The Irish Times - World

Strong quake shakes Indonesia

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:10:01 GMT

A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake has shaken Indonesia, the US Geological Survey reported today, but there were no reports of damage or casualties initially.

Hurricane Ida death toll rises to 91

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:36:07 GMT

Hurricane Ida intensified off the Mexican resort of Cancun today and aimed for the Gulf of Mexico as the storm's heavy rains killed at least 91 people in El Salvador.

US House backs healthcare bill

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:20:13 GMT

After a landmark win in the US House of Representatives, President Barack Obama's push for healthcare reform faces a difficult path in the Senate amid divisions in his own Democratic Party on how to proceed.

IMF explores bank insurance levy

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:31:40 GMT

The International Monetary Fund is exploring the idea of making banks pay insurance fees to fund any future rescues in the sector, IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said today.

Abbas urged not to quit

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:52:34 GMT

Supporters of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas turned out in the West Bank today to urge him run again for the presidency following his announcement that he did not want a second term in the job.

Suicide bomber kills 12 in Pakistan

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:05:22 GMT

A suicide bomber killed an anti-Taliban village mayor and 11 other people in an attack near Pakistan's volatile city of Peshawar today, officials said.

Dalai Lama visits disputed enclave

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:26:01 GMT

Thousands of Buddhist monks and supporters welcomed Tibet's exiled spiritual leader on Sunday to a remote Indian region also claimed by China, a trip that has renewed tensions between the Asian giants.

Protest over US base in Japan

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:54:57 GMT

Thousands of Japanese people gathered in sweltering heat on the southern island of Okinawa today to demand that a US Marine base be moved out of the region, days ahead of a visit by president Barack Obama.

Britain backs bank bailout fund

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:03:09 GMT

Britain has thrown its weight behind proposals to impose a global levy on banks to fund future bailouts but failed to make much progress on securing a G20 deal to meet the cost of climate change.

US begins healthcare debate

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:58:21 GMT

President Barack Obama urged Democrats in the US House of Representatives to pass a broad healthcare reform bill on Saturday as they prepared for a close vote on the biggest changes in health policy in four decades.

G20 divided on financing climate change deal

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:24:18 GMT

Rich countries and developing nations fought over climate change today, failing to make progress on financing ahead of a major environmental summit in Copenhagen next month.

Motive sought for Texas killings

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:52:46 GMT

Investigators searched today for the motive behind a mass shooting at a sprawling US army base in Texas, in which an army psychiatrist trained to treat war wounded is suspected of killing 13 people.

Man sends photo for wanted poster

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:33:41 GMT

A British man on the run from police sent a picture of himself to his local paper because he disliked the mugshot they had printed of him as part of a public appeal to track him down.

More than 100 held at Iranian rally

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:18:53 GMT

Iranian police detained more than 100 people for "disturbing public order" during a rally this week to mark the anniversary of the seizure of the US embassy, the official IRNA news agency reported today.

Afghanistan criticises UN remarks

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:03:17 GMT

The top UN official in Afghanistan went beyond his authority by giving instructions on how to rid the government of corruption and warlords, the country’s foreign ministry said today.

25 wounded in search for US soliders

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:21:03 GMT

More than 25 Nato and Afghan troops were wounded during a search today for two missing US paratroopers in western Afghanistan, the Nato-led force said.

One dead in Florida office shooting

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:33:38 GMT

A gunman opened fire inside a high-rise office building in Orlando, Florida today, killing one person and wounding five others, the mayor and the local police chief said.

Flu 'could kill 80,000' in Europe

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:41:04 GMT

The H1N1 pandemic flu virus could kill up to 40,000 people across Europe and be followed by seasonal flu waves that could kill the same number, European health experts said today.

IMF warns against stimulus measures removal

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:23:31 GMT

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned global financial leaders today not to repeat the mistakes of the Great Depression and choke off emergency support for their economies too quickly.

Texas shooting leaves 13 dead

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:04:18 GMT

Investigators searched today for the motive behind a mass shooting at a sprawling US army base in Texas, in which an army psychiatrist trained to treat war wounded is suspected of killing 13 people.

Treaty may be adopted next month

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:24:57 GMT

Czech prime minister Jan Fischer plans to deliver his country’s Lisbon Treaty ratification instrument to Rome next week, paving the way for the treaty to come into effect in December.

Brown warns Karzai on corruption

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:19:31 GMT

Afghan president Hamid Karzai, winner of a fraud-tainted election, risks losing British and international support unless he acts decisively to fight corruption, British prime minister Gordon Brown said today.

Deadly tropical disease hits Sudan

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:03:28 GMT

Southern Sudan is facing a "serious outbreak" of the deadly kala azar tropical disease, the aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned today.

No takers for Palestinian presidency

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:03:28 GMT

There were no bids by younger Palestinian leaders today to succeed President Mahmoud Abbas, who said yesterday he does not want to run for re-election in January.

Animals need to be monitored for flu

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:46:54 GMT

Some pigs, turkeys and household pets have become infected with the H1N1 flu, but the pandemic virus does not yet appear to be spreading quickly among animals, the World Health Organisation said today.

