Archive for the ‘International News’ Category
Management called off London’s Airports Strike
Airport management has been meeting with the Airport’s Union to resolve a dispute between them regarding its compensation plan.
This action called off the series of strike planned by the workers of the country’s seven key airports including Heathrow, Stansted, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, and Southampton. The 24 hour strike was planned to implement by all workers including security personnel, office workers, firefighters and maintenance teams on January 7 and 14 and a walkout for 48 hours on January 17.
The negotiation between the management, Unite Union and Commercial Services Union ended however with no agreement made regarding the employees welfare.
Pope Benedict calls for World Peace
The pope calls for world peace in his Vatican opening message for New Year. Pope Benedict’s message is in line with the January 1 celebration of World Day Peace by the Catholic Church.
World Peace according to the pope is a divine gift of God, the families, being the prime foundation should bring the initial peace at home. The pope also noted that peace as a commitment is not just a result of mere conquest or political bargain and therefore should be followed with patience.
In his speech the Pope also stress the essence of traditional marriage of woman and man.
10 Euro tickets charge for every Milan vehicles
Milan Mayor, Letizia Moratti forecasted a 30% pollution decline and a 10% traffic reduction as she enforced a 10 euro “eco-pass” charged for every entering vehicle in the city.
This idea divides the city people into half but Mayor Moratti, foreseeing an improved living standard, was not frightened and pursued the implemented regulation.
Drivers on weekdays can secure tickets either from city posts or online. Hybrids as well as Electric cars are exempted from securing a ticket and can enter the city without it. Ticket price vary and a fine of 70 euros will be charge to anyone without it.
“Iraq invasion driven by oil”
Weapons of mass destruction was utterly beside the point
Alan Greenspan, consummate Washington insider and long-time head of the U.S. central bank, has backed the position taken by many anti war critics that the invasion of Iraq was motivated by oil.
His claim comes in his newly published autobiography, The Age of Turbulence, in which he also castigates Georage Bush’s administration for making “grave mistakes” in economic policy.
Sounding more like an activeist than a lifelong Republican who worked alongside six U.S. Presidents, Mr. Greenspan, former Federal Reserve Chairman, said in an interview with this reporter that the invasion of Iraq waas aimed at protecting West Asia oil reserves: “I thought the issue of weapons of mass destruction as the excuse was utterly beside the point.”
Mr. Greenspan said it was clear to him that Saddam Hussein had wanted to control the Straits of Hormuz and so control of West Asia oil shipments …
Sonia for good Indo-Pak relation
UPA chairperson and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday underlined the need for maintaining good relations with Pakistan. This, she said, could be achieved by promoting people to people contact.
“People to people contact is necessary for improvement of ties between the two countries. Confidence building measures, like the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, were initiated for improving relations with Pakistan,” she said, while addressing a woman’s meet at Sheri-Kashmir International Conversion Complex on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar.
Praising the Woman for putting up a brave front against terrorism, Sonia told a gathering of around 3,000 women that people’s determinaton would put an end to the terror menace. “Iam happy to be here among you who have fought terrorism with courage,” she said. She said empowerment could be achieved by imparting good education to woman. “Right opportunites are also important in
…
APEC not for expansion
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum has decided against expanding his membership for now. The issue will be discussed afresh in 2010. India, seen as a possible candidate for APEC membership, will, therefore, continue to remain outside the premier economic forum. The United States, China, Japan, Russia, and Australia are among the 21 APEC economies, so named because of their inclusion of a few non-sovereign players.
The APEC leaders discussed the membership moratorium at their Sydney summit which ended on Sunday. The moratorium, imposed of 10 years ago, will now stay at least until 2010. Announcing this, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who chaired the Sydney summit, did not mention India as an affected candidate. Nor was there any reference to India the final declaration. India is not a Pacific-rim state, and its potential contribution for the enhancement of APEC’s “regional integration” may become a litmus test, according to …
Loely Oscar night
Actress Nicole Kidman has revealed that she felt big but lonely after winning an Academy award for her role in The Hours in 2003. The 40-year-old said she felt very upset that she did not have anyone to celebrate the moment with, “It felt big. It felt lonely and big. You’re in a hotel and you’re like, OK, well, I am sitting in this big suite with an Oscar, and I still don’t have a life. What is wrong with me,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying. “It hit home that I needed to get a life: who do I jump on the bed with, and celebrate with, and order pancakes with. That was painful, not having that person to share it with”, she said.
Global warming may decimate polar bears
Shrinking sea ice
Two-thirds of the world’s polar bears will disapear by 2050, even under moderate projections for even under moderate projections for shrinking summer sea ice caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, government scientists reported on Friday. The finding is part of a year-long review of the effects of climate and ice changes on polar bears to help determine whether they should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. Scientists estimate the current polar bear population at 22,000. The report, which the U.S. Geological Survey released here, offers stark prospects for polar bears as the world grows warmer.
Biologists and climate scientists conclude in the report that under middleof-the road projections for warming, the bears will, by midcentury, be largely relegated to Arctic archipelago of Canada and sports off the northern Greenland coast, where summer sea ice tends to persits even in warm summers like this one, a shrinking …
Bush has Roh over words on war
President Bush’s talks with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun ended on a sour note friday not over the War in Iraq, but rather the Korean conflict that ended with a truce more than five decades ago.
