected to visit Hiroshima during his stay here. His week-long trip will see him cover 16,000 miles as part of his effort to pay more attention to the region and boost economic and security cooperation.
2016-05-21

Australian firm names Russia, Putin in MH17 compensation claim: Report

The jetliner crashed in Ukraine in pro-Russian rebel-held territory on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board, including 28 Australians. The aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile, the Dutch Safety Board concluded in its final report late last year.
2016-05-21

No clothes? No beach: Spanish court to naturists

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the Spanish Federation of Naturism against local government legislation prohibiting nudists to use beaches within the historic port city of Cadiz. The federation had argued that nudism could be considered a fundamental right to freedom of ideology as defended by Spain's constitution.
2016-05-21

South Africa compensates 750 families for apartheid land loss

The 757 families who make up the six communities are the descendants of people expelled starting from the year 1930. While apartheid officially started in 1948, racial segregation began earlier.
2016-05-21

Australian and Dutch climbers die after Everest summit

21, 2016 (AFP) -An Australian and a Dutch mountaineer have died of altitude sickness after summitting Mount Everest, expedition organisers said , the latest deaths to hit the ongoing Himalayan climbing season.
2016-05-21

Gun used to kill black teenager Trayvon Martin sold for $250,000: Reports

Florida neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman he has sold the gun he used to kill unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012 for $250,000. Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in the shooting, which sparked heated debates over race relations, gun control and justice in the United States.
2016-05-21

Al-Qaida country head killed in Pakistan

The country head of al-Qaida in Pakistan, Tayyab Nawaz alias Hafiz Abdul Mateen, was killed during an armed offensive by police in the country's east Multan city. The bodies of the killed militants were shifted to Nishtar Hospital of Multan for investigations and autopsy where Mateen was identified.
2016-05-21

Donald Trump loans White House campaign $7.5 million as he nears Republican nomination

Donald Trump raised $1.7 million from donors and loaned his White House campaign $7.5 million in April as he moved closer to becoming the Republican nominee for president. He had loaned his campaign a total of $43.5 million as of the end of April, according to documents filed with US Federal Election Commission.
2016-05-21

First Zika virus death in France's Martinique: Authorities

The French Caribbean island of Martinique has suffered its first Zika virus-related death, the regional health agency said. "The patient, aged 84, had been hospitalised for 10 days in intensive care with Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS)," it said, adding that the Zika link came to light late last week.
2016-05-21

Alerts indicate smoke on doomed EgyptAir flight: reports

20, 2016 (AFP) -Egyptian authorities were investigating reports late that there was smoke on the doomed EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo shortly before it crashed into the Mediterranean.
2016-05-20

279 pregnant women in US infected with Zika

US health officials said that they are monitoring 279 pregnant women in the United States and Puerto Rico that may be infected with the Zika virus. Of that number, 157 live in the 50 US states and Washington, while the other 122 live in Puerto Rico.
2016-05-20

ISIS is laughing at America: Donald Trump

Donald Trump lashed out political leaders, in particular Hillary Clinton, his potential Democratic rival in the November general elections, for not having an effective policy against ISIS. "I'm so tired of watching these politicians get up and say exactly what they're going to do with ISIS," he said.
2016-05-20

US targets spying threat on campus with proposed research clampdown

Research related to defense technology such as munitions, nuclear engineering & satellite technology would be particularly affected by the rule, which is in proposal process & hasn't been widely reported. Defense contractors such as Boeing & Lockheed Martin regularly sponsor university research.
2016-05-20

EgyptAir plane debris, passengers' belongings found: Officials

The defence minister of Greece, which has also been scouring the Mediterranean, said Egyptian authorities had found a body part, luggage and a seat in the sea just south of where the signal from the plane was lost early .
2016-05-20

Pakistan applies for NSG membership

In the letter, Pakistan said the decision to seek participation in the export-control regime reflects Pakistan's strong support for international efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.
2016-05-20

Russia proposes joint Syria airstrikes with US-led coalition from May 25

Russia has proposed to the US-led coalition that they stage joint airstrikes on Syrian rebels including Nusra Front who are not observing the ceasefire, starting on May 25, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said .
2016-05-20

'China fakes 488m social media posts a yr'

China's government fabricates about 488 million so cial media comments a ye ar -nearly the same as one day of Twitter's total global volume -in a massive effort to distract its citizens from bad news and sensitive political debates, according to a study.
2016-05-20

China will 'behave' under my presidency: Donald Trump

u something. China will behave and China will be our friend. We'll do better under China with me and we're also going to do better economically with me. They are going to respect our country again," Trump said.
2016-05-20

China warns Taiwan's new President on independence

As China's strongest critic Tsai Ing-wen assumed power in Taiwan and pledged democracy and close ties with the US, a wary Beijing warned her against seeking independence. It emphasised that the 'One-China policy' remained the corner-stone of its relations with other countries.
2016-05-20

Signing NPT not needed for Nuclear Suppliers Group membership: India

India rejected China's contention that it must sign the NPT to get membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, saying France was included in the elite group without signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
2016-05-20

Paris attacks suspect Abdeslam refuses to answer questions

Salah Abdeslam, 26, had said last month he wanted to explain all. His lawyer 's lawyer, Frank Berton told reporters that Abdeslam was disturbed by the 24-hour video surveillance in his maximum-security cell.
2016-05-20

Wreckage of EgyptAir plane found in Mediterranean

2016 (AFP) -Egypt's military found wreckage from the EgyptAir plane that crashed in the Mediterranean as investigators tried to unravel the mystery of why it swerved suddenly and plummeted into the sea.
The navy said it had found the debris about 290 km (180 miles) north of the coastal city of Alexandria and was sweeping the area in search of the plane's black box recorders. President Adbel Fattah al-Sisi offered condolences for those on board, amounting to Cairo's official confirmation of their deaths.
2016-05-20

Wreckage of missing EgyptAir plane found

The navy said it had found the debris about 290 km (180 miles) north of the coastal city of Alexandria and was sweeping the area in search of the plane's black box recorders. President Adbel Fattah al-Sisi offered condolences for those on board, amounting to Cairo's official confirmation of their deaths.
2016-05-20

House of Representatives votes to block $450 million US aid to Pakistan

Ignoring objections of the White House, the Republican majority House of Representatives has approved the National Defense Authorisation Act which blocks $450 million aid to Pakistan for failing to take action against the dreaded Haqqani network.
2016-05-20

Osama bin Laden poster signed by SEAL Team 6 sells for $100,000

A "wanted" Osama bin Laden poster, signed by US Navy SEAL Team 6 which carried out the raid in Pakistan to kill the then al-Qaeda chief, has been auctioned for a whopping $100,000. Osama was killed in the US Navy SEALs raid on May 2, 2011.
2016-05-20

Uruguay's Mujica: Venezuela's Maduro is 'crazy as a goat'

Called "mad as a goat" by Uruguay's Jose Mujica this week, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro retorted laughingly that the former president was right - but he was only crazy with love for his country.
2016-05-20

China demands end to US surveillance after aircraft intercept

Beijing demanded an end to US surveillance near China after two of its fighter jets carried out what the Pentagon said was an "unsafe" intercept of a US military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.
2016-05-20

Wary China watches as Taiwan inaugurates first woman president

Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in as Taiwan's first woman president , with the export-driven economy on the ropes and wary Communist Party rulers in China watching for any move towards independence by an island it considers its own.
2016-05-20

Greek authorities find crashed EgyptAir plane debris: Egyptian civil aviation ministry

Greek authorities have found "floating material" that is likely to be debris from the EgyptAir plane that crashed over the Mediterranean as well as life jackets, the Egyptian civil aviation ministry said in a statement.
2016-05-19

Hours after dad gives up, son in bizarre US entrapment case caught

A woman and her four teenage daughters who were lured to a Utah house and tied up in the basement were thrilled and relieved to learn the father and son charged in the bizarre attack were in custody in Wyoming, authorities said.
2016-05-19

Hours after dad gives up, son in bizarre US entrapment case caught

Uber begins testing self-driving car

The car will have multiple sensors including radars, laser scanners, and high resolution cameras to map details of the environment. Uber said that even when the vehicle is in autonomous mode, "a trained driver will be in the driver's seat monitoring operations."
2016-05-19

Binali Yildirim set to be Turkeys new prime minister

Turkey's governing party formally tapped Binali Yildirim as its candidate to lead the party and become the country's next premier. Yildirim is Turkey's minister of transport, maritime and communication as well as a founding member of the AKP.
2016-05-19

EgyptAir plane fell 22,000 feet, swerved sharply twice: Greek minister

An EgyptAir flight lost early over the eastern Mediterranean with 66 people on board fell 22,000 feet and swerved sharply in Egyptian airspace before it disappeared from radar screens, Greece's defence minister said.
2016-05-19

EgyptAir flight crashes in Mediterranean with 66 on board

An EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo crashed into the Mediterranean with 66 people on board prompting an investigation into whether it was mechanical failure or a bomb.
2016-05-19

Terror attack most likely scenario for Egyptair disappearance: Experts

Several scenarios could explain the mysterious disappearance of the Egyptair flight between Paris to Cairo early , but experts say a terrorist attack is the most likely. Both France and Egypt have been leading targets for Islamist extremists in recent months.
2016-05-19

Hong Kong protesters detained after bid to stop China official

Hong Kong student pro-democracy leader Joshua Wong was among five protesters detained after they ran onto a motorway to intercept the motorcade of a top Chinese official Zhang Dejiang during a highly-charged visit to the city.
2016-05-19

China rejects US claim of unsafe aerial intercept

The Chinese jets monitored the US plane from an acceptable distance and operated in a safe and professional manner, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told journalists at a regularly scheduled news briefing.
2016-05-19

Pak PM breaks ground for Pak-China Optical Fibre Cable project in PoK

Nawaz Sharif today broke the ground for the USD 44 million Pakistan-China Optical Fibre Cable project in PoK's Gilgit-Baltistan region which will provide an alternate telecommunication route between the two countries.
2016-05-19

Nepali sherpa guide dies on world's fourth-highest peak

A Nepali sherpa guide fell 2,000 metres to his death while guiding Indian soldiers in an attempt to summit Lhotse, the world's fourth-highest peak, an expedition agency said.
2016-05-19

EgyptAir plane carrying 66 has crashed: Aviation officials

Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said it was too early to say whether a technical problem or a terror attack caused the plane to crash. "We cannot rule anything out," he told reporters at Cairo airport.
2016-05-19

Atomic bomb survivors want Obama to meet, apologize in Hiroshima

A group representing Japanese survivors of US atomic bombings has asked US President Barack Obama to hear their stories and apologize when he visit Hiroshima.
2016-05-19

Syrian forces, Hezbollah seize town near Damascus: Monitors

Syrian government forces and allies including Lebanese Hezbollah fighters seized a strategic town southeast of Damascus from insurgents .
2016-05-19

Chinese jets fly close to US spy planes, says Pentagon

Two Chinese tactical aircraft carried out an "unsafe" intercept of a US military aircraft on May 17, the Pentagon said. The incident took place in "international airspace" as the US maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft carried out "a routine US patrol" in the South China Sea, the statement said.
2016-05-18

Fort McMurray homecoming set for June

2016 (AFP) -Tens of thousands of evacuees from the wildfire-ravaged Canadian oil city of Fort McMurray received word that they can return home next month if conditions are favorable.
2016-05-18

EU under fire over Czech pig farm on Roma Holocaust site

Czech anti-racism activists said they had asked the European Union to halt subsidies to a pig farm built on the site of a former concentration camp where hundreds of Roma prisoners died during World War II.
2016-05-18

Muslim states block gay groups from UN AIDS meeting

A woman was fined 150,000 dirhams ($40,843) and ordered to be deported from the UAE for breaching her husband's privacy by checking his cell phone to see if he was cheating on her, Gulf News reported . Her lawyer told the paper she had accused her husband of having an affair.
2016-05-18

Somaliland wants world recognition of its independence

The mother of six, who has been married for ten years, was shocked to receive a text message from her husband informing her that he married a second wife and that he was travelling abroad with her for their honeymoon.
2016-05-18

London mayor Sadiq Khan invites Donald Trump to visit UK

London's new mayor Sadiq Khan has invited US presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to visit the UK and meet his family in a bid to end their ongoing feud about his plan to ban all Muslims from America.
2016-05-18

Queen unveils UK government's new agenda ahead of EU referendum

The 90-year-old Queen made her 63rd speech to mark the State Opening of the British Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London, nearly a month ahead of the crucial referendum on whether Britain should remain in the EU.
2016-05-18

State 'involved' with JuD, JeM, Pak minister admits

In a startling admission, a senior minister in Pakistan's Punjab province said the government cannot take legal action against militant groups like Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) as the "state itself remained involved" with them.
2016-05-18

Thailand hopes to speed up free-trade talks with India

Angry protesters set police car ablaze in Paris

The incident occurred on a central Paris street after an angry crowd surrounded the vehicle as tensions ran high over accusations of police brutality against protesters in the ongoing strikes against labour law reform.
2016-05-18

Germany to join countries with large pictorial warning on cigarette packs

of the last countries in the EU to implement the EU regulation on pictorial warnings on cigarette packets, the result anti-tobacco campaigners says of a strong tobacco lobby using its influence to thwart regulation.
2016-05-18

New law in Philippines aims to protect children after disasters

President Benigno Aquino signed the Children's Emergency Relief and Protection Act into law, mandating the government to draw up plans to ensure the welfare of children affected by natural disasters.
2016-05-18

Indian expat, son killed in Dubai car crash

Thailand's commerce minister has called for speeding up of free-trade talks with India and added that the key details of the long-awaited pact should be settled first, leaving minor contentious issues for later discussions.
2016-05-18

Saudi woman burns home as husband goes on second honeymoon

Amina Ali Nkeki is the first of the 219 girls to be freed since their mass abduction from a Chibok boarding school by Boko Haram insurgents, that grabbed attention around the world more than two years ago.
2016-05-18

China and India face mental health burden: Study

The family of CD Sunny, who had been working as a sales executive in Dubai for 24 years, met with the accident while they were on their way home after a church visit , resulting in the deaths of Sunny and his eldest son.
2016-05-18

Twin blasts kill police officer in northwestern Pakistan

A roadside explosion killed a police officer and wounded nine people on the outskirts of Peshawar. Police official Sher Khan said that the second bomb went off about half an hour later, after police and TV crews arrived. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
2016-05-18

India needs to modernize, reform to attract FDI: US Secretary for South and Central Asia

US Secretary for South and Central Asia Nisha Beriwal said India need to modernize its economic governance to expand trade and attract FDI. She said that the US-India trade has multiplied over five times in last 15 years and the future looks promising with India's recent reforms.
2016-05-18

More than 150 feared dead in landslides in Sri Lanka

More than 150 people are feared to be buried under two landslides in central Sri Lanka . Around 196,000 people had to flee their homes; the official number of deaths is 35 so far. Troops pulled out more than 200 people.
2016-05-18

China to have 500 airports by 2020

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 50 fighters and two civilians were killed in clashes between rival anti-regime groups Jaish al-Islam and Al-Nusra Front east of Syrian capital Damascus.
2016-05-18

Sri Lanka flooding death toll rises to 27; more rain to come

The British parliament held a debate on Trump's entry in UK, with lawmakers using the discussion to air their views on Trump under the protection of parliamentary privilege, which legally shields members from accusations of defamation or slander.
2016-05-18

Trump claims he is worth over $10 billion

Frontrunner for US presidency Donald Trump has disclosed his personal wealth to be over $10 billion in the disclosure filed before the Federal Election Commission. He also took a jibe at opponent Bernie Sanders for asking for an extension to file the disclosure.
2016-05-18

Donald Trump willing to meet North Korea's Kim over nukes, scrap climate deal

In a wide-ranging interview with Reuters, Trump also said he disapproved of Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions in eastern Ukraine, called for a renegotiation of the Paris climate accord, and said he would dismantle most of the Dodd-Frank financial regulations if he is elected president.
2016-05-17

Canada wildfires destroy oil workers' lodge

2016 (AFP) -Growing wildfires threatened Canada's oil sands region , destroying a remote lodge used to house hundreds of industry workers and forcing thousands at other facilities to be evacuated.
2016-05-17

52 dead as rival rebel groups clash near Syria capital

Jihadists mixing with migrants to sneak into Europe: Interpol

More than a million people snuck into the EU in 2015, most of them fleeing conflicts in the Middle East as well as poverty in Africa. Interpol pointed to the the November 13 Paris attacks, in which 2 of the attackers had entered Europe through Greece as part of an influx of refugees from Syria.
2016-05-17

Don't ban 'offensive and bigoted' Trump from UK: Rowling

Closure of BBC recipe website cooks up storm in UK

The move was announced as part of a push to save £150 million after the government told the national broadcaster to slim down. Nearly 70,000 people have signed a petition opposing the closure and calling the 11,000 recipes "much loved" and "precious".
2016-05-17

ISIS might be happy with Brexit: David Cameron

The report recommended upping the number of programmes for Muslim, Sikh & Hindu audiences, saying that non-Christian faiths were under-represented in the broadcaster's output. The debate follows a government white paper last week on the BBC, which requires it to serve ethnic minorities better.
2016-05-17

If US cancels F-16 deal, Pak has other options: Defence minister

During his meeting with Li, Sharif appreciated Pakistan's friendship with China and stressed that the Pakistani side expects achievements from the CPEC and is ready to provide security for cooperation. He also discussed exponentially enhancing training exchanges with his Chinese counterparts.
2016-05-17

'I'm not an animal': Bangkok bombing suspect alleges torture

A total of 134,466 people were temporarily placed in over 170 safe houses set up across the country. Authorities warned that water levels in several areas would rise. Landslide warnings remained in at least nine districts.
2016-05-17

Newly-wed Saudi bride divorced for chatting on mobile

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook claimed that IS fighters have lost over 45 per cent of the territory they held in Iraq including the cities of Ramadi and Heet and around 16 to 20 per cent of the land under their control in Syria.
2016-05-17

BBC 'too Christian', needs to diversify: Internal review

The so-called "one-euro jobs", like repairing bicycles, pruning plants, cleaning side walks, for pay of just over one euro an hour, are promoted as a springboard for the newcomers into Germany's job market. Experts are sceptical about these jobs.
2016-05-17

12 die in Sri Lanka flash floods, several missing

South Korea requires able-bodied men to finish two years of military service to maintain a strong force in face of threats from rival North Korea. But according to the Defense Ministry, 28,000 men have been excused from active military duty this year through exemption programs.
2016-05-17

South Korean military seeks to end service exemptions

South Korean author Han Kang has won the Man Booker International Prize, sharing the £50,000 award with her translator - who had only taught herself Korean three years before. She was the first South Korean to win the prize.
2016-05-17

Pakistan army chief assures China of full security to CPEC

Pakistan's powerful Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif, who is in China on a two-day official visit, met Premier Li Keqiang and vice-president of the Central Military Commission Fan Changlong, the highest military official of the People's Liberation Army which is headed by President Xi Jinping.
2016-05-17

Pak army chief assures China of full security to CPEC

Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif hold talks with top Chinese officials

s issued red corner notice against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar and his brother Abdul Rauf for their alleged role in the conspiracy to attack the strategic Indian Air Force base in Pathankot.
2016-05-17

Pathankot terror attack: Interpol issues red corner notice against Masood Azhar

Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, 58, an English professor at Rajshahi University, was hacked to death on his way to work last month. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the killing of the professor for his "calling to atheism".
2016-05-17

Doctors deliver baby after mother dies in car crash on way to hospital

Bangladesh arrests Islamist militant over killing of professor

Chinese bureaucrat, chairman of Chinese legislature, Zhang Dejiang, reached Hong Kong amidst strong protests by the pro-democracy groups. Zhang is in the country to gauge whether the current leader Leung Chun-ying can stand another term or not.
2016-05-17

Female genital mutilation a men's issue, say African activists

An estimated 200 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM, which is practised in a swathe of African countries and pockets of the Middle East and Asia. The ritual involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. In extreme cases, the vaginal opening is sewn up.
2016-05-17

Duterte to offer Cabinet posts to rebels

Presumptive Philippine President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said he will re-impose the death penalty, offer Cabinet posts to communist rebels, and move to amend the constitution to give more power to the provinces, and will launch a major military offensive to destroy Abu Sayyaf extremists.
2016-05-17

IS lost nearly half of its territories in Iraq: Pentagon

Top China official visit stirs anger in Hong Kong

Han Kang's 'The Vegetarian' wins Man Booker Prize

South Korean author Han Kang has won the Man Booker International Prize, sharing the £50,000 award with her translator Ã¢Â€Â” who had only taught herself Korean three years before. She was the first South Korean to win the prize.
2016-05-17

Cancer survivor receives first penis transplant in US

A man whose penis was removed because of cancer has received the first penis transplant in the United States, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Thomas Manning, 64, a bank courier, underwent the 15-hour transplant operation on May 8 and 9. The organ came from a deceased donor.
2016-05-17

