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Drone strikes are legal and extend to US citizens as well, says Obama

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:41:57 -0400

WASHINGTON - In a major counter-terrorism speech, President Barack Obama Thursday defended the covert US drone program and stressed that despite the controversies around it, the strikes are legal and save lives. He also said the use of lethal force extends to U.S. citizens as well. This disclosure comes a day after his administration acknowledged publicly for the first time that four US ...

Two civilians among 13 dead in Pakistan car bomb

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:37:50 -0400

QUETTA, Pakistan - At least 13 people, including two civilians, were killed in a car bomb targeting a police vehicle in western Pakistani city of Quetta Thursday, police officials said. The bombing also injured at least 20 people in the capital of Baluchistan province, riven by Islamist militancy and a violent separatist insurgency. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the ...

Kerry holds talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:37:23 -0400

JERUSALEM - US Secretary of State John Kerry Thursday separately began meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials but appeared doubtful about his success on getting the two warring sides back to peace negotiations. This is Kerry's fourth trip to the Middle East in as many months of his assuming the office of the top US diplomat. He was been trying to revive a peace process that has been ...

Meeting of Syrian opposition leaders begins in Istanbul

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:33:08 -0400

ISTANBUL - Syrian opposition leaders Thursday began their three-day meeting in this Turkish capital city to decide on their participation in talks aimed at end the civil war in the country. As the meeting began in Istanbul a prominent Syrian figure in the opposition proposed a transition plan for the country that requires President Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to a senior aide and leave ...

Britain sends up fighters as Pakistani plane diverted

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:30:02 -0400

Britain had to scramble fighter jets Friday for escorting a Pakistani International Airlines (PIA) plane after it was diverted from Manchester. The PIA plane was diverted from Manchester to Stansted airport, reported BBC, citing a Manchester airport spokesperson Friday. The plane, flight number PK709, carrying 297 passengers, had reportedly left Lahore at 09.35 a.m. and was due in at Manchester ...

Amanda Bynes arrested for drug possession

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:00:01 -0400

Actress Amanda Bynes was arrested at her apartment here for possession of marijuana. She even threw the evidence out of the window, reports tmz.com. She was arrested Thursday night. A building official called police after spotting Bynes in the lobby with a joint, acting erratically and talking to herself, said law enforcement sources. Bynes let the policemen in when they knocked at her door, ...

British Open squash Pallikal goes down fighting to World No.2

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:50:01 -0400

India's Dipika Pallikal fought hard before losing to local hope Laura Massaro in the pre-quarterfinals of the Allam British Open Squash Championships here. Fifteenth-ranked Pallikal squandered a great start to go down 11-7, 10-12, 9-11, 6-11 against the World No.2 amid cold and wet conditions surrounding the glass court at the KC Stadium here Thursday night. Her loss ended India's challenge in ...

Suicide bombers gunmen attack Kabul

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:30:02 -0400

Suicide bombers and gunmen launched attacks on several targets, including a police station, in Afghanistan capital Kabul Friday evening, leaving casualties, a police source said. The serial bombings were not near the Indian embassy. The first blast took place at around 4.10 p.m. in Afghanistan's Shahrara area, reported Xinhua citing the source. The source said the obvious target of the attack ...

Teacher banned from every school for seducing boy

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:10:02 -0400

A British teacher who spent two years trying to seduce a male pupil less than half her age has been banned from every school in the country. Catherine Rayne, 35, a geography and history teacher at an East Sussex school, pursued the boy from when he was 15, sending him gifts, texts, Facebook messages and a letter inviting him to start a "romantic relationship", Daily Mail reported. She was a ...

Kids exposure to porn may cause risky sexual behaviour

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:00:02 -0400

Children accessing pornography are more likely to have sex at a younger age and engage in "risky behaviours", a British report has warned. The Office of the Children's Commissioner has called for urgent action to "develop children's resilience to pornography" after discovering that a "significant" number of them have access to sexually explicit images, The Independent reported Friday. The ...

Nine dead in China shop fire

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:00:01 -0400

As many as nine people, including three children, died in a fire that broke out in China's Guangdong province early Friday, fire authorities said. The flames engulfed an automobile repair shop in Foshan city in the morning, reported Xinhua citing a fire brigade official. It was a single-storey building, existing as shop-cum-residence, the official said, adding that the fire was later ...

Prison van carrying killer to court crashes

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:00:01 -0400

Two prison vans, one of them carrying a self-admitted cop-killer to Britain's Preston Crown Court, crashed Friday, leaving four officers and a prisoner writhing in pain. One of the vans was carrying Dale Cregan, who has pleaded guilty to four murders -- including of two policewomen. But he was not believed to have been injured in the accident, Daily Mail reported. It is understood that one van ...

US drone strikes violate sovereignty says Pakistan

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:50:01 -0400

Pakistani government Friday reiterated its opposition to US drone strikes on its territory, saying the strikes were "counter-productive" and "entail loss of innocent civilian lives". The statement came from the Pakistan foreign ministry, hours after US President Barack Obama defended the use of the drone missions as self-defense against militants. Addressing the National Defense University in ...

China reaffirms denuclearisation on Korean Peninsula

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:40:01 -0400

President Xi Jinping Friday reaffirmed China's stance of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula while stressing that targets should be met by all parties involved irrespective of how the situation evolved. During his meeting with Choe Ryong Hae, the special envoy of Nork Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Xi stressed that denuclearisation and long-lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula ...

Five Thai soldiers killed in attack

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:20:03 -0400

Five Thai soldiers were killed and one was injured in a roadside bomb explosion in a Thai province of Pattani Friday. The rangers were returning to their base in their pick-up truck after duty at a Buddhist temple. The bomb was detonated by Muslim insurgents in the southern Thailand to ambush a unit of rangers in Moo 4 village in the morning, Xinhua reported citing local ...

No hatred between Mayers former girlfriends

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:20:03 -0400

There's no ill-will between singer John Mayer's former girlfriends Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. Swift dated Mayer from 2009 to 2010 while Perry has been in an off-and-on relationship with him since last year, reports entertainmentwise.com Indeed, Swift and Perry's friendship was on display on social networking platform Twitter. Perry changed the lyrics of Swift's song "I knew you were trouble" ...

Facebook doesnt excite teens anymore

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:20:02 -0400

The interest of teenagers is moving away from social networking platform Facebook, and they prefer "parent-free" platforms, according to a survey. The survey, conducted by Pew Research Center, indicates how teenagers' enthusiasm for Facebook is diminishing. The authors of the Pew report wrote how Facebook is now a "social burden" for teenaged users. "While Facebook is still deeply integrated in ...

Sudirman Cup China overcome tough test against Indonesia

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:20:02 -0400

Indonesia almost scared China in their second meeting in three days but the defending champions still made the semifinals of the Sudirman Cup here. Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir provided good start for Indonesia as they stunned Olympic runners-up Xu Chen/Ma Jin in mixed doubles 21-18, 14-21 and 21-16 Thursday. But Chen Long quickly levelled the score for China after he thrashed Tommy Sugiarto ...

Indian envoy Nawaz Sharif discuss relations

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:10:02 -0400

Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal Friday called on Nawaz Sharif, who is set to become the prime minister of Pakistan, and discussed ways of strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries, Geo News reported. Sharif told Sabharwal that Pakistan wanted to resolve all the issues at dialogue table on equal basis. The talks were held in Punjab province's Raiwind town. Sharif's ...

Beauty comes from within says Cheryl Cole

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:10:02 -0400

British pop star Cheryl Cole believes real beauty comes from within and that one can't be attractive if one lacks confidence. "You can wear all the make-up you want, but beauty comes from within. A lot of people say it's a cliche, but it's so true," femalefirst.co.uk quoted the 29-year-old singer as saying. "If you feel beautiful inside, you can tell. So you need to feel comfortable within ...

Two killed in Pakistan blast

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:40:01 -0400

At least two people were killed when a blast destroyed a vehicle at a seminary in Pakistan's Peshawar city Friday, Geo News reported. According to witnesses, the powerful explosion devastated a car speeding out of the seminary. It was not clear if it was a suicide attack or an improvised explosive device that went ...

