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US president plans talks with Russia on reducing nuclear weapons

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:25:30 -0400

BERLIN - US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said he would seek talks with Russia to reduce the number of strategic nuclear weapons both hold by up to a third. Speaking in front of Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate during a visit to the German capital, Obama said he was confident the US could maintain its security while reducing its nuclear capacity by a third. He also called for ...

Afghanistan to shun US peace talks with Taliban

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:23:12 -0400

KABUL - An angry Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Wednesday his government would not join US peace talks with the Taliban "until the peace process is totally under Afghan control." He also suspended talks with the US to discuss the nature of US military presence after international troops withdraw in 2014. A spokesman for President Hamid Karzai said the decision was taken over ...

Irish public support attack on U.S. president and family

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:47:12 -0400

Many people have rallied in support of controversial Independent TD Clare Daly after her extraordinary attack on the visiting U.S. president Barack Obama and his family. Daly didn't miss any punches on Wednesday morning in the Dail when she hit out at Obama, describing him as the "hypocrite of the century," and "a war criminal." She pointed out while he was in Northern Ireland talking the ...

Kim Jong-un on 'luxury yacht' in North Korea

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:35:12 -0400

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has used a luxury boat to tour the country's east coast amid indications that the 90-feet-long yacht may have been smuggled into the country in defiance of UN sanctions that bans importing of luxury items to the impoverished country. A website that tracks events in the reclusive state said the yacht, a Princess 95MY made by British-based ...

Eight UN aid workers among 15 dead in Somalia militant attack

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:34:40 -0400

MOGADISHU, Somalia - At least 15 people, including some United Nations workers, were killed Wednesday when a UN compound in the Somali capital came under a bomb and gun attack by Islamist militants of an Al Qaeda-linked group, a minister said. Interior Minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled in a hurriedly called press conference said that the eight slain UN workers included four foreigners working ...

Surveillance stopped at least 50 terror attacks, says NSA director

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:28:19 -0400

WASHINGTON - The controversial US snooping of foreign emails and telephone calls has prevented more than 50 potential terrorist attacks in at least 20 countries, the director of the National Security Agency (NSA) has said in defending the surveillance programme. The targets include the New York Stock Exchange and other important installations across the world, General Keith Alexander said ...

Major General Finn appointed to top UN role in Jerusalem

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:15:41 -0400

18 June 2013 150 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment today of Major General Michel Finn, of Ireland, as head of Mission and Chief of Staff of the Jerusalem-based UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), the first such operation the world body set up almost 60 years ago. "Major General Finn succeeds Major General Juha Kilpia of Finland, who will ...

Goan musician ties up with Trinadad and Tobago rapper

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:20:01 -0400

A Goan musician has teamed up with a Trinidad and Tobago rapper to craft an album with an eye to putting it out on international music channel VH1. The new music video 'Cozy Together' by Varun Carvalho, a self-confessed dentist-by-day and singer-by-night, features rapper and musician Nkenge Ross aka Nick, who has earlier played in Caribbean Bands like Ecstatic and Matrix. Speaking to reporters ...

Brazil deploys elite force in Confederations Cup host cities

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:50:02 -0400

Brazil deployed members of an elite security force in cities hosting international football matches, in the wake of massive anti-government protests that threaten to disrupt the FIFA Confedrations Cup. Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff ordered the deployment of Brazil's National Public Security Force (FNSP) to the cities of Fortaleza, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, the capital Brasilia and Rio de ...

UNESCO adds 6 Syrian sites in List of World Heritage in Danger

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:30:03 -0400

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Li Na gets bye enters quarters at Eastbourne

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:10:01 -0400

China's Li Na advanced to the quarter-finals of the Eastbourne International tennis tournament as her French opponent Marion Bartoli pulled out due to a viral infection. Li, the second seed, was told about the development by her coach barely 10 minutes before the match started Wednesday, reports Xinhua. Bartoli, ranked 15th in the world and the 2011 champion, said in a statement: "I'm really ...

Dabur Nepal ICIMOD partner to promote herbal garden

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:50:02 -0400

Dabur Nepal, a subsidiary of Dabur India, and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) here, have entered into a five-year partnership to promote medicinal and aromatic plants from the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Experts from Dabur and ICIMOD will bring in their resources and experience to establish a herbal garden at ICIMOD Knowledge Park at Godavari, Kathmandu, ...

Dynamo Kiev signs Dutch international Lens

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:50:02 -0400

Ukrainian football club Dynamo Kiev has signed Dutch international striker Jeremain Lens from PSV Eindhoven. "The transfer to Dynamo is a step forward in my career," Lens was quoted by Dynamo's press-service as saying, reports Xinhua. The 25-year-old will play for Dynamo on a four-year deal, the press-service said, without disclosing details regarding the transfer fee. The local and Dutch ...

Murray set for IPL-style tennis tournament to go where the money is

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:40:02 -0400

British tennis ace Andy Murray is reportedly set to join Mahesh Bhupathi-masterminded lucrative Indian Premier League-style international tennis tournament to 'go where the money is'. The Scot's new commercial guru Bhupathi is the mastermind behind the new International Premier Tennis League tournament (ITPL), which will have franchises in six cities and sell the stars at an auction in January ...

Airbus Boeing compete for mega deals at Paris Air Show

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:40:02 -0400

Two world aviation industry giants, Airbus and Boeing, are engaged in fierce commercial battles for winning big orders for their long-haul airplanes at the 2013 International Paris Air Show. As the leading European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus Wednesday announced that Air France-KLM has ordered 25 Airbus A350 planes at list prices of $7.2 billion with an option for 25 additional aircraft, ...

Brad Pitt to open Moscow film fest with `World War Z

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:00:01 -0400

Brad Pitt will open the 35th Moscow International Film Festival with the apocalyptic movie "World War Z", recently premiered in New York. Pitt, making his first visit to the Russian capital, will be the center of attention on the red carpet of the Oktiabr Theater Thursday. The actor will arrive in Moscow without partner Angelina Jolie, who was with Pitt, however, at the London premiere of the ...

