50,000 Families Benefit from Eid Al Adha Charity

Sharjah, November 30: More than 50,000 poor families in various parts of the emirates and 40 countries benefited from Sharjah Charity Foundation’s Eid Al Adha animal sacrifices.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Abdulla Sultan Khadim, CEO of Sharjah Charity Foundation, said that distribution of meat to poor families of various nationalities in the UAE continued until the third day of Eid.

Khadem explained that the distribution process was conducted with consideration of the privacy of families as most of them did not want others to know that they received charity.

Dalai Lama urges world to act on climate change

Sydney, November 30: The world’s leaders must prioritize the issue of global warming above all else, the Dalai Lama said Monday, adding that he feels encouraged by next month’s climate change summit in Copenhagen.

The revered Buddhist figure and Nobel Peace Prize winner, in Australia for a series of lectures on universal responsibility and the environment, said politicians must focus their energy on finding a solution to climate change.

Rotten Fish Seized, Traders Fined in Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah, November 30 Ras Al Khaimah Municipality seized around 200kg of rotten fish meant for sale from two pickup vehicles on Saturday.

Fines of Dh2,000 were imposed on the drivers and the traders who hired the pickups.

Adil Ali Al Deek, head of the Environmental and Health Department at Ras Al Khaimah Municipality said, “When the inspectors examined the fish in the pickups, they found that most of the fish were rotten. The lot was destroyed.”

UAE’s pilgrims safe from H1N1

Abu Dhabi, November 30 Haj pilgrims from the UAE are safe and none have contracted H1N1, other contagious diseases, or got injured in road accidents, a Haj Mission official said.

A total of 6,228 pilgrims from the UAE, including Emiratis and expatriates, are in good health, head of the UAE’s Haj Mission, Obaid Al Mazruwaei, told Khaleej Times on the phone.

“The wise leadership had made available the anti-H1N1 vaccines to the UAE pilgrims earlier,” he said. The first batch of pilgrims will arrive in the country on Monday, he said.

IMF welcomes UAE’s move to address Dubai crisis

Washington, November 30: The International Monetary Fund has welcomed the decision of the United Arab Emirates to come to the rescue of its banks in Dubai and said it is monitoring the situation that took the world market by surprise.

“We welcome today’s announcement by the Central Bank of the UAE making available to banks a special additional liquidity facility,” the IMF said in a statement on Sunday amid concerns about excessive borrowing around the world.

The IMF’s comments came after the United Arab Emirates decided to give money to its banks struggling in Dubai.

Capital all Decked up for National Day

Abu Dhabi, November 30: Cars decorated with the national flag and images of the Rulers are a common sight on Abu Dhabi streets.

Apart from the people’s party on 
the Corniche with chanting, singing, dancing and, of course, engine revving and car horning, the Capital is preparing quite a few treats for the celebration of the UAE National Day.

Emirates Heritage Club will start the celebrations on December 1 with an evening of Nabati poetry at its Abu Dhabi Theatre.

S.Korea police clamp down on rail strike leaders

Seoul, November 30: South Korean police began clamping down Monday on leaders of a railway strike which has halted 70 percent of freight train services and started taking a toll on industry.

Police said they summoned 44 union leaders for questioning on charges of leading an illegal walkout. “If they ignore our summons we will seek court warrants to arrest them,” a National Police Agency spokesman told AFP.

Rana denies involvement in 26/11 attacks: Lawyer

Chicago, November 30: Terror suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana, under investigation for possible links to 26/11, has categorically denied any involvement in the Mumbai attacks, his lawyer said today and asserted that the Pakistani-Canadian “harbours no ill-will” against Indians.

The statement was the first response from Rana’s side after suspicions arose that he and US citizen David Coleman Headley, arrested by the FBI for plotting attacks in India at the behest of Lashkar-e-Toiba, could have links to the Mumbai terror strikes.

Military secretary found guilty of corruption in land scam

New Delhi, November 30: A high-ranking army officer, a lieutenant general responsible for promotions and postings, has been found guilty on several counts of misdeed in favouring a private company to build a sprawling educational establishment at a sensitive location.

This is perhaps the first time that a principal staff officer (PSO), one of the seven senior Lt Generals who look after crucial functions and report directly to the army chief, has been found guilty of such misdeeds, including conspiracy.

Safe Haj draws to a close

Makkah, November 30: Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah and Chairman of the Central Haj Committee, announced Sunday the success of this year’s Haj, thanking all government departments that have taken part in the Haj safety and security operations.

Four police officers shot dead in US

Washington, November 30: Four police officers were gunned down in an ambush in Washington state on Sunday, triggering a manhunt for a convicted armed robber with a history of violence.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Ed Troyer said the victims were sitting at a table in the cafe before their shift when a lone gunman entered and started shooting at around 8:15 am (1615 GMT) local time.

FBI to visit India over militants cases: reports

New Delhi, November 30: US FBI officials will visit India to share information on two men being held in Chicago for alleged links to last year’s Mumbai attacks, reports said Monday.

India claims David Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, both in US custody, were associated with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant outfit, blamed for the deadly attacks in India’s financial capital which left 166 people dead.

Wave of Maoist attacks in Jharkhand; schools targeted

Chatra, November 30: Maoists blew up the house of an RJD leader in Chatra district and schools in Palamau and Khunti district as the two-day Jharkhand shutdown called by the naxalites entered the second day today.

