South Korean bus drivers set for nationwide strike

SEOUL: Millions of South Koreans face commuter chaos on Thursday with bus drivers set to launch a national strike to protest against a bill recognising taxis as public transport.Some 80,000 bus drivers across the country will launch the action from midnight on Wednesday, a bus union spokesman told AFP.The strike call was confirmed after a parliamentary committee approved the proposed bill,...

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Govt defends Kasab hanging; says wrong to question timing

PANJIM: Government on Wednesday denied that defended that 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab's hanging was timed before the winter session of Parliament. Responding to questions information and broadcasting (I&B) minister Manish Tewari said that the message being sent to people is that perpetrators of the terrorist attack in Mumbai have been brought to justice. When asked about the timing of Kasab's...

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New push for most in US to get at least 1 HIV test

WASHINGTON (AP) — There's a new push to make testing for the AIDS virus as common as cholesterol checks.Americans ages 15 to 64 should get an HIV test at least once — not just people considered at high risk for the virus, an independent panel that sets screening guidelines proposed Monday.The draft guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force are the latest recommendations that aim to make...

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Israel Combats Cyber Attacks During Gaza Offensive

The Israeli government said today that since the beginning of its military operation in Gaza, cyber attackers have launched more than 44 million attempts to disrupt the operation of various Israeli government websites, but were only successful in knocking out one site for a short period."One hacking attempt was successful and took down a site for a few minutes," Carmela Avner, the...

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Gaza truce pressure builds, Cairo in focus

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - International pressure for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip puts Egypt's new Islamist president in the spotlight on Tuesday after a sixth day of Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli air strikes that have killed more than 100 people. Israel's leaders weighed the benefits and risks of sending tanks and infantry into the densely populated coastal enclave two months...

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Foreign investment in China drops in October

BEIJING: Foreign direct investment in China fell again in October, the government said on Tuesday, as investors remained cautious amid global economic woes and China's own slowdown.Foreign companies invested $8.3 billion in factories and other projects in China last month, down 0.24 percent from a year ago, Shen Danyang, Ministry of Commerce spokesman, said at a regular news conference.The...

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YS Jaganmohan Reddy's sister Sharmila Reddy takes over, Congress worried

HYDERABAD: Congress' belief that a prolonged jail for YSR Congress party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy may drain the enthusiasm of his supporters appears to have come to a nought, with his sister Sharmila also drawing huge crowds. Reddy, Kadapa MP and son of late Congress iron man YS Rajasekhara Reddy, is in jail for the last 175 days, after he was arrested by CBI on May 27, for alleged disproportionate...

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EU drug regulator OKs Novartis' meningitis B shot

LONDON (AP) — Europe's top drug regulator has recommended approval for the first vaccine against meningitis B, made by Novartis AG.There are five types of bacterial meningitis. While vaccines exist to protect against the other four, none has previously been licensed for type B meningitis. In Europe, type B is the most common, causing 3,000 to 5,000 cases every year.Meningitis mainly affects infants...

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Officials: Israeli Strike Kills 11 Civilians in Gaza

The Palestinian civilian death toll mounted Monday as Israeli aircraft struck densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip in its campaign to quell militant rocket fire menacing nearly half of Israel's population.Overnight, an airstrike leveled two houses belonging to a single family, killing two children and two adults and injuring 42 people, said Gaza heath official Ashraf al-Kidra....

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Israel pounds Gaza as rocket fire wanes; talks in Egypt

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel bombed dozens of suspected guerrilla sites in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Monday and Palestinian rocket fire from the enclave dropped off as international efforts to broker a truce intensified. Ten civilians and two field commanders from the Islamic Jihad faction were killed and at least 30 other Palestinians were hurt in the new air strikes, hospital...

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