Whatever Roh heard Bush say through his translator, it wasn’t good enoug. ” I think I did not hear President Bush mention the a declaration to end the Korean War just now,” Roh said as cameras clicked and TV cameras rolled.Bush said he thought he was being clear, but obliged Roh and restated the US position.That wasn’t good enough either. “If you could be a little bit clearer in your message,” Roh said.
Bush, now looking irritated, replied ” I cannot make it any more clear, Mr. President. We look forward to the day when we can end the karean War. That will end will happen …
China and U.S pledge to foster ties
Chinese President Hu Jintao and his United States counterpart, George W. Bush, on Thursday affirmed their reciprocal commitment to advance the relationship between their countries.
The two leaders, who met in Sydney in the run-up to an Asia-Pacific summit there over the Weekened, expressed their shared sentiments in a nuanced fashion, each emphasising the importance of different aspects of theses ties. In a diplomatic cameo of comments after teh talks, Mr. Hu said he was “constructive and cooperative relations.” Describing the meeting as “a constructive and cordial conversation,” Mr. Bush said they exchanged ideas on “a lot of interests that we want to work together on climate change.”Mr. Hu’s parallel response was that “the issue of climate change bears on the welfare of whole humanity and the sustainable developmen t of the whole world.” the matter should, therefore, be “appropriately tacked through stronger international cooperation.”
Mr. Hu earlier spoke about the brass …
War of words
US president George W Bush said during a surprise visit to iraq on Monday that security could not maintained with fewer US troops if a turnaround in the restive province of Anbar continues.
Bush, after hearing from top US and Iraqi leaders, said that some troops could be sent home if security conditions across Iraq continue to improves as they have in this former hotbed of sunni insurgency. But the president flanked by defence secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, did not say how many troops could be withdrawn or how soon.
Bush spoke after hearing from Gen. David Petraeus, the top US commader in I raq, and US ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker, who are testifyinig to Congress next week assessing the president’s troop buildup. “petraeus and Crocker tell me if the kind of success we are now …
Bosnia lays claim to world kissing record
Sarajevo: Organisers of and event in which almost 7,000 couples kissed simultaneously in a Bosnian town said their effort deserved a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
A total of 6,980 couples kissed for 10seconds at the main square of the northeastern town of Tuzla, some 120 Kmnorth of Sarajevo, said a local radio satiation kameleon which organised the event. Clerics called for a boycott of the event, arguing it was not in line with Muslim tradition. Muslims account for 44percent of Bosnia’s 3.8 million population. Tuzla mayor Jasmin Imamovic took part in the event with his wife.
“People are longing for love. The time has come that besides the Philippines and Hungary someone from southeastern Europe breaks the kissing record,” he said before the event.
The Philippines and Hungary are known for their rivalry for the kissing crown. The Asian country set the Guinness world record …
Princes Remember Diana as Loving Mother
Princes William Charles and Harry with Queen Elizabeth II at the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Diana
London: Ideally this report should have begun like this: “Britain on Friday came together to rember and pay tribute to Princess Diana on her tenth death anniversary…..” But that would be misreporting hte event as, far from being united, Britain continued to be as deeply divided between Diana loyalists and her detractors as they were 10 years ago.
As one newspaper noted, what should have been a somber occasion for “quiet national recollection”, turned into an unseemly public display of personal rivalries with the usual suspects in the Diana “camp” continuing their tirade against anyone not seen to be a fully-paid member of her fan club. Even the official memorial service was marred by a row over Camilla parker Bowles’ participation and, in the end, she was forced …
Musharraf to contest elections in uniform
Pervez Musharraf would seek re-election in military uniform and take a decision whether to quit as the country’s army chief only after the presidential polls slated for next month, a leading Pakistani daily reported on Friday. Musharraf made it clear to the ruling pakistan Muslim league leaders on Thursday that he would contest the electiion in uniform despite claims by ex-PM enazir Bhutto he had agreed to shed his army role as part of a power sharing deal, sources close to Musharraf told The News.
“Musharraf told the top league leaders that he has not given any time frame to the self exiled former prime minister on his intentions to shed his millitary uniform the presendent clearly stated that whenever he made up his mind to take off his uniform, he would take PML into confidence,” they said.
Responding to Bhutto’s claims on
…
Sanctions Won’t Stop North Korea’s Nukes
Stephan Haggard – Over the last two years the Bush administration has had surprising success putting together a sanctions regime against North Korea. But the country’s threat to test a nuclear weapon could leave the U.S. worse off than ever: with a nuclear North Korea perfectly willing to pay the price of hunger and even famine. I’ll tell you first why these sanctions are so efficient, and then why they’re also ineffective.
First, how did the U.S., which trades hardly at all with North Korea, gain such influence over Pyongyang’s international economic relations? Using provisions of the Patriot Act, the Bush administration issued a warning in 2005 that a small Macau bank, Banco Delta Asia, was involved in money-laundering activities. Facing a run on the bank, the Chinese authorities moved swiftly to take it over and close out the North Korean accounts. Some of these were almost certainly funds used by …
Recent Discussions
- sanam: Hello Sir, if we want to teach our children the truth, we must know what is meant by Lord and Lord of the...