Extreme weather grounds over 1,800 flights at Chicago airports

Extreme weather grounds over 1,800 flights at Chicago airports

More than 1,800 flights were cancelled Monday as frigid weather caused a number of problems at both Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport, including the freezing of equipment used to fuel the planes. Southwest Airlines suspended operations at Midway until later Monday afternoon because of the refueling problems, but other major airlines including […]

Angela Merkel injured in ski fall

Angela Merkel injured in ski fall

in December. She was skiing near the resort of St. Moritz. Merkel will have to remain lying down as much as possible in the next three weeks and several visits will be cancelled, reported BBC quoting spokesperson Steffen Seibert. She also suffered severe bruising in the accident, which occurred in the Alpine Engadine region of […]

Thai protestors stage warm-up rally for Bangkok shutdown

Thai protestors stage warm-up rally for Bangkok shutdown

Thailand’s anti-government protestors Sunday morning began a warm-up rally to mobilise more people to join a mass campaign planned for Jan 13 to paralyse the capital. Led by Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary-general of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, protestors started around 10 a.m. a march of about eight km in downtown Bangkok, Xinhua reported. Similar warm-up […]

US icebreaker Polar Star to help vessels trapped in Antarctica

US icebreaker Polar Star to help vessels trapped in Antarctica

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has requested the US Coast Guard’s icebreaker Polar Star to assist the Russian vessel MV Akademik Shokalskiy and the Chinese vessel Xue Long (Snow Dragon) which are stuck by ice in Antarctica, Xinhua reported. AMSA has identified the Polar Star as a vessel capable of assisting the trapped vessels. […]

South Sudan direct talks delayed in absence of agenda

South Sudan direct talks delayed in absence of agenda

The direct talks set for Saturday between the warring sides of South Sudan have been delayed in absence of an agenda, the East African bloc IGAD said. According to sources of the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the rival sides met Friday, but failed to agree on an agenda for direct talks to put […]

Sri Lankan president leaves for Middle East

Sri Lankan president leaves for Middle East

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday left for an official visit to the Middle East ahead of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in Geneva, the president’s office said. The UNHRC session in March is expected to discuss Sri Lanka, where the military has been accused of killing a large number of innocents in […]

India asks American Center to obtain film licence by Jan 20

India asks American Center to obtain film licence by Jan 20

In another fallout of the India-US stand-off over the handcuffing and strip-search of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, India has asked the American Center here to obtain a licence by Jan 20 or cease screening films. In a tersely worded communication sent to the American Center on Friday, the Indian government has given it a deadline […]

823 migrants rescued by Italian Navy

823 migrants rescued by Italian Navy

A total of 823 North African and Asian migrants were rescued by Italian Navy Friday in the Sicilian Channel when attempting the island of Lampedusa, Italian Navy said in a statement. The migrants, including 23 women and 46 minors, were picked up from four rickety boats in the “Mare Nostrum” (Latin for Our Sea) operation. […]

13 killed in road accident in Cote d’Ivoire

13 killed in road accident in Cote d’Ivoire

A road accident involving a minibus carrying Christian pilgrims left 13 people dead Thursday night in Cote d’Ivoire’s Central-Western region of Oume, Xinhua reported Friday. Eyewitnesses said the Christians coming from the neighbouring region of Divo where other Christians had gathered for prayers died after their vehicle plunged in a pothole. The driver of the […]

Two killed in pro-Morsi protests in Egypt

Two killed in pro-Morsi protests in Egypt

At least two people were killed and nine others injured Friday in clashes across Egypt between supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi and security forces, the country’s health ministry said. Following the Friday prayers, hundreds of Morsi’s supporters took to the main squares in Egypt to protest the armed forces, the police and the new […]