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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 ...

Helen Mirren rallies for military charity

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:10:02 -0400

Veteran actress Helen Mirren has urged people to back a military support charity after a soldier was brutally murdered on London streets. A 25-year-old Army Drummer named Lee Rigby was killed in Woolwich, south east London Wednesday. When he breathed his last, Rigby was wearing a t-shirt promoting Help For Heroes, a charity for troops injured in conflicts. Now "The Queen" star is urging fans to ...

Perry strikes romance with agent

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:10:02 -0400

Singer Katy Perry, who has been single since splitting from John Mayer earlier this year, is said to have struck up a romance with her agent Michael Kives. "Katy and Michael have been hooking up. They were friends first, but Katy leaned on Michael for emotional support after her break-up with John," a source told America's Star magazine, reports thesun.co.uk. Perry, 28, has been friends with ...

Pakistani plane forced to land near London two held

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:30:01 -0400

Britain had to scramble fighter jets Friday to escort a Pakistani International Airlines (PIA) plane down to land after it was diverted from Manchester. Later, two people were arrested from aboard the aircraft on suspicion of endangering the flight. The Royal Air Force Typhoon jets were scrambled to escort the passenger plane, originally heading from Pakistan's Lahore city to Britain's ...

Two held over Pakistani planes mid-air alert

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:10:01 -0400

Britain had to scramble fighter jets Friday for escorting a Pakistani International Airlines (PIA) plane after it was diverted from Manchester. Later, two people were arrested on suspicion of endangering the aircraft's flight. The Royal Air Force Typhoon jets were scrambled to escort the passenger plane, originally heading from Pakistan's Lahore city to Britain's Manchester city. Police boarded ...

Srinivasans rise testifies Indian communitys contributions to US

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:50:02 -0400

Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao has hailed Indian-American Srikanth 'Sri' Srinivasan's Senate confirmation as a top US judge as yet another proof of the Indian community's "sterling contributions to the US society and India-US relations". Srinivasan's confirmation as a judge on the powerful appeals court for the American capital, "considered among the most important positions in the US judiciary, ...

Siberian polar bear to undertake mating trip

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:50:01 -0400

A male polar bear in Russia's Siberia region is to be transferred from one zoo to another in a bid to produce offspring, a zoo official said. The polar bear -- Sedov -- has been resident at the Krasnoyarsk zoo since 2004. He was transferred from a zoo in St. Petersburg when he was just two years old. The polar bear is to be sent to mate at the request of a zoo in Stary Oskol, in the nearby ...

Private firms may travel to lunar surface NASA report

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:00:01 -0400

A study of future human missions has indicated corporate researchers could be living on the moon by the time NASA astronauts head off to visit an asteroid in the 2020s. The study by Bigelow Aerospace, commissioned by NASA, shows "a lot of excitement and interest from various companies" for such ventures, Daily Mail quoted Robert Bigelow, founder and president of the Las Vegas-based firm, as ...

Condom handout at Russian WWII monument slammed

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:10:02 -0400

A prominent Russian lawmaker Friday called for public condemnation of a recent handout of condoms by AIDS activists at an monument in honour of soldiers who died in World War II. "The most serious reaction to such things is not the introduction of new administrative bans, but a sharp condemnation by society," said Olga Batalina, head of the Russian parliament's committee on family issues. "This ...

India aim to finish AFC Cup on good note

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:00:02 -0400

India's women's football team will aim to finish the AFC Cup qualifiers on a "good note" when they take on Palestine in their final match here Saturday. India have lost their previous two matches against Myanmar and Chinese Taipei, respectively, but have in no way embarrassed themselves. In the last match India fought bravely only to be thwarted in the final minutes of the game, losing 1-2 ...

Putin Obama to meet in June September

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:00:01 -0400

President Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama will meet at the G8 summit in June and during the US president's visit to Russia in September, a Kremlin aide said Friday. "The first meeting will be in Lough Erne (Northern Ireland) on the sidelines of the G8 Summit and then (during) Obama's visit [to Russia] in September, early September," Putin aide Yury Ushakov said. Obama's visit will take place ...

