Fewer coal mine deaths in China

A sharp decline in coal mining deaths was reported in China for the first four months this year, following the government's efforts to improve safety in the industry.The mortality rate fell 39 percent from the same period last year, according to an ongoing international forum about mining safety held in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province.China's coal mines are among the deadliest in the world.The booming coal-dependent economy, lax regulations and inefficiency are usually blamed for the high death rate.The government has called for better safety systems and forced smaller, more dangerous mines to close in the hope of reducing accidents.The death toll dropped to 2,433 in 2010 from 5,938 in 2005, while the country's annual coal production jumped to 3.24 billion tonnes from 2.15 billion...

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Neglecting existence of internal armed conflict threatens efforts to fight against guerrillas: Santos

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday that neglecting the existence of an internal armed conflict would undermine the country's efforts to fight against rebel guerrillas."If we say that there is no internal armed conflict, it restricts operational capabilities of our (military) forces ... If we say that there is no internal armed conflict, we can not bomb the leaders of the guerrillas, their camps," the president said.Santos reaffirmed that ignorance to an armed conflict in the country would make it ever more difficult to fight against guerrillas as the problem has been lingering for so many years.The president is mulling a new legislation on this subject in which terms of "internal armed conflict" was being considered. But some worry that the use of such a term would give...

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Worker at Japan nuclear plant dies

A contract worker in his 60s died on his second day of work at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant on Saturday. It's the first reported death at the power plant following the quake and tsunami.The plant operator TEPCO said harmful levels of radiation were not detected in the worker's body. Officials say the worker was carrying equipment when he collapsed and died later in hospital, but they don't know the cause of his death.The man had been wearing a radiation protection suit, mask and gloves while working at the plant's waste disposal building, which stores radioactive-contaminated wat...

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At least 35 injured in Yemen protest

At least 35 people have been injured after gunmen opened fire on protesters in the southern city of Taiz.The non-uniformed men fired on protesters from rooftops demanding President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down. The Secretary General of the GCC, Abdulla-tif al-Zayani, arrived in Sanaa on Saturday for a three-day visit aimed at resurrecting the power-transfer deal.Meanwhile, Saleh said in a statement published in a Saudi newspaper, that he would go out on the street to bring down the new government, after any transfer of power. He said the deal, which would see him leave office still needs further negotiation. Meanwhile, video published on a social media website showed protesters confronting troops in the city of Ibb on Friday.Three people were killed and 15 were injured. The latest killings...

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Key facilitis in Fukushima plant could have collapsed before tsunami: report

 Key facilities at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power may have been damaged by the quake itself that day rather than tsunami-caused power loss that failed the reactor's cooling function, Kyodo News quoted a utility source said Saturday.Data taken by workers entering the No. 1 reactor building at the crippled plant on the night of March 11 showing the radiation level was as high as 300 millisieverts per hour suggest a large amount of radioactive materials from nuclear fuel in the reactor was already released.The findings may call for a review of preparedness against quakes at various nuclear power stations in Japan as they have primarily focused on securing auxiliary power supplies and embankment enhancement against tsunami after the Fukushima plant crisis, assuming that reactor facilities...

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Three aftershocks hit New Zealand South Island's Canterbury region

Three aftershocks rattled New Zealand central South Island's Canterbury region early Sunday in quick succession.A magnitude 4.6 quake shook Canterbury at 2.25 a.m. (1425 GMT Saturday), at a depth of 10 km, 20 km east of Christchurch, the New Zealand government geological agency GNS Scicence reported.That was followed by a magnitude 4 quake just 15 minutes later, recorded as 9 km deep and also centered 20 km east of Christchurch.Earlier, a quake of magnitude 4 struck 30 km southwest of Christchurch at a depth of 11 km just after 1 a.m..GNS Science said the quakes would have been felt in Canterbury.A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch on Feb. 22, leaving 181 people de...

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Suicide car bombing injures 7 in Khost, Afghanistan

An injured child receives treatment at a local hospital in Sabari district, east Afghanistan's Khost province, on May 14, 2011. A suicide car bomb explosion shocked Sabari district in eastern Khost province on Saturday, wounding seven civilians, provincial police chief Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai said.  An injured man receives treatment at a local hospital in Sabari district, east Afghanistan's Khost province, on May 14, 2011. A suicide car bomb explosion shocked Sabari district in eastern Khost province on Saturday, wounding seven civilians, provincial police chief Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai said.  An injured man receives treatment at a local hospital in Sabari district, east Afghanistan's Khost province, on May 14, 2011. A suicide...

