Category: Foreign News

Quake in New Zealand kills at least 65, traps more

Source: AP News – (Pix by Reuters / AP) CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – One of New Zealand’s biggest cities lay in ruins Tuesday after a powerful earthquake toppled tall buildings and churches on a busy weekday, killing at least 65 people in the country’s worst natural disaster in decades. The quake even shook a massive […]



WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested in UK

LONDON – Police say WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has surrendered to British police as part of a Swedish sex-crimes investigation, the latest blow to the secret-spilling website that faces legal, financial and security challenges. Assange was arrested at 9:30 a.m. (930 GMT) Tuesday and was due to appear at Westminster Magistrate’s Court later in the […]



CBI website hacked by ‘Pakistani Cyber Army’

New Delhi: In a major embarrassment, the website of premier investigating agency CBI was hacked Friday by programmers identifying themselves as “Pakistani Cyber Army”. The home page of the CBI website had a message from the ‘Pakistani Cyber Army’ warning the Indian Cyber Army not to attack their websites. […]



Moderate 5.6 quake strikes South Indian Ocean

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake has struck the South Indian Ocean, the US Geological Survey said, although there were no immediate reports of damage and there was no tsunami warning in effect. The quake hit today at a shallow depth of 15.3km at 2.19am local time (8.19am AEDT), the USGS said in a statement. […]



Myanmar’s Suu Kyi, newly free, calls for talks

YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, freed from seven years of house arrest, told thousands of wildly cheering supporters Sunday that she would continue to fight for human rights and the rule of law in the military-controlled nation. She called for face-to-face talks with the junta’s leader. She spoke to about […]



Obama flies to India, looking to boost US economy

MUMBAI, India – President Barack Obama hasn’t been able to drive down unemployment in America, so he’s coming to India in search of U.S. jobs. Four days after his party suffered heavy, economy-influenced losses in Congress, the president will arrive Saturday in Mumbai, India’s booming financial center, where he will meet with local business leaders […]



Tourists taunted during Maldives ‘wedding ceremony’

(WARNING: Contains strong and abusive language.) COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The Maldives expressed “shock and disgust” yesterday after a video surfaced of a Swiss couple being mocked and insulted by a celebrant during their marriage ceremony at a luxury hotel. In the video, posted on YouTube several days ago, a couple can be seen seated […]



They’re all out: 33 miners raised safely in Chile

SAN JOSE MINE, Chile – The last of the Chilean miners, the foreman who held them together when they were feared lost, was raised from the depths of the earth Wednesday night — a joyous ending to a 69-day ordeal that riveted the world. No one has ever been trapped so long and survived. Luis […]



Chelsea Clinton weds in private ceremony

Onlanka News – By Janaka Alahapperuma (Photos by: Genevieve de Manio) Chelsea Clinton, the only child of the former U.S. President William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton and the U.S. Secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton wed her long-time boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky on Saturday 31 July at Astor Courts, an historic 50 acre estate about 100 miles […]



Rupee joins elite club

NEW DELHI:Even though not fully convertible, the Indian rupee will soon have a distinct identity. With a blend of the Devanagari ‘Ra’ and Roman ‘R’ as its unique symbol, the Indian currency will be joining the elite club of the US dollar, the European euro, the British pound sterling and the Japanese yen to mark […]



64 die in bomb attacks in Uganda during World Cup

KAMPALA, Uganda – In simultaneous bombings bearing the hallmarks of international terrorists, two explosions ripped through crowds watching the World Cup final in two places in Uganda’s capital late Sunday, killing 64 people, police said. Americans were among the casualties. The deadliest attack occurred at a rugby club as people watched the game between Spain […]



UN General Secretary says Vesak theme speaks to global concerns amid multiple crises

Onlanka News – By Janaka Alahapperuma Source: United Nations- New York (Ref: SG/SM/12890) United Nation’s General Secretary Ban Ki-moon issued a message for day of Vesak and said the Vesak theme “Global Recovery: The Buddhist Perspective”, spoke to global concerns amid multiple crises. The Day of the Vesak (Day of the Full Moon of the […]



Hero Tillakaratne Dilshan led us to safety as bullets rained in – Kent coach Paul Farbrace relives horror of terrorist attack on Sri Lanka team in Pakistan

Daily Mail – By Paul Newman Paul Farbrace talks about the day he nearly lost his life in an almost unnervingly matter-of-fact fashion. ‘I was sitting in the team bus when I heard this popping and banging noise,’ said Kent’s new head coach. ‘I looked out of the window and saw this guy running with […]



Google postpones cellphone launch in China

Reuters – Melanie Lee and Chris Buckley SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) – Google has postponed the launch of two mobile phones in China which use its Android platform, in the first sign its business in the country is starting to be affected by a dispute over hacking and censorship. The manufacturers of the telephone, which was scheduled […]