Month: February 2011

Iran FM in Geneva for UN rights council

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Tehran, February 28: Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has arrived in the Swiss city of Geneva to attend the 16th session of the UN Human Rights Council and a plenary meeting of the Conference on Disarmament.

Salehi, who arrived in Geneva early Monday at the head of a high-ranking delegation, is scheduled to deliver speeches at the four-week session of the UN Human Rights Council and the Conference on Disarmament.

The top Iranian diplomat also plans to hold bilateral negotiations with heads of delegations attending the conference, IRNA reported.

India-England nail-biting thriller ends in a tie

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Bangalore, February 28: Cricket was the ultimate winner in one of the most gruesome ODI battles ever fought as England tied the nail biting encounter against India.

India staged a brilliant comeback after being almost taken out of the game by Andrew Strauss, aptly supported by Ian Bell with Zaheer Khan digging in deep for an extraordinary spell that saved the game for the home team.

No safety in Libya; people are looting, killing

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New Delhi, February 28: The first batch of 528 Indians flew back home on Sunday from Libya with tales of horror from the strife-torn country.

“The situation is very bad. People are looting. They are even killing. There is no police. There is no safety,” Karamvir, a carpenter working for a construction company, told reporters at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

‘Iran fully prepared, monitoring threats’

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Tehran, February 28: A top Iranian military commander says the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces are fully prepared and that Iran closely monitors threats.

“Threats are regularly monitored, and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces have a close eye on what goes on around the country and on the slightest moves, and prepare themselves in accordance with threats,” Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan told Mehr News Agency.

China says population has passed 1.34 billion

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Beijing, February 28: China says its population grew to more than 1.34 billion people last year.

The figure marks a rise from 2000’s tally of 1.295 billion people, which failed to count migrant workers living in cities for less than six months.

In the 10 years since, there has been an extensive shift in the population base as tens of millions of migrant workers have poured into urban areas looking for work.

The figure was drawn from a once-a-decade census conducted over 10 days at the beginning of November.

New Zealand PM: Earthquake could cost $15bn

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Christchurch, February 28: New Zealand’s’ leader says the earthquake that hit the city of Christchurch last week could cost the country around $15 billion.

Prime Minister John Key on Monday announced a package of short term measures worth 120 million New Zealand dollars ($90 million) to help pay salaries for some 50,000 people in the stricken city who are unable to work because of the quake.

Key said the full cost of the quake to the economy “is in the order of NZ$20 billion ($15 billion).”

Analysts had earlier put the cost at up to $12 billion.

Zimbabwe win toss, elect to bat against Canada

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Nagpur, February 28: Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura won the toss and decided to bat against Canada in their Group A match of the cricket World Cup here today.

Canada made one change to the side that lost to Sri Lanka in its tournament opener with Nitish Kumar, the youngest player in the World Cup, coming in for Henry Osinde in the opener”s slot.

Beaten by Australia in their opening match, Zimbabwe have left out wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva and have picked Greg Lamb.

The Teams:

Ireland’s opposition wins majority

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Dublin, February 28: Ireland’s opposition parties have made big gains in a general election focused on the country’s economic woes as angry voters ended the 80-year dominance of Fianna Fail.

The Fine Gael party was leading the pack, but the shape of the next government is hanging in the balance as counting continues for a second day.

By Sunday morning, 57 seats had been won by Fine Gael, 30 by Labour, 13 by Fianna Fail, 12 by Sinn Fein and 13 by smaller parties and independents.

Allahabad HC to hear parents’ plea

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Lucknow, February 28: The Allahabad High Court will on Monday resume hearing on Aarushi Talwar’s mother, Nupur Talwar, plea challenging the order of the CBI court in Ghaziabad which made her and her husband, Rajesh Talwar, the main accused in the murder of their daughter.

The High Court on Friday began hearing a writ petition by Aarushi Talwar’s parents challenging the summons issued to them by a special CBI court in Ghaziabad in the double murder of their teenage daughter and domestic help Hemraj.

‘I wanted to die’, says quake amputee

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Christchurch, February 28: Pinned under a concrete wall and in agonising pain, a Christchurch quake survivor wanted to die before a penknife-wielding surgeons – including an Australian doctor – hacked his legs off in a remarkable rescue.

“I just wanted there to be a decent aftershock to finish it,” Brian Coker said of his ordeal trapped in the rubble of a Christchurch office block after the devastating tremor that has killed at least 148 people.

Bombs kill 10 Afghans at dog fight

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Kabul, February 28: Two bomb explosions have torn through a crowd of villagers watching a dog fight in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, killing 10 people, officials said.

The double bombing in Arghandab district targeted villagers and a police vehicle, killing eight civilians and two police, Afghan interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said.

The violence follows a deadly Taliban-led campaign of blasts and suicide attacks that have rocked Afghanistan this month and killed more than 100 people, mostly civilians.

Jordan’s PM vows ‘true, gradual’ reforms

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Amman, February 28: Jordan’s prime minister has pledged to bring “true and gradual” reforms, a day after the opposition threatened more pressure on the government, accusing it of not taking the process seriously.

“The government is not practising a policy of containment. It is implementing a methodology of true and gradual reforms to achieve national objectives,” Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit told MPs in his policy statement today.

Libya rebels control city next to Tripoli

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Tripoli, February 28: Anti-government forces in Libya backed by rebel army troops are in control of the city closest to the capital Tripoli.

An Associated Press reporter who arrived on Sunday in Zawiya, 50km west of Tripoli, says forces loyal to longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi are surrounding the city of 200,000.