Winning turban right

It was in January 2014 that the new US military guidelines opened the way for service members to wear religious clothing, such as turbans, on duty. These guidelines also allowed for facial hair (read beard), body art and other expressions of religious belief. However it was not a blanket permission and requests for dispensation from stated uniform policy were to be reviewed on a case-to-case basis.
2016-05-16

Pakistan PM proposes Panama Papers probe in parliament, opposition walks out

Part of the Panama Papers data leak showed Nawaz Sharif's children owned several off-shore companies and used them to buy properties in London. Sharif denies any wrongdoing and has asked the opposition and other lawmakers to help form a parliamentary commission to look into the allegations.
2016-05-16

10 more days needed to put out Spanish tyre fire: officials

2016 (AFP) -It could take another 10 days to put out a huge fire at a tyre dump near Madrid, regional authorities said , though residents have already been allowed to return to the area.
2016-05-16

Colombia claims largest cocaine seizure in its history

The National Police agency says 50 commandos backed by helicopters seized about 8 tons of cocaine on a banana plantation in the northwestern department of Antioquia. Police say they've seized more than 86 tons in all so far this year.
2016-05-16

Donald Trump alleges refugees carry ISIS-funded phone, will launch attack

Donald Trump has alleged that the refugees entering the US carry ISIS-funded phones and warned of an attack on the country. He also believes that it would take another attack similar to 9/11 for the country to "wake up about border security".
2016-05-16

'I am not stupid': Trump responds to David Cameron's criticism on Muslim ban proposal

Donald Trump indicated that he may end up having a bad relationship with David Cameron after the British Prime Minister criticised his controversial proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US as "divisive, stupid and wrong".
2016-05-16

US Navy ready to welcome its biggest warship

Zumwalt promises to add more muscle to United States power in international waters.
2016-05-16

Colombia's FARC removing child soldiers from ranks

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) agreed to remove child soldiers as part of the peace deal that it will sign with the government. Interior Minister Cristo said that peace talks were in the Ã¢Â€Âœhome stretchÃ¢Â€Â and that Colombia plans to hold a referendum on the deal by September.
2016-05-16

Philippine bank at centre of $81 mn heist names new president

Lorenzo Tan, who had been cleared of all charges in the sensational $81 million money laundering scandal, has been replaced by Gil Buenaventura, currently president and CEO of Development Bank of the Philippines.
2016-05-16

Four-nation meet to discuss Afghan peace in Pakistan

The US, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China will meet in Islamabad on May 18 to discuss and negotiate a peace deal with the Afghan Taliban to end the 15-year insurgency. The border remained closed for four days after Afghan security forces objected to the fencing of the border by Pakistani authorities.
2016-05-16

The Guam Killer Chinas missile brings US in sight

DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile is capable of hitting targets 5,500 km away.
2016-05-16

Iran cracks down on 'un-Islamic' Instagram modelling, 8 arrested

Iran has arrested eight people for working in "un-Islamic" online modelling networks, particularly on Instagram. The arrests were made targeting, among others, models who post photos online without the hijab covering the hair that is compulsory for women in public in Iran since its 1979 Islamic revolution.
2016-05-16

'US must respect Sino-India efforts to resolve border dispute'

Asking the US to respect the efforts by China and India to resolve their boundary dispute peacefully, a top Chinese official said the two nations are wise enough to deal with it after the Pentagon accused Beijing of deploying more troops along the Sino-India borders.
2016-05-16

Comoros ready to take Kuwait's stateless

The African island nation of the Comoros is ready to consider taking in thousands of stateless people denied citizenship in Kuwait, if officially requested by the Kuwait government. More than 110,000 stateless people have been living in Kuwait for decades; only 34,000 qualify for the consideration.
2016-05-16

Al-Qaida turns to Syria, with plan to challenge Islamic State

Al-Qaida's top leadership in Pakistan, badly weakened after a decade of CIA drone strikes, has decided that the terror group's future lies in Syria and has secretly dispatched more than a dozen of its most seasoned veterans there.
2016-05-16

Nepal ethnic protesters clash with police for second day

Supporters of ethnic minority groups demanding changes in Nepal's new constitution clashed with police and blocked main streets near the prime minister's office, as their newly started protests entered their second day.
2016-05-16

S Korea, US, Japan plan joint drills on N Korean threat

South Korea, the US and Japan will hold their first joint military training next month, focused on detecting signs of missile launches and tracing their trajectories, to better cope with North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile threats.
2016-05-16

'Pakistan to take up Indian missile test at international level'

Expressing concern over India's missile test conducted , Pakistan's foreign affair's adviser Aziz said it will disturb the balance of power, and Pakistan will continue to upgrade its defence by acquiring advanced technology. He said they will take up the matter at the international level.
2016-05-16

Trump: Unlikely to have a good relationship with British PM Cameron

Donald Trump says he would be unlikely to have a good relationship with British PM David Cameron, should he become the President of the United Stated, because of the latter's scathing criticism of him.
2016-05-16

Kabul locked down as Afghan authorities face power line protest

Demonstrators are demanding that the route for the 500 kV transmission line linking Turkmenistan with Kabul be changed to pass through two provinces with large Hazara populations, an option the government says would cost millions and delay the badly needed project by years.
2016-05-16

French Connection drug ring related man to be sentenced

Alfred Catino, man involved in the French Connection heroin ring of the 60s and 70s, to be sentenced fiver years in prison in a new drug case. The French Connection was the major supplier of heroin to the US for years, until police busted it up in the early 70s.
2016-05-16

Germany puts refugees to work... for one euro

Barack Obama's unexpected legacy of two full terms at war

As Obama completes his second term at the White House, he carries the unusual legacy of being the War President for the longest term. While officially, US is not at war, it has its deployment in the most troubled areas of the world combating the most dangerous terror groups.
2016-05-16

CIA tip-off led to Mandela arrest: report

Metropolitan police officers were called to the plane at Terminal 2 after the United Airlines captain claimed the marshal "stank of booze". The flight to Los Angeles was two hours late taking off.
2016-05-16

Obama slams Trump in speech: 'Ignorance is not a virtue'

US President Barack Obama criticized the populist campaign of Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, decrying "anti-intellectualism" and noting that "ignorance is not a virtue."
2016-05-16

Dominican Republic's Medina headed for re-election, early results suggest

Grappling with several challenges ranging from the continuing influx of Syrian refugees to attacks from Kurdish separatists and Islamic State terrorists, Turkey has also been hit by internal political turmoil as it prepares to host the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul.
2016-05-16

2 people shot at high school graduation ceremony in Kansas

Authorities say two people have been wounded at a high school graduation ceremony in southern Kansas after a man with a concealed weapon permit adjusted a sock he had stuffed a pistol into.
2016-05-16

Trump takes on liberal media with insults, threats

war has erupted between Donald Trump and liberal media, represented largely by the New York Times and Washington Post. Editorials, invective, and insults are flying thick and fast, and with almost six months to go, it appears Trump will have to contend with plenty of fire.
2016-05-15

World's biggest cruise ship sets sail from France

Under a proposed bill, changing one's gender in Norway will no longer require any physical transformation. Notifying authorities on a website would suffice if the bill becomes law. The legislation has met little opposition.
2016-05-15

Armed air marshal removed from flight to LA for being 'drunk'

Turkey at the crossroads as deal with EU in jeopardy

Maduro night declared a 60-day state of emergency due to what he called plots from Venezuela and the United States to subvert him. He did not provide specifics.
2016-05-15

Israel PM says Iran 'preparing another Holocaust'

Paris is to host an international meeting at the end of the month to discuss moving the peace process forward. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that direct negotiations, without preconditions, are the best way to reach a final agreement.
2016-05-15

Nepal's forest cover increases by over five per cent

Xulhaz Mannan, 35, editor of Bangladesh's first magazine for gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and fellow activist Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, 25, were killed in a apartment in the capital Dhaka late last month, in an attack claimed by al Qaida in the Indian subcontinent.
2016-05-15

Israeli PM takes swipe at French peace initiative in Palestine

Maduro night declared a 60-day state of emergency due to what he called plots from Venezuela and the United States to subvert him. He did not provide specifics.
2016-05-15

New Chinese missile can reach US's Pacific base in Guam

China's new 'Guam killer' missile, capable of hitting targets some 5,500 km away, is raising new fears of a growing Chinese threat to key American military facilities and stability in the Pacific Rim, the US Congress has been warned.
2016-05-15

Maoists still a force 50 years after the Cultural Revolution in China

China successfully launched a remote sensing satellite called Yaogan-30 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, to carry out land surveys and disaster relief. The satellite will be used for experiments, land surveys, crop yield estimates and disaster relief.
2016-05-15

Iraq takes aim at media as security forces struggle to contain strife

Maduro night declared a 60-day state of emergency due to what he called plots from Venezuela and the United States to subvert him. He did not provide specifics.
2016-05-15

ISIS declares emergency in self-declared capital: US official

US military officials are closely watching social media and news reports that say ISIS has declared emergency in Raqqa, Syria, its self-declared capital. Media reports indicate that ISIS is moving personnel around the city to shield potential targets from airstrikes and ground attacks.
2016-05-15

China launches remote sensing satellite

which began in March, appears to be prompted by concerns that the channels could enflame sectarian rivalries which over-stretched security forces would struggle to contain. But it also raises fears over freedom of expression in Iraq.
2016-05-15

'Tick here please': Changing gender in Norway gets easier

History beckons for Italy's 116-year-old record breaker

China's defence ministry expressed its strong dissatisfaction over the Pentagon report that accused China of weaponizing its man-made islands in the disputed waters of the South China Sea to have greater control over the maritime region without resorting to armed conflict.
2016-05-15

Greece will return to bond markets next year: PM Alexis Tsipras

China's defense ministry expressed its strong dissatisfaction to the Pentagon report that accused China of weaponizing the islands it has built in the disputed waters of the South China Sea to have greater control over the maritime region without resorting to armed conflict.
2016-05-15

Buckingham Palace releases rare images of the Queen as a girl

Buckingham Palace has released black-and-white images of Queen Elizabeth II as a young girl amid celebrations marking her 90th birthday. The first image shows a young Princess Elizabeth with her father near a swimming pool. The second shows her gently gazing at a bird perched on her arm.
2016-05-14

Relations with Pakistan are important, says the US

The US enjoys an important relationship with Pakistan, state department spokesperson John Kirby has said, dispelling the notion that relations between the two countries had reached a stalemate. Kirby said ties between the two countries were complicated at times but it is an important relationship.
2016-05-14

Titanic hero gets grave stone decades after death

Robert Hopkins, a seaman, whose quick actions saved the life of 15 people on the fateful night of April 14, 1912 when the Titanic sank, will finally get a headstone to his grave after 75 years of his death. His four grandchildren and their families will be present for the ceremony in Jersey City.
2016-05-13

India-US Brain trust to deepen scientific collaboration

India and US have together formed a Brain Trust Fund to bring together their best scientific community, researchers, academicians, businesses and entrepreneurs on one platform. Dr Krishna K Banaudha, the brain behind this fund, said this will deepen collaboration between the two countries.
2016-05-13

China, US generals to work out South China Sea-tensions

To resolve escalating tensions in the South China Sea, generals from China and the US spoke by phone and are ready to work out an effective mechanism to prevent confrontation and maintain stability in the region. Fang said China wanted to expand communication and cooperation with the US.
2016-05-13

China claims support of several NSG members to block India's bid

Defending its move to block India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, China has claimed that several members of the 48-nation bloc shared its view that signing of the NPT was an "important" standard for the NSG's expansion.
2016-05-13

Indian lesbian couple lose court fight to stay in the UK

The couple arrived from India as friends in 2007 and went on to enter into a civil partnership in Scotland in 2008, which they converted into marriage last year. Both completed Master's degrees in Scotland and then found work and have always lived on legal visas in the UK.
2016-05-13

Belgium to air strike Syria, against IS: PM spokesman

Belgium will extend its F-16 airstrikes against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq into Syria, the government said , as it grapples with the fallout from deadly IS-claimed bomb attacks in Brussels in March.
2016-05-13

With row over Nizamis execution escalating, Pakistan, B'desh summon envoys

Pakistan and Bangladesh both summoned each others envoys in an escalated row over the execution of Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Motiur Rahman Nizami.
2016-05-13

Top Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli air strike

Brazil's interim President Michel Temer called on his country to rally behind his government of "national salvation", hours after the Senate voted to suspend and put on trial his leftist predecessor, Dilma Rousseff, for breaking budget laws.
2016-05-13

Brazil's interim president calls for unity

A Texas county jail inmate who escaped custody while receiving treatment in a hospital was found in the dishwasher of his girlfriend's apartment in boxer shorts and wearing handcuffs with the chain severed, a sheriff's department said.
2016-05-13

China and Pakistan join hands to block India's entry into Nuclear Suppliers Group

China and Pakistan are closely coordinating moves to block India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Beijing is using Pakistan's non-starter position with NSG to block India's application in the name of parity.
2016-05-12

China surpasses US as biggest overseas investor

Chinese firms surpassed their own full-year record in 2015 when they spent $106.8 billion on foreign acquisitions, according to UK-based data provider, Dealogic. They were engaged in 17 deals, each worth more than $1 billion, while the rest were of lesser value.
2016-05-12

Queen Elizabeth II set to celebrate 90th birthday

For Queen Elizabeth II, it's a birthday season. And the four-day, 900-horse, 1,500-human extravaganza that begins is a spectacle marking the midpoint, halfway between her real birthday in April and her official birthday, to be celebrated nationally in early June.
2016-05-12

Iran won't attend hajj in Saudi Arabia this year

An Iranian official confirmed that Iran will not send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia in 2016 for the annual hajj pilgrimage considering Saudi "incompetence" that caused the September 24, 2015 crush and stampede in the holy city of Mina during the hajj which killed at least 2,426 people.
2016-05-12

Bomb blast at government offices in northeast Nigerian city

Witnesses say a bomb has exploded outside the state secretariat offices in a bustling downtown area of Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri. Residents blamed Boko Haram Islamic extremists though it was impossible to immediately verify the cause of the explosion.
2016-05-12

Pakistan's journalist gunned down for supporting love marriage

Ajmal Joyia, who was in his 30s, was going home on a motorbike when he was targeted by at least three gunmen in Lodhran district. He was killed while his cousin, who was also riding on the same motorbike, was critically injured, police said.
2016-05-12

Solar Impulse 2 leaves Arizona on record-breaking flight

The experimental solar-powered plane took off from Phoenix at 3am (1000 GMT), live footage showed, for the latest stage of its around-the-world flight aimed at drawing attention to clean energy technologies. The flight to the city of Tulsa is expected to take 17 and a half hours.
2016-05-12

'World's Ugliest Dog' wins Hero award in UK for serving as a therapy dog

Mugly, a 12-year-old Chinese Crested dog, has been working as voluntary therapy pet for the past six years, participating in reading programmes for children and visiting adults with physical disabilities and learning challenges as part of a British organisation, Therapy Dogs Nationwide.
2016-05-12

Erdogan: Turkey gearing up to strike IS group in Syria

dogan said Turkey was making the necessary preparations "due to the difficulties in Kilis.'' Kilis, a town in southern Turkey across the border from IS-held territory in Syria, has witnessed multiple rocket attacks this year which authorities blame on IS.
2016-05-12

Italy raises migrant boat's cargo of death from the deep

Italy has begun the grisly task of raising a corpse-packed trawler from the seabed near Libya, a year after up to 800 migrants perished in the Mediterranean's deadliest disaster since World War II.
2016-05-12

Britain to unveil plans to overhaul BBC

The broadcaster would be regulated by an external organisation, the independent media watchdog Ofcom, for the first time in its 90-year history under the proposals in the government's white paper.
2016-05-12

Muslim ban proposal temporary, just a suggestion: Donald Trump

"We have a serious problem, it's a temporary ban, it hasn't been called for yet, nobody's done it, this is just a suggestion until we find out what's going on," Republican presumptive presidential nominee Trump told Fox Radio.
2016-05-12

Trump to meet Republican leaders in patch up bid

Donald Trump, who is now the Republican presumptive presidential nominee, would meet top party leaders today as part of his efforts to sort out differences and forge unity within the bitterly divided party before he mounts his presidential bid.
2016-05-12

2 more pieces 'almost certainly' from Flight 370: Malaysia

The announcement means a total of five pieces of debris from the Malaysian Airlines' jet have now been discovered in various spots around the Indian Ocean since it vanished on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
2016-05-12

46 rescued after ship catches fire off Australia coast

2016-05-12

French government faces no-confidence vote over labour reform

France's Socialist government faces a no-confidence vote after it bypassed parliament and forced through a labour reform bill that has led to two months of demonstrations. Unions have called for more demonstrations to coincide with the vote of no confidence.
2016-05-12

BJP MP's Nepal attack triggers war of words

s MPs had an angry exchange over Nepal after BJP member Nishikant Dubey mounted a sharp attack on the country in the Lok Sabha.
2016-05-11

Kenya to close Dadaab, world's biggest refugee camp

Dadaab camp, with an estimated 328,000 refugees, mostly from Somalia, compromises Kenya's security because it harbors some of Somalia's al-Shabab Islamic extremists. However, the decision has been condemned by domestic and international rights groups and organizations dealing with refugees.
2016-05-11

Queen's remarks may hit UK-China relations ahead of Brexit

A video has surfaced on the cyberspace showing the British Queen criticizing Chinese officials as "very rude". The comments were made duringChinese president Xi Jinping's visit last year which was heralded by both governments as the "golden era" of bilateral relationship.
2016-05-11

When Zika hits, a push for birth control and abortion?

Zika is likely to hit the continental United States, bringing frightening birth defects; Highest risk of Zika spreading is in Southern states. Due to risk of suffering brain-damaging and other birth defects caused by Zika, more women are expected to look for ways to prevent or end pregnancies.
2016-05-11

New York man wins $1 million lottery for a second time

Lottery officials revealed Bruce Magistro as the two-time winner. The 48-year-old carpenter says during his 2012 check ceremony, lottery representative Yolanda Vega told him there was "always a chance" he could win again.
2016-05-11

Baghdad market bombing claimed by IS kills 93

3 separate car bombings in the Iraqi capital killed at least 93 people and wounded at least 165. The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for all three bombings. Officials claim the increase in attacks in Iraq is an attempt by IS to distract from their battlefield losses.
2016-05-11

Japanese welcome Obama to Hiroshima, apology or not

Japanese are widely welcoming Obama's decision to become the first sitting American president to visit Hiroshima, with few public demands for an apology. Even those who want one realize that such a demand would have ruled out a US presidential visit.
2016-05-11

Turkey denies using force against Syrian refugees

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey believed closing doors to people who flee barrel bombs was tantamount to cruelty. However, Human Rights Watch said that during March and April this year, 5 people were killed, including a child, and 14 others were injured.
2016-05-11

After two years, Mt Everest sees first climbers

Mt Everest did not see any climbing activity in 2014 due to avalanches which claimed the lives of 19 climbers and porters and in 2015 following the April earthquake. At least 289 climbers are aiming to climb Mt Everest this season.
2016-05-11

Three women murdered for "honour" in Pakistan

The women, aged 22, 28 and 29, all lived in the same house in the city of Faisalabad. Police have launched a manhunt on what appears to be a case of Ã¢Â€Âœhonour killingsÃ¢Â€Â. Hundreds of women are murdered by their relatives in Pakistan each year on the pretext of defending family Ã¢Â€ÂœhonourÃ¢Â€Â.
2016-05-11

French teen streamed her suicide live on Periscope after naming man who 'raped' her

In the video, the victim is seen on a couch, saying it is "not designed to create a buzz... but to make people react, to open their minds, and nothing else". An investigation has been opened into the circumstances of the suicide.
2016-05-11

Parvez Musharraf declared 'absconder' in treason case

72-year-old Musharraf, this month, flew to Dubai for purported medical treatment after the Pakistan Supreme Court lifted the ban on his foreign trips and it is believed that he may never return to face a slew of several high-profile cases against him.
2016-05-11

Sexism in French politics: No dearth of scandals

Feminist groups are holding a protest to demand an end to widespread sexism in French politics, angry that little has changed 5 years after Strauss-Kahn's scandals. A report exposed long-buried accusations that territories minister Jean-Michel Baylet repeatedly hit a female aide.
2016-05-11

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II caught on camera calling Chinese officials 'very rude'

Queen Elizabeth II has been caught on camera saying Chinese officials were "very rude" during a state visit to Britain by President Xi Jinping that London had said would herald a "golden era" in relations with Beijing.
2016-05-11

Right-wing Hindu Sena asks gods to help Trump win US election

Around a dozen members of the Hindu Sena lit a ritual fire and chanted mantras asking the Hindu gods to help Trump win this year's US presidential election. His calls for temporarily banning Muslims from America and cracking down on terrorist groups abroad have earned him some fans in faraway India.
2016-05-11

Turkey has killed 3,000 Islamic State fighters in Syria, Iraq: Erdogan

NATO member Turkey was initially a reluctant partner in the US-led coalition against Islamic State and faced criticism in the earlier stages of the Syrian war for failing to stop foreign fighters crossing its borders and joining the radical group.
2016-05-11

