Politics

Pistorius due back in court as murder trial nears verdict

The murder trial of fallen South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius resumes Thursday for closing arguments after months of gripping testimony that captured the world's attention. Duration: 02:00

Aug 6, 2014

Bangladesh charges ferry owner, captain over deadly sinking

The owner and captain of a heavily overloaded river boat that sank in Bangladesh are facing criminal charges over the disaster, in which more than 130 people are feared drowned. Duration: 00:36

Aug 6, 2014

Georgian man beats new record by lifting 33 kg with his eyelids

A Georgian man is believed to have broken a new world record by lifting 33 kg with his eyelids in the small town of Dmanisi, 100 km from Tbilisi. Duration: 00:45

Aug 6, 2014

Rosetta spacecraft makes rendezvous with comet: ESA

The space probe Rosetta on Wednesday made a historic rendezvous with a comet, climaxing a 10-year, six billion-kilometre (3.7-billion-mile) chase through the Solar System, the European Space Agency (ESA) said. Duration: 00:34

Aug 6, 2014

Former rebel-held Mariupol tries to return to normal life

The southern Ukraine city of Mariupol was taken back by the Ukrainian forces last June. Duration: 00:45

Aug 6, 2014

Afghan soldiers man checkpoint in tense Kabul

Afghan National Army (ANA) troops keep watch at a checkpoint near an army training complex on the outskirts of Kabul a day after a US general was gunned down by a rogue Afghan soldier. Duration: 00:36

Aug 6, 2014

Hundreds rally to support Indonesian ex-general Prabowo

Hundreds of supporters cheer on losing presidential candidate Indonesian ex-general Prabowo Subianto as he starts his appeal against the election results. Duration: 00:50

Aug 6, 2014

Gaza truce pushes into a second day ahead of Cairo talks

A fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip entered a second day Wednesday as Israeli and Palestinian delegations prepared for crunch talks in Cairo to try to extend the 72-hour truce. Duration: 01:15

Aug 6, 2014

Syrian war 'forgotten' as focus shifts to Gaza

Analysts fear the world is losing interest in the deadly conflict in Syria, in the face of violence in Gaza and Iraq. The Syrian conflict has killed more than 170,000 people and forced nearly half the population to flee their homes. Duration: 01:23

Aug 6, 2014

Besieged Iraqi Turkmen town cries for help

All 34 villages around Amerli are under jihadist control but the small Turkmen town is holding out, in one of the longest and most dramatic sieges of Iraq's latest conflict. Duration: 00:38

Aug 6, 2014

Soldier killed in fierce gun battle with militants in Kupwara

Kupwara, Aug 06 (ANI): An army jawan was on Wednesday killed in a fierce gun battle with militants in Kupwara district near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir after a search party was attacked by the militants. According to sources a joint operation was launched by Army and state police at Gogoldara Bahak in the frontier district of Kupwara following a tip off about the presence of some militants.

Aug 6, 2014

Walkathon encourages people to donate organs in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam, Aug 06 (ANI): In a bid to encourage organ donation, authorities of health department organized a walkathon in Visakhapatnam city in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday. The awareness walk also saw participation of local hospitals, doctors, non-governmental organisations (NGO) and paramedical workers, who walked seven kilometres to mark World Organ Donation Day. Activists marched on roads and held posters bearing encouraging messages to donate organs. The Andhra Pradesh government has cleared a new comprehensive scheme, Jeevandan (donating life) to give a fillip to organ transplantation.

Aug 6, 2014

Coastal districts in Odisha on flood alert

Bhubaneswar/Bhadrak, Aug 06 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Wednesday said the officials were working to control the flood situation. Special Relief Commissioner, PK Mohapatra, said the state government evacuated 47,000 people to safer places in 11 districts. He said district administrations have been asked to stay on high alert as around 12 lakh cusecs water will be released in Mahanadi river. The state government has taken steps to evacuate people from low lying areas and made arrangements to open free kitchens for the flood affected people, keep strict vigil on the weak river embankments. However residents of Bhadrak district complained no official had visited them.

Aug 6, 2014

India vows to clampdown on rampant healthcare corruption

New Delhi/ Gurgaon, Aug 06 (ANI): India is contemplating tougher laws to stamp out corruption from the country's $74 billion healthcare sector following revelations of an unholy nexus between test laboratories and doctors, with laboratories offering kickbacks to doctors for referring patients to their diagnostic centres. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has ordered a thorough probe into such incidents of impropriety by doctors and laboratories.

Aug 6, 2014

Electric rickshaw operators protest Delhi High Court's ban

New Delhi, Aug 06 (ANI): Drivers of electric rickshaws converged at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday to protest against Delhi High Court's decision of banning them. The High Court intervened after a child died on July 30 as he fell from his mother's lap into a frying pan of a sweet shop after the woman was hit by an e-rickshaw. The tragic incident sparked a furious debate between political parties on regularization of the e-rickshaws in the national capital. Delhi High Court on July 31 directed the Delhi government to stop e-rickshaws from running on city roads till the next hearing on August 14. Vice-chairman of Battery Rickshaw Welfare Association, Chaudhary Ishwar Singh, said they had assembled to protest the ban and request the court to let rickshaws ply until government submits its proposed guidelines on regulating them.

Aug 6, 2014