Russia fumes at 'childish' debate over Iran venue

MOSCOW, Jan 28: Russia Monday accused world powers and Iran of behaving like capricious children as they delay holding new nuclear crisis talks because of disagreements about where these should be held. "We are ready to meet anywhere and as soon as possible. We think that the essence of our talks is far more important than any morale boost a particular city may give," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters. — AFP

N Korea playing 'dangerous game of risk'

TOKYO, Jan 28: The top US envoy on North Korea dismissed hopes for an immediate diplomatic solution over Pyongyang's expected nuclear test, saying Monday that the isolated state was "bent on playing a game of risk". The comments from Glyn Davies come as North Korea threatens daily that it is preparing its third nuclear test in response to UN sanctions imposed on Pyongyang for a long-range rocket launch in December. — AFP

Pakistan coal mine accident kills eight

QUETTA, Jan 28: A gas explosion killed eight Pakistani coal mine workers in the country's remote southwest on Monday, an official said. The accident happened in Loralai district, nearly 600 kilometres (375 miles) southwest of Islamabad in the insurgency-torn province of Baluchistan, which is rich in gas, oil and mineral deposits. — AFP

Sixth Delhi gang-rape accused to be tried as juvenile
NEW DELHI, Jan 28: A court Monday ruled that the sixth suspect in last month's deadly gang-rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi would be tried as a juvenile, after rejecting calls for tests to determine his age. Ishkaran Bhandari, a lawyer for the teenager who cannot be named for legal reasons, said the Delhi-based Juvenile Justice Board accepted the school records of the suspect, which states that he was born on June 4, 1995. — AFP
Iran sends monkey into space
 TEHRAN, Jan 28: Iran Monday sent a capsule containing a live monkey into space and later retrieved the "shipment" intact, the Tehran-based Arab-language Al-Alam channel said, quoting an official statement. Previous attempts by the Islamic republic to put a monkey into space have failed. "Iran sucessufully launched a capsule, codenamed Pishgam (Pioneer), containing a monkey and recovered the shipment on the ground intact," said the statement by the defence ministry's aerospace department. It did not mention the condition of the monkey. — AFP
British grandmother appeals Indonesia death sentence
DENPASAR, Jan 28: A British grandmother convicted for smuggling cocaine into the resort island of Bali filed an appeal on Monday against her death sentence by firing squad, a court official said. Lindsay Sandiford, 56, was handed the death penalty last Tuesday for smuggling almost five kilogrammes (11 pounds) of cocaine worth $2.4 million into Indonesia last May. — AFP
Eight feared dead after Russian fishing vessel sinks
MOSCOW, Jan 28: At least eight people were feared dead and seven more were missing after a fishing vessel carrying a Russian and Indonesian crew sank in freezing waters off Russia's Far East, investigators said Monday. Regional transport investigators said survivors had already told them that eight fellow sailors had frozen to death in the life raft and their bodies were thrown overboard to limit the ballast. — AFP