Real Madrid sign Casemiro

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:40:01 -0400

Spanish football club Real Madrid has exercised its option of signing Sao Paulo loanee Casemiro on a permanent deal. The 21-year-old joined the Spanish giants on loan in January and made his Liga debut in a 3-1 victory over Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu April 19, reports Xinhua. A series of impressive performances for Real Madrid Castilla in Spain's second tier convinced club president ...

Itd be cute to have a boy Khloe Kardashian

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:30:04 -0400

Socialite Khloe Kardashian says she wants a son when she and basketball player-husband Lamar Odom finally start a family. "They always say you don't care, and I really don't know if I do care...But I think it would be fun to have a boy because Lamar is a basketball player," contactmusic.com quoted Kardashian as saying. "(I want) to take him to the games and dress him and up and be like 'oh, ...

Atletico Mineiro hold Tijuana to 2-2 draw

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:30:04 -0400

Second-half substitute Luan struck an injury-time equaliser to earn Atletico Mineiro a 2-2 draw against Tijuana in their Copa Libertadores quarterfinal first leg. Colombian striker Duvier Riascos opened the scoring for the Mexican club at the Estadio Caliente after a slick one-two with compatriot Dayro Moreno in the 13th minute Thursday, reports Xinhua. The home side then made it 2-0 early in ...

Highway bridge collapses in Washington

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:30:03 -0400

A number of vehicles and people fell into a river when a highway bridge collapsed in Washington state, officials said. But no death was reported. The four-lane bridge links Seattle with the rest of the US Pacific Northwest and Canada, Xinhua reported Friday. The incident took place Thursday. Three people were rescued and shifted to hospitals. It was not clear what caused the ...

Paris Hilton to record second album

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:30:02 -0400

Socialite Paris Hilton, who released her first album "Paris" in 2006, has secured another record deal for herself. Hilton will be represented by rapper Lil Wayne's empire Young Money Management for the new album, reports mirror.co.uk "This is a lot different than my first album. It's really going to be house music," said the 32-year-old. Her single "Stars are blind" from the first album ...

Nadigayin Diary A sleaze fest

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:30:02 -0400

Film: "Nadigayin Diary"; Cast: Sana Khan, Aravind, Suresh Krishna and Irshad; Director: K. Viyasan; Rating: Loosely inspired by lesser known true story about Silk Smitha's life, "Nadigayin Diary" is a bad homage to the late actress, who once ruled the industry with her dare bare roles. Even though the film claims it is not inspired by the story of 'Silk', we know for a fact, thanks to "Dirty ...

Lacazette called up to join Frances squad

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:30:01 -0400

French coach Didier Deschamps picked Lyon's striker Alexandre Lacazette to replace Jeremy Menez from Paris Saint-Germain for friendly matches against Uruguay and Brazil. "Didier Deschamps endorsed (Menez) withdrawal after an exchange between the medical staff of the Parisian club and the France's team doctor, Franck Le Gall," the French Football Federation (FFF) said Thursday, reports Xinhua. ...

Hoffenheim wins first leg against Kaiserslautern

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:30:01 -0400

Hoffenheim's Roberto Firmino scored a brace in his team's 3-1 win over Kaiserslautern to increase their chances of securing the last berth in German Bundesliga, following the first play off match. After the unbelievable last minute win over Borussia Dortmund in the last round of Bundesliga, Hoffenheim took another big step towards another season in German football's first division when they ...

Werder Bremen signs striker Petersen from Bayern

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:20:01 -0400

Striker Nils Petersen will remain in Werder Bremen and not return to Bayern Munich after signing a four-year deal with the football club. Petersen, who spent the last season on loan to Werder, scored 11 goals in the German Bundesliga, reports Xinhua. Werder barely escaped relegation and is rebuilding after parting company with long-term coach Thomas Schaaf. The club are looking to sign Robin ...

Emergency landing forces closure of Heathrow

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:20:01 -0400

London's Heathrow airport closed both its runways Friday morning after an emergency landing. All passengers have been safely evacuated, a media report said. Witnesses saw flames emitting from one of the engines of the plane, which was flying from London to Oslo. The plane was forced to land soon thereafter, reported Xinhua citing SkyTV. The airport said all passengers had been safely ...

Free school for Sikhs approved in British city

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:00:01 -0400

A free school to cater to members of the Sikh community has been approved in the British city of Leicester. Leicestershire's education department has approved a bid put forward by nine gurdwara leaders for a school especially for Sikh students, the Leicester Mercury reported. This was the second bid after a similar one was rejected last July on the ground that it was not strong enough. Though ...

T20s wont hamper Windies chances in CT Ramdin

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:40:01 -0400

Vice-captain Denesh Ramdin has backed the West Indies to make a smooth transition to the 50-over format when they open their campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy starting next month. Several leading members of the squad have been campaigning in the Indian Premier League over the last six weeks but Ramdin said here Thursday he expected no fallout from this. In fact, he contended that the IPL ...

Ecuadorian footballer feels it is best to ignore racism in Russia

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:30:01 -0400

Lokomotiv Moscow forward Felipe Caicedo has said that he tries to block out racist chants at Russian football stadiums. "I try not to notice these things, not to react in any way," the 24-year-old Ecuadorian told R-Sport Thursday. "It's not easy because you are agitated during the game and the smallest thing can throw you off the balance, but I try so it doesn't bug me." Caicedo is completing ...

Nicole Richie spends wisely on clothes

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:30:01 -0400

Actress and designer Nicole Richie, who has seen and worn it all, doesn't like to waste money on clothes. "I've gone through every phase - a "Punky Brewster" phase, where I wore a red sock and a green sock with a black shoe and a white shoe, and a grunge Nirvana phase in the early 1990s," usmagazine.com quoted the 31-year-old as saying. After experimenting a lot, she now buys clothes that have ...

India lose to Chinese Taipei AFC Cup dream ends

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:20:02 -0400

The Indian women's football team's dream of qualifying for the AFC Cup fell by the wayside as they went down fighting 1-2 to Chinese Taipei, who notched their second consecutive win, in a group D encounter at the Faisal Al Huseni Stadium here. Yu Hsiu Chin and Lai Li Chin scored either side of a fine set-piece equaliser from Sasmita Malik in the 53rd minute to secure the win for Taipei Thursday. ...

Alice Eve believes in aliens

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:20:01 -0400

Actress Alice Eve says she believes aliens are real and astronauts have seen them. The actress said her "Star Trek Into Darkness" director J.J. Abrams was once told by an astronaut that he had come across extra terrestrials in space. "JJ said he sat next to an astronaut once who had told him that he had seen 'forms or shapes' that make him believe in alien life which you know is really scary. ...

I dont trust anyone Justin Beiber

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:50:01 -0400

Pop star Justin Bieber distrusts people so much that he reportedly wants guests to sign a confidentiality agreement before attending his parties. Apparently the guests at his parties will be sued for $5 million if they talk about it in public or on social-networking sites. "Now I just don't trust anybody. Literally, my phone never rings. I only have, like, four people that I keep in contact ...

Non-invasive technique to detect oral cancer developed

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:30:03 -0400

Scientists have come up with a non-invasive and more effective way to detect oral cancer, says a study. The imaging technique, which is detailed in the Journal of Biomedical Optics, has been developed by Kristen Maitland, assistant professor at the department of biomedical engineering of Texas Aamp;M University. The non-invasive system combines two separate technologies -- confocal microscopy ...

Pakistan releases 45 Indian fishermen

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:10:01 -0400

Pakistan Friday freed 45 India fishermen as a goodwill gesture, officials said. Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso decided last week to release the Indian fishermen who have already served their sentence. The authorities released a group of 45 prisoners from a Karachi prison. They later boarded a bus that will bring them to the eastern city of Lahore where they will be ...

Big undersea quake off Russia

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:10:01 -0400

An 8.2-magnitude earthquake under the Sea of Okhotsk was recorded early Friday, the US Geological Survey said. The temblor was at a depth of 601.80 km, reported Xinhua. The epicentre was located nearly 360 km southwest of Esso, a town in Russia's Kamchatka Krai region. The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center of the US said in a statement that no tsunami is expected due to the depth of ...

