Briefly World

Irans armed forces launched large-scale air defence war games on Sunday to show off the countrys deterrence capabilities in the face of pressure from the West over its nuclear program.

Iran starts war games to protect nuclear sites

TEHRAN: Irans armed forces launched large-scale air defence war games on Sunday to show off the countrys deterrence capabilities in the face of pressure from the West over its nuclear program. Irans elite Revolutionary Guards started five days of manoeuvres,Brigadier General Ahmad Mighani said. It is the biggest war game,which takes place over an area 600,000 sq km. The aim of this war game is to promote military power of the armed forces against any attack, Mighani said.

Indonesian ferry sinks,29 dead

JAKARTA: An overloaded ferry sank in bad weather off Indonesias Riau islands on Sunday,killing 29 people,while 245 passengers survived the accident,officials said. A Health Ministry official,said 17 people were still missing. A total of 291 people were on board. The ferry,the Dumai Express 10,was sailing from Batam near Singapore to Dumai island in Riau.

US health revamp clears first hurdle

WASHINGTON: A sweeping 849 billion health care reform bill backed by President Obama that promises to expand insurance coverage to 31 million Americans on Sunday cleared its first hurdle in the US Senate which will hold a full-scale debate on it. The 60-39 vote gave Obama a chance to usher in a better health care system in the US.

Teenager charged with NRIs murder

LONDON: An Indian-origin teenager has been charged with the murder of a compatriot,a week after a mother-of-two was found mutilated in London. Sher Singh,18,a resident of Southall has been charged with the murder of Geeta Aulakh. Eleven other people arrested including Geetas estranged husband,Harpreet Aulakh,are currently on bail. Geeta,28,was murdered on November 16.

China mine blast toll rises to 92

HEGANG: The death toll from Chinas latest coal mine disaster reached 92 as hopes dimmed on Sunday that more survivors would be found a day after a gas blast at a colliery in the countrys northeast. Xinhua news agency reported 528 workers were in the mine,at Hegang,at the time of the blast,and 420 had been rescued by Sunday.

Darwin book found on toilet bookshelf to be auctioned

LONDON: A rare first edition of Charles Darwins The Origin Of Species kept in an Oxford toilet for years will go under the hammer. Auction house Christie said on Sunday the book,one of around 1,250 copies first printed in 1859,had been on a toilet bookshelf at a familys home in Oxford,Oxford Mail reported. Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the publication of the famous work,the book will be auctioned on Tuesday. It is likely to sell for 60,000 pounds,Christie said.

Russias first civilian cosmonaut dies

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MOSCOW: Russias first civilian cosmonaut and famous spacecraft designer Prof Konstantin Feoktistov died here at the age of 83,state-run Vesti TV Channel reported. Hero of the Soviet Union Feoktistov,who in 1964 made his maiden space flight on board the first of the Voskhod series three-seater spaceship with two other cosmonauts,was the first and the only Soviet space traveller who was not the member of the ruling Communist Party.

620-million-year-old fossil found in N Korea

BEIJING: North Korean researchers have discovered a 620,000,000-year-old fossil of a tubular animal,the first organism with skeletal structure on Earth,the state media reported on Sunday. Researchers from the geology faculty of Kim Il Sung University excavated the fossil of the tubular animal in the Proterozoic era of North Hwanghae province,the Korean Central News Agency KCNA said in a report.