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Nepali capital Kathmandu Valley recorded nearly half of the reported cases of major crimes in the country in the last 3 years, The Rising Nepal reported on Monday.

According to police officials, alcohol has been the main cause behind the crimes in the capital.

The number of crimes in the capital went up significantly during that period. Of the total 11,625 crimes, around 4,821 cases had taken place in the valley. The cases accounted for around 42 percent of the total reported crimes, said the report of Metropolis Crime Division (MCD).

The criminal activities related to homicide, rape, theft, armed robbery, kidnapping, bank fraud, counterfeit, fraud and public offence showed an upward trend in the valley, said Uprendra Kanta Aryal, Senior Superintendent of Police at MCD.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Aryal said that the big and mysterious criminal activities had taken place in the valley. Armed groups were found involved in the organized crimes.

“It has become a major challenge for us to control the organized crimes,” he said.

As per a sample survey conducted by the police, around 3,240 cases were reported to police. Out of them, 799 cases were prosecuted, while 1,166 cases not prosecuted. About 1,275 cases were settled through compromises.

Germany saw record high employment in October as the number of persons in employment whose place of residence was in Germany amounted to 40.84 million in the month, German Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday.

Compared with October 2007, the employed persons increased by 538,000, or 1.3 percent, said the Wiesbaden-based office, noting that this is “the highest number of persons in employment ever.”

Compared with September 2008, an additional 219,000 persons who had their place of residence in Germany were in employment in October.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate amounted to 7.1 percent in Germany, notably lower than in the same month one year earlier which hit 8.1 percent.

However, against the background of economic recession, the office warned that the figure was not reflection of the economy, saying that “experience shows that it often takes several months for trend changes in the overall economic development to show on the labor market.”

The global financial crisis and the ensuing economic downturn are putting enormous strains on China’s once booming ocean shipping industry, the English China Daily reported on Friday.

As global demand substantially weakens, major container shippers, bulk operators and port authorities in China are suddenly suffering badly as the slumping export sector passes on the impact of slumping worldwide demand, it said.

Shanghai, one of the world’s busiest ports, has cut its container traffic target for the year by 5 percent, blaming this on the global financial crisis and an economic slowdown.

With a container volume of 26.15 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last year on the back of over 20 percent growth, Shanghai surpassed Hong Kong for the first time in 2007 to become the world’s No 2 container port, second only to Singapore.

However, such phenomenal growth has been tempered by the ongoing global economic recession. Total container throughput this year is expected to reach 28.5 million TEUs, less than its earlier target of 30 million TEUs.

The port attributed the slowdown to the drop in export volumes and sluggish domestic demand, according to Chen Xiyuan, president of the port operator Shanghai International Port Group Co.

The Daily quoted Chen as saying that container exports to the U.S., which account for 20 percent of the city’s total export volume, have slid 7.8 percent in the first nine months of this year.

In addition, shipping fees have been dropping like a stone, Chen said. The shipping price from Shanghai to Europe, for example, has fallen from 1,000 U.S. dollars to 200 U.S. dollars per container since the beginning of this year.

As slowing economic growth cuts demand for steel, coal and ironore, demand for ships is also falling. According to shipbrokers Clarkson, global demand for container ships has fallen by nearly 50 percent this year.

China is among the hardest hit countries. According to a recent report from China International Capital Corporation Limited, Chinese shipyards experienced a 34 percent drop in new ship orders in the first nine months of this year, as compared to the global average of 27 percent.

This trend is expected to continue as global trade growth is projected to continue its downward spiral. In its recent forecast, the International Monetary Fund projected that world trade growth would slow to 4.9 percent this year and 4.1 percent next year, due to reduced demand for imports as a result of the overall weakness of the global economy.

The volume of trade growth could begin to contract for the first time since 2002, industry experts said.

Economic confidence in the euro zone in November declined to its lowest level since August 1993, a survey from the European Commission showed Thursday.

The economic sentiment indicator in the 15-nation bloc sharing the euro fell by 5.1 points to 74.9 in November, following a fall of 7.1 points in the previous month.

In the 27-nation European Union (EU), the monthly indicator, based on business and consumer surveys, also dropped sharply by 6.7 points in November to 70.5, its lowest level since January 1985 when the statistics started.

The surveys are conducted in different sectors of the economy, namely industry, services, construction and retail trade as well as among consumers.

In both the euro zone and the EU, confidence fell considerably across all sectors. The industrial confidence indicator decreased significantly again. The services confidence indicator marked a new record-low level since 1985. Consumer confidence declined only marginally, but remained at very low levels compared to its average value. Sentiment in the retail sector declined further in the EU, but remained the same in the euro zone, while the construction confidence indicator dropped markedly in both regions.

All EU countries reported a fall in their economic confidence. Among the large member states, confidence deteriorated most markedly in Britain, down by 8.8 points, followed by Poland, Germany and the Netherlands, down by 7, 6.3 and 5.4 points respectively.

Meanwhile, the business climate indicator (BCI) for the euro zone decreased further in November to values last observed in 1993,the Commission said in a separate survey.