North Korea willing to restart six-party nuclear talks

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:50:04 -0400

North Korea is willing to restart nuclear talks with international partners, China's foreign ministry has said. North Korean officials said they wanted to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue, the ministry's website said. On Sunday, Pyongyang offered to hold high-level talks on regional peace with the US, although it has reneged on deals several times in the past. The comments from North Korea ...

Russell Crowe to direct his first feature film

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 23:30:01 -0400

Actor Russell Crowe is set to director his first feature film. The project is set in the aftermath of World War I. The 49-year-old's directorial project is titled "The Water Diviner". It is set in 1919, reports contactmusic.com. The movie tells the story of an Australian man who travels to Turkey looking for his two sons who went missing during the Battle of Gallipoli. Crowe, who recently ...

US condemns attack on UN office in Somalia

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:50:01 -0400

White House Wednesday strongly condemned the "despicable" attack on the UN office in Somalia. "Today's attack highlights the repugnant terrorist tactics al- Shabaab continues to use to stand in the way of efforts to ease the suffering of the Somali people," reported Xinhua citing White House National Security Council Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden in a statement. he statement came after suicide ...

UAEs efforts to preserve environment exemplary says daily

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:20:01 -0400

Environment related authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have not been resting on their laurels since receiving an acknowledgment from the World Wildlife Fund in 2010, a UAE daily has reported. The UAE authorities in charge of tacking environmental issues were recognised as number one in the world in terms of having the biggest ecological footprint. "Proactivity has been their hallmark ...

Ceasefire accord significant step towards stability in Mali says UNs Sahel envoy

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:16:20 -0400

19 June 2013 150 The United Nations Special Envoy for the Sahel today welcomed the signing of the ceasefire accord between the Government of Mali and Tuareg rebels, and called on the parties to remain committed to peace for the sake of the country and the region. Northern Mali was occupied by radical Islamists when fighting broke out in January 2012 between Government forces and Tuareg ...

UN officials voice outrage at deadly attack on world bodys compound in Somali capital

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:16:13 -0400

19 June 2013 150 Top United Nations officials have voiced their outrage at today's deadly attack on the world body's compound in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, while reiterating that it will not deter the Organization from helping the country as it proceeds on the path to stability and development. According to the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), a pickup truck rigged with ...

Failure to address discrimination could undermine reforms in Myanmar - UN official

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:16:02 -0400

19 June 2013 150 The United Nations human rights chief today urged Myanmar's Government to tackle continuing discrimination against ethnic minorities, warning that failure to act could undermine the reform process in the country. "Myanmar today can act as a source of inspiration by showing how governments can be transformed by a renewed commitment to human rights," said the High ...

War drives number of forcibly displaced worldwide to 18-year high says UN report

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:15:31 -0400

19 June 2013 150 A United Nations report released today says that more people are refugees or internally displaced than at any time since 1994, with the crisis in Syria having emerged as a major new factor in global displacement. The annual Global Trends report, released by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), shows that as of the end of 2012, more than 45.2 million people were in ...

UN officials urge Governments to ensure natural resources fuel development not conflict

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:15:22 -0400

19 June 2013 150 Governments bear the primary responsibility to ensure that natural resources do not fuel conflict by ensuring that land and mineral wealth are managed wisely, transparently and yield benefits for the people, senior United Nations officials stressed today in the Security Council. "In too many countries, a wealth of resources - such as timber, oil, coal, diamonds and precious ...

Four killed 21 injured Iraq attacks

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:40:01 -0400

At least four people were killed and 21 wounded in separate incidents of shooting and bomb attacks in Iraq Wednesday, the police said. Three people were killed and 15 injured in a roadside bomb explosion at a popular football field at a village near Maqdadiyah city, some 100 km from Baghdad, reported Xinhua citing a local police source. In another incident, an Iraqi army colonel was shot dead ...

UK Soldier Deaths Court Ruling Will Harm Combat Missions

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:15:13 -0400

LONDON The British government warned on Wednesday that future combat operations could become more difficult after a court ruled that families of three soldiers killed in Iraq could sue the military for failing to protect troops on active duty. Britain's Supreme Court upheld the claim of relatives that the Human Rights Act applied to troops serving in battle abroad, and rejected the ...

Former Hungarian PM Gyula Horn Dies at 80

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:15:12 -0400

BUDAPEST Former Hungarian Socialist Prime Minister has died at age 80 after a long illness, the government said in a statement on Wednesday, expressing its condolences to the family. Horn was Hungary's prime minister between 1994 and 1998. He was foreign minister in Hungary's last Communist government, and played a key role in political processes in the late 1980s that led to the ...

Analysts Assess Impact of Military Attack on Iran

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:15:08 -0400

The United States and the European Union believe Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, but Tehran says its program is for peaceful, civilian purposes. The international community has been trying for years to persuade Iran to end its uranium-enrichment program, but to no avail. Low-enriched uranium can be used for civilian nuclear-power plants, but highly enriched uranium is an ...

Brazil Protests Proceed as Smaller Cities Join

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:15:06 -0400

SAO PAULO/FORTALEZA Protesters blocked roads in Sao Paulo and marched toward a stadium hosting a major international soccer game in Brazil's northeast on Wednesday in a growing wave of nationwide demonstrations against poor public services, inflation and other woes in Latin America's biggest country. After more than a week, the biggest series of protests to sweep Brazil in more than two ...

With Russian Help Europe Prepares to Search for Life on Mars

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:15:04 -0400

PARIS The European Space Agency signed final contracts with Thales Alenia Space Italy for work on a pair of missions to assess if the planet Mars has or ever had life, officials said at the Paris Airshow this week. Until last year, the ExoMars program was a joint project between ESA and the U.S. space agency NASA. But NASA dropped out, citing budget problems. The Russian space ...

