Peru confers Medal of Honour on UAE minister

September 30th, 2009 LONDON - Former US President George Bush's advisers believed that JK Rowling's books "encouraged witchcraft" and thus deprived the author from a top US honour, reveals a new book. The book, titled 'Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor'-written by Matt Latimer, an ex-speechwriter for Bush-has revealed that the Scots-based Harry Potter author was nominated for a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

September 30th, 2009 Chile invites Peru to disputed military exerciseSANTIAGO, Chile — The Chilean air force said Tuesday it has invited its Peruvian counterpart to send observers to military maneuvers that Peru has interpreted as threatening and wants canceled. The air exercise is set for late October in an area of northern Chile near Peru and is to include participation by the air forces of the United States, France, Brazil and Argentina.

September 27th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Brisbane couple Rob and Kate Trenchard married on Friday with a "man of honour" beside the bride, and "groomschicks" backing up the groom. According to reports, they wanted their best mates, regardless of their gender, to step into the coveted roles of maid of honour and groomsmen.

September 13th, 2009 Peru wants lawyer for Shining Path leader chargedLIMA, Peru — Peru's justice minister says the government will ask a public prosecutor to file "apology for terrorism" charges against the lawyer for imprisoned Shining Path rebel leader Abimael Guzman. Aurelio Pastor says the request will be made Monday, three days after lawyer Alfredo Crespo announced the publication of a book of manuscripts written by Guzman in prison.

July 14th, 2009 TORONTO - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has bestowed the rare Order of Merit on former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. The Order of Merit is an elite group of 24 members who are nominated by the Queen for their distinguished accomplishments in the arts, learning, sciences and public service.

July 12th, 2009 Magnitude 5.3 earthquake hits southern PeruLIMA, Peru — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 has struck southern Peru. The country's seismic institute says there are no immediate reports of damage or injury.

July 3rd, 2009 Peru bus collision kills 23 near Lake TiticacaLIMA, Peru — Two buses crashed head-on Thursday on a mountain road near Lake Titicaca in Peru, killing at least 23 people and injuring 50 more, police said. The morning crash occurred in the Santa Lucia district, about an hour's drive from Lake Titicaca high in the Andes, a Puno state highway police officer told The Associated Press by phone.

July 1st, 2009 LIMA - At least 20 people, including several children, were killed in eastern Peru when two passenger boats crashed on the Ucayali River Tuesday, authorities said. The accident occurred close to San Jose de Pacache, a small town in Peru's Amazon rainforest, the port captain in departmental capital Pucallpa told media.

June 6th, 2009 Peru: 9 more police killed in Amazon protestLIMA, Peru — Peru's defense minister says nine more police officers have been killed as security forces battle Indians in the Amazon who are protesting oil and gas exploration on their remote lands. That brings to 20 the number of police deaths.

May 14th, 2009 Bolivia: Peru ties 'at risk' over refugee decisionLA PAZ, Bolivia — Bolivia's president says relations with Peru are at "high risk" after the neighboring nation gave refuge to two more former Bolivian officials accused in the 2003 army killings of dozens of protesters. Evo Morales says his government is considering its response to what he calls a "provocation and an open aggression" by his Peruvian counterpart, Alan Garcia.

May 6th, 2009 US citizen Berenson, imprisoned in Peru, has sonLIMA, Peru — The parents of New Yorker Lori Berenson say she has given birth to a baby boy while serving a 20-year sentence in Peru for collaborating with leftist guerrillas in the 1990s. The 39-year-old is married to ex-Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement member Anibal Apari, whom she met in jail.

April 30th, 2009 LIMA - Peru suspended from Thursday all flights to and from Mexico over the ongoing flu epidemic, in a decision that Prime Minister Yehude Simon described as 'painful but necessary'. 'We have the right to protect the country,' Simon noted.

February 2nd, 2009 LIMA - An earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale hit southern Peru Monday, authorities said. The Geophysics Institute of Peru (IGP) said that the earthquake occurred at 12.53 p.m.

January 27th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Wednesday requested the central government to award the Padma Bhushan to Olympic bronze medal winner Vijender Kumar and others who performed well at the 2008 Beijing games since they were left out of the national honours list this year. Hooda appealed to the centre that Vijender Kumar as well as boxers Akhil Kumar and Jatinder Kumar, and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt - all of whom made it to the quarterfinal events in respective categories in the 2008 Olympics - be suitably honoured.

December 28th, 2008 LIMA - Drug traffickers have destroyed nearly two million hectares of forests in Peru in order to grow coca, the raw material for cocaine, EFE news agency reported Monday, quoting the country's Environment Minister Antonio Brack. 'The traffickers invaded protected areas and cleared forests for land to grow coca,' the minister said, adding that this activity has destroyed 'nearly two million hectares of forest' in the country.