Mexican soldiers seized 105 tonnes of marijuana with a US street value of more than $340 million on Monday in Mexico's biggest-ever pot haul, the army said.

Heavily armed soldiers raided a series of homes in a poor suburb of Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, California, and came under fire at least once as they took the drugs, also arresting 11 suspected traffickers.

Troops found the narcotics wrapped in 10,000 brown and silver packages in houses and a parked truck. The ma...

The Pentagon has established a team of 120 people to review its own classified files in advance of the possible release by website WikiLeaks of a massive cache of US documents about the war in Iraq, Kazinform refers to Trend News.

Major Chris Perrine, a military spokesman, told the German Press Agency DPA on Monday that the Information Review Task Force was "reviewing the documents in our databases that could have been the subject of release."

Media reports have said that...

"The OSCE Review Conference will discuss both current achievements and the ways of further development of the Organization. We need to further develop and strengthen the Organization for effectively countering new security threats and challenges", OSCE Secretary Genera Marc Perrin de Brichambaut said at the opening of the Review Conference in Vienna yesterday, October 18.

"Since holding of the last OSCE Summit in 1999 new transnational threats demanding urgent and effective...

"The OSCE has an extensive experience in provision of military-political security", Deputy Head of the OSCE Department of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry Yerbolat Sembayev said opening the OSCE Review Conference in Vienna on October 18.

"During the last 20 years the OSCE has worked out effective mechanisms of conflict prevention, which are a heritage that we all must use", he said. The Kazakh diplomat also emphasized the importance and topicality of the issues of provision...

Although the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was hailed as great success for South Africa, FIFA is facing a string of legal suits in South Africa.

City Press newspaper in Johannesburg reported on Sunday that the football's world governing body is being sued for nearly one billion rands (143 million U.S. dollars) in unpaid debts for services provided before and during the FIFA World Cup.

The newspaper said FIFA has not paid about 240 million rands (34.2 million U.S. dollars) for...

The second Review Conference preceding the Summit of Heads of the OSCE member states starts Monday in Vienna, the OSCE press service reports.

The Conference will be held on October 18-26 and is devoted to the issues of military, political, economic and environmental safety. Representatives of 56 member-states of the Organization will also address the principles and international commitments of the OSCE in these spheres.

Deputy Head of the OSCE department of the Kazakh Foreign Minis...

Saudi intelligence services have warned of a new terror threat from al-Qaida against Europe, particularly in France, Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said Sunday; Kazinform refers to China Daily.

He said the warning of a potential attack by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula was received "in the last few hours, few days."

European officials were informed that "al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula was doubtless active or envisioned being active" on the "Europea...

Thousands of people in the Philippines have fled from their homes ahead of a powerful storm, Super-Typhoon Megi, which is expected to reach the north of the country early on Monday.

Megi, which has winds of up to more than 280km/h (175mph), is then forecast to move towards the South China Sea.

It is the strongest storm the Philippines has faced this year.

The northern provinces of Cagayan and Isabela are on the highest storm alert.

Officials are warning of heavy rain ...

A regular meeting of the Government was held in Bishkek with First Vice Prime Minister Amangeldy Muraliev taking part in it. The participants of the meeting discussed the current situation in the country's economy.

The real GDP growth made  - 0.5 percent for the 9 month span of time which was mostly because of the events that took place in the beginning of summer. In 2009 the figure for the same period of time amounted to 1.2 because of the global financial crisis.

The inflati...

The Russian government decided to provide the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) with $1 million to help Kyrgyz children, the organization said.

"This step is a confirmation of the very active participation of Russia, as a donor country, in solving global problems, in particular, related to assistance for children in difficult situation, " UNICEF representation in Russia said.

At present, more than half a million children need assistance in Kyrgyzstan, which suffered the outbrea...

German economy will rise 3.5 percent in 2010 and 2 percent in 2011, as unemployment rate falls to 7 percent next year, leading economic institutes said on Thursday.

Eight economic institutes selected by the German government together issued their two-year report, saying, "German economy is on an upward track to make up for the fall in production caused by the crisis."

Growth is expected to slow down due to the cooling of global economy, but it is still healthy, and domest...

Pakistani police arrested a group of militants who were plotting to kill the prime minister and other top government officials, a top officer said Thursday; Kazinform refers to The Arab News.

The conspiracy against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was "almost complete," said Abid Qadri, a regional police chief. He said the militants were planning to attack Gilani when he traveled to his hometown of Multan, but gave no more details.

Militants in Pakistan have frequently a...

Skype is integrating with Facebook to make it easier to call and video chat with friends and family on the social network.

The deal comes amid fevered rumours that Facebook plans to launch a phone of its own.

Meanwhile Skype is gearing up for a $100m (£62m) share issue.

"The essence of the Skype experience is communicating with the people you care about," said Rick Osterloh, Skype's head of consumer products.

The new Skype for Windows will include a Fa...

A Russian Proton-M heavy carrier rocket with a U.S. Sirius XM-5 satellite blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Thursday, a spokesman for Russia's space agency, Roskosmos, said.

The launch took place at 10:53 pm Moscow time [18:53 GMT], the spokesman said.

"The Russian part of the program will end at 08:05 a.m. Moscow time [04:05 GMT] when the spacecraft separates from the Briz-M upper stage rocket," the spokesman said.

A contract to launch th...

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich dismissed two vice-prime ministers on Wednesday, October 13.

Vice Prime Minister Vladimir Sivkovich has been offered the position of deputy secretary of the National Security and Defence Council. Vice Prime Minister Viktor Slauta has been offered to become a presidential adviser, the presidential press service said.

In March 2010, Sivkovich was appointed vice-prime minister in the government of Nikolai Azarov to oversee the Defence Ministry, th...