Mexican woman gets first transplant of ovaries in Latin America

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:20:01 -0400

A Mexican woman received Latin America's first transplant of ovaries in a hospital in the western city of Guadalajara, the director of the Mexican Infertility Institute, Luis Arturo Ruvalcaba, announced. Ruvalcaba told EFE by telephone that the patient is a 32-year-old women who had developed cervical and uterine cancer that was detected and treated in France. "The ethics committee of the ...

Brazil to hold oil auction

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:10:01 -0400

Brazil's first auction of contracts to develop offshore oil and gas reserves in the pre-salt region will be held in October, or earlier than previously scheduled, the government said Thursday. The government's National Council for Energy Policy authorized the change. Rights to develop blocks in the Libra field, which is estimated to hold between 8-12 billion barrels of recoverable oil, will be ...

Five Venezuelan cops die in chopper crash

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:50:02 -0400

Five members of Venezuela's PNB national police force died Thursday when the helicopter they were using to pursue a group of kidnappers in a rural part of Caracas crashed, PNB director Luis Karabi said. The helicopter crashed in an uninhabited area near the Antimano neighbourhood in the northeastern part of the capital in conditions of very low visibility due to a thick fog that covered the city ...

Lis visit went beyond symbolic Pakistani daily

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:50:01 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's two-day Pakistan visit "went beyond the symbolic", said a daily which noted China is a wealthy neighbour that "does not hand out free lunches". Li's visit "went beyond the symbolic - significant because he was here at a crucial time in our political history, with the process of transition from one government to another now in train," said an editorial in the News ...

Ecuadors Correa wont run again in 2017

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:20:01 -0400

On the eve of his inauguration for another four-year term, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said Thursday that he will not run again in 2017. "We are all necessary, but nobody is indispensable," the 50-year-old head of state said in a television interview, expressing confidence that his Alianza Pais movement will have found a new leader by the time the next presidential election rolls around. ...

Singer-songwriter Georges Moustaki dies

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:10:02 -0400

Singer-songwriter Georges Moustaki died Thursday in the French Mediterranean city of Nice, his family said. He was 79. A Greek native, Moustaki grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, and arrived in Paris in 1951. He began performing at nightclubs and came to know masters of the "chanson franaise" such as Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel and Serge Gainsbourg. Moustaki met Edith Piaf in the late 1950s and ...

Ecuadorian satellite escapes collision with Russian rocket

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:40:01 -0400

Ecuador's first satellite avoided a direct collision with the remains of a Russian rocket, but whether the device is still operating remains unclear, the head of the country's EXA space agency told EFE. The US-based Joint Space Operations Center, which had alerted EXA to the possible threat to Pegaso, informed the Ecuadorian agency Thursday that the Russian wreckage did not hit the satellite ...

When travelling at least try to get to correct continent

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:20:02 -0400

Being in the travel trade sucks. You won't BELIEVE the fuss passengers make, just because some tiny mistake has been made which has led to them being taken to, say, the wrong country. Why quibble? Countries are countries. Variety is the spice of life, as the Bible says. Or was it Rod Stewart? Anyway, news broke last week about a pair of holidaymakers who were mistakenly flown to the wrong ...

History maker Sri Srinivasans feat hailed widely

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:01 -0400

History-making Indian-American legal luminary Srikanth 'Sri' Srinivasan's unanimous Senate confirmation as the first South Asian judge on the powerful appeals court for the American capital has been widely hailed. Senate Judiciary Committee's Democratic Chairman Patrick Leahy, welcomed Srinivasan's confirmation, but criticised "Republican efforts to delay a floor vote of the highly qualified ...

Trailblazer Sri Srinivasan creates history as top US judge

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:20:02 -0400

Chandigarh-born "trailblazer" Indian-American legal luminary Srikanth 'Sri' Srinivasan has made history with the US Senate unanimously confirming him as the first South Asian judge on the powerful appeals court for the American capital. Srinivasan, 46, currently principal deputy solicitor general of the US, was Thursday confirmed by the Senate by a 97 to 0 vote, as a judge on the US Court of ...

Pope hopes Chinas Catholics can pray without fear

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:50:01 -0400

Pope Francis hopes Chinese Catholics would be able to practise their faith freely and without fear, inviting them to stay loyal to the Vatican, whose authority is challenged by China's Communist rulers. "Let them live daily lives practising their faith... without being afraid to speak of Jesus," the pontiff said. Pope Francis said he prayed that China's Catholics would receive "the grace to ...

Bullets mailed to Berlusconi prosecutor

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:30:01 -0400

Two bullets and written threats were mailed to magistrate Ilda Boccassini, prosecutor in the sex trial of former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, Milan's chief public prosecutor said. Dubbed "Ilda the Red" due to her flaming red hair, Boccassini has also prosecuted Berlusconi in earlier cases. "In recent weeks, a growing number of letters with serious threats have been sent to Boccassini. She ...

Hashish from India seized in Germany

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:20:01 -0400

A parcel containing two kg of hashish reportedly sent from India has been seized in Germany. The substance was found hidden inside beach tennis rackets mailed to an address in Italy, police said. Police sniffer dogs detected the haul of so-called "black bombay" hashish, estimated at 20,000 euros, during a routine check at Germany's Frankfurt airport. The parcel arrived onboard a flight from New ...

Rare birth of mega-galaxy captured by space telescope

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:50:01 -0400

Researchers in the US have captured rare images of the creation of a massive galaxy about 10 times the size of the Milky Way that was formed when two young galaxies collided 11 billion years ago, a study said. "Capturing the creation of this type of large, short-lived star body is extremely rare - the equivalent of discovering a missing link between winged dinosaurs and early birds," scientists ...

Italian man immolates himself after losing home

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:50:01 -0400

An unemployed 64-year-old labourer in Italy's Sicily island died after setting himself alight, when he failed to repay a 10,000 euro loan and lost his home. Giovanni Guarascio, from Vittoria village, sustained severe burns to 60 percent of his body when he doused himself with petrol and lit a match May 14 at the run-down cottage where he and his family lived. The cottage was sold at an auction ...

Russia to build new parliament compound

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:50:02 -0400

A new Russian parliamentary centre will be built in central Moscow, that will house both the upper and lower houses as well as their administrative and support services, an official said. The idea of building such a parliamentary compound has been considered for a while. The upper and lower houses, their administrative and support services are currently scattered around Moscow at over 10 ...

Berlusconi at centre of massive tax fraud says court

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:50:02 -0400

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi played a key role in a "massive" fraud by his media group, appeals judges in Milan have said. The 76-year-old Berlusconi had appealed against his four-year conviction and a five-year ban from politics for tax fraud in a film-rights case involving his Mediaset television company. Explaining why the court upheld his four-year prison term, the judges ...

Taylor Swift likes smart comfortable wear

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:00:01 -0400

Singer Taylor Swift likes to wear clothes which exude style, but still don't restrict her movement on stage. The 23-year-old, who is on Red World Tour, looks for smart yet practical clothes, reports femalefirst.co.uk. "For performance, I'm not only looking for something that looks cool in front of 20,000 people but it's also about the functionality of it, can I run around in it? Can I throw my ...

Man held in Italy for exploiting prostitute

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:00:01 -0400

A man was arrested in the southern Italian city of Naples on suspicion that he was "exploiting" a Romanian prostitute on the pretext of regularly driving her to work. In exchange for the lift to the eastern Poggioreale district, the 28-year-old Romanian woman allegedly had to pay the man a "fare" of 20 euros and also have sex with him, police said. The 30-year-old man was previously known to ...

Sale of Russian weapons to Syria destabilising Kerry

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:30:01 -0400

The sale of S-300 air defence systems by Russia to Syria would be "destabilising" for the region, US Secretary of State John Kerry said. "S-300 missiles coming from Russia, or other countries, Iranian missiles, are destabilising to the region," Kerry said. "The United States is committed, not only in its defence of Israel, but in its concerns for the region to try to address this issue." ...