Mandela International Day launched

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:10:02 -0400

The UN and the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory (NMCM) Wednesday launched the Mandela International Day, even as the anti-apartheid icon spent his 12th day in hospital for a recurring lung problem. Wednesday's event marked the official launch of programmes to celebrate Mandela's 95th birthday July 18, Xinhua reported. July 18 was endorsed in 2009 by the UN General Assembly as Nelson Mandela ...

Hamas holds talks to stop being listed as terror group

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:10:01 -0400

The Islamic Hamas movement has been holding meetings with foreign officials in a bid to get its name erased from the list of international terrorist organisations, a Hamas official said Wednesday. The US, several European countries and Israel have classified the Hamas movement, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since June 2007, as a terrorist organisation. A series of meetings with European ...

NRI lawyer wins Iran bank case in British Supreme Court

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:50:02 -0400

Mumbai-born Parsi lawyer Sarosh Zaiwala Wednesday notched a remarkable success in a bank case in the British Supreme Court, with major ramifications on the international banking system, an official said. By the court verdict, the British government's sanctions on Iran's largest private bank, Bank Mellat, were lifted after the its security service's "Secret Court" failed to produce significant ...

UN headquarters in Somalia attacked

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:20:02 -0400

An attacker Wednesday blew himself up at the entrance to the UN headquarters in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, CNN reported. Others wearing suicide vests entered the UN compound and a gunfight ensued, said police officer Hussein Ahmed. The compound had now been secured and was in the hands of African Union troops, according to the official Twitter account of the African Union Mission to ...

South Korean president visits Indian book pavilion

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:30:01 -0400

South Korean President Park Geun-hye Wednesday toured the Indian pavilion at an international book fair here in which India is participating as the guest of honour for the first time. She toured the Indian pavilion at the Seoul International Book Fair, spending close to 10 minutes there, said an embassy press release. It was followed by a brief interaction when Minister of State for Human ...

Palestinians should have a state as a right Blair

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:00:01 -0400

Palestinians "should have a state, not as a reward for good behaviour but as a right", Tony Blair, the official envoy of the Middle East Quartet, said Wednesday. Blair cautioned Israeli leaders that the "window of opportunity" for peace with the Palestinians might close shortly, Xinhua reported. "Some say the two-state solution is a fantasy. The fantasy is thinking one-state is sustainable or ...

Suicide bombers attack UN office in Mogadishu

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:50:03 -0400

Mogadishu, June 19 (Xinhua-ANI): Militants on Wednesday launched suicide bomb attacks on the office of United Nations Development Programe (UNDP) in Mogadishu where guards exchanged fire with the gunmen in and around the compound, police and witnesses said. "The fighting with the gunmen and suicide bombers is ongoing. We have eliminated some of the attackers but the fighting is now going on," ...

Lehman Europe creditors to get further $5.5 billion payout

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:30:23 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 1,000 creditors of the European operations of failed U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers will share a 3.5 billion pound ($5.5 billion) payout next week, its administrators said on Thursday.The payout means the recovery so far for creditors from one of the banking collapses at the heart of the 2008 financial crisis is 68.5 cents in the dollar.PricewaterhouseCoopers, ...

Selloff of world stocks spreads on Fed signal of stimulus pullback

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:29:27 -0400

Markets were roiled Thursday by a suggestion from U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke that the central bank may be done with its monetary stimulus next year. While stocks and commodities took a pounding on the news, the dollar surged.For nearly five years, the Fed has been pursuing an aggressive monetary policy to shore up the U.S. economy, which was battered by the financial crisis. Now ...

World Pirate Bay founder sentenced to 2 years in Sweden hacking case

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:27:46 -0400

A co-founder of file-sharing website Pirate Bay was sentenced to two years in jail on Thursday for hacking into computers at a company that manages data ...

World China jails 19 Uighurs for religious extremism

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:27:45 -0400

Uighurs , ?a Turkic-speaking Muslim people who call energy-rich Xinjiang home, chafe at Chinese government restrictions on their culture, language and ...

Azerbaijan is an important partner for Europe

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:23:03 -0400

We support Azerbaijan's moving closer to European structures, Guido Westerwelle says. "Germany supports close EU-Azerbaijan relations and Azerbaijan’s moving closer to European structures," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told APA’s correspondent in Bonn. He said that Azerbaijan is an important partner for Europe, given its geo-strategic situation and its ...

Markets roiled by Bernankes exit strategy

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:21:31 -0400

LONDON -- Markets were roiled Thursday by a suggestion from U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke that the central bank may be done with its monetary stimulus next year. While stocks and commodities took a pounding on the news, the dollar surged.For nearly five years, the Fed has been pursuing an aggressive monetary policy to shore up the U.S. economy, which was battered by the financial ...

Israel has worlds ninth largest home prices rise

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:17:40 -0400

Israel has one of the world's hottest property markets according to "Global Property Guide." In the year ending March 31 2013, "Global Property Guide" reports that average home prices in Israel rose 6.34%, the ninth largest rate of home price rises of any country surveyed. Half of the rise - 3.12% - was in the first quarter of 2013, the seventh largest rise of any country ...

France gives Google three month deadline over privacy policy

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:14:37 -0400

France on Thursday threatened Google with a fine of up to 150,000 euros (US$198,000) if it does not bring its privacy procedures into line with French law on data protection within three ...

China Russia angry over US human trafficking criticism

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:14:36 -0400

China and Russia on Thursday blasted a US report that downgraded their countries for failing to make greater efforts to combat human trafficking, a move which could lead to ...

‘World War Z’ Abuzz with speedy swarming zombies

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:14:23 -0400

A movie review of "World War Z," a horror thriller starring Brad Pitt as a former U.N. worker and family man trying to save civilization from a zombie ...

Ancient Syria sites listed as endangered on UNESCO world heritage list

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:12:59 -0400

Syrian Arab Republic More than two years of civil war has inflicted heavy damage on Syria's world heritage sites, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) says.UNESCO has added Syria's six ancient sites, including the fortress of Saladin and a Crusader castle, to the endangered World Heritage list."Due to the armed conflict situation in Syria, ...

