Page 345 - Video Gallery

Lobsang Sangay, Tibets new PM-in-exile

Lobsang Sangay was sworn in as the new 'Kalon Tripa' or the Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile in the presence of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, on Monday. The 42-year-old Harvard law scholar was elected in April as leader of the movement following the stepping down of the Dalai Lama from his political responsibilities. Thubten Samphel, spokesperson for the Tibetan government-in-exile, termed his swearing in as 'a turning point' in the movement for sovereignty, which has been spearheaded by the Dalai Lama, for the past several decades.

US condemns Mumbai blasts

Condemning the yesterday's serial blasts that killed at least 21 people and injured 140 others in Mumbai, US Charge d'Affaires to India, Peter Burleigh, said on Thursday that the US would stand 'shoulder to shoulder' with India in the fight against terrorism. Burleigh's comments came soon after Obama strongly condemned the attacks and even offered support to bring the perpetrators to justice, according to a White House statement. Addressing mediapersons in New Delhi, Burleigh maintained that the US was deeply saddened by the incident.

Ban Ki Moon reappointed as UN chief

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki Moon has been unanimously approved a second five-year term by the 192-nation U.N. General Assembly. Ban¿s second term as Secretary General would commence from January 1, 2012. The former South Korean foreign minister, who took over from Kofi Annan in January 2007, was re-elected to the world body's top job by acclamation, as there was no other contender for the post.

Osama Bin Laden dead: Obama

Osama bin Laden, the glowering mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks that killed thousands of Americans, was killed in an operation led by the United States, claims US President Barack Obama. A small team of Americans carried out the attack and took custody of bin Laden's remains, the president said in a dramatic late-night statement at the White House on Sunday.

Fukushima prepares for worst

Disaster and relief efforts have gained momentum in Fukushima in tsunami-ravaged Japan after a third reactor was rocked by an explosion on Tuesday and a fourth caught fire in a dramatic escalation of the 4-day-old catastrophe. Authorities at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex, damaged in Friday''s massive earthquake and tsunami, are trying to prevent meltdowns in three of the plant''s nuclear reactors. Fukushima''s capital city is about 70 km from the plant, so evacuations were not mandatory. Still, residents concerns are evident.

Japan fights quake, tsunami

Japan confronted devastation along its northeastern coast on Saturday, after a massive earthquake and tsunami that likely killed at least 1,000 people. Daybreak revealed the full extent of damage from Friday''s 8.9 magnitude earthquake -- the strongest in Japan since records began -- and the 10-metre high tsunami it sent surging into cities and villages, sweeping away everything in its path. Domestic media said the death toll was expected to exceed 1,000, most of whom appeared to have drowned by churning waters.

Celebrations in Egypt

Moroccan demonstrators showed their support for Egypt on Friday as news spread that president Hosni Mubarak ceded power. Hundreds gathered chanting slogans and carrying banners warning that other Arab leaders could be next. Earlier during the day, Mubarak and his family left for the Red Sea resort city of Sharm-el-Sheikh, bringing the curtains down on an authoritarian era, which began when he assumed power in 1981 following the assassination of Anwar Sadat during a military parade.

Insufficient security caused Moscow blast

As firemen removed body bags from a Moscow airport terminal after the deadly blast yesterday that killed at least 35 people and injured over 150 people, a spokesman for Russia?s national anti?terrorism committee (NAC) said on Tuesday that insufficient security measures in Moscow?s Domodedovo airport are to be blamed for the bombings. The suicide bomber?s attack bore the hallmarks of militants fighting for an Islamist state in the North Caucasus region.

Bangkok reopens for business

Thai financial markets,government offices,and schools streamed back into the capital Bangkok on Monday as the city reopened for business after the worst riots in modern history.Thailand's stock exchange and other financial markets resumed full day trading on Monday after being closed on Thursday and Friday following a wave of arson and street battles when the army crack downed on thousands of anti-government protesters. Bangkok's metropolitan train services resumed full operations after starting skeleton service over the weekend.

Eighth SAARC meeting begins today

Ahead of the eighth meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC, Environment Ministers met in national capital New Delhi today. The Environment Ministers of the SAARC countries will meet today to consider the report of the Expert Group Meeting and the draft Agreement on the SAARC Natural Disaster Rapid Response Mechanism.

India-born scientist wins Nobel Prize

An India-born structural biologist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday for his work on proteins that control life. Professor Ramakrishnan shared the award with two other scientists, Israeli Ada Yonath and Thomas Steitz who produced atom-by-atom maps of the mysterious, life-giving ribosome. The three scientists shared 10 million Swedish crown prize for showing how the ribosome operates at the atomic level.

Water detected on moon

A panel of NASA scientists at a media briefing at headquarters in Washington D.C. on Thursday confirmed to have found clear evidence of surface water, apparently concentrated at the poles, on Moon. Scientists from U.S. Geological Survey, who used a spectrometer from the Cassini spacecraft to identify water, also expresses their thoughts on this latest discovery.

Doha trade "impasse" broken: India

Union trade minister Anand Sharma said on Monday that the impasse has been broken over the World Trade Organisation's long-running Doha round of world trade talks. While Sharma did not give a timeline for the talks to conclude, he said both the United States and India have emerged from elections with new governments ready to reach an agreement.

Obama hails India as global power

Washington views India as a 'critical partner' in helping to deal with the challenges of the 21st century, President Barack Obama said on Thursday. Obama said this after meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in London. Obama said he admired Singh for his economic policies that unleashed India's economic power.

Troops enter police compound under attack

A group of attackers continued fighting in a police training centre in Lahore on Monday after storming the building with guns and grenades, killing at least fourteen policemen. A police armoured personnel carrier or APC has entered the compound and exchanged fire with the attackers. It is estimated that about 800 policemen inside the centre are being held hostage.

Sharif calls off Long March

In a huge victory for the people of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari-led government has agreed to reinstate all the judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary who was removed by former president Pervez Musharraf during the emergency in 2008. As the news reached PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, who was leading the march in Gujrawala, thanked Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari and called off the long march.

Pak oppn start nationwide protest

Pakistani lawyers and opposition parties started a nationwide protest on Thursday, heading for a showdown with the government, which has banned rallies and detained hundreds of activists. The so-called "long march" to press for an independent judiciary could destabilise the civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari at a time when Pakistan faces severe challenges from Taliban militants and a sinking economy.

Qatar - India ties

Qatar's minister of state for Foreign Affairs on Tuesday met Principal Secretary to the Indian Prime Minister T K A Nair in New Delhi and held discussions on the engagement of the two countries in the energy and fertilizer sectors. Qatar Minister of state for Foreign Affairs said that the two countries intended to encourage direct exchange investment.

Slumdog wins eight Oscars

It was the day for Slumdog Millionaire at the Oscars. Out of 10 Oscar nominations, Slumdog Millionaire has won eight Oscars that include double Oscar for music maestro A R Rahman and best Director for Danny Boyle. The film opened its Oscars account by winning in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for Simon Beaufoy and then there was no looking back as the film went on a dream run to win major awards in various categories.

Slumdog Millionaire bags Golden Globes

British Director, Danny Boyle¿s film "Slumdog Millionaire" enjoyed a dominating evening at the Golden Globes on Sunday, winning four of the coveted awards including best film and director to give it a leg up in Hollywood's race for Oscars. The film also won best original score for A R Rahman and best screenplay for Simon Beaufoy. Music maestro A.R. Rahman has become the first Indian to win the prestigious Golden Globe award for best original music score.