Jennifer Love Hewitt enjoys being in own skin

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:00:01 -0400

Jennifer Love Hewitt feels people will never stop commenting - whether you're thin or voluptuous. But she says it is more important to feel good in your skin, and she does so with her regular dose of running, yoga and Pilates. "I'm an actress, I live in L.A., I work in Hollywood. But I've learned that if you're too skinny, they'll say something about it. If you're not skinny enough, they'll say ...

New Russian spacecraft reusable for up to five flights

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:00:01 -0400

Russia's new reusable spacecraft being developed by the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation will be able to make up to five space flights, the rocket maker said. The spacecraft's technical design has been finalised but is yet to be officially approved, Energia deputy general designer Alexander Chernyavsky said. The new reusable craft is to replace the Soyuz carrier rocket and is expected to ...

The Hangover franchise over say actors

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:00:01 -0400

For Comedian Ed Helms and actor Bradley Cooper, actors of the successful "The Hangover" films, the franchise is "over". Cooper, who essays the role of Phil Wenneck, said: "It's over. It's done. Yeah, it's done." "It would take peace in the Middle East for me to do 'Hangover IV'," femalefirst.co.uk quoted Helms as saying. Helms plays Stuart "Stu" Price in the movie. The first two films in the ...

New light rocket Angara ready for launch

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:00:01 -0400

Russia's first light-class modification Angara 1.2PP carrier rocket is ready for its maiden launch, its manufacturer Khrunichev Center said. The first Angara will be sent to the Plesetsk space centre in northern Russia later this month, the manufacturer said in a statement, but did not give a precise launch date. Meanwhile, the first heavy-class Angara-A5 has been completed and will soon be ...

On US request Russian arms dealer held in Lithuania

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:50:02 -0400

Lithuanian security services have arrested a Russian national at the request of the US Justice Department, which suspects him of smuggling export-restricted military equipment. Dmitry Ustinov, 46, was detained over a month ago at Vilnius airport in Lithuania, after he arrived from the US to allegedly negotiate a sales deal for night vision equipment used by the US military, the Delfi news portal ...

Cruise liner captain to stand trial over shipwreck

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:50:02 -0400

The captain of the Costa Concordia cruise liner that hit rocks and sank off Tuscany last year, killing 32 people, will go on trial in July. Francesco Schettino faces criminal charges including multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship before all the 4,229 passengers had been evacuated. The trial will open July 9 in Grosseto, the city nearest to the site of the wreck. Schettino is accused of ...

Russell Brand kissed Sheridan Smith

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:20:01 -0400

Actor-comedian Russell Brand was reportedly spotted kissing actress Sheridan Smith after a recent show here. The BAFTA winning actress was also said to be spotted hanging out with Brand at a food festival last week. However, she has denied having any romantic link with the actor. "Just had dinner with lovely friends. And yes they're wrong yet again. He's one of my best mates," Smith posted on ...

Eva Longoria gets her Masters degree

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:20:01 -0400

Actress Eva Longoria gladly flaunted a graduation gown after picking her Master's degree from the California State University. The 39-year-old star qualified in Chicano studies from the university. The "Desperate Housewives" star took to Twitter to share her joy, and wrote: "Big day today! Very excited to graduate for my Master's degree in Chicano Studies! You're never too old or too busy to ...

Obama to curtail drones in focused war on terror

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:40:01 -0400

Making a shift from a boundless "global war on terror", US President Barack Obama Thursday announced a new counter-terrorism policy narrowing the use of drones that has put it at odds with key allies like Pakistan. "Today, the core of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan is on a path to defeat. Their remaining operatives spend more time thinking about their own safety than plotting against us," ...

Senate confirms Chandigarh-born as top US judge

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:40:01 -0400

Chandigarh-born Indian-American legal luminary Srikanth 'Sri' Srinivasan made history Thursday as the US Senate confirmed his nomination as a top US judge in a 97 to 0 vote. Srinivasan, 46, currently principal deputy solicitor general of the US, would be the first judge of South Asian descent on the powerful appeals court for the American capital, often called the nation's second-highest court. ...

UAE issues stamp to commemorate satellite

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:30:02 -0400

Emirates Post has issued a stamp to showcase the UAE's achievement in the field of science and technology, and to commemorate the "Y1A", the first multipurpose satellite by Yahsat. The satellite, a milestone for the nation, is designed to provide advanced satellite services to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Central and South West Asia. The stamp is available in a denomination of four dirhams, ...

Bid to smuggle African ivory foiled in Dubai

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:30:01 -0400

Dubai Customs has foiled a bid to smuggle 259 pieces of ivory that arrived from Africa at its Jebel Ali Customs Centre. The ivory items fall under the endangered fauna and flora category, in which international trade is prohibited by the CITES Convention. Dubai Customs inspectors seized the shipment "using advanced inspection techniques", an official said. "The smugglers tried to pass the ...

Amanda Seyfried was happy with big bosom

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:02 -0400

Actress Amanda Seyfried feels she looked better with bigger breasts, but she says she had to lose a bit of overall weight for her Hollywood journey. "I looked way better when I was 15. I had beautiful huge breasts and then I came to Hollywood and I was like, 'I got to lose weight. I got to look thin and fit.' And I lost them a little bit," femalefirst.co.uk quoted the 27-year-old. Seyfried ...

Jennifer Aniston to play stripteaser in Were The Millers

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:01 -0400

Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston is ready to perform a striptease act in her forthcoming film "We're The Millers". The 44-year-old plays a drug smuggling lap dancer in the comedy film, directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, reports thesun.co.uk The star cast also includes Emma Roberts, Ed Helms and Jason Sudeikis. The film will hit screens in Britain Aug ...

China seeks closer ties enhanced strategic cooperation with Pakistan Li

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:50:02 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday urged China and Pakistan to nurture even closer ties, and enhance comprehensive strategic cooperation while addressing Pakistan's parliament. In a speech titled "Let all-weather China-Pakistan friendship bear new fruits," Li said peace, development and cooperation is the theme of the times, and Asia has become one of the most dynamic and most visible areas ...

25 killed 30 injured in suicide attacks in Niger

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:20:21 -0400

At least 25 people were killed and 30 got injured after two suicide bomb attacks Thursday at a military base and a plant run by French nuclear giant Areva in northern Niger, reported Xinhua. A total of 20 Nigerien soldiers and 5 assailants died in twin suicide attacks against a military barracks in Agadez, the main town in northern Niger, and another one at a factory owned by Somair, a ...

Syrias Assad stresses resolve to keep fighting terrorism

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:00:01 -0400

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stressed Thursday his resolve to continue fighting "terrorism" in tandem with efforts for a political solution to the country's 26-month-old crisis, reported Xinhua citing state-run SANA news agency. Assad made the remarks while meeting with a Tunisian delegation, to whom he said his administration will keep fighting "terrorism" and "those who back it" in ...

Eisenberg imbibes stage confidence from mother

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:50:01 -0400

Hollywood actor Jesse Eisenberg, who plays a magician in forthcoming film "Now You See My", says he imbibed the confidence to perform from his talented mother. "My mother was like a hippy clown. She did folk songs at children parties. She was like a great performer and I grew up in a house of somebody who was like a confident performer. She was really great in front of an audience and my ...

Obesity in children linked to parents marital status

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:50:01 -0400

A new study by US researchers shows that children living with married parents are less likely to be obese. "Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue in our country with nearly one-third of all US children aged 2-17 overweight or obese," said Rachel Kimbro, study co-author and associate professor of sociology at the Rice university. "Despite this, very little research has been ...

Russia to spend $8 billion on 2018 World Cup

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:30:02 -0400

Russia is expected to spend no more than $8 billion to fund the 2018 football World Cup, a steep fall from the previously estimated $16.6 billion, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said. "All parameters that could have been cut have been cut. The last figure that (Sports Minister Vitaly) Mutko ... came to me with was 250 billion rubles ($7.94 billion)," Xinhua quoted Shuvalov as saying. The ...

Seven Cubans to participate in World Judo Masters

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:30:02 -0400

Five female and two male Cuban judokas will participate in the 2013 World Judo Masters tournament, to be held in Russia's Tuymen city. The team is led by Idalis Ortiz, 2012 Olympic champion in the over 78 kg category, as well as London 2012 silver medallists Yanet Bermoy (52 kg category) and Asley Gonzalez (90 kg), reports Xinhua. Ortiz is ranked world No.1 in her class, while Gonzales is ...

