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TEHRAN: The Iranian media is claiming a British Embassy worker has admitted to inciting unrest at today’s mass trial in Tehran. Hossein Rassam has told the court he was ordered by the UK government to interfere on their behalf in recent protests against Iran’s disputed elections, according to the state news agency. The 44-year-old political analyst is among those being paraded before cameras in a mass-trial accused of conspiring with western governments and opposition politicians. Rassam claimed a budget of £300,000 had been allocated to embassy staff to establish contacts with Iranian political groups, influential individuals and activists, The Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Rassam, who could face charges of espionage, was alleged to have said: “My main responsibility was to gather information from Tehran and other cities by setting up contacts with individuals and influential parties and political groups and to send reports to London. “The British Embassy, due to its hostile...

Sunday, August 09, 2009 NEW YORK: Nine people, including five Italian tourists were killed on Saturday when a small plane hit a helicopter over New York and crashed into the Hudson River, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.He said there were five Italian tourists and a pilot aboard the helicopter and three people on the plane including the pilot and a child. Two bodies had been recovered but there was no hope of finding survivors."This has changed from a rescue to a recovery mission," Bloomberg said. "There's not going to be a happy ending."Search and rescue craft had rushed to the area in the vicinity of West 14th Street in Lower Manhattan immediately after the midair collision at noon (1600 GMT). Police divers started looking for survivors and wreckage. The weather was clear and mild.Bloomberg said the plane, a Piper Saratoga, appeared to hit the back of the helicopter which immediately fell into the river. Police had found one piece of wreckage in murky w...

Sunday, August 09, 2009 GLASGOW: Muslim leaders called for action against the threat of violence from the extreme right after a man was sentenced for threatening to blow up a mosque.Neil MacGregor was given three years probation at Glasgow Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to breaching the peace and failing to appear in court.The 36-year-old admitted telephoning and emailing Strathclyde Police and threatening to blow up Glasgow's Central Mosque in February 2007.

PST, Sunday, August 09, 2009 NEW DELHI: The 13th China-India Boundary Talks were held on Friday and Saturday in the Indian capital. Chinese Special Representative, State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Indian Special Representative, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister M.K. Narayanan exchanged in-depth views about relevant issues in an atmosphere of frankness and friendliness. Dai also met with Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Indian Congress Party and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit in India. Both sides agreed to press ahead with the framework negotiations in accordance with the agreed political parameters and guiding principle so as to seek for a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to both countries. Prior to that, both sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. During the talks, the two sides exchanged in-depth views on the further development of China-India Strategic Cooperative Partnership, as well as regional, intern...

Saturday, August 08, 2009 BEIJING: China marked the first anniversary of the Beijing Olympics on Saturday with its first national sports day that saw up to 34,000 people gather for the world's largest martial arts exercise."We have established August 8 as National Fitness Day to fully embody... the government's loving concern for the life and prosperity of the people," Sports Minister Liu Peng said in an address outside the iconic Bird's Nest national stadium."This is a vivid reflection of the legacy that the Beijing Olympics has left for the people, the society and our system."Liu's remarks came as nearly 34,000 people dressed in white silk performed "taiqiquan," or martial arts shadow boxing, in the drizzling rain outside the stadium early Saturday morning.Ranging in age from seven to 65, the shadow boxers hope to set a Guinness world record for the largest martial arts exercise, organisers said.A year after the Beijing Olympics, reminde...

Saturday, August 08, 2009 LONDON: Drinking beetroot juice can increase stamina, allowing keep-fit enthusiasts and athletes to exercise for longer”, according to a research carried out by British researchers.It stated that a daily glass of the vegetable juice helped men to work out for 16% longer than when they had a regular fruit drink.The effects are being credited to the nitrates in the juice, which, according to scientists, help the body to use less oxygen. This means that people feel less tired when they are exercising.

Saturday, August 08, 2009 MEDELLIN: More than 400 Colombian flower growers participated in Medellin'sAnnual flower festival. The colourful even features dozens of growers, known as "silleteros," carrying decorative wreaths of flowers in a long parade.Bent under the weight of the blossoms, participants, like Piedad del Socorro, said it's become a family tradition. The flowers, placed on large wooden frames call "silletas," can weigh over 100 kilograms. The tradition began in 1957 and attracts numerous tourists, like Jorge Martinez. Colombia's famed flower industry is the largest in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest in the world, after The Netherlands.

Saturday, August 08, 2009 CARACAS: Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Saturday ordered his ambassador back to Colombia a few days after withdrawing him amid a crisis over plans to increase the number of U.S. troops in the neighboring country. In a surprise announcement after an hours-long late-night meeting, Chavez delighted a group of left-wing Colombian peace campaigners by reversing the decision. "Nicolas, our ambassador Gustavo has given you all the reports he was going to, let him go back to Bogota. Return to Bogota Gustavo," Chavez said to his Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro and the ambassador, Gustavo Marquez.

Saturday, August 08, 2009 LONDON: Britain's involvement in Afghanistan could last for up to 40 years, the next head of the British Army said on Saturday. General David Richards, who will become Chief of the General Staff later this month, told local newspaper: "The Army's role will evolve, but the whole process might take as long as 30 to 40 years."While British troops would only be required in the country in the medium term, there was "absolutely no chance" of NATO pulling out completely and Britain would have to play its role in nation-building, Richards said. "I believe that the UK will be committed to Afghanistan in some manner development, governance, security sector reform for the next 30 to 40 years," he said. The general said the focus of the NATO-led force should now be on the expansion of the Afghan army and police force.

Saturday, August 08, 2009 ALASKA: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called President Barack Obama's health plan ``downright evil'' Friday in her first online comments since leaving office.``The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's' death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care,'' the former Republican vice presidential candidate wrote. ``Such a system is downright evil,'' Palin said.

Saturday, August 08, 2009 LOS ANGELES: Michael Jackson's estate should gain "close to $100 million" through contracts negotiated since the pop star's death, Jackson's brother told US Television.Jermaine Jackson said brother Michael's resting place is still undetermined.Jermaine Jackson, in a wide-ranging interview said his mother, Katherine Jackson, has not decided on Jackson's final resting place. He said he prefers the Neverland Ranch."I'm just concerned about security and being secure in a peaceful setting," he said.He stopped short of revealing if his mother has hinted her preference, saying, "At the end of the day, she will make the final decision." Jermaine Jackson said he had no reason to believe his brother was addicted to drugs, a suspicion that detectives revealed when they requested a warrant to search Dr. Conrad Murray's Las Vegas, Nevada, home and office."I have never seen him act abnormal around me or never k...

Saturday, August 08, 2009 CHENNAI: The Indian Coast Guard detained a ``suspicious'' North Korean ship, which had dropped anchor off Hut Bay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, after more than six hours of high drama that ended with Indian sailors firing in the air. Officials of Army intelligence, Intelligence Bureau and other agencies are set to inspect the ship and interrogate its occupants. Indian Coast Guard official for Andaman and Nicobar Region, told local television over phone that ``several things were amiss'' about merchant vessel MV Musen, which later declared that it was carrying 16,500 tonnes of sugar from Thailand to Umm Qasr in Iraq. ``She shouldn't have dropped anchor here in the first place, she didn't respond to our signals, and her log book was found to be vague,'' Nautiyal said. Preliminary inspections found that the vessel was carrying sugar. A detailed inspection will be carried out on Saturday by high-level intelligence officials.