50 killed in Baghdad market bombing

A car bomb near a market in a Shiite area of north Baghdad killed at least 50 people , security and medical officials said, citing a new toll. The blast in the Sadr City area also wounded at least 60 people, according to the officials.
2016-05-11

Car bombing in Baghdad commercial area kills 18 people

A car bomb explosion in a commercial, predominantly Shiite neighbourhood of Baghdad has killed 18 people and wounded upto 45 people. There are fears the death toll will rise. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
2016-05-11

US to bring transparency in financial system: Kerry

US Secretary of State, John Kerry said that the country is prepared to take steps to bring transparency in the country's financial system. He was responding to questions in an interview on CNN over reports that the US is a growing and massive offshore haven for a lot of foreign wealth that wants to be hidden.
2016-05-11

Brazil on the edge as President faces suspension in impeachment vote

The tension-filled day ended with smoke billowing from the fires on roads, rallies in public squares in various cities and an all-our war between the supporters and opponents of Rousseff over social networks.
2016-05-11

Injunction issued to halt Dilma Rousseff's impeachment

Brazil's attorney general has issued an injunction to cancel President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment process. This injunction will be analysed by Teori Zavascki, who will analyse the case overnight and announce his decision .
2016-05-11

China says Taiwan to blame for any crisis

Taiwan's new government will be to blame for any crisis with China that erupts once it assumes office, Beijing said , heaping on the pressure ahead of the inauguration of a new president from a pro-independence party.
2016-05-11

Britain says it can't deport Vijay Mallya, but adds it's "keen to help" India

2016-05-11

German doctors help Indians fight pharma influence

al went on a knifing spree at the Grafing railway station and was heard to have shouted "Allah-o-Akbar" while carrying out the attack.He was arrested immediately.
2016-05-11

Knife attack jangles nerves in fast-polarising Germany

China scrambled fighter jets as a US navy ship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea, a patrol China denounced as an illegal threat to peace which only went to show its defence installations in the area were necessary.
2016-05-11

Bangladesh hangs Jamaat chief for 1971 war crimes, nation on edge

While India and Bangladesh are arguably at one of their best periods bilaterally, there is growing concern about the continued targeted killings by Islamist outfits - IS and al -Qaida.
2016-05-11

Ties on upswing, Sheikh Hasina eyes Teesta pact, plans India trip

d Cameron called Nigeria and Afghanistan "possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world" even as he hailed their leaders' planned attendance at an anti-corruption summit in London. He was caught on camera making the remarks to Queen Elizabeth II.
2016-05-10

Man baby Donald Trump mocked for lack of vision

Over 250 Pakistanis, including senior officials and the mother of a woman filmmaker who won two Oscars this year, have been listed in the biggest-ever global data leaks as having offshore companies. It covers data of nearly 30 years until 2010.
2016-05-10

Panama Papers show 259 Pakistanis with offshore companies

Brussels Capital Region lawmaker Dr Manzoor Zahoor Ellahi has signed a petition extending his support in creating awareness regarding the proposed annexation of Gilgit Baltistan and the construction of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
2016-05-10

North Koreas Kim Jong-uns younger sister gets new post

Seven Indonesian teenagers were jailed for 10 years each for the brutal gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl that sparked a national debate on sexual violence. They were among a gang who attacked the schoolgirl while she was on her way home.
2016-05-10

China scrambles fighter jets as US warship sails near disputed South China Sea reef

The transgender man said he was disappointed but will continue to fight for equality after a labour arbitration panel rejected his complaint that he was fired unfairly, in China's first transgender job discrimination case. Chinese laws don't offer protection to LGBTs.
2016-05-10

Indonesian teens jailed for brutal gang rape, murder

Chinese man loses in countrys first transgender labour dispute

Terror group ISIS has claimed that a Russian woman spy infiltrated its ranks and before being executed, passed on key information due to which many jihadists lost their lives. Istok, the Islamic State's Russian- language online magazine, published an article focusing on the woman.
2016-05-10

Britains David Cameron calls Nigeria, Afghanistan most corrupt countries

British PM David Cameron was caught in a video available to the Independent Television News (ITN) broadcaster, telling Queen Elizabeth that leaders of some "fantastically corrupt" countries, including Nigeria and Afghanistan, were due to attend his anti-corruption summit .
2016-05-10

Corrupt nations to attend Cameron's anti-graft summit

n called MEZIS, the abbreviation for "Mein Essen zahl ich selbst" which is German for 'I pay for my own lunch' has a membership of about 750 doctors.
2016-05-10

London mayor Sadiq Khan slams Donald Trump's 'ignorant' view of Islam

London Mayor Sadiq Khan slammed Donald Trump's "ignorant" view of Islam, after the Republican presidential contender suggested Khan could be exempted from a proposed temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States.
2016-05-10

Obama to make historic first presidential visit to Hiroshima: White House

Barack Obama will become the first US president to visit atomic bomb-struck Hiroshima during a trip to the Japanese city later this month, the White House said . He will highlight his continued commitment to pursuing the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.
2016-05-10

Philippines transgender politician celebrates historic win

Geraldine Roman celebrated becoming the first transgender politician to win a congressional seat in the Philippines . The constituents of Bataan overwhelmingly endorsed Roman, with the vote count showing that she had secured 62 per cent support.
2016-05-10

India objects to China's double standards on terrorism

The Lok Sabha was informed by MoS home affairs, Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, that China has placed a technical hold on India's application to designate Azhar as a terrorist in the UN Security Council Committee. India, in two separate meetings has expressed its strong objections on same to China.
2016-05-10

British Airways plane lands with square tyre; baffles experts

A British Airways A380 Superjumbo with a stunning square-shaped tyre has landed at London's Heathrow airport, baffling aviation experts. The deflated tyre with a square shape was part of the landing gear on the flight BA-32 arriving from Hong Kong .
2016-05-10

Ali Haider Gilani, son of former Pak PM, rescued 3 years after being abducted by Taliban

A joint raid by US and Afghan forces rescued the son of former Pakistani prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani from a three-year-long Taliban captivity in Afghanistan. Gunmen had kidnapped his younger son Ali Haider Gilani in May 2013.
2016-05-10

ISIS claims female Russian spy infiltrated terror network

Seven Afghan militants killed in coalition drone strike

An unmanned plane of the NATO-led coalition forces carried out an air raid night against a vehicle in Afghanistan's Kunduz province. The strike on the vehicle running in Nah-r-Sufi locality of Chahar Dara district left seven Taliban militants dead and two other militants injured.
2016-05-10

US sails warship near Chinese-claimed reef in South China Sea

Beijing and Washington have traded accusations that the other is militarising the South China Sea as China undertakes large-scale land reclamations and construction on disputed featues while the United States has increased its patrols and exercises in the region.
2016-05-10

Ex-NATO and U.S. defence chiefs warn UK against EU exit

Former NATO secretary generals warned that a British exit from the European Union would help enemies of the West while ex-U.S. foreign and defence chiefs cautioned that Britain would have less clout outside the bloc.
2016-05-10

China court jails pro-democracy activists: lawyer

A Chinese court has jailed two activists for taking part in small-scale pro-democracy protests after detaining them for nearly three years. In recent years, there has been a rise in crackdown on dissent, with hundreds of lawyers, activists and academics detained and dozens jailed.
2016-05-10

Global warming linked to kidney failures?

Heat stress-associated kidney failure could be the first human epidemic directly linked to global warming. And India is one of the hotspots.
2016-05-10

Duterte claims Philippines's presidency, vows crime crackdown

Rodrigo Duterte vowed a relentless crackdown on crime after securing a landslide victory in the presidential elections of Philippines. Duterte, the longtime mayor of the southern city of Davao, captivated Filipinos with vows of brutal but quick solutions to crime and poverty.
2016-05-10

China's Xi congratulates North Korea's Kim on new title

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his new title as chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. Xi expressed hope that Kim's leadership would bring ``new accomplishments in the cause of building socialism.''
2016-05-10

ISIS leader killed in Iraq's Anbar province: Pentagon

ys a top Islamic State leader in Iraqs Anbar province, along with three other jihadists, has been killed by a US-led military airstrike.
2016-05-10

In mini-India, Clinton calls for affordable childcare

Democratic presidential front runner Hillary Clinton has called for making quality childcare affordable to working US families in a Washington DC suburb that has a significantly large Indian-American population.
2016-05-10

Trump on Muslim ban: London Mayor could be exception

Taking a step back from his proposed policy of banning Muslims from entering the US, Donald Trump said he would make an exception for London's first Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan if he happens to perform well in office.
2016-05-10

United Nations seeks to reframe refugee crisis

A UN report aims to reframe the way many countries deal with refugees and migrants recommending that UN member nations vote on two global compacts, one involving responsibility sharing for refugees, and another compact strengthening global governance of migration.
2016-05-09

Osama Bin Laden's son urges jihadist unity in Syria

The son of al-Qaida's late founder Osama bin Laden has urged jihadists in Syria to unite. "The Islamic umma (nation) should focus on jihad in Al-Sham (Syria) ... and unite the ranks of mujahedeen there," said 23-year-old Hamza in an audio message posted online.
2016-05-09

Iraqi forces retake village from Islamic State in slow campaign

Iraqi forces retook a northern village from Islamic State as they try to close in on the city of Mosul. In March, Iraq's military opened a new front against the militants in the Makhmour area, to liberate Mosul. To date, Iraqi forces have taken just five villages.
2016-05-09

Death toll mounts to 22 in China's landslide

Twenty two people have been killed and 17 are missing in a massive landslide that engulfed the construction site of a hydropower station in southeast China . Two people were also pulled out alive .
2016-05-09

Russia marks World War II victory anniversary with military parade

Russia staged a grandiose military parade through Moscow's Red Square as part of nationwide celebrations to mark 71 years since the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Putin congratulated the troops on a holiday that unites Russians across political divides.
2016-05-09

Torrential rains trigger landslides, kill nearly 50 in Rwanda

Landslides are not unusual in Rwanda but this year's rainy season has been particularly deadly, with the recent bout triggering landslides that has resulted in the deaths of 50 people in the span of two days.
2016-05-09

Kim Jong-Un becomes North Korea ruling party chairman

The country's de facto head of state Kim Yong-Nam announced the post as foreign journalists briefly watched proceedings -- the first for 36 years. Kim -- the third generation of the dynasty that has ruled the country since its founding in 1948 -- was previously first secretary of the party.
2016-05-09

Germany sees sharp drop in new refugee arrivals

Some 16,000 migrants arrived in April, down almost a quarter from 20,000 in March, and nearly a 90-percent plunge from December when 120,000 arrivals were recorded. Syrians made up the biggest group of newcomers, with 2,724 applicants in the month.
2016-05-09

North Korea's nuclear attitude 'has not changed': China media

Chinese state-run media today played down North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's pledge not to use nuclear weapons unless his country's sovereignty is threatened, saying that his pursuit of atomic arms remained dangerous.
2016-05-09

North Korea expels BBC correspondent for "improper" reporting

North Korea expelled BBC journalist Rupert Wingfield-Hayes. He was detained days earlier for allegedly "insulting the dignity" of the authoritarian country. North Korea invited scores of foreign media for its ruling party congress.
2016-05-09

Japan vagina artist convicted in obscenity case

A Japanese artist who makes objects shaped like her vagina was convicted after a high-profile obscenity trial, in a decision likely to reignite accusations of heavy-handed censorship. "I believe I'm innocent. I'll fight until the end," Igarashi told a news briefing after the ruling.
2016-05-09

Nizami shifted to Dhaka Central Jail, execution imminent

Fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami chief and 1971 war crimes convict Motiur Rahman Nizami was shifted to Dhaka Central Jail from a suburban prison as his execution seemed imminent. Nizami's final appeal against his death sentence for war crimes was rejected by the Supreme Court on May 5.
2016-05-09

Ten dead in Philippine election day violence

At least 10 people died across Philippines in election day violence , as gunmen attacked polling stations, ambushed vehicles and stole vote counting machines. Authorities, however, described the violence as isolated incidents and said that the overall conduct of the elections was peaceful.
2016-05-09

Indians in Kuwait advised to comply with residency, visa laws

India has advised its natives residing in Kuwait to comply with local residency and visa laws as many expatriates have been arrested for overstaying and other violations.
2016-05-09

Festival to mark Tagore's birth anniversary opened in Egypt

A Rabindranath Tagore festival is being organized in Egypt to mark the 155th birth anniversary of the great poet.The Embassy of India in Cairo and Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture is hosting the festival from May 8 to 12. The festival will feature many woks of Tagore's famous works.
2016-05-09

Not mulling Indian envoy's expulsion: Nepal

Nepal dismissed rumours that the government was mulling expulsion of Indian envoy Ranjit Rae as "baseless" and aimed at damaging bilateral ties. Media reports suggested that government was preparing to declare Rae persona non-grata (PNG), which means that his diplomatic immunity would be withdrawn.
2016-05-09

China questions crew as sea crash leaves 2 dead, 17 missing

The ship's Greek captain and 19-member mostly Filipino crew said they were unaware they had collided with another craft in heavy fog early morning, the reports quoted Xu Zhiyong, a border checkpoint officer in the port of Beilun in the eastern province of Zhejiang, as saying.
2016-05-09

Clinton strikes back: Calls Trump Republican Party's 'presumptuous nominee'

Hillary Clinton is telling supporters in California that Donald Trump doesn't care much for women. Clinton says Trump is the GOP's "presumptive nominee" as well as its "presumptuous nominee". She says he doesn't care about equal pay for women "because he doesn't think much of women, it turns out."
2016-05-09

New York schools struggle with new rules to teach English

In a bright classroom at Public School 160 in Brooklyn, three teachers orbited 28 students, 21 of whom were still learning English. One teacher, trained to teach English as a new language, drew pictures to go along with words on a whiteboard: a sweater next to Ã¢Â€Âœseamstress,Ã¢Â€Â an apple next to Ã¢Â€Âœfarm.Ã¢Â€Â
2016-05-09

7 killed as bus collides with truck in China

Seven people were killed and five others injured when a bus collided with a truck in eastern China's Jiangxi province, officials said .
2016-05-09

Saudi King sacks powerful oil minister in government shake-up

Saudi King Salman replaced his long-serving oil minister as part of a major government overhaul which comes as the kingdom grapples with slump in energy revenues. The revamp follows last month's announcement of a plan to transform Saudi Arabia's economy to reduce its dependence on oil.
2016-05-09

UK's Prince Harry, Michelle Obama kick off Invictus Games

Britain's Prince Harry and US first lady Michelle Obama helped kick off the Invictus Games for wounded veterans with uplifting speeches, joining other figures from the worlds of sports, entertainment and politics in a glittery opening ceremony.
2016-05-09

US neutralises Pakistan's entire nuclear arsenal - on TV

The United States has succeeded in defanging a toxic Pakistan by neutralising its entire nuclear arsenal - on television.
2016-05-08

Nepalese ambassador stays put in Delhi despite reports of recall

Nepal's ambassador Deep Kumar Upadhyay continued to stay put in his post here, two days after his country's government was said to have ordered his recall, and was reported to have denied he had colluded with India to topple the KP Oli dispensation back home.
2016-05-08

Princess Diana's burial site to get 20-million pound makeover

Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, was laid to rest at the Althorp estate in Northamptonshire, in the east Midlands region of England. Her brother, Earl Spencer, is now spearheading a move to revamp the estate owned by her family.
2016-05-08

China: 35 construction workers buried in landslide

It has taken researchers eight years to develop the new-generation Long March-7 rocket, which can carry up to 13.5 tonnes to low Earth orbit, Li Hong, director of the Carrier Rocket Technology Research Institute with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said.
2016-05-08

UK's most wanted terrorist Sally Jones threatens new ISIS strikes

A British Muslim woman who is among the world's most wanted female terror suspects has threatened new strikes against Britain on social media, according to a report .
2016-05-08

Scare on flight after professor's math equations mistaken for 'terror code'

North Koreans do love their beer. And Pyongyang has its own special brew, called Taedonggang, after a river that runs through the capital. Beer is considered a soft drink in North Korea and is often consumed in stand-up bars.
2016-05-08

For tired Pyongyang workers, beer's on tap at stand-up bars

Woman falls over and regains vision after 20 years of blindness

Prominent Pakistani anti-militant activist shot dead in Karachi

The police said Khurram Zaki was killed at an outdoor cafe in central Karachi, while a companion was wounded. A faction of the Pakistani Taliban, the Hakeemullah group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
2016-05-08

China deploys new generation rocket for space missions

People's Daily, a mouthpiece of China's Communist Party, is facing rare criticism from netizens for advising patients suffering from untreatable diseases to give up their "unrealistic fantasy" of getting cured.
2016-05-08

Donald Trump says Republican unity would be nice, not essential

With a growing number of prominent Republicans refusing to fall in line, Donald Trump is standing firm in his assertion that the Republican Party doesn't have to be unified because he will gain Democratic votes to win in the fall.
2016-05-08

New Saudi minister is believer in reform and low oil price

Saudi King Salman replaced his long-serving oil minister Ali al-Naimi as part of a major government overhaul which comes as the kingdom grapples with a slump in energy revenues. Al-Niami held the post of oil minister for over two decades and was one of the most powerful figures in OPEC.
2016-05-08

One winning ticket sold in $429 million Powerball US lottery

The odds of winning at Powerball are 1 in 292 million. Statistics say that means an American is roughly 25 times more likely to become the next president of the United States than to win the game. A lottery spokeswoman, said 's Powerball followed 17 consecutive draws without a winner.
2016-05-08

Massive Canada wildfire expected to burn for months

A ferocious wildfire wreaking havoc in Canada doubled in size , as officials warned that the situation in the parched Alberta oil sands region was "unpredictable and dangerous.". The wildfire would cover more than 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) by midnight and was continuing to grow
2016-05-08

Canada fire doubles in size in a day: government

Refugees take centre stage in German politics

About 1,000 right-wing extremists and others protesting Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policies squared off with about 4,500 counter-demonstrators outside the Berlin chancellery , chanting slogans at one another but being kept at a wide distance by police in full riot gear.
2016-05-08

Saudi Arabia sacks oil minister Ali al-Naimi in government shake-up

Far right rally against Angela Merkel's migrant policies in Berlin

UN expert says torture still used by Sri Lankan investigators

A United Nations human rights expert said torture is still being used by Sri Lanka's criminal and terrorism investigators, even though the tactic has decreased since the island nation's decades-long civil war ended seven years ago.
2016-05-07

Can London mayor Sadiq Khan enter US in Trump presidency? Maybe not

Will London's new Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan be allowed to travel to the United States? Perhaps not, if Donald Trump is elected President. The presumptive Republican candidate has reiterated his pledge to ban Muslims from entering the US, saying he doesn't care if it hurts him in the general election.
2016-05-07

Egypt court recommends death for two Al-Jazeera employees

An Egyptian court recommended the death sentence for six people, including two Al-Jazeera employees, for allegedly passing on documents related to national security to Qatar and the Doha-based TV network during the rule of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi.
2016-05-07

Canada wildfire grows as weather heats up

A raging Canadian wildfire that forced the evacuation of the oil town of Fort McMurray intensified , helped by hot, dry weather. The blaze is the largest of 40 wildfires burning across the province of Alberta.
2016-05-07

Canada wildfire grows as weather heats up

Trust deficit must be removed for better ties with India, says Pakistan

Pakistan said the "trust deficit" with India needs to be removed to ensure better relations. It voiced support for any effort to restart the stalled bilateral dialogue between the two nations.
2016-05-07

Donald Trump reaches out, but Republican leaders in no mood to back him

A hasty effort to make peace between Donald Trump and Republican Party leaders veered toward the point of collapse as Jeb Bush announced that he would not back Trump in the general election and Trump unleashed a caustic personal attack on a prominent senator who declined to endorse his campaign.
2016-05-07

China's Communist Party mouthpiece faces rare criticism

Suspected Islamists kill Sufi leader in Bangladesh

Mohammad Shahidullah, 65, a local Sufi leader has been found hacked to death in Bangladesh in a suspected Islamist killing, police said , two weeks after the Islamic State group claimed the murder of a liberal professor in the same northwestern district Rajshahi.
2016-05-07

China navy searches for 17 sailors missing in sea-collision

China's navy sent three ships operating in the East China Sea were and another five vessels to join the rescue operation to search for 17 sailors after their fishing boat collided with another vessel.
2016-05-07

Mayor candidate shot dead in Philippine election violence

A mayor candidate in the southern Philippines, Armando Ceballos, was shot dead . Unknown gunmen broke into his home in a mountainous town in southern Philippines at dawn and shot him dead.
2016-05-07

Roadside bomb kills 4 children from same Afghan family

Four Afghan children of the same family were killed by a roadside bomb in the southern Zabul province . Another child from the same family was wounded in the blast that took place .
2016-05-07

