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Malaysia Airlines loses contact with plane carrying 239 people

Full ArticleSwissinfo 

08 Mar 2014

 

Reuters Image Caption: A woman, believed to be the relative of a passenger onboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, cries at the Beijing Capital International Airport (reuters tickers) March 8, 2014 – 04:06 By Stuart Grudgings KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing… 


Passengers walk past a signboard of Malaysia Airlines at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, March 8, 2014.

China draws ‘red line’ on North Korea, says won’t allow war on peninsula

08 Mar 2014

 

Reuters Image Caption: China’s Foreign Minister Wang speaks during a news conference as part of the National People’s Congress in Beijing (reuters tickers) March 8, 2014 – 06:18 BEIJING (Reuters) – China declared a “red line” on North Koreaon Saturday, saying that China will not permit chaos or war on the Korean peninsula, and that peace… 
File - A North Korean soldier stands watch on the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone as U.S. Sailors assigned to the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group tour the DMZ in Panmunjom, South Korea, July 17, 2008.

 

 

Malaysia Airlines plane ‘presumed lost’

Malaysia Airlines

Sepang – Several nations searched waters off Southeast Asia on Saturday after aMalaysia Airlines jet carrying 239 passengers disappeared and was presumed lost, leaving stunned relatives demanding answers. Contact with Flight MH370 was lost somewhere…
photo: Public Domain / Arpingstone

 

Saudi Arabia designates Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group

This image released by Egypt's Interior Ministry shows Mohammed Badie the supreme leader of the Muslim Brotherhood after being detained by Egyptian security in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013.

Arab Spring Reuters Image Caption: Supporters of Muslim Brotherhood and oustedEgyptian President Mursi shout slogans against military and interior ministry in front of Al Rayyan mosque after Friday prayers in the southern suburb of Maadi, outskirts…
photo: AP / Egyptian Interior Ministry

German survives on flies while lost in Outback

Dune bashing, also known as desert safari, is a form of off-roading, using an off-road vehicle to explore sand dunes. Whilst in some parts of the world, such as the fragile coastal dunes of Australia, it is illegal, in others such as the Middle East, it is a booming attraction for tourists. In the United States, there are a couple of areas as well, most notably the Silver Lake area in Mears, Michigan and portions of the Glamis Dunes in California.

BRISBANE, Australia — A German tourist who was missing for more than two weeks in the Australian Outback survived by eating flies after becoming lost and stranded by floodwaters, police said Friday. Daniel Dudzisz was picked up by a motorist…
photo: Creative Commons / Siddeshindia

Michael Jackson’s ‘long lost son linked by DNA’

Pop star Michael Jackson waves as he greets several hundred children that were invited guests at his Neverland Ranch home, Friday, Dec. 17, 2004, in Santa Ynez, Calif.

Michael Jackson is the subject of a new paternity scandal. A 31-year-old man named Brandon Howard has claimed for years his biological father is the late pop star. Brandon agreed to submit to a DNA test, the results of which were unveiled Thursday at…
photo: AP / Mark J. Terrill

Cold War past shapes complex Merkel-Putin relationship

07 Mar 2014

 

Arab Spring Unrest in Ukraine Reuters Image Caption: Russia‘s President Putinspeaks with German Chancellor Merkel before the first working session of the G20Summit in Constantine Palace in Strelna near St. Petersburg (reuters tickers) March 7, 2014 – 10:01 By Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) – After one of her first encounters with Vladimir Putin in... 
File - Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, June 21, 2013, St Petersburg, Russia.

 

 

 

Ukraine crisis: Crimea vote ‘will not be recognized’

07 Mar 2014

 

Ukraine‘s interim prime minister has warned the Crimean parliament “no-one in the civilised world” will recognise its referendum on joining Russia. Arseniy Yatsenyuk and others in the Kiev government have called the vote “unconstitutional” and “illegitimate”. But the referendum has the support of theRussian… 
A man carries bouquets of flowers as riot police stand at the entrance of the regional administrative building in Donetsk, Ukraine, Friday, March 7, 2014.

 

Crimean Parliament votes to join Russia

06 Mar 2014

 

Lawmakers in Crimea called a March 16 referendum on whether to break away from Ukraine and join Russia instead, voting unanimously on Thursday to declare their preference for doing so. “This is our response to the disorder and lawlessness in Kiev,” Sergei Shuvainikov, a member of the local Crimean legislature, said.

 

‘Angry’ Pistorius fired shot out of car sun-roof, ex tells court

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius, of South Africa, poses prior to the start of the press conference, jsa1

PRETORIA— A seething Oscar Pistorius fired his pistol out of a car’s open sun-roof after an argument with a police officer, ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor told a court on Friday, the fifth day of his trial for the murder of Reeva…
photo: AP / Antonio Calanni

Facebook, YouTube face ban in Turkey

Eine Hand zeigt in Berlin fuer eine Fotoillustration auf einen Computer-Bildschirm mit der Startseite der Videotauschboerse "Youtube" (Foto vom 06.11.06).

Ankara – Turkey‘s embattled prime minister has warned that his government could ban social media networks YouTube and Facebook after a raft of online leaks added momentum to a spiralling corruption scandal. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already…
photo: AP / Clemens Bilan

Erdogan Says Turkey Could Ban Facebook and YouTube

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan walks before a ceremony outside his office in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011.

By Reuters on 3:46 pm March 7, 2014. Category International, World Tags: Facebook, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, YouTube Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Bloomberg Photo) Istanbul. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey could ban…
photo: AP / Burhan Ozbilici

Obama Phones Putin About Ukraine; Putin Says Differences Remain

President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, in the Oval Office, Sept. 28, 2012.

VOA News The White House says President Obama has told his Russiancounterpart, Vladimir Putin, that Moscow‘s actions in Ukraine are a violation of that country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Officials say the two leaders spoke for…
photo: White House / Pete Souza

Australia’s Queensland hit by record drought

Swan Valley,Australia - Drought - Dried Field - Farm.

Australia‘s Queensland is suffering its most widespread drought on record, with almost 80% of the state now included in the list of affected areas. Queensland received little rain in February, which is normally the wettest month of the year,…
photo: WN / patricia

 

 

 

Niger extradites Gaddafi’s son Saadi to Tripoli

Full ArticleThe Independent 

06 Mar 2014

 

Niger has extradited Muammar Gaddafi‘s son Saadi Gaddafi, the Libyan government has announced. The government says Saadi Gaddafi, one of the deposed Libyan leader’s eight children, is being detained in Tripoli and will be treated… 
Saadi Gaddafi, the son of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, laughs in front of the leader's portrait during a press conference in Sydney, Australia, Monday, Feb. 7, 2005.

 

 

 

 

Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni to sue over secret tapes

Full ArticleBBC News 

06 Mar 2014

 

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni have launched legal action after secret recordings of them were leaked online. Lawyers for MrSarkozy filed a request for an emergency injunction to prevent more transcripts from being… 
**FILE** In this July 14, 2008 file photo, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, waves as he stands with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace during Bastille day ceremonies in Paris. French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy says her husband was not upset when he learned of all the nude photos she did during her modeling days.

Crimea will remain in Ukraine, says new PM

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukrainian politician,

Tweet Johannesburg, Mar. 6 (ANI): Ukraine‘s new Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyukhas said embattled Crimea must remain part of Ukraine. In his first interview since taking office last week, Yatsenyuk Crimea said Crimea will however be granted more…
photo: Creative Commons / ?? ???????

Russia, West try to hammer out Ukraine diplomacy

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov walk and talk

PARIS (AP) — Facing off in Europe‘s capitals, Russia and the West began trying to build the elements of a diplomatic solution to Europe’s gravest crisis since the Cold War — even as the West appeared increasingly resigned to an entrenched Russian…
photo: Public Domain

Tymoshenko says West must stop Russian aggression

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko poses for a photo during an interview with the Associated Press in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Tymoshenko says the West must force Russia to withdraw troops from the Crimean peninsula and that Ukraine should not agree to any compromises with Russia.

Share Photo?? Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko poses for a photo during an interview with the Associated Press in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Tymoshenko says the West must force Russia to withdraw troops…
photo: AP / Emilio Morenatti

German president seeks to visit Nazi massacre site

German President Joachim Gauck, center, stands among officials during a visit to the ancient Acropolis in Athens, on Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Gauck is on a visit that will seek to lay to rest some of the ghosts of a brutal Nazi occupation, amid renewed anti-German sentiment stoked by Greece's financial crisis. His three-day visit will include a speech Friday at a site where German army troops massacred 92 villagers near the northeastern town of Ioannina, and a meeting with the town's Jewish community.

Germany‘s president arrived in Athens Wednesday on a three-day visit that will include visiting the site where Nazi troops massacred dozens of people, in an attempt to ease anti-German sentiment stoked by Greece‘s financial crisis. Joachim Gauck‘s…
photo: AP / Kostas Tsironis

Iran’s Guard says it has multiple warhead missiles

This photo released on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 by the Iranian Defense Ministry, purports to show Qadr and Qiam missiles in an undisclosed location in Iran. Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday said it had acquired missiles with multiple warheads, the latest armaments advance to be claimed by the Islamic Republic. At a ceremony Wednesday, Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan presented a delivery of four types of ballistic missiles - named Qiam, Qadr H1, Fateh-110 and Persian Gulf.

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday said it had acquired missiles with multiple warheads, the latest armaments advance to be claimed by the Islamic Republic. At a ceremony Wednesday, Defense MinisterHossein Dehghan…
photo: AP / Iranian Defense Ministry

On death anniversary, Chavez revolution challenged

People gather around a portrait of Venezuela's independence hero Simon Bolivar outside the military academy during the funeral ceremony for Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez at the military academy in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, March 8, 2013.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Hugo Chavez always said his socialist project would last decades, but a year after the Venezuelan president‘s death even some of his most fervent supporters are having their doubts. AP Hugo Chavez always said his…
photo: AP / Rodrigo Abd

Former IRS official refuses to testify at hearing

Lois Lerner, head of the IRS unit that decides whether to grant tax-exempt status to groups, listens at the start of a House Oversight Committee hearing to investigate the extra scrutiny the IRS gave to Tea Party and other conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status.

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER Associated Press= WASHINGTON (AP) â?? Former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner is once again refusing to answer questions at a congressional hearing on the…
photo: AP / J. Scott Applewhite

 

Putin’s Clever Game of Chess

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Saudis, UAE, And Bahrain Withdraw Envoys From Qatar In Security Dispute

Full ArticleBusiness Insider 

05 Mar 2014

 

Qatar‘s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani (L) inspects the honour guard during a ceremonial reception at Malacanang palace in Manila April 10, 2012. RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain said on Wednesday they were withdrawing their ambassadors from Qatar becauseDoha had not implemented an agreement among… 
From left to right, Saudi Crown Prince Salam bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa,Qatar's Crown Prince Sheik Tameem Al Thani, Kuwait's Emir Sheik Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, walk to attend Gulf Cooperation Council GCC summit

 

 

 

Passive smoking causes irreversible damage to kids’ arteries

Cigar - Smoking - Smoker - Man Smoking - Cigarettes - Health.(ps1)

The research, which lends weight to campaigns for smoking to be banned in private cars and homes, found passive smoking leads to a thickening of children’s artery walls, adding some 3.3 years to the age of blood vessels by adulthood.Exposure…

India to hold national elections from April 7-May 12

Kashmiri women voters shows voter cards to cast their votes during the fifth and last phase of India's general election.

NEW DELHI: India said Wednesday that it will hold national elections from April 7 to May 12, kicking off a vote that many observers see as the most important election in more than 30 years in the world’s largest democracy. The run-up to the election…
photo: WN / Imran Nissar

Saudi, UAE, Bahrain withdraw Qatar envoys

Qatar Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have said they are withdrawing their ambassadors to Qatar because Doha had not implemented an agreement among Gulf Arab countries not…
photo: AFP / 2010 AFP

World’s first artificial heart patient dies

An image of an artificial heart exhibited at London science museum.

On Monday the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris issued a statement, announcing the 76-year old unnamed-man fitted with the Carmat artificial heart in December had died Sunday. The man, suffering from terminal heart failure, lived 75 days…
photo: Creative Commons / rick proser

Pistorius trial: A look at dramatic 2nd day

Oscar Pistorius, centre, is led from the Boschkop police station east of Pretoria, en route to court, Friday Feb. 15, 2012. Oscar Pistorius arrived at a courthouse Friday, for his bail hearing in the murder case of his girlfriend as South Africans braced themselves for the latest development in a story that has stunned the country. The Paralympic superstar was earlier seen leaving a police station in a dark suit with a charcoal gray jacket covering his head as he got into a police vehicle. Model Reeva Steenkamp was shot and killed at Pistorius' upmarket home in an eastern suburb of the South African capital in the predawn hours of Thursday.

PRETORIA, South Africa A witness cried and Oscar Pistorius arrived late for the afternoon session on a dramatic second day of the double-amputee Olympian‘s murder trial. A look at the happenings Tuesday in and out of the high court inPretoria: —…
photo: AP

Estonia PM Ansip resigns – Europe’s longest-serving PM

Estonian prime minister Andrus Ansip withdraws his first euro note from an automated teller machine (ATM)

After nine years in office, Estonian PM Andrus Ansip has announced his resignation to enable a successor to lead his party into 2015 elections. Mr Ansip, who at 57 is the longest-serving prime minister in the European Union, is likely to be replaced…
photo: EC / © European Union 2010

Snake eating croc, battle in Australia caught on camera: Crocodile devoured

An American alligator and a Burmese python locked in a struggle to prevail in Everglades National Park.Many pets have escaped or been released into the Everglades from the surrounding urban areas.

A snake that was eating a croc was caught on camera Sunday, according to a Mar 3 CBS12 news report. Photos of the battle between a water python and crocodile inAustralia’s Lake Moondarra went viral and a feared predator-turned prey has been…
photo: Creative Commons / Trödel

 

 

 

‘IF I DECIDE TO USE ARMED FORCES IT WILL BE IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW’

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Putin: Russia Reserves Right To Use Military In Ukraine.. Hopes Russia Won’t Have To Use Force.. U.S. Announces $1 Billion In Aid For Ukraine.. Kerry Lands In Kiev.. How Russian, Ukrainian Military Stack Up.. Moscow Hopes West Won’t Impose Sanctions.. European Observers To Travel To Crimea..

 

 

 

 

Putin: Russia Has Right to Use ‘All’ Options in Ukraine

Full ArticleVoa News 

04 Mar 2014

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country is prepared to use all options to protect Russians in Ukraine, but that he hopes it will not have to use force.President Putin&aposs comments Tuesday come amid a growing crisis overRussia&aposs military presence in the Ukrainian region of Crimea. The United States and its European allies are… 
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speaks during the Cabinet meeting in Moscow on Monday, Feb. 9, 2009.

 

China’s Uighur Terror Attack

Kunming Railway Station

Masked attackers stabbed over 160 people at a train station over the weekend inKunming—and Beijing is blaming the violence on Uighurs from its restive Xinjiang province. Kunming, in southwest China, is one of the country’s most pleasant provincial…
photo: Creative Commons / adifromusa

UN vehicle ambushed in DRC

File - Indian peacekeepers with the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), deployed to the country's North Kivu Province, stand guard over Bunagana and the rebel stronghold of Runyonyi, as fighting continues between the M23 splinter group and Government FARDC forces, 23 May, 2012.

Kinshasa – Five United Nations peacekeepers were injured when rebels ambushed their vehicle in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, the UN mission in the country said. Two…
photo: UN / Sylvain Liechti

Bin Laden’s son-in-law goes on trial

In this courtroom drawing, Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, leans forward as he is handcuffed in U.S. federal court in Manhattan, after a hearing where he pleaded not guilty Friday, March 8, 2013, to plotting against Americans in his role as al-Qaida's top spokesman.

New York – Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden, went on trial in New York on Monday, becoming one of the highest-profile defendants to face terrorism charges in the United States. Prosecutors have accused the Kuwaiti-born Abu Ghaith,…
photo: AP / Elizabeth Williams

Angry people ‘risking heart attacks’

A Kashmiri man shouts pro-freedom and pro-militant slogans during the funeral procession of top militant commander Ruhullah Bhat of Hezb-ul-Mujahedeen at Awalyoora village some 57 kilometers (35 miles) from Srinagar, India, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008. Thousands of angry Kashmiri villagers on Saturday buried the top commander of an Islamic rebel group in the Indian portion of Kashmir, who was killed in a gunbattle with government forces according to police

Having a hot temper may increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, according to researchers. Rage often precedes an attack and may be the trigger, say the US researchers who trawled medical literature. They identified a dangerous period…

Bill Gates reclaims top of Forbes billionaire list from Slim

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, left,talks next to Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim during a press conference in Mexico City, Monday, June 14, 2010.

By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) – Bill Gates has returned to the top of Forbes magazine‘s annual list of the world’s richest people, as rising stock markets swelled the ranks of billionaires, which included a record number of women. With a net worth of…
photo: AP / Eduardo Verdugo

 

Algeria’s Bouteflika registers for April election

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seen at the presidential palace in Algiers, Tuesday, July 16, 2013.

ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Monday formally registered his candidacy for April’s election, one of the few times the aging independence veteran has spoken in public since suffering a stroke last year.Bouteflika‘s…
photo: AP

Ban Ki-moon Recommends Peacekeeping Force for CAR

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, addresses the high level meeting on rule of law in the U.N. General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012,

Margaret Besheer UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. secretary-general says the situation has changed “drastically” in the Central African Republic and he is recommending that the Security Council authorize a U.N. peacekeeping force to protect…
photo: AP / Richard Drew

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karzai: Afghan war fought in West’s interest

03 Mar 2014

 

Expressing “extreme anger” towards the United States government, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said in an interview that the war in Afghanistan was not fought with his country’s interests in mind. “Afghans died in a war that’s not ours,”Karzai said in an interview with the Washington Post newspaper published late on Sunday, just a… 
File - Afghan President Hamid Karzai delivers remarks during a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 20, 2011.

 

 

 

 

Oscar Pistorius Murder Trial to Begin in South Africa

Olympian Oscar Pistorius, foreground, stands following his bail hearing, as his brother Carl, centre, and father Henke, right, look on, in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Pistorius fired into the door of a small bathroom where his girlfriend was cowering after a shouting match on Valentine's Day, hitting her three times, a South African prosecutor said Tuesday as he charged the sports icon with premeditated murder. The magistrate ruled that Pistorius faces the harshest bail requirements available in South African law. He did not elaborate before a break was called in the session.

Share ABC Entertainment News | ABC Business News Copy Disgraced Olympicathlete Oscar Pistorius goes on trial Monday in Pretoria, South Africa, on four charges — including premeditated murder — in the shooting death of his girlfriend. Pistorius,…
photo: AP / Masi Losi-Pretoria News

Syrian rebels release Spanish newspaperman

In this Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 file photo, Syrians walk past damaged homes during heavy fighting between Free Syrian Army fighters and government forces in Aleppo, Syria.

BEIRUT – A Spanish journalist kidnapped by Islamist rebels and held for almost six months inside Syria has been released and was safe in neighboring Turkey, his newspaper reported Sunday. Marc Marginedas, accompanied by Spanish officials, was…

NATO deplores Russia’s actions, but no hard response seen

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen answers questions to the media during a joint press conference with Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer, unseen, at the government's headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic Friday, March 5, 2010

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Russia‘s seizure of Crimea is a threat to peace in Europe and the situation must be “de-escalated”, NATO‘s secretary-general said on Sunday, but diplomats said the alliance was unlikely to agree on major steps to rein Russia in….
photo: AP / Petr David Josek

Mass Stabbing at China Train Station Leaves 27 People Dead

Kun Ming ( Kunming ) Railway Station

By Agence France-Presse on 10:15 am March 2, 2014. Category Asia-Pacific, International Tags: China, Uighurs, Xinjiang Knife-wielding assailants left 29 people people dead and more than 130 wounded in an unprecedented attack at a Chinesetrain…
photo: Creative Commons / own work ( 40fifw0 )

US Warns Putin Over Crimea Incursion

President Barack Obama talks on the phone in the Oval Office with Speaker of the House Boehner, Saturday, August 31, 2013, while Vice President Joe Biden listens at right.

By Agence France-Presse on 9:41 am March 2, 2014. Category International, WorldTags: Russia, ukraine, ukraine unrest Unidentified armed men patrol in front of theCrimean parliament in Simferopol, Ukraine, on March 1, 2014. (AFP Photo/GenyaSavilov)…
photo: White House / Pete Souza

Moazzam Begg charged with Syria-linked terrorism offences

This is a Friday, March 3, 2006, file photo of Moazzam Begg outside the United States Embassy in London. British police say a former Guantanamo Bay detainee is one of four people arrested on suspicion of Syria-related terrorism offenses.

LONDON: The former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg was remanded in custody on Saturday charged with Syria-related terror offences. Begg who was born in Birmingham to a family of Indian descent appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court and denied…
photo: AP / Alastair Grant

Sarah Palin: ‘I told you so on Ukraine’

Former Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.

It’s not true that Sarah Palin once said “I can see Russia from my house.” That was comedian and Palin impersonator Tina Fey on “Saturday Night Live.” But back in 2008 when she was the GOP’s vice presidential candidate, trying to establish her…
photo: Creative Commons / Gage Skidmore

Attack on China train station leaves 33 dead

02 Mar 2014

 

BEIJING — More than 10 knife-wielding attackers slashed people at a train station in southwestern China late Saturday in what authorities called a terrorist attack byUighur separatists, and police fatally shot four of the assailants, leaving 33 people dead and 130 others wounded, state media said. The attackers, most of them dressed in black,… 
Police officers patrol outside a railway station after an attack by knife wielding men left some 27 dead in Kunming, in southwestern China's Yunnan province, Saturday March 1, 2014.

 

Mass Stabbing at China Train Station Leaves 27 People Dead

Kun Ming ( Kunming ) Railway Station

By Agence France-Presse on 10:15 am March 2, 2014. Category Asia-Pacific, International Tags: China, Uighurs, Xinjiang Knife-wielding assailants left 29 people people dead and more than 130 wounded in an unprecedented attack at a Chinesetrain…
photo: Creative Commons / own work ( 40fifw0

US Warns Putin Over Crimea Incursion

President Barack Obama talks on the phone in the Oval Office with Speaker of the House Boehner, Saturday, August 31, 2013, while Vice President Joe Biden listens at right.

By Agence France-Presse on 9:41 am March 2, 2014. Category International, WorldTags: Russia, ukraine, ukraine unrest Unidentified armed men patrol in front of theCrimean parliament in Simferopol, Ukraine, on March 1, 2014. (AFP Photo/GenyaSavilov)…
photo: White House / Pete Souza

Moazzam Begg charged with Syria-linked terrorism offences

This is a Friday, March 3, 2006, file photo of Moazzam Begg outside the United States Embassy in London. British police say a former Guantanamo Bay detainee is one of four people arrested on suspicion of Syria-related terrorism offenses.

LONDON: The former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg was remanded in custody on Saturday charged with Syria-related terror offences. Begg who was born in Birmingham to a family of Indian descent appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court and denied…
photo: AP / Alastair Grant

Hedonistic fury awaits as Rio gears for carnival

Rio - Carnival. (mb1)

Amid a cacophony of samba drums and sequinned dancers, Rio residents prepared to launch themselves into five days of hedonistic entertainment with the start of the city’s legendary carnival. The metropolis of six-million has been gearing up for weeks…
photo:

Pakistani Taliban Promise Cease-Fire To Resume Peace Talks

Pakistan army soldiers patrol in Naurang near Bannu, Pakistan on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009

The Pakistani Taliban said Saturday it will observe a month-long cease-fire to revive failed peace talks with Islamabad. “The senior leadership of the Taliban advises all subgroups to respect the Taliban’s call for a…
photo: AP / B.K.Bangash

Basque militants vow to put all arms beyond reach

A woman walks past a wall painted with graffiti supporting the Basque separatist group, ETA, meaning: '' Long Live ETA' in the Basque town of Hernani, northern Spain, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010.

MADRID (AP) — The Basque separatist group ETA confirms it has begun to store weapons beyond its members’ reach and says the secretive process eventually will render its entire arsenal harmless. ETA issued its first statement following a Feb. 21…
photo: AP / Alvaro Barrientos

Militant ambush kills 12 of polio workers escort in Pakistan

File - In this Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010 photo, A Pakistani health worker, right, marks a child's finger after giving him polio vaccine in Peshawar, Pakistan.

By Jibran Ahmad PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) – Militants killed 12 members of the security escort for a polio vaccination team in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, detonating a roadside bomb before opening fire on their convoy, according to officials….
photo: AP / Mohammad Sajjad

 

 

 

 

Obama warns Russia on Ukraine

01 Mar 2014
WASHINGTON As Ukrainian leaders accused Russia of carrying out an armed invasion in the Crimea region, President Barack Obama on Friday warned Russia not to intervene militarily, saying the United States would stand with the world to condemn a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. “There will be costs,” Obamadeclared in a brief.
Obama warns Russia on Ukraine

 

 

Actor Hoffman died from toxic mix of drugs

From left, American actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, kisses British actress Samantha Morton whilst American actress Michelle Williams watches

The US actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died from taking a combination of heroin, cocaine and other drugs, the New York City medical examiner has ruled, The death of Hoffman, 46, who was found on February 2 with a needle in his arm on the floor of…
photo: AP / Francois Mori

 

Signed copies of Adolf Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ auctioned for over $60,000

Dust jacket of the book Mein Kampf, written by Adolf Hitler. Courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Collection.

Two copies of Mein Kampf signed by Adolf Hitler were put up for auction online through Nate D. Sanders auction house and sold for $64,850, way above expectations. The two copies…
photo: Creative Commons

Ukraine crisis: Obama warns Russia against intervention

President Barack Obama discusses Ukraine during a meeting with members of his National Security Staff in the Oval Office, Feb. 28, 2014.

