Muscat, February 26: A new chapter of diplomatic links between Oman and Algeria has begun with the opening of the Algerian Embassy here.
Visiting Algerian Foreign Affairs Minister Murad Medlisy inaugurated the embassy premises in the presence of Yousef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Oman’s Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs.
Dubai, February 26: Yemen’s Shi’ite rebels on Thursday withdrew from their stronghold of Saada city, two weeks into a ceasefire to end an insurgency that has also drawn in Saudi Arabia, a source in the truce committee said.
“Under an agreement reached between the committee supervising the ceasefire and representatives of the Houthi rebels, the fighters who were holed up in the old quarter have been allowed to leave with their weapons,” the source told Reuters.
Jerusalem, February 26: Israel said on Thursday its plan to rehabilitate Jewish shrines in the occupied West Bank, which has drawn Palestinian and Western criticism, will not affect Muslim worshippers or change the status quo.
Israel’s decision this week to include two biblical burial sites in a plan to restore 150 Jewish and Zionist heritage sites sparked Palestinian protests. Both the United States and United Nations have expressed concern the move could undermine efforts to revive long-stalled peace talks.
Washington, February 26: Israel lobbied the United States on Thursday to promote “crippling” sanctions against Iran to curb its nuclear program, but the Obama administration said it did not want to hurt the Iranian people.
Iran’s uranium enrichment in defiance of three rounds of U.N. Security Council sanctions has spurred world powers to consider tougher measures to halt what the West fears is a covert nuclear weapons drive.
Ghaziabad, February 26: Four unidentified men looted a cashier of around Rs eight lakh at gun-point in Hapur, police said today.
Suresh Kumar, a cashier with a local businessman was looted of Rs 7.60 lakh on yesterday while he was going to board a bus. The assailants later escaped on two motorcycles, they said.
This is second incident of loot in Hapur city in the last two months. Last month an accountant was looted of Rs 23 lakh on gun-point by two unidentified persons while he was on his way to deposit the cash in a bank.
—Agencies
Chennai, February 26: A missing male computer engineer working at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research(IGCAR) at Kalpakkam near here was found dead near a railway track, police said today.
The body of 37-year old S Ananthanarayanan was found near the railway track between Vandalur and Guduvancherry section on February 15 itself–the day he was reported missing–but was identified only last night by his father-in-law, Kalpakkam police told.
Washington, February 26: Syrian President Bashar Assad defied US calls to loosen ties with Iran, saying his alliance with Tehran remains strong despite overtures from Washington intended to shift his loyalties.
The U.S. has reached out to Syria in recent months by nominating the first U.S. ambassador to Damascus since 2005 and sending top diplomats to meet with President Bashar Assad. Washington is hoping to draw Syria away from Iran and the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.
New Delhi, February 26: Describing Sachin Tendukar as ‘Kohinoor’ of cricket, former captains Kapil Dev and Ajit Wadekar today said the milestone man should be conferred Bharat Ratna — India’s highest civilian award.
The record of highest International runs (31,041) and centuries (93) already by his name, Tendulkar on Wednesday became the first cricketer in the history of One-day cricket to score a double hundred in Gwalior.
“Sachin is the Kohinoor diamond of the game of cricket.
New Delhi, February 26: Superstition kept Virender Sehwag from applauding most part of Sachin Tendulkar’s double ton in Gwalior but once the batting maestro reached 190, he shunned his belief and cheered every shot of his idol till he reached the milestone.
“I am the superstitious kind. I never praise a shot because I fear the moment I do so, the batsman gets out. Till Sachin was on 190 in Gwalior, I was rooted in my seat in the dressing room. But when he got to 190, I couldn’t contain myself. I came out and started cheering every stroke till he got to 200,” Sehwag recalled.
Washington, February 26: The United States plans to provide Yemen with helicopters, transport equipment and training to expand its air and ground offensive against al Qaeda, a Pentagon document showed on Thursday.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week authorized $150 million in security assistance for Yemen in fiscal 2010, but Pentagon officials offered few details about the highly sensitive program.
Mumbai, February 26: The stock markets today cheered the Budget proposals by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and surged 420 points on the BSE index but could not sustain the momentum due to profit-booking and closed the day just 175 points over the previous level.
Analysts could not specify any specific reason for the slide from the day’s high of 16,669 points to 16,429.
55, saying the long gap between now and the next trading season, scheduled for Tuesday, has prompted operators and investors to book profit.
Washington, February 26: The United States plans to provide Yemen with helicopters, transport equipment and training to expand its air and ground offensive against al Qaeda, a Pentagon document showed on Thursday.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week authorized $150 million in security assistance for Yemen in fiscal 2010, but Pentagon officials offered few details about the highly sensitive program.
New Delhi, February 26: Air travel on all classes in both domestic and international sectors is likely to become costlier with the government expanding the scope of air transport services to attract service tax.
“The scope of air passenger transport service is being expanded to include domestic journeys and international journeys in any class,” said the memorandum explaining the provisions of the 2010-11 Finance Bill, presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament today.