BBC editor apologises for Muslim remark

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:00:01 -0400

Nick Robinson, the BBC's political editor, Friday apologised for directly quoting a Whitehall source who described the Woolwich killers as being "of Muslim appearance". Robinson said he was sorry for using the phrase, which "was both liable to be misinterpreted and to cause offence", during the BBC News at Six broadcast Thursday. The corporation received dozens of complaints after using the ...

Japan PMs residence not haunted Government

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:50:01 -0400

The Japanese government has denied rumours which said the prime minister's official residence was haunted. The denial came after a query by an opposition lawmaker, who wanted to know if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had not yet moved into his official residence, five months after coming to power, because of rumours that the building was haunted by the ghosts of young military officers who died there ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Ruby says her sworn statements were lies

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:21:27 -0400

MILAN -; The woman who prosecutors allege had sex with Silvio Berlusconi while he was Italy's premier in exchange for money spent her second day on the witness stand Friday, denying her own sworn descriptions of racy escapades at his `'bunga bunga" parties and long lists of expensive jewelry and watches received from the media mogul. Karima el Mahroug, a Moroccan known as Ruby, ...

Two arrests after UK fighter jets escort Pakistani plane

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:10:56 -0400

British police arrested two men on a Pakistan International Airlines plane after British fighter jets were scrambled to escort it to a London airport on Friday, officials ...

Turkey aims to curb alcohol sales

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:05:28 -0400

24 May 2013 Turkey's parliament has passed a law to ban all advertising of alcohol and tighten restrictions on sales in the mainly Muslim but secular ...

Who will win Frances culture war Ask Frigide Barjot

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:05:10 -0400

But the French humourist is not laughing. She's scared. "No," she corrects herself. "I'm not scared. I'm very scared. Look at this..."From somewhere in the indescribable chaos of her apartment in central Paris, Barjot, the unconventional leader of the French movement against gay marriage, produces an envelope. Inside, there is a paper handkerchief stained with ...

Toronto mayor clings on as crack video scandal grows

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:05:10 -0400

Toronto's citizens are struggling to make sense of the events surrounding their mayor, Rob Ford, who has spent the last seven days ducking a media storm surrounding a video that allegedly shows him partaking of ...

U.K. fighters escort Pakistan plane to airport 2 arrests

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:04:15 -0400

A Pakistan International Airlines is surrounded by emergency vehicles on the tarmac at Stansted Airport, southern England, May 24, 2013. British fighter jets escorted a Pakistan International Airlines passenger plane to Stansted Airport near London on Friday, where police went on board and arrested two men on suspicion of endangering an aircraft. (REUTERS/ Paul Hackett) LONDON - British fighter ...

Part Of M6 Closed Over Suspicious Vehicle

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:03:28 -0400

The M6 is closed in both directions between two junctions amid reports of a suspicious vehicle at a service station. Warwickshire Police have closed the M6 in both directions between junction two near Coventry and junction four near Coleshill. There are huge tailbacks and drivers have been advised to avoid the area and plan alternative ...

Woman in Berlusconi case denies her own statements

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:00:45 -0400

MILAN (AP) -- The woman who prosecutors allege had sex with Silvio Berlusconi while he was Italy's premier in exchange for money spent her second day on the witness stand Friday, denying her own sworn descriptions of racy escapades at his "bunga bunga" parties and long lists of expensive jewelry and watches received from the media mogul. Karima el Mahroug, a Moroccan known as Ruby, ...

Hezbollahs role in Syrian conflict ushers new reality for its supporters

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:31 -0400

Hezbollah honours its dead. In one corner of the martyrs' cemetery in south Beirut, four women shrouded in black sat cross-legged near a new grave, reading from the Qu'ran. Metres away, the yellow flag of the militant group covered a freshly covered hole in a white marble floor. A soft scent of burning incense wafted across the room.Another grave, its concrete seal barely dry, had been ...

RAF Typhoons divert Pakistan International Airlines plane to Stansted - video

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:31 -0400

Essex police have made two arrests for 'suspicion of endangerment to the aircraft' after a Pakistan passenger plane, en-route to Manchester, had to be escorted to Stansted airport by RAF Typhoons. The aircraft has been isolated and passengers have disembarked. No one was hurt during the incident and Stansted airport is operating as ...

