CHRISTCHURCH: A state of emergency was lifted in Christchurch Thursday, almost two weeks after a 7.0-magnitude earthquak struck the New Zealand city, officials said."The state of emergency has been lifted as planned" a civil defence spokesman said. "This does not mean the end of welfare,

CANCUN: Tropical storm Karl soaked parts of Mexico`s Yucatan Peninsula Wednesday and headed toward Gulf oil installations, as a rare duo of powerful hurricanes roiled waters in the Atlantic.Karl, the 11th named storm of the season which forecasters have predicted could be one of the worst

WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday hosted his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov in a high-profile visit symbolizing a "reset" in US-Russia ties. Both men vowed to expand military cooperation as they marked the first visit to the Pentagon by a Russian defense

WASHINGTON: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told US television Wednesday that more sanctions will not hurt the Islamic republic, as Western nations urged tougher action over Tehran`s nuclear program. "Our nation does not need the United States whatsoever," Ahmadinejad told NBC news

BRUSSELS: All eyes are on President Nicolas Sarkozy Thursday as Europe kicks off an explosive summit overshadowed by a slanging match over France`s expulsion of Roma Gypsies.While leaders are also wrestling with troublesome cross-border sanctions for budget bingers, favours for

COPIAPO: Rescuers could reach 33 trapped miners by early November, well before the initially projected date of Christmas, the chief engineer said Wednesday as drills edged closer to the men`s dank shelter.The two drills currently digging rescue shafts both surpassed the 300-meter

MONTERREY: Eight suspected gang members died in a clash with soldiers near the US border Thursday, an official said, as Mexico began celebrating 200 years of the start of its independence from Spain.The clash took place on a road in a rural area of northern Nuevo Leon state, said an

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Thursday that Japan would take decisive steps in currency markets "if it`s necessary in the future," a day after intervening to stem the strength of the yen."We are determined not to allow the drastic fluctuation of the yen," Kan told a

GAINESVILLE: Police sent reinforcements Saturday to separate angry activists gathered outside the US church where Korans were to be burned, even though the church`s controversial pastor called off the event. Signs in red letters stating that "Islam is of the Devil" are still posted

Athens: A man threw a shoe at Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou Saturday in protest against the socialist government`s austerity measures. The shoe missed its intended target and the man was arrested along with two accomplices, radio reports said. The incident took place in the

Tehran:  Up to 10 people are feared dead from a gas pipeline blast near Iran`s northeastern city of Mashhad and another 16 sustained burns of various degrees, the Fars news agency reported on Sunday, the day after the accident, reports NDTV."Around nine or 10 people have been reported

Islamabad: A US missile strike Sunday killed four militants in northwest Pakistan`s Waziristan tribal region, officials said.The attack early Sunday hit a village in the Datta Khel area near Miranshah, the capital of North Waziristan tribal district, Geo TV reported. "A US drone fired two

Beijing: Six people were killed and four injured in an explosion triggered by fireworks in north China`s Hebei province, authorities said Sunday. The accident occurred Saturday in a village in Dongwang township of Dingzhou city, Xinhua quoted an official as saying. Preliminary

SRINAGAR: A teenager was killed and several others injured when security forces opened fire Friday on an anti-India protest in Indian Kashmir, police and witnesses said.The killing came a day after the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and took the death toll from two months of

WASHINGTON: Global youth unemployment has hit a record high following the financial crisis and is likely to get worse later this year, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said Thursday. CNBC repots that the report from the ILO says 81 million out of 630 million 15-24 year olds

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama is to travel to Florida`s Gulf Coast this weekend for a family trip intended to show solidarity with a region struggling in the wake of a massive oil spill. Obama, his wife Michelle, and their two daughters are to leave Washington Saturday for Panama

VANCOUVER: Canadian authorities late Thursday seized control of a cargo ship carrying hundreds of Tamil refugees fleeing Sri Lanka, military officials told Canadian media. Canada Border Services Agency staff and military forces boarded the ship, carrying some 490 passengers, officials

KUALA LUMPUR: A leatherback turtle has made a surprise return to a Malaysian beach after 32 years, a report said Friday, hailed as a "miracle" by conservationists and renewing hopes for the endangered species. The leatherbacks -- the largest of all sea turtles -- were once a star

SUKKUR: The United States has upped its aid to flood-ravaged Pakistan and announced a visit by a political heavyweight to show its commitment to a fractious ally where anti-US feeling runs high. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, attempting to fend off anger at his own response to the

YANGON- Myanmar will hold a general election on November 7, its first such poll in two decades, an official in the military-ruled country said Friday. State media confirmed the date for the election, which Western countries fear is a sham aimed at shoring up the junta`s half-century grip