“The continued steep decline of the indicator signals a deteriorating trend in year-on-year industrial production growth, which is likely to continue to be negative even in the fourth quarter,” the Commission said.

All five underlying components of the BCI declined. Managers reported a sharp fall in the production trend while stocks of finished goods increased. Their assessment of the current overall order book and export order book is increasingly negative. Looking ahead, production expectations in the euro area worsened notably compared to last month.

Worsening confidence strengthened widespread fear of a deep recession in Europe. According to forecasts by the European Commission, the euro zone plunged into recession in the third quarter and the EU is set to follow in the fourth quarter.

EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia warned Thursday that both the EU and the euro zone will see contraction next year due to the financial crisis.

Previous Commission forecasts said the EU will grow by 0.2 percent next year and the euro zone by 0.1 percent.

In a bid to prevent the financial crisis evolving into an economic crisis, the Commission unveiled on Wednesday a massive package worth 200 billion euros (260 billion U.S. dollars) to stimulate the economy.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here Tuesday in response to the global financial crisis, China will focus on expanding domestic demand as an effective way to stimulate economic growth.

Wen made the remarks when meeting with President Robert Zoellick of the World Bank (WB). Wen briefed the WB President about China’s economic situation and its measures to address the global financial crisis.

Wen said China, with a 1.3-billion population, has yet to overcome the disparity between urban and rural areas, relatively low per capita incomes and a relatively large number of poverty-stricken people.

Wen said China’s move to expand domestic demand is aimed to gradually meet the people’s demands through economic growth, which will be achieved by stimulating the ultimate consumption market.

To meet this end, Wen said China will focus on improving incomes of rural residents and social security for low-income groups. He said China will strive to expand employment. It will also work on the development of such social causes as education, medical service and culture. Wen said China will advance development of infrastructure in rural areas, including drinking water, bio-gas, roads, electricity and telecommunications. He said China will continue to protect the environment, while working on the rehabilitation of earthquake-stricken areas and poverty elimination.

Zoellick said the current financial global crisis calls for closer cooperation among the international community. He said the World Bank will continue to play a role in helping China overcome difficulties in financing and employment.

Zoellick appreciated the Chinese government’s measures to expand domestic demand. He said sustaining its own economy will be China’s biggest contribution to maintaining financial stability and the economic growth of the world.

The FTSE-100 index of the London stock market rose 100.72 points, or 2.38 percent, at 4317.31 at midday on Monday.

Anglo American led the rising trend, winning 6.83 percent, and Royal Bank of Scotland Group was the second winner, gaining 6.79 percent.

Mining giant Rio Tinto ranked as the fifth winner with a 5.82-percent gain.

Liberty International, a London-based commercial properties firm, topped the losers, shedding off 5.75 percent.

Antarctica is getting warmer over the past half-century with the rest of the world, according to a new study published in Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature.

A review by U.S. scientists of satellite and weather records for Antarctica, which contains 90 percent of the world’s ice and would raise world sea levels if it thaws, showed that freezing temperatures had risen by about 0.5 Celsius (0.8 Fahrenheit) since the 1950s.

The scientists concluded that the eastern region of the continent, which is larger and colder than the western portion, is warming at 0.1 Celsius per decade, and the west at 0.17 Celsius per decade — faster than the global average.

“The thing you hear all the time is that Antarctica is cooling and that’s not the case,” said study lead author Eric Steig of the University of Washington.

For years, Antarctica was the only place that had oddly seemed immune from climate change. Temperatures on much of the continent at the bottom of the world were staying the same or slightly cooling, previous research indicated.

The findings may help puncture arguments by global-warming skeptics such as the late author Michael Crichton who have pointed to cooling in parts of Antarctica as an indicator that climate change is exaggerated.

The scientists also wrote that the trend is “difficult to explain” without the effect of rising greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.

The United Nations Thursday called on Cote d’Ivoire to hold presidential elections in the latter half of this year.

The number of identified voters has passed the 4.6-million mark and voter identifying work should be completed by spring if the current trend continues, UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) said in a news release.

UNOCI called for a timetable as soon as possible for much-delayed presidential elections, noting that “This timetable is crucial, not only to maintain the present momentum, but also to allow for national planning and thus avoid accumulating delays.”

“Naturally, it is understood that it is the responsibility of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to set the new timetable,” the mission said. “In the interests of the Ivorian people, as well as of the international community… UNOCI is asking the IEC to publish a new electoral timetable without delay so as not to compromise the dynamic of the peace process.”

For their part, the international community and UNOCI will continue to provide their support in order to ensure the success of the peace process.

The elections, a key part of the peace process that UNOCI has been fostering for the past five years, have been repeatedly postponed over the issue of voters, and were last scheduled for Nov. 30, 2008.

In 2006, the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) was 750,000. By September, 2008, nearly 70,000 IDPs were identified as having returned home in the west, but the returns have been complicated by clashes.

Health experts from East Africa kicked off a two-day meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday by calling on regional governments to stem the spread of new HIV infections.

The three-day East African Community (EAC) conference dubbed “HIV prevention think tank” is discussing approaches that should be scaled up due to their impact, and those that should be given less prominence and funding.