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Canada committed to aid reconstruction in Haiti with new president

Canada promised to remain committed to aiding Haiti in its reconstruction on Saturday as the inauguration and swearing-in of Michel Martelly, the newly elected President of Haiti, was held in Port-au-Prince.Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that Canada will continue to stand alongside Haiti as it rebuilds its communities and strengthens the rule-of-law."I am pleased to offer my sincere congratulations to Michel Martelly on his inauguration as President of Haiti," Harper said in a statement. "I look forward to working with President Martelly as he rises to meet the challenges ahead of him."Harper praised the people of Haiti for their patience and resolve in expressing their will and demonstrating their commitment to democracy and the electoral process."This transition marks an important...

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Palestinians march in Nablus to mark "catastrophe day" anniversary

Palestinians hold torches as they march in the West Bank city of Nablus, May 14, 2011, on the eve of the 63rd anniversary of the al-Nakba or "catastrophe day" that is an annual event of commemoration for the Palestinian people of the displacement that followed the 1948 Palestine War.  Palestinians hold torches as they march in the West Bank city of Nablus, May 14, 2011, on the eve of the 63rd anniversary of the al-Nakba or "catastrophe day" that is an annual event of commemoration for the Palestinian people of the displacement that followed the 1948 Palestine War. Palestinians hold torches as they march in the West Bank city of Nablus, May 14, 2011, on the eve of the 63rd anniversary of the al-Nakba or "catastrophe day" that...

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5.9-magnitude quake hits Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan -- USGS

An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale jolted Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region at 21:07:22 GMT on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.The epicenter, with a depth of 207.40 km, was initially determined to be at 36.4414 degrees north latitude and 70.7419 degrees east longitu...

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6.0-magnitude quake hits Hindu Kush region

An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale jolted Hindu Kush mountain range of Afghanistan at 5:07 a.m. Beijing Time on Sunday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.The epicenter, with a depth of 200 km, was monitored at 36.5 degrees north latitude and 70.8 degrees east longitude, the center said in a stateme...

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One killed in south Yemen clashes

At least one protester was killed and 16 others injured in fresh clashes late Saturday between anti- government rally and police forces in Yemen's troubled southern province of Taiz, witnesses said.The clashes erupted when police forces tried to prevent the protesters from blocking roads and burning tires, a witness said."The mission of the police forces apparently failed and they were forced to open fire to defend themselves from a hail of stones thrown by the angry protesters," a local police official who requested anonymity told Xinhua.Taiz province, some 200 km south of the capital Sanaa, witnessed frequent civil disobedience as shops, schools, private companies and banks were shut down at the request of the protest organizers to force Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power,...

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Protesters close government offices by force in south Yemen: official

Thousands of protesters demanding immediate ousting of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh shut down three government offices by force in the southern city port of Aden on Saturday evening, a local security official said."With shouting anti-government slogans, the crowd moved from their sit-in epicenter in Crater district to Seara area in downtown Aden, where they surrounded the provincial offices of Civil Service, Social Affairs and Work as well as the Local Council," the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.He said the crowds then put heavy chains around the offices and replaced the original lock of the offices' main gates."The police forces stood aside and did not intervene in as the protesters then peacefully returned to their sit-in area," said the official.Meanwhile, the same...

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Deadly Ebola breaks out in Uganda, kills one, 30 monitored

The deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever has broken out in Uganda, killing one person and leaving over 30 others being monitored by health officials, ministry of health announced here on Saturday.The epicenter of the outbreak is in the central Ugandan district of Luwero located about 50 km north of the capital Kampala.According to Anthony Mbonye, head of the community health department at the ministry of health, a 12 year old girl in Zirombwe Sub-county developed symptoms of Ebola and when she was admitted at a military hospital in the district, laboratory test confirmed that it was Ebola.The Ebola virus is highly contagious and causes a range of symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain or malaise and in many cases internal and external bleeding.The girl died on May 6 and about...

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Posted in: 30 monitored,Deadly Ebola breaks out in Uganda,kills one

WFP confirms killing of driver in Ethiopia

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Saturday confirmed the death of one of its staff members in a fatal attack in Ethiopia."I am deeply saddened by this deplorable killing," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran. "This is the second deadly attack on a WFP humanitarian worker in less than a month."Farhan Hamsa, a WFP driver, was killed in an ambush on May 13 by unknown assailants in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. He was on a monitoring mission with three colleagues when the vehicles they were travelling in were attacked. One other staff member was injured in the attack and two remain missing. WFP urges anyone in the vicinity of this incident who has knowledge of the whereabouts of the staff members to contact WFP so that they can be brought home safely to their families and...

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GCC chief arrives in Yemen to resume power-transition deal

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Abdullatif al-Zayani arrived in Yemeni capital Sanaa on Saturday to resume GCC-brokered deal to end deadlock between Yemeni president and opposition, official Saba news agency reported."The aim of my visit is to push the process of conciliation talk with all Yemeni political parties, hoping all of them return to the GCC deal for the sake of Yemen's security, stability and unity," al-Zayani was quoted by Saba as saying."The Yemeni political crisis has been priority of the GCC countries ... and our efforts will continue until reaching a solution that satisfies all Yemeni sides," al-Zayani said.The GCC initiative stipulated that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh would leave office within 30 days after signing the deal in exchange for immunity...