DJ Forbes passes late fitness test for World Cup

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:12:18 -0400

Source: Getty Captain DJ Forbes has passed a fitness test and will lead the All Blacks Sevens in their quest to win the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow. Forbes missed the last two World Series tournaments in London and Glasgow with a foot injury but he is now ready to go for the tournament which begins on 28 June. Meanwhile, Scott Curry of Manawatu, has been ruled out of the side after ...

Five injured in Beckham stampede

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:09:23 -0400

Four university employees and one foreign student were taken to hospital with injuries, Shanghai-based Tongji University says on its official microblog. The state-run news site Xinmin Net says nearly 1,000 fans had gathered at the university stadium, where the recently retired football superstar was scheduled to meet members of the university's football team. The event was cancelled ...

World stocks and U.S. futures sink

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:08:58 -0400

world stock markets were deeply in the red as investors took fright at plans by the Federal Reserve to begin reducing the pace of stimulus toward the end of this year. A weak reading ...

World stock markets slide

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:08:55 -0400

world stock markets were deeply in the red as investors took fright at plans by the Federal Reserve to begin reducing the pace of stimulus toward the end of this year. A weak reading ...

Bernanke and China send world stocks lower

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:08:51 -0400

world stock markets were deeply in the red as investors took fright at plans by the Federal Reserve to begin reducing the pace of stimulus toward the end of this year. A weak reading ...

Brian Stewart Forget the cynics why the Taliban might just want peace

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:08:22 -0400

An Afghan National Army soldier takes his position at the site of an attack on the outskirts of Kabul. The Taliban has hit selected targets in the national capital but has usually been repelled quickly. (Omar Sobhani / ...

A Pope with a plan Franciss first 100 days

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:08:21 -0400

In these first 100 days of Francis's papacy, there have been few big announcements, few visible changes to church teaching or practice, few Curial government heads rolling through St. Peter's square. In short, the news from Rome has been sorta dull. But that may be as should be. You can't revamp the world's largest, oldest and most diverse transnational organization in less ...

Climate change is the threat of our time President Obama pledges to cut nuclear weapons and a greener world in Berlin speech

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:05:17 -0400

In a speech at the Brandenburg Gate that instantly invited comparisons with visits to the same spot by some of his predecessors, President Barack Obama sought to make a historic imprint of his own, pledging to forge a new pact with Russia to further cut nuclear arsenals and to step up the fight against global ...

German insurance claims for flood damage may be nearly $8 billion AIR

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:03:15 -0400

Boats of the German Life Saving Association (DLRG) evacuate people from the village of Fischbeck in the federal state of Saxony Anhalt after it was flooded by the Elbe river June 12, ...

US get Taliban office renamed

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:01:31 -0400

The United States will meet the Taliban in Doha for talks aimed at achieving peace in Afghanistan, according to U.S. officials. Mana Rabiee ...

Italy PM sees no impact on government from Berlusconi trials

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:58:46 -0400

People of Freedom (PDL) party member and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi attends the Upper house of the parliament in Rome, April 30, ...

Insight Chinese whispers Who wants to bet on the Nicaragua Canal

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:58:40 -0400

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega (L) and Wang Jing, chairman of the Hong Kong international company Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co. (HKND Group) celebrate signing a concession agreement for the construction of an inter-oceanic canal in Nicaragua at the Casa de los Pueblos in Managua June 14, ...

Brazil cities roll back transport hikes in effort to quell protests but it may be too little too late

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:57:02 -0400

SAO PAULO Leaders in Brazil's two biggest cities said Wednesday that they reversed an increase in bus and subway fares that ignited anti-government protests that have spread across the nation in the past week. Many people doubted the move would quiet the demonstrations, which have moved well beyond outrage over the fare hikes into communal cries against poor public services in Latin ...

8 tips on how to send money from the Philippines to anywhere in the world

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:54:45 -0400

1. Canvass the best service cost for you. 2. Choose the most trusted money transfer service provider. 3. Get a provider that's fast! There are money transfer providers that offer overseas money transfers in minutes. Yes, that quick! 4. Choose the one with very accessible locations. Like a provider with many locations worldwide for easier and hassle-free retrieval of money. 5. ...

STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-UK small caps down 0.6 pct early on

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:50:13 -0400

* Sales post biggest rise since Feb, up 2.1 pct on month* Data eases urgency for more central bank stimulus* Economists raise doubts over durability of growthBy Olesya Dmitracova and David MillikenLONDON, June 20 (Reuters) - British retail sales ...

China sex tape official Im a lecher but no crook

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:44:22 -0400

BEIJING (AP) -- Call me a lecher but don't call me a crook, an ex-city official at the heart of a sex tape scandal has said in his unusually spirited courtroom defense against corruption ...

Saudi to expel Hezbollah supporters over Syria war

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:44:21 -0400

BEIRUT (AP) -- The Saudi envoy to Lebanon says the kingdom will deport Lebanese citizens who support the militant Hezbollah group because of its role in the Syrian civil ...

Fire from JFKs eternal flame arrives in Ireland

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:44:20 -0400

DUBLIN (AP) -- A torch lit from the eternal flame at President John F. Kennedy's graveside has arrived in Ireland ahead of ceremonies planned to mark the 50th anniversary of his 1963 ...

Tropical Storm Barry bears down on Mexicos coast

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:44:20 -0400

VERACRUZ, Mexico (AP) -- Tropical Storm Barry bore down on Mexico's Gulf Coast early Thursday as civil defense workers readied emergency shelters and forecasters warned of the possibility of deadly flash floods and ...

GLOBAL MARKETS-End to Fed stimulus China slowdown rattle swathe of world investments

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:31:06 -0400

Thu Jun 20, 2013 5:31am EDT * Clear signal of Fed tapering sparks global asset selloff * U.S. bond yields soar, hitting high-yielding currencies * Asian markets extend falls on weak China data * European shares down two percent in early trade By Richard Hubbard LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve's explicit signal it will stop pumping money into the world economy and data ...

