Month: December 2010

December 30, 2010

China corruption problem ‘still very serious’ – report

China says its corruption problem is "still very serious" and has set out new measures to tackle it. In a new report on the fight against corruption, the authorities say more than 200,000 cases have been investigated since 2003. They say their…

December 30, 2010

Israel ex-President Moshe Katsav found guilty of rape

Israel's former President Moshe Katsav has been convicted of rape by a court in Tel Aviv and could go to jail. He was…

December 30, 2010

Khodorkovsky facing new jail term at second trial

The judge at the second trial of imprisoned Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky has ruled out a suspended sentence. His former business partner Platon Lebedev likewise faces a new prison sentence, correspondents report. "Khodorkovsky and Lebedev…

December 30, 2010

Vatican sets up watchdog to combat money laundering

The Vatican has set up a new financial authority to fight money laundering and make its financial operations more transparent. The Pope has signed into law new rules to bring the Vatican's banking regulations in line with international efforts to…

December 30, 2010

Riot charges for opponents of Belarus leader Lukashenko

Four Belarus opposition figures have been charged with organising riots after a protest against the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. The four men, who are being held along with a number of campaigners and journalists, face up to 15…

December 30, 2010

Australia: Queensland floodwaters still rising

Water levels are continuing to rise in some parts of the Australian state of Queensland as it battles its worst…

December 30, 2010

Boney M singer Bobby Farrell dies aged 61

Bobby Farrell, lead singer of the 1970s disco group Boney M, has died at the age of 61, his agent has announced. The…

December 30, 2010

Beaten British couple criticises Trinidad and Tobago

A British couple who was badly beaten while vacationing in Tobago has launched a bitter attack on the government of Trinidad and Tobago for its failure to compensate them. The couple published their ordeal in the British newspapers and called on…

December 30, 2010

Large numbers of Caribbean nurses and other health workers migrate to developed countries

A recent World Migration Report states that a large number of Caribbean nurses migrated to developed countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. According to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development…

December 30, 2010

One thousand Indian farmers to travel to Cuba

The government of the Indian southern state of Karnataka will send some 1,000 farmers to Cuba during the next few months to learn organic agriculture techniques, reported Prensa Latina news agency. Farmers owning over 5 acres of land and…