EU regulators seek tax transparency from companies

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:40:01 -0400

The European Commission said Thursday that it is working on a proposal to require corporate giants with operations in the European Union to publicly report profits, taxes paid and subsidies received on a country-by-country basis. Representatives of the 27 member-states agreed to seek ways to prevent multinationals from avoiding their obligations by channeling profits through subsidiaries in ...

Taliban influence in Afghanistan to grow Russian agency

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:40:01 -0400

The Taliban influence in Afghanistan may grow after international coalition forces pull out, while rising radicalism in Syria could lead to the country's disintegration, Russian military intelligence agency GRU has said. GRU chief Lt. Gen. Igor Sergun said the situation in Afghanistan poses a "serious challenge to international stability" and that the withdrawal of the International Security ...

Police Suicide bomb hits heart of Afghan capital

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:55:37 -0400

A suicide bomber struck in the heart of the Afghan capital on Friday, sending a plume of smoke billowing over Kabul in the second major attack in the city in little over a week, police ...

Pakistani plane lands in Britain after jet escort police

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:53:19 -0400

A Pakistani International Airlines plane landed atBritain's Stansted airport on Friday after fighter jets were scrambled to investigate an incident on board, police ...

McAlpine wins case over libelous tweet

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:47:59 -0400

Lord McAlpine (right) has won a libel lawsuit in London today against Sally Bercow, wife of the former House of Commons speaker John Bercow. Photographs: PA ...

Barack Obama seeks end to perpetual U.S. war on terror

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:46:25 -0400

WASHINGTON - Twelve years after the "war on terror" began, President Barack Obama wants to pull the United States back from some of the most controversial aspects of its global fight against Islamist militants. In a major policy speech on Thursday, Obama narrowed the scope of the targeted-killing drone campaign against al-Qaida and its allies and took steps toward closing the ...

Champions League Prince William Backs Bayern

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:45:34 -0400

The Duke of Cambridge has told European football leaders that his money is on Bayern Munich to win Saturday's Champions League final at Wembley. Prince William, speaking in his role as president of the Football Association, was giving the opening speech at the Uefa Congress in London the day before Bayern play Borussia Dortmund in an all-German final. He predicted a 2-0 win for the ...

Mark Bridger Didnt Recognise April Jones

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:45:33 -0400

The man accused of murdering five-year-old April Jones has told a court that he didn't recognise the girl when she was in his car despite having images of her on his computer. Mark Bridger, under cross-examination in the witness box, was repeatedly accused by the prosecution of lying. The 47-year-old claims he accidentally ran over the girl and put her in his car. Prosecuting ...

Fighter Jets Scrambled To Passenger Plane

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:45:33 -0400

RAF fighter jets have escorted a Pakistan International Airlines aircraft from Manchester Airport to Stansted Airport, a Ministry of Defence spokesman has said. The airline has confirmed it was for security reasons but according to a security source early indications are that it was not the target of a terror attack. There are understood to have been 297 passengers on board who were ...

UK fighter jet scrambled to divert civilian plane

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:42:40 -0400

LONDON (AP) -- A British fighter jet was launched to divert a civilian plane carrying nearly 300 passengers from Pakistan to England after an incident on board, British officials said ...

HSBC suffers investor revolt over pay

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:38:19 -0400

HSBC suffered an embarrassing 11% shareholder rebellion against its executive pay report on Friday.Douglas Flint, chairman of the bank, said just 89% of investors voting ahead of its annual meeting supported its pay scheme, which handed chief executive Stuart Gulliver a near 2m annual bonus despite the bank's involvement in a string of high profile scandals, including helping Mexican drug ...

Global majority faces water shortages within two generations

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:38:18 -0400

pollution and over-use of resources take their toll, 500 scientists have warned.The world's water systems would soon reach a tipping point that "could trigger irreversible change with potentially catastrophic consequences", more than 500 water experts warned on Friday as they called on governments to start conserving the vital resource. They said it was wrong to see fresh water as ...

RAF jet escorts diverted Pakistani passenger plane

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:38:16 -0400

The RAF deployed a Typhoon jet to escort a Pakistan International Airlines flight diverted from Manchester to Stansted. Photograph: Alastair ...

Peru funded illegal Amazon rainforest road claims Global Witness | David Hill

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:38:14 -0400

The illegal road running towards the Purus National Park which could connect the remote Purus region to the rest of Peru. Photograph: Courtesy of ...

US laws criminalizing sex between 18 and 14-year-olds are ridiculous | Nancy Goldstein

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:38:13 -0400

United States , usually at the bequest of the younger person's angry parents, as happened in the Hunt case. And have their lives ruined, as Kaitlyn's appears about to be, by pleading out to theoretically "lesser" felony charges.My first thought when I heard about the case was that it was too ridiculous to move forward in the courts, or that Kaitlyn's legal prospects ...

Gibraltar becomes Uefas 54th member despite Spains past objections

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:38:11 -0400

the Gibraltar FA won a case at the court of arbitration for sport obliging Uefa to accept the British overseas territory as a member.The Uefa president Michel Platini said that Gibraltar would be kept apart from Spain in qualifying for Euro 2016. "Gibraltar will not play qualifying matches with Spain - we also have this situation with Armenia and Azerbaijan,'' he said."This is ...

Blasts shooting in center of Afghan capital

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:37:19 -0400

KABUL (Reuters) - Several large explosions rocked a busy area in the center of the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Friday with Reuters witnesses describing shooting in the ...

IMF boss Lagarde faces more grilling over payment to tycoon

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:36:38 -0400

IMF boss Christine Lagarde is undergoing a second day of grilling by a French court on her conduct during a disputed arbitration payment to one of France’s most colourful but controversial personalities. The hearings could lead to Lagarde being placed under formal investigation for misuse of public funds and conspiracy to fraud. She is not accused of personally profiting from her decision ...

Syria government may attend Geneva peace talks with opposition

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:36:38 -0400

22/05/2013 18:25 CET Russia says the Syrian government has agreed in principle to attend a peace conference in Geneva next month. The talks are being set up by Russia and the US with the aim of bringing Syria’s government and opposition together. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday. Moscow is continuing to stress any ...

The David Beckham phenomenon in numbers

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:36:37 -0400

He is rich. Very rich. He is famous. Extremely famous – on a worldwide scale. He is handsome. But that, I guess, is rather subjective. He is married to a celebrity. In fact, he is a celebrity himself. He is David Beckham. On Sunday, 26th of May 2013, David Beckham's French League One Champions, Paris Saint-Germain play their last championship game of the season at the home of ...

Bushs war on terror over

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:25:41 -0400

>Editor's note: Peter Bergen is CNN's national security analyst, a director at the New America Foundation and the author of "Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden -- From 9/11 to Abbottabad," the basis for the HBO documentary "Manhunt" that will be shown on CNN at 9 p.m. today. Washington (CNN) -- In the past few weeks, we've seen a British soldier hacked to death with a meat cleaver on ...

Uganda president ousts army boss amid dispute

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:21:40 -0400

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) -- Uganda's president fired his top military commander Friday, the ouster apparently linked to turmoil over President Yoweri Museveni's alleged plan to have his son succeed him as head of ...

Viktor Ullmanns opera written in Nazi concentration camp revived in Berlin

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:02:19 -0400

Viktor Ullmann wrote The Emperor from Atlantis while at the Theresienstadt concentration camp, in what is now the Czech Republic. Photograph: Radek ...

When the tornado hit they were ready

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:52:49 -0400

-- When an EF5 tornado touched down in Moore, Oklahoma, this week, Tad Agoglia and his First Response Team of America were stationed at a hotel about 30 miles away, ready to take ...

Eye for an eye makes the world go blind

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:52:48 -0400

NEW: Family of slain soldier Lee Rigby speak of their sorrow at his loss "An eye for an eye makes the world go blind," says one public tribute to Lee Rigby British media say Michael Adebolajo, 28, is one of two men arrested the day of the slaying Two others, both 29, were arrested Thursday as part of an investigation into the ...

