Category: Foreign News

Massive cyberattack hits Internet users

(CNN) — Internet users around the globe are facing slowed-down service, thanks to what’s being called the biggest cyberattack in history. The prolonged denial-of-service assault is targeting The Spamhaus Project, a European spam-fighting group that has gone after CyberBunker, a data-storage company that offers to host any content “except child porn and anything related to […]



Alagiri skips crucial DMK executive meet

– Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana – In further signs of fissures within the DMK, party chief M. Karunanidhi’s son M.K. Alagiri on Monday skipped the crucial Executive committee meet, which is likely to take key decisions in the wake of the party’s pullout from the ruling UPA at the Centre. […]





Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez dies from cancer

President Hugo Chavez died on Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer, ending 14 years of tumultuous, divisive rule that won him passionate support from the poor but the hatred of business leaders and wealthier Venezuelans. […]



Maldives ex-President Nasheed arrested

Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed has been arrested, to face charges of abuse of power during his tenure, after he failed to appear for a hearing and evaded two arrest warrants, Police spokesman Hassan Hanif said. […]



Fiery balloon accident kills 19 tourists in Egypt

LUXOR, Egypt (AP) — The terror lasted less than two minutes: Smoke poured from a hot air balloon carrying sightseers on a sunrise flight over the ancient city of Luxor, it burst in a flash of flame and then plummeted about 1,000 feet to earth. A farmer watched helplessly as tourists trying to escape the […]



Nasheed leaves Indian embassy after ‘deal’

Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana Thanks to India’s intervention, the crisis in the Maldives has blown over with the former President, Mohamed Nasheed, emerging out of the Indian High Commission in Male on Saturday. Fearing arrest, he had sought refuge at the High Commission office on February 13. […]



Kushinagar, a serene Buddhist destination

Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana Welcome to the land of the Buddha. A breather from most other religious destinations, which, ironically, reel under chaos, Kushinagar – the place where Gautam Buddha breathed his last – is a place where you can pray in peace or simply soak in the beauty of the architectural marvels and the […]




Tamil Nadu not to host Asian Athletics Games: Jayalalithaa

Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana Amid protests over the alleged brutal killing of slain LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran’s son, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Thursday called off the 20th Asian Athletics Championships scheduled to be held here in July, saying Sri Lankan players have no place in the State. […]



Dalits ‘barred’ from taking part in temple function

  Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana AJMER: The old and evil order of casteism and untouchability refused to die down and recently reared up it’s ugly head with dalits being prevented from taking part in a yagna for a temple inauguration, for which they too have contributed. […]




LTTE campaign delayed Rajiv Gandhi’s killers’ hanging, source says

Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana NEW DELHI: Three Rajiv Gandhi assassins have opposed the execution of the death sentence awarded to them by pointing to the 12 year-lag between the Supreme Court’s confirmation of the high court’s order to send them to the gallows and the rejection of the mercy petition by President. Behind this argument, […]



Nasheed supporters rise in midnight protest across ‘Male’

Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana MALE: When the rest of south Asia went to sleep on Friday, thousands of Maldivians rose in protest demanding the safety of their former president Mohamed Nasheed and formation of a caretaker government in place of president Waheed Hassan Malik to ensure free and fair elections in September. […]



Meteorite hits central Russia, 400 hurt

About 400 people were injured when a meteorite shot across the sky in central Russia on Friday sending fireballs crashing to Earth, smashing windows and setting off car alarms. Residents on their way to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt a shockwave, according to a […]