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Virginia hikers hit by runaway car

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:21:55 -0400

A parade in the US state of Virginia has been ended by an horrendous car crash. Over 50 people were injured in an incident where a car ploughed into the crowd whose members had been hiking through the area. More than a dozen people were seriously injured in the crash, which took place during the Trail Days festival in the town of Damascus in northern Virginia. Ambulances ferried the ...

Israel concerned Russian arms will reach enemies

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:24:01 -0400

Israel has warned Russia about sending arms to Syria. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni has spoken on Channel Two television's Meet the Press to condemn shipments of arms from Russia that she said may be used against Israel. She said: "These are not just any weapons, they are tie-breakers, and that's why there is a responsibility with all world powers, certainly Russia, not to supply such ...

Syrian bomb disposal experts on high alert

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:19:24 -0400

At least eight people have been killed and ten others injured in a bomb attack in the Syrian capital, Damascus. The incident took place in the north of the city, where cars and buildings were set alight by a bomb. The bomb had been concealed in another car which was parked near a school in the Rukn Eddin neighbourhood. Another explosive device was defused by military experts who had ...

Iranian spies die in dawn hanging

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:27:54 -0400

Two spies have been hanged in Iran following a Revolutionary Court judgement. Press TV has reported the spies, who worked for the US Central Intelligence Agency and the Israeli spy agency, the Mossad, were hanged at dawn on Sunday. Sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court, the men have been named as Mohammad Heidari, a Mossad agent and Kourosh Ahmadi, who was convicted of working for ...

Texas takes on large oil firms

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:26:06 -0400

BP and Halliburton are being sued by the state of Texas over one of the worst oil spills in US history. Texas has become the latest complainant in allegations that both companies engaged in "misconduct" for their role in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Four other states that have sued BP and other companies in connection to the spill. Alabama and Louisiana filed complaints in 2010 ...

Karzai leaves for state visit to India

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:40:02 -0400

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai Monday left on a two-day visit to India, the president's office said in a statement. "President Hamid Karzai, leading a high-level delegation, left this morning (Monday) on a two-day state visit to India at the invitation of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee," Xinhua quoted the statement as saying. During his visit, Karzai is scheduled to meet Mukherjee, Prime ...

Hindu board in Malaysia files complaint over missing gold

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:40:01 -0400

A Hindu endowment board that conducts the affairs of the Hindu community and temples in a Malaysian state has lodged a police complaint after three gold bars went missing from its office. The Penang Hindu Endowment Board lodged the complaint May 17 over the three gold bars that went missing Dec 26 last year from its office in Georgetown, capital of Penang state, the Malaysian Star reported ...

Malaysian Indian Congress leader denies quitting party post

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:30:01 -0400

K.P. Samy, a member of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), has denied reports that he would quit the post as he was not offered a senatorship in the upper house of the Malaysian parliament. "I had merely offered to step down to give way to younger leaders but the president urged me to stay on," the Malaysian Star quoted him as saying in a press conference ...

Two Chinese acquitted of rape after 10 years in jail

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:30:01 -0400

A court in China will compensate two men after they were acquitted of rape charges that led to their wrongful imprisonment for 10 years. The court in Zhejiang decided to give Zhang Hui and and his uncle Zhang Gaoping 1.11 million yuan (around $179,000) each to compensate them for depriving them of their personal freedom, as well as for causing mental damage, Xinhua reported. Zhang Hui was given ...

Indian womens football team gears up for AFC qualifiers

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:10:01 -0400

High on confidence after notching up a double-win over Bahrain in two international friendlies in the latter's own backyard, the Indian women's football team will look to carrying on the good form for the AFC Asian Cup (Qualifiers) starting here Tuesday. The 23-member squad and officials reached here Sunday afternoon. A large posse of local journalists and photographers mobbed the team upon ...

Heart disease linked to job stress

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

Scientists have shed light on how stress at work affects the heart, says a study. The results, published in the 'Scandinavian Journal of Public Health', link this situation to dyslipidemia, a disorder that alters the levels of lipids and lipoproteins in the blood. Experts have been saying for years that emotional stress is linked to the risk of suffering cardiovascular disease as a result of ...

Paddy Lowe to join Mercedes early

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:50:02 -0400

Agreement has been reached between Mercedes and McLaren for Paddy Lowe to join the works team ahead of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix June 9. The announcement of Lowe leaving McLaren for Mercedes was made in February and the British racing engineer was supposed to join the team at the end of 2013. "Paddy will strengthen the team in the role of executive director (technical) and will work ...

Malaysian Indian Congress to hold working committee meeting May 23

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:40:01 -0400

The Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) will hold its meeting Thursday, thereby setting into motion the process of holding the party's presidential election. Party vice president M. Saravanan said the CWC members will mainly discuss the formation of the election committee, the New Straits Times reported Monday. Formed in 1946, MIC is one of the oldest ...

North Korea fires two more short-range missiles

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:30:01 -0400

North Korea Monday fired two more short-range missiles, a day after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the regime to return to talks on its controversial nuclear programme. "North Korea fired one KN-02 short-range missile between 11 a.m. and 12 noon and a second one between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday. The second missile is the same type as the KN-02 short-range missile launched on Monday ...

Indian jailed in Singapore for prostitution

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:10:01 -0400

A 24-year-old Indian man has been jailed by a court in Singapore for managing a prostitution ring. Kothandan Vinod has pleaded guilty to managing three Indian women after promising each of them a salary of Rs.30,000 (S$684) to work as prostitutes in Singapore, the Straits Times reported Monday. Vinod was in Singapore on business for less than a week when he was caught. Two of the women - ...

