Tokyo, May 18 (DPA) The number of new swine-flu infections in Japan rose to 130 Monday, the Kyodo News agency reported, citing its own calculations.
Prime Minister Taro Aso told a government task force that he had no plans to call citizens to refrain from attending meetings or going out or to scale back business because of the spread of the A(H1N1) strain of the flu virus.
New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Agriculture and retailing of farm-based products will be the next focus areas for the diversified Bharti group with a war chest of $2.5 billion. The group reached a major milestone last week with a telecom subscriber base of 100 million.
New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) The clear mandate won by the UPA in the Lok Sabha polls would help the new government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh continue its policies on various flagship programmes as well as tackle the economic crisis, the Congress said Sunday.
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has won 262 seats in the new Lok Sabha, just 10 short of the halfway mark.
New Delhi, May 17 (ANI): The Congress party on Tuesday will meet with its pre-poll allies to discuss government formation, party spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi said after the Congress core group meeting today.
Islamabad, May 17 (IANS) Pakistan Sunday warned the Taliban of “dire consequences” if they didn’t lay down arms as the military said its operations against the militants in the country’s restive northwest had “entered into a new phase”.
“The Taliban should lay down their arms or prepare themselves for dire consequences,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters after visiting relief camps in Mardan that have been set up for civilians fleeing the fighting in Swat and two other districts of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
Dhaka, May 17 (DPA) A Bangladeshi court Sunday cleared Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed of an extortion charge brought against her by a businessman two years ago, court officials said.
A judge of the special court, set up during the previous military-backed government of Fakhruddin Ahmed to provide speedy trials for graft cases, mostly against politicians, ordered the charges against Hasina withdrawn.
Chennai, May 17 (IANS) A much stronger Congress-led coalition to form the next government bodes well for the life insurance sector clamouring for reforms, says the industry’s representative organisation.
“Two important amendment bills relating to the insurance sector reforms are pending in Parliament. We expect them to be passed this time,” said S.B. Mathur, secretary general of Life Insurance Council that has 22 life insurance companies as members.
Ottawa, May 17 (ANI): Canada’s first Sikh woman elected to the House of Commons, Ruby Dhalla, resigned this week after being alleged for mistreating women she had employed to care for her 62-year-old mother, Tavinder.
This week, the Commons committee heard caregivers’ accounts and Dhalla’s defense, The Globe and Mail reports.
Despite saying that support from her caucus leadership has been important, party leader Michael Ignatieff accepted her resignation as youth and multiculturalism critic. Now Dhalla is not sure on whether she will get her job back.
London, May 17 (IANS) Major donors of Britain’s ruling Labour Party say they will withdraw their financial support over a deepening parliamentary expenses scandal, a newspaper reported.
Only Indian-born industrialist Lord Swraj Paul pledged to continue donating, the Observer newspaper said.
Melbourne, May 17(ANI): It looks like triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice has become a bit choosy when it comes to her swimming suits.