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EU naval force disrupts pirate action group

European Union naval force said on Saturday that its warship disrupted a dhow that was suspected of being used as a Pirate Action Group (PAG) mothership since it was pirated over a year ago.Naval Force Somalia spokesman Paddy O'Kennedy said French warship FS Nivose said the dhow, which is suspected of having carried out several recent attacks in the Arabian Sea and which still has her original crew on board as hostages, was spotted by an EU NAVFOR German Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) earlier the same day. "Once identified, the dhow was tracked on Friday by the MPRA which guided the FS Nivose into position. In the morning of May 13, the French warship and her helicopter approached the suspected pirate dhow and ordered her to stop," the statement said.During the approach, O'Kennedy...

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Hundreds of Syrians cross border to Lebanon

Hundreds of Syrians crossed the border into Lebanon Saturday and one man died of gunshots after fleeing his country to the Lebanese border village of Wadi Khaled, a security source told Xinhua."One man died after he was shot after crossing the border from Syria and three others were admitted to Lebanese hospitals," the source said.The number of people fleeing to Lebanon reached its peak Saturday as Syrian security forces cracked down on the Syrian border village of Tal Kalakh, a few kilometers away from the border with Lebanon, it added.The source said a bit less than 1,000 refugees have crossed the border to Lebanon Saturday.Protests in Syria have been taking place since March 15 in the first of its kind in almost 50 years.Lebanese English-language daily The Daily Star reported in its Friday...

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Los Angeles man arrested for allegedly aiding Taliban: report

The FBI has arrested a man in Los Angeles for allegedly providing financing and other material support to the Pakistani Taliban, U.S. authorities announced on Saturday.Irfan Khan, 37, was among three people arrested on the same charges, according to the FBI.Authorities described Khan as a resident of Miami, Florida. It' s unclear why he was in Los Angeles.In total, prosecutors indicted six people: Khan, two others arrested in Florida and three still at large in Pakistan, according to a report of The Los Angeles Times.The alleged ringleader was Hafiz Khan, 76, the imam of a mosque in Miami.The arrests were part of a federal investigation into a Florida family of Pakistani expatriates that allegedly funneled money directly to religious extremists, the FBI said.The money was funding a "jihad"...

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Profile: New Haitian president Michel Martelly

Michel Martelly was sworn in as Haiti's new president on Saturday in front of the collapsed National Palace.Martelly, better known as "Sweet Mickey," defeated his closest rival, former first lady Mirlande Maniga, in a landslide victory with 67.5 percent of the vote, official results showed.Born on Feb. 12, 1961, Martelly represents to many Haitians the dream of a better future, as he himself has worked his way up the social ladder.After graduating from high school, Martelly joined the Haitian Military Academy and later moved to the United States, where he ended up in working in a grocery store. One year later, he returned to Haiti and embarked on what turned out to be a very successful music career.Martelly is considered a pioneer in creating a unique music rhythm known as Compas or Kompa...

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Syrian president meets artists on domestic unrest

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stressed Saturday the importance of respecting all opinions regarding the situation in the country, Syria's SANA news agency reported.Al-Assad's remarks came during his meeting with a delegation of Syrian artists including actors and directors.Talks touched upon the recent unrest in the country and the role of the artists in spreading awareness of the plots targeting Syria and its security and stability.The artists voiced support for the reform process under the leadership of President al-Assad, affirming readiness to exert all efforts for the sake of Syria's future, security and prosperity.Syria has been in unrest for more than seven weeks after the anti-government demonstrations broke out in the southern province of Daraa. The protests have spread to several...

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7 killed as blast hits bus in Pakistan

A blast on a passenger bus killed at least seven persons in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province Saturday evening, police and local media said.Around 20 passengers were also injured in the blast near the city of Kharian, some 35 km from Gujrat, a main city in the region. Kharian has the world's second largest army base, built during the British colonial era.Express TV reported that three women and a child were among the dead. Police said that around 50 passengers were on board when the blast took place.Local TV channels reported that it was a suicide blast. But police did not confirm the suicide attack. Eyewitnesses said that the bomb was kept at the back seat of the bus.Motives behind the blast were unclear as civilians were targeted in the attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the...

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Over 20 militants killed as Afghan, NATO forces keep on pressure

Over 20 militants have been killed in the insurgency-hit Afghanistan as Afghan and NATO-led forces stationed in the country have pounded Taliban and associated insurgent outfits throughout the country since Friday.In the latest operations against anti-government fighters, the troops eliminated eight insurgents in Faryab province, some 425 km northwest of capital Kabul, on Saturday, local media reported."The operation was launched at 03:00 a.m. local time in Qaysar district of Faryab province to wipe out insurgents as a result eight militants were killed," Tolo TV aired in its news bulletin.Afghan forces have seized many weapons in the operation as well as 13 motorbikes, according to the media outlet.A day earlier on Friday, Afghan soldiers and police conducted a joint cleanup operation in...