Trial delayed for man accused in San Bernardino attack

The trial of Enrique Marquez, the man accused of purchasing the weapons used in the San Bernardino terror attack, has been delayed until next year. Both sides in the case had requested that the trial be delayed, citing the huge amount of complex documents that had to be examined.
2016-05-07

Pakistan arrests 13 for strangling, burning girl for 'honour'

Pakistani police say they have arrested 13 members of a local tribal council who strangled a local girl and set her body on fire for helping one of her friends elope. In Pakistan, nearly 1,000 women are killed every year in the name of honour.
2016-05-07

Experts predict economic disaster from Trump recovery idea

Donald Trump's recovery theory for the crashing US economy is being seen by experts as a reckless idea that would send interest rates soaring and derail economic growth. Trump has proposed paying America's creditors less than full value on the US Treasurys they hold.
2016-05-07

Turkish journalists jailed for five years, hours after courthouse attack

Two Turkish journalists were sentenced to jail just hours after shooting outside the courthouse in Istanbul. Can Dundar, editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet newspaper, was sentenced for five years and 10 months and Erdem Gul, Ankara bureau chief for five years for revealing state secrets.
2016-05-07

Scandal ridden Malaysian PM seeks big win in state polls

Malaysian PM Najib Razak, who has faced corruption allegations that hundreds of millions of dollars were channeled into his accounts from an indebted state fund, is expecting a big win in Sarawak state elections. About 1.1 million people in Sarawak state are voting for 82 lawmakers in the state assembly.
2016-05-07

A pregnant woman walks into a bar: You must serve her in NYC

Under the New York City Human Rights Commission guidelines released , it's illegal to refuse to serve alcohol to pregnant women. The commission, which mostly address pregnant women's rights in the workplace, is looking into a case concerning a pregnant woman denied entry to a bar or club.
2016-05-07

Chinese billionaire treats 3,000 workers to paella in Spain

The billionaire founder of Chinese conglomerate Tiens Group treated 3,000 of his top salespeople to a traditional Spanish paella dinner during a free Madrid trip that also included a bullfight and a tour of King Felipe VI's Royal Palace.
2016-05-07

Cash, gold worth Rs 730 million seized from Pak bureaucrat's house

The National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan seized a huge amount of money and gold from the residence of Balochistan's Finance Secretary Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani. Officials found bags filled with local and foreign currency and gold worth Rs 730 million from the house of the bureaucrat.
2016-05-07

17 passengers injured in Hong Kong Airlines turbulence

Seventeen passengers were injured when a Hong Kong Airlines flight hit severe turbulence over Borneo after taking off from the Indonesian resort island of Bali. The extreme weather forced Hong Kong-bound Flight CRK 6704 carrying 204 passengers and 12 crew to return to Denpasar.
2016-05-07

Israel strikes Hamas targets after Gaza rocket fire

Israel's military has struck Hamas targets in Gaza in retaliation to rocket fire toward Israel. Sirens wailed in southern Israel early warning of an incoming rocket. One landed in an open field, causing no injuries. An attack tunnel was uncovered , intensifying Palestinian attacks.
2016-05-07

3rd suspect admits role in Germany's Gurudwara attack

A third teenager named Tolga I, who was arrested in connection with the bombing of a gurudwara by Islamist militants in the German city of Essen, has admitted to the authorities that he was part of a group which carried out the terror attack.
2016-05-07

ISI 'poisoned' CIA ex-official in Pakistan

A former CIA station chief in Pakistan, who presided over the May 2011 raid that killed al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden at his hideout in Abbottabad, is believed to have been poisoned by the powerful ISI.
2016-05-06

Face of Brussels blast back home, treatment on

Jet Airways crew member Nidhi Chaphekar, who became the face of the March 22 Brussels terror attack, had an emotional reunion with her children and family at a Mumbai hospital morning before she was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital.
2016-05-06

London gets its first-ever Muslim mayor

Sadiq Khan, the son of a bus driver, became London's first Muslim mayor , seeing off a Conservative challenger who attempted to link him to extremism and securing a much-needed victory for his opposition Labour Party.
2016-05-06

China launches self-made magnetically levitated train

The magnetically levitated (maglev) train in Changsa city is a middle-to-low speed train that will connect the local railway station to the airport across 18.55 kms. The train can go up to a maximum speed of 100 kms an hour carrying 365 passengers.
2016-05-06

Nepal recalls its envoy from India

The cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli , decided to recall Uphadhya after he held a conversation with Oli in the morning as President Bidhya Devi Bhandari's India visit was cancelled by Nepal unilaterally, without even informing him.
2016-05-06

Egypt official blames 'Tom and Jerry' for spreading violence

The remarks were made by Salah Abdel-Sadek, head of State Information Service, at a forum held in Cairo this week. He said children see Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse "beat and blow up with explosives" one another and "in their minds, they see this as normal."
2016-05-06

Chinese boy born with 31 fingers and toes

The boy named Hong Hong was born in January with 15 fingers and 16 toes. Doctors diagnosed Hong Hong with polydactylism, a congenital condition that gives people extra fingers and toes. Hong Hong also has two palms on each hand and no thumbs.
2016-05-06

Why water is so precious

Almost all of Earth's water is saline. And of the freshwater, only a small fraction is is available to sustain human, plant, and animal life.
2016-05-06

Italy rescues nearly 1,800 migrants in Mediterranean

Italian vessels have helped rescue nearly 1,800 migrants from boats trying to reach Italy from north Africa in the last 24 hours, the navy said , indicating that numbers are rising as the weather warms up.The navy said 1,759 migrants were rescued in 10 operations involving the Italian navy, coastguard, the European Union's external borders agency Frontex and the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres.
2016-05-06

Ancient foundations found beneath China's Forbidden City

Chinese researchers have discovered foundations of over 600-year-old buildings that would help in understanding the previous dynasties' history and layout of the Forbidden City. The archaeologists also discovered foundations of a previously-unknown construction from the early Ming Dynasty.
2016-05-06

Pope Francis to receive the prestigious Charlemagne Prize

Pope Francis has been presented with the International Charlemagne Prize, one of Europe's most prestigious prizes, for his `'message of hope and encouragement.'' The Charlemagne prize is awarded annually by the German city of Aachen for contributions to European unity.
2016-05-06

Myanmar president proposes new ministry for Suu Kyi

Myanmar's president, Suu Kyi, has proposed to create a new ministry for Aung San SuuKyi's state advisor position, which is "intended to speed up the government's efforts at national reconciliation, internal peace, national development and the rule of law," according to Global New Light of Myanmar.
2016-05-06

In Donald Trump's rise, allies see a harsher American approach

Alarmed by Donald Trumps grip on the Republican presidential nomination, world leaders are wrestling with the possibility that, even if he loses the general election, his ascent reflects a strain of American public opinion that could profoundly reshape the way the United States addresses security alliances and trade.
2016-05-06

Debate erupts in California over curriculum on India's history

In California, history is being written by a committee that is at the center of a raging debate over how to tell the story of South Asia as it tries to update textbooks and revise curricula for grades six and seven. The dispute centers on whether the region that includes modern-day India, Pakistan and Nepal should be referred to as India or as South Asia.
2016-05-06

US Congress seeks to block $450 million aid to Pakistan

The US Congress has initiated a move to block $450 million in aid to Pakistan for failing to "demonstrate its commitment" and taking action against the Haqqani terror network. The Congress's move comes days after the US told Pakistan to put forward its national funds to buy eight F-16s.
2016-05-06

Stealing food not a crime if you are homeless and hungry: Italian court

Ukrainian national Roman Ostriakov was caught trying to steal some cheese and sausage worth 4.07 euros. He was found guilty of theft and sentenced to 6 months in jail and a handed a 100-euro fine. Stealing a little food should not be considered a crime if you really need it, Italy's highest court ruled.
2016-05-06

North Korea stages once-in-a-generation party congress

North Korea kicked off its biggest political show for a generation first ruling party congress in nearly 40 years Ã¢Â€Â” aimed at cementing the absolute rule of leader Kim Jong-Un and shadowed by the possibility of an imminent nuclear test.
2016-05-06

US House Speaker Paul Ryan refuses to back Donald Trump

US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan is refusing to support Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for president, insisting that the businessman must do more to unify the Republican party.
2016-05-06

After dissidents, India to host Chinese leader

India hosted Han Zheng, member of politburo of the Communist Party of China and party secretary of Shanghai within the same fortnight of playing host to Chinese dissidents indicating the balancing act India has to follow, in pursuit of a cooperative-competitive relationship with China.
2016-05-05

Global, local leaders vow hard work against temperature rise

International leaders and local officials pledged to work hard to stem the rise of global temperatures by investing in public transportation and electric cars, planting trees and switching to solar energy.
2016-05-05

India tops New World of Work index

The way people work is changing, and Indians appear to be the most willing to adapt. But some employees say their offices policies do not support remote work. Heres a lookÃ¢Â€Â¦
2016-05-05

How Trump broke the rules of modern politics, and won anyway

ok the rules of modern politics, trashed them and became the last man standing for the Republican nomination anyway.
2016-05-05

Brazils Dilma Rousseff vows to seek return if forced from office

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff vowed during a defiant interview broadcast to "continue to keep fighting" to return to power if she is forced from office. Senators will vote next week on whether to open an impeachment trial against her.
2016-05-05

Fragile truce takes hold in Syrias battered Aleppo

A 48-hour ceasefire took hold in Syria's battered second city of Aleppo after government and rebel forces gave in to mounting diplomatic pressure. Relieved residents returned to the streets after two weeks of heavy fighting in the divided metropolis.
2016-05-05

US army captain sues President Barack Obama over 'illegal' war against ISIS

Captain Nathan Michael Smith voiced strong support for fighting the ISIS but, citing his "conscience" and his vow to uphold the Constitution, he said he believed that the mission lacked proper authorisation from Congress.
2016-05-05

Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu announces decision to step down

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced his resignation , paving the way for President Recept Tayyip Erdogan to pursue a tighter grip on power. Davutoglu, who had fallen out with Erdogan, announced he was stepping aside following a meeting with executives of the ruling AKP.
2016-05-05

Trump policy on Muslims is wrong, will not apologise: UK PM Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would not apologise to Donald Trump after he became the Republican party's presumptive presidential candidate, for calling his proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States stupid and wrong.
2016-05-05

Pak court asks for information on release of arrested Indian

The Peshawar High Court heard the case of Mumbai resident Hamid Nehal Ansari who claimed he entered Pakistan with a fake identity card sent by his Facebook friends who left him in a hotel in Kohat city on November 14, 2012 before he was arrested.
2016-05-05

Al Qaida withdrawing from 2 cities east of Yemen's Aden port

Al Qaida forces are withdrawing from two coastal cities east of the key port of Aden following tribal-led negotiations. The withdrawal from the cities of Zinjibar and Jaar will take less than a week. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, while witnesses did so out of safety concerns.
2016-05-05

European airports battle to boost retail spend as attacks weigh

European airports are racing to redesign terminals and offer new services to pull passengers into stores, in the face of online competition and militant attacks that have kept away big-spending travelers. They aim to provide apps for directions or online shopping at airports.
2016-05-05

Sri Lanka suspends two lawmakers over fistfight in parliament

Opposition members are demanding that Sri Lanka's former President Rajapaksa's military security be reinstated, saying he is under threat from Tamil rebels who were defeated in the long drawn Lankan civil war which ended in 2009.
2016-05-05

London may elect first Muslim mayor, opponent uses Modi card

With Pakistani-origin Sadiq Khan likely to become London's new mayor, his Conservative foe Zac Goldsmith is using Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name to woo Hindu and Sikh votes.
2016-05-05

Pakistani woman strangled for helping friend elope

A Pakistani woman was drugged, strangled and then her body was set ablaze because she helped her friend elope. "The victim was killed then burned in a Suzuki van on the orders of the village jirga (council) in Makol in north west Pakistan on April 29", said district police chief Khurram Rasheed.
2016-05-05

Assad says goal is 'final victory' in Aleppo

In a telegram sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he thanked Moscow for its military support, said the army would not accept less than "attaining final victory" and "crushing the aggression" in its fight against rebels in Aleppo city and elsewhere in the country.
2016-05-05

Florida SC considers overturning death sentences

In response to a US Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that found Florida's death sentencing law unconstitutional, Florida's Supreme Court is considering to overturn death sentences. SC will decide whether to reduce the sentences of nearly 400 death row inmates sentenced under the old system.
2016-05-05

China and Russia to hold anti-missile drill after US, S Korea talk defence

China and Russia will hold their first joint computer-assisted anti-missile drill after the United States and South Korea discussed an anti-missile defence system for the South to counter threats from North Korea. The China-Russia drill will be held this month at a Russian military research centre.
2016-05-05

China and Russia to hold anti-missile drill after US, South Korea talk defence

North Korea readies for party congress, nuclear test fears persist

North Korea readied itself to kick off its most important ruling party gathering for nearly 40 years, amid persistent concerns of a nuclear test, despite no clear signs of an imminent detonation. Leader Kim Jong-un is expected to deliver a keynote address at the opening of 's party congress.
2016-05-05

Bangladesh court upholds Islamist leader's death sentence

The war crimes tribunal has sparked violence and drawn criticism from opposition politicians that it is victimising Hasina's political opponents. The government, however, has blamed the increase in Islamist violence on Jamaat-e-Islami, but the group denies any link to the attacks.
2016-05-05

Brazil says almost 1,300 hit by Zika-linked microcephaly

The Health Ministry said that as of April 30, 3,580 suspected cases had been reported and another 2,492 were ruled out as false alarms. While 57 babies were known to have died of the condition, another 178 deaths were suspected to have been caused by it, the data showed.
2016-05-05

Bangladesh's Court upholds Islamist leader's death sentence

Bangladesh's Apex Court has upheld the death sentence of Motiur Rahman Nizami, head of Jaamat-e-Islami party for the war crimes committed in the 1971 Bangladesh war. 3 other leaders of the same party have been earlier executed on same charges. The charges include war atrocities and rape and conspiracy to kill top intellectuals.
2016-05-05

Islamic State rockets hit Turkish town, one person wounded

The town of Kilis, which stands at the border in southern Turkey, has been repeatedly targeted by Islamic State rockets which have killed 19 people since the start of the year. Turkey has routinely returned fire, destroying Islamic State gun positions and killing 370 militants.
2016-05-05

Israeli air strikes hit four Hamas sites in Gaza

Those strikes hit Gaza's derelict international airport near the southern city of Rafah and in nearby farming areas. Israeli tanks also shelled the Palestinian enclave at least twice , while the army established a closed military zone around the small border town of Nahal Oz.
2016-05-05

Chinese, Indian media discuss greater cooperation

The 3rd China-India Media Exchange Programme was co-hosted by the Global Times Foundation and India's Observer Research Foundation and involved 20 media professionals and researchers. The conference will continue for three days in the Hobq Desert and three more days in Guiyang in Guizhou province.
2016-05-05

US flags concern on human rights violations in Pak

The US has said it is concerned about the allegations of gross violations of human rights in Pakistan by its security forces during its counterterrorism operations.
2016-05-05

Republican John Kasich ends White House bid, clears path for Donald Trump

Kasich, 63, the Ohio governor and a former US congressman, had vowed just a day earlier to keep running after US Senator Ted Cruz dropped out following a poor showing in Indiana's Republican primary .
2016-05-04

China and India should review relationship, says Rajmohan Gandhi

should consider the adverse effects of their bickering over the border issue on the world as a whole, Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and a scholar of South Asian studies, said in a speech in Beijing this week.
2016-05-04

Filipino jihadists threaten 3 hostages after beheading 1

Muslim militants have threatened to kill three more hostages in their jungle base in the southern Philippines, more than a week after beheading a Canadian man when their multimillion dollar ransom demands were not met. The militants beheaded Canadian John Ridsdel on April 25.
2016-05-04

London set to elect Muslim mayor after divisive campaign

The son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver, Sadiq Khan has a 12- or 14-point lead over Zac Goldsmith, his multimillionaire rival from Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party, according to two polls published ahead of 's vote.
2016-05-04

Residents evacuated as fires threaten Canada oil sands town

A fire that forced the evacuation of the Canadian oil sands city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, destroyed 80% of the homes in one neighbourhood and extensively damaged property in a number of others, and officials warned it could get worse. More than 80,000 residents were ordered to flee as flames in.
2016-05-04

Coalition vows to build up further against Islamic State

An international coalition leading the military campaign against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq agreed to accelerate their contributions but did not publicly specify what those would be. The group also called on Iraqi leaders to reconcile political differences.
2016-05-04

GOP-smacking: Trumpism takes over Republican Party

New York Citys real estate mogul and entertainment impresario Donald Trump has moved front and center of Abraham Lincolns party by winning the Indiana primary and effectively stamping his claim as the partys nominee for the November presidential election.
2016-05-04

EU countries could face hefty fines for rejected refugees

The penalties are part of a European Commission plan to be made public to more evenly share the burden of hosting hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict and violence in places like Syria, with the current asylum system on the verge of collapse.
2016-05-04

Russia says it is bolstering forces to counter NATO

Russia's defence minister said that the country will set up three new divisions in the west and south of the country by the end of 2016, in a bid to counter NATO forces close to its border.
2016-05-04

Germany to allow medical cannabis consumption in some cases

The Health Ministry of Germany said that the legislation will allow doctors to prescribe cannabis in the form of dried flowers or extracts if there are no alternative treatments. However, the legislation still needs parliamentary approval.
2016-05-04

People save mother, 4 kids falling from a burning fourth floor in S.Korea

A mother and her 4 kids were rescued by people when they fell from the fourth floor after the floor caught fire. The citizens held blankets to break their fall. All the five survived the mishap unscathed.
2016-05-04

Beijing sends entertainers in contested South China Sea

China's military has dispatched ships and planes Ã¢Â€Â” even constructed new islands to assert its maritime claims. Now it's deploying a new set of tools to uphold Chinese sovereignty: magicians, singers and actors. Photos of the performances showed a glimpse of the extensive work China has been carrying out in the area.
2016-05-04

IS must be pushed back in northern Syria - Turkish Minister

ANKARA : Turkey's foreign minister said that Islamic State militants must immediately be pushed back near the Turkish border and work to achieve this was under way. Speaking to reporters in Ankara, the Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, voiced frustration over Islamic State's persistent grip in Syria and Iraq despite what he said was a near two-year long effort by the US led coalition involving 65 countries.
2016-05-04

Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton all but certain to face off in fall campaign

Trump's victory in Indiana and Ted Cruz's abrupt decision to drop out resolved the Republican nominee for 2016, but it still left the party in a deep state of uncertainty. Some Republican leaders remain acutely wary of the bombastic billionaire.
2016-05-04

31 injured by severe turbulence in Abu Dhabis Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways said that flight EY474 from its hub in Abu Dhabi was hit by "severe and unexpected turbulence'' about 45 minutes before landing at Soekarno Hatta International Airport. It says the plane landed safely but 31 passengers were injured.
2016-05-04

Three Red Cross workers kidnapped in Congo by suspected rebels

The Red Cross centre in Congo confirmed that 3 of its aides, working as drivers have been kidnapped by Rawandan rebels in a show of protest against the establishment and constant US aid in the country. the African country has been struggling with the multi pronged troubles of hunger, famines and militia attacks.
2016-05-04

How 'Stop Trump' failed to halt the Republican front-runner

Trump became the Republican party's presumptive nominee with his resounding win in Indiana's primary, which led his main rival US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas to drop out and heaped pressure on distant third-place contender John Kasich, the Ohio governor, to do the same.
2016-05-04

Financial inequality highest in India, China: IMF

The International Monetary Fund has said that financial inequality is highest in India and China among Asia Pacific countries despite the two being among the fastest growing economies. In India, differences between rural and urban areas have increased accompanied by rising intra-urban inequality.
2016-05-04

Gang rape of Indonesian teen sparks reform calls

Indonesian activists called for the government to urgently strengthen laws against sexual violence after the brutal gang-rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl sparked outrage. The teenager was on her way home from school in a small village on the main western island of Sumatra when she was allegedly raped by a drunk gang of men and boys.
2016-05-04

Pakistani army chief signs death sentences of 11 Taliban members

Pakistan's army chief signed off on the death sentences of 11 members of the Taliban convicted of terrorism, kidnappings and attacks on civilians as well as on police and army officers. Pakistan started military trials started for the suspected.
2016-05-04

Kerry vouches for press freedom, says reporting truth is not a crime

US secretary John Kerry made remarks to mark World Press Freedom Day asserting that reporting the truth is not a crime. He said that a country needs a free and independent press to fulfill its potential.
2016-05-04

Brazil's top prosecutor requests to investigate its president

Brazil's top prosecutor, Rodrigo Janot, has requested the Supreme Court to probe President Dilma Rousseff for trying to obstruct a sweeping corruption investigation involving state run oil firm Petrobras. The prosecutor general has also asked the Supreme Court to investigate former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
2016-05-04

Turkey approves law to overcome final hurdles for EU visa deal

Turkey's parliament approved a law to monitor discipline for law enforcement officials, trying to overcome one of the last hurdles on its way to winning visa-free access to Europe. The EU depends on Ankara's cooperation to maintain a March pact which stems inflow of Turkish refugees and migrants.
2016-05-04