US President Barack Obama has warned Russia there will be “costs” for any military intervention in Ukraine. He said he was deeply concerned by reports of Russian military movements inside the country. Ukraine’s acting president has…
photo: White House / Pete Souza

Brazil Parties Ahead of Main Carnival Celebration

Queen and princess of the "Rua do Mercado" band carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014.

AFP RIO DE JANEIRO — The crowds dance to the rhythm of the samba in a variety of costumes, from the everyday to the exhibitionist. Although the official Rio carnival is yet to begin, tens of thousands of people are already partying in the streets of…
photo: AP / Silvia Izquierdo

Hollande calls for unity in CAR

French President Francois Hollande, center, reviews troops, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, of the twelfth cuirassiers regiment in the military base of Olivet, near Orleans, central France, before delivering his New Year's greetings to French army forces.

Thousands of international troops dispatched to volatile Central African Republicare there to help keep the country from breaking apart, France’s President said on Friday, days after the French parliament voted to prolong the country’s…
photo: AP / Jacques Brinon

In slight to Hollande, Berlin fetes Sarkozy

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, welcomes French President Nicolas Sarkozy for talks at the chancellery in Berlin, on Monday, June 14, 2010.

By Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) – In his first major speech since losing the French presidency in 2012, Nicolas Sarkozy weighed in on euro zone integration, theUkraine conflict and the risks of weak leadership in Europe to an adoring crowd of fellow…
photo: AP / Markus Schreiber

Yanukovych rejects military action

Ukraine's fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych speaks at a news conference in Rostov-on-Don, a city in southern Russia about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Moscow, Friday, Feb. 28, 2014. Making his first public appearance since fleeing Ukraine, fugitive Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych pledged Friday to fight for his country's future but said he will not ask for military assistance.

Fugitive Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych is pledging to fight for his country’s future but says he will not ask for military assistance. It is his first public appearance since disappearing from Ukraine. “I intend to keep fighting for the…
photo: AP / Pavel Golovkin

 A Food Line In Venezuela

 

 

 

 

Unidentified armed men patrol Crimean airport in Ukraine

28 Feb 2014

 

Updated: February 28, 2014 12:38AM KIEV, Ukraine — Dozens of armed men in military uniforms without markings were patrolling the airport in the capital of Ukraine’s strategic Crimea region on Friday as tensions in the country’s Russian-speaking southeast escalated. Russian state television quoted eyewitnesses saying the men arrived at the… 

Unidentified armed man patrols a square in front of the airport in Simferopol, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 28, 2014.

Tea Party vows to move US Congress to right

Tea Party protesters walk towards the United States Capitol during the Taxpayer March on Washington, September 12, 2009.

WASHINGTON – The largest group in the conservative US Tea Party movementcelebrated its fifth anniversary on Thursday with a pledge to push Congress further to the right and capture the White House in 2016. At a rally in a hotel ballroom two blocks…
photo: Creative Commons / Freedom Fan

N Korea tests missiles amid S Korea-US exercises

Trees are reflected on a board displaying photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the country's successful long range rocket launch outside North Korean embassy in Beijing Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013.

North Korea has fired four short-range missiles into the sea, South Korean defence ministry officials say, in a move widely seen as a response to South Korea‘s military exercises with the US. A ministry spokesman said that the missiles were…
photo: AP / Andy Wong

United Kingdom Gets A Spectacular View Of The Northern Lights

In this picture made available Monday, Feb. 24, 2014, polar lights shine in the sky above Guelper Havel river in Guelpe, northwest of Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 2014. These northern lights are caused by a giant cloud of electric particles of a sun storm in the Earth's atmosphere. Guelpe in nature park Westhavelland is said to be Germany's darkest place.

People in Britain, Ireland, Scotland, and elsewhere are catching a glimpse of the rare but incredible Northern Lights that are usually only seen inside the Arctic Circle, Sky News reports. The Lights, known as Aurora Borealis, are a natural…

Top Castro Aide Turned Dissident Huber Matos Dies at 95

Cuba's President Raul Castro, left, speaks to Cuba's Vice Presidents Juan Almeida Bosque, center, and Jose Ramon Machado Ventura during a session of the National Assembly of Popular Power, Cuban Legislature, in Havana, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009

Huber Matos, a top Cuban revolutionary who was sent to prison for 20 years for turning against Fidel Castro, died Thursday in Miami. His…
photo: AP / Javier Galeano

Spanish economy trundles on in fourth quarter

Spanish economy trundles on in fourth quarter

Spain’s economy grew between October and December as domestic demand and investments improved, data showed, adding to signs that its recovery from recession is slowly gaining traction. Gross domestic product expanded by 0.2 per cent in the fourth…
photo: European Community / EC

Unemployment falls to 12.1%, close to European average

Unemployment falls to 12.1%, close to European average

Unemployment has fallen to 12.1 per cent, official figures have revealed. As theGovernment detailed its latest plans to drive job creation, the Central Statistics Office quarterly national household survey said the number of people out of work…
photo: European Community /

Qantas cuts 5,000 jobs, posts AUD 235 mn loss in first half

File - Qantas jets taxi at the international airport in Sydney, Australia, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011.

Disclosing a AUD 235 million half- year loss, Australian national airlines Qantas today announced axing…
photo: AP / Rob Griffith

All sides committing ‘war crimes’ in South Sudan: reports

27 Feb 2014
Nairobi: War crimes have been committed by all sides in conflict-wracked South Sudan, Human Rights Watch said Thursday, reporting widespread atrocities in weeks of carnage in the world’s youngest nation. Thousands have been killed and almost 900,000 forced from their homes by over two months of battles between rebel and government forces, backed by…
Due to a severe water shortage at the camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the UN Mission for South Sudan's (UNMISS) Malakal Base, women walk in groups to fetch water from the Nile River, located approximately three kilometres from camp, 24 January, 2014.

 

Unemployment falls to 12.1%, close to European average

Unemployment falls to 12.1%, close to European average

Unemployment has fallen to 12.1 per cent, official figures have revealed. As theGovernment detailed its latest plans to drive job creation, the Central Statistics Office quarterly national household survey said the number of people out of work…
photo: European Community / EC

NASA’s Kepler mission announces confirmation of 715 new planets

The artist concept depicts multiple-transiting planet systems, which are stars with more than one planet. The planets eclipse or transit their host star from the vantage point of the observer. This angle is called edge-on.

Scientists with NASA‘s Kepler mission announced Wednesday that the number of verified planets beyond our solar system (also called exoplanets) has increased by 715. These newly confirmed exoplanets orbit 310 stars,many are in multi-planet systems…
photo: NASA

New shipment of chemical weapons leave Syria

New shipment of chemical weapons leave Syria

Tweet Damascus, Feb 27 (IANS) A new shipment of Syria‘s stockpile of chemical weapons left its territory Wednesday, as a continued international effort to rid the war-torn country of its chemical arsenal, the UN confirmed in a…
photo: UN / Jean-Marc Ferré

Tourist board anger over ‘sex tourism’ Adidas shirts

"I Love Tourist" during the Rio de Janeiro carnival. Rio de Janeiro is a main cultural hub in Brazil. Its architecture embraces churches and buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, blending with the world renowned designs of the 20th century.

Brazil forced the withdrawal of a line of World Cup shirts bearing suggestive motifs seen as harming the country’s image. Following a complaint by the state tourist board, official cup sponsor Adidas withdrew the shirts, which had…
photo: Creative Commons / Wilson Dias/Abr

UK Soldier Lee Rigby’s Killers Sentenced

A picture of the murdered 25-year-old soldier of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Lee Rigby, amongst some of the thousands of floral and other tributes left at the scene near Woolwich Barracks in London Tuesday, May 28, 2013. Two men attacked and killed the soldier in broad daylight Wednesday May 22. Thousands of floral tributes have been left by public well wishers.

A pair of al Qaeda-inspired extremists have been jailed for the murder of an off-duty British soldier who was hacked to death on a London street in front of horrified crowds. Self-described “soldier of Allah” Michael Adebolajo was sentenced…
photo: AP / Kirsty Wigglesworth

Russian Navy Boosting Security in Crimea – Defense Minister

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, left, and Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu take part in a conference call on the rescue work at the Raspadskaya mine hit by explosions, in Moscow, Sunday, May 9, 2010.

MOSCOW, February 26 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is taking additional steps to ensure security at its naval facilities on the Crimean Peninsula amid the growing political unrest in Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said…
photo: AP / Alexei Druzhinin, Pool

Ukraine’s Maidan protest unites different beliefs

Ukraine's Maidan protest unites different beliefs

KIEV, Ukraine For the past three months, tens of thousands of Ukrainians have been singing the Ukrainian national anthem on Kiev‘s central square, the Maidan, united in their dreams of change. In fact, the protest movement is a mixed bag of…
photo: European Community / EC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vladimir Putin Orders Test Of Combat Readiness Of Troops In Central, Western Russia: Report

AP
Posted: 


Main Entry Image

 

 

 

Obama warns Afghan president of full troop withdrawal

26 Feb 2014

 

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama told Hamid Karzai on Tuesday that he is now planning for a full US troop withdrawal because of the Afghan leader’s repeated refusal to sign a security pact. But in a rare telephone call with Afghan President Karzai, Obama also held out the possibility of agreeing to a post-2014 training and anti-terror mission… 
File- Staff Sgt. James Allen conducts a dismounted patrol of the Sharana District Center bazaar with his platoon’s Afghan Uniformed Police partners, Paktika Province, Afghanistan, 6 August, 2011.

 

 

 

Benedict Dismisses Renewed Rumors About Why He Left Papacy

A helicopter with Pope Benedict XVI onboard leaves the Vatican in Rome, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013.

Almost exactly one year to the day since Benedict XVI stepped down as spiritual leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, the former pope has issued his first public comment on recurring rumors in the Italian media that he didn’t resign of…
photo: AP / Michael Sohn

Nato alert over Afghanistan pullout

Nato alert over Afghanistan pullout

Nato‘s secretary general says that if Afghan leaders and the White House can’t agree on a key security pact, the US-led alliance will pull all of its troops and equipment out of Afghanistan by December. The statement from Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the…
photo: US Army / Dixie Rae Liwanag

Why stakes are high in European election

Why stakes are high in European election

This year’s elections to the European Parliament – taking place on 22-25 May across the EU – will see an unprecedented battle over the bloc’s powers and role. For the first time anti-EU parties will pose a major challenge in many countries….
photo: European Community / EC

 

Ukraine’s acting leader still seeking consensus on interim government

Ukraine’s acting leader still seeking consensus on interim government

KIEV, Ukraine: Hoping to reach a consensus that would heal some of Ukraine’s wounds, the country’s acting president on Tuesday delayed the seating of an interim government for at least two days, even as opposition colleagues appealed to…
photo: European Community / EC

Obama tells the Pentagon to plan for Afghan pullout

President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey stand for the national anthem during a remembrance ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial for victims of the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon Sept. 11, 2013. The three leaders joined family members of those killed in the terrorist attack twelve years ago for the private ceremony.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a blunt warning to Afghan President Hamid Karzai,President Barack Obama threatened on Tuesday to withdraw all U.S. troops fromAfghanistan by the end of this year if a crucial security pact isn’t signed — and he ordered the…
photo: US DoD / Erin A. Kirk Cuomo

Ukraine a costly prize for West

Ukraine a costly prize for West

WASHINGTON – Ukraine may well be the geopolitical prize nobody can afford to win. As the country begins the delicate climb out of the chaos that saw yet another political turnover, the US and the European Union have had a look at theUkrainian…
photo: EC / © EU

 

 

 

 

 

Nigerian Islamists kill 29 pupils in boarding school attack

25 Feb 2014

 

Gunmen from Islamist group Boko Haram stormed a boarding school in northeastNigeria overnight and killed 29 pupils, many of whom died in flames as the school was burned to the ground, police and the military said today. “Some of the students bodies were burned to ashes,” Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai said of the attack on the… 
Nigeria’s Boko Haram Could Be a Western-backed Insurgency

 

 

 

Westward shift by Ukraine would be momentous event

Westward shift by Ukraine would be momentous event

BRUSSELS — A firm course change in Ukraine — westward and turning away fromMoscow — would have momentous consequences for the balance of power inEurope. The move would propel the continent’s second-largest country into the orbit…
photo: European Community / EC

Greater efforts needed to curb sexual violence in Mogadishu

Greater efforts needed to curb sexual violence in Mogadishu

Follow @{0}FEEDBACKEMAILPRINTEASY READSHARE NAIROBI/MOGADISHU, 25 February 2014 (IRIN) – Sexual and gender-based violence is a major issue in Somalia, especially for internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in south and central Somalia. A…
photo: UN / Albert Gonzalez Farran, UNAMID

Dozens of students killed in Nigerian school

Dozens of students killed in Nigerian school

YOLA, Nigeria (AP) â?? Suspected Islamic militants killed dozens of students in a predawn attack on a northeast Nigerian college, survivors say, setting ablaze a locked hostel and shooting and slitting…
photo: UN / Albert Gonzalez Farran, UNAMID

Is the UN a paper tiger or a sleeping lion?

Is the UN a paper tiger or a sleeping lion?

Does the UN have any teeth? It is not an academic question. There will come a time when it will need teeth. The UN has been called by detractors the World’s LargestDebating Society. Sometimes it seems like they can’t agree on when to break for…
photo: UN / Paulo Filgueiras

Costa Rica seeks court ruling on Nicaragua border dispute

Members of the Nicaraguan Army participate in routine exercises in Managua, Nicaragua, Friday, Sept, 30, 2005. Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos has ordered the Army to increase monitoring the San Juan River area that separates Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Costa Rica said earlier this week it would take its neighbor to the International Court of Justice in the Hague to claim unlimited rights to navigate the stretch of river that runs along its northern border.

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) – Costa Rica will ask the International Court of Justice to settle a decade-old maritime border dispute with Nicaragua related to…
photo: AP / Esteban Felix

Peru’s Humala names fifth PM, keeps finance minister in cabinet shuffle

Peru's newly sworn in President Ollanta Humala , right, waves during his ceremonial swearing in at the National Congress in Lima, Peru, Thursday, July 28, 2011.

LIMA (Reuters) – Peru‘s President Ollanta Humala named his housing minister as his fifth prime minister on Monday in a cabinet shuffle that reappointed his…
photo: AP / Martin Mejia

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits Israel with cabinet

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, left, arrive for a press conference at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that she is visiting Israel with most of her new cabinet in order to show Germany‘s friendship with the Jewish state and that her country is working to secure the future of Israel. Merkel was speaking at an…
photo: AP / Michael Sohn

 

 

 

 

 

In key reform, Pope Francis centralizes Vatican finances

In key reform, Pope Francis centralizes Vatican finances

BY TOM KINGTON

ROME — In the most concrete sign to date of his intention to reform the Vatican, Pope Francis announced the creation Monday of a single authority to handle all business…….

 

 

Scientists identify oldest crystal on Earth — 4.4 billion years old

By Deborah NetburnFebruary 24, 2014, 1:05 p.m.
 

The oldest known material on Earth is a tiny bit of zircon crystal that has remained intact for an incredible 4.4 billion years, a study confirms.

The ancient remnant of the early Earth may change the way we think about how our planet first formed. 

The crystal is the size of a small grain of sand, just barely visible to the human eye. It was discovered on a remote sheep farm in western Australia, which happens to sit on one of the most stable parts of our plane

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Egypt government resigns, paving way for Sisi to seek presidency

24 Feb 2014

 

Ariel Sharon Arab Spring Reuters Image Caption: Egyptian Army chief Field Marshalal-Sisi arrives for a meeting with Russian President Putin at Novo-Ogaryovo (reuters tickers) February 24, 2014 – 13:10 By Yasmine Saleh and Asma Alsharif CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt‘s government has resigned, the prime minister said on Monday, paving the way for army… 
In this July 22, 2013, file photo released by the Egyptian Presidency, Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, listens to the national anthem during a medal ceremony at a military base east of Cairo.

 

 

Egyptian Government Resigns

An anti-government protester waves an Egyptian flag as stands on a pole in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Feb. 4, 2011.

VOA News Egypt‘s interim prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi says his Cabinet has resigned. He announced…
photo: AP / Lefteris Pitarakis

Polio-like disease seen in California children

Schematic model of poliovirus, serotype 1 (Mahoney) binding CD155 (extracellular domain shown in purple).

Doctors investigating handful of cases of paralysis in one or more limbs Doctorgiving an eight-week old baby the polio vaccine. The children in California had been vaccinated against polio but the disease seems to have similar effects.Photograph:…
photo: Creative Commons

 

Ukraine: Opposition Leader Tymoshenko Freed

People pass by a large poster of Ukraine's imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko next to the Euro 2012 Fan Zone in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday evening, June 30, 2012. A Ukrainian court on last Tuesday again postponed Tymoshenko's appeal hearing against her seven-year jail sentence, in what her lawyers say is an attempt by the government to prevent her seeking justice in the European Court of Human Rights. Tymoshenko is seeking to overturn an abuse of office conviction the West has condemned as politically motivated. Tymoshenko's jailing in October has led to complaints from Washington and Brussels, and a boycott by Western leaders of Euro 2012 football championship games hosted by Ukraine.

Jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko has been freed, after Ukraine’s parliament declared President Viktor Yanukovych unable to carry out his duties. The resolution was passed by deputies in the assembly who applauded and sang the national…
photo: AP / Vadim Ghirda

Prime Minister: Algeria’s Bouteflika to Seek Fourth Term in April

File - Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika leaves a voting booth before voting in the Parliamentary elections in Algiers, Thursday, May, 10, 2012.

Reuters ALGIERS — Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the aging independence veteran who suffered a stroke last year, will run for re-election on April 17, his premier said on Saturday, a vote likely to hand him a fourth term in power….
photo: AP / Sidali Djarboub

 

Pope Welcomes New Cardinals, Many From Developing World

In this photo provided by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis meets Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in Castel Gandolfo Saturday, March 23, 2013.

In a solemn ceremony at the Vatican, Pope Francis on Saturday bestowed red hats on his first batch of cardinals. Ten of the 19 new princes of the church come from outside Europe, including some of the poorest countries in the world. Their selection…
photo: AP / Osservatore Romano

Maduro issues Obama challenge amid mounting protests

venezuela's President-elect Nicolas Maduro waves to supporters as he arrives at the national Assembly for his inaugural ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, April 19, 2013.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called on Barack Obama to “accept the challenge” and hold direct talks, as the death toll from escalating anti-government protests jumped to eight Friday. The announcement was particularly surprising because…
photo: AP / Gil Montano

China Is Furious Over Obama’s Meeting With The Dalai Lama

The Capitol dome is seen at rear as Chinese and U.S. flags are displayed in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011, ahead of the arrival of China's President Hu Jintao for a state visit hosted by President Barack Obama.

See Also WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) – President Barack Obama held low-key talks with the Dalai Lama on Friday, prompting the Chinese government to ask why the White House ignored Beijing‘s warnings that the meeting with the exiledTibetan spiritual…
photo: AP / Charles Dharapak

 

 

 

 

 

Ukraine parliament ousts Yanukovich, Tymoshenko freed

23 Feb 2014

 

By Pavel Polityuk and Matt Robinson KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine‘s parliament voted to remove President Viktor Yanukovich after three months of street protests, while his arch-rival Yulia Tymoshenko hailed opposition demonstrators as “heroes” in an emotional speech in Kiev after she was released from jail. Yanukovich abandoned the capital… 
Former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko addresses the crowd in central Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014.

 

 

Ukraine: Opposition Leader Tymoshenko Freed

People pass by a large poster of Ukraine's imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko next to the Euro 2012 Fan Zone in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday evening, June 30, 2012. A Ukrainian court on last Tuesday again postponed Tymoshenko's appeal hearing against her seven-year jail sentence, in what her lawyers say is an attempt by the government to prevent her seeking justice in the European Court of Human Rights. Tymoshenko is seeking to overturn an abuse of office conviction the West has condemned as politically motivated. Tymoshenko's jailing in October has led to complaints from Washington and Brussels, and a boycott by Western leaders of Euro 2012 football championship games hosted by Ukraine.

Jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko has been freed, after Ukraine’s parliament declared President Viktor Yanukovych unable to carry out his duties. The resolution was passed by deputies in the assembly who applauded and sang the national…
photo: AP / Vadim Ghirda

Prime Minister: Algeria’s Bouteflika to Seek Fourth Term in April

File - Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika leaves a voting booth before voting in the Parliamentary elections in Algiers, Thursday, May, 10, 2012.

Reuters ALGIERS — Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the aging independence veteran who suffered a stroke last year, will run for re-election on April 17, his premier said on Saturday, a vote likely to hand him a fourth term in power….
photo: AP / Sidali Djarboub

Pope Welcomes New Cardinals, Many From Developing World

In this photo provided by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis meets Pope emeritus Benedict XVI in Castel Gandolfo Saturday, March 23, 2013.

In a solemn ceremony at the Vatican, Pope Francis on Saturday bestowed red hats on his first batch of cardinals. Ten of the 19 new princes of the church come from outside Europe, including some of the poorest countries in the world. Their selection…
photo: AP / Osservatore Romano

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ukraine Protester Olesya Zhukovska Tweeted After Being Shot In Neck

AP  | by  MARIA DANILOVA
Posted: 
Main Entry Image
 Olesya Zhukovska, left, is helped after being shot in her neck by a sniper bullet, in Independence Square, the epicenter of the country’s current unrest, Kiev, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Alexander Sherbakov) | ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

 

U.S. Official: Beijing Preparing For ‘Short, Sharp’ War With Japan

21 Feb 2014

 

China is stepping up war games in preparation for a possible conflict with Japanover the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, a tiny island chain in the East China Sea claimed by both Beijing and Tokyo, a senior U.S. Navy official says. Captain James Fanell, deputy chief of staff intelligence and information operations for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, made the… 
A Chinese protestor holds a Chinese national flag during an anti-Japan protest on disputed islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, outside the Japanese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012.

Maduro issues Obama challenge amid mounting protests

venezuela's President-elect Nicolas Maduro waves to supporters as he arrives at the national Assembly for his inaugural ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, April 19, 2013.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called on Barack Obama to “accept the challenge” and hold direct talks, as the death toll from escalating anti-government protests jumped to eight Friday. The announcement was particularly surprising because…
photo: AP / Gil Montano

China Is Furious Over Obama’s Meeting With The Dalai Lama

The Capitol dome is seen at rear as Chinese and U.S. flags are displayed in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011, ahead of the arrival of China's President Hu Jintao for a state visit hosted by President Barack Obama.

See Also WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) – President Barack Obama held low-key talks with the Dalai Lama on Friday, prompting the Chinese government to ask why the White House ignored Beijing‘s warnings that the meeting with the exiledTibetan spiritual…
photo: AP / Charles Dharapak

Arizona ‘anti-gay’ bill sparks protests in two cities

Jo Beaudry holds up a sign as she joins nearly 250 gay rights supporters protesting SB1062 at the Arizona Capitol, Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, in Phoenix.

Protests have been held in Arizona against the state’s passage of a bill allowing business owners to refuse service to gays on religious grounds. Hundreds rallied for demonstrations in the cities of Phoenix and Tucson, a day after the bill was…
photo: AP /

Maduro challenges Obama to ‘high-level’ dialogue

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks next to a painting of the late Hugo Chavez, during a news conference at Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Feb. 21, 2014. Speaking Friday to international media, Maduro called out what he said was a "campaign of demonization to isolate the Bolivarian revolution."

CARACAS: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro challenged his US counterpartBarack Obama on Friday to hold “high-level dialogue” between their governments and proposed to appoint an ambassador to Washington. The sudden announcement was surprising…
photo: AP / Fernando Llano

Renzi government to be sworn in today

Italian Premier designate Matteo Renzi meets reporters at the Quirinale presidential palace, Rome, Friday, Feb. 21, 2014.

The new Italian government of centre-left (PD) leader Matteo Renzi is almost up and running, just one week after the collapse of Enrico Letta’s coalition. Mr Renzi (39) and his government will be sworn in this morning in the Presidential Palacewhile…
photo: AP / Riccardo De Luca

Obama, Putin agree on need for quick peace deal

File - President Barack Obama talks on the phone with President-elect Vladimir Putin of Russia while aboard Air Force One en route to Richmond, Va., March 9, 2012.

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Friday that a deal aimed at halting bloody clashes between government forces and protesters in Ukraine needs to be quickly implemented so that the country stabilises, a US…
photo: White House / Pete Souza

Obama backs Dalai Lama’s ‘Middle Way’ approach

The Dalai Lama gestures while speaking to reporters outside his hotel in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010.

Tweet Washington, Feb 22 (IANS) In the face of objections from China, President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama Friday saying the US supports his “Middle Way” approach of neither assimilation nor independence for Tibetans in China. Obama‘s meeting…

 

 

 

 

DEAL

Getty

2004 Constitution Restored… Early Elections… REPORT: Over 100 Dead From Clashes… GRAPHIC Photos Of Destruction, Bloodshed

 

 

 

 

 

Iran boosts military support in Syria to bolster Assad

21 Feb 2014

 

LONDON/ANKARA (Reuters) – As Syria‘s war nears the start of its fourth year, Iranhas stepped up support on the ground for President Bashar al-Assad, providing elite teams to gather intelligence and train troops, sources with knowledge of military movements say. This further backing from Tehran, along with deliveries of munitions and equipment from… 
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, a Palestinian activist, right, helps Palestinian residents, at the gate of the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp, on the southern edge of the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014.

 

 

US President Barack Obama to meet Dalai Lama

President Barack Obama meets with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Map Room of the White House, Feb. 18, 2010.