The lady making A Small World smaller

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:21:24 -0400

Somewhere along the way, A Small World (ASW) stopped being quite small enough. The exclusive, invitation-only social networking site, one of the first to launch back in 2004, started out as a tight-knit community where the world's movers and shakers could connect with similarly privileged and influential individuals. "In the beginning it was more of a social register - a who's who ...

Perspex is clearly superior in the fashion world

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:21:21 -0400

This season saw the introduction of a new material to clothing and accessories - Perspex. The shiny, see-through medium took shape in trench coats and caplets at Burberry, in the chunky heels of shoes at Stella McCartney and in boxy clutches at Valentino and Chanel. Perspex excels in its durability (as opposed to easily scratched calf leather) and its ability to lend your look an instant modern ...

In Pictures The Globe hosts Young Entrepreneurs Night in London

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:21:05 -0400

Report on Small Business hosted a Young Entrepreneurs Night on Thursday May 23, 2013 at Joe Kool's in London, Ont. The networking event featured a group of early stage small-business owners, and students who aspire to be entrepreneurs upon ...

Hollywood and Sopranos star James Gandolfini dies age 51 Breaking News

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:15:34 -0400

Its role as Mafia boss Tony Soprano made him world famous,James Gandolfini has died at the age of 51 years.Apparently, the US. actor had suffered during a vacation in Rome Italy a heart ...

Iraq intrinsic to Indias strategic positioning for energy security

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:13:39 -0400

NRI News: "In India's growth story, we need energy security and Iraq is intrinsic to India's strategic positioning for purposes of energy security," Indian foreign minister Salman Khurshid told on the first visit to Iraq by an Indian foreign minister since ...

Demand for nat gas in Europe to remain lower than before crisis over 10 years

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:13:10 -0400

St PETERSBURG, June 20 (Itar-Tass) - International Energy Agency /IEA/ forecasts a feeble demand for natural gas in Europe over the coming few year and a simultaneous increase of the role of Russian gas in supplies to the European market, the agency’s Executive Director, Maria van der Hoeven told a news conference here Thursday. She said that the demand for gas in the European countries ...

Shale gas extraction in Europe not affect world energy balance

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:13:09 -0400

ST. PETERSBURG, June 20 (Itar-Tass) - The extraction of shale gas in Europe over years to come will not influence the world energy balance, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, Maria van der Hoeven, said at the presentation of a report on the condition of the world gas industry in the medium term. "Let me give you an example. Annual gas production in Poland today is ...

Edinburgh international book festival announces 2013 lineup

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:11:20 -0400

Life and work of Iain Banks to be honoured at 30th festival, with Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman also featuring in two-week event partnered by the ...

Senior Scientific Officer - Science Europe

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:10:16 -0400

www.scienceeurope.org ) is an association of 51 European research funding organisations (RFO) and research performing organisations (RPO) in 26 countries, founded in October 2011 and based in Brussels. It promotes the collective interests of the RFOs and RPOs of Europe and supports its member organisations in their efforts to foster European research. It aims to strengthen the European Research ...

World Refugee Day home is but a faint dream

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:08:15 -0400

Bangladeshi refugee Nazmul Huda, nicknamed Arif, 26, who fled with his friend Delwar, plays an electronic game on his phone in his shack inside a quarters at the rural Ping Chi in Hong Kong's New Territories June 19, 2013. ...

Bahrain will join other nations in celebrating the International Olympic Day

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:07:27 -0400

Manama, June 20 (BNA) -- Bahrain will join the other nations of the World on Sunday (June23) in celebrating the International Olympic Day as the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) is organizing a marathon to mark this occasion. A special campaign to promote this annual event is scheduled for tomorrow (June 21) at the Bahrain City Centre, featuring a series of sports and entertainment events will be ...

Indonesia and Monaco are all set to make debut in this year Al Bareh International Regatta

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:07:27 -0400

Jakerta, June 20 (BNA) -- Indonesia and Monaco are all set to make debut in this year's Al Bareh International Regatta 2013, due to take place from June 25 to 29 at the Bahrain Maritime Sports Association premises near in Al Jazayer Beach. Both representatives have signed up for the 20th edition of the championship thanks to the outstanding reputation gained by Bahrain in hosting major ...

Italy film fest dedicates homage to Gandolfini

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:03:07 -0400

Gandolfini will instead be honored with a tribute "remembering his career and talent." Gandolfini died Wednesday in Rome, according to HBO and Gandolfini's ...

Russian Stadiums Below Par for 2018 World Cup - Official

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:02:51 -0400

MOSCOW, June 20 (R-Sport) - Every one of Russia’s stadiums being built for the 2018 World Cup is having trouble meeting the standards set by world football’s governing body FIFA, the official in charge of compliance said on Thursday. FIFA sets out a wide range of requirements for each World Cup arena, with standards covering everything from total capacity to media and VIP facilities. ...

Russia hosts FIFA World Cup 2018

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:02:50 -0400

Every one of Russia's stadiums being built for the 2018 World Cup is having trouble meeting the standards set by world football's governing body FIFA, the official in charge of compliance said on ...

Syrias warring sides trade wheat for flour

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:56:47 -0400

Members of the Free Syrian Army and men from the northern Syrian town of Ras al-Ain load sacks of wheat, as seen from the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar, Sanliurfa province, November 26, ...

Asia dominates worlds most expensive office spaces report

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:55:59 -0400

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Five of the six most expensive office areas in the world are in Asia, as demand by global companies to locate their outstripped the supply, according to a semiannual report released on Thursday by real estate services company CBRE ...

Europe Markets Europe stocks sink after Fed meeting

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:54:04 -0400

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European stock markets moved sharply lower on Thursday, after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said late the prior day the central bank may scale back its bond purchases this year, depending on the economic ...

VIDEO David Cameron Visits DP World London Gateway

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:51:48 -0400

On June 10th 2013, Prime Minister David Cameron delivered a keynote speech at DP World London Gateway, in which he described the project as an ';emblem of ...