Petraeus biographer expresses remorse for harm caused by affair

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:29 -0400

CIA director has spoken of her remorse over her role in the scandal.Six months after Paula Broadwell's personal relationship with her subject became public knowledge, she has given her fullest comments yet regarding the extramarital relationship. "I have remorse for the harm that this has caused, the sadness it has caused in my family and other families and for causes that we belong ...

Burning Airbus makes emergency landing at Heathrow

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:28 -0400

A British Airways plane trailing smoke made an emergency landing on Friday morning at Heathrow, leading to a temporary shutdown of the airport and the cancellation of hundreds of flights.The flight, heading to Oslo from Heathrow, returned to ...

Islamists gangs the EDL - all target alienated young men

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:28 -0400

London 's transport network. James Adams and 25 others were murdered by Abdullah Shaheed Jamal on a train travelling between Russell Square and King's Cross. Jamal did not look like Osama bin Laden, Kaled Sheikh Mohammed or Mohamed Atta. In fact, he looked like me: black Caribbean, raised and schooled in Britain. Michael Adebolajo, one of the two people alleged to have killed Lee Rigby ...

J Crew brings Obama chic to London

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:26 -0400

The O factor - J Crew fans Sasha, left, and Malia Obama at their father's 2009 inauguration ceremony in Washington. Photograph: Chuck Kennedy/MCT via ...

George Osborne is upbeat but the squeeze shows no sign of ending soon | Larry Elliott

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:25 -0400

George Osborne addresses a press conference with IMF leaders on Wednesday. The IMF has suggested the government's austerity programme should be scaled back. Photograph: Carl Court/AFP/Getty ...

New to nature special the top 10 new species

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:23 -0400

annual top 10 new species for the sixth time. A committee of taxon experts led by Dr Antonio Valdecasas of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid made the final selections. The list is a kind of scientific shock-and-awe campaign, shocking us at what we did not know about our own planet and leaving us in awe over the diversity, complexity, wonder and beauty of the living world. From ...

US travel industry optimistic for summer

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:22 -0400

hotels and campgrounds are commanding higher rates and seeing more customers than a few summers ago, and luxury hotels are selling out. Local businessmen and state officials are optimistic.But for a travel industry still stinging from the Great Recession, the best it can likely hope for is another summer of steady, but slow, recovery. The blockbuster crowds seen in 2007 have become a distant ...

Global development podcast transcript whats at stake at the G8

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:21 -0400

Global development podcast. I'm Hugh Muir and we're coming to you from the Guardian in King's Cross, London. We have a live audience, we have an august panel and we have your questions with which to quiz that august panel. Now we're talking about ...

Swedish police try to restore order in Stockholm after week of rioting

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:19 -0400

Burnt out cars in Stockholm: rioting continued in the Swedish capital on Thursday for the fifth night in a row. Photograph: Rikard Stadler/Rikard ...

DIY drones dont confuse homemade UAVs with military killing machines

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:18 -0400

"It was always a dream to build one, after having built helicopters in my bedroom for a while. I mostly like flying for fun, seeing whether I can get the device to auto-stabilise. As opposed to a plane or helicopter, you don't need a lot of knowledge to control them. They fly themselves. Something like this - you can put in a backpack and carry it with you." Electronic circuit ...

Taliban launch attack in central Kabul

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:54:43 -0400

CIA . A suicide car-bomb blast was followed by several other explosions as the militants exchanged gunfire with Afghan troops supported by Norwegian special forces. A Taliban spokesman said the attack was aimed at foreigners who were training Afghan security members. There was no immediate report of casualties. One witness told how security cameras helped him escape: ';An explosion ...

Geek chic how geek became mainstream in 10 steps

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:54:42 -0400

May 25th is Geek Pride Day, a day for geeks all around the world to reclaim the word and celebrate their culture. But what does it mean to be a geek in the digital age of smart phones, 3D printing and omnipresent thick-rimmed glasses? One thing is for sure: it has lost a lot of the aspects that historically coalesced together people who did not fit in (or were rejected by) the mainstream society. ...