US President Barack Obama meets with the Dalai Lama in 2010. Photo: MCTWashington: US President Barack Obama will meet Tibet‘s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at the White House on Friday, in an encounter likely to draw the ire of China….
photo: White House / Pete Souza

Venezuela threatens to expel CNN over protest coverage

Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro, center, bumps fists with a supporter as he walks along the coffin of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez as it is taken from the hospital where Chavez died on Tuesday to a military academy in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 6, 2013.

Venezuela‘s President Nicolas Maduro has threatened to expel the US news network CNN from the country over its reporting of recent protests there. MrMaduro said he would take action if CNN did not “rectify its coverage”. Earlier, Mr…
photo: AP / Rodrigo Abd

115 killed, 1,500 buildings razed in Nigerian town

In this image taken Thursday Feb. 28, 2013 residents salvage wood from demolished houses at Ijora Badia slum in Lagos, Nigeria.

BAMA, Nigeria — The latest attack by suspected Islamic extremists in Nigeria’s northeast has left 115 people dead, more than 1,500 buildings razed and some 400 vehicles destroyed, witnesses said Thursday, as a traditional ruler accused the military…
photo: AP / Sunday Alamba

Poor Turnout in Libyan Vote for Constitution-Drafting Body

Libyan election officials work at a polling station in Tripoli, Libya, Friday, July 6, 2012. The Libyan National Assembly elections - the first free election since 1969-will take place on July 7, 2012.

Reuters TRIPOLI — Libyans trickled to the polls on Thursday to elect an assembly to draft a constitution, with the paltry turnout reflecting deep political disillusion with the chaos pervading Libya since Moammar Gadhafi‘s 42-year rule ended in…
photo: AP / Manu Brabo

Facebook purchases WhatsApp mobile messaging service for $19B

logo of the instant messaging app WhatsApp

Facebook is buying mobile messaging service WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock, by far the company’s largest acquisition and bigger than any acquisitionGoogle, Microsoft or Apple have ever done. • ; NEW YORK — Facebook is buying mobile…
photo: AP / Margarethe Wichert/dapd

Lie detector for tweets? Researchers working on it

Laptop - Tweeter

By John JohnsonPublished February 19, 2014Newser A polygraph examiner applies electrodes on the fingers of a subject.AP Photo/Fernando VergaraEuropean researchers say they’re developing a system that can sniff out lies on Twitter, Facebook,…
photo: WN / Yolanda

North America summit: Obama, Peña Nieto enter with low ratings

President Barack Obama and President Pena Nieto of Mexico share a toast prior to a working dinner at Los Pinos

MEXICO CITY — One thing that Presidents Obama and Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexicoshare is they are hardly considered heroes in their homeland. Both have low domestic approval ratings that sometimes stand in sharp contrast to their images…
photo: White House / Pete Souza

Ukrainian president agrees to truce with opposition following deadly clashes

20 Feb 2014

 

Tweet London, Feb. 20 (ANI): Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has agreed to a truce with opposition leaders, after at least 26 people died in clashes this week..
Anti-government protesters are silhouetted against the flame during a clash with riot police in Kiev's Independence Square, the epicenter of the country's current unrest, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014.

 

Lie detector for tweets? Researchers working on it

Laptop - Tweeter

By John JohnsonPublished February 19, 2014Newser A polygraph examiner applies electrodes on the fingers of a subject.AP Photo/Fernando VergaraEuropean researchers say they’re developing a system that can sniff out lies on Twitter, Facebook,…
photo: WN / Yolanda

North America summit: Obama, Peña Nieto enter with low ratings

President Barack Obama and President Pena Nieto of Mexico share a toast prior to a working dinner at Los Pinos

MEXICO CITY — One thing that Presidents Obama and Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexicoshare is they are hardly considered heroes in their homeland. Both have low domestic approval ratings that sometimes stand in sharp contrast to their images…
photo: White House / Pete Souza

 

France, Germany, US Speak Out Against Ukraine Violence

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) und der franzoesische Praesident Francois Hollande (r.) unterhalten sich zu Beginn ihres Treffens am Donnerstag (23.08.12) auf der Dachterasse im Bundeskanzleramt in Berlin

France, Germany and the United States are taking a united stance against the deadly violence in Ukraine. During a joint news conference Wednesday withGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris, French President Francois Hollande…
photo: AP / Guido Bergmann

S.Africa court delays decision on televising trial

FILE - In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s High Court on Wednesday delayed judgment on an application by local television stations to broadcast live the murder trial of double-amputee Oscar Pistorius who is charged with murder in the shooting death of his…
photo: AP / Themba Hadebe

Tony Blair Allegedly Offered Secret Advice to Murdoch Empire

In this Oct. 14, 2011 file photo, News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch delivers a keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in San Francisco. If the phone hacking scandal gripping Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. empire has a familiar ring, it might be because you've heard the story before. Scrappy outsider turns modest newspaper business into international media conglomerate. Ambition turns to hubris.

At the height of the Murdoch phone hacking scandal, former prime minister Tony Blair was allegedly offering his services as a secret adviser. Tony Blair secretly offered to become an unofficial adviser to Rupert Murdoch and his media empire at the…
photo: AP / Noah Berger, File

Russia releases Pussy Riot members after questioning

A demonstrator attends a rally showing support for the Russian punk group Pussy Riot whose members face prison for a stunt against President Vladimir Putin, in St.Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2012.

Kremlin critics slammed the arrest of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and MariaAlyokhina as a public relations disaster for the Winter Games. Russian police on Tuesday released the two most famous Pussy Riot members in Sochi, host of theWinter Olympics,…
photo: AP / Dmitry Lovetsky

Iran nuclear talks start on a positive note

An Iranian technician works at the Uranium Conversion Facility just outside the city of Isfahan 255 miles (410 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007

Envoys from Iran and six world powers noted the positive negotiating atmosphere but kept expectations low as they started talks on Tuesday in Vienna on a comprehensive deal to end the stand-off over Tehran’s nuclear programme. “We had a…
photo: AP / Vahid Salemi

 

 

 

142 Cities In Brazil Are Now Rationing Water As Drought Goes Critical

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/19/2014 – 15:10

Did you know that the drought in Brazil is so bad that some neighborhoods are only being allowed to get water once every three days?  At this point, 142 Brazilian cities are rationing water and there does not appear to be much hope that this crippling drought is going to end any time soon.  Unfortunately, most Americans seem to be absolutely clueless about all of this. And this horrendous drought in Brazil could potentially have a huge impact on the total global food supply.  As a recent RT article detailed, Brazil is the leading exporter in the world in a number of very important food categories…

 

 

 

 

 

Fiery Maduro foe now fights from Venezuela jail

19 Feb 2014

 

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Moments before his dramatic arrest, opposition leaderLeopoldo Lopez told a sea of white-shirted supporters that he doesn’t fear years behind bars if that’s what it takes to open eyes to the damage done to Venezuela by 15 years of socialist rule. “If my jailing serves to awaken a people, serves to awaken Venezuela … then… 
Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez is flanked by Bolivarian National Guards after Lopez surrendered, in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb 18, 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Russia releases Pussy Riot members after questioning

A demonstrator attends a rally showing support for the Russian punk group Pussy Riot whose members face prison for a stunt against President Vladimir Putin, in St.Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2012.

Kremlin critics slammed the arrest of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and MariaAlyokhina as a public relations disaster for the Winter Games. Russian police on Tuesday released the two most famous Pussy Riot members in Sochi, host of theWinter Olympics,…
photo: AP / Dmitry Lovetsky

Iran nuclear talks start on a positive note

An Iranian technician works at the Uranium Conversion Facility just outside the city of Isfahan 255 miles (410 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007

Envoys from Iran and six world powers noted the positive negotiating atmosphere but kept expectations low as they started talks on Tuesday in Vienna on a comprehensive deal to end the stand-off over Tehran’s nuclear programme. “We had a…
photo: AP / Vahid Salemi

Scotland’s in the EU and can keep the pound

Scotland's in the EU and can keep the pound

The claim by the president of the European commission, José Manuel Barroso, that it would be “extremely difficult, if not impossible” for an independent Scotland to join the EU is utterly bizarre (Report, 17 February). His comparison with Kosovo to…
photo: Euro

Thailand Clashes Kill Four As PM Charged

Opposition Phue Thai party's Yingluck Shinawatra gives Thai traditional "wai" greeting after a press conference at the party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, July 3, 2011.

A police officer was among four people killed during gun battles as police cleared anti-government protesters who have blocked state buildings since November. The violence in Bangkok came as corruption charges were filed against Thai Prime…
photo: AP / Wason Wanichkorn

 

UK storms a result of climate change, say nearly half of poll respondents

A woman wades through a flooded street in Egham, England, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014. The River Thames has burst its banks after reaching its highest level in years, flooding riverside towns upstream of London.

Survey for Avaaz suggests support for Ed Miliband‘s call for action with only 27% denying climate change linked to floods Water being pumped out of flooded houses near the river Thames at Chertsey, Surrey, on Monday. Photograph: Amer…
photo: AP / Sang Tan

Barroso casts doubt on independent Scotland becoming an EU member

Barroso casts doubt on independent Scotland becoming an EU member

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said states breaking away from existing European Union countries would struggle to gain EU membership, further complicating Scottish nationalists‘ already uncertain plans for independence. Barroso…
photo: European Community / EC

Olympics divide Sochi’s indigenous tribes

Olympics divide Sochi's indigenous tribes

BOLSHOI KICHMAI, Russia — While Vladimir Putin and rich Olympic sponsors watch the Winter Games in gleaming arenas, boys in nearby Bolshoi Kichmai herd their goats by tying them to rickety bicycles, riding against the wind through a rocky…
photo: UN/UN

 

World powers, Iran start talks on lasting nuclear settlement

18 Feb 2014

 

VIENNA (Reuters) – Six world powers and Iran began talks in Vienna on Tuesday in pursuit of a final settlement on Tehran‘s disputed nuclear program in the coming months despite… 
Workers work in a part of the electricity generating plant of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010.

Scotland’s in the EU and can keep the pound

Scotland's in the EU and can keep the pound

The claim by the president of the European commission, José Manuel Barroso, that it would be “extremely difficult, if not impossible” for an independent Scotland to join the EU is utterly bizarre (Report, 17 February). His comparison with Kosovo to…
photo: European Community / EC

Thailand Clashes Kill Four As PM Charged

Opposition Phue Thai party's Yingluck Shinawatra gives Thai traditional "wai" greeting after a press conference at the party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, July 3, 2011.

A police officer was among four people killed during gun battles as police cleared anti-government protesters who have blocked state buildings since November. The violence in Bangkok came as corruption charges were filed against Thai Prime…
photo: AP / Wason Wanichkorn

UK storms a result of climate change, say nearly half of poll respondents

A woman wades through a flooded street in Egham, England, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014. The River Thames has burst its banks after reaching its highest level in years, flooding riverside towns upstream of London.

Survey for Avaaz suggests support for Ed Miliband‘s call for action with only 27% denying climate change linked to floods Water being pumped out of flooded houses near the river Thames at Chertsey, Surrey, on Monday. Photograph: Amer…
photo: AP / Sang Tan

 

Barroso casts doubt on independent Scotland becoming an EU member

Barroso casts doubt on independent Scotland becoming an EU member

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said states breaking away from existing European Union countries would struggle to gain EU membership, further complicating Scottish nationalists‘ already uncertain plans for independence. Barroso…
photo: European Community / EC

Olympics divide Sochi’s indigenous tribes

Olympics divide Sochi's indigenous tribes

BOLSHOI KICHMAI, Russia — While Vladimir Putin and rich Olympic sponsors watch the Winter Games in gleaming arenas, boys in nearby Bolshoi Kichmai herd their goats by tying them to rickety bicycles, riding against the wind through a rocky…
photo: UN/UN

Mediator apologises to Syrians for lack of peace progress

Mediator apologises to Syrians for lack of peace progress

International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi apologised to the Syrian people for the lack of progress at peace talks in Geneva after their second round ended on Saturday with little more than an agreement to meet again. As it became clear that the talks…
photo: UN / Jean-Marc Ferré

More U.S. soldiers forced out over misconduct

More U.S. soldiers forced out over misconduct

Army misconduct (AP) WASHINGTON — The number of U.S. soldiers forced out of the Army because of crimes or misconduct has soared in the past several years as the military emerges from a decade of war that put a greater focus on battle competence…
photo: US Army / David Devich

DEAR KIM JONG UN,
STOP KILLING AND TORTURING YOUR PEOPLE.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sincerely,
The United Nations

 

Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro expels three US officials amid protest tensions

17 Feb 2014

 

The Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has ordered the expulsion of three US Embassy officials after Washington came to the defence of an opposition hard-liner accused by the leader of responsibility for bloodshed during anti-government protests. Maduro didn’t identify the consular officials but charged that intelligence officials who tailed them… 
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a rally on Bolivar Avenue in downtown Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014.

 

 

Barroso casts doubt on independent Scotland becoming an EU member

Barroso casts doubt on independent Scotland becoming an EU member

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said states breaking away from existing European Union countries would struggle to gain EU membership, further complicating Scottish nationalists‘ already uncertain plans for independence. Barroso…
photo: European Community / EC

Mediator apologises to Syrians for lack of peace progress

International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi apologised to the Syrian people for the lack of progress at peace talks in Geneva after their second round ended on Saturday with little more than an agreement to meet again. As it became clear that the talks…
photo: UN / Jean-Marc Ferré

More U.S. soldiers forced out over misconduct

More U.S. soldiers forced out over misconduct

Army misconduct (AP) WASHINGTON — The number of U.S. soldiers forced out of the Army because of crimes or misconduct has soared in the past several years as the military emerges from a decade of war that put a greater focus on battle competence…
photo: US Army / David Devich

Military ethics lapses are linked to lower standards, push for more troops

Military ethics lapses are linked to lower standards, push for more troops

WASHINGTON • The number of U.S. soldiers forced out of the Army because of crimes or misconduct has soared in the past several years as the military emerges from a decade of war that put a greater focus on battle competence than on character. Data…
photo: US DoD / Public Domain

Travel agents report strong early bookings this season

Travel agents report strong early bookings this season

PUNE: After a slow travel season last year, bookings for summer vacations have started much earlier this time, with many travellers making a beeline for long-haul destinations such as South Africa, Canada, Australia and Europe and even South America….
photo: WN / Marzena J.

U.S. military intervention, done right, could boost African stability

U.S. military intervention, done right, could boost African stability
For decades, one golden rule has guided America‘s military involvement in Africa:Stay out. Generally speaking, the reason was a sense that the strategic stakes did not justify the risk. When we deviated from this rule, we often learned lessons the…
photo: UN / Marco Dormino

 

Geneva-II concludes without tangible results

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,right, and U.N. envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, center, shake hands as they meet in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.

Geneva, February 15: The Geneva-II international conference on Syria concluded Saturday without achieving tangible results, Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN-Arab Leaguejoint envoy to Syria, said. Brahimi said a proposed agenda for the next round of talks was…
photo: AP / Ivan Sekretarev

 

 

 

 

 

200 MINERS TRAPPED UNDERGROUND

 

 

 

 

Morsi faces spying charges as third trial to begin

16 Feb 2014

 

CAIRO : Deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi was Sunday facing charges of espionage and carrying out “terror attacks” in Egypt, as a third trial against him was due to get under way. The latest court case is part of a relentless government crackdown targeting Morsi and his Islamist supporters since he was ousted by the military on… 
Morsi faces spying charges as third trial to begin

 

 

 

 

 

Mediator apologises to Syrians for lack of peace progress

Mediator apologises to Syrians for lack of peace progress

International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi apologised to the Syrian people for the lack of progress at peace talks in Geneva after their second round ended on Saturday with little more than an agreement to meet again. As it became clear that the talks…
photo: UN / Jean-Marc Ferré

More U.S. soldiers forced out over misconduct

More U.S. soldiers forced out over misconduct

Army misconduct (AP) WASHINGTON — The number of U.S. soldiers forced out of the Army because of crimes or misconduct has soared in the past several years as the military emerges from a decade of war that put a greater focus on battle competence…
photo: US Army / David Devich

Military ethics lapses are linked to lower standards, push for more troops

Military ethics lapses are linked to lower standards, push for more troops

WASHINGTON • The number of U.S. soldiers forced out of the Army because of crimes or misconduct has soared in the past several years as the military emerges from a decade of war that put a greater focus on battle competence than on character. Data…
photo: US DoD / Public Domain

 

U.S. military intervention, done right, could boost African stability

U.S. military intervention, done right, could boost African stability

For decades, one golden rule has guided America‘s military involvement in Africa:Stay out. Generally speaking, the reason was a sense that the strategic stakes did not justify the risk. When we deviated from this rule, we often learned lessons the…
photo: UN / Marco Dormino

 

 

 

 More storms batter Britain

15 Feb 2014

 

LONDON (Reuters) – Two people were killed and 32 people were rescued from a seaside restaurant on Friday as storms and strong winds battered Britain, adding more misery to areas already hit by widespread flooding and transport chaos. Gales of up to 80 miles per hour and heavy rain lashed southern England and Wales overnight, Britain’s Met Office… 
A man wades through a flooded road at Runnymede, England, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014.

Geneva-II concludes without tangible results

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,right, and U.N. envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, center, shake hands as they meet in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012.

Geneva, February 15: The Geneva-II international conference on Syria concluded Saturday without achieving tangible results, Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN-Arab Leaguejoint envoy to Syria, said. Brahimi said a proposed agenda for the next round of talks was…
photo: AP / Ivan Sekretarev

Napolitano consults with parties on new govt

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano arrives for a meeting with German President Joachim Gauck at Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. Napolitano is visiting Germany and was due to meet with Social Democratic chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrueck, but Steinbrueck spokesman Michael Donnermeyer said Napolitano called off the meeting because of the "clown" comments of Merkel's challenger.

ROME (AP) â?? Italy‘s president is consulting with political party leaders to determine if Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi has enough support to form a new government. Giorgio Napolitano was in the second day…
photo: AP / Markus Schreiber

Bahrain policeman dies after bomb blast

A Bahraini anti-government protester throws a stone toward riot police firing tear gas during clashes in Dih, on the edge of the capital of Manama, Bahrain, Friday, Feb. 14, 2014.

Bahraini authorities said that a policeman has died of wounds he suffered in a bomb blast during protests marking the third anniversary of the kingdom’s anti-government uprising. A “terrorist explosion” struck in the Shia village of Dair outside the…
photo: AP / Hasan Jamali

Taliban: US will meet same fate as Soviets

Taliban: US will meet same fate as Soviets

Kabul – The Taliban called on Afghans to expel the United States from Afghanistanon Saturday just as they said Afghan mujahideen fighters had done to Soviet forces25 years ago to the day. In a statement issued on the 25th anniversary of the final…
photo: USMC / Zachery B. Martin

Mars ‘jelly doughnut’ mystery finally solved

This image from the panoramic camera (Pancam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows before and after images of the Pinnacle Island that has been likened to a jelly doughnut.

Where did the infamous rock that seemed to appear out of nowhere on Mars come from? The explanation, it turns out, is more simple than sci-fi. by This before-and-after pair of images of the same patch of ground 13 days apart documents the arrival of…
photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ.

Officials: Uganda’s leader to sign anti-gay bill

Yoweri Museveni portrait 080701-F-1644L-062

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni plans to sign a bill into law that prescribes life imprisonment for some homosexual acts, officials said Friday, alarming rights activists who have condemned the bill as draconian in a country where homosexuality…
photo: Public Domain / TSgt. Jeremy T. Lock

The World’s Best (Unaltered) Photos

African migrants on the shore of Djibouti city at night, raising their phones in an attempt to capture an inexpensive signal from neighboring Somalia—a tenuous link to relatives abroad.

In order to view this feature, you must download the latest version of flash player here. In a striking departure from past years, the World Press Photo top prize was given not for a hard-news image, but was awarded to John Stanmeyer for a photo of…
photo: World Press Photo / John Stanmeyer

 

 

 

 

Indonesia volcano eruption sparks mass evacuation

14 Feb 2014

 

Ash cloud from Java island‘s Mount Kelud forces 100,000 people to flee their homes and international airports to close Villagers covering their faces from volcanic ash after Mount Kelud’s eruption: two people were killed overnight from falling debris. Photograph: Hafidz Novalsyah/AP A major volcanic eruption inIndonesia has shrouded a large swath… 
A women walks on a road covered with volcanic ash following an eruption of Mount Kelud, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Feb 14, 2014.

 

Indonesia volcano erupts; 2 killed, 100,000 evacuated

Mount Kelut or Mount Kelud (Gunung Kelud) is a volcano located on the island of Java in Indonesia

SUGIHWARAS, Indonesia (Updated) — An explosive volcanic eruption on Indonesia’s most populous island blasted ash and debris 18 kilometers (12 miles) into the air Friday, killing two people while forcing authorities to evacuate more than 100,000and…
photo: USGS

Valentine’s Day ‘a threat to Muslim values’

An Indonesian woman looks over Valentine's Day gifts Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Although, it doesn't enjoy quite the same popularity as in the united States, Valentine's Day sends partners scurrying for last minute gifts for their loved ones.

Malaysian authorities have said Valentine’s Day is a threat to Muslim values in their annual swipe at the February 14 occasion, which was marked with a mass wedding involving 138 couples. In its official Friday sermon text distributed to mosques in…
photo: AP / Tatan Syufla

100,000 displaced as volcano erupts in Indonesia

100,000 displaced as volcano erupts in Indonesia

A volcano has erupted on the heavily populated Indonesian island of Java, sending a huge plume of ash and sand 17km (10 miles) into the air and forcing the displacement today of more than 100,000 people and closure of five airports.Indonesia’s…
photo: AP / Irwin Fedriansyah

Snow wallops a second punch for US East Coast

Snow wallops a second punch for US East Coast

Tweet Washington, Feb 14 (IANS) Walloping a second punch, snow returned to theAmerican capital even as Washingtonians were digging out of the worst storm in four years that spread heavy snow and sleet along America‘s East Coast. About 1.2million…
photo: WN / Janice Sabnal

A Christian-Muslim crisis of faith in Africa

A Muslim man walks past a church gate decorated with paintings of Jesus Christ in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday April 10, 2005. Winding its way across Africa is an invisible faultline between a mainly Muslim north and a majority Christian south. Across this fro

The last time the world watched Christians…
photo: AP Photo

Afghanistan frees detainees U.S. sees as ‘dangerous’

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai, center, greets the guards of honor as he arrives to the Presidential Palace for his inauguration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009

Afghan authorities released 65 detainees from a detention facility Thursday in direct defiance of protests from the United States, which said the men were connected to the killing of Afghan civilians and coalition forces. The U.S. command says more…
photo: AP / Anja Niedringhaus

Italian PM announces resignation in 24 hours

Italian Premier Enrico Letta delivers his speech ahead of a second confidence vote to confirm the government, in the Italian Senate in Rome, Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

Tweet Rome, Feb 14 (IANS) Italy‘s Prime Minister Enrico Letta announced Thursday that he would resign in the next 24 hours, after his own Democratic Party (PD) and major force in the ruling coalition asked for a new cabinet to be formed. The…
photo: AP / Alessandra Tarantino

 

 

 

 

Ethnic cleansing’ underway in Central African Republic, say Amnesty

12 Feb 2014

 

“Ethnic cleansing” is being carried out against Muslim civilians in the Central African Republic, with international peacekeepers unable to prevent it, Amnesty International said on Wednesday. The rights group said it had documented at least 200 killings of Muslim civilians by Christian militia groups known as the anti-balaka, set up in the wake of… 
File - Due to a severe water shortage at the camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the UN Mission for South Sudan's (UNMISS) Malakal Base, women walk in groups to fetch water from the Nile River, located approximately three kilometres from camp, 24 January, 2014.

Algeria Plane Crash: Lone Survivor As 102 Killed

People look at the wreckage of Algerian military transport plane after it slammed into a mountain in the country’s rugged eastern region, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014

A sole survivor has been found after a military transport plane with 103 people on board crashed in Algeria‘s rugged eastern region. The C-130 Hercules was carrying 99 passengers – soldiers and their families – and four…
photo: AP / Mohamed Ali

At Least 1 Survivor Emerges From Algeria Military Plane Crash

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika speaks at the Supreme Court in Algiers, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008. Algeria's president, 72, who led his oil-rich and gas-rich North African nation out of a bloody Islamic insurgency, started clearing the way Wednesday to give himself a third term in office, announcing plans to abolish limits that would have prevented his re-election.

Algiers – One survivor has been found in the wreckage of a military plane that crashed in eastern Algeria on Tuesday, a military source said. “One survivor was found and 52 confirmed dead,” Algeria`s official news agency reported. A military source…
photo: AP

Palestinian Official Says ‘Armed Resistance’ an Option If Peace Talks Fail

A Palestinian demonstrator flashes the victory sign before throwing a stone toward Palestinian security forces, unseen, during a protest against the high cost of living in the West Bank city of Hebron, Monday, Sept. 10, 2012.

The Palestinian official who headed Yasser Arafat’s security force at the start of theSecond Intifada is warning that armed conflict may well follow the failure of current peace talks with Israel. “They should expect a reaction,” Jibril Rajoub tells…
photo: AP / Bernat Armangue

Amid Test Launches, Iran Touts Multi-Warhead Missile Capacity

FILE - An Iranian flag flutters in this image released Wednesday Nov. 12, 2008 taken at an undisclosed location in Iran, that shows a missile prior to a test firing by Iranian armed forces.

Iran on Monday said it “successfully” vetted two new missiles, including one with a multiple-warhead capacity typically associated with nuclear payloads. Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan described the weapon as part of a “new…
photo: AP / Fars News Agency, Vahid Reza Alaei

Iran celebrates 35th anniversary of Islamic Revolution

Thousands of supporters of presidential candidate of Iran, Mir Hussein Musavi gathered together in Tehran,Azadi square showing their support

Iran President Hassan Rouhani: “Iran’s foreign policy, based on national interests, is independent from any groups and parties”. TEHRAN – Iran is not afraid of sanctions, and all threats against Iran are childish and trivial was the message from…
photo: Creative Commons / Tajally

Barclays Announces Up To 12,000 Job Cuts

Customers wait outside a retail branch of Barclays Bank for the bank to open in London, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013.

