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Kerala Global, India: Asia News.
Posted On: May 06 2008 The death toll from the cyclone that slashed through Myanmar has soared to more than 10,000 people, the Southeast Asian nation's government said Monday.The government also said thousands more were injured and missing in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, which slogged through Yangon and the Irrawaddy delta packing dangerous rains and winds of more than 130 miles per hour, Radio New Zealand reported ...Read Full News Beaver breaks in, smashes vodka bottles Posted On: Apr 26 2008 A huge beaver, apparently scared by a nearby forest fire, crashed into a Russian food store near the south Urals city of Chelyabinsk Friday.The animal smashed a shop window and several bottles of vodka before being captured and taken back to a safe place in the forest, local officials told Novosti.After a long dry spell, Russia is experiencing its worst wildfires in 30 years with outbreaks in the ...Read Full News British and US troops participate in Basra raids Posted On: Apr 23 2008 British and US special forces are engaged in operations in Basra in southern Iraq against Shia militiamen, the BBC reported Wednesday citing a Western military source.In the past two weeks, up to 1,000 US soldiers have been deployed to Basra from other parts Iraq and the Middle East to support the 4,100 British troops there.The aim of the operation is to detain senior figures in the Mehdi Army and ...Read Full News Deora, Pak counterpart to discuss IPI gas pipeline project Posted On: Apr 23 2008 Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora will begin talks with Pakistan on the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project. eora, who arrived here on Tuesday evening, will have discussions with his Pakistani counterpart Khwaja Asif to resolve differences with Pakistan over the transit fee and transportation tariff for the trans-national gas pipeline project from Iran.During Apri ...Read Full News Everest climber kicked out for carrying 'Free Tibet' banner Posted On: Apr 23 2008 An American who had enrolled in a much-hyped research expedition to Mt Everest has been kicked out by Nepal's security forces after searches unearthed a pro-Tibet banner in his luggage, media reported Wednesday.Both Nepal and China have stepped up vigilance to prevent anti-China protests in the Himalayan region ahead of the Olympic torch march.The American, who was not named, was part of a 11-memb ...Read Full News Government challenged over Tamil daily closure Posted On: Apr 23 2008 The Malaysian government should explain the reasons for closing down "Makkal Osai" because no prior notice was served to the Tamil daily, an Indian origin opposition lawmaker has said. The home ministry should have issued a show-cause letter to the editor-in-chief before the newspaper was ordered to cease publication, said A. Sivanesan, who is the Democratic Action Party (DAP) central executive ...Read Full News Nepali housewife, salesgirl, journo...off to conquer Everest Posted On: Apr 23 2008 Ten Nepali women are trying to create history this summer with an expedition to Mt. Everest that, like never before, brings together people from different walks of life.The First Inclusive Women's Sagarmatha Expedition - Sagarmatha being the Nepali name for Mt Everest - also attempts to put the largest number of women atop the world's highest peak.Led by Sushmita Maskey, the expedition includes a ...Read Full News Pakistan close to pact with warring Waziristan tribe Posted On: Apr 23 2008 The Pakistan government is close to a pact with South Waziristan's Mehsud tribe to end militancy, exchange prisoners and gradually withdraw the military so as to restore peace in the volatile region.The 15-point draft agreement "has been thoroughly discussed and approved at the senior political leadership level in Islamabad and also enjoys the backing of the military establishment", Dawn reported ...Read Full News Pakistani coalition closer to reinstating sacked judges Posted On: Apr 23 2008 Pakistan's ruling coalition has moved a step closer to restoring Supreme Court and High Court judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf by setting up a committee to work out the modalities.Addressing a joint press conference after a meeting here Tuesday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif said there was "complete harmony ...Read Full News Bomb blasts rock Yangon Posted On: Apr 21 2008 Two explosions rocked Yangon over the weekend, but no one was killed or injured in the explosions, security officials confirmed Monday.The first bomb, planted under a car parked near the five-star Traders Hotel, occurred at 7.45 p.m. Sunday, said a security official who requested anonymity.The second blast, also under a car, followed 45 minutes later on Maha Bandula Street, near the popular ABC Re ...Read Full News Con man swindled 50 elderly