LONDON: Labour leadership candidate David Miliband told party members Thursday that he was "ready to lead" and would "change the way we do politics," before claiming that former leaders Gordon Brown and Tony Blair`s "time has passed".Voting began Wednesday to elect a new leader of the

TALOOQAN: An apparent air strike by foreign forces killed 10 election campaign workers in Afghanistan`s north on Thursday, a government spokesman said, and NATO-led forces said they were investigating the incident.Civilian casualties caused by foreign forces while hunting militants have

New Delhi: The process of re-election of Sonia Gandhi as Congress president was set in motion today with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi besides several prominent party leaders proposing her name for the top post.The leaders who proposed her name included party chief

London: British physicist Stephen Hawking has said the creation of the universe was a result of the inevitable laws of physics and it did not need God`s help.In his latest book titled "The Grand Design", Hawking writes: "Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will

Washington: An armed man shot and killed by police after a tense four-hour standoff at the Discovery Channel`s headquarters told a TV channel he had several bombs strapped to his body "ready to go off."The gunman who had taken three hostages Wednesday in the Discovery building in the

ISLAMABAD: Relief efforts in flood-ravaged Pakistan are being stretched by the "unprecedented scale" of the disaster, while funding has almost stalled, the UN said Thursday."Given the number of those in need, this is a humanitarian operation of unprecedented scale," said Manuel Bessler,

Sydney: Independent MP from Tasmania, Andrew Wilkie decided Thursday to support the Labor Party, giving incumbent Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard 74 seats in her bid to form a minority government.Wilkie, who won the Denison seat, however, said his support to a returned Gillard

Chile: Chilean miners trapped underground after a rock collapse have received their first hot meal in 26 days.Meatballs, chicken and rice were piped through a tube to the 33 miners, who are stuck 700m (2,300ft) below the surface.Previously the miners have been only been nourished with

LONDON: Ex-premier Tony Blair`s memoirs are a good read but they risk re-opening old wounds in his Labour party just as it struggles to fight back from electoral defeat, British newspapers said Thursday.The personal details and indiscreet remarks contained in "A Journey" -- including

LAHORE: The death toll from three suicide bombings in Pakistan`s eastern city of Lahore rose to 31 on Thursday as six people succumbed to their injuries, a rescue official said.Three suicide bombers targeted a Shiite mourning procession made up of thousands of people on Wednesday at the

BEIJING: At least three people died and 57 were missing after rain-triggered landslides struck a village in southwestern China, state media reported on Thursday.The landslides swept through the village of Wama in mountainous Yunnan province, Xinhua news agency said.State television said

WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called Mahmud Abbas his "partner in peace," urging the Palestinian leader to join him in forging a "historic compromise" to end decades of conflict between their peoples."Our goal is to forge a secure and durable peace

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Wednesday pleaded with Israelis and Palestinians not to let slip a fleeting opportunity for peace, as he launched a landmark Middle East diplomatic initiative."This moment of opportunity may not soon come again," Obama warned after holding separate

TIJUANA: At least 17 migrants have been kidnapped near the US border in northern Mexico by human traffickers, Tijuana police said Wednesday.Two freed kinap victims reported the incident to authorities, saying "another 17 kidnapped people were inside a safe house," Tijuana Police Chief

COPIAPO: The morale of 33 miners trapped in Chile soared Wednesday after music and hot meals were supplied, while NASA advisers praised their "courage" and provided advice on daylight deprivation, as a rescue drill inched closer. A new video shot by the miners and broadcast on state

RIYADH: Three men including an imam were injured in a shooting at a Riyadh mosque Wednesday following late night Ramadan prayers, the Sabq.org news website reported.Unknown attackers opened fire outside the Prince Sultan mosque following the taraweeh prayers observed during the fasting

RALEIGH: Thousands of people evacuated North Carolina`s barrier islands on Wednesday as a strengthened Hurricane Earl threatened to pound large areas of the US east coast with heavy winds and rough seas. The strongest Atlantic storm of 2010 was on a path to lash the North Carolina coast

LIMA: The Amazon, the world`s biggest river, is at its lowest level in over 40 years near its source in northeastern Peru, causing havoc in a region where it is used as the only form of travel, authorities said.According to officials in Loreto province, the Amazon on Tuesday in the

MEXICO CITY: Mexican and US officials on Tuesday opened a first joint office to manage the distribution of more than 1.3 billion dollars in US security aid to help fight Mexico`s brutal drug gangs.The office will oversee transfers of equipment and training under the so-called Merida

BEIJING: Chinese schools opened nationwide for a new term Wednesday with thousands of police and safety officers deployed to ensure security following a string of deadly attacks on young students.The central government has instructed kindergartens and schools to beef up security and put