Wildfire forces thousands to flee Canada's Alberta

Alberta is racing to evacuate thousands of people as an uncontrolled wildfire burns near Fort McMurray, in the heart of Canada's oil sands region, forcing residents to flee north .Authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order for all of Fort McMurray's residents.
2016-05-04

China military seeking recruits with flashy new video

China uses new recruitment video to appeal to young generation. The video features aircraft carriers, tanks, special forces troops, rap-rock soundtrack with lyrics from computer games like "call of duty".
2016-05-04

Pakistan among worst violators of religious freedom: USCIRF

"In 2015, the Pakistani government continued to perpetrate and tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations," the US body states.
2016-05-04

Bangladesh approves China-financed rail project

2016-05-04

Donald Trump on his way to Republican nomination after Ted Cruz drops out

Republican front-runner Donald Trump all but sealed the party's presidential nomination with a commanding victory in Indiana that forced rival Ted Cruz to finally end his campaign. He is likely to formally wrap up the nomination on June 7.
2016-05-04

Panama leak showed vulnerability of system: Panama President

The scandal triggered by the Panama Papers leak of information on how and where the world's wealthy stash funds to avoid detection or taxes underscored many countries' vulnerabilities, President Juan Carlos Varela has said.
2016-05-03

Panama Papers leak showed vulnerability of system: Panama President

ISIS may be making chemical arms, warns watchdog

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons head Ahmed Uzumcu said his body's fact-finding teams have found evidence of the use of sulphur mustard in attacks in the two war-torn countries.
2016-05-03

Ted Cruz unloads on Donald Trump, calls him 'utterly amoral,' as Indiana votes

orters in Evansville, Indiana, on the day of the state's presidential primary, Ted Cruz warned that the country could "plunge into the abyss" if Trump is elected president.
2016-05-03

Will quit if proven guilty in Panama Papers probe: Nawaz Sharif

"If corruption worth a single penny is proved against me, I will not wait for a moment to quit," Sharif said while addressing a public gathering in Bannu town of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Sharif had formed a high-level judicial commission which will be led by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe the leak.
2016-05-03

Jewish leader urges Sweden to prioritize anti-Semitism fight

Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress, said that Sweden needs to be vigilant of anti-Semitism sentiments among some refugees seeking shelter in the Nordic country.
2016-05-03

India and the South China Sea dispute

Indias position on the South China Sea? In two recent international joint statements, India has taken slightly different positions on the biggest point of international conflict that is about to come to a head in the coming days.
2016-05-03

Xi Jinping decries conspirators within his party but says there's no House of Cards in China

nt Xi Jinping referred to 'House of Cards' to explain that China does not have the kind of power struggle depicted in the American TV serial. But he warned that the Communist Party has many conspirators,"cabals and cliques", who are trying to damage the party and the nation's security.
2016-05-03

Cash-strapped ISIS selling chickens and eggs in Libya: Report

Kenyan rescuers pulled an 18-month-old toddler alive from the rubble of a six-storey building , four days after the block collapsed, killing 23 people, police said. The little girl was found "in a bucket wrapped in a blanket" and was dehydrated but without visible physical injuries.
2016-05-03

Blaze destroys hundreds of homes in Myanmar Rohingya camp

Pakistan opposed a military option to resolve the dragging Afghan conflict, saying such a policy had not brought results for 14 long years.
2016-05-03

No military solution to Afghanistan conflict: Pakistan

Londoner Siddhartha is believed to have replaced Mohammed Emwazi, known as 'Jihadi John' before he was killed in a drone strike, as the masked apparent executioner of western hostages in ISIS propaganda videos.
2016-05-03

IS kills US service member in northern Iraq attack

Phra Prommangkalachan, the Buddhist monk who has blessed Leicester City's players and stadium, congratulated the Foxes after they sealed one of the biggest sporting shocks in history.
2016-05-03

IS kills US service member in northern Iraq attack

The Islamic State group broke through Kurdish defences in northern Iraq and killed an American service member of the US-led coalition fighting the jihadists, officials said. The service member, whom the Pentagon confirmed was American, was at least the third killed by enemy fire in Iraq by IS.
2016-05-03

France hits out at US-EU trade pact

A sweeping free trade deal being negotiated between the European Union and the United States would lower food safety and environmental standards, Greenpeace said citing confidential documents from the talks.
2016-05-03

Pakistan shredded in US electoral crossfire: Both Hillary and Trump distrust it

US Army Gen Curtis M Scaparrotti was installed as head of US European Command (EUCOM) at Stuttgart, Germany, and will become NATO's supreme allied commander Europe following a separate ceremony at alliance military headquarters in southern Belgium.
2016-05-03

NATO alliance getting new supreme commander

Pakistan opposed a military option to resolve the dragging Afghan conflict, saying such a policy had not brought results for 14 long years.
2016-05-03

Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $55 million in talc-powder trial

The verdict, which J&J plans to appeal, was the second straight trial loss for the company, which is facing about 1,200 lawsuits accusing it of not adequately warning consumers about its talc-based products' cancer risks.
2016-05-03

New hit-list threatens Bangladeshi teachers, politicians

Bangladesh police were investigating a new hit-list of 10 people that includes the head of a university, journalists and ruling party officials, after a series of gruesome killings.
2016-05-03

Toddler rescued 4 days after Kenya building collapse

Phra Prommangkalachan, the Buddhist monk who has blessed Leicester City's players and stadium, congratulated the Foxes after they sealed one of the biggest sporting shocks in history.
2016-05-03

Jamaat-ud-Dawa will not allow destruction of Hindu temples in Pakistan: Hafiz Saeed

Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Pakistan's banned outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), has said his organisation will not allow destruction of Hindu temples and other holy places of non-Muslims in the country.
2016-05-03

California Muslims sue over hijab discrimination

Two lawsuits filed in California claim that Muslim women were discriminated against because of their religion and for wearing the hijab. In one case, police forcibly removed a suspect's headscarf. In a second incident, a group of women were kicked out of a Laguna Beach coffee house for being Muslim.
2016-05-03

Communist Party not trying to stifle debate: Xi Jinping

China's ruling Communist Party is not trying to curtail internal debate or even criticism with rules banning "baseless comments" but is simply trying to ensure no one is "singing out of tune", President Xi Jinping has said.
2016-05-03

Pak leaders knew about Osama's Abbottabad hideout, but US has no proof says Hillary Clinton

Senior Pakistani leadership knew that Osama bin Laden was hiding at a compound in Abbottabad but US has not been able to get any proof of it so far, Republican presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has said.
2016-05-03

Monk Phra Prommangkalachan leads Thai fans in lauding fantastic Foxes

Greenpeace leaks files to torpedo US-EU trade deal

US tells Pakistan it will have to fund F-16s itself

The United States has told Pakistan it will have to finance the purchase of US F-16 fighter jets itself after members of the US Congress objected to the use of government funds to pay for them. Republican Senator Bob Corker said US fund should not be used to send across a stern message to Pakistan.
2016-05-02

First financing by China-backed AIIB goes to Silk Road plan in Pakistan

The punishment handed down by a Beijing district party branch to property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang is seen as a stern warning to the tycoon and other party members that certain political dissent will not be tolerated. Ren questioned whether taxpayer money should fund media that serve to promote the Communist Party rather than the public.
2016-05-02

Iran leader urges for nuclear weapons-free Korean Peninsula

s warned the United States that a proposed US law that could hold the kingdom responsible for any role in the Sept 11, 2001, attacks would erode global investor confidence in America, its foreign minister said .
2016-05-02

Saudi minister confirms warning on proposed US law on 9/11

European Union set to extend Schengen border controls

Following a request by five countries, the European Union is set to allow countries to extend border control in the passport-free Schengen area as a result of the migrant crisis and recent terror attacks.The countries described the border situation as "extremely volatile".
2016-05-02

Russia 'gunning' for tourists with MiGs, tanks, AK-56s

The World Economic Forum 2016 at Davos stated that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is under way and will eliminate millions of jobs over the next 10 years. Here are the jobs that will be the most impacted.
2016-05-02

Italian marine Salvatore Girone can return home: India

World Jewish Congress criticises YouTube over neo-Nazi videos

The bodies of world-renowned US mountaineer Alex Lowe and his cameraman have been found in a Himalayan glacier, 16 years after they were buried by an avalanche on one of the world's highest mountains. They were swept away by a avalanche on the 8,027-metre Shisha Pangma peak in China in October 1999.
2016-05-02

Chinas Communist Party disciplines outspoken tycoon

Ahead of the five-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, CIA chief John Brennan has said that taking out Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State group, would have a "great impact". US special forces killed al-Qaida founder bin Laden in Pakistan's Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.
2016-05-02

Five years after Osamas killing, CIA chief eyes ISIS chief Baghdadi

Bombs rock Baghdad, Shia pilgrims among 14 killed

Security is a big concern, especially for companies built around a central figure. Little surprise then that some of the worlds most valued companies spend a fortune on providing round-the-clock security for their chiefs.
2016-05-02

After 16 years, climbers bodies found in Tibet glacier

Three bombs went off in and around Baghdad , killing at least 14 people, including Shia Muslim worshippers conducting an annual pilgrimage inside the capital. At least a few of the casualties were pilgrims passing through the area on their way to the shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim.
2016-05-02

Technological advances will cut millions of jobs

ISIS sex slave kidnapped by 'new Jihadi John' suspect Siddhartha Dhar

Monitors compiled a list dating back to the declaration of ISIS in June 2014, showing regular beheadings, shootings, stonings and other methods of murder such as throwing people off buildings and setting them on fire.
2016-05-02

Sikh man's turban desecrated in Pakistan, 6 booked under blasphemy law

Tulu Sarki Thing of Yarsa village in Rasuwa district, 125km east of Kathmandu, was beaten to death by her relatives for allegedly practicing witchcraft, they said. Two of the arrested are said to the victim's brother-in-law and his wife.
2016-05-02

'Allah's Soldiers': How 'lost, frustrated, suicidal youths' are used for jihad

The departure hall at Brussels' Zaventem airport partly re-opened , 40 days after suicide attacks claimed by the Islamic State group which killed 32 people. Belgian flags were displayed on each side of a stage put up for the ceremony, with written tributes to the victims.
2016-05-02

China trains 'fishing militia' to sail into disputed waters

"We can't continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what they're doing," Trump said during his second rally in Fort Wayne, Indiana, referring to China's high number of exports relative to the US.
2016-05-02

Five years on, doctor who helped CIA track Osama bin Laden languishes in Pakistan jail

China rapes our country, Donald Trump says

Wary of China's Indian Ocean activities, US, India discuss anti-submarine warfare

India and the United States are in talks to help each other track submarines in the Indian Ocean, military officials say, a move that could further tighten defense ties between New Delhi and Washington as China steps up its undersea activities.
2016-05-02

Brussels airport departure hall partly re-opens, 40 days after attacks

Malia Obama to take 'gap year,' enter Harvard in 2017

Malia, the eldest of the Obamas' two daughters, is a 17-year-old senior at Sidwell Friends, an exclusive private school in DC that helped educate another first daughter, Chelsea Clinton. Malia is set to graduate high school in June. She turns 18 on the Fourth of July.
2016-05-01

Gucci worried about its brands used in paper offerings to dead in Chinese Ghost festival

China has started construction of its biggest hydropower project in Tibet costing over US $3 billion, which will supply electricity to the economically well-off regions in the country's eastern part.
2016-05-01

Pope insists paedophile criminals be 'severely' punished

Pope Francis didn't mention paedophilic scandals in the Catholic church, in which bishops systematically transferred paedophile priests around parishes instead of reporting them to the police. Victims' groups have demanded Francis punish such bishops.
2016-05-01

ISIS developing Google-style driverless cars for attacks

ISIS' R&D department in Raqqa, is believed to be producing the vehicles at the same time as Google attempts to perfect the same technology. If successful, the invention could prove to be a major headache for security services, where self-driving cars are expected to become commonplace.
2016-05-01

Nepalese woman beaten to death on charges of practicing witchcraft

Twin bombings in southern Iraq kill 33

'Kill them wherever they are': ISIS hackers publish 'hit list' of 70 US military personnel

2 car bombs went off in Samawa. The first one was at around midday near a bus station in the city centre. The other exploded about five minutes later, 400 metres from the spot of the first explosion, a senior police officer said.
2016-05-01

3 detained for murder of Hindu tailor in Bangladesh

2 cases have been filed over the killing of Joarder, one was filed over his murder and another over bombs seized from a bag left by the assailants. Police arrested Badsa Miah, Jamaat secretary of Gopalpur municipal unit, local BNP activist Jhantu Mia and Gopalpur Press Club's VP Aminul Islam.
2016-05-01

What companies spend on security for honchos

endent Junpikar Sitin says the Indonesians appeared well when he saw them before they were brought to a military camp in Jolo town in Sulu province.
2016-05-01

Philippine militants free 10 Indonesian hostages

China begins construction of Tibet's biggest dam

ISIS claimed that it might have a mole in the UK's ministry of defence and threatened to publish "secret intelligence" in the future that could identify Britain's RAF drone operators. Inquiries made by 'The Times' found that the names on the American hitlist are genuine.
2016-04-30

ISIS executed over 4,000 in Syria in last two years: Report

Opposition unity spells doom for Nawaz Sharif

The recent Panama Papers leak confirming the Sharifs ownership of offshore companies and London properties has turned the tables on the PML-N. It has stirred Aitzaz Ahsan-led ideological PPP old guard to reassert itself after remaining sidelined since Asif Ali Zardari took over PPPs reins following his wife Benazir Bhuttos assassination.
2016-04-30

Staff segregated by gender at some UK Muslim schools

Monthly Science News May 2016

Science News For The Month Jun

Isro launches India's first reusable launch vehicle from Sriharikota

After several years of development work, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) launched the re-usable launch vehicle technology demonstrator (RLV-TD) 70-km from earth and hope to bring it back. A successful test launch, which has been postponed multiple times in the last two-and-a-half years, will go a long way in giving Isro a technology that will reduce the launch cost to one tenth of the present expenditure.
2016-05-23

India to get new indigenously-built supercomputer next year

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing that built India's first supercomputer, Param, is handling the project. The government had, in March 2015, approved the plan of the National Supercomputing Mission, under which 80 supercomputers will be built in the next seven years.
2016-05-23

'Sunscreen gene' may help protect against skin cancer

Scientists have identified a 'sunscreen gene' that may help protect against melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Melanoma patients with deficient or mutant copies of the 'UV radiation Resistance Associated Gene' are less protected from harmful ultraviolet rays.
2016-05-21

High blood pressure raises risk of developing vascular dementia

High blood pressure can significantly raise the risk of developing vascular dementia, a disease which affects around 7 lakh people in India, a new study found. High blood pressure was found to be associated with 62 per cent higher risk of vascular dementia between the ages of 30-50.
2016-05-19

Mars is within reach, says German tapped for space command

Humans could set foot on Mars within decades if they wanted to, according to the German astronaut who has been tapped to become his country's first commander of the International Space Station. Alexander Gerst said the space station offers a unique opportunity to test the technology needed to explore other planets, especially if its lifetime is extended beyond 2020.
2016-05-18

US scientists say major earthquake likely in Jammu & Kashmir

New geologic mapping in the Himalayan mountains of Kashmir suggests that the region is ripe for a major earthquake that could endanger the lives of as many as a million people, according to an Oregon State University statement.
2016-05-18

Ocean on JupiterÃ¢Â€Â™s moon may harbour life: Nasa

New Nasa study suggests that the Europa ocean on Jupiter's moon may harbour life. Scientists compared Europa's potential for producing hydrogen and oxygen with that of Earth and found that, on both worlds, oxygen production is about 10 times higher than hydrogen production.
2016-05-18

Artificial intelligence boosts key Bose-Einstein experiment

A team of scientists is using artificial intelligence (AI) to run a complex experiment to create an extremely cold gas trapped in a laser beam known as a Bose-Einstein condensate, replicating the experiment that won the 2001 Nobel Prize. This technology can be used in areas like minerals extraction.
2016-05-18

Inspired by spider webs, scientists create fibre that expand like solid and compress like liquid,

Scientists in London have developed a novel fibre inspired by the watery thread technology of spider webs. The novel properties rely on a subtle balance between fibre elasticity and droplet surface tension. The team was able to recreate this technique using oil droplets on a plastic filament.
2016-05-18

InIndia successfully test-fired indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II

India successfully test-fired indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile today from test range at Chandipur in Odisha. Last user trial of Prithvi-II was successfully conducted on February 16, 2016 from same test range. Prithvi is India's first indigenously-built ballistic missiile.
2016-05-18

Magic mushrooms may ease severe depression: Study

Of 12 patients given the drug, all showed some decrease in symptoms of depression for at least three weeks. A small-scale pilot study of psilocybin's use in cases of treatment-resistant depression showed it was safe and effective.
2016-05-17

Scientists genetically engineer Zika virus clone

In a pioneering effort, a team of researchers has genetically engineered a clone of the Zika virus strain. This can help in the development of counter-measures to the disease.
2016-05-17

NASA deploys CubeSat to study Sun's soft x-rays

NASA has deployed a bread loaf-sized Miniature X-Ray Solar Spectrometer CubeSat from an airlock on the International Space Station to study the Sun's soft x-rays that can affect our communications systems. It will operate for up to 12 months.
2016-05-17

"Moon and Mars veggies" grow in Dutch greenhouse

Agricultural researchers at a Dutch university are taking steps towards the kind of vegetables that can grow in Martian and lunar soil. Wamelink is working on a type of container, buried underground and kitted out with solar panels and LED lighting.
2016-05-17

Life was more complex billion years ago than thought

A study published in Nature Communications Journal suggests that multi-cell eukaryotes had emerged a billion years ago, much before they are actually believed to have appeared. This would also mean that oxygen levels were 'sufficiently high' for such large organisms to subsist on earth back then.
2016-05-17

Cancer survivor receives first penis transplant in US

IISc study unearths secrets of Gangotri

Scientists have found it difficult to conduct proper field studies of Gangotri glacier, source of the Ganges, all these years, mainly because of its sheer size and inaccessibility.But not any more now because IISc did it.
2016-05-16

Scientists claim key puzzle in brain tumor research deciphered

In its phase II of NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) programme, NASA is supporting the development of studies that help in creating 'magnetoshells' so that interplanetary habitats can be made to take humans to Mars. Each concept can be awarded $500,000 and a ten year concept maturation time.
2016-05-16

Cosmic dust unveils Earth's ancient atmosphere

A new study published in the reputed journal Nature suggests that ancient Earth's atmosphere contained almost the same amount of oxygen as today. This is revolutionary as it was believed that the oxygen levels some 2.7 billion years ago were much less than current levels.
2016-05-16

Genes linked with stress disorder identified

Scientists have identified two statistically significant genetic variants that may lead to an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study, published online in JAMA Psychiatry, was conducted in a massive analysis of DNA samples from more than 13,000 US soldiers.
2016-05-16

Isro's big leap, embarks on launching Indian space shuttle

For the very first time in its history, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to undertake the maiden launch of its very own indigenous version of a 'space shuttle', a fully made-in-India effort.
2016-05-15

Isro's big leap, embarks on launching Indian space shuttle

In its second martian year, NASA's Mars mission, curiosity has clocked the season cycle of the red planet. The local atmosphere in Mars is clear in winter, dustier in spring and summer, and windy in autumn, NASA scientists, including one of Indian-origin, have found.
2016-05-15

Isro's big leap, embarks on launching Indian space shuttle

NASA measures seasonal patterns in Mars atmosphere

Humans could have shaped the genetic history of camels: study

Scientists have linked the evolution of single-humped camels to their use by humans, as transportation in deserts. Long-distance, back-forth movements on caravan routes have shaped a camel's genetic diversity. With climate change and desertification, new interest is developing in its reproduction.
2016-05-14

Scientists identify protein to treat miscarriages

The pioneering study shows that a protein called Syncytin-1, which was the result of a viral infection of our primate ancestors 25 million years ago, is first secreted on the surface of a developing embryo even before it implants in the womb.
2016-05-13

Rare blue galaxy may shed new light on Big Bang

An observational study in Washington has found out that allowing teenagers to develop their own coping mechanisms for online risk situations is a better strategy rather than banning their internet usage altogether. The study observed 68 kids over a period of 2 months.
2016-05-13

Einstein's relativity theory still valid: study

An international team led by Japanese researchers has analyzed a 3D map of 3,000 galaxies that are 13 billion light years from Earth. It found that theoretical physicist Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity is still valid. Scientists have been testting this theory since the late 1990s.
2016-05-12

Solar Impulse 2 leaves Arizona on record-breaking flight

Solar Impulse 2 took off from Arizona to Oklahoma , resuming its record-breaking quest to circle the globe without consuming a drop of fuel. It is set to make more stops in the US before finally landing in New York, in the latest leg of their journey that kicked off in March 2015.
2016-05-12