Sri Lankan president to visit China

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:50:03 -0400

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse will pay a state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping between May 27 and 30, an official said Monday. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the announcement at the daily press briefing Monday, reported ...

Corinthians beat Santos to win Campeonato Paulista

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:50:02 -0400

Corinthians won their 27th Campeonato Paulista title after a 1-1 draw in the second leg of the final against Santos. The result at the Vila Belmiro stadium Sunday gave the reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions a 3-2 aggregate victory, reports Xinhua. Cicero scored the opener for Santos just before the half-hour with a stunning left-foot volley before Danilo equalised two minutes later with a ...

Bad blood resurfaces in wrestling over Olympic axe

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:50:02 -0400

Recriminations over wrestling's exclusion from the Olympics re-emerged Monday, as supporters of the sport's former chief were accused of hurling insults at an official meeting. Wrestling was cut from the 2020 Olympics in February by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), amid low spectator interest and claims of corrupt refereeing in some major bouts. After the IOC decision, Raphael ...

Bradley Cooper takes cooking lessons from Ramsay

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:50:02 -0400

Hollywood actor Bradley Cooper is reportedly taking cooking lessons from well-known Scottish chef Gordon Ramsay to prepare for his role in director John Wells's "Chef". Cooper is playing a cook named Adam Jones, who destroys his career with drugs before getting clean and trying to open a restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars. Ramsay, who also hosts TV cookery shows, was the first ...

Rights liberties threatened in Sri Lanka says rights body

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:50:01 -0400

Respect for basic rights and liberties has declined in Sri Lanka in the four years since the government defeated the Tamil Tigers, Human Rights Watch said Monday. This week marks the fourth anniversary of the brutal civil war's end. Since the end of the 26-year-long civil war, the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has resisted taking meaningful steps to investigate and prosecute alleged ...

Accused in Indian-origin New Zealanders murder owed money

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:30:01 -0400

One of the two men accused of burning alive an Indian-origin man in New Zealand Jan 30 this year owed the victim money, the police report on the case has revealed. Bryan Pelmar, 20, and Shivneel Shahil Kumar, 18, have been charged with the murder of Shalvin Prasad, 21, whose burnt body was recovered from the side of a rural road in south Auckland, Fairfax NZ News reported Monday. Prasad was ...

India lose 1-4 to Indonesia exit Sudirman Cup

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:20:02 -0400

Indian shuttlers Monday lost their second and final Group A tie to Indonesia 1-4 to exit the Sudirman Cup on the second day of competitions at the Putra Stadium here After suffering a humiliating 0-5 loss Sunday to four-time defending champions China in the biennial tournament, India only managed to win one match out of five as Parupalli Kashyap was the lone bright spot. In the first match of ...

Text of PMs statement on China

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:00:02 -0400

Text of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement to the media Monday on Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to India: It is an honour for me to welcome Premier Li on his first official visit to India. It has been an immense pleasure to get to know him personally. I sincerely appreciate his reaching out to me on his first day in office and his choosing India as his first foreign destination as ...

AC Milan seize Champions League spot on last day

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:00:02 -0400

AC Milan scored two late goals in four minutes to secure a dramatic 2-1 win against Siena as well as the final Champions League place on the last day of the Italian Serie A season. Milan had to beat Siena, who had already been relegated, to make sure of a Champions League spot for the next season, but the hosts surprisingly took the lead in the 25th minute through Claudio Terzi Sunday, reports ...

Mazzarri quits Napoli with next destination undecided

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:00:01 -0400

Walter Mazzarri announced that he has decided to quit as Napoli head coach and will be ready to evaluate offers from other clubs. "I have ended my era here at Napoli," Mazzarri said after his side lost away to Roma 1-2 Sunday, reports Xinhua. "I had already made the decision some time ago. I thank the president and director Riccardo Bigon for trying to change my mind to the last minute. I had ...

Arsenal finish fourth as Premier League season ends

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:40:02 -0400

Arsenal beat city rivals Tottenham Hotspurs to a top-four spot in the final game of the Premier League season. The Champions League qualification was the only suspense before the last-round campaign as Wigan, Reading and OPR had already been relegated before the final day Sunday, reports Xinhua. French defender Laurent Koscielny scored from close range to earn Arsenal a 1-0 victory at ...

World TT Holder Zhang to face Wang in all-Chinese final

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:40:02 -0400

In a rematch of last year's Olympic final, defending champion Zhang Jike will fight for the men's singles title against Wang Hao at the World Table Tennis Championships here Monday. Zhang, the fourth seed, crushed top seed and teammate Xu Xin 11-8, 11-2, 11-9, 12-10 while Wang beat second seed Ma Long in the other all-Chinese semifinal 11-9, 11-7, 11-3, 7-11, 12-14, 11-3 Sunday night, Xinhua ...

Barca celebrate title in front of fans

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:30:01 -0400

FC Barcelona celebrated their conquest of the La Liga season with a 2-1 win at home to Valladolid. Although they were without the injured Lionel Messi Sunday night, Barcelona were never in trouble against a Valladolid side who had little to play for and the fact there were just 10 fouls in the entire match showed the lack of tension in the match, reports Xinhua. Barcelona opened the scoring ...

India-China consensus big stride forward Li

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:20:01 -0400

Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Monday described the consensus reached on various issues between China and India as "a big stride forward" and called for conducting dialogue in a "mature and sensible way". It was fair to say that the two sides had "arrived at multiple, significant outcomes", Li said in his statement to the media alongside Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Both countries had ...