LONDON – The British lender Barclays said on Tuesday that it would cut up to 12,000 jobs over the course of 2014 as part of its continued restructuring, and it reported a loss in the fourth quarter. The bank, which is cutting about 7,000 jobs in…
photo: AP / Alastair Grant

 

 

 

France in Central Africa : The reluctant interventionist

11 Feb 2014

 

Two months after the beginning of military operation of French troops in theCentral African Republic, it is time to debunk a few myths. France‘s military intervention has raised eyebrows, both in and outside France, for reasons which, interestingly, are opposite. On the one hand, some African elites are, as usual, suspicious of France’s… 
French forces grab a man looting a mosque before chasing him away in the Miskin district of Bangui, Central African Republic, Monday Feb. 3, 2014.

 

NASA finds clues to possible water flows on Mars

This artist's rendering released March 8, 2006 by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter near Mars. The NASA spacecraft successfully slipped into orbit around Mars Friday, March 10, 2006, joining a trio of orbiters already circling the Red Planet after a critical firing of its engines

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) — U.S. space agency NASA said Monday its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Odyssey orbiter have sent back clues that liquid water may still exist today on the Red Planet. The spacecraft spotted “dark, finger-like markings”…
photo: AP / NASA/JPL

French President’s Visit To U.S. To Highlight Security Cooperation, Free Trade

US President Barack Obama (R) meets with French President Francois Hollande following their bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 18, 2012 in advance of the G8 and NATO Summits.

Washington DC – French President Francois Hollande will kick off an official state visit to the United States on Monday – the first by a French leader in nearly two decades. Hollande will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at Andrews Air Force…
photo: AP / AFP PHOTO/POOL/ERIC FEFERBERG

Pakistan Taliban readies 500 female suicide bombers, negotiator says

Palestinians women attend during a rally calling on Egyptian authorities to open the Rafah border crossing, outside the crossing in the southern Gaza Strip on September 17, 2013

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Pakistani Taliban has as many as 500 female suicide bombers ready to act, a representative of the group involved in peace negotiations said, underscoring the risk of further violence if talks fail. The Tehrik-e-Taliban…
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb

European Media Thinks That Beyoncé and President Obama Are Having an Affair

President Barack Obama holds a National Security Council meeting in the Situation Room of the White House, April 5, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Sacre Bleu! French newspaper Le Figaro is reporting that Beyoncé and President Barack Obama are carrying out a love affair. Yes, you read that correctly. PascalRostain, a French photographer, told the publication that “there is something…
photo: White House / Pete Souza

Ancient star helps scientists understand universe’s origins

The SkyMapper telescope at Siding Spring Observatory and the 2.3 m telescope in the background.

SYDNEY: Australian astronomers have found the oldest known star in the universe, a discovery that may help to resolve a long-standing discrepancy between observations and predictions of the Big Bang billions of years ago. Dr Stefan Keller, lead…
photo: Creative Commons / Iridia

Syria’s warring sides brace for fresh peace talks

Syria's warring sides brace for fresh peace talks

GENEVA: Syria‘s warring sides headed on Monday into a new round of UN-brokered peace talks, 10 days after a debut session managed little beyond a pledge on evacuating civilians from the besieged city of Homs. After government and opposition delegates…
photo: Creative Commons / Pereslavtsev

North Korea again withdraws invitation for US official to visit Kenneth Bae

File - A North Korean soldier stands watch on the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone as U.S. Sailors assigned to the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group tour the DMZ in Panmunjom, South Korea, July 17, 2008.

Further stumbling block to release of Bae, US missionary who has been held for more than a year in the North Kenneth Bae is brought before the media inPyongyang last month. Photograph: Kyodo/Reuters North Korea has rescinded an invitation for a…
photo: US Navy / MCCS Spike Call

 

 

 

 

Bosnia unrest: Bruised and bitter in Sarajevo

10 Feb 2014

 

Anyone thinking Bosnia‘s protests were strictly a matter of disenchanted youth might have changed their mind after a Sunday in Sarajevo. Flashes of white hair dotted the crowd which gathered in front of Bosnia’s smoke-blackened presidency building at noon. Some of these senior participants said they wanted to make sure the budding protest… 

Bosnian woman protest in front of a police cordon in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014.

 

 

Ancient star helps scientists understand universe’s origins

The SkyMapper telescope at Siding Spring Observatory and the 2.3 m telescope in the background.

SYDNEY: Australian astronomers have found the oldest known star in the universe, a discovery that may help to resolve a long-standing discrepancy between observations and predictions of the Big Bang billions of years ago. Dr Stefan Keller, lead…
photo: Creative Commons / Iridia

Syria’s warring sides brace for fresh peace talks

Syria's warring sides brace for fresh peace talks

GENEVA: Syria‘s warring sides headed on Monday into a new round of UN-brokered peace talks, 10 days after a debut session managed little beyond a pledge on evacuating civilians from the besieged city of Homs. After government and opposition delegates…
photo: Creative Commons / Pereslavtsev

North Korea again withdraws invitation for US official to visit Kenneth Bae

File - A North Korean soldier stands watch on the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone as U.S. Sailors assigned to the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group tour the DMZ in Panmunjom, South Korea, July 17, 2008.

Further stumbling block to release of Bae, US missionary who has been held for more than a year in the North Kenneth Bae is brought before the media inPyongyang last month. Photograph: Kyodo/Reuters North Korea has rescinded an invitation for a…
photo: US Navy / MCCS Spike Call

Cooler Pacific is causing global warming ‘pause’

Tahuna maru islet, Raroia, where landed Kon-Tki expedition in 1947.

The global warming “pause” which some climate sceptics have taken as evidence that climate change is a myth could in fact be explained by a dramatic increase in the amount of heat being taken out of the atmosphere by the Pacific Ocean, a study has…
photo: Creative Commons / Pascal Guiraudou

Taliban airs Kabul CIA office attack video

In this photo taken, Nov. 2, 2010, a veteran member of the Taliban smokes a cigarette as he speaks to The Associated Press in Afghanistan, Nov 2, 2010. The longtime member said scribbled notes from Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar have surfaced in mosques all over Afghanistan's ethnic Pashtun heartland, threatening death to anyone who takes up a government offer to negotiate for peace. Trying to quash rumors of a break in their ranks, the Taliban have also vehemently denied reports _ including one by The Associated Press _ that representatives of the militant group were involved in negotiations with the Afghan government. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

The Taliban has released a video, which appears to show the planning and execution of an attack on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) compound inAfghanistan last June. The video, which Al Jazeera obtained and aired on Sunday,…
photo: AP / Rodrigo Abd

U.S. aid plan seeks to shield Afghanistan from end to war economy

U.S. aid plan seeks to shield Afghanistan from end to war economy

By Missy Ryan KABUL (Reuters) – The Obama administration will unveil on Monday a package of aid initiatives it hopes will help Afghanistan, still one of the world’s poorest countries after a dozen years of massive international aid efforts,…
photo: US Army / Eric Provost

Afghanistan   Economy   Photos   US Defence   Wikipedia: Afghanistan

War prepared them to save lives in Jacksonville

On a dusty road in the middle of nowhere, Afghanistan, an IED explodes under aU.S. Humvee. It’s an ambush: rocket-propelled grenades, rifle and machine-gun fire rain down from the nearby hills. U.S. troops fight off the attack, but several are…
photo: USMC / Zachery B. Martin

 

 

 

 

 

UN: More children dying in violence

09 Feb 2014

 

KABUL (AP): The number of children killed and wounded in Afghanistan‘s war jumped by 34 per cent last year as the Taliban stepped up attacks across the country and continued to lay thousands of roadside bombs, the United Nationssaid yesterday. Overall civilian casualties were up by 14 per cent, reversing 2012‘s downward trend and making 2013 one… 
UN: More children dying in violence

 

 

 

U.S. aid plan seeks to shield Afghanistan from end to war economy

U.S. aid plan seeks to shield Afghanistan from end to war economy

By Missy Ryan KABUL (Reuters) – The Obama administration will unveil on Monday a package of aid initiatives it hopes will help Afghanistan, still one of the world’s poorest countries after a dozen years of massive international aid efforts,…
photo: US Army / Eric Provost

War prepared them to save lives in Jacksonville

War prepared them to save lives in Jacksonville

On a dusty road in the middle of nowhere, Afghanistan, an IED explodes under aU.S. Humvee. It’s an ambush: rocket-propelled grenades, rifle and machine-gun fire rain down from the nearby hills. U.S. troops fight off the attack, but several are…
photo: USMC / Zachery B. Martin

Tokyo has heaviest snowfall in decades

Tokyo has heaviest snowfall in decades

Yokohama: The snowfall was the heaviest in the capital for 45 years Photo: APTokyo: The heaviest snow in decades in Tokyo and other areas of Japan has left at least five dead and 600 injured across the country. As much as 27 centimetres of snow…
photo: WN / Imran Nissar

Scotland Yard officers arrested over porn images

A view of New Scotland Yard, the headquarters building of the Metropolitan Police, with its sign in London, Monday, Dec. 20, 2010.

London, February 08: Three Scotland Yard officers part of the British Prime Minister‘s security at his Downing Street residence here have been arrested for exchanging “extreme” pornography on their smartphones. The Metropolitan Policesaid the three…
photo: AP / Akira Suemori

Taliban says dog it seized is well

Taliban says dog it seized is well

KABUL — A military dog captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan two months ago is in good health and being fed a diet of kebabs, his captors say. The fate of the dog became the subject of widespread speculation after the Taliban posted an Internet…
photo: USMC / Zachery B. Martin

N. Korea transfers American from hospital to labor camp

A South Korean man watches a television news program showing Korean American Kenneth Bae at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 2, 2013.

Kenneth Bae, a Korean American tour guide and evangelist imprisoned in North Korea for more than a year, has been transferred from a hospital to a labor camp, the U.S. State Department said Friday. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki…
photo: AP / Ahn Young-joon

Two Dead After Train Derails In French Alps

View of Alps from Brig Train station. The Shanghai South Railway Station, opened in June 2006, has the world's largest circular transparent roof

PARIS (AP) — Officials say an enormous boulder has smashed into a tourist train, derailing it and killing two people. The train derailed Saturday morning outside theFrench town of Annot, and Mayor Jean Ballester told BFM television that “there…
photo: Creative Commons / Photnart

 

 

 

Japan snowfall disrupts air, rail and road transport

08 Feb 2014

 

A severe snow storm warning has been issued in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, with residents urged to stay indoors. Correspondents say it is the… 

A security guard shoves snow from the street in Yokohama, Japan, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued the first heavy snowfall warning for central Tokyo in 13 years. Some 20-centimeter (7.9-inch) of snowfall is expected by Sunday morning in the metropolitan areas.

 

Salvadoran sea survivor still too frail to go home

OMELEK ISLAND, Republic of the Marshall Islands (Oct. 25, 2012) A Patroit missile is fired from Omelek Island.

The Salvadoran man who says he spent more than a year drifting across the Pacific Ocean before making landfall in the Marshall Islands is still too weak to travel and will remain in the island nation for a while longer, an official said…
photo: Public Domain / Official Navy Page

Two dead, 89 injured as heavy snow hits Japan: Reports

Security personnel make sure drivers exercise caution on both on board Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, after a snow storm hit the area.

Tokyo: Heavy snow and severe weather struck Tokyo and other areas across Japanon Saturday, leaving two dead and around 90 injured, reports said. More than 600 flights were grounded as the weather agency issued a severe storm warning for the capital….
photo: US Navy / Photographer’s Mate Third Class John E. Woods

IAEA officials arrive in Iran for cooperation talks

Fereidoun Abbasi Davani, Iran's Vice President and Head of Atomic Energy Organization delivers a speech at the general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, at the International Center, in Vienna, Austria, Monday, Sept. 17, 2012.

ITEHRAN, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) — Officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) have arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials on bilateral cooperation, Press TV reported on Saturday….
photo: AP / Ronal

Spain princess testifies in historic fraud probe

Spain's Crown Prince Felipe, left, Spain's King Juan Carlos, center left, Princess Letizia and Queen Sofia, right, attend a military parade, during the holiday known as Dia de la Hispanidad, Spain's National Day, in Madrid, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012.

A Spanish princess headed into court Saturday for a historic judicial hearing to help determine whether she and her husband illegally used company funds for personal expenses, including lavish parties at their modernist Barcelona mansion.Princess…
photo: AP / Daniel Ochoa de Olza

UN: Afghan Civilian Deaths Up In 2013

Afghanistan's flag is seen, top right, as Afghan soldiers stand attention during a hand over ceremony of U.S.- run prison to Afghan government in Bagram north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Sept. 10, 2012.

VOA News The United Nations says the war in Afghanistan has taken an increasing toll on civilians, making last year one of the deadliest for Afghan civilians in the 12-year war. A report released Saturday by the U.N. Assistance…
photo: AP / Musadeq Sadeq

NSA collects less than 30 percent of U.S. call data, officials say

National Security Agency Director Gen. Keith Alexander testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013, before the Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. U.S. intelligence officials say the government shutdown is seriously damaging the intelligence community’s ability to guard against threats.

WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency is collecting less than 30 percent of all Americans‘ call records because of an inability to keep pace with the explosion in cellphone use, according to current and former U.S. officials. The disclosure…
photo: AP / Evan Vucci

 

 

 

 

Sochi 2014 begins with teams, classical music and a flying girl

By Faith Karimi and Michael Martinez
February 7, 2014
Fireworks explode over Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia, as the Olympic cauldron is lit during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Games on Friday, February 7.
Fireworks explode over Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia, as the Olympic cauldron is lit during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Games on Friday, February 7.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: Suspect reportedly in custody in Turkey after jet bomb threat, desire to fly to Sochi
  • Opening began with a girl, rigged with wires, flying over floats depicting Russian landscapes
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin attended
  • Putin pushed for the International Olympic Committee to hold the Games in the nation

(CNN) — With lights, floats and flying, Russia kicked off the opening ceremony in Sochi as the world turns its attention to the costliest Olympic Games in history.

Spectators from all over the world watched the introduction of athletes that marked the official start of the Winter Olympics.

Light shows and music, lots of it, filled the air, starting at exactly 8:14 p.m. local time, or 20:14 in military time.

“Most of the ceremony focuses heavily on Russian classical music,” said Konstantin Ernst, the main creative producer of the ceremony.

“Unfortunately, unlike London, we cannot boast a plethora of famous world-known pop performers. This is why we are now focusing on what Russia is best known for musically around the world; namely, classical music.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Syria crisis: UN poised for Homs humanitarian operation

07 Feb 2014

 

A pause in fighting to evacuate hundreds of civilians from besieged areas of the city of Homs in Syria is expected to begin on Friday. The ceasefire should also allow long-awaited aid into the worst hit areas. The UN welcomed reports that a “humanitarian pause” had been agreed with Syrian authorities. Rebels are also expected to back the… 


This Monday, July 15, 2013, file image taken from leaked video obtained by Ugarit News, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, purports to show a fireball from an explosion at a weapons depot set off by rocket attacks that struck government-held districts in the central Syrian city of Homs.

 

Taliban Show Video Of Captured U.S. War Dog

A military working dog wears Doggles to protect his eyes as a Chinook helicopter takes off, kicking up dust and debris, during an air assault operation by U.S. soldiers assigned to Alpha Troop,

The Taliban have released a video of what they claim is a captured U.S. military dog named “Colonel”. The video appeared on the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” Web site. A related Twitter account said that the dog was captured after a December 23rd…
photo: Public Domain / Sgt. Jason Brace

Peace talks start between Pakistan, Taliban team

Qatari Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali bin Fahd al-Hajri, right, and Muhammad Naeem a representative of the Taliban attend a press conference

Peace talks between the Pakistani government and representatives of the Taliban began on Thursday after a short delay, the first test for the government’s controversial initiative of seeking a peaceful resolution to the country’s bloody insurgency,…
photo: AP / Osama Faisal

Iraq illegally detaining women: report

Iraqi women chant anti-government slogans during a demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011. Around 200 people rallied against the lack public services, rampant corruption and a scarcity of government jobs. The protests follow a similar rally a day earlier in Baghdad. The banners in Arabic reads, "we demand the offering of basic services and jobs" and "we are people who do not beg but demand our minimum rights."

Iraqi authorities are detaining thousands of women illegally and subjecting many to torture and ill-treatment, including the threat of sexual abuse, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report published yesterday. Many women were detained for months or…
photo: AP / Hadi Mizban

If Leaders Fail, People Will Lead – Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan, left, the United Nations and Arab League envoy to Syria, arrives at the Great Hall of the People for talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, unseen, in Beijing, China, Tuesday, March 27, 2012.

When leaders fail to lead, people take charge and leaders then have to follow, saysKofi Annan, former UN Secretary General and Nobel laureate. In an exclusive interview to TOI, Annan expresses optimism that slowly and steadily, the world is gearing…
photo: AP / Ng Han Guan

Tunisia marks anniversary of Belaid murder

A tunisian woman wrapped in her national flag makes her way through tombs while attending the funeral of slain opposition leader Chokri Belaid at el Jallez cemetery near Tunis, Friday Feb. 8, 2013.

Tunis – Tunisians on Thursday marked 12 turbulent months since the assassination of opposition politician Chokri Belaid, with his family still demanding to know what happened despite the alleged assassin being shot dead this week. The charismatic…
photo: AP / Amine Landoulsi

US Official to China: Clarify or Adjust South China Sea Claims

NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN (July 22, 2003)--The Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis (WHEC 725) alongside Zhong Guo Yu Zheng 118 (Chinese Fisheries law Enforcement Vessel). The United States and Chinese officials have been working together to find and stop fishermen who use environmentally destructive fishing nets. U.S. COAST GUARD PHOTO (91377) ( COAST GUARD CUTTER JARVIS AND FISHERIES (FOR RELEASE) )

VOA News The United States‘ top diplomat on East Asia has suggested China‘s wide-ranging territorial claims in the South China Sea do not comply with international law and should be clarified or adjusted. China claims nearly the entire…
photo: US Coastguard

Iraq illegally detains thousands of women, tortures many-HRW

Full ArticleReuters 

06 Feb 2014

 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi authorities are detaining thousands of women illegally and subjecting many to torture and ill-treatment, including the threat of sexual abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report published on Thursday. Many women were detained for months or even years without charge before seeing a judge, HRWsaid, and security forces… 
File - An Iraqi soldier talks with local women during a patrol in the Graya’at area of Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District.

 

 

 

 

US Official to China: Clarify or Adjust South China Sea Claims

NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN (July 22, 2003)--The Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis (WHEC 725) alongside Zhong Guo Yu Zheng 118 (Chinese Fisheries law Enforcement Vessel). The United States and Chinese officials have been working together to find and stop fishermen who use environmentally destructive fishing nets. U.S. COAST GUARD PHOTO (91377) ( COAST GUARD CUTTER JARVIS AND FISHERIES (FOR RELEASE) )

VOA News The United States‘ top diplomat on East Asia has suggested China‘s wide-ranging territorial claims in the South China Sea do not comply with international law and should be clarified or adjusted. China claims nearly the entire…
photo: US Coastguard

Wall Street ends lower

Traders and Specialists observe the monitors on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange Friday, April 9, 2010, in New York

New York – US stocks slipped on Wednesday as technical support offset the latest batch of mixed data, which failed to lift sentiment after a string of soft economic indicators earlier in the week. In a volatile trading session, the benchmarkStandard…
photo: AP / David Karp

Risk of Depression May Rise With Too Much or Too Little Sleep

Man - Sleep - Snoring

Wed Feb 05 16:00:00 EST 2014 Comments SHARE By Robert Preidt, HealthDayReporter WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Too much or too little sleep can increase the risk of depression, according to two new studies. Inappropriate amounts of…
photo: WN / Yolanda Leyba

Military spending: Balance tipping towards China

File - Taiwanese military soldiers stand guard near a 240 mm Howitzer gun during an exercise on the eve of the 53rd anniversary of a massive bombing campaign on Taiwan's Kinmen island, Monday, Aug. 22, 2011.

It is tempting to see statistics for overall defence spending as providing an image of sorts of the ranking of the major military players around the world. So this year’s edition of the annual reference book – The Military Balance – published by…
photo: AP / Wally Santana

 

Special Report: Areva and Niger’s uranium fight

The reactor core of the KKG with the characteristic ?erenkov radiation. The KKG possess a pressurized water reactor delivered by the German Kraftwerk Union AG, a then subsidiary of Siemens AG and now part of Areva NP.

ARLIT, Niger/PARIS (Reuters) – When France began mining uranium ore in the desert of northern Niger in the early 1970s, Arlit was a cluster of miners’ huts stranded between the sun-blasted rocks of the Air mountains and the sands of the Sahara. The…
photo: Creative Commons / Celuca

Morgan Stanley to pay $1.25 bn in mortgage settlement

Morgan Stanley Headquarters

NEW YORK: US banking giant Morgan Stanley said it agreed to pay USD 1.25…
photo: Creative Commons / Alex Proimos

Six killed in Rio as police move in before World Cup

This May 30, 2011, file photo, shows an aerial view of the Maracana stadium during its renovation ahead of the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro: Police launched a major operation in Rio’s favelas, leaving six people dead and four wounded with the World Cup just four months away. Police moved into five favelas after a policewoman was shot to death in an attack on a…
photo: AP / Felipe Dana

Scientists talk of ‘pandemic potential’ after first confirmed human death from new strain of bird flu

Full ArticleThe Independent 

05 Feb 2014

 

Chinese scientists have said the “pandemic potential” of a new strain of bird flu “should not be underestimated” after the first known human infection resulted in the death of an elderly woman. The new strain is a variant of a virus known as H10N8, which scientists believe may have originated in wild birds, and later spread to poultry. The victim,… 
File - Caged chickens at a poultry farm in the Philippines. A new strain of bird flu could cause a pandemic according to scientists.

 

 

 

 

 

UN decries child abuse in Syria

05 Feb 2014

 

The United Nations has accused both sides to the Syria conflict of grave violations against children. Children caught in the Syrian war are being recruited as child soldiers, used as human shields, and tortured, according to a new UN report. The report, released on Tuesday, found that in the early stages of the nearly three-year… 


UN decries child abuse in Syria

 

 

Morgan Stanley to pay $1.25 bn in mortgage settlement

Morgan Stanley Headquarters

NEW YORK: US banking giant Morgan Stanley said it agreed to pay USD 1.25…
photo: Creative Commons / Alex Proimos

Six killed in Rio as police move in before World Cup

This May 30, 2011, file photo, shows an aerial view of the Maracana stadium during its renovation ahead of the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro: Police launched a major operation in Rio’s favelas, leaving six people dead and four wounded with the World Cup just four months away. Police moved into five favelas after a policewoman was shot to death in an attack on a…
photo: AP / Felipe Dana

Mandela left money to wife, staff, schools and ANC

In this image taken from video, South African President Jacob Zuma, centre left, sits with the ailing anti-apartheid icon Nelson Madela, centre right, is filmed Monday April 29, 2013, with unidentified members of his family and his medical team as they pose together more than three weeks after Mandela was released from hospital. Mandela was treated in hospital for a recurring lung infection.

Former South African president Nelson Mandela’s estate, worth about US$4.1 million, will be shared between his family, members of his staff, schools that he attended and the African National Congress (ANC), the movement that fought white rule and now…
photo: AP / SABC TV

Syria stalls as chemical weapons deadline looms

04 Feb 2014

 

The deadline is looming for Syria‘s President Bashar al-Assad to sacrifice his complete chemical arsenal – and it looks increasingly likely he will miss it. One thousand three hundred tonnes of chemicals are supposed to be shipped out of the country by 5 February, but it is another deadline that will slip by with no significant movement on the… 
File - An advance team of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations arrives in Damascus, Syria, four days after the OPCW Executive Council and the UN Security Council unanimously endorsed a plan to begin the process of overseeing the destruction of the country’s chemical weapons programme, 1 October, 2013.

 

 

Microsoft, Twitter, Google and Facebook reach agreement with NSA

Headquarters of the NSA at Fort Meade, Maryland.

In an agreement with the NSA, the tech giants Microsoft, Twitter, Google and Facebook all released data to authorities every six months as a result of secret court orders according to their disclosure for the first time on Monday, reports the…
photo: Creative Commons

Indian-American doctors pitch for Dr Vivek Murthy’s confirmation

Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy, who President Barack Obama is nominating as the nation's next surgeon general

WASHINGTON: An influential group of Indian-American doctors has campaigned at the Capitol Hill for Dr Vivek Murthy, who has been nominated by President Barack Obama for the post of Surgeon General of the United States. On the eve of his confirmation…
photo: AP / Meredith Nierman

Bill Clinton chosen as most forgivable liar

Bill Clinton chosen as most forgivable liar

Tweet Washington, Feb 4 (ANI): Americans have chosen Bill Clinton as the most forgivable liar amongst other public figures who…
photo: Creative Commons / Arianselmani

Al-Qaida shuns militant group blamed for bloody infighting among Syria’s Islamic factions

File - This undated image posted on a militant website on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014 shows fighters from the al-Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) marching in Raqqa, Syria.

Published February 03, 2014Associated Press FILE – In this file image from television transmitted by the Arab news channel Al-Jazeera on Monday Jan. 30, 2006, Al-Qaida’s then deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri gestures while addressing the camera….
photo: AP / Militant website

Al Qaeda breaks link with Syrian militant group ISIL

This video frame grab image provided by IntelCenter, a private terrorism analysis company, and taken from a video released Friday Nov. 28, 2008 by the media arm of al-Qaida, As-Sahab, shows Ayman al-Zawahiri speaking in a video entitled "al-Azhar" or "The Lion's Den".