LAX New Tom Bradley International Terminal Preview Events Kick Off

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:51:43 -0400

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa was joined today by airport officials, business leaders, local celebrity chefs, and media from around the world to launch a series of unique events designed to showcase Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and create global excitement for the New Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) before construction is ...

Video Why Taliban peace talks are critical to Afghanistans future

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:50:48 -0400

Flash Points: CBS News correspondent Bob Orr talks with CBS News senior national security analyst Juan Zarate about the ongoing struggle to begin peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, and why you "can't see stability" in Afghanistan "until there's a political solution" that incorporates the ...

Taliban offers to free US soldier

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:50:42 -0400

The Afghan Taliban has said it is ready to hand over a US soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of its senior operatives being held at Guantanamo Bay.Taliban spokesman Shaheen Suhail said US Army Sgt Bowe Bergdahl "is as far as I know in good condition".He was speaking from the newly opened Taliban offices in Doha, Qatar.Sgt Bergdahl disappeared in eastern Afghanistan on ...

Emirati pride as worlds longest potline structure is complete at EMAL

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:41:11 -0400

WAM ABU DHABI: On June 4th, Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) celebrated the installation of the final steel structure for the potline of its Phase II expansion. With the final one of 120 specially designed steel structures provided by Emirates Steel now in place, it means that all the major civil and mechanical work on the world's longest single potline of 1.7km is now complete and EMAL remains on ...

Regulators order lenders to raise more capital

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:39:26 -0400

LONDON (AP) -- British regulators are ordering its biggest banks to bolster their balance sheets by 27. 1 billion pounds ($42.1 billion) to prevent a repeat of the 2008 banking ...

Internal factors have deep roots. The main reason is the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War and the Turkish Republic established by the father of the Turks Kemal Ataturk. There is a huge mass of people more than half of

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:38:55 -0400

Is this a chain reaction or mass epidemic? Either way, the fact remains - the political upheavals in the Muslim world that began in Tunisia swept across North Africa and Syria, and now a wave of instability has reached Turkey. A member of the Presidium of the Academy of Geopolitical Issues Araik Stepanyan analyzed this complex, ambiguous situation in the ...

Europe shares extend losses down more than 2 pct

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:20:50 -0400

LONDON, June 20 | Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:20am EDT LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) - European shares extended losses on Thursday, with a key index down more than 2 percent and closing in on two month lows. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index fell as much as 2.1 percent to an intraday low of 1,155.94 points - close to a low of 1,154.30 points reached in late April. The euro zone's blue-chip ...

Morning Swim Show Kevin Blum Excited for World University Games Reunion

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:14:56 -0400

PHOENIX, Arizona, June 20. KEVIN Blum joins today's edition of The Morning Swim Show to talk about his upcoming duties as assistant coach for the American swim team headed to the World University Games. Blum, now the head coach at Coronado-Navy Swim Association, talks about training Andrea Kropp and Meghan Hawthorne in their younger years at Rattler Swim Club. He's excited to see them ...

World Chinese astronaut gives lecture from space

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:14:41 -0400

China 's fifth manned space mission, Shenzhou-10, is scheduled to end around 25 or 26 June. The crew is also expected to attempt a manual docking later on Thursday. This will involve getting back inside their Shenzhou capsule, unhooking from Tiangong and then flying around the lab to re-attach the capsule to the laboratory. 'Sixteen sunrises' Ms Yang used difference experiments to ...

The World’s best programmers will gather in Ekaterinburg

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:07:35 -0400

/. Agreements have been reached that commit the ACM ICPC World Finals Championship to Ekaterinburg in 2014. The ICPC Executive Director, Professor Bill Poucher of Baylor ...

Bid to block Berlusconi verdict fails

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:06:59 -0400

ROME - Italy's constitutional court on Wednesday rejected a bid by Silvio Berlusconi to block a tax fraud conviction from October, clearing the way for a final verdict this year and deepening the uncertainty facing Prime Minister Enrico ...

International - Special report Journalists in exile 2013

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:06:16 -0400

Fifty-five journalists fled their homes in the past year with help from the Committee to Protect Journalists. The most common reason to go into exile was the threat of violence, such as in Somalia and Syria, two of the most deadly countries in the world for the profession. Others fled the threat of prison, especially in Iran, where the government deepened its crackdown ahead of elections. ...

Maastricht is one of worlds best new universities

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:03:51 -0400

Maastricht University is in sixth place in the Times Higher Education group's latest ranking of universities which are less than 50 years old. The ranking of young universities gives a picture of the progress made by newcomers in providing a top class education. Maastricht has moved up from 19th place in ...

St. Petersburg International Economic Forum LIVE UPDATES

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:58:34 -0400

Russia and the global economy The International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg has kicked off. More than 4,000 business leaders, policy makers, and economic experts from around the world have come together to brainstorm ways out of the global economic crisis. This year's theme is 'Finding Resolve to Build the New Global Economy'. 11:51 MST: Russian President Vladimir Putin ...

Senators closing in on border security compromise

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:57:08 -0400

Revenue Service, illegal immigration, and the Obama administration, in Washington. After secretive talks, key senators expressed optimism Wednesday night that they were closing in on a bipartisan agreement to toughen the border security requirements in immigration legislation that also offers a path to citizenship to millions living in the country illegally. (AP Photo/J. Scott ...

Rescue bid after India landslides

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:56:42 -0400

Rescuers in India are using helicopters and climbing through mountain paths to reach nearly 4,000 people trapped by landslides in a narrow valley near a Hindu shrine in the northern ...

One in eight world bird species at threat of extinction report says

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:55:26 -0400

TORONTO - A campaign that raised $200,000 to purchase an alleged video appearing to show Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack was a "beautiful example" of the fundraising power of the Internet, says ...

Rabbi Moshe Greenberg prominent Jewish educator who survived a Soviet Gulag dies at 84

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:54:19 -0400

JERUSALEM -- Rabbi Moshe Greenberg, a religious educator who survived a brutal Gulag in Siberia and secretly taught Judaism under an oppressive Soviet regime, has died in Israel. He was 84. The Hasidic Chabad Lubavitch movement in which Greenberg was a member says he died on Tuesday. Chabad said on Thursday that Greenberg was born in Moldova. At the age of 14 he went to Uzbekistan to study ...