Three arrested after fracas near British gurdwara

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:03 -0400

Three men have been arrested after a fracas outside a gurdwara in the city of Norwich in England. Two men, aged 20 and 21, were arrested on suspicion of public disorder offences and taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre and a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and taken to Great Yarmouth for questioning after the brawl involving 10 worshippers outside the gurdwara on ...

Ancelotti asks to leave PSG for Real Madrid

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:03 -0400

The departure of Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho appeared to move a step closer when Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed he had asked to leave the French champions. Ancelotti has been widely tipped as the next man to occupy the Real Madrid dugout should Mourinho leave the club and the news coming from France appears to indicate that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez ...

Caribbean T20 League builds momentum

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:02 -0400

Caribbean Premier T20 League operations manager Carlisle Powell says the key stakeholders in the six franchise countries have thrown their support behind the inaugural tournament which bowls off in July. Powell and other CPL officials recently held meetings with cricket board executives, stadium management, tourism representatives and government ministers in Antigua amp; Barbuda, Barbados, ...

Unravelling the Indian curry

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:02 -0400

Since childhood, being born in a North Indian Punjabi family, I have been fond of curries - spicy chicken curry or tangy vegetable tangy curry accompanied with rice or a crisp tandoori roti oozing with white butter. Then, there are a plethora of exotic curries such as Kerala's raw mango curry, green or red Thai curry, Indonesian curry or Burmese curry What, then, is a curry? It is a generic term ...

British economy in modest recovery central bank governor

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:02 -0400

Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said in a television interview that Britain's economy had achieved "only a modest recovery". "We are seeing a recovery. It's only a modest recovery, and we certainly can't be satisfied with it," the outgoing central bank governor King said in an interview with the Sky News' Murnaghan programme Sunday. "We will need to do more to use up the spare capacity and ...

Chinese Taipei win mens doubles TT title

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:01 -0400

Chinese Taipei's Chen Chien-An and Chuang Chih-Yuan upset Hao Shuai and Ma Lin from China to win the men's doubles title at the World Table Tennis Championships here. Chen and Chuang fought back from one game down to win three in a row but Ma, former Olympic Champion, and Hao Shuai took the fifth before the Chinese Taipei tandem sealed the victory Sunday by taking the sixth 11-8, reports ...

Cancer survivor Kleybanova makes victorious comeback

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:40:02 -0400

After a victorious comeback to professional tennis, former World No. 20 and cancer survivor Alisa Kleybanova vowed Monday to return to the sport's biggest competitions. The Russian, 23, won two WTA titles before being forced to quit the sport in July 2011 when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. After an aborted comeback bid last year, Kleybanova made a successful return last week at a ...

Taylor Swift wins maximum Billboard Music Awards

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:40:01 -0400

Singer Taylor Swift swept away the 2013 Billboard Music Awards. She won in eight categories, including the artist of the year and top female artist titles. She also bagged awards for top country artist, top digital songs artist. Her album "Red" topped in the Billboard 200 and country albums categories; her "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was named the top country song, reports ...

Australian construction industry to see slow recovery

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:40:01 -0400

The Australian building and construction industry will see a mixed recovery over 2015-16 after a number of challenging years, according to Master Builders Australia (MBA) forecasts released Monday. While the forecasts predict a positive growth for the industry, MBA reports that the current economic climate is creating headwinds that may impede the timing and strength of recovery. There's light ...

Zenits Shirokov sorry for obscene gesture at fans

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:30:03 -0400

Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder Roman Shirokov has apologised for making an obscene gesture at his team's fans during a game. Shirokov was booed by large sections of the crowd during Sunday's 3-1 home win over FC Volga, apparently for congratulating arch-rivals CSKA Moscow on winning the Russian Premier League title on Twitter. After scoring the third goal in injury time, the midfielder ...

Jennifer Lawrence brother being stalked

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:30:02 -0400

Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence and her brother Blaine Lawrence are reportedly being stalked by a Canadian named Han Cong Zhao. Han, 23, was said to be remanded on bail after Judge Annette Karem at Kentucky court here heard he sent Blaine 200 messages and a threatening voicemail. "You got me really upset, when I am upset, wait and see what happens," thesun.co.uk quoted Han as saying. Karem ...

Windies begin preparation for Champions Trophy

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:30:02 -0400

The West Indies will kick off preparations for next month's Champions Trophy in England when they embark on a five-day camp at the High Performance Centre (HPC) at the 3Ws Oval starting here Monday. The sessions will be overseen by West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson with assistant coach Tony Radford and the HPC's Andre Coley, also involved in the squad's preparation. The players are expected ...

Kerr suffers wardrobe malfunction

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:30:02 -0400

Supermodel Miranda Kerr suffered a wardrobe malfunction at the Miami Beach while she was shooting an ad campaign. The 30-year-old was shooting a campaign for her KORA Organics make-up line when her top fell down accidentally, exposing her breasts, reports dailystar.co.uk. She laughed off the blunder after covering up her ...

Shop alone to spend less

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:30:02 -0400

New research indicates that shopping with female friends can dent your bank balance, and that it is best to shop alone. Experts have found that 62 percent of women who go for shopping with a female friend will spend more money than those who venture to the high street on their own, reports femalefirst.co.uk. In fact, girls tend to spend 37.25 pounds more each time they go out with their friends ...