By Oliver Holmes BEIRUT (Reuters) – Al Qaeda’s general command said on Monday it had no links with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), in an apparent attempt to reassert its authority over fragmented Islamist fighters in Syria‘s…
photo: AP / IntelCenter

Oscar winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead after drug overdose

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote." (js1)

Veteran actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is also an Academy Award winner, was reportedly found dead at his apartment in Manhattan on Sunday. The actor, who…
photo: AMPAS

Gunmen kidnap British national in Yemen

Yemeni soldiers stand guard in front of Yemen's President Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi's house as protestors demonstrate to denounce terror attacks and hail the decisions by Hadi to replace security officials in Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012.

Tweet Sanaa, Feb 3 (IANS) Gunmen Monday kidnapped a British national inYemen‘s capital Sanaa, the second such incident in the Arab country within a week, an interior ministry official said. The British man was…
photo: AP / Hani Mohammed

South Sudan ravaged by ethnic violence

03 Feb 2014
– A dead silence hung over the Munuki West neighbourhood of South Sudan‘s capital, Juba. Amid the tightly packed shacks, doors hung from their frames and broken furniture lay scattered outside. A lone group of soldiers was still going from house to house. They appeared to be looking for anything of value that may have been left behind, or for…
Staff open the doors of the morgue at the teaching hospital to add another body to the 24 already there, 20 of whom were killed from violence according to the staff, in Malakal, Upper Nile State, in South Sudan Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014.

 

Farrow claims ‘untrue,’ ‘disgraceful,’ Allen says

U.S. film director Woody Allen attends a press conference for promoting his new film, ''Vicky Cristina Barcelona' in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008.

Woody Allen has called Dylan Farrow’s allegations of child molestation “untrue and disgraceful,” signaling that he would fight renewed claims dating back toAllen‘s tempestuous relationship with actress Mia Farrow in the early 1990s. The movie…
photo: AP / Manu Fernandez

Fears Death Toll Could Rise in Indonesia Volcano Eruption

Mount Sinabung spews volcanic smoke as it erupts in Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010.

By Ardi Ibrahim on 3:31 pm February 2, 2014. Category Featured, News Tags:Indonesia natural disasters, Indonesia volcanic eruptions, Mount Sinabung A villager run as Mount Sinabung erupt at Sigarang-Garang village in Karo district, Indonesia’s…
photo: AP / Binsar Bakkara

Mexican castaway washes up in Marshall Islands after 16 months at sea

The Tasman Sea (left) meets the Pacific Ocean (right).

An emaciated Jose Ivan washed up Ebon Atoll, in the Marshall Islands, in a battered 24-foot fiberglass boat, claiming to have been adrift in the Pacific for 16 months after floating approximately 8,000 miles from Mexico. He also stated that he had…
photo: Creative Commons

Ukraine unrest: Kerry to meet opposition at summit

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry addresses reporters during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, Germany, on January 31, 2014

US Secretary of State John Kerry is due to meet top Ukrainian opposition leaders on the sidelines of a security summit in Munich, amid continuing unrest in the country. Mr Kerry said his message would be one of full support. On the eve of the…
photo: US DoS

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s ‘Bridgegate’ scandal reignites

Full View of the George Washington Bridge from the New York side of the Hudson River. The George Washington Bridge is popular among sightseers and commuters traveling by foot, bicycle, or roller skates.

A former New Jersey official on Friday claimed Governor Chris Christie knew about politically-motivated traffic jams as they were happening, re-igniting a political scandal that has taken a toll on the prominent Republican many had considered a…
photo: Creative Commons / Jim Harper

A new definition for al-Qaeda

In this Friday, April 6, 2012 file photo, a supporter of Pakistani religious group Jamaat-ud-Dawwa stands on a representation of a U. S. flag before set it on fire during a protest rally in Karachi, Pakistan. The U.S. and Pakistan are starting to look more like enemies than friends, threatening the U.S. fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants based in the country and efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan before American troops withdraw.

Katherine Zimmerman is a senior analyst at the American Enterprise Institute’sCritical Threats Project and authored the report “The al-Qaeda Network: A NewFramework for Defining the Enemy.” What exactly is al-Qaeda? And who cares?…
photo: AP

US seeks death penalty for Tsarnaev

Medical workers aid injured people at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon following an explosion in Boston

Washington/Boston – The United States will seek the death penalty for accused bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is charged with planting homemade explosives devices that killed three people and wounded 264 at the Boston Marathon last year, the…
photo: AP / Charles Krupa

 

 

 

Mount Sinabung fills the sky over Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, with smoke and ash as it erupts on Saturday, February 1. The volcano has been erupting since September.
Mount Sinabung fills the sky over Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, with smoke and ash as it erupts . The volcano has been erupting since September.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Hot ash up to 700 degrees raced down the mountain’s slope in just a few minutes
  • Jakarta Post: This is the first time Mount Sinabung’s eruptions have resulted in deaths
  • A recovery operation was scheduled for Sunday

Amanda Knox’s and Italy’s Bridge of Sighs

Full ArticleWorldNews.com 

02 Feb 2014

 

Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. Amanda Knox’s and Italy‘s Bridge of Sighs Amanda Knox’s back and forth guilty-not-guilty-and-guilty trial reminds one of Italy’s Bridge of Sighs and it is still troublesome court system. Out of the disintegrative patterns that had guided Europe for centuries, Venice and otherItalian city-states… 
U.S. murder suspect Amanda Knox, center, is accompanied by penitentiary police officers as she leaves the court after a final hearing before the verdict, in Perugia, Italy, Friday, Dec. 4, 2009.

 

 

Fears Death Toll Could Rise in Indonesia Volcano Eruption

Mount Sinabung spews volcanic smoke as it erupts in Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010.

By Ardi Ibrahim on 3:31 pm February 2, 2014. Category Featured, News Tags:Indonesia natural disasters, Indonesia volcanic eruptions, Mount Sinabung A villager run as Mount Sinabung erupt at Sigarang-Garang village in Karo district, Indonesia’s…
photo: AP / Binsar Bakkara

Mexican castaway washes up in Marshall Islands after 16 months at sea

The Tasman Sea (left) meets the Pacific Ocean (right).

An emaciated Jose Ivan washed up Ebon Atoll, in the Marshall Islands, in a battered 24-foot fiberglass boat, claiming to have been adrift in the Pacific for 16 months after floating approximately 8,000 miles from Mexico. He also stated that he had…
photo: Creative Commons

Gunmen open fire in protests ahead of Thailand’s national election

01 Feb 2014

 

updated 7:05 AM EST, Sat February 1, 2014 Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) — Gunfire erupted during anti-government protests in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday, witnesses said. At least six people were wounded, Erawan Medical Centre said. The violence comes amid high tensions a day ahead of national elections. Witnessessaw at least eight gunmen emerge from… 
Anti-government protesters scatter while under fire in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014.

Ukraine unrest: Kerry to meet opposition at summit

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry addresses reporters during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, Germany, on January 31, 2014

US Secretary of State John Kerry is due to meet top Ukrainian opposition leaders on the sidelines of a security summit in Munich, amid continuing unrest in the country. Mr Kerry said his message would be one of full support. On the eve of the…
photo: US DoS

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s ‘Bridgegate’ scandal reignites

Full View of the George Washington Bridge from the New York side of the Hudson River. The George Washington Bridge is popular among sightseers and commuters traveling by foot, bicycle, or roller skates.

A former New Jersey official on Friday claimed Governor Chris Christie knew about politically-motivated traffic jams as they were happening, re-igniting a political scandal that has taken a toll on the prominent Republican many had considered a…
photo: Creative Commons / Jim Harper

A new definition for al-Qaeda

In this Friday, April 6, 2012 file photo, a supporter of Pakistani religious group Jamaat-ud-Dawwa stands on a representation of a U. S. flag before set it on fire during a protest rally in Karachi, Pakistan. The U.S. and Pakistan are starting to look more like enemies than friends, threatening the U.S. fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants based in the country and efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan before American troops withdraw.

Katherine Zimmerman is a senior analyst at the American Enterprise Institute’sCritical Threats Project and authored the report “The al-Qaeda Network: A NewFramework for Defining the Enemy.” What exactly is al-Qaeda? And who cares?…
photo: AP

 

 

US and Britain question Syria’s motives over slow chemical weapons handover

31 Jan 2014
 
The US and Britain have expressed concern over the Syrian government‘s delay in removing chemical weapons materials due to be destroyed under an international disarmament deal. Chuck Hagel, the US defence secretary, revealed on Thursday that he had asked his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, to pressure Damascus to comply with the agreement, and… 
In this file image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, members of a chemical weapons investigation team take samples from the ground in the Damascus countryside of Zamalka, Syria.
photo: AP / Shaam News Network via AP video

 

US seeks death penalty for Tsarnaev

Medical workers aid injured people at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon following an explosion in Boston

Washington/Boston – The United States will seek the death penalty for accused bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is charged with planting homemade explosives devices that killed three people and wounded 264 at the Boston Marathon last year, the…
photo: AP / Charles Krupa

Asians Usher in Lunar New Year

Members of the Chinese community with Dragon during celebrate the Lunar New Year in Kolkata on 10 February 2013

Zlatica Hoke WASHINGTON — People in many Asian countries as well as Asiancommunities elsewhere in the world are marking the start of a new lunar year with family gatherings, fireworks and street parties. According to the ancient Chinese horoscope,…
photo: WN / Bhaskar Mallick

Navy admiral is Obama’s pick to take reins of NSA

Vice Adm. Michael Rogers, commander of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and U.S. 10th Fleet, speaks to Information Dominance Corps Sailors.

WASHINGTON — A Navy admiral is President Barack Obama’s choice to be the next head of the National Security Agency, which is embroiled in controversy over its secret surveillance programs and massive collection of phone and Internet data….
photo: US Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Robert A. Wood Sr.

 

American Student Found Guilty in Murder Retrial

U.S. murder suspect Amanda Knox reacts during a hearing at Perugia's court, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Prosecutors are set to make their sentencing requests for an American student and her former boyfriend accused of killing a British woman in Italy.

American exchange student Amanda Knox says she is “frightened and saddened” after being re-convicted in the stabbing death of her roommate when they were…
photo: AP / Alessandra Tarantino

Google sells Motorola to Lenovo for $2.91 billion

A child tries a huge Motorola mobile phone replica

Even under Google, Motorola failed to gain traction in a rapidly evolving smartphone market now dominated by South Korea’s Samsung and US-basedApple. Google agreed on Wednesday to sell Motorola to Chinese tech giant Lenovo for $2.91 billion, after a…
photo: WN / Janice Sabnal

Justin Bieber charged with assault in Canada

Justin Bieber performs during the 'Believe Tour' at the Amway Center Orlando, Florida - January 25, 2013

TORONTO — Justin Bieber was charged with assault for allegedly hitting a Torontolimousine driver several times in the back of the head last month, just hours after his attorney entered a separate not guilty plea in Florida to drunken-driving…
photo: WN / Aaron Gilbert

 

President Obama vows to assert power

President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 28, 2014.

President Obama used broad strokes to outline the administration’s agenda during his annual State of the Union address last night, and while Democratic pundits saw it as “forward-looking,” those on the other side of the aisle…
photo: US DoD

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amanda Knox faces verdict in Italy retrial for the murder of Meredith Kercher

30 Jan 2014

 

American Amanda Knox will not be in court on Thursday to hear Italian judges give their verdict in her retrial for the murder of Briton Meredith Kercher when the two were roommates studying in Perugia in 2007. Knox, who is living in Seattle, is standing trial alongside her Italian former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. She denies any involvement in… 
Amanda Knox cries after hearing the verdict that overturns her conviction and acquits her of murdering her British roomate Meredith Kercher, at the Perugia court, Italy, Monday Oct. 3, 2011.

 

 

 

Justin Bieber charged with assault in Canada

Justin Bieber performs during the 'Believe Tour' at the Amway Center Orlando, Florida - January 25, 2013

TORONTO — Justin Bieber was charged with assault for allegedly hitting a Torontolimousine driver several times in the back of the head last month, just hours after his attorney entered a separate not guilty plea in Florida to drunken-driving…
photo: WN / Aaron Gilbert

President Obama vows to assert power

President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 28, 2014.

President Obama used broad strokes to outline the administration’s agenda during his annual State of the Union address last night, and while Democratic pundits saw it as “forward-looking,” those on the other side of the aisle…
photo: US DoD

Pope as superman: Vatican tweets graffiti of hero pontiff

Pope as superman: Vatican tweets graffiti of hero pontiff

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis as superman, flying through the air with his white cape billowing out behind him: the image graffitied by an anonymous…
photo: Creative Commons / Fczarnowski

Active supermassive black holes discovered in merging galaxies

Active supermassive black holes discovered in merging galaxies

Tweet Washington, Jan. 29 (ANI): A team of astronomers have found at least one supermassive black holes (SMBH) almost always becomes active and luminous by accreting a large amount of material in luminous, gas-rich, merging galaxies. A team of…
photo: Creative Commons / ESO/M. Kornmesser

Turkey raises I-rate to boost lira

10 Turkish Lira - Money - Coin - Turkey economy

Turkey‘s central bank has sharply raised its key interest rate from 7.75 to 12% to try to stave off inflation and support the ailing national currency. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting called yesterday by the central bank after the lira…
photo: WN / akgunsemra

Did NSA Use Angry Birds or Other Apps for Spying?

Angry Birds - Mobile game - iPhone game app

One of the first revelations by Edward Snowden, a former contract employee of theNational Security Agency, involved the NSA‘s use of popular services for gathering. Among these services were Facebook and Gmail, which the NSA had been using since…
photo: WN / Yolanda Leyba

Ukrainian president accepts PM’s resignation

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, right, greets new Prime Minister, Mykola Azarov in parliament, Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, March 11, 2010.

MARIA DANILOVA Associated Press= KIEV, Ukraine (AP) â?? Ukraine’s president has accepted the prime minister’s resignation but has asked him to stay on in an acting…
photo: AP / Efrem Lukatsky

 

 

 

 

Ukraine to debate amnesty for protesters

29 Jan 2014

 

Ukraine‘s parliament is due to debate a possible amnesty for scores of protesters arrested in anti-government demonstrations. President Viktor Yanukovych has said he wants to make the amnesty conditional on protesters leaving official buildings and taking down barricades. The opposition has so far ruled this out and is demanding early… 
Supporters of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych rally in central Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014.

 

 

Pope as superman: Vatican tweets graffiti of hero pontiff

Pope as superman: Vatican tweets graffiti of hero pontiff

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis as superman, flying through the air with his white cape billowing out behind him: the image graffitied by an anonymous…
photo: Creative Commons / Fczarnowski

Active supermassive black holes discovered in merging galaxies

Active supermassive black holes discovered in merging galaxies

Tweet Washington, Jan. 29 (ANI): A team of astronomers have found at least one supermassive black holes (SMBH) almost always becomes active and luminous by accreting a large amount of material in luminous, gas-rich, merging galaxies. A team of…
photo: Creative Commons / ESO/M. Kornmesser

Did NSA Use Angry Birds or Other Apps for Spying?

Angry Birds - Mobile game - iPhone game app

One of the first revelations by Edward Snowden, a former contract employee of theNational Security Agency, involved the NSA‘s use of popular services for gathering. Among these services were Facebook and Gmail, which the NSA had been using since…
photo: WN / Yolanda Leyba

Ukrainian president accepts PM’s resignation

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, right, greets new Prime Minister, Mykola Azarov in parliament, Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, March 11, 2010.

MARIA DANILOVA Associated Press= KIEV, Ukraine (AP) â?? Ukraine’s president has accepted the prime minister’s resignation but has asked him to stay on in an acting…
photo: AP / Efrem Lukatsky

EU, Russia look for scarce common ground at summit

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, center, arrives for a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Friday March 26, 2010

BRUSSELS — Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Union leaders are looking for meager common ground during what promises to be a difficult summit centering on Ukraine and human rights. Already shortened to Tuesday’s 2 ½…
photo: AP / Virginia Mayo

Thai government says no delay in Sunday election

A pro-government demonstrator holds up a photo showing King Bhumibol Adulyade with Queen Sirikit among Thai national flags during a rally at Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Thailand‘s government announced Tuesday it will go ahead with an election this weekend despite an opposition boycott, months of street protests and the likelihood of more violence in the country’s political crisis. The government made the…
photo: AP / Sakchai Lalit

NATO faces tough decisions on staying in Afghanistan

NATO faces tough decisions on staying in Afghanistan

By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO faces tough decisions next month about whether to pull all its troops out of Afghanistan after this year if PresidentHamid Karzai does not sign accords allowing them to stay, the alliance’s leader said…
photo: US Army / David Devich

 

 

 

 

 

Bhutto son calls for Pakistan military action on Taliban

Full ArticleBBC News 

28 Jan 2014

 

The son of the assassinated former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, has called on the country’s authorities to take military action against militant groups.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said politicians must “wake up” to the threat posed by armed groups such as the Taliban. His comments come as the government holds urgent talks… 
File - In this Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 photo, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addresses a rally to mark the fifth anniversary of the assassination of his mother, Benazir Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Baksh, Larkana, on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 in Pakistan.

 

 

 

NATO faces tough decisions on staying in Afghanistan

NATO faces tough decisions on staying in Afghanistan

By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO faces tough decisions next month about whether to pull all its troops out of Afghanistan after this year if PresidentHamid Karzai does not sign accords allowing them to stay, the alliance’s leader said…
photo: US Army / David Devich

Egypt’s military OKs El-Sisi for presidential run

Egyptian riot police officers secure a square to prevent any anti-government activists to gather, in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011.

updated 10:42 AM EST, Mon January 27, 2014 (CNN) — Egypt‘s military leadership council on Monday gave newly promoted Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi — the army chief who helped oust the country’s first democratically elected president — its…
photo: AP / Lefteris Pitarakis

Thieves steal Pope John Paul’s blood from church

Pope John Paul II's body lying in state. It is customary for a deceased pope to lie in state in Saint Peter's basilica between the Mass of Visitation and the Mass of Requiem.

Tweet ROME – Thieves broke into a small church in the mountains east of Romeover the weekend and stole a reliquary with the blood of the late Pope John Paul II, a custodian said on Monday. Franca Corrieri said she had discovered a broken window…
photo: Creative Commons

Why The Irrelevance Of Davos Is Good News

Why The Irrelevance Of Davos Is Good News

No crisis can last forever, and the main lesson I’m taking from the 2014 World Economic Forum is that, at least as far as the world’s elite are concerned, we’ve finally put the financial crisis behind us. There are still a lot of things to worry…
photo: European Community / EC

Questions and answers on Hagel’s nuke force probe

Questions and answers on Hagel's nuke force probe

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon‘s decision to look into what ails the Air Force group responsible for nuclear missiles was hardly a bolt from the blue. It followed months of accumulating evidence of trouble in a segment of the military fewAmericans even…
photo: US DoD / Aaron Hostutler USMC

 

US: Afghanistan releases 37 ‘dangerous’ prisoners

US: Afghanistan releases 37 'dangerous' prisoners

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. military says Afghanistan’s government has released 37 “dangerous” prisoners who pose threats to the country and the region. The…
photo: US Army / David Devich

 

Why paid vacations are good for companies and economy

Why paid vacations are good for companies and economy

A Dec. 31 article ran in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune under the headline “Area last for paid time off.” Facts VACATION DAYS REQUIRED The top countries for legally required paid vacation days. This does not include legal paid holidays, of which some…
photo: WN / Marzena J.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Egypt’s divisions starker than ever

27 Jan 2014

 

– For the second time in two weeks, Egyptians flocked to the streets in Cairo onJanuary 25 to cheer the army-backed interim government. Nominally they came down to Tahrir Square to mark the third anniversary of the start of the 2011revolution, the 18-day revolt that eventually overthrew longtime President Hosni Mubarak. Yet there was almost… 
An Egyptian masked policeman guards Cairo's state security chief, Osama al-Saghir, third left, as he visits Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the 2011 uprising, in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014.

 

Questions and answers on Hagel’s nuke force probe

Questions and answers on Hagel's nuke force probe

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon‘s decision to look into what ails the Air Force group responsible for nuclear missiles was hardly a bolt from the blue. It followed months of accumulating evidence of trouble in a segment of the military fewAmericans even…
photo: US DoD / Aaron Hostutler USMC

US: Afghanistan releases 37 ‘dangerous’ prisoners

US: Afghanistan releases 37 'dangerous' prisoners

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. military says Afghanistan’s government has released 37 “dangerous” prisoners who pose threats to the country and the region. The…
photo: US Army / David Devich

Why paid vacations are good for companies and economy

Why paid vacations are good for companies and economy

A Dec. 31 article ran in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune under the headline “Area last for paid time off.” Facts VACATION DAYS REQUIRED The top countries for legally required paid vacation days. This does not include legal paid holidays, of which some…
photo: WN / Marzena J.

Samsung, Google sign patent agreement

Samsung, Google sign patent agreement

Samsung Electronics Co. says it has signed an agreement with Google Inc. to cross-license their patents. The Asian tech heavyweight said on…
photo: WN / Geeta

Pope’s Doves Attacked During Vatican Prayers

Pope's Doves Attacked During Vatican Prayers

27 January 2014, 3:44 Pope‘s Doves Attacked During Vatican Prayers Tweet Two white doves released as a peace gesture by children standing with the Pope have been savaged by a crow and a seagull. The attack was witnessed by tens of thousands of…
photo: WN / Marzena J.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Daft Punk win early Grammy Awards

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis performing at American Airlines Arena Miami, Florida - November 24, 2013

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis steamrolled the competition in the early going Sunday at the 56th annual Grammy Awards. The Seattle hip-hop duo swept the rap awards in the pre-telecast for rap album (“The Heist“) and rap song and best rap sung…
photo: WN / Aaron Gilbert

Afghanistan: Will the Taliban take over again?

Afghanistan: Will the Taliban take over again?

27 January 2014 Last updated at 00:57 GMT Later this year the remaining Natoforces in Afghanistan will withdraw, leaving security in the hands of the Afghan National Army and police. The BBC‘s world affairs editor John Simpson visitedKabul, a city…
photo: DoD / Public Domain

Clashes kill nearly 50 as Egypt marks 2011 uprising

26 Jan 2014

 

CAIRO: Nearly 50 people were killed in weekend clashes that erupted during rival rallies marking the anniversary of Egypt‘s 2011 that toppled Hosni Mubarak, the health ministry said Sunday. Three years after Egyptians rose up to demand the overthrow of Mubarak, thousands of demonstrators in Cairo‘s Tahrir Square on Saturday chanted slogans backing… 
An Egyptian riot policeman moves into position during clashes with supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013.

 

 

Protesters settle in for the long haul

Black smoke rise during clashes between protesters and police in central Kiev, Ukraine, early Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. As riots spread from Ukraine's embattled capital to nearly half of the country, President Viktor Yanukovych promised Friday to reshuffle his government and make other concessions - but a top opposition leader said nothing short of his resignation would do.

Three glossy brown cows, looking somewhat bewildered, gaze out from a large photograph hanging in the reception of Ukraine’s ministry of agriculture. On the wall underneath, fresh graffiti proclaims: “Power to the People.” “We took the building last…
photo: AP / Sergei Grits

Ukraine anti-government protesters try to seize energy ministry in Kiev

Lithuanians protest against the violence in Ukraine in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. Poster at left reads "Ukraine and Lithuania together.

Demonstrators deny ministry’s claim they are holding two police captive as clashes continue in capital A protester throws a molotov cocktail during clashes with police in central Kiev, Ukraine, on Saturday. Photograph: Sergei Grits/AP Ukrainian…
photo: AP / Mindaugas Kulbis

 

Cairo bombings: militant group claims responsibility as new blast hits city

An Egyptian masked policeman guards Cairo's state security chief, Osama al-Saghir, third right, as he visits Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the 2011 uprising, in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014.

Tension high in Egyptian capital as al-Qaida inspired group says it will carry out more attacks Supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi clash with police on Friday. Photograph: Nameer Galal/NurPhoto/REX An al-Qaida-inspired group has…
photo: AP / Amr Nabil

Thailand elections can be postponed, court rules

Thai anti-government protesters take to a street with a giant national flag during a march in Bangkok, Thailand Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014.

Tweet Bangkok, Jan 24 (IANS) Thailand‘s general elections, due early next month, can be postponed in view of the ongoing political unrest following anti-government protests that began in November last year, the country’s constitution court ruled…
photo: AP / Apichart Weerawong

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samba-Panza’s oath day marred by violence

24 Jan 2014

 

Bangui – Sixteen people died in clashes in Central African Republic on Thursday as new interim president Catherine Samba-Panza took office with a plea for militia to lay down their arms to halt the escalating inter-religious violence. Almost one million people, or a quarter of the population of the former French colony, have been displaced by… 
Catherine Samba Panza

 

 

Australia Raid On Drugs Linked To Terror

23 Jan 2014

 

Australian authorities have seized more than Aus $580m (£300m) worth of drugs and assets as part of an investigation into money laundering that could be linked to terrorist activities. The haul included $26m (£13.5m) in cash. The AustralianCrime Commission (ACC), which has tracked a global network of criminals in more than… 
This March 13, 2014 photo released by Australian Federal Police, shows thousands of dollars of Australian money seized by the police on a cart, in Australia.

 

 

 

Israel ‘Foils’ Al Qaeda’s US Embassy Bomb Plot

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak attends a press conference in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Monday, Jan. 17 2011.

Israel has said it thwarted plans by al Qaeda to bomb the US embassy in Tel Avivand other targets. The plan to carry out a suicide bombing on the embassy was at an “advanced” stage, Israeli officials said. Three Palestinian men have been…
photo: AP / Bernat Armangue

An Egyptian protester throws a tear gas canister back at riot police, not seen, during clashes near Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013.