UN climate summit 'likely to fail'

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:46:54 GMT

The UN climate change conference in Copenhagen next month will fail to produce an agreement to combat the threat of global warming, British officials have warned. They forecast here yesterday that a deal could take another 12 months to strike.

Riyadh vows to keep up rebel offensive

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:46:54 GMT

Saudi Arabia said today it will keep up its offensive against Yemeni rebels until it has cleared them from its territory after gunmen infiltrated the kingdom and attacked border guards.

Pakistani troops attack Taliban base

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:54:09 GMT

Pakistani soldiers have entered an important militant bastion in South Waziristan, security officials said today, as gunmen wounded an army brigadier and his driver in a drive-by shooting in the capital.

Israel rejects UN vote on Gaza

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:19:29 GMT

Israel today rejected a UN General Assembly resolution urging an investigation into a report saying war crimes were committed in Gaza, and condemned the world body vote as "completely detached from realities".

Texas shooting leaves 12 dead

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:28:11 GMT

At least seven people were killed and 12 wounded in a shooting at a US Army base in Fort Hood, Texas, an Army official said today.

Abbas 'will not seek re-election'

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:49:38 GMT

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said today he did not wish to run for re-election in January, voicing disappointment at Washington for "favouring" Israel in arguments over re-launching peace talks.

US insider trading investigation widens

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:16:54 GMT

Fourteen people were today charged with fraud and conspiracy in a dramatic widening of an insider trading scandal that has ensnared hedge fund managers, top Silicon Valley executives and a bevy of white-shoe advisers.

British postal strike suspended

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:25:14 GMT

British postal workers said today they would suspend strike action until at least after Christmas under an interim agreement reached between unions and state-owned Royal Mail.

US Senate passes climate change bill

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:03:13 GMT

A key US Senate environment committee approved a Democratic climate change bill today that would require industry to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases 20 per cent by 2020 from 2005 levels.

Tribunal appoints Karadzic counsel

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:38:36 GMT

Yugoslavia war crimes tribunal judges ordered the appointment of legal counsel for Radovan Karadzic today because the former Bosnian Serb leader had refused to attend his trial since it started last week.

Former MEP guilty of expenses fraud

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:46:20 GMT

A former British member of the European Parliament pleaded guilty today to carrying out an expenses fiddle costing almost £40,000.

Thailand recalls Cambodian ambassador

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:21:33 GMT

Thailand recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh today after Cambodia made Thaksin Shinawatra, a former Thai premier on the run from a graft conviction, an economic adviser, deepening a diplomatic row.

UN to evacuate 600 Afghan staff

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:50:51 GMT

The United Nations is to temporarily evacuate more than half its 1,100 staff in Afghanistan following last week's Taliban attack against UN workers - the most direct targeting of its employees during decades of work in the country.

Hizbullah denies links to arms ship

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:17:47 GMT

Hizbullah has denied any links to a ship carrying hundreds of tons of weapons that Israel claims was bound for the Iranian-backed group.

US urges China to halve emissions

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:45:59 GMT

China should roughly halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to keep the world on a safe climate path, the head of the US delegation at UN climate talks in Barcelona said today.

Vietnam storm death toll rises to 99

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:53:56 GMT

The death toll from Tropical Storm Mirinae rose to 99 in central Vietnam yesterday and authorities estimated damage from the storm at $55 million.

US missiles kill two in Pakistan

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:53:56 GMT

Suspected US missiles killed two alleged militants early today in a northwest Pakistan tribal region, intelligence officials said, while Pakistani soldiers battled Taliban fighters in a neighboring stretch along the Afghan border.

Gunmen kill US airman in Mexico

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:08:30 GMT

A gang of gunmen shot and killed an off-duty US airman and five other people at a bar in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez yesterday.

GM plans to cut 10,000 Opel jobs

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:06:18 GMT

General Motors (GM) has confirmed that it plans to cut 10,000 jobs across its European car unit Opel.

Israel detains 'Iranian weapons' ship

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:53:22 GMT

Israeli naval commandos have boarded a ship suspected of carrying Iranian-supplied rockets destined for Lebanon's Hezbullah group and taken the vessel to an Israeli port, the government said today.

Italy convicts CIA agents over kidnap

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:34:12 GMT

A group of 23 CIA agents were convicted today of kidnapping an Egyptian cleric from Italy in a landmark case involving the agency’s extraordinary rendition programme in the war on terrorism.

US holds talks with Suu Kyi

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:18:12 GMT

A top US official held rare talks with Burma's detained opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, today as part of Washington's highest-level visit to the isolated army-ruled country in 14 years.

London mayor comes to woman's rescue

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:15:42 GMT

London Mayor Boris Johnson rescued a woman attacked by a group of girls wielding a metal bar after answering her plea for help during an evening bicycle ride, a spokeswoman for his office said today.

Clampdown on MPs' expenses urged

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:04:30 GMT

British politicians face the biggest clampdown on their expenses system since the 1970s after a report said they should no longer be able to claim for mortgage costs on their second homes and employ family members.