Jessie Js long nails inspired by granny

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:30:01 -0400

British pop star Jessie J says her craze for long nails comes from her grandmother. The 27-year-old star admits she got crazy nail art and pointy tips from her grandmother, who was obsessed with the colour green, reports contactmusic.com. "My nan, ever since I can remember, has had long pointy nails. And she loves green. Everything she has is green - her bathroom, her clothes. If she could have ...

Justin Biebers monkey gets a new home

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:01 -0400

Singer Justin Bieber's abandoned pet monkey Mally has found a new home at a British animal sanctuary. Mally was confiscated last month by German customs as Bieber had no papers to bring the pet to the country. Now Don Walser, from the Isle of Wight's Owl and Monkey Haven, has offered the animal a home with his pair Martin and Lulu and their baby Malou, reports dailystar.co.uk. Walser, 68, ...

Cleanliness freak Styles nicknamed Mrs. Mop

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:01 -0400

Harry Styles of One Direction is so obsessed with cleaning the band's tour bus that it has earned him the Mrs. Mop moniker. "Styles loves everything to be neat and tidy. He's fixated with keeping the tour bus clean," dailystar.co.uk quoted a crew member as saying. "He watches to make sure no-one drops food anywhere and asked people to leave their shoes at the door and wear slippers," he added. ...

For the elderly in US poetry blunts the pain of isolation

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:50:02 -0400

A woman in her seventies takes the microphone to recite a short poem, which, she warned the men present, was on the hazards of flirting. "Cheda na karo ate jatein raston mein, pale pad gayi to mushkil hogi" (Do not flirt with every girl who crosses your path, if she falls for you, you will have a problem). It was a couplet which would have been greeted with cat calls and whistles among college ...

Mexican twice summits Everest in one climbing season

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:40:01 -0400

Mexican David Liao Gonzalez Sunday became the first climber to double summit on Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, in the same season, the climb's organizers said. Liao Gonzalez reached the top of the world via both the north and south sides of Everest, Asian Trekking said. The 33-year-old Liao Gonzalez reached the summit of Everest Sunday via the Tibetan north side after climbing to ...

Pakistani daily hopes Sharif Kayani work together

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:40:01 -0400

A leading Pakistani daily Monday hoped that incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani "can at least be expected to try and work together". Nawaz Sharif, who is all set to become the prime minister for the third time, had a long meeting in Lahore with General Kayani. "Of one meeting is not made a relationship, functional or otherwise...," said an editorial ...

Have good manners Chinese official to tourists

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:30:01 -0400

If you are a tourist in China, you better have "healthy and civilised" manners. Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang Sunday stressed that efforts should be made to advocate "healthy and civilized" manners among tourists. Wang made the remarks during an inspection tour to central China's Henan province, just days after he advocated polite tourist behavior and stressed that a good image of Chinese ...

Mexico aims to boost trade with Brazil

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:20:01 -0400

Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Jose Antonio Meade visited his Brazilian counterpart, Antonio Patriota, with whom he agreed to promote a series of business meetings to boost bilateral trade. Meade told a press conference that, on the topic of trade, "right now that is Mexico's goal", but that at present there is no intention to negotiate free-trade agreements with Brazil. "There's a mutual ...

Brazil midfielder Paulinho denies transfer rumours

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:00:02 -0400

Brazil international midfielder Paulinho has denied speculation that he is on the verge of a move to Europe. The 24-year-old Corinthians star is reportedly on the radar of Inter Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk and Chelsea, among other European clubs, reports Xinhua. Speaking after Corinthians' 3-2 aggregate victory over Santos in the final of the Campeonato Paulista Sunday, Paulinho said he would ...

China-Indias large potential makes West anxious Daily

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:50:02 -0400

China and India's combined potential are large enough to make the West anxious but there are "many weaknesses in the bilateral relationship", a state-run Chinese daily has said. Said the Global Times in an editorial Monday, the second day of Premier Li Keqiang's India trip: "As China's new premier, his selection of India for his first overseas trip has widely been interpreted as a sign that ...

Nestle invests $130 mn in Mexico plant

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:40:01 -0400

Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto inaugurated a 1.6-billion-peso ($130-million) expansion of a Nestle instant coffee factory in the central city of Toluca. The project has boosted the plant's productive capacity by 30 percent, making it the world's biggest facility of its kind, Nestle Mexico CEO Marcelo Melchior said during Friday's ceremony. The factory, which covers a 14-hectare area, will ...

Roberto Carlos to coach Turkish Sivasspor club

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:30:01 -0400

Former World Cup winner and Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos has agreed to coach Turkish Super League's Sivasspor club. Sivasspor officials announced that they had offered the coaching job to the Brazilian after former coach Riza Calimbay called it quits, reports Xinhua. Carlos, 40, reportedly accepted the offer after consulting with friends from his time with Fenerbahce. Carlos is currently the ...

Yahoo to buy Tumblr in $1.1 bn deal

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:20:01 -0400

The board of web pioneer Yahoo has reportedly approved a deal to buy popular blogging site Tumblr for $1.1 billion in cash, according to various media reports. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and Tumblr CEO David Karp were reported to be in talks last week. On Sunday, the board approved the deal, the Wall Street Journal first reported. The deal is expected to be announced as soon as Monday, the New York ...

Badminton becomes a victim of Chinas bird flu outbreak

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:20:01 -0400

Badminton has become an indirect victim of bird flu that has been affecting the country, given that the extensive slaughtering of infected ducks has created a shortage of feathers, an essential raw material for the birdies used in the sport, media reports said. Many cases of H7N9 bird flu have been detected at farms in the eastern Chinese provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi and Fujian, which are the ...