Cairo – Egypt has seen state violence on an “unprecedented scale” since the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last July following mass protests again his rule, Amnesty International said in a report on Thursday. Egypt’s…
photo: AP / Khalil Hamra

South Africa braces for mass platinum strike

Mine workers sit on a hill where a year ago, police opened fire on fellow workers killing 34 and injuring 78, during a memorial service to get under way, near the Marikana, South Africa, platinum mine, Friday Aug. 16, 2013.

Tens of thousands of workers at the world’s three top platinum producers were set to down tools Thursday in a pay strike that could have a devastating impact inAfrica‘s largest economy. Up to 80,000 workers at Impala Platinum, Anglo American…
photo: AP / Themba Hadebe

 

Australian police crack global money-laundering racket

Police patrol the forecourt at the Sydney Opera House as a police helicopter buzzes above as security for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum increases in Sydney, Australia, Monday, Sept. 3, 2007. Many areas of Sydney's central business district and the Opera House are surrounded by three-meter (10-foot) high steel security fences disrupting business, retail, tourism and general traffic throughout the city.

SYDNEY: Australian police revealed Thursday they had cracked a major global money-laundering ring with operatives in more than 20 countries and funds syphoned off to groups reported to include Hezbollah. The Australian CrimeCommission said more than…
photo: AP / Rick Rycroft

Al Qaeda leader urges rebel groups in Syria to unite

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Since the merge of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad with Al-Qaeda in juni 2001 he is the second man of Al-Qaeda, next to Osama bin-Laden

updated 1:43 AM EST, Thu January 23, 2014 (CNN) — A message purportedly from al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri addressed militants fighting in Syria to unite. The message, more than five minutes long, was posted online on militant websites. Its…
photo: Public Domain

 

 

 

 

Report Details Overseas Accounts of Chinese Elite

Full ArticleThe New York Times 

22 Jan 2014

 

Chinese elites have set up extensive offshore companies that allow them to conceal funds abroad, according to a new report from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The report, which is based on leaked documents covering thousands of tax haven clients, lists more than a dozen ofChina’s wealthiest people as well as… 
Front row from left, China's former President Hu Jintao, newly appointed President Xi Jinping, newly installed Premier Li Kiqiang and former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao sing the Chinese national anthem at the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing China, Sunday, March 17, 2013. China's new leader pledged a cleaner, more efficient government Sunday as the country's ceremonial legislature wrapped up a pivotal session that installed the latest generation of communist leaders in a once-a-decade transfer of power.

 

 

Ukraine Protesters ‘Shot Dead’ By Police

Protesters clash with police in central Kiev, Ukraine, early Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014.

Two people have reportedly been shot dead during clashes between police and protesters in Ukrainian capital Kiev. The country‘s interior ministry has so far confirmed only one death, but made no comment on the cause. A second person also died…
photo: AP / Evgeny Feldman

Report links Chinese elite to offshore tax havens

The Chinese yuan or Renminbi (RMB) signs are displayed at a ceremony as the Bank of China (BOC) launches yuan-denominated bonds in Hong Kong Wednesday, Sept, 12, 2007. Bank of China Ltd., one of the country's big four state lenders, said it plans to issue yuan-denominated bonds worth 3 billion yuan (US$399 million; euro 289 million) in Hong Kong from Thursday.

BEIJING — Relatives of China’s president and other business and political leaders are linked to offshore tax havens that “helped shroud the communist elite’s wealth,” a U.S.-based journalism group said Wednesday. The report by theInternational…
photo: AP / Vincent Yu

Severe snow storm closes Washington; emergency in three states

Severe snow storm closes Washington; emergency in three states

Tweet Washington, Jan 22 (IANS) A thick blanket of snow covered the eastern half of the US as a severe winter storm clobbered the country leading to closure of government offices in Washington and declaration of a state of emergency in three states….
photo: WN / Janice Sabnal

Egypt tourism revenues down 41 pct in 2013 vs 2012

Pyramids-Cairo-Egypt-ayt1

CAIRO Jan 21 (Reuters) – Egypt‘s tourism revenue sank by 41 percent to $5.9 billion in 2013 in comparison with a year earlier, Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said on Tuesday, a further sign of pressure on one of…
photo: WN/ayt1

Google doodle pays homage to Martin Luther King Jr.

Google doodle pays homage to Martin Luther King Jr.

Tweet Washington, Jan. 21 (ANI): Google reportedly came up with a peaceful rendition on Martin Luther King Jr. on its doodle section, to pay homage to the legend, who…
photo: Creative Commons

Night work ‘throws body into chaos’

Bulilder Constructionman Woodman Fleurizard, Equipment Operator 2nd Class Chad Kissinger and Equipment Operator 3rd Class Jonathan Rust, all assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 74, guide a truss as it is hoisted into place during construction of a Southwest Asia hut.

Doing the night shift throws the body “into chaos” and could cause long-term damage, warn researchers. Shift work has been linked to higher rates of type 2 diabetes, heart attacks and cancer. Now scientists at the Sleep Research Centre in…
photo: US Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryan G. Wilber

Comet-chasing Rosetta bleeps ‘Hello World’ after three-year hibernation

A 3D model of the Rosetta Spacecraft. This is not a true representation of Rosetta as the actual spacecraft is protected by black multi layer insulation blankets, the High Gain is also black.

A European comet-chasing spacecraft that has been in hibernation for almost three years has woken up and sent its first signal back to Earth. The European Space Agency (ESA) received the all-clear message “Hello World!” from its Rosetta spacecraft,…
photo: Creative Commons

 

 

 

 

Syria accused of torture and 11,000 executions

21 Jan 2014

 

There is clear evidence that Syria has systematically tortured and executed about 11,000 detainees since the start of the uprising, a report by three former war crimes prosecutors says. One of the authors told the BBC there was evidence of government involvement. Damascus has denied claims of abuse. The investigators examined thousands of images of… 
n this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian citizens carry a dead body, at the scene where two mortar rounds exploded near an orphanage, at al-Boukhtyar area, in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday March 13, 2013. The state-run SANA news agency said two mortar rounds exploded near an orphanage in al-Boukhtyar area, killing and wounding an unknown number of people. Syrian government troops fought fierce battles with rebels on Wednesday for control of key neighborhoods in the north of Damascus, residents and activists said.

 

 

 

 

Google doodle pays homage to Martin Luther King Jr.

Google doodle pays homage to Martin Luther King Jr.
Tweet Washington, Jan. 21 (ANI): Google reportedly came up with a peaceful rendition on Martin Luther King Jr. on its doodle section, to pay homage to the legend, who…
photo: Creative Commons

Night work ‘throws body into chaos’

Bulilder Constructionman Woodman Fleurizard, Equipment Operator 2nd Class Chad Kissinger and Equipment Operator 3rd Class Jonathan Rust, all assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 74, guide a truss as it is hoisted into place during construction of a Southwest Asia hut.

Doing the night shift throws the body “into chaos” and could cause long-term damage, warn researchers. Shift work has been linked to higher rates of type 2 diabetes, heart attacks and cancer. Now scientists at the Sleep Research Centre in…
photo: US Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryan G. Wilber

Comet-chasing Rosetta bleeps ‘Hello World’ after three-year hibernation

A 3D model of the Rosetta Spacecraft. This is not a true representation of Rosetta as the actual spacecraft is protected by black multi layer insulation blankets, the High Gain is also black.

A European comet-chasing spacecraft that has been in hibernation for almost three years has woken up and sent its first signal back to Earth. The European Space Agency (ESA) received the all-clear message “Hello World!” from its Rosetta spacecraft,…
photo: Creative Commons

Extreme El Nino events set to double as Earth warms

Extreme El Nino events set to double as Earth warms

Tweet Washington, Jan. 20 (ANI): Researchers have revealed that extreme weather events fuelled by unusually strong El Ninos are likely to double in number as Earthwarms. Co-author, Dr Agus Santoso of ARC Centre of Excellence for ClimateSystem…
photo: WN / Janice Sabnal

 

In Japan, 250 bottlenose dolphins await slaughter or captivity

In this photo taken Sept. 2, 2009, mammal specialist Richard O'Barry, left, and his son Lincoln watch dolphins at an aquarium during his tour to Taiji, Japan.

LONDON: More than 250 bottlenose dolphins have been rounded up by Japanesefisherman to be slaughtered for meat or sold into captivity, animal conservationists are warning. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) said dolphins were corralled…
photo: AP / Junji Kurokawa

 

‘Diabolical’ Arab countries behind Iraq strife: Nuri al-Maliki

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki speaks to the Iraqi lawmakers before submitting his new government for approval in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved on Tuesday a new government to be headed by incumbent Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, ending nine months of political deadlock that threatened to stall economic development and suck the country back into sectarian violence.

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki blamed “diabolical” and “treacherous” Arab countries for a protracted surge in nationwide violence in a speech on Sunday, but stopped short of naming individual countries. The premier said suicide bombers…
photo: AP / Karim Kadim

200,000 assemble in Ukraine in defiance of protest curbs

Demonstrators gather during a rally in downtown Kiev, Ukraine, on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013.

KIEV: Some 200,000 Ukrainian protesters massed in central Kiev on Sunday in defiance of hugely controversial new curbs pushed through by President Viktor Yanukovych in a bid to suppress a pro-EU protest movement. Many demonstrators wore pots and…
photo: AP / Ivan Sekretarev

Iran nuclear deal set to start

Full ArticleStuff 

20 Jan 2014

 

World powers and Iran are about due to start implementing a landmark deal curbing Tehran‘s nuclear program, amid hopes that it will pave the way for a broad settlement of a decade-old standoff and ease fears of a new Middle East war. If, as expected, the United Nations‘ nuclear watchdog confirms Monday morning (Monday night NZ time) that Iran is… 
The reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant is seen, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010.
photo: AP / Vahid Salemi

 

 

 

Extreme El Nino events set to double as Earth warms

Extreme El Nino events set to double as Earth warms

Tweet Washington, Jan. 20 (ANI): Researchers have revealed that extreme weather events fuelled by unusually strong El Ninos are likely to double in number as Earthwarms. Co-author, Dr Agus Santoso of ARC Centre of Excellence for ClimateSystem…
photo: WN / Janice Sabnal

In Japan, 250 bottlenose dolphins await slaughter or captivity

In this photo taken Sept. 2, 2009, mammal specialist Richard O'Barry, left, and his son Lincoln watch dolphins at an aquarium during his tour to Taiji, Japan.

LONDON: More than 250 bottlenose dolphins have been rounded up by Japanesefisherman to be slaughtered for meat or sold into captivity, animal conservationists are warning. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) said dolphins were corralled…
photo: AP / Junji Kurokawa

‘Diabolical’ Arab countries behind Iraq strife: Nuri al-Maliki

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki speaks to the Iraqi lawmakers before submitting his new government for approval in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved on Tuesday a new government to be headed by incumbent Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, ending nine months of political deadlock that threatened to stall economic development and suck the country back into sectarian violence.

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki blamed “diabolical” and “treacherous” Arab countries for a protracted surge in nationwide violence in a speech on Sunday, but stopped short of naming individual countries. The premier said suicide bombers…
photo: AP / Karim Kadim

200,000 assemble in Ukraine in defiance of protest curbs

Demonstrators gather during a rally in downtown Kiev, Ukraine, on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013.

KIEV: Some 200,000 Ukrainian protesters massed in central Kiev on Sunday in defiance of hugely controversial new curbs pushed through by President Viktor Yanukovych in a bid to suppress a pro-EU protest movement. Many demonstrators wore pots and…
photo: AP / Ivan Sekretarev

Berlusconi and Italy’s left head strike electoral reform deal

In this photo taken Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi seen during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, not seen, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Berlusconi arrived on a private visit

ROME (Reuters) – Silvio Berlusconi has returned to the political scene after a tax fraud conviction, striking a deal with the leader of the largest center-left party on electoral reform that could give Italy badly needed stability. But the Saturday…
photo: AP / Alexei Nikolsky

Bomb kills 20 troops in NW Pakistan

Pakistan Army troops prepare to leave for patrolling during a curfew in Bannu, a town on the edge of Pakistan's lawless tribal belt Waziristan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.

BANNU, Pakistan (AP) — A bomb planted by the Taliban ripped through a vehicle carrying security forces inside a Pakistani army compound in the country’s volatile northwestern region Sunday, killing 20 troops, officials and the militants said. The…
photo: AP / Ijaz Muhammad

Japan PM Shinzo Abe calls for ‘frank’ talks with China, South Korea

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, bows to Emperor Akihito, second from right, and Empress Michiko, right, before giving a speech during a ceremony to mark the day Japan recovered its sovereignty under the San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1952, in Tokyo Sunday, April 28, 2013.

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for “frank” summit talks withChina and South Korea to help solve historical and territorial disputes that have soured ties between the neighbours. A year of heated arguments have prevented the three…
photo: AP / Itsuo Inouye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Syria crisis: US hails opposition move to attend peace talks

19 Jan 2014

 

US Secretary of State John Kerry has welcomed a decision by Syria‘s main political opposition group to attend next week’s peace talks in Switzerland. His praise for the Syrian National Coalition‘s “courageous” move was echoed by the UK andFrance. The aim of the talks, to be held in Montreux, is to start the process of… 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discusses a $380 million pledge the United States made at the Syria Donors' Conference during a news conference with his traveling press corps in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on January 15, 2014.

 

 

 

Bomb kills 20 troops in NW Pakistan

Pakistan Army troops prepare to leave for patrolling during a curfew in Bannu, a town on the edge of Pakistan's lawless tribal belt Waziristan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.

BANNU, Pakistan (AP) — A bomb planted by the Taliban ripped through a vehicle carrying security forces inside a Pakistani army compound in the country’s volatile northwestern region Sunday, killing 20 troops, officials and the militants said. The…
photo: AP / Ijaz Muhammad

Dennis Rodman In Rehab For Alcohol Abuse

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, left, speaks to the media at the airport in Pyongyang, before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013.

19 January 2014, 1:33 Dennis Rodman In Rehab For Alcohol Abuse Tweet FormerNBA basketball star Dennis Rodman has checked into an alcohol rehabilitation centre. His agent, Darren Prince, confirmed the move but would not say in which facility Rodman…
photo: AP / Kim Kwang Hyon

 

Ex China premier Wen Jiabao states innocence in letter to Hong Kong columnist

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao makes a toast after delivering his speech at a dinner marking the 63rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012.

Former premier Wen Jiabao has insisted on his innocence and integrity in a letter to a Hong Kong newspaper columnist in a bid to contain damage from claims that his extended family accumulated massive wealth during his tenure at the top. “I have…
photo: AP / Andy Wong

Libya declares state of emergency

Libyan rebel fighter is silhouetted next to El Malti Mosque on the way to the city of Bani Walid, Libya, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011.

Libya has declared a state of emergency, an official said, as the air force attacked remote south to end unrest between rival armed groups that have been clashing for days. The General National Congress, Libya’s highest political authority, took the…
photo: AP / Francois Mori

 

Divided Syria opposition debates joining peace talks

Head of the new Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces Mouaz al-Khatib, rear-center, speaks during a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, March 2013.

ISTANBUL : Syria’s exiled opposition began debating Saturday whether to join international peace talks next week after Damascus offered concessions including a ceasefire plan for the battered city of Aleppo. But the National Coalition remains riven…
photo: AP

Officials: Iranian diplomat killed in Yemen

A Yemeni army officer looks on while standing at a checkpoint in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, June 27, 2011.

SANAA, Yemen — Officials in Yemen say an Iranian diplomat has been killed in a drive-by shooting in the capital, Sanaa. Three security officials said the diplomat was leaving the Iranian ambassador’s house in the city’s southern…
photo: AP / Hani Mohammed

 

 

 

 

13 foreigners among 21 killed in Kabul restaurant attack

Full ArticleThe Times of India 

18 Jan 2014

 

KABUL: A total of 21 people, including 13 foreigners, died in a Taliban suicide assault on a popular restaurant in Kabul, police said on Saturday, with two British citizens and two Canadians among those confirmed dead. Desperate customers tried to hide under tables as one attacker detonated his suicide vest at the fortified entrance to the Taverna… 
An Afghan driver looks out from a broken windshield of his car following the Friday's suicide attack and shooting in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014.

 

 

APNewsBreak: Pope defrocked 400 priests in 2 years

Pope Benedict XVI leaves at the end of his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Wednesday Feb. 13, 2013.

In his last two years as pope, Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests for raping and molesting children, more than twice as many as the two years that preceded a2010 explosion of sex abuse cases in Europe and beyond, according to a document…
photo: AP / Alessandra Tarantino

 

Ukraine Leader Signs Controversial Anti-Protest Law

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich leaves a polling station after voting for parliamentary elections in Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012.

By Agence France-Presse on 2:25 pm January 18, 2014. Category International,World Tags: ukraine unrest A pro-European activist wearing the Ukrainian flag as a cape raises his symbolically-handcuffed hands during an opposition rally outside…
photo: AP / Sergei Chuz

Ugandan president slams gays while refusing to sign anti-gay bill

In a picture taken on Tuesday April 24, 2012, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni address the ruling party members in Entebbe about 42kms east of the capital Kampala.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni refused tosign into law a tough anti-homosexual bill passed by parliament last month. But the tone of his remarks offered little cheer for the country’s beleaguered gay rights groups….
photo: AP / Stephen Wandera

French president visits hospitalized first lady

President-elect Francois Hollande waves from the balcony of the Socialist Party headquarters in Paris Monday May 7, 2012.

PARIS – President Francois Hollande has visited France‘s first lady for the first time since she was hospitalized for rest following a gossip magazine’s report that he was having an affair with an actress. An official at the presidential palace said…
photo: AP / Michel Spingler

Obama To Back Modest NSA Surveillance Reforms

President Barack Obama gestures as he gives his inauguration address during a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony during the 57th Presidential Inauguration, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013 on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington.

By JULIE PACE and KIMBERLY DOZIER, The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Capping a monthslong review, President Barack Obama is expected to back modest changes to the government’s surveillance network at home and abroad while largely leaving the…
photo: AP / Win McNamee, Pool

 

Rockets from Syria hit Lebanese towns, killing 7

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian security forces walk on the wreckage of a damaged building at a security compound which was attacked by an explosion, in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, on Friday Feb. 10, 2012.

A barrage of almost two dozen missiles and shells from Syria slammed into Lebanese border towns and villages on Friday, killing seven people, including several children who were out playing, Lebanese security officials said. The attack was the latest…
photo: AP / SANA

 

 

 

U.N. committee interrogates Vatican over sexual abuse scandal

Full ArticleDenver Post 

17 Jan 2014

 

GENEVA — It resembled a courtroom cross-examination, except no question was off-limits, dodging the answer wasn’t an option and the proceedings were webcast live. After decades of accusations that its culture of secrecy contributed to priest sexual abuse, the Vatican was forced for the first time Thursday to defend its record in public and at… 

File - Monsignor Charles Scicluna, left, flanked by Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a psychologist who for a decade ran a U.S. treatment center for abusive priests, meets the journalists in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012.

 

West Prepares To Ease Sanctions as Iran Nuclear Deal Approaches

European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton, second left, speaks with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, center, during a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg on Monday Oct. 15, 2012.

Henry Ridgwell LONDON — A temporary deal agreed in November between world powers and Iran regarding its nuclear program comes into force Monday. It’s seen as a stepping-stone to a broader agreement on the future of the program, which many…
photo: AP / Virginia Mayo

Madagascar court confirms ex-finance minister is president-elect

Presidential candidate Hery Rajaonarimampianina, left, acknowledges the crowd with his wife Lalao, right, at his rally in the city of Antananarivo, Madagascar, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013.

ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) – Madagascar‘s electoral court declared former finance minister Hery Rajaonarimampianina president-elect on Friday despite allegations by his defeated rival that the December run-off vote was rigged. The ruling raises the…
photo: AP / Schalk van Zuydam

WHO: Peshawar is ‘Largest Reservoir’ of Polio

Pakistani flood affected children line up for gifts distributed to celebrate Eid, ending of fasting month of Ramadan, in a camp setup for displaced people in Charsada, near Peshawar, Pakistan on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010

The World Health Organization has declared Pakistan&aposs restive northwestern city of Peshawar as the world&aposs “largest reservoir” of polio. The internationalgroup on Friday…
photo: AP / Mohammad Sajjad

Explosion hits Bangkok protesters, wounding dozens

Anti-government demonstrators beat back Thai soldiers during a clash Saturday, April 10, 2010, in Bangkok, Thailand

Dozens of people were wounded in Thailand‘s capital Friday when a grenade was hurled at anti-government demonstrators marching through Bangkok at midday, an ominous development that raises tensions in the country’s political crisis and the specter of…
photo: AP / David Longstreath

US nuke scandal: 34 officers accused of cheating

US Air Force plane.

The U.S. Air Force has disclosed that 34 officers entrusted with the world’s deadliest weapons have been removed from launch duty for allegedly cheating — or tolerating cheating by others — on routine proficiency tests. The announcement was a…
photo: Public Domain / Slick-o-bot

900 students hit by suspected food poisoning in Japan

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - Middle school students from Koka, Japan, visiting Traverse City, Mich., look on as an MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter crew conducts a rescue demonstration at Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Jan. 9, 2012. The students were given a tour of the air station as part of their one-week visit to Traverse City, Koka's "Sister City" since 2006. U.S. Coast Guard photgraph by Lt. j.g. Jim Okorn (1493668) ( Japanese exchange students tour Air Station T )

TOKYO : More than 900 pupils at elementary schools in a central Japanese city have fallen ill in a suspected outbreak of mass food poisoning, officials said. The number of students who reported…
photo: US Coastguard

Thailand Authorities to Investigate Rice Program for Corruption

Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra looks at a monitor after a no-confidence vote at the parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013.

VOA News Thai authorities said they will start a corruption investigation into a government subsidy program for rice farmers, in the latest setback for embattledPrime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The country‘s anti-corruption agency on Thursday…
photo: AP

Vote counting in Egypt’s constitution referendum begins

16 Jan 2014

 

Tweet Cairo, Jan 16 (IANS) Vote counting of Egypt‘s constitution referendum has been underway after polling stations across the country closed Wednesday evening, according to a statement of the High Electoral Committee. The constitution will be approved by winning over 50 percent of the vote, and the result of the referendum is scheduled to… 
Egyptian election workers count ballots at the end of the second round of a referendum.

 

 

House OKs $1-trillion compromise budget for 2014

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio performs a mock swearing in for Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, on Capitol Hill in Washington as the 113th Congress began

WASHINGTON — Partisan lawmakers feuding over the proper size of government reached a temporary truce Wednesday as the House easily approved a $1-trillion spending bill aimed at averting another federal shutdown. House Speaker John A. Boehner…
photo: AP / Charles Dharapak

French president admits problems in personal life

Socialist Party candidate for the presidential election Francois Hollande meets a resident with his companion Valerie Trierweiler, center, as he tours Tulle, central France, after voting in the second round of the presidential election, Sunday, May 6, 2012.

PARIS — French President Francois Hollande conceded Tuesday that he is going through “painful moments” with his companion, who was hospitalized after a magazine reported that he is secretly having an affair with a movie actress. But the…
photo: AP / Bob Edme

Clashes kill 11 on first day of Egypt vote

An Egyptian woman casts her vote at a polling station in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014.

CAIRO (AP) — A referendum on a new constitution laid bare the sharp divisions inEgypt six months after the military removed the elected Islamist president. Pro-army voters lined up Tuesday outside polling stations, singing patriotic songs, kissing…
photo: AP / Amr Nabil

Iraq violence kills 24, militants stage big attacks near Falluja

Mourners prepare to bury the body of Mahmoud Abdullah, who was killed in a mortar attack, at the cemetery in Fallujah, Iraq, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014.

By Alistair Lyon BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Sunni Muslim militants staged coordinated attacks near the western Iraqi city of Falluja on Tuesday, destroying two army tanks and capturing a police station, police said. There was no immediate word on the…
photo: AP

China jails doctor found guilty of baby trafficking

Newborn Baby - Infant

Zhang Shuxia tricked parents into giving up their babies by telling them the newborns were sick or had died. A Chinese former obstetrician was given a suspended death sentence on Tuesday for abducting newborn babies and selling them to traffickers,…
photo: WN / Sweet Radoc

Nigerian leader signs anti-gay law

In this Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010 photo, a supporter of former military dictator Ibrahim Babangida wears a wig in the colors of Nigeria's flag and a tee-shirt with a likeness of Babangida, during a campaign rally to kick off his bid for president, in Abuja, Nigeria. Babangida, a general who took power after a 1985 coup, promised to serve only one, four-year term in office if elected. However, many remember Babangida for annulling the presidential election of June 1993, which Nigerians and foreign observers considered to be the country's freest and fairest.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill on Monday that criminalizes same-sex relationships, defying Western pressure over gay rights and provoking criticism from the United States. The bill, which contains penalties of up to 14 years in…
photo: AP / Sunday Alamba

Survivors remember Costa Concordia disaster

Survivors remember Costa Concordia disaster

Survivors of the capsized Costa Concordia have marked two years since the cruise ship grounded off Italy with a candlelight march on Giglio island and a moment of silence in the courtroom where the captain is on trial. Relatives of the 32 people…
photo: WN / Marzena J.

 

 

 

 

Syria says West talks to Damascus about Islamist rebels

Full ArticleBBC News 

15 Jan 2014

 

Western intelligence agencies have visited Damascus for talks on combating radicalIslamist groups, Syria‘s deputy foreign minister has told the BBC. Faisal Mekdadsaid there was a schism between Western security officials and politicians who are pressing President Bashar al-Assad to step down. The growth of jihadist groups among rebels… 
Free Syrian Army members raise their weapons and a revolutionary flag during a training session on the outskirts of Idlib, Syria, Thursday, June 7, 2012.
photo: AP

 

 

Australia hit by hundreds of new wildfires

15 Jan 2014

 

Lightning strikes ignited more than 250 fires in southeast Australia as firefighters battled to put out the flames and the country sweltered in a heatwave. Efforts in the state of Victoria on Wednesday focused on containing about 20 blazes. A further 18 fires had already been brought under control or were being… 


Australia hit by hundreds of new wildfires

Clashes kill 11 on first day of Egypt vote

An Egyptian woman casts her vote at a polling station in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014.