women out of jewellery Posted On: Apr 21 2008 A sweet-talking swindler who conned 50 elderly women into giving him their jewellery has been arrested, news reports said.The 53-year-old was reported to have collected more than 50,000 Singapore dollars (36,764 US dollars).He would approach his victims and claim to have been a former neighbour, The Straits Times said.He would then persuade the women to part with their valuables by promising to ex ...Read Full News EU's Solana visits Afghanistan, Pakistan Posted On: Apr 21 2008 European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana arrived in Kabul Monday for talks with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on the EU-Afghanistan ties and regional developments. Solana's spokesperson Cristina Gallach told reporters that the visit was taking place at an "important moment" for Afghanistan, according to EuAsiaNews. Gallach was pointing to the recent meeting of NATO leaders in Buchare ...Read Full News I fell in love with Musharraf: Miss Pakistan World Posted On: Apr 21 2008 Toronto-based Mahleej Sarkari, crowned Miss Pakistan World in 2007, created quite a stir when she called Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf "a hunk". The beauty now adds that she finds him "sexy" and would actually love to go for long "romantic" walks with him."Musharraf is charismatic, sexy, strong as well as cute! My fantasy would be to go on long walks on a beach in a cool breeze where I could ...Read Full News IAEA investigators arrive in Teheran for talks Posted On: Apr 21 2008 Top investigator of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Olli Heinonen arrived here Monday to hold talks with Iranian officials on the country's nuclear programme, IRNA news agency reported. Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the UN nuclear watchdog welcomed Heinonen at the Imam Khomeini International Airport. IAEA director, Herman Nackaerts, is accompanying Heinonen on his two-day vis ...Read Full News India's Vectra Aviation in trouble in Nepal Posted On: Apr 21 2008 Private Indian aviation company Vectra Aviation is in trouble in Nepal, with the foreign ministry likely to ask Indian authorities to take action against the company for violating the civil aviation act.Vectra is the sole marketing agency in India for Eurocopter and poised to provide dedicated on-shore chartered helicopter service through its separate division Heliair. It landed in trouble in Nepa ...Read Full News Japanese former minister pleads guilty to bribery Posted On: Apr 21 2008 Japanese former vice defence minister Takemasa Moriya, who was accused of taking bribes while in post from defence equipment trader Yamada Corp, admitted the charges Monday during the first hearing of the case at the Tokyo District Court.Moriya, 63, pleaded guilty of accepting from the trader various types of bribes worth of a total of 12.49 million yen (about $122, 000), and apologized for commit ...Read Full News Nepal king spurns asylum reports Posted On: Apr 21 2008 Nepal's royal palace has said reports in the national and international media that King Gyanendra was contemplating fleeing the country following an imminent Maoist victory and the abolition of his crown were "totally fabricated and unfounded".Under tremendous pressure from the Maoists, whose top leadership has been urging the king to surrender his throne and become a law-abiding common citizen, t ...Read Full News Sobhraj wants to play Good Samaritan in Nepal Posted On: Apr 21 2008 He has been variously portrayed as a persuasive rogue who charmed Western tourists and preyed on them, a man with nerves of steel who planned escapes from the most tightly-guarded prisons in Asia, and a serial killer with an encyclopaedic knowledge of drugs.But now, Charles Sobhraj, the "Bikini Killer" of yesteryears, wants to play a different role in Nepal, where he has been serving a jail term s ...Read Full News Vellu brings temple demolition issue to the fore Posted On: Apr 21 2008 Senior Malaysian Indian leader S. Samy Vellu has once again spoken out against the demolition of a Hindu temple a week before Diwali last year, saying that it caused the Indian vote to swing away from the government. Vellu Sunday blamed the then chief minister of Selangor, Mohamad Khir Toyo, for refusing to heed his plea that the Hindu temple in Padang Jawa in Shah Alam not be demolished following ...Read Full News 17 killed as train slams into bus in Bangladesh Posted On: Apr 16 2008 At least 17 people were killed and 30 injured Wednesday as a speeding train slammed into a bus on a level crossing in central Bangladesh, local police and witnesses said.Rescuers said the death toll in the train-bus collision near the farming town of Elenga in central Tangail district would go up, as the condition of many of the wounded was critical.The inter-city Ekota Express was travelling from ...Read Full News Hasina argues with judge, falls sick in court