Government proposes eight per cent hike in budget for space research

Jitendra Singh said that the proposed budget stands at Rs 7,509.14 crore to queries pertaining to amount of money spent on space research and whether government mulls increasing the allocations. This amount is about 8% increase compared to the revised estimate allocations made during 2015-16.
2016-05-11

New malaria vaccine offers durable protection in human trials

An experimental malaria vaccine has been found to protect a small number of healthy people from infection for more than one year after immunization, says a study. The vaccine, known as the PfSPZ Vaccine, was developed and produced by US-based pharmaceutical company Sanaria.
2016-05-10

Air on young Earth weighed less than half of today's: Researchers

New research has found evidence that the commonly accepted idea that the early Earth had a thicker atmosphere to compensate for weaker sunlight does not hold true. This has implications for studies on how biology and climate worked on the early planet.
2016-05-10

A rare celestial crossing: Mercury transit Sun on May 9

The transit of Mercury is a phenomenon in which the planet will be seen as a small black dot travelling from one end of the solar disc to the other, according to Sanjib Sen, Director, Positional Astronomy Centre. You will have the opportunity to witness one of the rare astronomical events - a transit of Mercury across the face of the Sun - on May 9. And if you miss it this time, you would be able to see it from India only after 16 years on November 13, 2032.
2016-05-09

Scientists peel back the carrot's genetic secrets

In a rare astronomical phenomenon that occurs only 13 times in a century, Mercury will be seen as dot on the solar disc today. This occurs only when Sun, Mercury and Earth are lined up in one plane. It appears as a dot on the disc because its angular size is very small compared to that of Sun.
2016-05-09

Stain on your shirt? Technology launched to make it clean itself

Nano Particles Allow Cloth To Remove Stains On Its Own
2016-05-08

ICAR looks at GM sugarcane option to ease water woes

Efforts are on to develop drought tolerant genetically modified (GM) sugarcane that will need less water for cultivation. The water guzzling sugarcane crop is blamed for worsening the acute water shortage in parched areas of Maharastra.
2016-05-08

World's first plant-eating marine reptile found

A bizarre crocodile-sized "hammerhead" creature, that lived 242 million years ago, may have been the earliest known example of a plant-eating marine reptile, researchers have said.
2016-05-07

World's largest particle smasher set to push physics into unknown

The world's most powerful proton smasher is preparing for its biggest run yet which scientists hope will uncover new particles that could dramatically change our understanding of the Universe.
2016-05-06

'Boaty McBoatface' sinks as UK names research ship

Britain will name a new marine research submarine "Boaty McBoatface" rather than giving it the joke name picked by the public for a much bigger ship, a minister announced .
2016-05-06

SpaceX successfully lands rockets first stage after space launch

SpaceX successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean early after launching a Japanese communications satellite into orbit.
2016-05-06

Using ALMA, scientists get measure of monster black hole

Scientists have successfully measured a monster black hole sitting at the center of a galaxy 73 million light years away from earth. And, the metrics they found are mind-boggling: the black hole is about 660 million times as massive as our sun, and a cloud of gas is speeding around it at about 1.8 million kmph.
2016-05-06

Pluto's unique interaction with solar wind revealed

A new study has revealed that Pluto behaves less like a comet than expected and more like a planet in the way it interacts with the solar wind. Earlier, most researchers thought that Pluto was characterised more like a comet which has a large region of gentle slowing of the solar wind, as opposed to the abrupt diversion of solar wind like in other planets.
2016-05-06

ExxonMobil launches venture for low-cost carbon capture

Oil giant ExxonMobil said Thursday it was starting a new venture that could make carbon-dioxide capture a more economically attractive way to fight global warming.
2016-05-05

For first time, scientists grow two-week-old human embryos in lab

By using a culture method previously tested to grow mouse embryos outside of a mother, the teams were able to conduct almost hour by hour observations of human embryo development to see how they develop and organize themselves up to day 13.
2016-05-05

Phase II of ExoMars mission delayed to 2020

The second stage of a joint European-Russian mission to search for signs of life on Mars has been delayed from 2018 to 2020, the European Space Agency and Russia's Roscosmos said . The new planned launch date for the second ExoMars mission was July 2020.
2016-05-02

Phase two of ExoMars mission delayed to 2020

The second part of a joint European-Russian mission to probe Mars for traces of life has been delayed two years, with a new launch date set for July 2020, officials said .
2016-05-02

Qatar's prized racing camels bred for success

Deep in the Qatari desert, Musharif spends his afternoons "swimming" in a large pool that doubles as a jacuzzi, just one of the perks of being a racing camel.
2016-05-01

Aerial pesticide spraying may up autism risk in kids: Study

Using airplanes to spray anti-mosquito pesticides may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder and developmental delays among children, scientists, including one of Indian-origin have found.
2016-04-30

Kolkata witnesses rare ring around Sun

The phenomenon known as the 22 degree circular halo of the sun, occurs when the sun's or moon's rays get deflected/ refracted through the hexagonal ice crystals present in cirrus clouds. The halo was last observed in April 2013 in the suburbs of the city.
2016-04-30

Nasa knows about every eclipse in next 1,000 years

US space agency Nasa knows exact time, down to the fraction of a second, when eclipses will occur in next 1,000 years. It has kept a five millennium catalogue of all the eclipses (both solar and lunar) that have occurred or will occur from 1999 BC to the year AD 3000.
2016-04-30

Weasel temporarily shuts Large Hadron Collider

The world's largest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN outside of Geneva, has suspended operations because a weasel invaded a transformer that helps power the machine and set off an electrical outage night, a CERN spokesman said.
2016-04-30

El Nino dries up Asia as its stormy sister La Nina looms

Withering drought and sizzling temperatures from El Nino have caused food and water shortages and ravaged farming across Asia, and experts warn of a double-whammy of possible flooding from its sibling, La Nina.2016-04-29

Inhalation therapy is the best for treating asthma in children, doctors say

Inhalation therapy is the best in the battle against asthma in children as the medicine reaches the lungs immediately and it is safe, paediatric pulmonologist at Child Trust Hospital Dr S Balasubramanian has said.
2016-04-28

The turf battle for Qatar's 2022 World Cup

Watching grass grow is not usually considered exciting but there's currently a buzz of anticipation among Qatar's World Cup organisers about 12 different types of turf gently sprouting on former Doha farmland.2016-04-28

Japan gives up on failed black hole research satellite:Japan abandons $250mn black hole satellite

Japan's space agency said Thursday that a quarter-of-a-billion-dollar satellite sent to study mysterious black holes has failed, concluding a month-long effort to salvage the ambitious project closely watched across the globe.2016-04-28

First rocket launch from Russia's Vostochny after delay

Russia's new Vostochny cosmodrome hosted its first rocket launch Thursday, the Roscosmos space agency said, after a last-minute delay a day earlier led to President Vladimir Putin criticising the programme's officials. The Soyuz 2.2016-04-28
Source: The Times of India News

Monthly Sports News May 2016

Sports News For The Month Jun

Pro boxers allowed in Olympics but Vijender won't be there

In a landmark decision on Wednesday, the International Boxing Association threw the Olympic doors open for professional boxers after an extraordinary congress in Lausanne, Switzerland voted overwhelmingly in favour of the move.
2016-06-01

India to begin Champions Trophy defence against Pakistan

India, seeded second in Group B, will also clash against South Africa and Sri Lanka, while the opening clash will feature hosts England and Bangladesh at the Oval.
2016-06-01

Former Eden Gardens curator Prabir Mukherjee passes away

Prabir Mukherjee was in charge of the Eden Gardens, Kolkata pitches for nearly 25 years and last worked there till the third Twenty20 International between India and South Africa in October last year.
2016-06-01

Nuwan Kulasekara calls time on Test career

Nuwan Kulasekara, the Sri Lanka medium-pacer, has announced his retirement from Test cricket, with an intention of concentrating more on limited-over formats.
2016-06-01

India A to play quadrangular series in Australia

Cricket Australia on Wednesday announced India A will be taking part in a 50-over quadrangular series to be held in August and September in Townsville and Mackay, which will feature Australia A, South Africa A and Cricket Australia's National Performance Squad.
2016-06-01

Shreyas Iyer set to be picked for India 'A' tour

According to sources, Shreyas Iyer, is set to be picked by Sandeep Patil & Co for the India 'A' team, which will tour of Australia in August for two four-day matches against the hosts and a tri-series involving the 'A' teams of Australia and South Africa.
2016-06-01

Electrician's son Prince realizes US basketball dream

The first-of-its-kind training camp-cum-trials for school kids was Schools Games Federation of India's maiden talent search programme where 450 players from across the country took part. Prince, now 15, emerged as the best prospect.
2016-06-01

Spot-fixing episode is behind Amir, says Pakistan captain

Amir has returned strongly since his five-year ban for spot-fixing was lifted in September last year, taking five wickets in the two one-day internationals against New Zealand in January and as many wickets in 11 Twenty20 games.
2016-06-01

School and college sports in India to get a huge makeover

In the first year of its launch, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports' focus will be on eight cities with a defined plan to involve 50 plus cities by 2020, providing an estimate of over 10 lakh school and college students to compete in multi-sports competitions.
2016-06-01

BCCI looking to revamp NCA, says Shirke

BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke said that the current NCA setup was only a partial facility located in the premises of a member association (KSCA), and the board intended to have a complete high-performance centre preferably in an independent location.
2016-06-01

Rashford's rise hit new heights with Euro call-up

When Anthony Martial limped forlornly towards the Old Trafford tunnel, it set Marcus Rashford off on a meteoric rise from unknown teenager to the rising star of England's Euro 2016 challenge in less than 100 days.
2016-06-01

Zimbabwe axe coach and captain ahead of India series

Zimbabwe have axed their coach Dav Whatmore and captain Hamilton Masakadza just days before the arrival of India for a five-match limited-overs tour.
2016-05-31

Mystery surrounds Kaneria's sudden departure to India

Mystery surrounds the sudden departure of Pakistan's banned Test leg-spinner, Danish Kaneria and his family to India although his brother claims they have gone to perform some religious rituals.
2016-05-31

I've a car capable of getting me on podiums: Verstappen

Max Verstappen had a dream start with new team in Formula One Ã¢Â€Â” winning on debut for Red Bull Racing team in Barcelona. But it doesn't take long for fortunes to turn around in this sport as he was given a rude awakening at the qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix last Saturday.
2016-05-31

Cook can challenge Tendulkar's Test run record: Sunil Gavaskar

Cook became the first England cricketer to cross the 10,000-run mark in Tests, and the youngest overall, beating Tendulkar's record by five months by reaching the milestone at the age of 31 years and five months.
2016-05-31

French Open: More rain gives suffering Djokovic shelter

World number one Novak Djokovic dropped the first set of his French Open last-16 clash against Roberto Bautista Agut before heavy rain came to his rescue Tuesday.
2016-05-31

Shastri, Bangar set to re-apply for India coaching jobs

Former Team India Director Ravi Shastri along with his support staff which include Sanjay Bangar, Bharath Arun and R Sridhar are all set to re-apply after BCCI advertises national coaching positions in the next couple of days.
2016-05-31

James Anderson soars to No 1 in ICC Test rankings

James Anderson became the fourth England bowler to achieve the position, and this is the first time in his career has achieved this.
2016-05-31

Goalkeeper Gurpreet becomes first Indian to play in a league game

Perched on a couple of rare milestones in the sport that has brought very few laurels for the country in recent years, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu achieved a rare feat when he started for his club Stabaek FC in the 13th round of Tippeligaen, Norway's premier league, first for any Indian in Europe.
2016-05-31

David Warner: From a brat to a calm, mature leader

"It's (fatherhood) encouraged me to be a different person in the sense of being a role model for my daughters and for kids in general. Having two beautiful daughters and a caring wife has settled me a lot," said Warner.
2016-05-31

Ganguly wants county stints for India players

At an official meeting of the technical committee, which was also attended by BCCI president Anurag Thakur, Sourav Ganguly gave the example of Zaheer Khan, who improved as a pacer after his county stint.
2016-05-31

Team India players flounder in IPL-9

Team India's T20 cricketers must raise their game or risk a major overhaul - a statistical evaluation of IPL-9 performances of those who had played in the 2016 World T20 this March-April shows. Barring Virat Kohli, most only turned in average performances.
2016-05-31

Payet helps Euro hosts France past Cameroon

West Ham's Dimitri Payet scored a last-gasp wonder free-kick to help Euro 2016 hosts France snatch a dramatic 3-2 victory over Cameroon on Monday. The attacking midfielder stepped up on the stroke of regulation time to curl a magnificent free-kick.
2016-05-31

Memorable moments of IPL 2016

All throughout the 60 matches of the IPL, there was enough entertainment for everyone and a fair share of memorable moments as well. TOI Sports recaps some of those moments of brilliance that made viewers gasp in awe.
2016-05-31

Alastair Cook looks ahead after breaking 10,000 barrier

England captain Alastair Cook was already looking ahead after becoming the youngest batsman to score 10,000 Test runs during the course of his side's series-clinching win over Sri Lanka at the Riverside on Monday.
2016-05-30

Vice-captaincy will improve my performance: Ajinkya Rahane

Stylish batsman Ajinkya Rahane, who has been named the vice-captain for India's upcoming tour of the West Indies, said he enjoys taking responsibilities and the new role will help him to improve his performance.
2016-05-30

Virat Kohli is ready to captain in all formats, feels Ravi Shastri

"A time has come where you have a guy you have groomed over a period of time, who is ready. In the next 18 months, India hardly play any ODIs, the gaps between Tests and ODIs are massive. So its time to look ahead," Shastri said.
2016-05-30

Ceat Award: Virat Kohli named T20 Player of the Year

Virat Kohli was on Monday named Ceat T20 Player of the Year while former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at a glittering function attended by several past and present players.
2016-05-30

Alastair Cook surpasses Tendulkar as fastest to 10k runs in Tests

Cook was dismissed for 15 runs in the first innings and the landmark came in post-lunch session of the fourth day in the second over of the second innings when he flicked a Nuwan Pradeep delivery to mid-wicket for four.
2016-05-30

It was a total team effort, says David Warner

Victorious Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner with all humility hailed Virat Kohli as a "great leader" as he termed it a total "team effort" after beating Royal Challengers Bangalore by 8 runs in the IPL final on Sunday.
2016-05-30

Myself and AB getting out quickly was a big blow: Kohli

Virat Kohli was dignity personified in defeat but did admit that he did not feel good finishing second best as he termed his and AB de Villiers dismissal as the "big blow" in their defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL final.
2016-05-30

Sunrisers Hyderabad beat RCB to win maiden IPL title

Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli's hundred-run stand went in vain as Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a narrow eight-run victory to win their maiden Indian Premier League title at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
2016-05-29

French Open: Sania-Hingis Slam dream ends in Paris

The Indo-Swiss team (Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis) dubbed "Santina" were hoping to win four majors in a row after following up last year's Wimbledon and US Open triumphs with victory in January's Australian Open.
2016-05-29

Perez gives Force India fourth ever podium finish

Sergio Perez gave Sahara Force India its fourth ever podium finish by taking the third spot while team-mate Nico Hulkenberg crossed the line at sixth in a memorable race at the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix.
2016-05-29

F1: Lewis Hamilton wins Monaco showcase

While fortune finally favoured the Mercedes driver after a run of bad luck, team mate and championship leader Nico Rosberg finished seventh Ã¢Â€Â” 93.2 seconds behind Ã¢Â€Â” after being told to let the Briton past early on.
2016-05-29

As it happened: IPL 9 Final - Bangalore vs Hyderabad

Quickfire half-centuries by Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli went in vain as Royal Challengers Bangalore crashed to an eight-run defeat to hand Sunrisers Hyderabad their maiden IPL title victory at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Sunday.
2016-05-29

Pak government gags PCB on cricket ties with India

The Pakistan government has restrained its Cricket Board from initiating any dialogue with the BCCI on the issue of a long-pending bilateral series, which has been scuttled repeatedly on account of volatile political ties between the two nations.
2016-05-29

In Pics: Victorious Real get hero's welcome

Thousands of Real Madrid fans chanted and waved supporter scarves under a rain of confetti on Sunday in the Spanish capital as the team returned home after an historic 11th European Cup win.
2016-05-29

Discus thrower Seema Punia qualifies for Rio Games

Asian Games discus throw gold medal winner Seema Punia on Sunday qualified for the Rio Olympics with a 62.62m effort at the Pat Young's Throwers Classic 2016 at Salinas (California) in the United States.
2016-05-29

Justin Gatlin wins 100m at Prefontaine Classic

Keni Harrison equalled the second-fastest 100 metres hurdles ever run and fellow American Justin Gatlin breezed to a sparkling but wind-assisted 100 metres victory at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting on Saturday.
2016-05-29

Justin Gatlin wins 100m at Prefontaine Classic

Djokovic races into French Open fourth round

Novak Djokovic won his race against the clock, after rain cut two-and-a-half hours from the day, performing in a "night show" as he beat Briton Aljaz Bedene 6-2 6-3 6-3 to reach the French Open last 16 on Saturday.
2016-05-29

CL: Ronaldo seals Real Madrid shootout win over Atletico

Real Madrid were crowned European champions for an unprecedented 11th time when striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning penalty in a 5-3 shootout victory over Atletico Madrid in Milan on Saturday.
2016-05-29

Getting marauding Virat Kohli out is a task: Bhuvneshwar

Their pace attack has been the most fearsome this IPL season but Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler Bhuvneshwar feels it would be a tough task for his team to counter the marauding RCB batsmen when the two teams clash in the final on Sunday.
2016-05-28

Rashford becomes England's third youngest goalscorer

Marcus Rashford became England's third youngest goalscorer as the teenage Manchester United striker netted after 135 seconds of his international debut against Australia at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Friday.
2016-05-28

Time ticking for Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

Grand Slam warhorses Rafael Nadal of Spain and Roger Federer of Switzerland are bracing for a battle against time, as well as the all-powerful figure of Novak Djokovic, if they are to add to their haul of majors.
2016-05-28

India in Zimbabwe: Railways cog in Team India wheel

Sanjay Bangar and Abhay Sharma, pillars of Railways cricket in their glory days, have now come together Ã‚Â as head coach and fielding coach respectively Ã‚Â to drive an inexperienced and raw Indian team through the upcoming Zimbabwe tour.
2016-05-28

Rio Olympics should move due to Zika concerns: Experts

An open letter signed by 150 international doctors, scientists and researchers called for the upcoming Rio Olympics to be moved or delayed due to the Zika virus. It can cause birth defects in which babies are born with unusually small heads and brains.
2016-05-28

Talking points: Warner's lone battle and a failed experiment

A look at the key passages of play from Qualifier 2 of the 2016 Indian Premier League on Friday, in which Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Gujarat Lions by four wickets to set up a summit clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore.
2016-05-28

Will Mourinho change Manchester United's fortune?