Bob Schieffer on Obamas counterterrorism speech You cant just declare war on terror over

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:53:49 -0400

Should President Obama end the war on terror? The speech acted as a kind of "realignment of forces," pointed out Bob Schieffer, CBS News chief Washington correspondent and host of "Face the Nation." In his speech, the president renewed his call to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and announced new guidelines to govern the use of targeted drone strikes on ...

Afghan Taliban attack aid group 2 guards killed

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:40:11 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A Taliban suicide car bomber and five heavily armed gunmen attacked an international aid group's guest house in the Afghan capital on Friday, killing two guards and setting off an hours-long battle with security forces in an upscale Kabul neighborhood, authorities ...

Obamas drone speech could improve Pakistan ties

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:40:10 -0400

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- President Barack Obama's decision to impose more restrictive rules governing U.S. drone strikes and his prediction that they will be used less could pave the way for better relations with the new government of key ally Pakistan, officials and analysts said ...

Obama looking for way to end Americas war on terror

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:30:12 -0400

America's perpetual war against terrorism must come to an end, President Barack Obama declared yesterday, as he announced restrictions on drone strikes and a fresh effort to close Guantanamo Bay. In a speech to military and political leaders in Washington, Obama said the United States could not wage "a boundless global war on terror" but must face a new reality where threats came from regional ...

Syria targeted Israeli jeep going to rebel village

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:12:58 -0400

Syria said it targeted an Israeli vehicle that crossed a ceasefire line into its territory earlier this week, because it was heading toward a village with a large rebel ...

Chile blocks worlds highest mine project

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:45 -0400

VALLENAR, Chile -; Chile's environmental regulator has stopped construction and imposed sanctions on Barrick Gold Corp.'s $8.5 billion Pascua-Lama project, citing "serious violations" of its environmental ...

Iran presidential candidate vows to resist West

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:44 -0400

TEHRAN, Iran -; Iran's top nuclear negotiator, a candidate in next month's presidential elections, says he will pursue a policy of resistance against the West if ...

NKorean envoy delivers letter to Chinas president

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:43 -0400

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, greets North Korean Vice Marshal Choe Ryong Hae in Beijing Friday, May 24, 2013. The top North Korean envoy delivered a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Xi on Friday and told him Pyongyang would take steps to rejoin stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, in an apparent victory for ...

Cuba silent on Canadians corruption trial

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:41 -0400

Canadian businessman Sarkis Yacoubian goes to court for his corruption trial in Havana, Cuba, Friday, May 24, 2013. The trial of Yacoubian, who was president of import company Tri-Star Caribbean which was shuttered in July 2011, is under way nearly two years after he was detained. President Raul Castro has repeatedly spoken of a need to root out entrenched corruption on this Communist-run island, ...

Nigeria military says it rescued hostages in north

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:40 -0400

ABUJA, Nigeria -; Nigeria's military says it has rescued women and children taken hostage by Islamic extremists after an attack on a police ...

Brian Andreski sentenced in fatal drunken boat crash

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:05:32 -0400

Photo credit: Joseph D. Sullivan | Victim Christopher Mannino's mother Francine Faraone, left, and widow Michele Weil speak with reporters after the sentencing. Brian Andreski is sentenced by Judge James Husdon for killing Christopher Mannino while boating drunk last June. (May 24, ...

Dead harbor porpoise reported in Long Beach

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:05:28 -0400

Animals on the loose on LI, in NY A dead harbor porpoise was discovered early Friday on the sand near Lafayette Boulevard in Long Beach, officials said. A spokesman for The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation said the organization will attempt to recover the carcass and perform a necropsy -- to determine how the mammal died.A harbor porpoise is one of six species of ...

Dr. Beachs Top 10 beaches of 2013

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:05:27 -0400

For 23 years running, coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman -- aka Dr. Beach -- has put forth his Top 10 Beach List. Once a beach reaches the No. 1 spot, it's no longer eligible for ...

Barrick fined $16m for Pascua-Lama violations

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:04:25 -0400

Mining machinery and barrels with chemicals sit on the facilities of Barrick Gold Corp's Pascua-Lama project in northern Chile, Thursday, May 23, 2013. Chile's environmental regulator has stopped construction and imposed sanctions on Barrick Gold Corp.'s $8.5 billion Pascua-Lama project, citing "serious violations" of its environmental ...