But anti-government rebels and troops allied with them are in control of the city centre.

Police stations and government offices have been torched and anti-Gaddafi graffiti is everywhere.

Many buildings in the city are pockmarked by bullet holes.

Afghan govt says NATO killed civilians: Karzai office releases statement

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Kabul, February 28: Afghanistan’s government says its investigations have found NATO killed 65 civilians, many of them children, during recent operations in a remote north-eastern militant stronghold.

The death toll from several days of operations in Kunar province comprised 21 boys, 19 girls, 10 women and 15 adult males, President Hamid Karzai’s office said in a statement on Sunday, quoting an official delegation.

Karzai has now ordered his security chiefs to “discuss the issue” with international forces, his office said, without providing further details.

Attack on Congo president’s home in Kinshasa kills 9

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Cong, February 28: Armed gunmen with machetes have attacked Congo’s presidential residence, and at least nine people have been killed during nearly an hour of gunfire, a witness says.

The president and his wife were not home at the time of the attack.

Communications Minister Lambert Mende appeared on national television later on Sunday to say the situation was under control.

“These people wanted to physically harm the president, but the country and all its institutions are functioning normally,” Mende said.

West Libya towns in opposition hands

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Tripoli, February Several towns in western Libya have been taken by opposition forces, which are now preparing to march on the capital, a member of a revolutionary committee says.

An Media reporter arriving in Nalut, a town of 66,000 people 235km west of Tripoli, found that strongman Muammar Gaddafi’s loyalist security forces had entirely disappeared from the streets.

“The city has been liberated since February 19. It has been run by a revolutionary committe named by the town’s communities,” local lawyer and committee member Shaban Abu Sitta said today.

Fears held for Australian man in Libya

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Tripoli, February 28: The Federal Government is concerned about one Australian man still detained in Libya, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

The man was detained by Libyan security forces on February 21 and the Australian Government has still not been able to contact him.

“We continue to have concerns about one Australian who has been taken into detention by Libyan forces,” the Prime Minister told ABC radio today.

“We don’t have any more information.”

Share market opens flat on Libya turmoil

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Tripoli, February 28: The share market opened flat today as investor worries about Libya’s turmoil outweighed positive US leads from Friday.

At 10.15am (AEDT), the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 1.7 points, or 0.04 per cent, at 4834.8, while the broader All Ordinaries index was up 1.8 points, or 0.04 per cent, at 4926.7.

On the ASX 24, the March share price index futures contract was four points up at 4823 with 8528 contracts traded.

Man kills wife on tenth anniversary

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New Delhi, February 28: Hours after celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, a wife was smothered to death by her husband in their Janakpuri home. The police said the man was tired of their constant quarrels and fights. The accused, Prince Kocher, 32, has been arrested. According to the police, the injury marks on Princ e’s right hand and arms nailed him. Moreover, all household articles were intact and the children were at their grandparents’ house on the night of the crime.

Ireland sought Libyan bailout

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Dublin, February 28: The Irish government attempted to secure a multi-billion euro bailout for the country’s struggling banks from Colonel Moamar Ghadafi’s international investment fund in December but failed because Libya dismissed it as a low-level investment.

Clinton: US ready to aid to Libyan opposition

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Washington, February 28: The Obama administration stands ready to offer “any type of assistance” to Libyans seeking to oust Moammar Gadhafi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday, adding a warning to other African nations not to let mercenaries go to the aid of the longtime dictator.

Clinton made no mention of any U.S. military assistance in her remarks to reporters before flying to Geneva for talks with diplomats from Russia, the European Union and other powers eager to present a united anti-Gadhafi front.

Obama welcomes governors to White House

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Washington, February 28: Obama hosts governors at White House dinner on eve of annual meetings with administration

President Barack Obama welcomed the nation’s governors to the White House on Sunday night, joking that the black-tie dinner shared some of the qualities of the Academy Awards taking place in Hollywood.

“I know some of you may be confused and think this is the Oscars,” Obama said to laughter. “There are some similarities. First of all, everybody looks spectacular. And the second is this.

——–Agencies

New Tunisia PM appointed

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Tunis, February 28: Tunisia’s prime minister Mohammed Ghannouchi resigned on Sunday and was replaced by Beji Caid Essebsi, a former minister, after anti-government protests left five people dead over the weekend.

Security forces again clashed with protesters in Tunis demanding the removal of some ministers of Ghannouchi’s interim government before the Premier announced his resignation.

“The acts of violence and looting, the unrest and the fires on Habib Bourguiba avenue in Tunis on Saturday have left five people dead,” said a ministry statement quoted by news agency.

Selby rail crash car driver Gary Hart blames ‘fate’

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Selby, February 28: The car driver who caused the Selby rail crash which killed 10 people has said it was “fate” that the accident happened.

Gary Hart, whose Land Rover veered off the M62 and on to the track after falling asleep at the wheel, spoke out on the 10th anniversary of the crash.

He said: “I believe in fate and I was meant to be there that morning.”

Meanwhile, Mary Dunn, whose train driver husband was killed, has said she cannot forgive Hart for what happened.

Rahman loses Oscar for `127 Hours` original score

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Los Angeles, February 28: Indian music maestro A.R. Rahman lost the Oscar for best original score to composer duo Trent Rezmor and Atticus Ross who won it for “The Social Network” at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards here.

Rahman is also nominated in the best song category with Dido and Rolo Armstrong, who have penned the lyrics of “If I Rise”.

Earlier this year, the 45-year-old had also lost the Golden Globe award as well as British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award for best original music in “127 Hours”.