Call box business is booming in Cameroon

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:40:01 -0400

There's no official figure to determine its role in the Cameroonian economy but there is evidence that the "call box" business is a booming informal business in the country's mobile telephone sector. The informal business, practised by thousands of Cameroonians in both in the urban and rural areas, entails one getting a mobile phone and a table in an open area on a street, reports Xinhua. This ...

Yemeni president commends ties with UAE

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:20:01 -0400

Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi has praised his country's relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The president said it in a statement on the occasion of the swearing-in of Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Yemen to the UAE. He said that the position holds particular importance due to the unique and important relationship between his ...

Tornadoes tear through central US

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:10:01 -0400

Tornadoes tore through three central American states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa with baseball-sized hail and wind blasts ripping roofs off homes and turning trees to matchsticks, as severe weather swept the region. A large "violent and extremely dangerous" tornado was spotted Sunday night on the southwest side of Wichita, Kansas and a second confirmed one was seen near Edmond, Oklahoma, the ...

Styles car outside my house Rod Stewart

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:30:02 -0400

Singer Rod Stewart accepts that he saw band One Direction member Harry Styles' car parked outside his house one morning, but didn't confirm that the teen sensation is dating his daughter Kimberly. Dating rumours of Styles, 19 and Kimberly, 31 surfaced when they were seen enjoying dinner with Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster, reports mirror.co.uk. "His (Harry's) car was here in the morning. ...

UAE Algeria discuss relations

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

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Algeria have held talks to explore new ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation in areas like industry, investment and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The discussions were held Sunday between UAE's economy minister Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri and the visiting Algerian Minister for Industry, SMEs and Investment Promotion, Cherif Rahmani. Both sides also ...

Johanssons directorial debut ready for shoot

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:20:01 -0400

Actress Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut will go on the floors this years, after being delayed for almost two years. The 28-year-old will make movie adaptation of author Truman Capote's novel "Summer Crossing", reports femalefirst.co.uk. "Several years ago I began working alongside the Capote estate and writer Tristine Skylar to adapt 'Summer Crossing', an inspired early work of Truman's ...

EU urges Russia against introducing gay law

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

The European Union (EU) has appealed to Russia not to introduce a law banning so-called "gay propaganda" . Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, intends to pass a law by the end of the current session (mid-July) banning dissemination of information among minors promoting homosexuality. Amendments will be made May 26-27, after which a working group will compile the draft law along ...

Beyonce Knowles idolised Whitney Houston

Sun, 19 May 2013 22:50:02 -0400

Singer Beyonce Knowles says she always wanted to be rich and famous like late singer Whitney Houston. Knowles, 31, often told her mother that she would grow up to become like Houston, who died after drowning in her bathtub reportedly following a cocktail of marijuana, cocaine and prescription drugs last year. Knowles, who performed at US Super Bowl 2012, was starstruck when she saw the late ...

Conference on Syria very soon UN chief

Sun, 19 May 2013 22:10:02 -0400

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that a conference on the Syrian settlement will take place "very soon", possibly at the beginning of June, after consulting UN Security Council permanent members. "As I have been asked by the parties to convene this conference on the auspices of the United Nations, I'm now actively engaging with all the parties I have spoken to: the US, Russia, the ...

Thousands of Taiwanese protest n-power project

Sun, 19 May 2013 22:00:01 -0400

About 10,000 Taiwanese took to the streets here Sunday to protest against further development of nuclear power on the island. The demonstration was launched by an environmental protection organisation to protest the construction of a new nuclear power plant, which will be the fourth plant on the island, Xinhua reported. Protestors waived banners and flags that read messages like "No Nuclear ...

Baz Luhrmann regrets not directing Harry Potter

Sun, 19 May 2013 21:10:01 -0400

Australian director Baz Luhrmann regrets leaving the opportunity to direct the first edition of "Harry Potter" franchise because he was busy with something else. The movie adaptation of author J.K. Rowling's 10-part wizard story was a huge hit and all books were made into movies starting from 2001, but Luhrmann turned down the offer because he was filming "Moulin Rouge!", reports ...

Example Erin McNaught married

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:20:01 -0400

Musician Elliot Gleave aka Example got married to fiancee Erin McNaugh here this weekend after six months of engagement. The two got married May 17 and Example, 30, announced the news to his fans through Twitter. "It's 7.30 a.m. Just going for a little 6 mile jog. Ceremony starts in six hours. Not sure if this is normal protocol for your wedding day?" he posted Friday. On Saturday he posted a ...

David Beckham loves styling daughter

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:40:01 -0400

Celebrity footballer David Beckham reportedly loves to style daughter Harper and has taken over the duty of styling her. David, who recently announced retirement from the sport, like to maker 22-month-old daughter wear bright clothes whereas wife Victoria has a different choice. "Victoria has always dressed Harper beautifully, but lately it's been David who's taken the reins. David tends to ...

Brown has soft spot for Tran

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:20:01 -0400

Singer Chris Brown reportedly has a soft corner for ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran. The duo dated for a few months before Brown famously reconciled his relation with singer Rihanna. However, he is said to have kept in touch with Tran. "I don't know if he's in love with Karrueche, but he loves her. Being in love with someone is different than loving them," hollywoodlife.com quoted a source as ...

Israel to keep preventing arms transfer to Hezbollah

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:30:01 -0400

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his government remains committed to prevent transfer of the advanced weaponry to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. "We are acting in accordance with the policy we had set to prevent as much as possible the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah and terror elements," reported Xinhua citing Netanyahu as saying Sunday. "The Israeli government ...