Kids playground made from trash

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:52:47 -0400

Bruno (right) worked with the local community to create the playground in a congested area lacking recreation facilities. "We built the playground together as a team," he ...

Obama Drone strikes are a necessary evil

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:52:46 -0400

NEW: Republicans criticize Obama's speech, one calling it a 'victory' for terrorists NEW: Yemen cheers U.S. being open to transferring detainees there Obama lays out a framework and legal rationale for his counterterrorism policy He makes case that al Qaeda is weakened but that new dangers are out ...

Runways reopen after emergency landing at Heathrow

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:52:45 -0400

NEW: British Airways cancels all its short-haul flights through Heathrow until 4 p.m. Heathrow: The airport is "fully operational" and returning to normal after runway closures British Airways says a plane bound for Oslo had to turn back because of a technical fault The Airbus A319 aircraft was carrying 75 passengers; 3 were treated for minor ...

Second jewelry theft reported at Cannes Film Festival

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:52:44 -0400

A necklace worth seven figures was stolen at a hotel party in resort town near Cannes A safe containing jewels was stolen from a Cannes hotel last week There is no indication thefts are connected, police ...

Russias Far East rocked by powerful earthquake

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:52:43 -0400

The earthquake was centered off the western coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula No tsunami warnings were issued The region is located along the Pacific "ring of fire," an area of high seismic and volcanic ...

Woolwich Attack Familys Emotional Tribute

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:51:31 -0400

The family of Drummer Lee Rigby have told how they frantically tried to contact him after watching his brutal murder unfold on television Drummer Rigby's stepfather Ian said that as they watched the news of the attack his "heart skipped a beat". Speaking at a press conference, Mr Rigby said they tried to get hold of him but couldn't reach him. He said: "Really as ...

Footballers Cleared Of Brighton Sex Assault

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:51:30 -0400

Four footballers have been cleared today of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room. Jurors at the Old Bailey also found them not guilty of voyeurism at a retrial. Brighton and Hove Albion players Anton Rodgers, 20, Lewis Dunk, 21, and George Barker, 21, and former team-mate Steve Cook, 22, who now plays for Bournemouth, had maintained their innocence. They were given ...

Sweden Fifth Night Of Rioting In Stockholm

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:51:30 -0400

Riots continued for a fifth night in the Swedish capital, Stockholm. Cars, schools and a police station were set alight in response to the fatal shooting of an immigrant by ...

Tornado Miracle Baby Born Amid Devastation

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:51:29 -0400

Amid the destruction and chaos of this week's Oklahoma tornado, Shayla Taylor's struggle to stay alive must rate as one of the hardest. The 25-year-old mother-to-be had gone into labour as the monster twister approached on Monday. "I was five centimetres already and having contractions," she told CBS News. Mrs Taylor was on the second floor of the Moore Medical Center ...

QA On Turkeys proposed alcohol restrictions

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:48:51 -0400

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- A look at legislation passed in Turkey's parliament early Friday that would ban all alcohol advertising and tighten restrictions on the sale of such beverages, and how such a law could affect tourists and liquor companies in the mainly Muslim but secular ...

UN nuke agencys Iran probe driven by US-led intel

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:48:35 -0400

VIENNA (AP) -- The U.N. nuclear agency responsible for probing whether Iran has worked on a nuclear bomb depends on the United States and its allies for most of its intelligence, complicating the agency's efforts to produce findings that can be widely accepted by the international ...

Two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict slipping away says Hague

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:44:30 -0400

William Hague visits E1, the site of a proposed Israeli settlement, during a brief trip to Jerusalem and Ramallah. Photograph: Mahmoud ...

President Obama and the media a game of flattery and deceit | Ana Marie Cox

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:44:28 -0400

recent spate of troubles in the Obama White House, specifically the revelations about administration investigations into the activities of news organizations and individual journalists. Is it the Republicans, whose glee has finally found a source that doesn't coincide with the misery of every day Americans? (That's the problem with pegging your campaigns to Obama's inability to get ...

The problem with Japans high-stakes economic mind game | Alex Hern

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:44:26 -0400

Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe 'has one of the strongest mandates ever to follow unconventional economic policies.' Photograph: Toru ...

Heathrow emergency landing filmed from BA plane – video

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:44:21 -0400

Mobile phone footage shows a British Airways plane's left-hand engine exposed with the flap raised as it makes an emergency landing at Heathrow airport. The flight was forced to ground after a technical fault that witnesses on the ground say caused part of the plane to burst into flames. The footage shows passengers on the runway after being evacuated by crew via emergency ...

Durable goods orders rise point to factory sector resilience

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:43:36 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rose more than expected in April, a sign of resilience in the factory sector despite belt-tightening in Washington and weakness in overseas ...

Kerry says Israelis Palestinians must make tough decisions

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:43:35 -0400

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli and Palestinian leaders are nearing crunch time, when they must decide whether to revive long-dormant peace negotiations to end their decades-old conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on ...

Hobbitses and Frankenstein how pop cultures words become official | Kory Stamper

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:08:39 -0400

Water cooler conversation at a dictionary company tends towards the odd. A while ago I was chatting with one of my colleagues about our respective defining batches. "I'm not sure," he said, "what to do about the plural of 'hobbit'. There are some citations for 'hobbitses', but I think they may be facetious uses. Have any thoughts?"I did: "We enter ...

US scouts to admit gay youngsters

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:58:19 -0400

Pascal Tessier (second from left), an openly gay Boy Scout who had feared expulsion, at a news conference held by Scouts for Equality at Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas. Photograph: Rex C Curry/New York ...

Shes The Man actress Amanda Bynes arrested after throwing marijuana bong out of window

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:58:06 -0400

Police say an apartment building official called police to complain that Bynes was smoking marijuana and rolling a joint in the lobby. The officers went to Bynes' apartment, where they saw heavy smoke and a bong, which Bynes then threw out the window in front of the officers. Bynes was arrested on charges of reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence and criminal possession of marijuana. ...

U.S.casts doubt on credibility of Iranian election

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:52:39 -0400

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - The United States on Friday called into question the credibility of Iran's presidential election next month, criticizing the disqualification of candidates and accusing the government of disrupting Internet ...

Can men grow up

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:51:44 -0400

>Editor's note: Pepper Schwartz is professor of sociology at the University of Washington and the author or co-author of 17 books, the latest of which is "The Normal Bar. " She is the AARP Love and Relationship Ambassador and writes the Naked Truth column for AARP.org. She is a senior fellow at the Council on Contemporary Families, a nonprofit organization that gathers research on American ...

Can men grow up

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:51:44 -0400

HSBC chairman apologises for scandals

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:32 -0400

Douglas Flint says sorry to investors at the bank's annual general meeting and talks of the damage to HSBC's reputation from a series of ...

How horsemeat scandal company used migrant workers to boost production - video

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:23 -0400

Felicity Lawrence visits a Dutch meat processing plant alleged to have supplied horsemeat labelled as beef to an abattoir in Cheshire, from where it entered the human food chain. The Polish workforce at Willy Selten's meat factory was alleged to have been underpaid and living in sub-standard conditions before the plant closed following a raid by Dutch authorities. Selten was arrested by ...

Africa quiz - test your knowledge

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:21 -0400

To celebrate Africa day on the anniversary of the birth of the Organisation of African Unity, 25 May 1963, we have put together this quiz. No Googling ...

Woolwich suspects friend describes shock at Drummer Lee Rigbys murder – video

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:19 -0400

A man who claims to know one of the suspects in the Woolwich attack says his friend was 'preaching peace' when he first converted to Islam. Speaking anonymously, the friend describes the suspect - who has not been named - as 'completely normal' though said the transition to Islam came suddenly. Two suspects in the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby are being treated in hospital after ...

Diabetes in India rising with women at a particular disadvantage

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:18 -0400

India find themselves at a disadvantage compared with men.This is the conclusion of a study, Impact of Gender on Care of Type 2 Diabetes in Varkala, Kerala, which analysed gender roles, norms and values in a household and found women patients to be more vulnerable.This vulnerability influences all phases of diabetic care, according to the paper by Dr Mini P Mani at the Achutha Menon Centre for ...

