International News

Venezuela has shown little interest in curbing the number of illegal flights hauling Colombian cocaine from its territory for the United States and Europe, a U.S. official said on Wednesday.

A collapse in private sector investment and output is pushing Venezuela into recession and spells trouble for President Hugo Chavez's state-driven growth model ahead of elections next year.

Cuba's Raul Castro has kept the system his brother Fidel used to repress critics, refusing to free scores of people imprisoned years ago and jailing others for "dangerousness," Human Rights Watch said in a report issued on Wednesday.

Sydney, Nov 18 (DPA) An elderly Australian who missed a turn and drove 600 km in the wrong direction while out to buy a newspaper said Wednesday that time was on his side and he wouldn't be getting a GPS to help with the navigating.

Melbourne, Nov 18 (IANS) Three Australian youths were Wednesday awarded jail terms of up to 18 years for viciously attacking India-born doctor and former head of the Australian Medical Association Mukesh Haikerwal last year. The doctor said he drew 'no comfort' from the sentencing.

Wellington, Nov 18 (DPA) New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Wednesday that he would not meet the Dalai Lama when he visits the country next month.

Chile's President Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday condemned as haughty and offensive comments by Peru's leader Alan Garcia over a spy scandal that has stirred century-old tensions between the neighbors.

Frank DiPascali, swindler Bernard Madoff's right-hand man who admitted helping his boss run a decades-long multibillion dollar fraud, was moved from a New York jail to another north of the city five days ago, officials said on Tuesday.

Frank DiPascali, swindler Bernard Madoff's right-hand man who admitted helping his boss run a decades-long multibillion dollar fraud, was moved from a New York jail but he remains in custody, law enforcement sources said on Tuesday.

Frank DiPascali, a former top deputy to imprisoned Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff, has been released from prison after having been denied two prior bail requests, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' website.

Melbourne, November 17 (ANI): Fast-food giant McDonald's was named the most irresponsible creator of food promotions in three out of four categories at Australia's annual children's food marketing Fame and Shame Awards.

Melbourne, Nov 17 (ANI): The New Oxford American Dictionary has named 'unfriend', which means deleting a friend from a site such as Facebook, as its word of the year.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has approved grants worth US$2.4 billion over two years. With this grant, the Global Fund has approved US$18.4 billion for 144 countries since it was created in 2002 to fight infectious diseases in developing countries.

Peruvian President Alan Garcia on Monday demanded Chile respond to a spy scandal that has stoked century-old tensions but stopped short of suggesting the spat would hurt bilateral trade worth more than $3 billion a year.

Anti-Castro Cuban-Americans are donating more money to Democratic lawmakers in hopes of blunting momentum in Congress to lift the U.S. trade embargo of the Communist-ruled Caribbean nation, a report said on Monday.

Democrats and Republicans in Congress are working together to craft an immigration reform bill that could become law as early as next year, a senior White House adviser said on Sunday.

Melbourne, November 15 (ANI): A new drug called Mephedrone or MM-Cat, which is said to be "a cross between cocaine and ecstasy," is being sold through the web, it has emerged.

Deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said on Saturday he would refuse to return to the presidency as part of any deal to end the crisis sparked by his ouster, saying that to do so would legitimize a June coup.

Melbourne, Nov 14 (ANI): An ardent animal lover, who died alone in her Sydney home, has left her 3-million-dollar estate to stray cats and dogs.

Pretoria, Nov. 14 (ANI): South African star athlete Caster Semenya has revealed how her life has changed since winning the women's 800 metre world championship in Berlin, and the controversial gender row that followed afterwards.