So far, service tax was imposed only on international travel on First and Business classes.
Ahmedabad, February 26: Two days after Sachin Tendulkar made history in Gwalior, South African batsman AB de Villiers said it was an “unbelievable” batting display and no bowler in the world could have stopped the iconic Indian on Wednesday.
Tendulkar became the first batsman in one day cricket’s history to smash a double century in the match and his sublime unbeaten 200 off just 147 balls guided India to a series-clinching 153-run victory.
De Villiers, whose unbeaten 114 in the Gwalior match was reduced to a footnote, said Tendulkar was simply unstoppable.
Tripoli,February 26: Libya’s leader called for a jihad, or holy war, against Switzerland on Thurday because of its ban on mosque minarets – escalating a long-running diplomatic feud between the two countries.
Moammar Gadhafi also urged Muslims everywhere to boycott Swiss products and to bar Swiss planes and ships from the airports or seaports of Muslim nations.
London, February 26: Singer Chris Brown has urged people to forgive Tiger Woods for his infidelities, saying the golfer deserves a second chance.
Woods is in the midst of a raging scandal after reports of his sexual relations with several women surfaced.
The sports star apologised for his behaviour at a press conference earlier this month and now Brown, who was embroiled in his own scandal after he was convicted of attacking girlfriend Rihanna last year, has called on the public to overlook Wood’s affairs and concentrate on his golfing skills, media reports.
Jerusalem, February 26: Israel has plans to build another 600 homes in occupied land it considers part of East Jerusalem, the Haaretz daily newspaper reported on Friday.
The plan approved by a district planning commission could further stymie U.S.-brokered efforts to renew stalled peace talks as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who has insisted on a total settlement freeze including in Jerusalem.
Israeli spokesmen for the Jerusalem municipality and the Interior Ministry that oversees the planning commission were not immediately available for comment.
Dubai, February 26: Yemeni separatists shot dead a police officer in south Yemen as he drove on his motorcycle, bringing to four the number of people killed in attacks on security men in the south in a week, state media said on Friday.
The killing comes after the arrest of at least 80 people this week in security sweeps against separatists in south Yemen, as the government reacted to a week of unrest in which army positions came under fire and northern-owned shops were burned.
Al-Arish, February 26: A luxury cruise liner slammed into the pier as it docked at a Red Sea resort in Egypt, leaving three crew members dead, officials said.
The ship’s owner, Costa Crociera, said the vessel sprung a leak on the right side after it banged into the pier at about 4:45 a.m.
Witnesses said fierce winds had rocked the area overnight and the ship was slammed part way onto the pier.
Paulo, February 26: A newborn died after two doctors scuffled while the mother was in labor and Brazilian authorities said Thursday they are investigating to determine whether the delivery room fight caused the death or contributed to it.
The two doctors were fired by the public hospital in the small city of Ivinhema near the border with Paraguay, but investigators have not determined whether the fight played a role in the death, Ivinhema Health Secretary Sonia Garcao said.
February 26: A single dose of an experimental influenza drug saves more mice from H5N1 avian influenza than the preferred drug Tamiflu, researchers reported, and can also protect against infection.
The tests of Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd’s CS 8958 or laninamivir show one inhaled dose worked better than Tamiflu to keep mice alive when infected with a normally deadly dose.
The report in the Public Library of Science Journal PLoS Pathogens covers one of the dozens of ongoing studies of a new batch of influenza drugs being developed by a variety of companies.
Vancouver, February 26: Canadian police Thursday said they have found a body they believe is missing actor Andrew Koenig, son of former “Star Trek” star Walter Koenig, who disappeared earlier this month.
The disappearance of Koenig, who starred in television sitcom “Growing Pains” in the 1980s, caused alarm among his friends and family since he went missing on Feb. 18.
“Vancouver Police are investigating the discovery of a body found in Stanley Park around noon today. The body is believed to be that of Andrew Koenig,” police said in a statement.
Washington, February 26: Giving no ground, President Barack Obama and Republican leaders fought forcefully for their competing visions of historic health care reform Thursday in an exhausting, often-testy live-on-TV debate. Far from any accord, Obama signaled the Democrats were prepared to push ahead for an all-or-nothing congressional vote.
Myanmar, February 26: The highest court in military-ruled Myanmar dismissed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s latest bid for freedom Friday, turning down an appeal to end 14 years of house arrest, her lawyer said.
The Supreme Court’s decision had been expected since legal rulings in Myanmar rarely favor opposition activists.
Defense lawyer Nyan Win told reporters that he would launch one final “special appeal” before the court after determining why the earlier appeal had been rejected. “The court order did not mention any reasons,” he said.
New Delhi, February 26: At least 14 people, including four Indian nationals, were killed in Taliban attacks in central Kabul on Friday, police in the Afghan capital said.
Abdul Ghafor Sayedzada, a top investigator for the Kabul police, confirmed the blasts, which occurred near the Kabul City Center, a nine-story shopping area near the Safi Landmark Hotel. A building in front of the hotel caught fire.
A reporter for The Associated Press said gunmen opened fire at the site.