Speaking during the opening of the meeting, the UN program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa Mark Stirling urged the countries to formulate new strategies to reduce the rate of new HIV/AIDs infections by half by next year.

“We need to forge synergies as a region in line with the new trend of forming global alliances in the fight against Aids as we endeavour to realize universal access to services,” Stirling said.

Kenya’s Special Programmes Assistant Minister Mohamud Ali said HIV/AIDS remained the biggest threat to the socio-economic development of the region.

“In Kenya for example, more than 1.4 million people are living with HIV, with the country’s HIV prevalence rate standing at 7.8 percent,” Ali told the forum, which is the first of its kind in the region and is being held by the EAC in partnership with the UN program on HIV/AIDS.

He said as the East African region makes great strides in trade and other related matters, “our countries should expand cooperation to fight against HIV and AIDS as well as other ailments that face us.”

Ali said Kenya was now developing a new HIV and AIDS strategic plan that is expected to become operational in July.

Currently, more than four million adults and close to 420,000 children in the region are now living with HIV while more than 2.7 million children have been orphaned by the disease. The meeting seeks to build political commitment in fighting HIV and AIDS in the EAC states.

Last week, Kenya doctors sounded an alert over the high number of new HIV infections among married couples in particular. They said the trend was likely to constrain treatment.

At least between 55,000 to 100,000 new HIV infections are reported on an annual basis mostly among married couples, posing a serious challenge to the provision of anti-retroviral drugs, said Nicholas Muraguri, the director of the National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Programme (Nascop).

“In a bid to address the high level of new HIV infections, the Public Health ministry has launched a campaign dubbed Concurrence campaign, which aims at promoting fidelity in marriages and encouraging couples to know their HIV status,” said Muraguri.

The proposed plan will target the provision of quality integrated services at all levels to prevent new HIV infections, reduce HIV-related illness and deaths and mitigate the effects of the epidemic on households and communities.

EAC Health Coordinator Stanley Sonoiya said that in the past, there had been too much emphasis on treatment rather than prevention.

“From what we have seen I think we have to go back to the basics, which says prevention is better than cure. The economies of the East African countries cannot sustain the treatment,” said Sonoiya.

He added that the meeting’s agenda would include the creation of political awareness of steps that required cooperation between EAC partner states. “It is also an important element of the EAC member states on the 2005 declarations on achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care,” he said.

The meeting has drawn participants from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Adult HIV prevalence ranges from two percent in Burundi to 7.8 percent in Kenya.

UNAIDS, East and Southern Africa HIV Advisor Hellen Jackson said there was need for results in HIV prevention in order to sustain treatment.

“You can imagine if each person who has HIV progresses to AIDS, the financial burden of sustaining treatment becomes enormous and the only way to make sure it is sustainable is to turn off the tap of new infections,” she said.

“Otherwise down the line, no countries are going to be able to afford to keep up the treatment.”

The National AIDS Control Council (NACC) said that the highly publicised ABC method of Abstain, Be faithful or use a Condom to prevent the spread of HIV needed to be supplemented with other preventative strategies to be more effective.

NACC director Alloys Orago said as they shifted their campaign to prevention of new infections, the council had set aside about 23 million Kenyan shillings (about 288,000 U.S. dollars) for prevention strategies to boost the existing ones.

“There are other new initiatives that we think should complement ABC. So it is the new that we are adding to what you already know to make a difference because we are looking for a combination that will deliver us to the promised land making sure that there are no more new infections,” Orago explained.

He said the council wanted to bring on board strategies backed up by evidence that if implemented within communities would make a difference.

“The ultimate goal is to ensure that we reduce new HIV infections and we are also able to control morbidity and mortality that is characteristic of HIV infections within the region.”

As fewer illegal immigrants cross the U.S.-Mexico border, arrests in the last five months are down 24 percent from the same period last year, a newspaper report said on Sunday.

Authorities attributed the drop to the worsening economic situation and strengthened security at the border, the Los Angeles Times said.

The sharp drop in arrests of illegal immigrants was unseen since the 1970s as the ailing U.S. economy and enhanced enforcement appear to be deterring people from trekking north, the paper said.

From October 2008 through February of this year, the Border Patrol arrested 195,399 illegal immigrants, a 24-percent decrease from the same period last year, the paper cited Border Patrol statistics.

The apprehension level is on track to dip to about 550,000 for this federal fiscal year, the lowest level since 1975, when 596,796 immigrants were caught, statistics showed.

The downward trend in arrests — considered one of the best indicators of illegal immigrant migration — began a few years ago, about the same time the federal government started fortifying the border with more agents, fencing and infrastructure, said the paper.

But the border enhancements weren’t enough on their own to stop immigrants from entering the country, the paper noted, adding that with the U.S. economy in a tailspin, few incentives remain for immigrants to endure the increasingly difficult crossings.

“A lot of people who would have come here illegally and stayed illegally are not bothering to come to the U.S.,” Demetrios Papademetriou, president of the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank, was quoted as saying. “The information that they are getting basically says there are no opportunities here.”

The current downward trend breaks with past immigration patterns, when federal crackdowns in one place only led immigration flows to shift to other areas, according to the paper.