UK ordered to hold inquests into civilian deaths during Iraq war

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:01:04 -0400

judgment that could have an impact on how the British military is able to conduct operations among civilians in the future, the court ruled on Friday that up to 161 deaths should be the subject of hearings modelled upon coroners' inquests.In practice, a series of hearings - possibly amounting to more than 100 - are likely to be held as a result of the judgment, which follows a three-year ...

Washington seeks end to perpetual ‘war on terror’

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:37 -0400

Twelve years after the "war on terror" began, US President Barack Obama wants to pull the US 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 Qaeda and its allies and took steps toward closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison ...

What’s next for the war on terror

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:52:20 -0400

high risk statement. if we were in fact attacked next month, next year, even a couple of years, this statement would likewise being seen in an historic light, but it would be seen in a light of naive today or complacency. words matter and i think in many ways this was a brave speech but ...

Man accused of murdering April Jones ‘can’t remember’ what he did with body

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:52:10 -0400

Paul and Coral Jones leave Mold Crown Court, North Wales after the defence in the trial of Mark Bridger who is accused of murdering their five-year-old daughter April. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA ...

Two women held in connection with London attack released

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:52:08 -0400

A 29-year-old was arrested yesterday in connection with the killing and today the force revealed that another woman, aged 31, had been held at a home in south London around 11.50pm last night and later ...

High Court calls for new system to investigate claims of abuse by British soldiers on Iraqis

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:56 -0400

Terri Judd is a reporter with The Independent, who writes regularly on defence issues, having repeatedly embedded with British troops in Iraq and ...

Alexander Lebedev witnesses say they were coerced into testifying

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:53 -0400

The trial of the businessman Alexander Lebedev has descended into farce as witnesses admitted they had been pressured into attending the court case by ...

U.S. family may exhume sons body

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:21 -0400

Parents of American Shane Todd walk out of Singapore inquiry into engineer's death Mother says an exhumation may be only way to prove family's contention he was murdered The Todds contend their son was murdered because of his knowledge of research project The companies IME and Huawei assert no project agreement was ...

Who was slain British soldier

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:20 -0400

Drummer Lee "Riggers" Rigby, 25, was a machine gunner who became a recruiter "He was a real character" in the infantry, his commanding officer says As a drummer, he stood outside the Royal Palaces He was also the father of a 2-year-old son, ...

Swedish capital hit by fifth night of riots

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:19 -0400

Firemen extinguish a blaze at a nursery school in the Stockholm suburb of Kista after riots in Sweden early Friday, May 24. Early media reports said the riots, which started Sunday, might have been triggered by police killing a 69-year-old man wielding a machete. But police say they are unsure of the ...

Opinion Win over youth to beat Boko Haram

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:19 -0400

Response to Boko Haram insurgency has echoes of the past, says 'Funmi Olonisakin She says Boko Haram commands loyalty of the excluded Northern Nigeria needs a "Marshal Plan," she ...

Winnie Mandelas financial woes

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:18 -0400

Winnie Mandela threatened with having her belongings sold off to pay school fees Mandela, ex-wife of South African icon Nelson Mandela, is regarded by many as "mother of the nation" Commentators say Winnie Mandela increasingly isolated from political and biological families Nelson Mandela's family embroiled in legal battle over former political prisoner's ...

Report Militants claim Niger attacks

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:18 -0400

NEW: 20 soldiers, five assailants dead after another bombing, battle Islamist group MUJAO says attacks are response to cooperation with France Truck bomb kills two assailants, wounds 50 outside mine MUJAO has been fighting French forces in Mali, which borders ...

Female Zoo Worker Mauled By Tiger

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:50:09 -0400

A female zoo worker has been seriously injured in a tiger attack at an animal park in Cumbria, police have confirmed. The 24-year-old woman was in the big cat's enclosure when she was mauled at South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Dalton-in-Furness. She was taken by ambulance to Preston Royal Infirmary and the park has been closed. Cumbria Police say they are investigating. A ...

Cardiff Hit-And-Run Driver Pleads Guilty

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:50:08 -0400

A man who went on a hit-and-run rampage in Cardiff has admitted the manslaughter of a woman. Matthew Tvrdon denied that he had murdered Karina Menzies in October last year but admitted killing her on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Tvrdon, 32, was wearing a khaki green shirt as he appeared via videolink at Cardiff Crown Court to enter a series of pleas. The van driver also ...