Steven Soderbergh switches to TV with period medical drama The Knick

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:16 -0400

Change of scene ... Steven Soderbergh attends the premiere to his latest and last feature film, Behind the Candelabra, in Cannes. Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty ...

Horsemeat company regularly mixed horse in with beef say Polish workers

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:14 -0400

Link to video: How horsemeat scandal company used migrant workers to boost production "Everything passed through my hands: beef, horse, old meat that stank, sometimes even 'fresh' meat but it wasn't exactly fresh ... Yes, I cut horse. I suspected there was something wrong but I just did what I was told to do," Jan Kowalski told us.Kowalski (not his real name) is one of ...

Barack Obama says hecklers drone views should be heard

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:13 -0400

Anti-war activist Medea Benjamin is led away after heckling Barack Obama during his counter-terrorism speech in Washington. Photograph: Win Mcnamee/Getty ...

Russian social network site banned by mistake

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:11 -0400

Russia 's leading online social network was banned briefly on Friday in a move dismissed as a "mistake" but which follows intensifying official pressure on the company as ...

Cannes 2013 The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz – review

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:10 -0400

Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz has been proudly spruced up and reissued; an act of reclamation, in some level, for a film that back in the early 70s, was one of the first Canadian features to make an international impact. Adapted from Mordecai Richler's 1959 novel set in a Jewish area of Montreal about a bustling young man furiously angling to get ahead - the missing link, if you will, ...

Wartime sex slaves cancel meeting with controversial Japanese mayor

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:09 -0400

a column in a South Korean newspaper that said the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were "divine punishment" for Japan's wartime aggression.Kim Bok-dong, 87, and Kil Won-ok, 84, had been scheduled to meet Hashimoto in Osaka on Friday to discuss his recent claim ...

Eating naartjies in the bioscope a little guide to South African English | Mind your language

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:49:08 -0400

The vocabulary and grammar of spoken South African English are coated in a fine layer of Afrikaans dust. It's been there so long that most of us no longer ...

Syria to take part in peace talks

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:46:06 -0400

The Syrian government has agreed to a conference on the country's future proposed by Russia and the United States, Russia's foreign ministry said today.The Syrian government had "agreed in principle" to participate in the conference in Geneva which is expected within two weeks, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in televised remarks.Mr Lukashevich, however, ...

Kerrys focus on peace talks not settlements

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:32:54 -0400

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israel's government on Friday to prevent further settlement construction where possible to help revitalize Middle East peace hopes, but stressed that the Jewish state and Palestinians alike should remain focused on the larger goal of restarting direct ...

Attack casts spotlight on radical preachers

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:12:59 -0400

Two Muslim hardline preachers say that one of the suspects in the killing of a London soldier was interested in their teachings. And a British government official said one of the men tried to go to Somalia to train or fight with the terror group ...

Ex-sex slaves condemn Japan mayor

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:05:26 -0400

Two Korean former sex slaves have demanded the resignation of an outspoken Japanese mayor and cancelled a meeting with him for justifying Japan's wartime practice of forcing tens of thousands of Asian women into prostitution for its ...

Huge earthquake hits Russias east coast

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:05:15 -0400

A powerful earthquake has hit Russia's Far East with tremors felt as far away as Moscow, about 7,000 kilometres (4,400 miles) west of the ...

Video Bridge linking Washington and Canada collapses

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:05:15 -0400

Authorities have said no one was killed, but three people were rescued and taken to hospital.The four-lane motorway bridge, which is over 50 years old, crosses the Skagit River near Mt Vernon on the Interstate 5, about halfway between Seattle and Vancouver.The cause of the collapse, which came at the beginning of one of the US's busiest holiday weekends, is still unknown. The state ...

Stockholm riots Clashes grip surburbs as violence flares for fifth night

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:05:14 -0400

Fire fighters were called to a school in Tensta, north Stockholm and a Montessori school in the Kista suburb which were set ablaze by rioting youths. Emergency services were also called to Rinkeby, northern Stockholm to extinguish six vehicles that were set alight whilst parked next to each other.Father of two Aleks Sakala, whose children attend the Montessori school, said setting schools on ...

BBC Admits Wasting Licence Fee Payers Money

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:03:36 -0400

The BBC has axed a 98.4m IT project after the scheme was found to have "wasted a huge amount of licence fee payers' money". Director-general Tony Hall has decided to end the attempt to create an internal digital archive which has been in progress since 2008. Mr Hall said: "The DMI (Digital Media Initiative) project has wasted a huge amount of licence fee payers' ...

Man faces court over 1982 Hyde Park IRA bombing

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:56:23 -0400

Ireland , was arrested at Gatwick airport on Sunday. He is accused of being responsible for a car bomb left in South Carriage Drive which killed solders as they rode through the park to the Changing of the Guard.The explosion injured other members of the Royal Household Cavalry and killed seven horses as they travelled from their barracks to Buckingham Palace.Downey was charged with murdering Roy ...

African Union at 50 – will the dream of unity ever be realised

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:56:22 -0400

Africa has come a long way since the formation of what became the AU, but even more needs to be done. Solomon Dersso suggests a path to unification - in word and in ...

Inspire magazine the self-help manual for al-Qaida terrorists

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:56:21 -0400

Al-Qaida's slick and sinister magazine for jihadis, Inspire, suggests using a vehicle to mow down a target - which is apparently what happened in ...

How adolescent girls in Africa are shaping their own future

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:56:20 -0400

Teenage women are the focus of Forward - the NGO has worked with adolescent women in Africa to tackle issues around their sexual and reproductive health and rights for almost two decades.While its initial projects were carried out in partnership with established civil society organisations, over the years it became apparent that there was a missed opportunity to create change by partnering with ...

Africa backs Kenya call for Hague court to drop Kenyatta case

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:55:30 -0400

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - African nations have backed a request by Kenya for charges of crimes against humanity by its president to be referred back to the east African country, African Union documents ...

Group linked to Algeria gas plant attack claims Niger raids

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:55:30 -0400

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - An al Qaeda-linked group that carried out the raid on the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria in January has claimed to have participated in Thursday's attacks in ...

British security services in spotlight after soldier murder

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:55:29 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's security services faced questions on Friday over whether they could have done more to prevent the murder of a soldier hacked to death in a busy London street after it emerged that his suspected killers were known to intelligence ...

Stockholm riots provoke questions about Swedens immigrants

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:54:49 -0400

As Stockholm wakes up after a fifth consecutive night of rioting, questions are increasingly being asked about the root causes. A police station, schools and cars in several surburbs of the Swedish capital were the latest victims of Thursday night’s public disorder. Stockholm is one of the richest cities among countries that are part of the international economic organisation – ...

Murdered London soldier is named as community tensions rise

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:54:46 -0400

Britain’s Ministry of Defence has identified the soldier who died near the Woolwich army barracks in southeast London as 25-year-old Drummer Lee Rigby. He was serving with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and leaves behind a two-year-old son. Police are still trying to establish what happened on Wednesday afternoon. Witnesses say two men used a car to run down the victim whom they then ...

Is Obama ending war on terror

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:54:02 -0400

He came to talk about the future, but the past keeps pulling him back. President Obama outlined his vision for a revised American counterterrorism policy during Thursday's speech at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., renewing his call to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and announcing new guidelines to govern the use of targeted drone strikes on foreign soil. ...

Europe needs a more European UK says ECB president

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:21:43 -0400

European Central Bank , has called for the UK to be "more European" and said the continent's key institutions could face dissolution if the UK leaves ...

Write your own short story – in under three sentences | Open thread

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:21:19 -0400

Man Booker International prize this year has gone to a woman famous for her short stories - and when we say short, we do mean short. Some of Lydia Davis's tales are just a paragraph. The chair of the prize, Christopher Ricks, wondered what to call such brief works, but Davis says she would like them to remain known as stories. In honour of the 60,000 award, we'd like you to come up with ...

Foreign preacher takes rare turn on Vietnam stage

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:18:36 -0400

The 25,000 people at the soccer stadium and the millions more watching at home waited 90 minutes before the Australian evangelical preacher got to the message he had come to Communist-ruled Vietnam to ...