Manchester United's newly-appointed manager Jose Mourinho knows how to win titles and give favourable results almost immediately. So, will it be third time lucky for the 13-time English Premier League champions?
2016-05-28

Wawrinka eases into French Open fourth round

French Open holder Stan Wawrinka eased into the fourth round at Roland Garros with a drama-free 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 win over Jeremy Chardy on Friday.
2016-05-27

Rafael Nadal withdraws from French Open with wrist injury

"I have a problem with my wrist... yesterday I played with an injection, I could play but yesterday night I started to feel more and more pain," Nadal told reporters in a hurriedly arranged news conference at Roland Garros.
2016-05-27

Narsingh selection over Sushil for Rio was fair: WFI to HC

Narsingh Yadav is the best wrestler, as compared to Sushil Kumar, to represent the country in 74kg category for the upcoming Rio Olympics, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) told the Delhi high court.
2016-05-27

As it happened: IPL Qualifier 2 - Gujarat vs Hyderabad

Captain David Warner smashed an unbeaten 58-ball 93 as Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Gujarat Lions by four wickets to set up IPL 9 final clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday.
2016-05-27

Jose Mourinho and Manchester United in search of Midas touch

In accepting the challenge of attempting to drag Manchester United out of the doldrums, Jose Mourinho will also seek to restore gloss to his own tainted reputation.
2016-05-27

Virat Kohli the highest run maker in the IPL2016

Virat Kohli's phenomenal phase began with the World T20 and reached a level higher in the IPL where he has already hit a record four centuries. He averages a 83.54 in 15 games this season and is 81 short of completing 1000 runs.
2016-05-27

United confirm signing of Jose Mourinho as manager

English Premier League Manchester United confirmed the signing of Jose Mourinho as their manager. Both parties landed a three-year contract that will see Mourinho be at helm till 2020.
2016-05-27

Eyes on 11th Champions League crown, insists Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo insists personal goals will be put to one side as Real Madrid seek to embellish their incredible European record with victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday in Milan. Real Madrid defeated Atleti 4-1 in UEFA Champions League final of 2014.
2016-05-27

Andy Murray looking for quick way around giant Karlovic

Andy Murray will be hoping he can see off giant Ivo Karlovic in straight sets as the French Open third round gets underway at Roland Garros on Friday having battled hard to get through his first two rounds. It might not be that easy against Karlovic, the tallest player on the tour.
2016-05-27

Cantona sideswipe as Mourinho closes in on United

Mourinho is expected to be named as Manchester United's new manager despite club great Eric Cantona saying incoming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola would have been a better choice.
2016-05-25

Djokovic back in Paris to mend his broken heart

Looking to achieve a feat that was last achieved by Rod Laver in 1969, Djokovic began his pursuit of the only major title missing from his collection with a no-nonsense 6-4 6-1 6-1 win over Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun in the first round on Tuesday.
2016-05-24

IPL Qualifier 1: AB de Villiers pulls off a heist, RCB reach third final

Chasing 159, Royal Challengers Bangalore were in a middle of a royal meltdown at 31 for 5 before AB de Villiers delivered with a brilliant unbeaten 47-ball 79-run knock to help RCB sneak through to their third IPL final.
2016-05-24

Djokovic downs Lu to reach French Open second round

Novak Djokovic began his pursuit of the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection with a no-nonsense 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win over Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun in the French Open first round
2016-05-24

Ashish Nehra to undergo knee surgery in London

Veteran India seamer Ashish Nehra will soon undergo a surgery to treat a "high-grade tendon injury" he had suffered on his right knee during an Indian Premier League match earlier this month.
2016-05-24

Flawless Nadal races into French Open second round

Rafael Nadal started his quest for a record-breaking 10th French Open title in merciless fashion, demolishing Australian Sam Groth 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 on Tuesday. Nadal, who turns 30 next week, has won two titles on clay this season
2016-05-24

French Open: Kerber knocked out in Paris first round

Angelique Kerber's first grand slam match since winning the Australian Open in January ended in despair after she was beaten 6-2 3-6 6-3 by Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands in the French Open first round on Tuesday.
2016-05-24

Lahiri ensures US Open berth; will play 8th successive Major

Following his tied 46th place at the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship in Texas, ace Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri stayed at the 56th place, which ensured that he stayed on in top-60 of the World Golf Rankings.
2016-05-24

Van Gaal sacked by United, Mourinho poised to step in

Manchester United sacked manager Louis van Gaal on Monday two days after the Dutchman led them to victory in the FA Cup final, with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho widely expected to be appointed as his successor.
2016-05-24

Australia's Henriques, Starc recalled for Sri Lanka tour

Moises Henriques played the last of his three Tests during the ill-fated 2013 tour of India where Australia were whitewashed 4-0 and four players were stood down for a match in the infamous 'homework-gate' episode.
2016-05-24

From Checkmate to Howzatt: The journey of Yuzvendra Chahal

Meet Yuzvendra Chahal - the wrist spinner from Jind, Haryana, who has been picked in the Indian one-day and T20 team for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe. Dhoni can now use a bowler who outwits the opposition with a brain trained for chess.
2016-05-24

BCCI will work as a team, says Ajay Shirke

BCCI's newly elected secretary Ajay Shirke, who is also the big boss of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, is picked by the top decision-makers of the board for his ability to manage big affairs with utmost ease.
2016-05-23

Sachin Tendulkar meets Rio-bound wrestlers, boosts morale

As Indian Olympic Association's goodwill ambassador, Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has been meeting athletes who have qualified for the Olympics and encouraging them to give their best at Rio de Janeiro.
2016-05-23

India name Shardul Thakur, Shami for West Indies Tests

From India's previous Test assignment - four matches at home versus South Africa late last year - the players to get the axe are Varun Aaron and Gurkeerat Singh and in their place come Mohammed Shami and Mumbai pace bowler Shardul Thakur.
2016-05-23

Chahal, Fazal in for Zimbabwe tour; Dhoni to lead

MS Dhoni will lead India's revamped ODI and Twenty20 international squad in next month's tour of Zimbabwe, one that features five uncapped players and missing a host of regular players such as Kohli, Rohit, Dhawan, and Ashwin.
2016-05-23

BCCI to advertise for coach's post

The same set of assistant coaches who worked with the Indian team until the World T20 in March are likely to accompany the cricketers on an extended one-tour contract, possibly minus team director Ravi Shastri.
2016-05-23

Barcelona claim double with King's Cup win over Sevilla

Ten-man Barcelona retained the King's Cup with a 2-0 victory over Sevilla to complete a domestic double thanks to fine extra-time goals by Jordi Alba and Neymar at the Vicente Calderon stadium on Sunday.
2016-05-23

India in Zimbabwe: BCCI likely to turn to fringe players

If the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are rested, the batsmen who could earn call-ups are KL Rahul, Robin Uthappa and Karun Nair. Each has IPL form and the selectors could hand the wicketkeeping duties to either Rahul or Uthappa.
2016-05-23

French Open: Petra Kvitova survives scare to advance

Czech 10th seed Petra Kvitova survived a French Open scare to beat Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 and make the second round on Sunday.
2016-05-22

Newly-elected BCCI chief Thakur sees opportunity in Lodha recommendations

Anurag Thakur's predecessor and ICC chairman Shashank Manohar had stated that the Indian Board had already implemented 75% of the Lodha panel's recommendations for sweeping reforms but had reservations on a few which, he felt, were not good for the game. Thakur echoed the sentiment.
2016-05-22

Thakur unanimously elected as new BCCI president

Anurag Thakur was on Sunday unanimously elected as the BCCI president, while Ajay Shirke was chosen as secretary in a smooth change of guard at a time when the world's richest Board is sailing through choppy waters.
2016-05-22

Jermell Charlo downs John Jackson to make history

Unbeaten identical US twin brothers Jermall and Jermell Charlo and Cuban-born American Erislandy Lara are the feature attractions in world super welterweight title showdown triple-header at Las Vegas. The 154-pound (69.
2016-05-21

World Boxing Championships: Sarita Devi loses in second round, fails to qualify for Rio Olympics

Asian Games bronze-medallist L Sarita Devi failed to qualify for the Olympics after she went down in her second round bout of the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships on Saturday.
2016-05-21

Mary Kom, Sarita sail into Round 2 of World Boxing Championships

Five-time champion MC Mary Kom (51kg) and former Asian gold-medallist L Sarita Devi (60kg) began their campaign on a resounding note by notching up comfortable victories in their opening bouts of the AIBA World Women's Boxing Championships.
2016-05-20

Alvarez vacates WBC title, will next fight Golovkin

Mexico's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez dumped his World Boxing Council middleweight title on Wednesday, easing deadline pressure that had surrounded his talks for a showdown against now-undisputed champion Gennady Golovkin.2016-05-19

Source: Times of India News

13 May 2016

Monthly Science News 2016 Apr

Science News For The Month April

Kolkata witnesses rare ring around Sun

Weasel temporarily shuts Large Hadron Collider

El Nino dries up Asia as its stormy sister La Nina looms

Temerloh, Malaysia, April 29, 2016 (AFP) -Withering drought and sizzling temperatures from El Nino have caused food and water shortages and ravaged farming across Asia, and experts warn of a double-whammy of possible flooding from its sibling, La Nina.
2016-04-29

Workers feeling the heat as climate change slashes productivity: report

Geneva, April 28, 2016 (AFP) -Climate change is exposing millions of workers to excessive heat, risking their health and income and threatening to erase more than $2.0 trillion in annual productivity by 2030, a UN report warned Thursday.
2016-04-28

Putin hails first rocket launch from new cosmodrome after delay

Russia launched the first rocket from its new Vostochny cosmodrome on Thursday, with President Vladimir Putin hailing the event after dressing down officials over a delay caused by a technical glitch.
2016-04-28

SpaceX vows to send capsule to Mars by 2018

SpaceX chief Elon Musk announced Wednesday that he will send an unmanned spaceship to Mars as early as 2018, as part of his quest to colonize the Red Planet some day.
2016-04-27

Chinese scientists claim first dogs originated in China

Chinese scientists claimed that dogs have originated in southern China some 33,000 years ago, disputing US research by Cornell University that domesticated dogs evolved 15,000 years ago in Central Asia. They also said Chinese dogs are genetically closest to gray wolves the modern dog's ancestor.
2016-04-27

Saturn's moon Titan has a methane sea, with methane wetlands on shores

Since arriving in the Saturn system, the Cassini spacecraft has revealed that more than 1.6 million square kilometers of Titan's surface -- almost two percent of the total -- are covered in liquid.
2016-04-27

Nasa astronauts prepare for flight on commercial spacecraft

Five years after the last Nasa astronauts flew from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the International Space Station, a new group is preparing for a trip, this time on a private spacecraft. Test flights are likely to be launched in 2017
2016-04-27

Carbon dioxide making earth greener, reveals new research

Observations by Nasa satellites over the past 33 years show that there has been a steady increase in leaves on plants and trees, which scientists think is because of the higher CO2 levels. Leaves absorb CO2 and combine it with water to produce food for the plants.
2016-04-26

Einstein's theory of relativity faces satellite test

Einstein's theory suggests that in perfect free-fall, the two objects should move in exactly the same way. But if they are shown to behave differently "the principle will be violated: an event that would shake the foundations of physics", Arianespace added.
2016-04-26

Nasa set to put in the sky an array of new X-planes

Nasa scientists are preparing to put in the sky an array of new X-planes or experimental aircraft -including a quiet supersonic jet -to demonstrate advanced technologies that will push back the frontiers of av iation. Goals include showcasing how airliners can burn half the fuel and generate 75% less pollution during each flight as compared to now, while also being much quieter than today's jets -perhaps even when flying supersonic.
2016-04-25

Delay in diagnosis worsens drug-resistant TB in country

The universal DST is a part of the World Health Organisation's strategy to 'end TB by 2035'.Currently, a patient is first tested for simple TB that needs six to nine months of treatment.
2016-04-24

Space project aims for the stars, wants India on board

The $100-million revolutionary space programme Breakthrough StarShot, which envisages sending ultralight nano crafts to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri - 25 trillion miles away - will seek India's participation, executive director of the project S Pete Worden has said. 'Breakthrough StarShot', which will turn sci-fi into reality, involves a ground-based light-beamer pushing ultralight nano crafts-miniature space probes attached to light sails-to speeds up to 100 million miles an hour.
2016-04-24

Wives become less stressed after husband's death: Study

Wemba, born in 1949, was performing at the FEMUA 2016 festival when he collapsed on stage. He died before reaching hospital, a spokesman for the Ivosep morgue in Abidjan said. The new study found that while men suffer negative consequences when their wife dies, women appear to get healthier.
2016-04-24

Mice in space showed liver damage after two weeks

Lab mice that spent just two weeks in orbit showed early signs of liver damage upon returning to Earth, raising concern about what long-duration spaceflight might do to humans, researchers said Wednesday.
2016-04-20

World's oldest message in a bottle discovered

A 108-year-old postcard offering a shilling in exchange for its return to an English marine research institute is now officially the world's oldest message in a bottle after being recovered in Germany.
2016-04-20

Highlights of the climate pact to be signed in New York

Leaders and envoys from more than 160 countries will sign on Friday the climate-change pact the world adopted in principle in Paris last December. The Paris Agreement to try to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius was a stunning political victory for poor countries threatened by climate change. But scientists tasked with explaining how to get there are less than thrilled.
2016-04-20

Cassini captures speeding star dust grain

Alien dust in the solar system is not unanticipated. In the 1990s, the ESA/NASA Ulysses mission made the first in-situ observations of this material. Cassini was able to analyze the composition of the dust, showing it to be made of a very specific mixture of minerals, not ice.
2016-04-15

Zika causes severe birth defects, confirms US

US health officials have concluded that infection with the Zika virus in pregnant women causes birth defect microcephaly and other brain abnormalities in babies."It is now clear that Zika virus does cause microcephaly," said Tom Frieden, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2016-04-13

Human cloning with Chinese characteristics

China's top geneticists say the country should set its own standards and regulations on human genome research, state-run media reported Wednesday, as ethical debate erupted over a Chinese study on modified human embryos.
2016-04-13

Russian billionaire, Hawking unveil plan to reach Alpha Centauri

Billionaire Russian investor Yuri Milner and British cosmologist Stephen Hawking on Tuesday announced an ambitious new space initiative for a mission to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to Earth.
2016-04-12

SpaceX delivers world's first inflatable room for astronauts

SpaceX has made good on a high-priority delivery: the world's first inflatable room for astronauts. A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station after launching from Cape Canaveral. Station astronauts used a robot arm to capture the Dragon, orbiting 400km above Earth.
2016-04-11

SpaceX cargo arrives at crowded space station

SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship, carrying lettuce seeds, lab mice and an inflatable pop-up room, arrived Sunday at a crowded International Space Station where six spacecraft are now docked.
2016-04-10

Nasa's planet-hunting spacecraft enters emergency mode

Nasa's Kepler spacecraft that hunts for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars has gone into emergency mode some 75 million miles from Earth, the US space agency said. This was found during a scheduled contact on April 7.
2016-04-10

North Pole had ice-free summers 6 to 10 million years ago: Study

Within a two-days coring action, researchers took 18 sediment cores from the Lomonosov Ridge. Although the recovered sediment cores were only four to eight metres long, one of them turned out to be precisely one of those climate archives that the scientists had been looking for a long time.
2016-04-09

Maternal obesity, poor nutrition impairs fertility in daughter

This discovery improves scientific understanding of the long-term, generational, effects of obesity and poor nutrition, researchers said. This understanding is the first step toward devising interventions to protect the fertility of females who experienced very difficult womb environments.
2016-04-09

SpaceX lands rocket on water for first time

SpaceX successfully landed its Falcon 9 rocket on an ocean platform for the first time Friday, after launching a load of cargo for the astronauts living at the International Space Station.
2016-04-08

Sanders hopes to meet Pope on Vatican campaign break

Democratic White House hopeful Bernie Sanders said Friday he hopes to meet Pope Francis while attending a conference on social and environmental issues at the Vatican next week.
2016-04-08

Solar storm scientists prepare for geomagnetic event that could destroy technology across the world for years

Many people are still unconcerned or even unaware of the possibility of a geomagnetic storm coming from the sun that could cause huge damage to life on Earth. Such a possibility is referred to as a low probability but high-impact event that is being planned for by agencies like Nasa.
2016-04-08

Anti-ageing pill that could see humans living a decade longer moves a step closer

Experiments with fruit flies which also have the GSK-3 protein found that the molecule could be inhibited by low-level lithium use, which extended their lives by 16%. This has raised hopes that lithium could eventually be turned into a tablet to prolong human life.
2016-04-08

3D mini-retinas grown from human stem cells

Scientists have developed an efficient way to make 3D "mini retinas", which mimic the organ's tissue organisation, from mouse or human stem cells. The research offers new perspectives on the growth, injury and repair of retina the part of the eye that is sensitive to light.
2016-04-04

Rare white dwarf will reveal secrets of star evolution

Researchers from Brazil and Germany have discovered a white dwarf that contains no hydrogen or helium whatsoever. This will enable astronomers to study the exposed core of the star unimpeded by these gases, providing a unique view on the lives of stellar bodies in their final stages of existence.
2016-04-03

Moon plays key role in maintaining Earth's magnetic field

The Moon may play a major role in maintaining Earth's magnetic field that permanently protects us from the charged particles and radiation that originate in the Sun. The magnetic field is produced by the geodynamo, the rapid motion of huge quantities of liquid iron alloy in the Earth's outer core.
2016-04-03

02 May 2016

Monthly Current Affairs 2016 Apr

Uttarakhand crisis: Harish Rawat accepts his 'presence' in sting CD

The sting CD made by the editor-in-chief of a private news channel and circulated by the nine Congress rebels purportedly shows Rawat negotiating a money deal with the journalist to buy the support of MLAs who had revolted against him.
2016-05-01

India ready to clear $6.5 billion of Iran's oil dues

Keen to step up engagement in hydrocarbon sector with Iran, India has conveyed to the Persian Gulf nation that it was ready to clear nearly $6.5 billion of the dues for oil import from that country at the earliest, provided there was clarity on payment channel.
2016-05-01

Why Donald Trump is spooking Indian outsourcers

India's outsourcing industry is in midst of a painful transition & growth has slowed ” industry lobby Nasscom has forecast 12% growth for 2016-17, down from 20% in the 2000s ” even as wildly fluctuating immigration rhetoric in the ongoing US presidential elections has muddied the waters further.
2016-05-01

PM Narendra Modi got a first class in MA from Gujarat university

According to the information available with Gujarat University, Modi was an external student and completed his masters in political science with a score of 62.3 per cent in 1983. His subjects in the two-year course included European Politics, Indian Political Analysis and Psychology of Politics.
2016-05-01

Delhi's a UT, not state: Centre to SC

The home ministry , in an application, said it was possibly an oversight by the apex court to treat Delhi as a state along with Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Nagaland, while it had directed the setting up of the state human rights commissions.
2016-05-01

How soon can a Hindu remarry after divorce

Is remarriage by a Hindu between 30 and 90 days of a divorce verdict a legal marriage? This is a perplexing question which a 39-year-old Hindu woman, now in an advanced stage of pregnancy in her second marriage, faces.
2016-04-30

Debt-ridden Sri Lanka snuggles up to China again at India's expense

China has managed to not just revive its flagship $1.4 billion Colombo Port City project in the strategically-placed island nation, but it is now also engaged in expansion of major infrastructure projects it built in the past and which were seen as impracticable until recently.

Former jihadist recounts ISIS's brutality, paints grim picture

A former jihadist, who fled ISIS in Syria, recalls the grisly beheadings, stonings and amputations in the "caliphate". He also narrates how young boys are made to carry out executions and warns air strikes against the group are driving more to carry out attacks against the West.
2016-04-30

No takers for Kingfisher Airlines brands in auction

Seeking to recover their dues from beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya, lenders initiated an auction of various brands and trademarks of the long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines, including its once-famous tagline 'Fly The Goodtimes' but bidders were hard to come by. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are looking at around 40 companies in which he is said to have a stake, directly or indirectly. Most of these companies are based abroad, and it is suspected that the money Mallya allegedly embezzled from bank loans could have been routed to these companies.
2016-04-30

Investment up 65%, India now 3rd largest source of FDI into UK: Report

India's investments in the UK zoomed nearly 65 per cent in 2015, establishing it as the third largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Britain after the US and France.
2016-04-29

Interest rate on PF deposits increased to 8.8%

The Union finance ministry agreed to increase interest rate on provident fund deposits to 8.8 per cent from the 8.7 per cent decided by it earlier. The Union labour ministry was pushing for 8.8 per cent interest rate.
2016-04-29

Bombay HC orders demolition of Adarsh building

The Bombay High Court ordered the demolition of the Adarsh Housing Society building. The court also directed the state to initiate criminal prosecution against officers involved in the scam and to restore the plot.
2016-04-29

SC orders single entrance test for medical courses

The SC directed the Centre and CBES to go ahead and conduct two-phase single common entrance test for MBBS, BDS and PG courses through the NEET.The apex court said that the AIPMT, which is to take place on Sunday, would be considered as first phase of the NEET.
2016-04-28

Isro successfully launches 7th and last satellite for India's own GPS

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) accomplished the task of developing the country's own navigation system with the successful launch of IRNSS-1G, the last in the series of seven navigation satellites.
2016-04-28

SC's U'khand ruling will be swiftest in history

If the Supreme Court delivers what it promised , then it will go down in history as the apex court's swiftest exercise to determine constitutional validity of central rule in a state, in this case Uttarakhand. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and S K Singh fixed a tight, 11-day schedule to complete hearings, apply constitutional principles and apex court rulings and render a judgment.
2016-04-27

Chopper deal: Not afraid of anyone, says Sonia

With BJP dragging Sonia Gandhi's name into the AgustaWestland chopper scam, an angry Congress chief retaliated by accusing the ruling party of resorting to a "strategy of character assassination" by directing "false and baseless" allegations against her and party colleagues.
2016-04-27

Former Indian Air Force Chief SP Tyagi had revealed during CBI interrogation in AgustaWestland chopper deal

Former Indian Air Force Chief S P Tyagi, accused of swinging the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal in favour of Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland, had admitted during his interrogation by the CBI in 2013 that he had met middleman Guido Ralph Haschke at a farm house party in Delhi.
CBI had in 2013 registered a case in connection with alleged bribes paid by the firm to Indians to clinch the deal for 12 helicopters to ferry VVIPs. Sources in the Modi government claimed that UPA dispensation had not blacklisted AgustaWestland despite allegations of bribery.
2016-04-27

'Laser walls' activated along India-Pak border

The 'laser walls' or fence are being monitored by the BSF which guards the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. These walls have been made operational to plug the porous riverine and treacherous terrain and keep an effective vigil against intruders and terrorists
2016-04-27

President's Rule in Uttarakhand to continue, rules Supreme Court

The Supreme Court declared that President's Rule in Uttarakhand will continue till it pronounces judgment on Centre's appeal against state high court's decision. The top court order implied that there will be no floor test in the Assembly on April 29. The Supreme Court decided to test the Centre's knowledge of the Constitution. It framed seven questions related to the March 27 imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand and sought the Centre's answers to them.
2016-04-27

