Former United States President Gerald Ford has been hospitalized with pneumonia, an official announced today. Ford was admitted to the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
Ford's chief of staff, Penny Circle, said in a press release, "He is doing well and resting comfortably." She added that there would be no further announcements until 11 AM on Tuesday.
Ford visited the hospital last month for a routine test, which he goes for every December. Circle said he had "a horrible cold." Ford last visited the hospital in Ja
Reports from Pakistan say that at least four or five terrorists were killed in last Friday's airstrike. The attack took place in the village of Damadola in the semi-autonomous agency of Bujar, a tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
According to unnamed Pakistani intelligence officials, top Al-Queda operative Ayman al-Zawahiri was invited to a dinner in the village at the time of the strike, but failed to show up.
"According to the available information at least 4 to 5 foreign elements had also been killed in the incident," the Political Agent
Yesterday the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stated in a letter to the Cultural Ministry, the country was banning all work of CNN (Cable News Network), which is owned by Time Warner Inc., for making a translation error during a press conference on Saturday.
However, today Ahmadinejad announced that Iran was lifting the ban. Apparently late Monday, Ahmadinejad had asked the Cultural Ministry to lift the ban after CNN apologized for their error.
"I want the channel to be allowed to resume its work owing to the apology it made," Ahmadin
The New Zealand Government is to investigate how 20-year-old top secret papers were released. They show that New Zealand was spying on the communications of Argentina, the Soviet Union, East Germany, France, Egypt, Japan, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, Fiji, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, South Africa and even the United Nations diplomatic cables.
The leak came when a copy of the Government Communications Security Bureau's (GCSB) 1985-1986 annual report was found among the personal papers of former New Zealand Prime Minister David
Israeli media is reporting that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon opened his eyes for the first time since he suffered a major stroke on January 4, 2006.
However, hospital officials said the reports were generated by the Sharon family's "impression of eyelid movement, whose medical significance is unclear."
"He was listening to a tape of his grandson and you could see tears in his eyes for a matter of seconds before he closed them again," a doctor treating Sharon told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity.
Army Radio, citing unidentified close
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has been inaugurated as Liberia's first elected female President, and also the first elected female head of state in Africa.
Her Vice President, also sworn in, is Joseph Boakai.
The inauguration took place in the country's capital, Monrovia and was attended by several key figures in world politics. The inauguration was attended by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, US First Lady Laura Bush, and South African President Thabo Mbeki.
The inauguration was held out doors, as Liberia lacks any proper buildings for the ev
Helsinki, Finland - The first round the presidential elections were held today. With all (100%) of the votes counted, no candidate reached more than the number of votes necessary to win. The top two candidates, the social-democrat incumbent, Tarja Halonen with 46,4% and the conservative, Sauli Niinistö with 24,1 %, will go the next round in two weeks time, on the 29th. Finland has its presidential election every 6 years and it decided on the alternative vote system of 50%+1.
Finland is a Nordic country with semi-presidential system of governme
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke out in a rare news conference on Saturday against statements made by Europe and the United States, saying that if any country refers it to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program, that it will end their voluntary compliance with surprise inspections and other nuclear cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the IAEA. He also warned that Europe will lose the chance of reconciliation if it pursues sanctions.
President Ahmadinejad said that even if Iran is referred to the Security Council
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon remains in a coma after 10 days.
Medical experts on the outside say that Sharon's failure to regain consciousness does not look well for his recovery.
On Wednesday, doctors began reducing the level of sedatives with the intent of drawing Sharon out of an induced coma. Hospital officials say that Sharon remains "lightly sedated", but are not sure when he will wake up once they stop giving him the sedatives.
New reports say an EEG has shown that Sharon has activity on both sides of his brain and doctors say
Four declared contenders in the Liberal Democrats leadership contest today addressed party members at the London School of Economics. The contest was initiated after Charles Kennedy admitted in a press conference that he had previously sought professional help for an alcohol problem. Initially, Mr Kennedy had stated that he intended to run for re-election in a leadership contest. However, after 25 MPs said they would refuse to serve on the front bench under Charles Kennedy, he resigned immediately and said he would play no part in the leadershi
The Israeli ministry of tourism is reconsidering cutting ties with Christian televangelist Pat Robertson over the construction of a Christian heritage, pilgrimage and tourism site near the Sea of Galilee. The Christian Heritage Center which would stretch over 125 acres is placed where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus taught and lived in the Galilee region. Robertson was one of the people at the heart of the project which was supported by many other evangelicals who worked to raise $50 million (USD).
Israeli tourism minister, Avraham H
In his weekly open-air version of the popular Thailand Weekly show, outspoken Government critic and founder of Manager Media, Sondhi Limthongkul launched another series of stinging attacks against the country's Prime Minister.
Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra was accused of planning a cabinet reshuffle in an effort to deflect public attention away from allegations of wrongdoing and corruption. Sondhi alleged that politicians with poor public images would be recruited into the cabinet, and that such was a scheme to overshadow accusations of corrupti