50 injured as car rams into public in US

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:10:01 -0400

As many as 50 people were injured after a car ploughed into a crowd of people participating in a parade in the US state of Virginia. There was no fatality. The incident occurred Saturday afternoon during the Hiker's Parade at the annual Trail Days festival in the Damascus town, near the border with Tennessee state, a US media report said. Some of the victims were flown by helicopters to ...

Gwyneth Paltrow a big-time foodie

Sun, 19 May 2013 16:20:01 -0400

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow loves food and says she has inherited it from her late father. The 41-year-old, married to singer Chris Martin, has often expressed her will to open an eatery and has also emphasised on the importance of eating healthy. "I have always loved food, I was raised by a foodie. I love to cook and eat," Beach magazine quoted Paltrow as saying. The actress credits her love for ...

Alleged unmasked CIA agent leaves Russia

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:30:01 -0400

Ryan Fogle, the man Russia's security services claimed to have captured last week as he tried to recruit a Russian to spy for the US, left Moscow Sunday, a media report said. Fogle checked in on a flight at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, NTV said. The Russian foreign ministry had earlier declared Fogle, a third secretary at the US Embassy in Moscow, persona non grata for "activity incompatible ...

Nepal India to discuss cross-border crime

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:20:01 -0400

Nepal and India have decided to discuss cross-border crime to curb this menace on the 1,700-km border shared by the two countries, an official said here Sunday. "A secretary-level meeting is scheduled for June first week. Exact date will be fixed soon. Cross-border crime will be a key feature of the meeting," Nepal's Home Ministry spokesperson Shankar Koirala told Xinhua. In the meeting, Home ...

Motorsports Team MRF deliver 1-2 finish

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:20:01 -0400

Team MRF achieved a 1-2 finish here Sunday with Esapekka Lappi and Gaurav Gill finishing in that order in the International Rally of Whangarei that also doubled up as the first round of the 2013 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship. Visiting New Zealand for their first time, 22-year-old Finn Esapekka Lappi (co-driver Janne Ferm) led from start-to-finish driving the Skoda Fabia S2000. Lappi ...

South African president not involved in Gupta jet scandal Minister

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:10:01 -0400

South African President Jacob Zuma was not involved in a wedding scandal in which a private plane of the affluent and well-connected Indian Gupta family landed at a sensitive military airbase, an investigation revealed on Sunday, reported Xinhua. "In any event, the president is not involved in authorizing the landing or not landing of aircraft at airports," Justice and Constitutional Development ...

Bangladeshis being trafficked to Brazil

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:30:01 -0400

Police in Brazil have identified a gang specialising in trafficking Bangladeshi nationals into the country, a media report said. About 80 Bangladeshi workers have been lured with promises of earning up to $1,500 a month. But they ended up as slave labourers in order to pay their smugglers nearly $10,000, BBC reported citing the Agencia Brasil news agency. South America's biggest economy has ...

US role in Mideast peace lacks credibility Palestinian official

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:00:01 -0400

The role of the US in reviving the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations lacks credibility, a Palestinian official said Sunday. The Barack Obama administration "recruits itself to spare Israel any kind of accountability and give the priority to Israel at the expense of peace chances and the implementation of international law", Xinhua quoted Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestinian Liberation ...

Bangladesh bans political rallies for a month

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:00:01 -0400

The Bangladesh government Sunday banned political rallies for one month, a step the opposition described as an attempt to mute dissenting voices. "We'll not allow political meetings and rallies for next one month across the country," Xinhua quoted Home Minister M.K. Alamgir as saying. Alamgir made the announcement in the sea port city of Chittagong, 240 km southeast of Dhaka. Incidents of ...

Blast at firecracker workshop kills three Chinese

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:50:01 -0400

An explosion at an unlicensed firecracker workshop in central China killed three people and left three others injured Sunday, officials said. The blast occurred around 9.50 a.m. in Yangzhai village in Henan province, Xinhua reported. Police suspect it was caused by illegally stored gunpowder. The workshop owner's wife and daughter and a neighbour were killed. The three injured include the ...

ISAF plane makes hard landing in Afghanistan

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:50:01 -0400

A C-130 plane with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) made a hard landing Sunday in Afghanistan, but there were no casualties, a statement said. The plane landed in Logar province, 60 km south of Kabul, Xinhua cited the ISAF statement as saying. Without providing details, the statement stressed that "there are no casualties, and there was no indication of insurgent ...

Dipika Ghosal seek breakthrough at British Open

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:40:01 -0400

Dipika Pallikal and Saurav Ghosal will lead India's challenge at the British Open Squash Championships beginning here Monday. The prestigious tournament is the world's oldest. World No.15 Pallikal plays her opening match against 22nd ranked Line Hansen of Denmark at the KC Stadium Tuesday. Provided the Indian overcomes the first hurdle, she is expected to meet local favourite and World No.2 ...

William-Kate gnome statues to raise money for kids

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:30:01 -0400

Tiny gnome statues of Prince William and his pregnant wife Kate, the duchess of Cambridge, will be auctioned online to raise money for children to learn about gardening in schools. The gnome statues were displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show, the Daily Mirror reported. "Gnomes are often associated with good luck, I could not think of a more popular couple that the nation is wishing good luck ...