Paes-Bhupathi can't get wild card for Rio: AITA

The anticipated return of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi as a pair in the men's double event at the 2016 Rio Olympics has been squashed with the All-India Tennis Association reportedly confirming that no country can get a wild card entry for the event.
2016-04-27

Interpol asked to arrest chopper deal middleman

As it becomes clear that Indian officials were paid huge bribes in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers contract during the UPA regime, the CBI has raised the heat on middleman Christian Michel, the most important link who allegedly influenced politicians and officials in Italy and India for the deal.
2016-04-26

Indian service chiefs may earn more than US Gens

For the first time, the Indian Army chief and his counterparts in the IAF and the Navy will draw more salary than the top general and equivalent in the US based on purchasing power parity (PPP) terms when the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission are implemented.
2016-04-26

HC allows Muslim girls to wear hijab for AIPMET

The Kerala High Court granted permission to Muslim girls to wear hijab, a customary religious dress, for the All India Pre-Medical Test-2016 but on condition that they should be present at the hall half an hour before the exam for frisking if necessary.
2016-04-26

Aishwarya supports Salman as Olympics envoy

At an event, it was his ex-girlfriend, the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who openly supported the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor's selection as the Goodwill Ambassador for the Rio Olympics.
2016-04-26

Museum of Natural History ” All you want to know

The National Museum of Natural History was destroyed after a fire broke out in the FICCI building that it is housed in. Six firemen were seriously injured while trying to douse the fire. The fire started between 1:30 am and 2 am. There's no word yet on what caused the fire.
2016-04-26

SC to Maharashtra: Better to dance in bars than to beg on streets

The Supreme Court pulled up the Maharashtra government for not granting licence to dance bars and warned it not to overstep its powers by defying the apex court order. "It's better for women to perform in dance bars than begging on streets or indulging in unacceptable activities," the SC said.
2016-04-25

Mallya lives in a $15 million mansion in Britain

Vijay Mallya, who owes Rs 9,000 crore to various banks in the country, has been living at a $15 million mansion in England's Hertfordshire county. The mansion was bought from the father of Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One champion, by a company with offshore links.
2016-04-25

Bengaluru may no longer be 'air conditioned city'

The city surpassed its April 30, 1931 temperature record as the meteorological department officially recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2 degrees .The city surpassed its April 30, 1931 temperature record as the meteorological department officially recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2 degrees .
2016-04-25

Uyghur leader blames China for visa cancellation

Dolkun Isa, a leader of World Uyghur Congress, who lives in Germany, had been invited for the conference being organised by US-based 'Initiatives for China'. Isa said, "On April 23, I got a very short note by the Indian side that my visa is cancelled. There was no explanation."
2016-04-25

Islamic State's chief India recruiter killed in US drone strike

Mohammad Shafi Armar, the chief recruiter for Islamic State (IS) in India, was killed in a US drone strike in Syria a few days ago, sources have confirmed. The 26-year-old from Bhatkal in Karnataka is learned to have recruited at least 30 men for the group.
2016-04-24

Space project aims for stars, wants India onboard

SL cricketer Silva hospitalized after blow on head

Sri Lanka's test opener Kaushal Silva was taken to hospital after being hit on the head by a cricket ball while fielding in a domestic match. Sri Lanka Cricket said that Silva was struck during a match in Pallekele.
2016-04-24

Adding heft to diplomacy, India to send warships to Persian Gulf

After three days in Dubai, the warships will reach Kuwait around May 12 before heading for Manama (Bahrain) and Muscat (Oman) and then finally return to Mumbai by May 27-28.
2016-04-24

'Automatic de-registration' of 15-year-old vehicles on cards

If road transport ministry has its way, then there will be a system in place to rid traffic of all unfit vehicles including private cars 15 years after registration. The ministry has proposed "automatic de-registration" of all vehicles after this period.
2016-04-23

Canal charisma: Bumper crop in dry Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer's crops this year are worth Rs 300 crore, up from Rs 150 crore last year, thanks to a continuous flow of water through the Indira Gandhi Canal, said agriculture officer Ranjeet Singh Sarva.
2016-04-23

Bangladesh professor hacked to death by ISIS

Police said English professor Rezaul Karim Siddique, 58, was hacked from behind with machetes. The police commissioner said they had not yet named any suspects but added that the pattern of the attack fitted with previous killings by Islamist militants.
2016-04-23

China to develop floating nuclear power plants

All the radar systems, lighthouses, barracks, ports and airfields that China has set up on its newly built island chain in the South China Sea require tremendous amounts of electricity, which is hard to come by in a place hundreds of miles from the country's power grid.
2016-04-23

India among 175 nations to sign Paris climate deal

Prakash Javadekar signed the agreement on behalf of India. The agreement aims to take multiple measures to save the world from disastrous consequences of climate change and was adopted by 195 countries in Paris on December 12, 2015.
2016-04-22

By 2050, you may have to live on imported water

Data shows that today the daily per capita groundwater availability in the country has come down to 5,120 litres, about 35% of the 14,180 litres in 1951. In 1991, it was less than half of the 1951 stock. And by 2025, it is projected that the daily per capita availability will be just 25% of the base year.
2016-04-22

UK may take stake in unit of Tata Steel

The UK government said that it could take up to 25% stake in Tata Steel's British units in a bid to save the loss-making mills from shutting down.
2016-04-21

Prince, American pop superstar, dies at 57

Pop superstar Prince, widely acclaimed as one of the most inventive and influential musicians of his era with hits including "Little Red Corvette", `'Let's Go Crazy" and "When Doves Cry", was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis, according to his publicist. He was 57.
2016-04-21

Private American firms oppose ISRO launching US satellites

US' private space industry has expressed its opposition to the large scale use of low cost ISRO launch vehicles for putting American satellites into orbits. Such a move, they feel, would be detrimental to the future health of the private sector US space companies.
2016-04-21

NIA seeks US help in Pathankot attack probe

The National Investigation Agency has informally requested the US to help it probe the conspiracy behind the Pathankot terror attack. Sources said, NIA chief Sharad Kumar, during his recent visit to the US, sought from the FBI any further details it may have on the role of top Jaish operatives.
2016-04-21

Donald Trump wins New York primary, moves closer to nomination

Republican front-runner Donald Trump won New York state's presidential nominating contest , moving closer to capturing enough delegates to win the party's White House nomination and avoid a contested convention in July.
2016-04-20

Will be happy to see Nitish as PM one day: Lalu

Likening Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar to his younger brother, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad reiterated that said he will be happy to see Kumar become the Prime Minister of India one day.
2016-04-20

Chandigarh to ban short skirts in bars, clubs

In its policy "Controlling of Places of Public Amusement, 2016," which many have termed absurd and ridiculous, the Chandigarh administration has made all provisions for throttling city's nightlife in the name of regulation, citing indecency and sedition as top reasons.
2016-04-19

Marital rape may soon be a crime in India

Women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi said the Centre was considering criminalizing marital rape. When asked if there was an attempt to push for criminalization of marital rape, Maneka replied, Now there is.
2016-04-19

PM returns to US for 4th trip ” this time on state visit on June 7-8

PM Narendra Modi is likely to visit the US yet again in June, his fourth trip to the country in two years. However, this time it will be a state visit in a strictly bilateral context aimed at consecrating ties that President Obama has described as the defining relationship of the 21st century.
2016-04-19

Pak sends back Kirpal's body with organs missing

2016-04-19

Our economy growing fastest, says Jaitley to counter Rajan's remark

Finance minister Arun Jaitley has virtually rebutted RBI governor Raghuram Rajan's remarks that India is 'one-eyed king in the land of blind' saying compared to the rest of the world, the Indian economy was growing much faster and, in fact, the fastest.
2016-04-19

'No change in PF withdrawal norms till July 31'

"The notification (tightening PF withdrawal norms) will be kept in abeyance for three months till July 31, 2016. We will discuss this issue with the stakeholders," Labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya told.
2016-04-19

PF withdrawal allowed for housing, health

The labour ministry eased the planned restriction on withdrawal of contribution to the employees' provident fund. It said withdrawal can be allowed for housing, major medical treatment for self and family members, medical, dental and engineering education of children, and for their marriage.
2016-04-18

Amitabh Bachchan's ˜Incredible India' role stuck in Panama canal?

Amitabh Bachchan's appointment as brand ambassador for the ˜Incredible India' campaign is reportedly on hold, with the report coming days after the veteran actor's name surfaced in connection with the ˜Panama Papers'. The government is scanning details of Indian account holders that have surfaced.
2016-04-18

Sushma talks tough to China: 'Review your stand on Masood Azhar'

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj did some tough talking with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on China blocking India's bid to get JeM chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN and asked Beijing to "review" its position.
2016-04-18

Kohinoor gifted to Brits, not stolen, so shouldn't ask for it: Govt

The govt told the Supreme Court that the Kohinoor diamond was not stolen by the British but was gifted to them by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
2016-04-18

Sushma raises Masood Azhar veto with China

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj strongly raised with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi the issue of China blocking its bid to have JeM chief and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist by the UN.
2016-04-18

First Indian woman gymnast qualifies for Olympics

Her first vault, the much difficult Produnova, gave Dipa 15.066 points, the highest among the 14 competitors. But a poor show in the uneven bars took her points down as she collected 11.700, the second worse among the 14 participants. She secured 13.366 and 12.566 points in beam and floor exercises to be assured of the berth.
2016-04-18

Shah Bano 2.0? Muslim Law Board to oppose scrapping triple talaq‚

In 1985, Shah Bano, a 62-year-old Muslim mother of five from Indore, who was divorced by her husband, had won the right to alimony in the SC. But the then Congress govt of Rajiv Gandhi, under pressure of Islamic orthodoxy, passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, which diluted the SC judgement, and denied even destitute Muslim divorcees the right to alimony.
2016-04-17

Narendra Modi government to add 2.2 lakh central employees in 2 years

A major reason for the spurt in hiring is that many departments faced acute staff crunch in Group B and C categories due to a moratorium on fresh recruitments for the past several years.
2016-04-17

Mallya takes Rs 1.7-cr pay package from US brewery

More than half of Mallya's total package for 2015 has been paid by California-based Mendocino Brewing Company Inc to him for "promoting" the company's beer brands. Mallya serves as chairman of the board of directors of the company.
2016-04-17

World oil producers meet amid Saudi-Iran row over output freeze

World oil producers gathered in Qatar to negotiate an output freeze to boost prices but a lingering dispute between crude kingpin Saudi Arabia and Iran threatened to overshadow the talks. The producers want to freeze production at January levels in order to curb oversupply until demand is expected to pick up in the third quarter of 2016.
2016-04-17

Australia thrash India 4-0 to win Azlan Shah Cup

Indian hockey team's dismal run against Australia continued as they suffered 0-4 defeat in the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. A brace from Thomas William Craig and Matt Gohdes helped Australia clinch their ninth title at the tournament.
2016-04-16

US jury fines Tata $940m in trade secret case

A US grand jury has slapped two companies of Tata group - Tata Consultancy Services and Tata America International Corp - with a $940 million fine in a trade secret lawsuit filed against them. Tatas have also been asked to pay another $700 million in punitive damages.
2016-04-16

Can't pay Rs 53,000 to rent 2,765 sqm house: Priyanka Gandhi

Driving a hard bargain, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra got the Vajpayee government to cut the rent of her sprawling 2,765.18 sq m house from Rs 53,421 a month to a mere Rs 8,888.
2016-04-15

Zuckerberg buys domain name from Kochi student

FB approached Amal for the domain name registered by him as it was the short form of Maxime Chan Zuckerberg, the name of Zuckerberg's daughter. More than the money, Augustine, a final-year electronics student from a Kochi engineering college, says he was thrilled by the fact that FB approached him.
2016-04-15

China's Masood Azhar veto: India questions UN panel's secrecy

India slammed the use of the "hidden veto" and demanded accountability, saying the UN's general members are "never ever" informed of the reason for not acceding to requests for sanctioning terrorists, days after China blocked India's bid to ban JeM chief Masood Azhar.
2016-04-15

China will not allow India into NSG: Pak diplomat

During a bilateral meeting with US Trade Representative Ambassador Michael Froman, Arun Jaitley also underlined the need for early conclusion of Totalisation Agreement which would benefit Indians working in America.
Pakistan is banking on good friend China to block India's chances of making it to the coveted Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a former Pakistani diplomat has said, adding that "chances of India gaining entry into NSG are virtually nil".
2016-04-14

The monk who converted Babasaheb to Buddhism

Looked after by disciples, Bhadanta Pragyanand is confined to his bed for most part of the day.The Buddhist monk, 90, communicates using sign language and sometimes pens his thoughts.
2016-04-13

Gurgaon no more, Haryana govt renames it 'Gurugram'

Gurgaon, Delhi's suburb in Haryana, that became known around the world as being a BPO hub and the country's first mall centre will now be called Gurugram. The Haryana government made this announcement .
2016-04-12

How Panama Papers opened the door to Isis and al-Qaida

There is no obvious link between the revelations in the Panama Papers, the rise of IS and the wars tearing apart at least nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa. But these developments are connected as ruling elites, who syphon off wealth into tax havens, lose political credibility.
2016-04-09

Eyeing China and Pak, India in talks to buy 40 US Predator drones

India is in talks with the United States to purchase 40 Predator surveillance drones, officials said, a possible first step towards acquiring the armed version of the aircraft and a development likely to annoy Pakistan.
2016-04-08

Women to be allowed into Shani temple sanctum

Breaking a 400-year-old tradition, women entered the inner sanctum of the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra and offered prayers. Soon after scores of men forced their way into the inner sanctum of the Shani Shinganpur temple in Maharashtra , the temple trust announced it won't stop women from entering the sanctum sanctorum to worship there.The trust was in a bind after a recent Bombay high court ruling said entry to temples was a fundamental right of women and it was the State's fundamental duty to protect it. Women have never been permitted into the inner sanctum of the temple. So, to keep it that way and circumvent discrimination charges, the trust said a few days ago that now even men wouldn't be allowed into the temple's inner sanctum.
2016-04-08

Modi's 'Make in India' a success: Moody's

Ratings agency Moody's has said that net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have hit an all-time high in early 2016, highlighting the success of Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' initiative.
2016-04-08

Panama Papers: Vijay Mallya directly linked to firm in Virgin Islands

Industrialist Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a wilful defaulter by Indian banks, figures in the offshore leaks by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), whose Panama Papers have rocked the world in the last few days.
2016-04-08

Hafiz Saeed runs 'Sharia court' in Lahore to dispense swift justice

Darul Qaza Sharia has been set up by the group in Lahore to provide "easy and swift justice" to the people and deals mostly in civil cases relating to property and monetary disputes. The complaints are addressed to Saeed who later refers them to the Qazi for further proceedings.
2016-04-07

IIT fees increased to Rs 2 lakhs from Rs 90,000‚

The annual fee for undergraduate courses in the IITs will be hiked to Rs 2 lakhs from Rs 90,000, from the upcoming academic session, according to officials of the Human Resource Development Ministry.
2016-04-07

France bans buying sex, not selling it

French lawmakers approved a bill that bans buying sex. The bill however does not ban the selling of sex. Customers will face fines and be made to attend awareness classes on the harms of the sex trade. Prostitution in itself is legal in France ” though brothels, pimping and the sale of sex by minors are illegal.
2016-04-07

Did PM insult national flag? Court to hear plaint

A city court took cognisance of a complaint against PM Narendra Modi for allegedly insulting the national flag last year on the international yoga day and during his visit to the United States.
2016-04-07

SC/STs, Dalits, disabled to get 100% fee waiver at IITs

Union human resource development minister Smriti Irani promised a fee waiver for all SC/ST, Dalit and physically challenged students at IITs. The decision follows a panel clearing a proposal for a three-fold fee hike from the next academic session.
2016-04-06

Unrest in NIT Srinagar, HRD ministry sends team

The Union HRD ministry has said it would send a two-member team to the NIT Srinagar campus, which has been gripped by tension following clashes among students over the Indian cricket team's loss against West Indies in the T20 World Cup last week.
2016-04-06

Iceland PM quits over Panama Papers scandal

The Prime Minister of Iceland has resigned after the Panama Papers revealed that he has been using an offshore firm to allegedly hide investments worth millions of pounds. On Monday, thousands of locals surrounded the Icelandic parliament to demand Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson's resignation.
2016-04-05

Job seekers will become job creators: PM Modi‚

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the "Stand Up India" programme and said the initiative will help job seekers become job creators. "Stand Up India scheme is going to transform the lives of people from the dalit and tribal communities," PM Modi said.
2016-04-05

RBI lowers repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.5%

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut its policy interest rate by an expected 25 basis points, bringing it to 6.5%, the lowest since January 2011. With inflation easing to 5.18% in February and a Union budget that kept both borrowing and spending in check, the RBI had room to make its first cut since September, thus resuming an easing cycle that was in full swing last year.
2016-04-05

How the world's media covered Panama Papers

Heads of state, politicians, celebrities and criminals have been named in a huge cache of leaked files exposing almost 40 years of intricate methods to make use of offshore assets.
2016-04-05

High-speed Gatimaan Express flagged off

The new train - that can reach a maximum speed of 160 km per hour - will operate between Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin station and Agra Cantonment station. It will run six days a week, except s.
2016-04-05

Nicholas apologizes to Sammy for 'short of brains' comment

Former England cricketer Mark Nicholas tendered an unconditional apology to victorious West Indies captain Darren Sammy and his players for his comments that the cricketers from the Caribbean are "short of brains".
2016-04-04

What are Panama Papers & why are they important

Heads of state, politicians, celebrities and criminals have been named in a huge cache of leaked files exposing almost 40 years of intricate methods to make use of offshore assets.
2016-04-04

Mahindra launches NuvoSport at Rs 7.35 lakh

Mahindra launched the NuvoSport , with prices starting at Rs 7.35 lakh for the base N4 variant, going all the way up to Rs 9.76 lakh for the top of the line N8 with a 5-speed AMT. The NuvoSport replaces the not-so-successful Quanto.
2016-04-04

'Crime of the century' also had Panama link?

Leaked files reveal the law firm has financial dealings with a total of 128 people around the world. An International Consortium of Investigative Journalists analysis of the leaked files found that more than 500 banks, their subsidiaries and branches have worked with Mossack Fonseca since the 1970s to help clients manage offshore companies.
2016-04-04

21 best tech companies to work for in 2016

Google and Facebook have won these sort of best-places to work roundups for eons, for 2016 there's a new champ in town.
2016-04-04

'Panama Papers' show Putin aides, Messi have foreign tax havens

The documents, dubbed "The Panama Papers", reveal links to 72 current or former heads of state and accuse some of them of having vested interests in their own banks and looting their own countries.
2016-04-04

Shahid Afridi quits as Pakistan T20I captain

2016-04-03

GST will be reality soon: PM Modi in Riyadh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a round table conference with top business leaders at the Saudi Chambers of Commerce in Riyadh . He said his government has taken several policy initiatives to spur growth and progress in India, and assured the business leaders that Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill would be passed soon.
2016-04-03

Indian priest in Yemen 'could be freed soon'

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India said a delegation met foreign minister Sushma Swaraj who said the government was working to secure the priest's safe return. Father Tom Uzhunnalil was captured from the southern Yemeni city of Aden by gunmen who killed at least 15 people at an old people's home in an attack that was condemned by Pope Francis.
2016-04-03

NIA officer shot dead in UP, agency terms it 'planned attack'

A National Investigation Agency deputy superintendent of police Mohammad Tanzil and his wife were shot at late last night by unidentified gunmen in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh. Tanzil died on the spot, while his wife suffered injuries, who was immediately rushed to a hospital in Noida.Tanzil's wife Farzana has told the investigators that the attack was a planned and that the shooters were professionals and used automatic weapons. The NIA officer was attacked in Bijnor while coming back from wedding; while his wife was injured, his two children escaped unhurt.
2016-04-03

Mumbai cinema turned into mosque

By the early 2000s, however, Alexandra Cinema had graduated from showing Hollywood fare to B and C-grade films interspersed with adult films. It was a time when local residents asked school bus drivers to switch routes so that impressionable school kids weren't exposed to the dirty posters.
2016-04-03

India has ignited new hope in world, says PM Modi

India has strengthened its economy despite the adverse global conditions and has ignited a "new hope" in the world, with some describing it as a "bright star", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here .
2016-04-02

Delhi to Agra in 100 minutes: India's fastest train to run from 05 Apr

Gatiman Express, the country's fastest train will start plying between Agra and Delhi from April 5. The state-of-the-art train will take one hour and forty minutes to complete the journey. Ironically, on the same route runs a passenger's train which takes around eight hours to cover the 195km distance.
2016-04-02

Srinagar NIT shut after fight over T20 loss

Two groups of students at the institute fought after some of them burst crackers following Team India's loss . A group of students took out a protest march inside the campus , but police prevented the situation from getting out of control.
2016-04-01
Source: Times of India News