CAIRO (AP) — A referendum on a new constitution laid bare the sharp divisions inEgypt six months after the military removed the elected Islamist president. Pro-army voters lined up Tuesday outside polling stations, singing patriotic songs, kissing…
photo: AP / Amr Nabil

Iraq violence kills 24, militants stage big attacks near Falluja

Mourners prepare to bury the body of Mahmoud Abdullah, who was killed in a mortar attack, at the cemetery in Fallujah, Iraq, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014.

By Alistair Lyon BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Sunni Muslim militants staged coordinated attacks near the western Iraqi city of Falluja on Tuesday, destroying two army tanks and capturing a police station, police said. There was no immediate word on the…
photo: AP

Govt forces to take over security in Mexico state

14 Jan 2014

 

MARK STEVENSON Associated Press= APATZINGAN, Mexico (AP) â?? Federal forces will take over security in a large swath of a western Mexico state where firefights between vigilante groups and drug traffickers erupted over the weekend, a topMexican official announced Monday. Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chongsaid federal forces with support… 
Soldiers guard a street in the area where, according to Mexico's Defense Minister, Mexican drug cartel leader Ignacio Coronel Villareal, aka Nacho Coronel, was killed during an army raid in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Thursday July 29, 2010.

 

At least 200 drown in South Sudan ferry accident while fleeing fighting

14 Jan 2014

 

Between 200 and 300 people fleeing fighting in the city of Malakal feared dead in ferry accident on the White Nile river The ferry passengers were fleeing fighting in the city of Malakal. Photograph: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images At least 200 South Sudanese civilians drowned on Tuesday in a ferry accident on the White Nile river while… 


File - Displaced people get off a river barge from Bor, some of the thousands who fled the recent fighting between government and rebel forces in Bor by boat across the White Nile, in the town of Awerial, South Sudan Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014.

 

 

China jails doctor found guilty of baby trafficking

Newborn Baby - Infant

Zhang Shuxia tricked parents into giving up their babies by telling them the newborns were sick or had died. A Chinese former obstetrician was given a suspended death sentence on Tuesday for abducting newborn babies and selling them to traffickers,…
photo: WN / Sweet Radoc

Nigerian leader signs anti-gay law

In this Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010 photo, a supporter of former military dictator Ibrahim Babangida wears a wig in the colors of Nigeria's flag and a tee-shirt with a likeness of Babangida, during a campaign rally to kick off his bid for president, in Abuja, Nigeria. Babangida, a general who took power after a 1985 coup, promised to serve only one, four-year term in office if elected. However, many remember Babangida for annulling the presidential election of June 1993, which Nigerians and foreign observers considered to be the country's freest and fairest.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill on Monday that criminalizes same-sex relationships, defying Western pressure over gay rights and provoking criticism from the United States. The bill, which contains penalties of up to 14 years in…
photo: AP / Sunday Alamba

Underwear bomber’s life sentence upheld by U.S. court

In this artist rendering, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, right, stands with his attorney Miriam Siefer in federal court in Detroit, Monday, Sept. 13, 2010.

Tweet Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian man who tried to set off an explosive hidden in his underwear while aboard a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day in 2009, on Monday had his life sentence upheld by a federal appeals court. The 6th U.S. Circuit…
photo: AP / Carole Kabrin

Cristiano Ronaldo Wins Ballon d’Or Award

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi of Argentina, and Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery of France, from left, the three nominees for world soccer player of the year

Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has won the FIFA Ballon d’Oraward for player of the year. Ronaldo scored a staggering 62 goals in 52 matches for club and country in 2013 and was hot favourite to claim the…
photo: AP / Michael Probst

Syria peace talks: Russia and US lay groundwork for ceasefire

Secretary Kerry Tours Red Square

Damascus government and rebels consider allowing humanitarian relief as battling sides due in Paris for UN-led talks Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry at the US ambassador‘s residence in Paris. Photograph: Reuters Syria‘s government and the opposition…
photo: Public Domain / State Department photo

Emotional Rodman sorry after N Korea trip

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and former NBA star Dennis Rodman watch North Korean and U.S. players in an exhibition basketball game at an arena in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013.

Beijing – An emotional Dennis Rodman appeared to break down on Monday as he apologised on his return from a controversial trip to North Korea, where he sang “Happy Birthday” to regime leader Kim Jong-Un. The former NBA star was widely…
photo: AP / Jason Mojica

 

 

 

 

 

 

Israel boosts security for Sharon funeral

13 Jan 2014

 

JERUSALEM – Israel beefed up security for former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon‘s funeral near the Gaza border on Monday and warned the enclave’s Palestinianrulers not to allow rocket fire during the ceremony, which US Vice President Joe Biden planned to attend. Sharon died at the age of 85 on Saturday after eight… 
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pays his respect as he stands in front of the coffin of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the Knesset plaza, in Jerusalem, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014.

 

 

India set to be declared polio-free

Ramesh Chander, aged 4, takes pulse polio drops at a health center in Mehurali village near New Delhi Saturday, December 7, 1996. The Indian government's plans to immunize 125 million children against polio in one day to eradicate polio from the country.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is set to announce India as a polio-free nation, as the country marks its third consecutive year without any new recorded cases. The war to eradicate polio has been one of India’s public health success…
photo: AP / Ajit Kumar

Iran reaches deal with world powers on how to carry out nuclear pact 

Iran concluded negotiations about Iran's nuclear capabilities on November 2013.

Iran and six world powers have agreed on how to implement a nuclear deal struck in November, with its terms starting from Jan. 20, officials announced Sunday. The announcement, made first by Iranian officials and later confirmed elsewhere, starts a…
photo: Creative Commons / U.S. Department of State

 

Sheikh Hasina sworn in as Bangladesh PM

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina smiles during a rally in Dhaka on Jan. 20, 2007. A court issued an arrest warrant against Hasina Sunday, April 22, 2007 her lawyer said, as she was poised to return to Bangladesh despite a warning from the military-backed government

Sheikh Hasina has been sworn in as Bangladesh‘s prime minister for her second straight term after a election marred by violence and boycotts. Her party won a clear majority, but many seats were…
photo: AP Photo / Pavel Raman

 

Pope names 19 new cardinals, focusing on the poor

In this photo provided by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis, right, and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI meet in Castel Gandolfo Saturday, March 23, 2013.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Sunday named his first batch of cardinals, choosing 19 men from Asia, Africa, and elsewhere, including Haiti and Burkino Faso, to reflect his attention to the poor. Francis made the announcement as he spoke from…
photo: AP / Osservatore Romano

FUTURE ON THE BRINK AS AFGHAN CAMPAIGN ENDS

FUTURE ON THE BRINK AS AFGHAN CAMPAIGN ENDS

SANGIN, Afghanistan — The NATO campaign in Afghanistan may be ending late this year, but the war is not. Insurgent strongholds will remain — 13 years after theSept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks prompted a U.S. invasion — inspiring anxiety about…
photo: USMC / James Mast

Indonesia bans unprocessed ore export

This is an aerial photograph of Grasberg mine run by a local unit of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. taken on Feb. 17, 2006 in Papua province and made available by Indonesian Environment Ministry in Jakarta, Thursday, March 23, 2006 . Indonesia's government Thursday threatened legal action against the U.S. mining giant unless the company improved the environmental record of its massive gold mine in Papua province. (AP Photo/Environment Ministry, Rasio Ridhosani, HO)hg3

Jakarta – An Indonesian law banning the export of unprocessed minerals took effect Sunday, with the government aiming to boost local operations and create more jobs and mining companies warning of losses and layoffs. Coordinating Economic Minister…
photo: AP Photo / Environment Ministry, Rasio Ridhosani, HO

 

Over 25,000 on the run from a volcano in Indonesia

Mount Sinabung spews volcanic smoke in Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010.

More than 25,000 Indonesians have left their homes after several eruptions from a volcano on Sumatra, on one of Indonesia‘s major islands. Vimeo Photo:Villagerswalk through mud and ash as…
photo: AP / Binsar Bakkara

 

 

 

Africa sees violent, deadly start to 2014

12 Jan 2014

 

Muslim men with machetes rough up a Christian man while checking him for weapons last month in Bangui, Central African Republic. (Associated Press file) NAIROBI, kenya — The death tolls are huge and the individual incidents gruesome. One estimate says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in South Sudan in a month of warfare, while in… 
A staff member from the International Medical Corps provides health services to a young displaced child currently taking refuge on UN grounds in Juba, South Sudan, 6 January, 2014.

 

 

 

Indonesia bans unprocessed ore export

This is an aerial photograph of Grasberg mine run by a local unit of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. taken on Feb. 17, 2006 in Papua province and made available by Indonesian Environment Ministry in Jakarta, Thursday, March 23, 2006 . Indonesia's government Thursday threatened legal action against the U.S. mining giant unless the company improved the environmental record of its massive gold mine in Papua province. (AP Photo/Environment Ministry, Rasio Ridhosani, HO)hg3

Jakarta – An Indonesian law banning the export of unprocessed minerals took effect Sunday, with the government aiming to boost local operations and create more jobs and mining companies warning of losses and layoffs. Coordinating Economic Minister…
photo: AP Photo / Environment Ministry, Rasio Ridhosani, HO

UN chief saddened by Sharon’s death

UN chief saddened by Sharon's death

United Nation, January 11: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon said Saturday he was “saddened” by the death of former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, and called on the country to build on his legacy of pragmatism to press ahead with the Israeli-…
photo: UN / Paulo Filgueiras

Green spaces have lasting positive effect on well-being

Landscaped garden with lush green trees and bushes cut in attractive shapes. Pune-Nagar highway. May 15, 2009

Living in an urban area with green spaces has a long-lasting positive impact on people’s mental well-being, a study has suggested. UK researchers found moving to a green space had a sustained positive effect, unlike pay rises or promotions,…
photo: WN / Sanyogita Jogdeo

Central African Republic: UN envoy urges calm after transition leaders step down

Central African Republic: UN envoy urges calm after transition leaders step down

Print 11 January 2014 – Following the resignation of the Central African Republic‘s two interim leaders, the top United Nations official in the crisis-riven country called for calm today, urging the authorities to mobilze around the speedy…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe

Egypt army chief says to run for president if people demand

Egypt's Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, center, Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, right, and army's Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Sedki Sobhi, left, attend the funeral of Giza Police Gen. Nabil Farrag in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Sept. 20, 2013.

Abdel Fatah Al Sisi‘s The comments come just days ahead of a referendum on a new constitution. Egypt’s army chief Abdel Fattah Al Sisi said he would run for president if the people demand it and the military supports him, state media quoted him…
photo: AP / Hassan Ammar

Iraq: At least 60 killed in 2 weeks of Anbar violence

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 10, 2014, mourners express their feeling during the funeral procession for four Shiite fighters in Najaf, 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Baghdad, Iraq.

BAGHDAD — Fighting between security forces and al-Qaida-linked militants in Iraq‘s Sunni-dominated Anbar province has killed at least 60 people over the past two weeks, an official said Saturday. The head of Anbar‘s Health Directorate, Khudeir…
photo: AP / Jaber al-Helo

Google Gmail update lets strangers send you emails

The Google logo is seen at the Google headquarters in Brussels

Google is about to introduce a big change to Gmail, which is raising plenty of eyebrows. You can now send emails to anyone with a Google+ account and they, in turn, can send you an email, even if you don’t know the person. On Thursday,…
photo: AP / Virginia Mayo

 

 

 

 

Ukraine ex-minister Lutsenko hurt in clashes in Kiev

11 Jan 2014

 

Several people have been injured in clashes between protesters and riot police in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Former Interior Minister and leading opposition figureYuriy Lutsenko was among those wounded. The… 


Pro-European Union activists block riot police near a Svyatoshin police station in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014.

 

 

Jihadists fighting back in north Syria

10 Jan 2014

 

Wreckage: People gather around the site of a car bombing in Hama province.Photo: Reuters Damascus: Jihadists battling rebels in northern Syria have sought to recover turf lost during nearly a week of fighting between them that has killed hundreds in the latest twist in the civil war. Thursday’s fighting came a day after the Islamic State of Iraq… 
In this undated file picture released on Monday, Dec. 2, 2013, and posted on the Facebook page of a militant group, a member of Mujahidin, who fight with Syrian rebels groups against the Syrian government forces, poses for a picture standing next to a missile at an unknown place in Syria. With a new label - the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - the global terror network al-Qaida is positioning itself as a vanguard defending a persecuted Sunni community against Shiite-dominated governments across Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.

 

 

Samsung Galaxy S5 Due April, Maybe With Eye-Scan Security: Report

Samsung Galaxy S4

If you’re holding out for the next Android superphone, you may only have a few months to wait. Samsung has spoken out about its upcoming devices in a long interview with Bloomberg, and it plans to have the S5 out by April. Speaking…
photo: Creative Commons / Javierito92

In a Rare Video, Fidel Castro Surfaces

This picture released by Cubadebate on its website early Monday Oct. 22, 2012 shows Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Habana, Cuba, Sunday Oct. 21, 2012.

Fidel Castro, the former president of Cuba, made his first public appearance in nine months on Wednesday night at the opening of a nonprofit art studio in theRomerillo neighborhood of Havana. The former president showed up for the opening of the…
photo: AP / Alex Castro, Cubadebate

Frozen Niagara Falls: A rare creation by the artist polar vortex

Niagara Falls in Winter in Canada.

A frozen Niagara Falls has turned into a sculpture of grand proportions, changing the scenery of the famous tourist spot into something else altogether. According to The Inquisitr on Jan. 9, the artist of this breathtaking sculpture is a visitor from…
photo: Public Domain / Quozl

Jury finds police lawfully killed Mark Duggan, whose death sparked UK riots

File - A group of youths walk past a sign where Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old father of four, was gunned down by police in disputed circumstances a week ago, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 in Tottenham, north London.

London: Police were acting lawfully when they shot dead an unarmed Mark Duggan, the 29-year-old father of six whose killing led to the London riots ofAugust 2011, an inquest jury has found. There was uproar in the courtroom after the jury…
photo: AP / Karel Prinsloo

Authorities in NY sue Novartis in kickback scheme

The headquarters of Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis in Basel, Switzerland, are seen in this file picture taken Aug. 12, 2006. Novartis AG said Thursday Oct. 18, 2007 that its third-quarter earnings more than tripled due to large divestments, but th

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. paid kickbacks to a specialty pharmacy in exchange for recommending refills of a blood transfusion drug it produces, according to an amended complaint filed Wednesday in a civil case brought by state and federal…
photo: AP/Keystone, Steffen Schmidt

Christie bridge scandal: Woman died after traffic delayed medics

The Detroit River flows beneath the bridge. bridge, over the Detroit River, had the longest suspended central span in the world when it was completed in 1929—564 m (1850 feet), a title it would hold until the opening of the George Washington Bridge in 1931.

A political retaliation scandal that erupted around Republican New Jersey Gov.Chris Christie on Wednesday may be about to get worse. In September, according to a report from the Bergen Record, paramedics trying to reach an unconscious 91-year-old…
photo: Creative Commons / Mikerussell

New Jersey Governor says he was misled by staff over bridge scandal

New Jersey Governor says he was misled by staff over bridge scandal

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Wednesday said he was misled by his staff after fresh revelations that a top aide played a key role in closing some lanes leading to one of the world’s busiest bridges in what critics say was a political…
photo: AP / Rich Schultz

 

 

 

 

Hamas and Iran rebuild ties three years after falling out over Syria

09 Jan 2014

 

News that high-level contacts between Palestinian party and Tehran have resumed is likely to dismay Israel and US Khaled Meshaal, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, based in Qatar, met representatives from Tehran in Ankara and Doha in recent months, and may visit Tehran in the coming months. Photograph:Mohammed Saber/EPA A rapprochement between… 
File - Hamas leader in exile Khaled Meshaal greets members of the Palestinian family of Kamal al-Nayrab, the killed leader of the Popular Resistance Committees in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip on December 10, 2012.

 

Jury finds police lawfully killed Mark Duggan, whose death sparked UK riots

File - A group of youths walk past a sign where Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old father of four, was gunned down by police in disputed circumstances a week ago, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 in Tottenham, north London.

London: Police were acting lawfully when they shot dead an unarmed Mark Duggan, the 29-year-old father of six whose killing led to the London riots ofAugust 2011, an inquest jury has found. There was uproar in the courtroom after the jury…
photo: AP / Karel Prinsloo

Christie bridge scandal: Woman died after traffic delayed medics

The Detroit River flows beneath the bridge. bridge, over the Detroit River, had the longest suspended central span in the world when it was completed in 1929—564 m (1850 feet), a title it would hold until the opening of the George Washington Bridge in 1931.

A political retaliation scandal that erupted around Republican New Jersey Gov.Chris Christie on Wednesday may be about to get worse. In September, according to a report from the Bergen Record, paramedics trying to reach an unconscious 91-year-old…
photo: Creative Commons / Mikerussell

New Jersey Governor says he was misled by staff over bridge scandal

New Jersey Governor says he was misled by staff over bridge scandal

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Wednesday said he was misled by his staff after fresh revelations that a top aide played a key role in closing some lanes leading to one of the world’s busiest bridges in what critics say was a political…
photo: AP / Rich Schultz

Honeybee shortage threatens crop pollination in Europe

A honeybee nacters almond flower as blossoms bloom as a sign of the arrival of spring after a long spell of winter at Badamwari in old downtown Srinagar, on March 21, 2012.

In more than half of European countries, there are not enough honeybees to pollinate crops, according to new research. Scientists believe that a boom in biofuels has sparked a massive increase in the need for pollination. The shortage is particularly…
photo: WN / Imran Nissar

Angry Dennis Rodman defends North Korea visit

Dennis Rodman coaches as North Korean and U.S. basketball players practice in Pyongyang, North Korea on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014.

Dennis Rodman has angrily defended his visit to North Korea, ahead of a basketball game to mark leader Kim Jong-un‘s birthday. In an interview with CNN, Rodman was asked if he would raise the issue of a US citizen jailed in North Korea. The…
photo: AP / Kim Kwang Hyon

U.S. Military Helicopter Crashes on Coast of England

A US Air Force (USAF) HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter from the 56th Rescue Squadron (RQS), 398th Air Expeditionary Group (AEG), lands at sunset during external sling-load training in Lungi, Sierra Leone. The 398th AEG is currently deployed at Sierra Leone to

LONDON — An American military helicopter crashed on the coast of easternEngland on Tuesday, and all four people aboard were believed to have been killed, the authorities said. Connect With Us on Twitter Follow @nytimesworld for international…
photo: US DoD

80 retired cops, firefighters charged in 9/11 disability fraud

Lights from a NYPD police vehicle illuminate a downed tree on 6th Avenue, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in New York. Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain.

Tweet NEW YORK – Eighty retired New York police officers and firefighters were charged on Tuesday in a suspected disability scam in which authorities said dozens of people falsely claimed to have been traumatized by the Sept. 11 attacks. In all, 106…
photo: AP / John Minchillo

 

 

 

 

 

Syria crisis: Islamist rebels urge attacks on opposition rivals

08 Jan 2014

 

A hardline Islamist rebel group in Syria has called on its supporters to attack rival opposition factions that do not support its cause. The call by the al-Qaeda-linkedIslamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) follows days of rebel infighting that has left scores dead. It came hours after another rebel group called on ISIS to observe a… 
In this Friday, Nov. 22, 2013 file photo, a Shiite fighter clashes with members of the Sunni-dominated Free Syrian Army rebel in the town of Hatita, in the countryside of Damascus, Syria.

U.S. Military Helicopter Crashes on Coast of England

A US Air Force (USAF) HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter from the 56th Rescue Squadron (RQS), 398th Air Expeditionary Group (AEG), lands at sunset during external sling-load training in Lungi, Sierra Leone. The 398th AEG is currently deployed at Sierra Leone to

LONDON — An American military helicopter crashed on the coast of easternEngland on Tuesday, and all four people aboard were believed to have been killed, the authorities said. Connect With Us on Twitter Follow @nytimesworld for international…
photo: US DoD

80 retired cops, firefighters charged in 9/11 disability fraud

Lights from a NYPD police vehicle illuminate a downed tree on 6th Avenue, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in New York. Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain.

Tweet NEW YORK – Eighty retired New York police officers and firefighters were charged on Tuesday in a suspected disability scam in which authorities said dozens of people falsely claimed to have been traumatized by the Sept. 11 attacks. In all, 106…
photo: AP / John Minchillo

Panama Canal, consortium closer to deal to keep expansion going

PANAMA CANAL, Panama (March 25, 2012) Mules guide USS San Diego through the Panama Canal.

Reuters January 7, 2014 – 23:12 By Lomi Kriel and Elida Moreno PANAMA CITY(Reuters) – The Panama Canal and a Spanish-led building consortium expanding the major world cargo route moved nearer to a deal to keep work going amid a cost dispute…
photo: Public Domain / Official Navy Page

Newsweek Article On ‘Fall Of France’ Gets It All Wrong

French soldiers patrol under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010.

We need to thank Newsweek for filling our New Year with joy. There is so much ineptness in a recent article by Janine di Giovanni aimed at destroying France — now a specialty of the magazine. “French bashing” is trendy again among Anglo-Saxons! Yet…
photo: AP / Laurent Cipriani

Spain’s Princess Cristina Faces Subpoena For Alleged Tax Fraud

FILE - In this April 5, 2013 file photo, Spain's Princess Cristina walks towards her office in Barcelona, Spain. A Spanish court has subpoenaed Princess Cristina, the daughter of Spain's King Juan Carlos, as a suspect of tax fraud and money laundering, the latest blow to the royal family's reputation. Palma de Mallorca court judge Jose Castro on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014 ordered the 48-year-old princess to appear March 8 for questioning concerning investments and finances relating to her partnership with her husband Inaki Urdangarin in a firm called Aizoon.

MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court has subpoenaed Princess Cristina, the daughter ofSpain‘s King Juan Carlos, as a suspect in an investigation of alleged tax fraud and money laundering, the latest blow to the royal family’s reputation. Palma de Mallorca…
photo: AP / Manu Fernandez

Stone-age hunter gatherers had rotten teeth due to nutty diet

Restes d'Homo Sapiens del Paleolític Superior, procedents de la cova del Parpalló, Museu de Prehistòria de València, Spain

Tweet Washington, Jan. 7 (ANI): Researchers have discovered some of the earliest evidence for widespread tooth decay in humans. The new proof comes from skeletal remains of Stone-Age hunter-gatherers, who…
photo: Creative Commons / P.Lameiro

 

Polar Freeze Grips United States, Disrupting Travel, Business

A woman looks out of a window covered in frost on a bus in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012.

By Nick Carrey & Kim Palmer on 10:53 am January 7, 2014. Category International,World Tags: United States, US cold snap The Chicago skyline is seen beyond the arctic sea smoke rising off Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois, January 6, 2014. A blast…
photo: AP / Vadim Ghirda

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thai government fears coup plan in the works

07 Jan 2014

 

Rallying: Anti-government protesters in central Bangkok on Monday. Photo: Reuters Bangkok: Thailand’s democratically elected government fears the country’s powerful military will be lured into staging a coup if anti-government protesters shut down Bangkok again next Monday. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is also facing legal… 
Thai anti-government protesters chat next to a protesting banner outside a makeshift camp where their colleagues were shot outside the Prime Minister's office of Government House, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand.
photo: AP / Apichart Weerawong

 

Stone-age hunter gatherers had rotten teeth due to nutty diet

Restes d'Homo Sapiens del Paleolític Superior, procedents de la cova del Parpalló, Museu de Prehistòria de València, Spain

Tweet Washington, Jan. 7 (ANI): Researchers have discovered some of the earliest evidence for widespread tooth decay in humans. The new proof comes from skeletal remains of Stone-Age hunter-gatherers, who…
photo: Creative Commons / P.Lameiro

Polar Freeze Grips United States, Disrupting Travel, Business

A woman looks out of a window covered in frost on a bus in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012.

By Nick Carrey & Kim Palmer on 10:53 am January 7, 2014. Category International,World Tags: United States, US cold snap The Chicago skyline is seen beyond the arctic sea smoke rising off Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois, January 6, 2014. A blast…
photo: AP / Vadim Ghirda

Iran not on Syria peace conference list: UN

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov walk and talk

January 06: UN leader Ban Ki-moon has sent invitations to 30 countries to attend aSyria peace conference this month, but did not include Iran, a spokesman said. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet on…
photo: Public Domain / State Department

 

Yellen first woman to lead US Fed

Janet Yellen, vice chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, places her name plate at her seat at the International Monetary Conference in Shanghai, China, Monday, June 3, 2013.

Janet Yellen, a key force behind the Federal Reserve‘s unprecedented and controversial efforts to boost the US economy, has been confirmed by the Senateto lead the central bank just as it begins to unwind that stimulus. When she succeeds Ben…
photo: AP / Eugene Hoshiko

Sports briefs: FIFA boss Blatter blasts Brazilians

FIFA President Joseph Blatter announces Qatar to host the 2022 soccer World Cup in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday, Dec.2, 2010.