Nigel Farage bombed in Edinburgh – what does that really tell us about Scottish antipathy to the English | Ian Jack

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:43:21 -0400

struggling with his student opponents in an Edinburgh street recently. They see Farage as a racist who should go back to England. Farage sees them as fascists who represent the ugly side of Scottish nationalism. On the one hand, the students' antagonism towards Farage might be highly specific, and no more characteristic of a general tendency than the football chant "Bobby Moore, ...

Italian culture ministers comments about food leaves chefs simmering

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:43:18 -0400

As a junior minister taking your first steps in politics, it is generally thought wise to steer away from touchy subjects. Especially when your brief is culture, your country ...

Croatian president urges Britain to remain in the EU

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:43:15 -0400

Croatia's president, right, with David Cameron during a visit to London. Ivo Josipovic says the UK has an important economy. Photograph: Alastair ...

Another Memorial Day in this endless war | Amy Goodman

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:43:14 -0400

oversight hearing last week , the Senate Armed Services Committee looked at "The Law of Armed Conflict, the Use of Military Force, and the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force". The 2001 AUMF is the act passed by Congress on 14 September, three days after ...

Obama drone oversight proposal prompts concern over kill courts

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:43:13 -0400

Obama said he would ask Congress to review his proposal for future drone strikes to be subject to court review. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty ...

Conservative reaction to gay Boy Scouts decision is sickening | Jesse Berney

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:43:12 -0400

decided to let gay kids in yesterday , only that's not what really happened, is it? There have always been gay children in the Boy Scouts. What changed yesterday is that they won't kick you out if you tell people you're gay. So you won't be told by an adult authority figure - one wearing a uniform, no less - that you're weird and different and don't belong in the ...

Niger suicide bombings reported to be work of Mokhtar Belmokhtar

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:43:11 -0400

Mokhtar Belmokhtar is said to have had a supervisory role in bomb blasts at a barracks and a French nuclear plant in Niger. Photograph: Ho/AFP/Getty ...

Western Europe wallows in wintry weather

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:41:22 -0400

13/03/2013 12:06 CET May continues to bring scant springtime sunshine across western Europe. Instead, unsettled and unusual weather conditions have hit large parts of the continent. Heavy rain and melting snow has caused rivers to overflow and forced hundreds of people out of their homes in eastern Norway. In London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris temperatures are between five and 10 degrees ...

Syria conflict spills over into Lebanon with more sectarian fighting

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:41:21 -0400

03/06/2012 09:03 CET Gunmen have been seen prowling through a Sunni district of the Lebanese city of Tripoli after fighting between factions supporting rival groups in neighbouring Syria’s civil war. Five people were killed and more than 50 wounded on Thursday night. Fears are growing the fighting could reignite Lebanon’s own 15-year-long civil conflict. ';The seeds of war ...

Actress Bynes accused over pot

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:39:56 -0400

Actress Amanda Bynes was charged with reckless endangerment after police said that she heaved a marijuana bong out of an apartment window in New York City.She appeared in Manhattan court today wearing a tracksuit and a long, dishevelled blonde wig.The incident happened at her apartment building on West 47th Street last night.Police said that a building official called police to complain that ...

Action

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:37:20 -0400

>Editor's note: This review may contain spoilers.(CNN) -- Drawing level with the "Star Wars" saga and pulling well ahead of "Shrek," "Ice Age" and "Spider-Man" in the sequel stakes, "The Fast and the Furious" could yet challenge Rocky Balboa, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger for longevity. So what's the appeal? Combining heist movie suspense with regular high-speed chase action, "Fast and ...

Bergen Bushs war on terror is over

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:32:08 -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 ...

Bulls-eye One block 2 tornadoes

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:27:11 -0400

>Editor's note: John Sutter, the human rights columnist for CNN Opinion, is from Oklahoma City. Follow him on Twitter -- @jdsutter -- for continued updates about the tornado. E-mail him at ctl@cnn.com. Oklahoma City (CNN) -- Nancy ...

