UNITED NATIONS: The world`s conflicts, crises and diplomatic dramas -- from stumbling efforts to cut poverty to Iran`s nuclear drive and Pakistan`s flood disaster -- will be debated and disputed by global leaders from Monday at the annual UN summit.Presidents Barack Obama of the United

WASHINGTON: A publisher has agreed to remove US intelligence secrets from a memoir by a former army officer in Afghanistan after the Pentagon raised last-minute objections, officials said Friday.The book, "Operation Dark Heart," had been printed and prepared for release in August but St.

BAMAKO: The Mauritanian army was fighting militants of Al-Qaeda`s north African wing Friday near the border with Mali`s Timbuktu region, a Malian security source told AFP."Clashes are taking place this moment between AQIM and the Mauritanian army on Mauritanian territory, in the area near

HAVANA: The American Ballet Theatre and the New York City Ballet will perform in Cuba for the first time in half a century in November in homage to former prima ballerina Alicia Alonso on her 90th birthday, organizers said Friday.Alonso, who founded Cuba`s national ballet company in 1948,

LONDON: Pope Benedict XVI faced Saturday the first major protests of his visit to Britain as police kept six street cleaners in custody for questioning over a suspected "terrorist" plot linked to his trip.The 83-year-old pontiff was set to lead a huge open-air prayer vigil in London`s

MADRID: Roman Polanski`s political thriller "The Ghost Writer" picked up the critics` award for best picture as the San Sebastian film festival got underway here Friday.Polanski "is an author in every sense" and "every aspect of this prize is his," said British actress Olivia Williams,

UNITED NATIONS:The United Nations on Friday appealed for a record two billion dollars in emergency aid for the millions of victims of Pakistan`s devastating floods.The Pakistan floods are "the worst natural disaster the United Nations has responded to in its 65-year history," UN Secretary

KABUL: Insurgents launched a rocket attack in Kabul on Saturday as Afghanistan went to the polls to elect a new parliament, with security forces on full alert after Taliban threats to derail the vote.The election is the latest step in a US-led process to bring democracy to the

KABUL (AFP) – Afghans braved sporadic rocket and bomb attacks to vote for a new parliament Saturday, with the war-weary nation on full security alert after the Taliban threatened to derail the high-stakes election.At least two people were killed after polling stations opened and UN and

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced a 40-billion-dollar Wednesday drive to improve the health of women and children, which he said would save millions of lives around the world.Governments, philanthropists and private groups pledged the cash, giving a spectacular

JERUSALEM: A Palestinian was shot dead by an Israeli guard in east Jerusalem on Wednesday during clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinians, police and witnesses said.Another two Palestinians were wounded as the guard, whose job was "to protect Jewish residents," opened fire

KABUL: President Hamid Karzai Friday called on all Afghans, including Taliban militants, to vote in the country`s parliamentary election at the weekend."We hope that our people in every corner of our country, in every city of our country and every province will go to polling stations and

TOKYO: Japan`s Prime Minister Naoto Kan of the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) on Friday announced a sweeping reshuffle of his cabinet. Here is the new ministerial line-up:Post NameFinance Yoshihiko NodaForeign Affairs Seiji Maehara (new)Economy, Trade and Industry Akihiro

COLOMBO: At least 27 people were killed including two Chinese contractors in eastern Sri Lanka on Friday after an accidental blast at an explosives depot at a police station, a military spokesman told AFP.Military spokesman Major General Ubaya Medawala told AFP that police were issuing

Kathmandu: Nepal`s opposition Maoist party Friday announced it was pulling out of the prime ministerial race with chief and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda withdrawing his candidature from the vote scheduled for Sep 26.The former guerrillas reached the decision after

SEOUL: North and South Korean officials held talks Friday about restarting reunions for families separated by war 60 years ago, as tension on the peninsula showed signs of easing.Tens of thousands of Koreans on both sides have not seen family members since the 1950-53 war divided the

Bogota: Police in the Colombian city of Barranquilla "arrested" a parrot after it helped several alleged drug dealers and thieves get away during a raid, the daily El Heraldo reported.The incident happened Wednesday, when close to 300 police officers arrived to raid a house following

Khartoum: At least 37 people were killed and 26 wounded after a bus collided with another vehicle on a highway in Sudan`s White Nile state, south of Khartoum, authorities said Thursday.After the collision, the bus caught fire and all its passengers were burnt, Xinhua reported.Sudan has

BRUSSELS: French President Nicolas Sarkozy stunned a European summit Thursday, clashing with top officials and tripping up on a claim that Germany was about to copy controversial Roma deportations.Sarkozy angrily rejected suggestions by the European Union`s justice commissioner that drew

KAKUMA: The 75,000 refugees camped under the burning sun on a rocky plain in Kenya`s arid northwest represent a cross-section of east Africa`s various wars and crises.From Somalia, south Sudan, Darfur, Ethiopia and Rwanda, all have made their way to the town of Kakuma -- close to nowhere