About 100 armed naxalites surrounded the house of RJD’s block president Chandrika Yadav at Chatra’s Johri village last night and asked the family members to vacate the house, Superintendent of Police Jatin Narwal told reporters here.

The Maoists then packed dynamites in every room before triggering the blast, he said.

Cannot produce reforms like rabbits out of a hat: PM

Washington, November 30: Citing coalition compulsions, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said economic reforms need to be in tune with the political climate of a country and cannot be produced like “rabbits out of a hat“.

“I think we cannot produce the reforms like rabbits out of a hat. Reforms have to respond to the political climate, what is saleable, what I can sell to our coalition partners,” Mr. Singh told Fareed Zakaria of the CNN in an interview.

Perfume made from Jackson’s DNA launched

Los Angeles, November 30: An American perfume manufacturing company has launched late pop legend Michael Jackson’s perfume – made using DNA samples from his hair.

The company called My DNA Fragrance claim to engineer scents from human genetic codes and they have recently teamed up with hair collector John Reznikoff, who has the world’s largest collection of historical hair – including some of Jackson’s for a scent, reports thesun.co.uk.

Jailed China mafia trial judge kills self: report

Beijing, November 30: A former senior judge awaiting trial in a massive organised crime crackdown in southwest China hung himself in jail using the drawstring of his underwear, state media said Monday.

Wu Xiaoqing, 57, was found hanging from his detention cell doorway in Chongqing city on Saturday afternoon and pronounced dead several hours later after being rushed to hospital, the official Xinhua news agency said.

BJP for EC probe against Ashok Chavan

New Delhi, November 30: Accusing Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan of indulging in “electoral malpractices”, the BJP on Monday said it will move the Election Commission to demand a probe into the issue.

“The Maharashtra Chief Minister has provided incorrect details of his election expenditure to the EC. He had spent more than what is allowed and submitted wrong details of his expenditure to the EC,” BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here.

Railway blast in Russia’s Dagestan: report

Moscow, November 30: An explosion hit a railway in Russia’s Caucasian region of Dagestan early Monday, the Interfax news agency reported quoting police officials.

“A railway was hit by an explosion before a train travelling from Tyumen to (Azerbaijan’s capital) Baku passed. The train did not derail, although the locomotive dragged the wagons some 150 meters along the damaged rails,” a local police official was quoted as saying.

No casualties were reported.

Gunmen kill three in restive Thai south: police

Pattani, November 30: Suspected Islamic separatists shot dead three men on Monday morning in the latest bout of violence in Thailand’s restive south, local police said.

Gunmen killed a Muslim villager in his house in Pattani province, while two Buddhist truck drivers were shot dead as they travelled to Narathiwat province with a goods delivery, the police told AFP.

The militants then torched both men’s bodies and their truck, they added.

WTO holds first Ministerial meeting in four years

Geneva, November 30: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) begins its first ministerial meeting in four years Monday aimed at reviewing the work of the 153-member group.

While trade negotiations are not on the agenda of the three-day gathering in Geneva, the stalled global trade round is likely to play a major role, following a call by world leaders for an agreement on the issue by the end of 2010.

Instead of considering a trade deal, WTO chief Pascal Lamy sees the meeting as providing “a platform for ministers to review the functioning of this house”.

Hyderabad bandh creates tension in Telangana

Hyderabad, November 30:: Tension prevailed in Telangana districts of Andhra Pradesh after police successfully scuttled the “fast unto death” program demanding statehood to Telangana region planned by the president of Telangana Rashtra Samithi, or TRS, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, on Sunday morning.

Rupee up 25 paise at 46.39 against dollar in early trade

Mumbai, November 30: The Indian rupee on Monday strengthened by 25 paise to 46.39 against the US currency in early trade on hopes of fresh capital inflows into equity in line with firming trends on other Asian markets.

Dollar’s losses against other currencies too supported the Indian rupee.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, the local unit appreciated by 25 paise to 46.39 a dollar. The rupee ended 20 paise lower at 46.64/65 in the previous session on Friday.

PM hopes US will get India official nuclear power state status

Washington, November 30: “Well, I hope it will happen,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Fareed Zakaria of the CNN when asked if he thinks that the US should try to press the issue and have India brought into the system as a nuclear weapons state.

The interview was taken in New Delhi, before Singh travelled to Washington last week. Its first part was telecast last Sunday, while the second part was aired yesterday.

Malaysia to retain freeze on Bangladesh labour: PM

Kuala Lampur, November 30: Malaysia has turned down a request from Bangladesh to lift an eight-month-old freeze on taking in new Bangladeshi workers, reports said Monday.

Malaysia in March cancelled the work visas of 55,000 Bangladeshi workers who had not yet arrived in Malaysia, citing fears of layoffs amid the global recession.

Prime Minister Najib Razak told state media he had denied Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s request to lift the ban, at a meeting on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.

Sensex rebounds, up 295 points in opening trade

Mumbai, November 30: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Monday recovered sharply by over 295 points in opening trade on fresh capital inflows by funds after the government said the Dubai crisis should not have any major impact.

Firming trends on other Asian markets too buoyed the trading sentiments here.

The Sensex shot up by 295.96 points, or 1.77 per cent to 16,927.97 points in opening trade. It had lost over 566 points in the past two sessions.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also recovered by 87.15 points, or 1.76 per cent to 5,028.90.