European Union fines drug companies for delaying generics

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:53:57 -0400

BRUSSELS - European antitrust officials Wednesday fined a group of drug companies, including Denmark’s Lundbeck, a total of $195 million for colluding to delay market entry of a less-expensive generic version of a blockbuster antidepressant, ...

Iraqis vote in 2 Sunni-dominated provinces

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:51:49 -0400

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqis in two Sunni-dominated provinces where provincial elections had been delayed over security concerns were casting ballots Thursday amid tight security measures aimed at thwarting insurgent ...

Analysis Obama prods gets share of pushback

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:51:49 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Over the past two weeks, President Barack Obama has argued with Chinese President Xi Jinping over cybersecurity, consulted with world leaders over Syria and trade, declared his desire to reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, and embraced the uncertain steps toward reconciliation in ...

U.S.-Taliban talks in Qatar not expected Thursday source

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:46:03 -0400

DOHA (Reuters) - Preliminary Afghan peace talks in Qatar between U.S. and Taliban officials are unlikely to take place on Thursday as had been expected, a source familiar with the matter told ...

Quick hits Bocce players prepare for national world events

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:45:53 -0400

The Italian Athletic Club is being spruced up for a big event — the United States Bocce Federation National Championships. The Bella Bocce women’s team is also headed to the world championships in ...

Spreading shakedowns and distrust of authorities embolden al-Qaida in Iraqs restive Mosul

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:44:08 -0400

FILE - In this file photo taken on Jan. 16, 2012 Iraqi security forces inspect bombs at the scene of a car bomb attack outside the northern city of Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq. Al-Qaida's Iraq arm is gaining strength in the restive northern city of Mosul, reviving its fundraising efforts through gangland-style shakedowns, feeding off anti-government anger and ...

Europe shares fall on US stimulus fears China PMI

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:42:45 -0400

Euro STOXX 50 index fell 2 percent to 2,631.88 points. Mining stocks dominated the loserboard, falling on fresh signs of a slowdown in China - the world's biggest metals consumer - while Swiss luxury goods stocks Swatch and Richemont also fell which traders attributed to data showing a fall in Swiss exports. Global equity markets have fallen back from multi-year highs over the last month as ...

Brazil demonstrators promise biggest protests yet

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:38:30 -0400

Reversing public-transit fare hikes failed to defuse Brazil's anti-government protests, with organizers vowing to hold the biggest demonstrations yet Thursday. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators -- angry about political corruption, the high cost of living and huge public spending for the 2014 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament -- are expected on the streets of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, ...

Obama to seek limit on existing power plant CO2 fumes

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:38:29 -0400

Obama plans to limit existing U.S. power plants' carbon dioxide fumes, officials said, as Obama said slowing global warming required "bold action." Heather Zichal, White House coordinator for energy and climate change, said Obama would announce climate policy initiatives in the coming weeks. Another official told The New York Times Obama could outline the new policy as early as ...

DM Honors Emarats Participation in World No Smoking Day

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:34:13 -0400

WAM DUBAI, June 20th, 2013 (WAM) -- Dubai Municipality (DM) has honored Emirates General Petroleum Corporation "Emarat" for its active participation in the World No Smoking Day and its prompt response to stop the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products at the Corporation's convenience stores during the day. DM also honored the corporation for the launching of awareness ...

Mining and luxury stocks hit as Europe shares fall

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:09:54 -0400

LONDON, June 20 | Thu Jun 20, 2013 3:09am EDT LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) - European shares fell on Thursday as confirmation that the U.S. Federal Reserve would wind down economic stimulus measures, together with weak Chinese data, hit investor sentiment. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index, which raced to a 5-1/2 year high last month, was down by 1.5 percent at 1,162.19 points by 0705 ...

AP PHOTOS Bangladesh collapse left many amputees

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:38 -0400

SAVAR, Bangladesh -- It was the worst disaster in the history of the garment industry. When the Rana Plaza factory building crashed down in April, 1,129 people were killed. But many others had to sacrifice their limbs to survive.Arms and legs were trapped under the building rubble, forcing rescuers with no medical training to perform amputations on the spot to free the victims. No anesthesia was ...

The world’s dearest coffee is defecated not decaffeinated

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:58:18 -0400

Coffee snobs can now take it to a whole new level. The world’s most expensive cup of coffee is made from beans that are extracted from the excrement of a small ...

World Bank will help if US turns off tap

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:58:15 -0400

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim speaks at a Thomson Reuters Newsmaker event, at Canary Wharf in east London June 19, 2013. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: BUSINESS ...

Hungary exposes huge fake sugar deal

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:58:08 -0400

Budapest - Hungary's tax authority has questioned two men over a fake contract that, if fulfilled, would have involved the sale of nearly half a million tonnes of sugar - more than the country's annual sugar consumption - and a massive tax ...

Singapore shrouded in fire smog

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:57:50 -0400

Officials in Singapore are urging people to remain indoors amid unprecedented levels of air pollution after a smoky haze caused by forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia worsened ...

Worlds largest exhibition for solar industry kicks off in Munich

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:56:41 -0400

The Intersolar Europe 2013 exhibition gets underway on Wednesday in the Munich International Exhibition Center. The three-day exhibition boasts an outside area and 12 exhibition halls measuring 121.000 square meters this year. It is expected to attract 50,000 visitors and 1,500 exhibitors, more than 10 percent of whom come from China, according to the organizing committee. The organizer said, ...

World Champions take on debutants

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:56:23 -0400

These two players met four years ago in their opening Group B game at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009. On that occasion the young Spaniards took the honours with a devastating 8-0 win, but this time around Chong Hue will be looking to recreate the form he showed at the OFC Nations Cup where his goal sealed cup victory ...