Museums Move to Return Human Remains to Indigenous Peoples

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:08:12 -0400

BERLIN ...

EU pushes through pesticide restrictions aiming to protect bees

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:55:40 -0400

The European Union has approved restrictions on three pesticides to better protect dwindling bee populations, to enter into force by December.EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg called Friday's decision a "milestone towards ensuring a healthier future for our honeybees." The move is backed by environmentalists but opposed by chemical ...

Exiled cleric who taught Woolwich attacker praises his ‘courage’

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:55:37 -0400

A Syrian-born Islamist cleric who taught one of the attackers accused of hacking to death an off-duty British soldier on a London street praised the attack for its "courage" and said Muslims would see it as a strike on a military target.In an interview in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, where he has lived since being banished from Britain in 2005, Omar Bakri, founder of banned British ...

3 al-Qaida members 2 soldiers dead in Yemen clash

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:53:20 -0400

SANAA, Yemen -; A security official says al-Qaida gunmen attacked a military position in a southern province, touching off fighting that left three militants and two soldiers ...

Third term begins for Ecuadors President Correa

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:53:19 -0400

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2013 file photo, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa gives a thumbs up to supporters as he stands with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, not in picture, on a balcony at the government palace in Quito, Ecuador. On Friday, May 24, 2013, Correa will begin his second presidential term after winning the Feb. 17 election. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, ...

2 on Diverted Pakistani Plane Made Threats They Called Jokes

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:53:18 -0400

LONDON ...

Suicide bomb hits Kabul as Taliban battle police

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:53:18 -0400

Afghan police aim their weapons after a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, May 24, 2013. A suicide bomber struck in the heart of the Afghan capital on Friday, sending a plume of smoke billowing over Kabul and setting up a gun battle in the second major attack in the city in little over a week, police said. (AP Photo/Ahmad ...

French help Niger to kill last jihadist bombers

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:53:17 -0400

Twisted metal lies at the site of a morning car bomb attack inside a military camp in Agadez, in northern Niger, Thursday, May 23, 2013. Suicide bombers in Niger detonated two car bombs simultaneously on Thursday, one inside a military camp in the city of Agadez and another in the remote town of Arlit at a French-operated uranium mine, killing a total of 26 people and injuring 30, according to ...

Niger defense minister Hostages freed in Agadez

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:53:12 -0400

Two men arrested after flight from Pakistan is diverted in UK airspace

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:52:03 -0400

May 24, 2013 London (CNN) — Police arrested two men Friday on suspicion of endangering an aircraft after a flight from Pakistan to the United Kingdom was diverted to Stansted Airport, outside of London. A UK fighter jet was scrambled to escort the Pakistan International Airlines flight as it was diverted from northwestern England’s Manchester Airport to Stansted. Essex Police, ...

Boating safety bill spurred by Oyster Bay deaths passes in Assembly

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:49:55 -0400

The first boating safety bill spurred by the fatal accident in which three children drowned last July Fourth in Oyster Bay has passed one house of the state Legislature.A bill requiring all operators of motorized craft to take a boating safety course passed the Assembly on Wednesday. It was sponsored by Assemb. Sandy Galef, a Democrat from Westchester. The same bill is being sponsored ...

Fire damages strip mall in Mount Sinai

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:49:54 -0400

Photo credit: Christopher Sabella | Firefighters on the scene of a late-night fire Thursday at a strip mall in Mount Sinai at 331 Rte. 25A. Damage to a martial arts studio in the mall was "significant," police said. (May 23, ...

2 held after Pakistan-UK flight diverted

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:47:59 -0400

Police arrested two men Friday on suspicion of endangering an aircraft after a flight from Pakistan to the United Kingdom was diverted to Stansted Airport, outside of ...

Suicide blast rocks centre of Kabul

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:45:39 -0400

Kabul and that they had killed several people.However, Interior Ministry spokesman Seddiq Seddiqi said no one was killed except two insurgents. He said everyone inside the building that the Taliban took over was safely evacuated, adding that two civilians and two security forces were wounded. He would not confirm the nationality of the wounded, nor would he identify the building.Details of the ...