US bridge collapse sends cars people into river

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:17:51 -0400

A highway bridge over a river in the northwestern US state of Washington partially collapsed Thursday, sending cars and people plunging into the water below without causing any ...

Woolwich Attack Post-Mortem Results

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:10:47 -0400

A post-mortem into the death of Drummer Lee Rigby has formally identified him but failed to confirm the cause of death, Scotland Yard said. Tributes have been made to Drummer Rigby as a "dedicated and professional soldier" and a "true warrior" who had wanted to be in the Army since he was a little boy. The 25-year-old soldier was also a "loving son, husband, father, ...

Bercows McAlpine Tweet Libellous Rules Court

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:10:47 -0400

A tweet by Sally Bercow about Lord McAlpine which he claims named him as a paedophile was libellous, the High Court has ruled. The Commons Speaker's wife is being sued by the Tory peer for damages after she named him on Twitter last year. The posting appeared two days after a November 2012 Newsnight report wrongly implicated the former Conservative Party treasurer in allegations of sex ...

Trayvon Martin Gun And Drug Texts Released

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:10:46 -0400

Photos and texts taken from Trayvon Martin's mobile phone have been released by lawyers for the man charged with shooting dead the 17-year-old last year in Florida. They include conversations with a friend about fighting, smoking pot and being forced to move out of his mother’s house because of trouble at school, as well as images of a gun and what looks to be a potted marijuana ...

Amanda Bynes Arrested Over Marijuana And Bong

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:10:46 -0400

Actress Amanda Bynes has been arrested in New York for possessing marijuana amid claims she threw a bong out of a window in front of police officers. Police were called to an apartment building in midtown Manhattan following a complaint that Bynes was smoking marijuana and rolling a joint in the building's lobby. Officers say they went to her apartment - reported to be on the 36th ...

No guarantee of peace NKorean envoy warns China

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:08:17 -0400

BEIJING (AP) -- China told a top North Korean envoy Friday it wants a peaceful, denuclearized Korean Peninsula, and said the emissary warned there is "no guarantee of peace" but that his country was willing to hold talks with all ...

Truck strike may have caused Washington state bridge collapse officials says

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:07:03 -0400

OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - A colliding truck may have triggered the collapse on Thursday of part of a four-lane freeway bridge that sent vehicles and drivers tumbling into a frigid river in Washington state, officials ...

High court orders new approach to Iraq abuse inquiry

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:04:19 -0400

The high court has called for a new approach to an inquiry into allegations that British troops committed "terrifying acts of brutality" following the invasion ...

From the Heathrow incident to the latest developments in Woolwich the best news pictures of the day

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:04:15 -0400

Members of the community lay flowers close to the scene where Drummer Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was killed, in London. Lee Rigby was murdered by suspected Islamists near London's Woolwich Army Barracks. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty ...

Morrissey attacks Duchess of Cambridge over taste for foie gras

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:04:12 -0400

Prince Charles banning foie gras from his official menus . And he urged fans to complain to the UK's one remaining stockist.Morrissey wrote: "Congratulations to Prince Charles for banning foie gras from all his functions. However, unsurprisingly, this most savage and cruel commodity continues to be the favourite 'dish' of smiling mother-to-be Kate Muddleton (from whom, in ...

Stockholm rioting continues for fifth night

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:04:11 -0400

Police in Stockholm are to seek reinforcements after youths set cars ablaze and threw stones at police for a fifth night running, officials said.About 30 cars were set on fire in poorer districts in north-western and south-western parts of the Swedish capital on Thursday night, with rioters causing widespread damage to property, including schools. However, a police spokesman said the overnight ...

Syria opposition struggles to forge transition plan before talks

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:03:14 -0400

George Sabra (L), a veteran Christian opposition figure and acting President of the Syrian National Coalition, speaks during the opening session of a meeting by members of the Syrian opposition in Istanbul May 23, ...

Iran denies it has forces in Syria

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:01:54 -0400

Tehran withdraw its fighters from Syrian territory. "The true enemies of Syria make up these accusations to provoke the people of this country," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi said, quoted by Iranian state television. At a meeting in Jordan on Thursday, the Friends of Syria grouping of Western and Arab governments called for the immediate withdrawal from Syria of Iranian ...

Obamas drone speech welcomed in Pakistan Yemen

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:47:57 -0400

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- President Barack Obama's speech on the use of drones to kill Islamic militants was well-received in two countries most affected by the strikes - Pakistan and Yemen - but criticism of the U.S. policy remains ...

Berlusconi looms large in Rome mayor election

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:47:57 -0400

ROME (AP) -- Silvio Berlusconi's figure looms large over Rome's mayoral elections this weekend even though the former premier isn't among the 19 candidates ...

Russian regulator blacklists social media site VK

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:17:18 -0400

The future of Russia's biggest social media site was thrown into a state of flux Friday after the country's communications regulator moved to shut it down.The site, VKontakte, is similar to Facebook and has roughly 200 million registered users. On Friday a notice on the website of Russia's Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass ...

The London attack the day after

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:17:17 -0400

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron visits an army barracks near the scene of a killing in Woolwich, southeast London May 23, 2013. British authorities believe that two men accused of hacking a soldier to death on a London street in revenge for wars in Muslim countries are British of Nigerian descent, a source close to the investigation said Thursday.(LUKE ...

The victim Lee Rigby was a passionate fan of Man U

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:17:15 -0400

In this undated image released Thursday May 23, 2013, by the British Ministry of Defence, showing Lee Rigby known as 'Riggers' to his friends, who is identified by the MOD as the serving member of the armed forces who was attacked and killed by two men in the Woolwich area of London on ...

The reaction Increased security extra patrols

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:17:14 -0400

In Washington, President Barack Obama said the U.S. "stands resolute with the United Kingdom" in the fight against violent extremism.For now, officials increased security at military barracks and installations in London, with extra armed guards added in many cases. Police said extra patrols were added at sensitive areas, including places of worship, transport hubs and congested ...

In London an act of brutality but is it terrorism

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:17:12 -0400

Police forensics officers investigate a crime scene where one man was killed in Woolwich, southeast London May 22, 2013. British Prime Minister David Cameron has called a meeting of his government's emergency Cobra security committee after the killing of a man in south London, his office said on Wednesday. (STEFAN ...

The heroine Ingrid Loyau-Kennett confronted attackers

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:17:11 -0400

A cellphone image shows Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, right, speaking to one of the alleged attackers at the scene shortly before police arrived outside the Royal Military Barracks in Woolwich. ...

The suspects Alleged attacker tied to radical Islamic group

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:17:10 -0400

A dramatic clip filmed by an onlooker shows one of the two suspects, his hands covered in blood and speaking in a local accent, apologizing for taking his action in front of women but justifying it on religious grounds. ...

The assault Cameron calls on Britons to be absolutely resolute

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:17:08 -0400

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, middle, and London Mayor Boris Johnson, right, attend a meeting with members of the local community during a visit to Woolwich, southeast London May 23, 2013. Cameron said the brutal killing of a soldier who was hacked to death in London by two men shouting Jihadist slogans was a betrayal of Islam. ...

Secret files provide snapshot of Stalin Churchill wartime relations

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:17:05 -0400

Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and Britain's wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill enjoyed an alcohol-fueled all-nighter in Moscow as the Second World War was in full swing, previously secret files have revealed.Relations between the two leaders were stiff until Mr. Churchill arranged a tte--tte with Stalin, with the aid of interpreters, which led to a late-night boozy banquet in 1942, ...

Father of slain man regrets his move to U.S.

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:12:47 -0400

GROZNY, Russia - The father of a Chechen immigrant shot dead by U.S. law enforcement agents while being questioned about his ties to a Boston Marathon bombing suspect said Thursday that he regrets allowing his son to go to the United States. Ibragim Todashev, 27, was a martial-arts fighter who had trained with Tamerlan Tsarnaev in Boston, and his father said they had bonded because of their ...

Drone Policy at a Glance

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:12:45 -0400

Sailors move the X-47B onto an aircraft elevator aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier in the Atlantic. A landing test of the drone will come ...