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New dinosaur species found in east China

Chinese scientists said Saturday that they have found a new species of giant theropod dinosaur in the eastern province of Shandong.The new species, described as a close relative of Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex), has been named "Zhuchengtyrannus magnus". Paleontological experts found it has unique upper jawbones after examining the skull and jawbones discovered in the city of Zhucheng.It was estimated to be about 11 meters long and 4 meters tall, weighing close to 7 tonnes."We discovered two kinds of tyrannosaurus fossils here and the identity of the other one still remains unclear," said Xu Xing, a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences."We've named the new genus Zhuchengtyrannus magnus, which means the 'Tyrant from Zhucheng'...

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Local governments in China gear up for fight against illegal food additives

Certified food additives are displayed on shelves at a store that sells food additives in Beijing, capital of China, April 22, 2011. From 24-hour complaint hotlines to instant additive detectors, local governments in China are striving to battle the illegal use of food additives following a string of food scandals.According to a statement released Saturday by the office of the food safety commission under the State Council, China's Cabinet, governments in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Guangdong have incorporated the local food safety situation into the evaluation of officials' work, while ordering strengthened and coordinated food safety supervision at city and county levels.Many provinces and autonomous regions are distributing educational...

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Nepal starts census 2011 from Sunday

The first phase of Nepal's census 2011 to be conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) is starting from Sunday.According to Rudra Suwal, Chief of Population Unit at CBS, in the first phase only general information like number of household, number of family members and head of family and their occupation will be gathered for the next 18 days.Based on the preliminary information, the detailed census will start from June 17. Some 34,000 trained persons will be deployed in 3,900 Village Development Committees and 58 municipalities.The census will be held in two phases. The first phase begins on May 15 and will go on until June 1. The second phase begins from June 17 and will go until June 27. Around 8,500 supervisors have been deployed in the first phase of the census that is held every...

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Three aftershocks hit New Zealand South Island's Canterbury region

Three aftershocks rattled New Zealand central South Island's Canterbury region early Sunday in quick succession.A magnitude 4.6 quake shook Canterbury at 2.25 a.m. (1425 GMT Saturday), at a depth of 10 km, 20 km east of Christchurch, the New Zealand government geological agency GNS Scicence reported.That was followed by a magnitude 4 quake just 15 minutes later, recorded as 9 km deep and also centered 20 km east of Christchurch.Earlier, a quake of magnitude 4 struck 30 km southwest of Christchurch at a depth of 11 km just after 1 a.m..GNS Science said the quakes would have been felt in Canterbury.A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch on Feb. 22, leaving 181 people de...

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Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops

Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops at Qalandiya checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah, May 14, 2011. Clashes erupted after a demonstration on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba or "catastrophe day" that is an annual event of commemoration for the Palestinian people of the displacement that followed the 1948 Palestine War. Israeli soldiers take position during clashes with Palestinian protesters at Qalandiya checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah, May 14, 2011. Clashes erupted after a demonstration on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba or "catastrophe day" that is an annual event of commemoration for the Palestinian people of the displacement that followed the 1948 Palestine...

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Chinese military leader concludes visit to Myanmar

Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Xu Caihou wrapped up his four-day official goodwill visit to Myanmar and left Yangon Sunday.During his trip in Nay Pyi Taw, Xu met with Myanmar President U Thein Sein and exchanged views with him on issues of common concern.The two sides vowed to strengthen the friendly and cooperative ties between the two nations and make contribution to the development and stability of the regional countries.Xu also met with speaker of the House of Parliament of Representative (Lower House) of Myanmar U Shwe Mann.The two sides pledged to make joint efforts to consolidate the two countries' "paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship, further develop the cooperative and friendly ties and strengthen the multi-lateral cooperation in the international community.In addition,...

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Haiti's Martelly faces major challenges to rebuild fragile nation

Haiti's President Michel Martelly smiles during his inauguration ceremony, in Port-au-Prince, capital of Haiti, on May 14 2011.  As celebrations calm down after Saturday's inauguration of Haiti's new President Michel Martelly, the popular singer will get no time for a political honeymoon as he takes over power in one of the poorest nations in the world.The challenges are daunting, and even though Martelly starts in his new job with massive support from the Haitian people who elected him in a landslide victory with 67.5 percent of the vote, the pressure is on for him to deliver results fast."His administration will have to show progress fairly quickly in order to provide confidence to the population," Mark Schneider, a political analyst...

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