In northern Iraqi city al-Qaida gathers strength

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:48:20 -0400

View Photo Associated Press - FILE - in this file photo taken on Jan. 16, 2012 Iraqi security forces inspect the scene of a car bomb attack outside the northern city of Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of ...

Drones used in U.S. for surveillance FBI director says

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:46:55 -0400

An unarmed drone owned by the Mesa County Sheriff's Department flies over a Colorado airfield. FBI director Robert Mueller says that as drones become omnipresent airspace use and privacy will be among the issues worthy of debate. (Chris ...

Investigation sought in U.S. plane crash missile-strike theory

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:46:54 -0400

The reconstructed wreckage of TWA Flight 800 is shown during the original investigation, which concluded that the crash was caused by an explosion in a fuel tank. ...

China astronauts float water blob in kids lecture

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:43:08 -0400

BEIJING (AP) -- Astronauts struck floating martial arts poses, twirled gyroscopes and manipulated wobbling globes of water during a lecture Thursday from China's orbiting space station that's part of efforts to popularize the space program among young ...

India floods strand thousands more than 100 dead

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:43:07 -0400

LUCKNOW, India (AP) -- Days after floods killed more than 100 people - possibly many more - Indian officials say rescuers are using helicopters and climbing through mountain paths to reach nearly 4,000 people trapped by landslides in a narrow valley near a Hindu shrine in the northern ...

Militants storm United Nations compound in Somalia 20 killed

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:27:54 -0400

Somali soldiers walk through rubble after insurgents blasted into the U.N. compound in Mogadishu. IPTC: Somali National Government (SNG) soldiers are pictured after Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents shot and blasted their way into the United Nations (UN) compound in Mogadishu on June 19, 2013. It is the most serious attack on the UN in the troubled country in recent years. Three foreigners and at ...

Singapore haze at worst yet Malaysia schools shut

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:24:27 -0400

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Singapore urged people to remain indoors amid unprecedented levels of air pollution Thursday as a smoky haze wrought by forest fires in neighboring Indonesia worsened dramatically. Nearby Malaysia closed 200 schools and banned open burning in some ...

Experts Trifecta of elements says no ...

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:20:54 -0400

>Editor's note: Note language in story(CNN) -- A documentary on the 1996 explosion that brought down TWA Flight 800 offers "solid proof that there was an external detonation," its co-producer said Wednesday. "Of course, everyone knows about the eyewitness statements, but we also have corroborating information from the radar data, and the radar data shows a(n) asymmetric explosion coming out of ...

India sets up elaborate system to tap phone calls e-mail

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:20:21 -0400

By Anurag Kotoky NEW DELHI, June 20 | Thu Jun 20, 2013 2:20am EDT NEW DELHI, June 20 (Reuters) - India has launched a wide-ranging surveillance programme that will give its security agencies and even income tax officials the ability to tap directly into e-mails and phone calls without oversight by courts or parliament, several sources said. The expanded surveillance in the world's ...

Murdoch Uni ranked among worlds best young unis

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:56:37 -0400

Murdoch University has been named for the first time in Times Higher Education's top 100 universities under 50 years old rankings. Murdoch debuted in the rankings at 57, while Curtin University was ranked ...

Panic over MERS virus fades in Saudi Arabia

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:42:06 -0400

People in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province have again started greeting friends with the traditional kiss on the cheek, and face masks in public are becoming rarer, as panic subsides over the outbreak of a deadly respiratory disease that hit the country last ...

Brazil matters - and not because of the World Cup

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:40:07 -0400

As massive protests sweep across Brazil, Tim Harcourt and Mark Thirlwell explain why the importance of that country to Australia goes well beyond the World Cup in 2014 and the Rio Olympics in ...

Boyd Oregon State knock IU out of College World Series

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:34:42 -0400

Bruce Thorson/USA Today Sports OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- In the kind of pitchers' duel the College World Series hadn't seen in three decades, Matt Boyd was just a bit superior to Aaron Slegers. Boyd threw a four-hitter and Oregon State ended the Hoosiers' first appearance in Omaha with a 1-0 victory Wednesday night. "Matt was just a couple of pitches ...

1 in 8 bird species threatened with extinction

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:33:56 -0400

One in eight bird species worldwide faces the threat of extinction, according to a report released by Birdlife International. And it isn't just rare birds that are declining. Familiar species such as the barn swallow and purple martin are disappearing at an astonishing rate. In the case of those two birds, 80 to 90 per cent of the population was wiped out in the last 20 years. "Unless ...

Orlando International Airport tops all Florida airports for gun seizures www.privateofficer.com

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:32:57 -0400

TSA officers have stopped more armed passengers trying to board flights at Orlando International Airport than at any other Florida airport, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The last attempt was Sunday morning, when a St. Augustine traveler carrying a loaded .22-caliber pistol was arrested when he passed a carry-on bag through an X-ray scanner, records show. ...

Ethiopia World Bank - Ethiopia Can Achieve Middle-Income Status By 2020

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:19:08 -0400

The World Bank Ethiopia Office released a report on Tuesday (June 18th ) detailing the country's current economic situation and forecasting future prospects. According to the report, the World Bank acknowledged that Ethiopia had the capability to achieve its target of becoming a middle income country by 2020. The report said that in spite of all the challenges, if Ethiopia continued its ...

World Thirst for Energy

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:18:53 -0400

As the global economy slowly recovers from the 2008 financial crisis, indicators point to a significant mid- and long-term rise in energy consumption, specifically in oil and natural gas. Despite recent developments in renewable energy resources and the increasing production of hydrocarbon from shale reserves, it looks likely that both consumption and prices will climb higher over the coming ...

WMD Regulation in the Middle East

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:18:53 -0400

"For the Syrian government to utilize chemical weapons on its people crosses a line that will change my calculus and how the United States approaches these issues," President Obama recently said. "So this is not an on and off switch. This is an ongoing challenge that all of us have to be concerned about." Evidently, current methods to control WMD, such as relying on ...

Film TWA 800 crash was no accident