Vietnam successfully test-flies drones

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:20:02 -0400

Vietnam Sunday successfully conducted test flights of six indigenously-made unmanned aerial vehicles, a media report said. The "made-in-Vietnam" drones flew over the Central Highlands Lam Dong province, Xinhua reported citing the Van Hoa The Thao (Culture and Sports) newspaper. After three days of tests - May 17-19 - in Da Lat city and Lac Duong district of Lam Dong, six vehicles made by the ...

Israel to return settlements land to Palestinian owners

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:20:01 -0400

The state of Israel has said it would return the lands of a settlement evacuated in 2005 back to its original Palestinian owners, an Israeli daily said Sunday. The announcement came after a petition was filed by the Palestinian land owners in the Supreme Court, Xinhua reported citing the Ha'aretz daily. Homesh, a 0.7 square km settlement, was established in 1980 on lands belonging to residents ...

No commercials TV channel starts broadcast in Russia

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:00:02 -0400

Russia's Public Television, which will be governed by the public rather than by the state or the channel owners and which will not run any commercials, Sunday started its broadcast. It offers viewers news, films, entertainment and cognitive programmes. The new TV channel is to become accessible free of charge in the networks of all operators of cable, satellite and IP-television. The TV channel ...

Warner reported for beaching Code of Behaviour

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:50:02 -0400

Cricket Australia (CA) Sunday said David Warner has been reported for breaching their Code of Behaviour. Warner is alleged to have breached Rule 6 which is "Unbecoming behaviour, regarding comments posted on his twitter account". The rule states that "players and officials must not at any time engage in behaviour unbecoming to a representative player or official that could (a) bring them or the ...

Woman flees to Britain refusing to join Swaziland kings harem

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:20:01 -0400

A 22-year-old woman fled to Britain from the southern African nation of Swaziland and is seeking asylum after refusing to join the harem of 13 wives of Swazi king Mswati III. Tintswalo Ngobeni fled to Britain after she caught the attention of the millionaire monarch, known for his lavish lifestyle, the Daily Mail reported. As part of Swazi custom, 45-year-old King Mswati III is permitted to ...

The righteous anger of young men

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:45:50 -0400

The Boston Marathon bombings have prompted us to reconsider the role that righteous anger in young men plays in extremist politics.We're usually told that terrorist acts can be traced to "root causes" - that such acts are born of despair over lack of economic opportunity and the peaceful benefits of a pluralist secular society. This doctrine was reaffirmed in then-candidate Barack ...

Ukrainian media protest after journalists beaten

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:44:16 -0400

Supporters of the Ukrainian oppositional parties take part in a rally against the current regime in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, May 18, 2013. The banner reads: "Freedom to Ukraine" (AP Photo/Sergei ...

Pakistans Musharraf granted bail in Bhutto case

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:44:16 -0400

ISLAMABAD -; A lawyer for Pakistan's former military ruler says a judge has granted Pervez Musharraf bail in a case related to the murder of former Prime Minister Benazir ...

Chinese Indian leaders call for cooperation

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:44:15 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang waves to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, as he leaves the Indian Presidential Palace after his ceremonial reception in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 20, 2013. Just weeks after a tense border standoff, Li visited India on his first foreign three-day trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost ...

M23 rebels clash with soldiers in east Congo

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:44:15 -0400

GOMA, Congo -; A military commander in eastern Congo says rebels attacked an army position north of Goma, a major provincial capital in the country's troubled ...

Markets solid despite Fed policy speculation

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:44:15 -0400

A man under an umbrella walks past an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo Monday, May 20, 2013. Japan's Nikkei 225 index jumped 1.4 percent to 15,352.84 as evidence of a steady economic recovery in the U.S. helped push Asian stock markets higher Monday. (AP Photo/Koji ...

Up to 30 Hizbullah fighters killed in Syria

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:30:40 -0400

About 30 fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hizbullah and 20 Syrian soldiers and militiamen loyal to president Bashar al-Assad have been killed in heavy fighting with rebels in the town of Qusair, Syrian activists said ...

Wave of car bombings across Iraq leave at least 30 dead

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:30:39 -0400

At least 20 people were killed by a series of car bombs in mainly Shia districts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, today and 11 others were killed by attacks in the southern city of Basra, police and medics ...

Swarmageddon Plague of cicadas to hit US

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:30:27 -0400

The US East Coast is preparing for a once-in-a-generation infestation of flying insects as billions of cicadas emerge from 17 years underground for a short-lived breeding frenzy known as ...

Turkey One Killed In Mid-Air Balloon Crash

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:28:52 -0400

A Brazilian tourist has been killed and 24 other people injured after two hot air balloons crashed in mid-air in Turkey. One balloon plunged to the ground after another crashed into it from below and caused a tear, according to the Anadolu Agency. The tragedy happened in the Cappadocia region and the passengers on board are said to be mostly from Asia, Spain and Brazil. The governor of ...

Billboard Awards Miguel Kicks Fans With Leap

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:28:52 -0400

American pop artist Miguel accidentally kicked two women in the head when he tried to jump over a catwalk at the Billboard Awards. He was singing his hit Adorn when he attempted to leap over the audience to another part of the stage. But he misjudged the jump and landed short on top of two fans watching his act at the show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Both women appeared ...

Gang of baboons ransack house outside Cape Town - video

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:22:27 -0400

A gang of baboons are filmed by a neighbour entering a house in Betty's Bay, near Cape Town in South Africa, and ransacking the property. The primates climb through an open upstairs window and race round the house, helping themselves to food in the kitchen. The neighbour tries to get rid of the animals using a broom. Most flee but one stubbornly refuses to leave an upstairs ...

