Washington, Aug 1: Even as western strikes have weakened the Al Qaeda core in Pakistan, the terror group’s affiliates are still increasing “operational capabilities”, with no decrease in the strength of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), responsible for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, a US report on terrorism warns.

In a scathing criticism of its key ally, a top US counter-terro...

Moscow, Aug 1: The transfer of power in Russia’s political system must be gradual and continuity in the political succession is important, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

Putin made his remarks in an address at the Lake Seliger camp, the site of an annual gathering of pro-Kremlin youth activists for almost a month of discussions and forums.

The most impor...

Moscow, Aug 1: The US is continuing its efforts to make Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad resign, according to US State Department spokesperson Patrick Ventrell.

“The situation is grave, and we’re witnessing the regime’s continued assault on its own people,” said Ventrell during a daily press briefing on Tuesday.

“We are continuing and accelerating a...

Beijing, Aug 1: India and Vietnam should be given a “strong response” if they insist on exploring oil and gas in waters claimed by China, a Chinese newspaper has said.

“China must first insist on exerting political pressure over both India and Vietnam, warning them that their joint exploration in the South China Sea are illegal and violate Chin’s sovereignty,&rdq...

Tehran, Aug 1: Iran has reiterated its support for the peace plan proposed by UN-Arab League joint special envoy Kofi Annan to settle the Syrian unrest, Press TV reported on Wednesday.

“We support Annan’s plan and consider it as the only sensible way (for Syria) to get out of this situation,” Xinhua quoted Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi as saying.

The minis...

Long Beach (California), Aug 1: Appreciating India’s efforts at fighting terrorism and promoting peace in Afghanistan, US Senator Dana Rohrabacher on Wednesday said India is America’s key ally in the fight against global terrorism.

According to Rohrabacher, who represents 46th District of the State of California, both India and the US have realized the mutual benefit of thei...

Washington, Aug 1: A senior adviser to President Barack Obama’s campaign has called Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s three-country international tour as an “embarrassing disaster.” The crude outburst from Obama campaign adviser Robert Gibbs came after Romney’s campaign spokesman Rich Gorka told reporters to “kiss my ass” in Warsaw, after ...

Islamabad, Aug 1: Interpol has rejected Pakistan’s request to issue a Red Warrant against former president and army chief General (retired) Pervez Musharraf in connection with the Benazir Bhutto assassination case. Interpol rejected the request on grounds that Pakistani authorities and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had sent insufficient documentation for the purpose of issuing a red...

Kabul, Aug 1: A senior Taliban leader has been captured in Afghanistan’s Zabul province, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Wednesday. “An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a senior Taliban leader in Tarnak wa Jaldak district, Zabul province, during an operation on Tuesday,” Xinhua quoted the ISAF as saying in a press release. The senior Taliban...

Washington, August 1: Parents concerned about their kids’ lazy ways can spur them into greater activity by setting an example themselves, according to research at National Jewish Health.

Kristen Holm, assistant professor of medicine at National Jewish Health - Denver, Colorado, and her colleagues report that, when parents increase their daily activity, as measured by a pedometer, ...

Washington, August 1: For all you men out there - a bulging waist not only spells higher risk of blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes but also damages your sexual life and causes frequent urination, reveals a recent study.

The study by New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is the first to comprehensively show that obesity in men affects not just their hearts ...

Washington, August 1: A sharp spike in childhood obesity may more than damage overall health — it could be disrupting the onset of puberty and erode the ability to reproduce, especially in females, according to a study.

Human bodies may be scrambling to adjust to a problem that is fairly new. For thousands of years of evolution, poor nutrition or starvation were a greater concern,...

Washington, Aug 1: Ever wonder why extremely capable surgeons leave scissors in the patient’s gut, after successfully concluding a difficult operation? It’s not carelessness but failure of prospective memory, according to a US study.

R Key Dismukes, scientist at the NASA Ames Research Centre, highlights various ways in which the nitty-gritty of daily tasks interacts with the...

Sydney, August 1: It is hard to replace a lost habitat without losing species, even though the goal may be laudable, warn scientists. “There’s been a lot of talk among policymakers about ‘offsets’, meaning that if you damage or lose the environment in one place you compensate by restoring or protecting an equivalent area somewhere else,” explains study author Richard ...

Toronto, Aug 1: Worrying a too much about office politics can really trip you, says a new finding from Canada.

A study by University of British Columbia (UBC) Sauder School of Business reveals that paranoia about negative gossip or being snubbed leads people to seek out information to confirm their fears, ultimately annoying the colleague and increasing the likelihood they will be rejec...

Sydney, Aug 1: An Australian man, who created a Facebook page to rate the sexual performance of people in the city of Bendigo, has been given a suspended jail term. Josh Turner (25) pleaded guilty before a Bendigo Magistrates Court to charges of using a ‘carriage service to offend and using an online information service to publish objectionable material.’ He was also banned from using ...

London, Aug 1: A mother of six children in Britain left a 53-year-old woman in a pool of blood after a brutal attack at a school’s playground. She suspected that the lady’s daughter was having an affair with her husband. Kelly Mochan stormed into the school swearing and shouting that she was going to kill Katie Vincent, as other mums picked up their kids, The Sun reported. She was carr...

Tashkent, Aug 1: Uzbekistan’s mobile operators were ordered to cut off mobile internet, text message and MMS services for five hours for all subscribers while applicants undertook university entrance exams on Wednesday. The measure was called upon to ensure fair exam-taking procedures, preventing applicants from using the mobile services during the exams. “Mobile internet and other ser...

Wellington, Aug 1: The Duchess of Cambridge has topped Vanity Fair’s annual International Best Dressed list for the third time in a row. With brother-in-law Prince Harry too making this year’s stylish slate, the British royalty duo have made its mark on this year’s best dressed list. Australian-born Princess Mary of Denmark, wife of Crown Prince Frederik, was also named one of th...