Syrian government agrees to attend Geneva conference says ally Russia

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:45:04 -0400

The Syrian National Coalition is being urged to drop its demand that Bashar al-Assad should agree to stand down as a precondition for taking part in any talks. Photograph: AY-Collection/SIPA/Rex ...

Saudi Arabians in sidewalk skiing craze – video

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:44:54 -0400

Motorists in Saudi Arabia demonstrate a new trend of driving cars using only two wheels. 'Teams' congregate on the country's many desert roads to do tricks, including passengers changing wheels while the vehicle is in motion. A member of Impossible Team says the feat is not as dangerous as it ...

Fisher Soldiers killing changes terrain in war on terror

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:35:06 -0400

The macabre attack on a British soldier on a street in southeast London on Wednesday and the equally horrific and senseless slaughter of spectators at the Boston Marathon last month both appear to have been carried out by the security services' most elusive and dangerous enemy - young lone wolves.The blood-soaked fanatics in southeast London were apparently known to security services. Early ...

Madrids Catholic Church says it needs exorcists

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:31:20 -0400

ReligionenLibertad, a Catholic website, blames the growing secularization of Spanish society for what it calls an increase in people asking for help with their ...

Alexander Lebedev trial points to shadowy plot to seize his empire

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:27:05 -0400

Alexander Lebedev, a prolific blogger and Tweeter, has always been careful not to criticise President Vladimir Putin directly. Photograph: Denis ...

California earthquake rattles thousands in area near San Francisco

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:27:03 -0400

An earthquake in far north-eastern was felt by thousands of people as far away as San Francisco and in two other states, but there have been no reports of injury or serious damage.The magnitude-5.7 quake broke dishes and shook mirrors when it struck at 8.47pm Thursday, officials said.It was centered near Greenville, about 25 miles south-west of Susanville in far north-eastern California, said ...

Syria opposition seeks to unify as momentum for talks builds

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:26:17 -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, ...

Volunteers travel to help Oklahoma clean-up after tornado

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:25:24 -0400

21/05/2013 09:05 CET The recovery effort after the devastating tornado in the US state of Oklahoma earlier this week is being aided by hundreds of volunteers. After seeing the destruction some people travelled long distances to help the victims in Moore. Armed with brooms, mops and other tools they were organised into teams. ';This is such a tragedy, and I just felt for these people and ...

Three hurt in US bridge collapse

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:24:22 -0400

The major link between the US and Canadian sides of the Pacific Northwest region was severed after a bridge collapsed, dumping a handful of vehicles and people into a river, police said. All three people who were on the span were rescued and taken to hospitals.The four-lane Interstate 5 bridge - more than half a century old - collapsed about halfway between Seattle and Vancouver, British ...

Who owns Jolies genes

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:17:10 -0400

>Editor's note: Gayle Sulik is a medical sociologist, founder of the Breast Cancer Consortium and author of "Pink Ribbon Blues: How Breast Cancer Culture Undermines Women's Health. " Follow her on Twitter: @pinkribbonblues(CNN) -- Angelina Jolie, when writing about her preventive double mastectomy, did not discuss how much her surgeries cost, but she did mention that many women would not be ...

US Czech slaying suspect killed relatives

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:11:01 -0400

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- An American man accused of killing his uncle, aunt and cousins in the Czech Republic was arrested after fleeing to the United ...

Can men control themselves

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:09:47 -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 ...

Insurgents Attack Near U.N. Mission in Kabul

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:04:57 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan ...

UPDATE 1-Stretched by riots Swedish police call reinforcements

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:00:09 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 11:00am EDT By Ilze Filks and Mia Shanley STOCKHOLM May 24 (Reuters) - Police in Stockholm called in reinforcements on Friday after youths set cars and a school ablaze in a fifth night of rioting, the worst to hit Sweden for years. Pupils at a primary school in Kista - an IT hub that is home to the likes of telecoms equipment maker Ericsson and the Swedish office of Microsoft - ...

China Switzerland to seal free trade deal

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:49:31 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Switzerland to sign a free trade pact with the Alpine nation - the first comprehensive agreement the country has reached with a major western ...

UN chief challenges African leaders over Congo

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:49:29 -0400

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging African leaders to implement a plan that the U.N. hopes will stabilize eastern Congo after years of ...