Old people who keep walking a relatively long distance may be less likely to suffer from cognitive decline, a new study suggests.

"By walking regularly, and maintaining a little bit of moderate physical activity, you can reduce your likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease and spare brain tissue," Kirk I. Erickson, the study's lead author, said.

Erickson and his colleagues from the University of Pittsburgh began to establish a link between walking and memory in 1989.
...

The Moscow authorities intend to create an online television channel to provide residents of the capital with "high-quality" information, a source in the city administration said on Thursday.

"Acting Moscow mayor Vladimir Resin has signed a decree approving the concept of providing Moscow residents with telecommunication services. The plan includes a proposal to create an Internet [television] channel," the source said.

News and information from the city's media[/television]...

Climate change will make weather-related disasters more frequent and deadlier in the next 15 years, the head of WWF Russia Climate and Energy Programme said.

"It [the number of dangerous weather events] may even double, leading to higher death tolls, especially taking into account that potentially dangerous areas, especially low-lying, are becoming increasingly populated," Alexei Kokorin told RIA Novosti.

He made the statement on the occasion of the International Day for [/the]...

A new report released on Thursday ranked the United States and Australia in the top 10 most unsustainable countries on the planet; Kazinform refers to China Daily.

The study, commissioned by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), measured the amount of natural resources needed to sustain a person's lifestyle, including energy, transport, food and infrastructure.

Australia ranked eighth in the study. The countries with a worse footprint than Australia are the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Denmar...

Eight miners trapped in the Chilean San Jose Mine were raised to the surface after 69 days underground , Chile's state TV channel said on Wednesday.

On August 5, a 700,000-ton rock collapsed trapping the miners deep in the gold and copper mine at 700 meters underground.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera then made an unprecedented decision to start a rescue operation involving NASA specialists, drilling experts from a dozen countries that designed a special capsule for hoisting up ...

Head of the Kazakh Diplomatic Mission to Russia Zautbek Turisbekov considers that it is necessary to focus potential of the Kazakhstani and Chinese scientists on creation of innovative drip irrigation systems.

The issues of ecology and other challenges of the current time were discussed during a reception of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Russia Li Hui in the Kazakh Embassy on Tuesday, October 12.

The topical aspects of the Kazakhstani-Chinese relations, i...

The moratorium on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is to be lifted, the US government has confirmed.

The six-month ban was introduced in the aftermath of April's BP oil spill, but calls had been growing for it to be ended because of its economic impact.

Before oil firms can resume deep-water work in the region they will first have to meet a range of new safety rules.

A federal report said the moratorium had caused a temporary loss of between 8,000 and 12,000 jobs in...

A number of Egyptian officials have been given three-year suspended sentences over the theft in August of Vincent Van Gogh's Poppy painting.

The masterpiece, worth about $55 million, was stolen from the Khalil Museum in Cairo on August 21. The painting, which has not been recovered, was cut out of its frame.

The head of the culture ministry's fine arts sector, Mohsen Shaalan, and Reem Bahir, the museum's director, were among 11 people convicted of negligence. However, the actual th...

The European Union (EU) would do whatever it took to help Hungary deal with its toxic sludge spill, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in southwest Hungary Tuesday.

Barroso made the commitment at an annual rector's conference held at Pecs University, where Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was also a guest of honor.

Barroso voiced his sympathy for the Hungarian people, who were now coping with what he called "a very serious ecological disaster." He...

The leaders of Kyrgyzstan's five parties to form the Central Asian country's parliament have agreed to a recount of ballots upon the request of the Butun Kyrgyzstan party, which lacked just over one-tenth of one percent to make the 5% barrier.

On Sunday, 29 parties competed in the election for seats in Kyrgyzstan's 120-member parliament, which will see its powers increase as part of constitutional changes approved in late June in a national referendum that confirmed Roza Otunbayeva as int...

The National Anti-Terror Committee (NAK) is stepping up measures against information technology crimes, NAK said on Tuesday.

At a meeting in Moscow, NAK drew up measures to "prevent and put an end to illegal infringement of the activities of information and telecommunications networks that could lead to technological and environmental catastrophes," the statement said.

Such infringement could put Russia's national security at risk, it added.

The Russian government ...

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III signed Tuesday a proclamation granting amnesty to rebel soldiers, including one senator, involved in military uprisings in 2003 and 2006.

Aquino told reporters in an interview that the amnesty proclamation will be submitted to Congress for its concurrence.

The President said detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV are among those that will receive amnesty.

Trillanes led a band of soldiers, more known as the Magdalo soldier, in 2003 to de...

The Russian Orthodox Church officially opened its channel on the YouTube video content service at a presentation on Monday.

The presentation took place at the fourth international festival of Orthodox Christian media entitled Faith and Word in downtown Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia blessed the channel and said it is called upon to make the Church closer to young people.

"We are doing this just to make the word of God, di...

Two Americans and a British-Cypriot won the 2010 economics Nobel for work focusing on problems like unemployment.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the 10 million Swedish crown ($1.5 million) prize recognised US professors Peter Diamond and Dale Mortensen and British-Cypriot citizen Christopher Pissarides.

Their work included analysis of the process of buying and selling and how job vacancies and wages are affected by regulation and policy.

"According to a clas...

The US space agency (Nasa) has been given a new direction, one that will seek to put astronauts in orbit using privately-run launch services.

The change comes into effect with the signing by President Barack Obama of the Nasa Authorization Act 2010.

The legislation, passed by Congress last week, mandates the agency to fly the space station until 2020 and to launch one extra shuttle next year.

It also instructs Nasa to start work on a rocket for deep-space exploration.
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