World Index

Van Johnson, heartthrob in '40s, dead posted on : 13/12/2008 NEW YORK (AP): Van Johnson, Hollywood star of the movies' golden age, has died, a close friend said.Family friend Wendy Bleiweiss said Johnson died . More . .

Russia celebrates Constitution amid change posted on : 13/12/2008 MOSCOW (AP): President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday defended his proposal to extend the presidential term from four years to six, saying it would adapt Russia's post-Soviet Constitution to 21st Century conditions. . More . .

Vatican raises opposition to embryonic stem cells posted on : 13/12/2008 VATICAN CITY (AP): The Vatican is raising its opposition to embryonic stem cell research, in vitro fertilization and human cloning to a new level.But the Vatican is also saying in a major new bioethics document that it. . More . .

EU leaders inching towards climate change deal posted on : 13/12/2008 Brussels (AP): European Union leaders inched towards a deal on Friday intended to set a worldwide example on fighting global warming by forcing industry to clean up and rewarding renewable energy. . More . .

Britons saving less, says survey posted on : 13/12/2008 LONDON (AP): Britons have been putting away less savings from their paychecks every autumn since 2005, and nearly half are planning to save even less this winter as they struggle to stay afloat . More . .

Israel warns its citizens to avoid visiting Goa posted on : 11/12/2008 Jerusalem, (PTI): Israel has warned its nationals not to travel to Goa during the next two weeks, saying that the tourist hotspot is a "potential" terror target during the new year celebrations. . More . .

'Commander of the British Empire' award for Raj Loomba posted on : 11/12/2008 London (PTI): Leading NRI entrepreneur Raj Loomba received the 'Commander of the British Empire' award from Prince Charles in recognition of his charity work at a colourful ceremony at Buckingham Palace here. . More . .

Palin tops worldwide Google search, Americans prefer Obama posted on : 11/12/2008 Washington (PTI): Sarah Palin may have ended up on the losing side of the landmark U.S. electoral battle for the White House, but she has finished first on Google's image search list. U.S. President-elect Barack Obama came fifth in Google's list of the most popular searches in 2008 worldwide. . More . .

Mumbai attacks raise concerns about terrorism posted on : 11/12/2008 WASHINGTON (AP): The commando-style siege blamed on Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai last month is raising new concerns in the U.S. intelligence community, both about the tactics used and the unsettling possibility the operation was conducted independent of Al-Qaida. . More . .

U.N. seeks funds to meet health needs in Myanmar posted on : 11/12/2008 New York (PTI): The United Nations has asked the international community to urgently provide funds to meet health requirements in the cyclone-devastated areas in Myanmar which are in the process of rebuilding. . More . .

Cracks appear in Obama foreign policy team posted on : 09/12/2008 WASHINGTON (AP): The first sign of cracks in President-elect Barack Obama's foreign policy team of rivals emerged on Monday as his choices for secretary of state and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations visited the State Department. . More . .

JeM chief Masood Azhar under house arrest posted on : 09/12/2008 Islamabad (IANS): Pakistani authorities have placed restrictions on the movement of Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of the outlawed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), "by confining him . More . .

Britain's manufacturers see costs slide in November posted on : 09/12/2008 LONDON (AP): Sliding oil prices pushed British manufacturers' costs lower in November, official figures showed Monday, further stoking expectations that the Bank of England could cut its benchmark rate to an all-time low of 1.00 percent in January. . More . .

Fire aboard Russian warship kills officer posted on : 09/12/2008 Moscow (AP): Russia's navy says a fire aboard a warship has killed an officer.Navy's spokesman Captain Igor Dygalo says the small blaze broke out Monday on the frigate Neukrotimy, or Indomitable, at a Baltic Sea base. . More . .

Next EU presidency wants to boost ties with Israel posted on : 09/12/2008 BRUSSELS (AP): The Czech government says it wants to boost the European Union's ties with Israel once it assumes the bloc's presidency in January.Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg says Prague will ask the EU's 27 countries to agree to stepping up ties with Israel. . More . .

More protests planned in Greece following riots posted on : 09/12/2008 ATHENS (AP): Police were bracing for more violence at demonstrations planned on Monday across Greece to protest the fatal police shooting of a 15-year-old boy in Athens. . More . .

India has the right to protect itself: Obama posted on : 03/12/2008 Chicago: U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has said that he expected Islamabad to fully cooperate with New Delhi in the investigations into the Mumbai terror attacks, and India, like other sovereign nations, has the right to “protect” itself.. More . .

U.S. governors to press Obama for help posted on : 03/12/2008 Washington (AP): U.S. State governors are meeting with President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday to press their case for at least $40 billion to help pay for health care for the poor and disabled and even more for infrastructure projects like road and bridge repair. . More . .

Somalia cannot stop piracy alone, says its PM posted on : 03/12/2008 NAIROBI, Kenya (AP): The Somali Prime Minister said his country had been torn apart by a long civil war and cannot stop piracy alone. Nur Hassan Hussein said the piracy problem ``is part of the legacy of the situation of the country. This 18 years of civil war is followed by disorder.'' . More . .

Some people voted for Barack because of me: Bush posted on : 03/12/2008 New York (PTI): U.S. President George W Bush has said the results of the November presidential polls were a "repudiation of Republicans" and admitted that "some people voted for Barack Obama because of me". . More . .

Death toll in Karachi violence rises to 40 posted on : 03/12/2008Karachi (IANS): At least 40 people have been killed in rioting that started late Saturday in the port city of Pakistan, Online news agency reported on Tuesday . More . .

Thai court bans Premier for 5 years, flights to resume posted on : 03/12/2008 Bangkok (PTI): Thailand on Tuesday plunged into a fresh political turmoil after a court delivered a body blow to embattled Premier Somchai Wongsawat and outlawed the three ruling parties for electoral fraud, promting protesters to lift the week-long blockade of the . . More . .

U.S. governors to press Obama for help posted on : 03/12/2008 Washington (AP): U.S. State governors are meeting with President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday to press their case for at least $40 billion to help pay for health care for the poor and disabled and even more for infrastructure projects like road and bridge repair.. More . .

32 killed in Iraq blasts posted on : 03/12/2008 BAGHDAD: A series of bombs struck U.S. and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul on Monday, killing at least 32 people and wounding dozens, said officials. . More . .

India, Indonesia favour joint fight against global terror posted on : 03/12/2008 JAKARTA: India and Indonesia decided on Monday to step up economic cooperation and work together in meeting fresh threats posed by global terrorism, as exemplified by the recent Mumbai terror attacks.In a joint statement issued here at the Istana Merdeka, the gracious . More . .

U.S. President-elect Obama retains Robert Gates as Defence Secretary Posted on : 02/12/2008 U.S. President-elect Barack Obama confirmed on Monday that former campaign rival Hillary Rodham Clinton is his choice for Secretary of State. Mr. Obama also announced that Robert Gates is to remain as. More . .

UN chief says war on terror must not crowd out war on poverty posted on : 01/12/2008 Doha - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on Saturday urged leading industrialized nations to not let efforts to control terrorism allow them to neglect the war on poverty. . More . .