“Brazil has just realized what it means to organize a World Cup,” Blatter said in an interview with Swiss newspaper 24 Heures. “They started a lot too late.” Join the Discussion Delays have included financial problems, worker safety issues and…
photo: AP / Michael Probst

US intelligence report predicts failure in Afghanistan

US intelligence report predicts failure in Afghanistan

A stunning new intelligence report surfaced this week highlighting a dire situation in Afghanistan. The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) classified report suggested Afghanistan would quickly fall into chaos if US and NATO forces failed to sign a…
photo: US Army / Eric Provost

Mylan donates $3 million to Philippines relief effort

Mylan donates $3 million to Philippines relief effort

Reporter- Pittsburgh Business Times | Canonsburg-based drug giant Inc. has donated more than $3 million in medications to AmeriCares for its Typhoon Haiyanrelief efforts in the Philippines. The donation is the company’s biggest to the…
photo: USMC / Codey Underwood

DEEP FREEZE: -63°

 

 

 

 

Iraqis Make Gains Against Militants in Key City

06 Jan 2014

 

BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces and their tribal allies made gains in heavy fighting on Sunday in Ramadi, reclaiming parts of the city from Sunni militants aligned with Al Qaeda, security officials and tribal leaders said. Related Qaeda-Linked Militants inIraq Secure Nearly Full Control of Falluja (January 5, 2014) Power Vacuum in Middle East… 
Gunmen patrol after clashes with Iraqi security forces in Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014.

 

 

 

 

African Union missing in action in conflicts from Mali to South Sudan

African Union missing in action in conflicts from Mali to South Sudan

Weak leadership and rivalry between states have hampered African efforts to bring security to the conflict-hit continent A French soldier patrols Bossangoa, Central African Republic. Foreign troops have struggled to stem sectarian clashes….
photo: UN / Marco Dormino

India court says pre-marital sex ‘against religion’

A couple- Love- Relationship- India

A court in the Indian capital, Delhi, has said that pre-marital sex was “immoral” and against the “tenets of every religion”. Judge Virender Bhat made the remarks after ruling that sex between two adults on the promise of marriage…
photo: WN / Aruna Mirasdar

 

New Hyundai Genesis to Link Up with Google Glass

Genesis Sedan Concept at NY International Auto Show

The upcoming Hyundai Genesis for the North American market will allow drivers to use wearable devices or smartwatches such as Google Glass to…
photo: GFDL

John Kerry Says Saudi King Abdullah Backs Israeli-Palestinian Push

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, speaks with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah

By Arshad Mohammed RIYADH, Jan 5 (Reuters) – Saudi King Abdullah offered his “enthusiastic support” to U.S. efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, U.S.Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday. The U.S. diplomat made the comment…
photo: AP / Brendan Smialowski

Eusebio Dead: Soccer Legend Dies At 71

Eusebio da Silva Ferreira

Getty LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Eusebio, the Portuguese soccer star who was born into poverty in Africa but became an international sporting icon and was voted one of the 10 best players of all time, has died aged 71, his longtime club Benfica said. He…
photo: Creative Commons / Alface

Bangladesh Votes in Polls Hit by Opposition Boycott and Violence

Bangladeshi youth stand and talk on a street under election posters in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014.

By Serajul Quadir & Nandita Bose on 5:26 pm January 5, 2014. CategoryInternational Tags: Bangladesh A Bangladeshi army soldier stands guard in front of a polling station as armed forces were deployed to maintain the law and order during the tenth…
photo: AP / Rajesh Kumar Singh

 

New York set to allow limited use of medical marijuana

Amsterdam store window displaying various medical cannabis, hemp food and other types of products.

New York: New York could soon join a growing group of American states that allow limited use of marijuana, with Governor Andrew Cuomo planning to announce an executive action that would grant access to the drug for those with serious illnesses, a…
photo: Creative Commons / nickolette

Bombings kill 20 in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad

05 Jan 2014

 

BAGHDAD (AP) — A new wave of bombings hit Iraq‘s capital, Baghdad, killing at least 20 people Sunday, officials said, the latest assault by militants who have been fighting Iraqi security forces and allied tribes in country’s west. The deadliest attack took place in Baghdad’s Shiite northern Shaab neighborhood, when two parked car bombs exploded… 

The Prophet Muhammad Mosque looks over a burned police vehicle left in the main street of Fallujah after clashes between Iraqi security forces and al-Qaeda fighters in Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014.

 

 

 

Fallujah falls to Al Qaeda militants; 55 killed

File - An Iraqi soldier guards a detainee alongside Lance Cpl. Matt R. Walters, an assistant team leader with 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, at the Farwat bakery, Fallujah, Iraq.

FALLUJAH (Iraq): Iraq has lost Fallujah to Al Qaeda-linked fighters, a senior security official said on Saturday, putting militants back in control of the city in Anbar provincewhere American forces repeatedly battled insurgents. But security forces…
photo: USMC / Cpl. Mike Escobar

Mali, Niger evacuate citizens from Central African Republic

Mali, Niger evacuate citizens from Central African Republic

Reuters January 4, 2014 – 18:54 By Paul-Marin Ngoupana BANGUI (Reuters) – African countries have started evacuating their citizens from the Central African Republic in recent days amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions and inter-religious…
photo: UN / Tobin Jones

Afghanistan’s Worsening, and Baffling, Hunger Crisis

Afghanistan’s Worsening, and Baffling, Hunger Crisis

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan — In the Bost Hospital here, a teenage mother named Bibi Sherina sits on a bed in the severe acute malnutrition ward with her two children. Ahmed, at just 3 months old, looks bigger than his emaciated brotherMohammad, who is…
photo: US Army / Clay Beyersdorfer

Tunisia MPs reject Islam as main source of law

Moncef Marzouki, President of Tunisia, delivers a statement at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013. Marzouki, who is from a secular party in the governing coalition, was in Strasbourg addressing the European Parliament and said the assassination was a threat against all of Tunisia. Chokri Belaid, a Tunisian opposition leader critical of the Islamist-led government and violence by radical Muslims was shot to death Wednesday _ the first political assassination in post-revolutionary Tunisia.

TUNIS: Tunisian lawmakers rejected Islam Saturday as the main source of law for the country that spawned the Arab Spring as they voted for a second day on a new constitution. The voting comes amid concerns that a January 14 deadline for the new…
photo: AP / Christian Lutz

 

 

 

 

South Sudan ceasefire talks delayed

04 Jan 2014

 

Face-to-face talks between warring parties in South Sudan have been delayed, government and rebel delegations said Saturday, dashing hopes of a swift ceasefire to end raging battles and risks of all-out civil war. South Sudan Information Minister Michael Makuei, part of the delegation to the talks in… 
In this photo taken Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014, a displaced mother and her baby, one of the few to have a mosquito net, wake up in the morning after sleeping in the open, some of the thousands who fled the recent fighting between government and rebel forces in Bor by boat across the White Nile, in the town of Awerial, South Sudan.
photo: AP / Ben Curtis

 

 

U.S. Is Facing Hard Choices in South Sudan

U.S. Is Facing Hard Choices in South Sudan

WASHINGTON — South Sudan is in many ways an American creation, carved out of war-torn Sudan in a referendum largely orchestrated by the United States, its fragile institutions nurtured with billions of dollars in American aid. But a murky, vicious…
photo: UN / Hailemichael Gebrekrstos

 

Philippines in 2014: Emerging Economies with Contentious Leadership

Philippines in 2014: Emerging Economies with Contentious Leadership

Across a number of emerging markets, the coming year will mark a consequential political transition. This could ultimately prove much more important that the U.S.Federal Reserve‘s scheduled tapering in early 2014, which is expected to precipitated…
photo: UN / Evan Schneider

From The Ruins Of A Tsunami, A Rebuilt Aceh Rises Anew

From The Ruins Of A Tsunami, A Rebuilt Aceh Rises Anew

As survivors of Haiyan — November’s super typhoon in the Philippines — slowly put their lives back together, the rest of Asia has been marking the anniversary of another disaster. Shortly after Christmas nine years ago, a huge tsunami swept across…
photo: UN / Evan Schneider

Winter Storm Hercules: Homeless People In NYC, Northeast Face Grueling Weather

Winter Storm Hercules: Homeless People In NYC, Northeast Face Grueling Weather

Hercules, the first gripping winter storm of 2014, barreled across 22 states Thursday night, affecting approximately one-third of the nation and killing at least nine. New England was among the strongest hit regions, with some cities in the area…
photo: WN / Janice Sabnal

 

 

 

South Sudan ceasefire talks open as battles rage

03 Jan 2014

 

ADDIS ABABA: South Sudan‘s warring parties opened negotiations on Friday to end nearly three weeks of raging conflict in which thousands are feared dead and that has taken the world’s youngest nation to the brink of all-out civil war. Governmentand rebel negotiating teams are at a luxury hotel in neighbouring Ethiopia‘s capitalAddis Ababa, with… 
A young displaced boy pulls his suitcase of belongings as he walks to find a place to rest after getting off a river barge from Bor, one of the thousands who fled the recent fighting between government and rebel forces in Bor by boat across the White Nile, in the town of Awerial, South Sudan Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014.

 

 

Health care for transforms at snail’s pace

Health care for transforms at snail’s pace

A woman’s appendix ruptured while she waited for emergency surgery at theMitchells Plain hospital in Cape Town last year. A 69-year-old former matron ofJubilee district hospital in Pretoria died barely five hours after the same hospital sent…
photo: UN / Rolla Hinedi

Children beheaded as violence grows in Central African Republic, U.N. says

Children beheaded as violence grows in Central African Republic, U.N. says

January 3, 2014 — Updated 0640 GMT (1440 HKT) People wait for evacuation flights in a hangar at the airport in Bangui, Central African Republic, on Sunday, December 29. The African nation has been dealing with violence between Muslim andChristian…
photo: UN / Marco Dormino

Cambodia: Deadly Crackdown On Workers

Cambodia garment workers throw stones at riot police during a strike near a factory on the Stung Meanchey complex on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, Jan. 3, 2014.

Three people have been killed in Cambodia as police opened fire to try to quell a protest by garment factory workers. Workers armed with sticks, rocks and Molotov cocktails clashed with armed police in the capital Phnom Penh, according to witnesses….
photo: AP / Heng Sinith

2 newspapers call for clemency for Edward Snowden

A TV screen shows the news of Edward Snowden, former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at a restaurant in Hong Kong Wednesday, June 12, 2013.

LONDON — The New York Times and Guardian newspapers have called for clemency for Edward Snowden, saying that the espionage worker-turned-privacy advocate should be praised rather than punished for his disclosures. The papers — both of which have…
photo: AP / Kin Cheung

First snowstorm of 2014 descends on northeast US

Snow removal continues at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Monday, Dec. 27, 2010.

HARTFORD (USA): The northeastern US, including New York City, prepared on Thursday for heavy snow, strong winds and frigid temperatures that threatened to slow the…
photo: AP / Seth Wenig

NSA eyes encryption-breaking ‘quantum’ machine: report

Employees of the National Security Agency sit in the Threat Operations Center on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, in Fort Meade, Md. The government issued an alert Thursday Nov. 30, 2006 to U.S. stock market and banking Web sites about a possible Internet attack from a radical Muslim group, but said the threat was unconfirmed and seemed to pose no immediate danger.

WASHINGTON: The US National Security Agency is making strides toward building a “quantum computer” that could break nearly any kind of encryption, The Washington Post reported Thursday. The Post said leaked documents from fugitive ex-NSA contractor…
photo: AP / Evan Vucci

Bill Bratton, Stop-And-Frisk Architect, Takes Over Nation’s Biggest Police Force

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, left, listens to remarks by newly-sworn in New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton during a ceremony at police headquarters,

NEW YORK — William Bratton was sworn in as New York City’s police commissioner on Thursday afternoon, marking the start of his second term at the helm of the city’s police department and his first under progressive new mayor Bill de Blasio. De…
photo: AP / Kathy Willens

 

 

 

 

 

Rescue delayed for icebound ship in Antarctica

02 Jan 2014

 

The latest attempt to rescue passengers on board a research ship that has been trapped in Antarctic ice for more than a week was delayed again Thursday after sea ice prevented a barge from reaching one of the rescue vessels. The AustralianMaritime Safety Authority‘s Rescue Coordination Centre, which is handling the operation, said earlier on… 
In this Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013 image provided by Australasian Antarctic Expedition/Footloose Fotography, Ben Maddison and Ben Fisk from the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy work to place a wind indicator atop an ice feature near the trapped ship 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart, Australia.

 

 

 

UN representative calls for truce in South Sudan

UN representative calls for truce in South Sudan

UN Special Representative for South Sudan Hilde Johnson has called for an end to fighting in the country. Ms Johnson also called for impending peace talks inEthiopia to be given a chance to…
photo: UN / Marco Dormino

Kenya grenade attack wounds 10 near Mombasa

Kenya grenade attack wounds 10 near Mombasa

Comment () Tweet MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — An official says 10 people have been wounded in a grenade attack at a restaurant south of Kenya’s coastal city ofMombasa. Kwale County Commissioner Evans Achoki said one of the two men on a motorcycle…
photo: UN / Marco Dormino

Where to go in 2014 – UK travel hot list

Where to go in 2014 - UK travel hot list

The Tour de France starting in Yorkshire and the Commonwealth Games coming toGlasgow are just two of the events set to make the UK a top destination for tourists in 2014 The Riverside Museum, Glasgow. Photograph: Murdo Macleod Glasgow If your image…
photo: WN / Marzena J.

2013 marked as ‘bloodiest year’ for Syria with 73,000 dead

2013 marked as 'bloodiest year' for Syria with 73,000 dead

Tweet Johannesburg, Jan. 02 (ANI): 2013 has been marked as the bloodiest year yet in the brutal civil war of Syria with more than 73, 000…
photo: AP / Media Office Of Douma City

Putin visits Volgograd bombing victims

In a file photo Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during a meeting with Moscow region governor Boris Gromov in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Thursday, April 19, 2007. Putin makes his annual state of the nation address, a speech that

Moscow, January 01: Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday visited some victims of recent terror blasts in Volgograd city and discussed public security with senior officials. Two suicide bombings struck in Volgograd, the first at a railway…
photo: AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Presidential Press Service, Dmitry Astakhov

New Year’s Eve celebrations usher in 2014 across the world

New Year's Eve celebrations usher in 2014 across the world

Published December 31, 2013FoxNews.com Millions around the world welcomed 2014 on Tuesday, as fireworks, dancing and all-night revelry marked huge displays of jubilation and unity around the globe. Crowds that filled New York City‘s Times Square…
photo: Creative Commons / S273s

Mining in Greenland – a country divided

Greenland Dog trecking in Advent Valley, east of Longyearbyen.

Greenland‘s economy relies on fishing and hunting, but the government has ambitious plans to develop the country’s resource industries. In places like Narsaq, there’s a fear that mining could destroy the environment and traditional…
photo: Creative Commons / Bjoertvedt

 

 

 

 

 

1558545_10202815142529632_214196661_nhorse

 

 

 

New Year’s Eve celebrations usher in 2014 across the world

New Year's Eve celebrations usher in 2014 across the world

Published December 31, 2013FoxNews.com Millions around the world welcomed 2014 on Tuesday, as fireworks, dancing and all-night revelry marked huge displays of jubilation and unity around the globe. Crowds that filled New York City‘s Times Square…
photo: Creative Commons

Mining in Greenland – a country divided

Greenland Dog trecking in Advent Valley, east of Longyearbyen.

Greenland‘s economy relies on fishing and hunting, but the government has ambitious plans to develop the country’s resource industries. In places like Narsaq, there’s a fear that mining could destroy the environment and traditional…
photo: Creative Commons / Bjoertvedt

 

UN envoy condemns attacks on key sites in DR Congo capital

UN envoy condemns attacks on key sites in DR Congo capital

Print 31 December 2013 – The top United Nations envoy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has deplored the attacks carried out on Monday on the headquarters of the Congolese Armed Forces and of the National Radio andTelevision Company,…
photo: UN / Sylvain Liechti

Cebu startups rev up

Cebu startups rev up

BARELY had typhoon Yolanda left Cebu in November when local developers buckled down to build systems to help in rescue, relief and rebuilding efforts. Couple Kristoffer Vincent Loremia and Yvonne, who sought shelter with their newborn child Xhian…
photo: UN / Evan Schneider

South Sudan town of Bor partially in rebel hands

South Sudan town of Bor partially in rebel hands

Related Articles Civilians ‘going without food’ in South Sudan UN camp 30 Dec 2013Captured twice and looted twice, a state capital in South Sudan fears third battle 29 Dec 2013 South Sudan rebel leader dashes ceasefire hopes 28 Dec 2013 Leaders in…
photo: UN/UN

Uganda warns South Sudan rebel leader

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda answers questions during a news conference following graduation ceremonies at Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Friday, June 13, 2008.

RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press= JUBA, South Sudan (AP) â?? Uganda‘s president on Monday warned South Sudan’s rebel leader against rejecting the government’s offer of a cease-fire, saying regional leaders would unite to “defeat” the former vice…
photo: AP / Orlin Wagner

 

Feds announce test sites for drone aircraft

An Israeli air force unmanned plane fly over the Tel Nof base, central Israel, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010. Israel's air force has introduced a fleet of large unmanned planes that it says can fly as far as Iran. Air force officials say the Heron TP drones have a wingspan of 86 feet (26 meters), making them the size of passenger jets. They say the planes can fly 20 consecutive hours, and are primarily used for surveillance and carrying payloads.

Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia will host the research sites, providing diverse climates, geography and air traffic environments as theFederal Aviation Administration seeks to safely introduce commercial drones intoU.S.…
photo: AP / Ariel Schalit

 

 

Israel releases 26 more Palestinian prisoners

31 Dec 2013

 

RAMALLAH, West Bank – Israel released 26 Palestinian prisoners early Tuesday, the third of four groups it promised to free as part of peace talks restarted during the summer. Most of the prisoners were from Palestinian Authority PresidentMahmoud Abbas’ ruling Fatah faction and were serving long sentences for killingIsraelis. Of the 26… 
Released Palestinian prisoners gesture during their welcome ceremony after arriving at the Palestinian headquarters, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013.
photo: AP / Nasser Nasser

 

 

Uganda warns South Sudan rebel leader

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda answers questions during a news conference following graduation ceremonies at Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Friday, June 13, 2008.

RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press= JUBA, South Sudan (AP) â?? Uganda‘s president on Monday warned South Sudan’s rebel leader against rejecting the government’s offer of a cease-fire, saying regional leaders would unite to “defeat” the former vice…
photo: AP / Orlin Wagner

 

Feds announce test sites for drone aircraft

An Israeli air force unmanned plane fly over the Tel Nof base, central Israel, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010. Israel's air force has introduced a fleet of large unmanned planes that it says can fly as far as Iran. Air force officials say the Heron TP drones have a wingspan of 86 feet (26 meters), making them the size of passenger jets. They say the planes can fly 20 consecutive hours, and are primarily used for surveillance and carrying payloads.

Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia will host the research sites, providing diverse climates, geography and air traffic environments as theFederal Aviation Administration seeks to safely introduce commercial drones intoU.S.…
photo: AP / Ariel Schalit

Syria blamed for missed deadline on chemical arsenal

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Inspectors

The Obama administration Monday called on Syria to honor promises to surrender its chemical weapons stockpile, a day after international experts acknowledged delays in removing some of the most lethal toxins from the country. U.S. officials conceded…
photo: Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

Islamic Group Denies Links to Turkish Probe

UEFA Chairman Michel Platini of France, left, and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan seen during a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, March 19, 2012.

ANKARA, Turkey — A foundation close to a U.S.-based Muslim cleric‘s movement has denied being behind a corruption probe targeting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan‘s allies. Erdogan has rejected the corruption allegations as a conspiracy against…
photo: AP / Adem Altan

 

Schumacher fighting for life after fall

Former Formula One World Champion, German, Michael Schumacher walks the Ferrari pits before the start of the second free practice session for the up coming Grand Prix, Thursday May 22, 2008 in Monaco

Seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher is fighting for his life after sustaining severe head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps resort of Meribel, doctors say. “We can say that his condition is life-threatening,”…
photo: AP / Christian Lutz

HK travelers warned on PH

HK travelers warned on PH

THE Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) advised its citizens to “avoid all travel” to the Philippines following the devastation caused by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) last November 8 in…
photo: UN / Evan Schneider

Insurgents could quickly bounce back in Afghanistan

Insurgents could quickly bounce back in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence agencies warn in a new, classified assessment that insurgents could quickly regain control of key areas of Afghanistan and threaten the capital as soon as 2015 if American troops are fully withdrawn next year, according…
photo: USMC / Gabriela Garcia

 

 

 

South Sudan rivals under international pressure to end violence

29 Dec 2013

 

JUBA: International pressure bore down on the two sides on Saturday in South Sudan‘s bloody violence to open peace talks to keep the young nation from sliding into civil war. East African and Horn of Africa peace brokers gave until December 31for President Salva Kiir and de facto rebel leader Riek Machar, whom Kiir sacked as vice-president in… 
A wounded soldier, background right, sits with colleagues in an outside courtyard at the Juba Military Hospital in Juba, South Sudan Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013.

Suicide bomber kills 13 in Russia’s south

In this photo taken on a cell phone, made available by Volgograd Mayor's Office, bodies lie at an entrance to Volgograd railway station, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013. More then a dozen people were killed and scores were wounded Sunday by a suicide bomber at a railway station in southern Russia, officials said, heightening concern about terrorism ahead of February's Olympics in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

MOSCOW — Russian officials say at least 13 people were killed and scores were wounded Sunday by a suicide bomber at a…
photo: AP / Nikita Baryshev,Volgograd Mayor’s Office Handout

Unemployment benefits end in US for 1.3 mn jobless

Hundreds of jobseekers gather at a National Career Fairs job fair at the Radisson Martinique On Broadway Hotel in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. The Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims figures Thursday

Washington, December 28: For the more than 1.3 million people who have been jobless in the US for over six months, the holiday season came to a crashing halt Saturday with the cancellation of the federal government’s unemployment insurance payments….
photo: AP / Craig Ruttle

Lebanon ‘microcosm of regional conflicts’

Lebanese army investigators in white coveralls inspect the scene of an explosion in central Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Dec. 27, 2013.

BEIRUT: A Beirut car bomb that killed an anti-Syria politician underscores howLebanon has become a “microcosm of regional conflicts”, with violence escalating as Damascus and its ally Tehran become more emboldened, analysts say. Friday’s bombing…
photo: AP / Hussein Malla

 

Property market: what’s in store for homeowners in 2014?

Property market: what's in store for homeowners in 2014?

Related Articles Bob Hope‘s ‘spaceship’ home: in pics 22 Mar 2013 At home with Sir David Frost 02 Sep 2013 Celebrity homes for sale 24 May 2013 For sale: Bond girlFiona Fullerton‘s Gloucestershire vicarage 14 Sep 2013 Cob house built from earth,…
photo: WN / marzena

Who is behind the Beirut bombing?

28 Dec 2013

 

The assassination of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri aide and former ministerMohamad Chatah in Beirut on December 27, is the latest in a series of attacks aimed at destabilising Lebanon and bringing it closer to the Syrian conflict. That Lebanon should witness this kind of spillover from the Syrian crisis is not surprising: Lebanon is host… 


A Lebanese Army soldier stands next to a destroyed car at the scene of an explosion in central Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Dec. 27, 2013.

 

 

Indian woman gang-raped ‘twice in one night’

India Cine Audience Society activist hold the candel light to protest against the rape case in Barasat in Kolkata on Monday 17 June 2013

Police have arrested 10 people in India after a 21-year-old woman was gang-raped twice in one night be two apparently unrelated groups of men. Six of the men arrested have been charged with gang-raping the woman on the evening ofDecember 24, on…
photo: WN / Bhaskar Mallick

Suicide attack on foreign troop convoy in Kabul kills three and wounds six

Suicide attack on foreign troop convoy in Kabul kills three and wounds six

Nationalities of dead service members unclear after Taliban claim responsibility for car bombing in east of capital US trucks clear away an armoured vehicle hit by a bomb attack in Kabul that killed three. Photograph: Omar…

Immigration fears spark political firestorm in UK

Immigration fears spark political firestorm in UK

LONDON — They’re portrayed as pickpockets who will steal British jobs. There arepredictions they will beg, the unruly young ones will stir up riots, and some will even try to sell babies. For months, Britain’s tabloids have repeatedly…
photo: WN / Marzena J.

Fourth injured SEAL moved to Landstuhl medical center

Fourth injured SEAL moved to Landstuhl medical center

STUTTGART, Germany — A Navy SEAL undergoing medical treatment in Kenya for injuries suffered during the Dec. 21 rescue mission in South Sudan has been transferred to…
photo: UN/UN

China icebreaker steams to rescue science ship trapped off Antarctica

MCMURDO SOUND, Antarctica (Jan. 2) -- During Operation Deep Freeze 2002, both the 399-ft. Polar Star (WAGB-10) and its sister ship Polar Sea (WAGB-11) jointly broke an ice path to create an access channel for supply ships in McMurdo Sound. Supply ships must offload their cargo during the summer months of January and February to ensure that the extensive program of research activities can be conducted and that the facilities in the area remain operational year-round. U.S. COAST GUARD PHOTO (82051) ( DEEP FREEZE 2002 (FOR RELEASE) )

A Chinese icebreaker was on Friday due to reach the frozen seas where a scientific mission ship is trapped off Antarctica, as those onboard welcomed the easing of blizzard conditions. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is co-ordinating…
photo: US Coastguard

Thirty-four children died in Muzaffarnagar relief camps

Thirty-four children died in Muzaffarnagar relief camps

At least 34 children have died in relief camps set up for thousands of people who fled their homes during Hindu-Muslim clashes in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in September, an official report says. The…
photo: WN / Yeshe Choesang

Climate Change This Week: The Good, The Bad, The Old, The New in 2013, and More!

Climate Change This Week: The Good, The Bad, The Old, The New in 2013, and More!

Jingle right along with us this week, folks, for the usual up and down sleigh ride! Most Important Climate Message: “You CAN Do Something About It” is what people need to hear most, says a new , reports Emily Atkin at Climate Progress. And it’s true,…
photo: WN / Marzena J.