Wednesday, 22 Jan, 2025

International

15 dead in Philippine bus crash

CEBU - Fifteen people were killed and more than 40 others were hurt when a speeding bus slammed into a concrete fence in the central Philippines, police said Sunday.The bus crash outside of central Cebu city Saturday was the second deadly road accident in the area in less than a

Iran says it has `evidence` its scientist abducted by CIA

TEHRAN - Iran has submitted "evidence" to the Swiss embassy that its nuclear scientist was abducted by US intelligence agents, the English language Press TV website reported on Sunday."The evidence related to the abduction of Shahram Amiri by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) has been

Lockerbie bomber could live 10 years with cancer

LONDON: The Lockerbie bomber could survive for 10 years or longer, according to the cancer specialist who said last year he would be dead within three months of his release, a newspaper reported on Sunday.Professor Karol Sikora, who assessed Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi for the Libyan

Israel-US summit expected to improve image of ties

JERUSALEM: When US President Barack Obama meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, media handlers will try to convey a crosser image of the relationship than at their last encounter.But major decisions are not expected to be taken at the meeting on Tuesday,

Settlers worry about impact of Palestinian boycott

MISHOR ADUMIM: Israeli settler and industrialist Avi Elkayam, 35, has no patience with the Palestinian boycott of settlement products. "It`s economic terrorism," he shouts shaking his fist.The months-old campaign has had a limited financial impact so far but it has a catastrophic

Take a walk on the wild side -- near the North Korea border

SEOUL: "Hurray!" a group of students yells exuberantly after cresting a green mountain peak and taking out cameras to snap the scenery.It`s a common sight in South Korea, where hikers in their thousands take every opportunity to flee the congested cities and ramble the mountains.But this

Caning under fire in Indian schools after child suicide

NEW DELHI: Illegal but often tolerated, caning is rife in India`s school system, but the recent suicide of a 12-year-old pupil after a beating has brought the practice out of the shadows.Rouvanjit Rawla, a pupil at the prestigious La Martiniere for Boys school in the eastern city of

Australia mining detente builds Gillard election brand

SYDNEY: New Australian leader Julia Gillard`s peace accord with the powerful mining sector overcomes a significant political hurdle and sends a critical message as she clears the decks for national elections.Gillard made a tax row with the deep-pocketed resources industry her priority

Obama risks party showdown on S.Korea deal

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama is risking a revolt within his own party as he presses ahead on a free trade agreement with South Korea, setting the stage for a showdown after November legislative elections.Organized labor, a critical support base for Obama`s Democratic Party, and

Rough seas halt US spill clean-up as crews test mega-skimmer

NEW ORLEANS: Cleanup work resumed in some areas of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill Saturday, but heavy swells kept many boats docked, halting efforts to fight the ecological disaster.A Taiwanese mega-skimmer dubbed the "A Whale" was in position near the site of the leak and set to undergo 48

Pakistan urchins swap streets for art

KARACHI: Tanvir Ahmed was 11 years old when he ran away from home and got drawn into life as a sex worker on the streets of Karachi. Now he takes art lessons and dreams of a better future."The four years I spent here were the worst. It was abuse. I never knew what would happen," said

US, Poland sign modified missile shield deal

KRAKOW - The United States and Poland on Saturday signed a deal on a future US anti-missile shield in Europe which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said would help ward off threats from Iran.The document amends an accord signed in Washington in August 2008 after the administration of

Minibus crash kills 14 in Pakistani Kashmir: official

MUZAFFARABAD - At least 14 people were killed and four others were injured on Saturday when their minibus fell into a ravine in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, an official said.The accident took place in mountainous Neelum valley, some 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of Muzaffarabad, the

Villagers disarm UN patrol in south Lebanon: army

TULINE - Villagers disarmed a French patrol of UN peacekeepers Saturday and attacked them with sticks, rocks and eggs in south Lebanon, in the latest in a string of such incidents, the Lebanese army said."Residents of the village of Tuline as well as some villagers from nearby Kabrikha

NATO forces kill two civilians in south Afghanistan

KABUL - NATO forces accidentally killed two civilians, including a woman, and wounded another during an operation against Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said on Saturday.Afghan and international forces killed the civilians overnight as they searched compounds for

12 dead as bus plunges off bridge in S. Korea

SEOUL - Twelve passengers were killed and eight others were seriously injured when their bus fell from a bridge near Seoul`s international airport on Saturday, police said.The death toll rose to 12 from five within a few hours after the accident, with some passengers succumbing to

Strike in Lahore to protest Pakistan shrine bombing

LAHORE - Shops and offices were shut in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Saturday in a protest strike over suicide attacks on an Islamic shrine which killed 43 people.Police said they have "apprehended" several people in their investigation into Thursday`s bombings, which left a

200 dead after DR Congo tanker truck explosion - Red Cross

KINSHASA - At least 200 people died when a tanker truck filled with oil exploded and set fire to a village in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Red Cross said Saturday, doubling an earlier toll."A tanker truck coming from Tanzania overturned in the village of Sange. There was

Iran court amputates thief`s hand: report

TEHRAN - Iranian authorities have cut off the hand of a convicted thief after a court ruling in the western city of Malayer, the hardline Kayhan newspaper reported on Saturday."Following a court ruling, a thief`s hand was amputated in Malayer," the report said, referring to the city

Third spy arrested over assassination attempt in SKorea

SEOUL - A third man has been arrested over a plot to assassinate a top ranking defector from North Korea, a report said Saturday.The man, whose family name is Han, was a former North Korean agent who has been living in South Korea since the 1960s, Yonhap news agency said, quoting