World News

Colombo, Oct 12 (IANS) Charging that 'some foreign elements' were trying to disrupt the ongoing development activities in Sri Lanka, a senior advisor to President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that the island nation has 'got maximum support from India to crush' the Tamil Tiger rebels, a media report here said.

London, Oct 12 (IANS) British actress of Indian origin Meera Syal returns to the small screen with the show 'Beautiful People' after two and half years that she took time-off for her second delivery.

Kabul, Oct 12 (Xinhua) At least 64 Taliban militants were killed in fighting Sunday between the insurgents and the government troops in Afghanistan's troubled southern province of Helmand bringing the total Taliban casualty over the past three days to more than 100, a provincial official said.

Johannesburg, Oct 12 (IANS) The Taliban and Al Qaeda are giving Islam and Pakistan 'a bad name' and the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) does not want 'mullahs or religious clerics ruling Pakistan', says its exiled chief Altaf Hussain.

New York, Oct 12 (IANS) CosmoGirl magazine, teen sibling of Cosmopolitan, is to cease publication by the end of the year because of shrinking ad pages, but will continue to run its website considering teenagers spend more time online, the publishing company has announced.

New York, Oct 12 (IANS) The fact that the Bush administration found time to push the nuclear deal even amid the ongoing financial crisis is an indication of the growing importance the US accords to India, Indian American analysts and leaders point out.

Bangkok, Oct 12 (DPA) 'Grandpa Yen', a 108-year-old Thai-Muslim who lived alone in a small boat on the Phetchaburi river for years, died Sunday from natural causes.

Taipei, Oct 12 (DPA) A species of rare land crab has been spotted in Taiwan, the third time that the species has been observed by scientists, a newspaper said Sunday.

Vatican, Oct 12 (IANS) Kerala nun Sister Alphonsa, who at the age of seven had dedicated herself to serving Jesus Christ, calling him 'my divine Spouse', was greatly disturbed when her family decided to get her married at 13.

Moscow, Oct 12 (Xinhua) At least 12 people were killed in an earthquake jolting Russia's North Caucasus region, Itar-Tass news agency reported quoting the republic's health minister Musa Akhmadov.

Wellington, Oct 12 (DPA) A former undercover New Zealand police officer has confessed to lying in court testimony that sent at least 150 people to jail, a newspaper reported Sunday.

Islamabad, Oct 12 (DPA) At least three people were killed Saturday in a missile strike by suspected US drones in Pakistan's restive tribal region along the border with Afghanistan, officials said.

Washington, Oct 11 (IANS) India has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to refocus and strengthen its traditional surveillance and lending functions as part of efforts to resolve the global financial crisis with the spotlight on important bigger countries.

Harare, Oct 11 (DPA) Attempts to settle Zimbabwe's political crisis appeared to be shattered Saturday after President Robert Mugabe allocated all the incoming power-sharing government's critical portfolios to his Zanu-PF party.

Washington, Oct 11 (Xinhua) The US Saturday removed North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, the State Department announced.

Severomorsk (Russia), Oct 11 (RIA Novosti) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev joined the Northern Fleet Saturday to observe military exercises, including a full-range test of the Sineva ballistic missile, in the Barents Sea.

Washington, Oct 11 (IANS) As India and the US inked a historic and unprecedented civil nuclear deal after over three years of tortuous twists and turns, they also widened their horizons, looking far beyond a dramatic transformation of their bilateral relations.

Dhaka, Oct 11 (DPA) Bangladesh's opposition Awami League party Saturday warned the country's military-backed administration that it might stay away from the general election unless the prolonged state of emergency is lifted beforehand.

Jakarta, Oct 11 (DPA) Greeted by thousands of cheering supporters, the 83-year-old founder of Aceh's rebel movement returned to the tsunami-wracked Indonesian province of Aceh Saturday for the first time in almost 30 years.

Moscow, Oct 11 (Xinhua) At least four people were killed Saturday when an earthquake jolted the northern Caucasus region in Russia, the Interfax news agency reported.