International News

Nepal climbing season claims 5 French lives
Afp, Kathmandu
Five French trekkers and mountaineers were among six foreigners killed during the autumn climbing season in Nepal, the French embassy and Nepalese officials said yesterday.


Soldiers try to block protest in Kashmir
Ap, Srinagar
Thousands of troops in riot gear warned people to stay indoors in the Indian portion of Kashmir in an attempt to block a pro-independence rally called by separatists for a second straight day Friday, local residents said.


UN warns of Congo spillover as fighting erupts anew
Afp, Nairobi
UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged African leaders gathered in Nairobi yesterday to stop the rot in eastern DR Congo or face a regional crisis, even as fresh fighting erupted and thousands were displaced.


Green spaces narrow health gap between rich and poor
Afp, Paris
The rich live longer than the poor but the gap narrows substantially in cities where there are plentiful parks, woods and playing fields, according to a study that appears in Saturday's issue of The Lancet.


Russia to help in Vietnam civil nuclear programme
Afp, Moscow
Russia wants to take part in Vietnam's planned nuclear energy programme, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov said on Thursday following talks with Vietnam's Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem in Hanoi.


Five judges elected to UN's highest court
Afp, New York
The UN Security Council and the General Assembly on Thursday jointly elected five judges to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world body's highest court.


Africa left behind in Kyoto carbon offset trade: Experts
Afp, Dakar
Administrative and technical problems mean that Africa cannot profit from schemes to tackle climate change through projects to cut carbon emissions in developing countries, climate specialists meeting in Dakar said.