Posted On: Apr 16 2008 Ailing former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina got into a row with the judge during hearings in a corruption case and then complained of severe headaches and pain in her ear. She accused judge Firoze Alam of being "impatient" when it came to hearing the defence lawyers in a graft case in which she is an accused. "I am going blind. I can't see with my left eye and can't hear in my left ear. ...Read Full News Hundreds flee homes after volcano erupts in Indonesia Posted On: Apr 16 2008 Hundreds of residents were evacuated after the Mount Egon volcano on the eastern Indonesian island of Flores erupted but no casualties were reported, officials said Wednesday.The 1,704-metre Mount Egon erupted late Tuesday, and its ash column rose 4,000 metres above its crater, said Hendrasto, an expert at the Directorate of Volcanology.Several hundred residents from the Egon Gahar village nearly ...Read Full News Malaysia `not an Islamic State', say ethnic Indians Posted On: Apr 16 2008 Comments by the royal chief of the Kelantan state and by its chief executive have brought forth contradictions from leaders of Malaysia's ethnic Indian and Chinese minorities.Opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP)'s Indian origin chairman Karpal Singh criticised the Tengku Mahkota, the royal constitutional head of Kelantan state, Tengku Mohammad Faris Petra Sultan Ismail Petra for making "politi ...Read Full News Malaysian's OK for Hindu priests from India Posted On: Apr 16 2008 Malaysia has decided to lift an earlier ban and renew visas and permits for Hindu priests, musicians and artisans from India.Indian origin Human Resources Minister S. Subramaniam said the issue was brought to the attention of the cabinet, which took the decision last week."The cabinet agreed to allow and to extend the services but for special categories only," he said in a statement Tuesday.Subram ...Read Full News Nepal king misjudged poll results Posted On: Apr 16 2008 Nepal's embattled King Gyanendra misjudged the result of the crucial election that is likely to demolish his ancestors' throne. The king threw an impromptu card party before the stunning news of an imminent Maoist victory reached the palace, a media report said.The win of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's party man Prakash Man Singh from Kathmandu, the first result of Thursday's constituent a ...Read Full News Sri Lanka to set up top advisory body to govern north Posted On: Apr 16 2008 The Sri Lankan government has said that a "high level advisory committee" would be set up to govern the war-ravaged Northern Provincial Council, once the forthcoming eastern provincial elections are completed, government sources here said.The Government Information Department in a report Wednesday said that the ruling coalition led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa would appoint this top level commit ...Read Full News Taiwan says its next leader world's most handsome Posted On: Apr 16 2008 Taiwan's men and women can't wait to show off their new leader Ma Ying-jeou to the world because they think he will be hands down the world's most handsome president when he takes office next month."Finally, we have a president who is good-looking and speaks fluent English," Li Ping, a retired professor, said. "He will be a good representative of the Taiwan people on the international stage.""I be ...Read Full News Nepal Maoists surge ahead in proportional race too Posted On: Apr 15 2008 The intense desire in Nepal for a change, which saw its former Maoist guerrillas headed for a landslide win in the historic constituent assembly election, continued to propel them ahead Tuesday as vote counting continued for the fifth day.The former rebels, who took part in a national election after 17 years, had captured 117 of the 212 seats declared so far, leaving the traditional ruling parties ...Read Full News Saudis seek alternatives to gold gifts Posted On: Apr 12 2008 Many Saudi couples say the high price of gold and recent rises in the cost of living have led them to exchange traditional gold wedding gifts for rented items.The gifts, known as shabkah, are traditionally large gold items that are presented by a husband-to-be to his fiancee at a ceremony preceding the wedding, but many couples said they have replaced the gifts with rented gold items or cheaper je ...Read Full News Soldier cracks case of fresh eggs in Iraq Posted On: Apr 12 2008 A U.S. soldier's hard-boiled effort scrambled up some good results: the return of fresh eggs to the breakfast menu at Camp Liberty in war-torn Iraq.Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sabrina Nero tried to find out why eggs were entree non grata when she took over as food adviser, the Armed Forces Press Service reported Friday. She was given a memo banning fresh eggs originating in Kuwait after a bird fl ...Read Full News Did India exile shape Nepal king's fate? Posted On: Apr 09 2008 In a land where myths and superstitions play a dominant role, history too seems to have played a major part in shaping the future of Nepal and the destiny of its Shah kings.In New Delhi's Nehru Memorial Museum and Library there exists a wealth of documents, including tapes of conversation with one of the prime shapers of Nepal's history, which indicates that happenings in the late 1940s have a dir ...Read Full News Fewer South Koreans turn out to elect new National Assembly Posted On: Apr 09 2008 South Koreans went to the polls Wednesday to elect a new National Assembly with opinion polls showing the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) poised to replace the liberal United Democratic Party (UDP) as the legislature's largest faction.President Lee Myung Bak of the GNP - who himself won election in December, ending 10 years of UDP domination of the East Asian country - called on South Kore ...Read Full News Hindraf detainee denied medicine, says fiance Posted On: Apr 09 2008 A Hindu lawyer-activist jailed in Malaysia is suffering from poor health after being denied medical care and food despite being a patient of diabetes, his fiancee has alleged.Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) lawyer P. Uthayakumar is one of the five Hindraf leaders jailed for two years under the Internal Security Act (ISA) after staging a rally in November on behalf of Malaysia's two million Tam ...Read Full News 'Musharraf agrees to work with reduced powers' Posted On: Apr 07 2008 A Pakistani cabinet minister is mediating between the government and President Pervez Musharraf to reach a consensus over a constitutional amendment that will reduce him to a figurehead following US pressure on the ruling coalition to not impeach the former army general."The president has agreed to work even with the reduced powers," an official at the presidency told IANS on condition of anonymit ...Read Full News Designers ask Nepal's politicians to have better dress sense Posted On: Apr 07 2008 With all eyes on Nepal as it holds a historic election Thursday, the Himalayan nation's designers are suggesting a dress makeover for their top politicians so that they can cut a more impressive figure.Two well-known Nepal designers - Shailaja Adhikari, who runs a fashion institute in Kathmandu, and Meher Bajracharya, who owns a flourishing boutique - are proposing that politicians revamp their wa ...Read Full News General Petraeus awaits chilly reception at Iraq hearings Posted On: Apr 07 2008 General David Petraeus will likely get a cool reception when he appears next week on Capitol Hill to testify on progress under US President George W. Bush's troop surge in Iraq.The top US military commander in Iraq is expected to tell the Congress that the buildup has delivered dramatic reductions in violence since coming fully into effect in September, but will likely also advocate keeping the pr ...Read Full News Sri Lankan war planes bomb suspected LTTE base Posted On: Apr 07 2008 Sri Lankan ground attack war jets Monday bombed a suspected Black Tiger base in the Wanni, a day after a top minister was killed along with 13 others in a suicide attack outside capital Colombo.Sri Lanka defence ministry said that "based on the information gathered through air surveillances and ground intelligence sources", the supersonic fighter jets bombed a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTT ...Read Full News Nepal king finds new ally Posted On: Apr 05 2008 He came to Nepal in the 1960s to climb its mountains and decided to stay on.Ask Takashi Miyahara what made him leave his homeland and set roots in the Himalayan Kingdom, and he has a ready answer."I love its natural beauty and the Nepali people," the 74-year-old mechanical engineer from Kawasaki says. "Except politicians." However, as Nepal holds a historic election next week to decide the fate of ...Read Full News Poachers kill rhino in Nepal's national park Posted On: Apr 05 2008 A one-horned rhinoceros was killed by suspected poachers in Nepal's Bardiya national park and an army man assigned for the park's security was found dead nearby, according to a media report Saturday.The carcass of the rhinoceros was discovered Thursday night. The poachers chopped off its horn before escaping, the online portal nepalnews.com reported. The rhino horns are used for making traditional ...Read Full News Slain Nepal candidate's killer caught in India Posted On: Apr 05 2008 The man alleged to be responsible for the killing of a communist candidate in Nepal has been arrested from a hideout in India, Nepal police said.Sikandar Khan, alleged to be the mastermind behind the gunning down of Kamal Prasad Adhikari, the candidate fielded by the National People's Front for Thursday's election, was arrested by Indian police Friday from Bahraich town in Uttar Pradesh.Adhikari w ...Read Full News
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