Obama suffers dual election setbacks

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:38:47 GMT

Republicans rolled to victory in Virginia and New Jersey governor's races last night in a sharp blow to Democrats that showed the limits of President Barack Obama's political clout.

Israel settlement activity 'illegitimate'

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:50:48 GMT

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said today that Washington does not accept the legitimacy of Israeli settlement activity but believes that getting to talks is the quickest way to achieve a freeze.

New Afghan government by end of month

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:02:40 GMT

Technocrats and some existing ministers will be included among President Hamid Karzai's new Afghan government within the next three weeks, a spokesman said today, despite pressure from the West for wholesale reform.

US to 'redouble' efforts on climate

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:31:04 GMT

US president Barack Obama and European Union leaders pledged last night to redouble efforts for a deal on climate change at a summit in Copenhagen, but gave no details of how to reach that ambitious goal.

Five soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:14:40 GMT

An Afghan policeman has shot dead five British soldiers at a checkpoint in southern Afghanistan, the defence ministry in London said today.

More bodies found in US house

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:43:03 GMT

The number of bodies found in and near a rapist’s home rose to at least 10 when authorities unearthed four corpses from his back yard and found a skull in a bucket in the basement.

Opposition and police clash in Iran

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:11:05 GMT

Iranian police clashed today with supporters of Iran's opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi in the capital Tehran as the country marks the 30th anniversary of the storming of the US embassy.

Tories to reveal new EU stance

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:51:12 GMT

British Conservative leader David Cameron will today unveil his new policy on Europe after admitting that a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty will no longer be possible.

Storm kills 42 in Vietnam

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:19:53 GMT

Tropical storm Mirinae killed 42 people after ploughing into central Vietnam this week and several others are missing, state media reported today.

Italians cross over crucifix ban

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:40:43 GMT

The European Court of Human Rights ruled today that crucifixes should be removed from Italian classrooms, prompting Vatican anger and sparking uproar in Italy, where such icons are embedded in the national psyche.

Clinton in Egypt for talks

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:25:01 GMT

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton brought her flagging effort to revive Middle East peace talks to Cairo today with little sign that her round of diplomacy has helped break the impasse.

Czech president signs treaty

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:35:41 GMT

The Lisbon Treaty could come into force as early as next month after Czech president Vaclav Klaus signed the charter earlier today, removing the last obstacle to its ratification.

French philosopher Levi-Strauss dies

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:20:09 GMT

French intellectual Claude Levi-Strauss, the founder of structural anthropology, has died at the age of 100, his publishing house Plon said today.

Karadzic attends Hague tribunal

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:56:42 GMT

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic appeared in court today for the first time since his trial for genocide started but said he would take no further part unless he had more time to prepare his defence.

Africa boycotts climate change talks

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:21:23 GMT

African nations boycotted UN climate talks today by demanding far deeper 2020 cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by rich nations in a global pact to be agreed next month.

Former Stone Roses singer arrested

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:33:29 GMT

Former Stone Roses singer Ian Brown has been arrested in London on suspicion of assaulting his Mexican wife, model and actress Fabiola Quiroz.

Pregnant women urged to get jab

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:56:25 GMT

Pregnant women and other people at high risk should be vaccinated against the H1N1 swine flu virus as the cold weather begins to bite in the northern hemisphere, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said today.

Madeleine viral video for internet

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:37:07 GMT

British police appealed today for internet users worldwide to spread a new video aimed at pricking the conscience of the key witness who knows what happened to Madeleine McCann.

US deaths may be linked to bad beef

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:48:26 GMT

An outbreak of food-borne illness, linked to dangerous bacteria in ground beef, sickened 28 people and may have caused two deaths in the US Northeast, health officials said yesterday.

N Korea makes arms grade plutonium

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:55:01 GMT

North Korea said today it had completed reprocessing spent fuel rods at its Yongbyon nuclear plant and turned it into arms-grade plutonium, giving the state more material to produce atomic arms.

Earthquake strikes Greek coast

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:55:01 GMT

A quake of a magnitude between 5.7 to 5.9 struck off Greece early today without causing any damage, officials said.

Karzai vows inclusive government

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:29:34 GMT

Re-elected Afghan President Hamid Karzai vowed to form an inclusive government today after stern warnings from Western supporters he would have to work harder to root out corruption.

Obama warns of more job losses

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:37:16 GMT

US president Barack Obama today warned that more job losses lay ahead despite a turnaround in the economy, and he called for a new "post bubble growth model" with greater focus on US exports.

Satellite launched to monitor climate change

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:04:33 GMT

The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a satellite to provide the first global maps of water and moisture distribution.

Nutt warns over more resignations

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:09:14 GMT

Professor David Nutt, former British chief drug adviser, has warned that more of his colleagues may resign in protest following his dismissal.

Jackson film tops US box office

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:32:44 GMT

Michael Jackson's ‘This Is It’ was the top film in ticket sales in US and Canadian cinema last weekend, bringing in $21.3 million for distributor Sony.