Labour should cut its ties with the illiberal Henry Jackson Society | James Bloodworth

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:22:26 -0400

Former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett in 2007. She is one of 11 Labour MPs to sit on the Henry Jackson Society's advisory council. Photograph: Dimitri ...

Picture desk live the best news pictures of the day

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:22:24 -0400

Actor Morgan Freeman received the Doctor of Humane Letters award on graduation day at Boston University this weekend. Photograph: Nicolaus Czarnecki/ZUMA ...

Scientific Research and the European Union | Jon Butterworth | Life Physics

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:22:22 -0400

CERN Council European Strategy Group (our draft strategy will hopefully be adopted in Brussels next week). So we both had things to say about each others topic.I know from experience that applying for, and spending, EU research funds used to be very bureaucratic and arguably not worth the effort. Most initiatives were not primarily targetted at research excellence, but at training, or at ...

Israeli inquiry says film of Muhammad al-Duras death in Gaza was staged

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:22:21 -0400

France 2 footage showing Muhammad al-Dura crying beside his father in Gaza in September 2000: the IDF initially claimed it was responsible but later changed its account. Photograph: AFP/Getty ...

Should civil partnerships be extended to heterosexual couples | Poll

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:22:20 -0400

voting on amendments to the gay marriage bill including a proposal to extend civil partnerships to heterosexual couples . The government has hinted this could derail the law entirely. Do you think partnerships should be an option for ...

Whats all this about the EUs democratic deficit | Peter Millar

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:22:18 -0400

One of the best arguments against referendums is that they are seldom fought on facts, and more often on buzz phrases or received wisdom, little of it wise. The most commonly heard buzz phrase circulating in Britain's soul-searching over our membership of the European Union is "democratic deficit". It is a phrase much-loved because a) it is alliterative, and b) only vaguely ...

Death sentence for China bank fraud woman

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:19:58 -0400

A woman running a private banking operation in China has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of defrauding investors.Lin Haiyan was convicted of "illegal fundraising" for collecting 640 million yuan from investors by promising high returns and low risk, according to the Intermediate People's Court in Wenzhou, a centre for private sector business. It said the scheme ...

Vandals target Israeli womens prayer group

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:48:00 -0400

JERUSALEM -; Israeli police say vandals have spray-panted slogans on the home of one of the leaders of a liberal Jewish women's group that has angered ultra-Orthodox communities over its demands for equality of ...

World stocks rise on signs of steady US recovery

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:48:00 -0400

Malaysia court orders release of 3 terror suspects

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:47:59 -0400

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -; A Malaysian court has ordered the release of an al-Qaida-linked former army captain and two other suspects charged with inciting terrorist ...

Dozens die in Iraq bombing attacks

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:42:52 -0400

The attacks are the latest in a recent spike of bombings that has hit both Sunni and Shiite civilian targets over the past week. The bloodshed has raised fears of a return to the widespread sectarian violence of 2006-2007 that brought the country to the edge of civil war.In the Iraqi capital, nine car bombs went off, striking at bus stops, market places and in the streets of Shiite areas during ...

Damaged rail dings Conn. commuters

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:38:18 -0400

>Were you there? Share your images with iReport.(CNN) -- Telecommuting and carpooling are the recommended options for folks who would normally take the train between New Haven, Connecticut, and New York in the aftermath of a derailment that disrupted train service on one of the busiest tracks in the country. "There are going to be substantial delays until we can get this line back in full ...

Bombing Kills Key Figure in Northern Afghanistan

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:38:14 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan ...

Neville Neville Charged With Sexual Assault

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:33:32 -0400

The father of footballers Phil and Gary Neville is to be charged with sexual assault. Nazir Afzal, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: "Greater Manchester Police has investigated an allegation of sexual assault by Neville Neville in March 2013. "I have reviewed all the evidence that they have gathered and have authorised the police to charge him with one count of ...

Empty Stores In Malls And Retail Parks Spread

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:33:32 -0400

A surge in shopping centre vacancies means almost one in every eight British stores is now empty, according to a new survey. Empty shops now account for 11.9% of retail space, after failures including Comet and Jessops knocked holes in the shopping hubs and out-of-town retail parks. The percentage of UK shop vacancies in April worsened from 10.9% in January and was the highest rate since ...

China Urges North Korea To Free Fishing Boat

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:33:32 -0400

China is demanding that North Korea releases a fishing boat and crew who are reportedly being held at ransom. The boat's owner claims the 16-strong crew were held at gunpoint and then seized by North Koreans in Chinese waters on May 5. Yu Xuejun, who was not on board at the time, has said a £66,000 fee was demanded for the return of the vessel. The issue gained attention when ...

Xbox 720 five key points about Microsofts new generation

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:27:56 -0400

Xbox machine, which still doesn't have a name - although Infinity is a frontrunner once again. Taking place at the Microsoft HQ in Redmond, the event will be live-streamed across the globe, and should ...

Tornado leaves trail of destruction in Oklahoma - video

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:27:35 -0400

Aerial footage shows parts of Oklahoma after a tornado on Sunday. One mobile home park near the town of Shawneeto was reduced to rubble. The body of a 79-year-old man was found nearby. Tornadoes also swept across Kansas and Iowa on Sunday, part of a north-eastward-moving storm system that stretched from Texas to ...

Chinese leader seeks trust in India

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:26:19 -0400

China’s prime minister has pledged to build trust and cooperation during his visit to India. Li Keqiang’s first foreign trip since taking office comes just weeks after a military standoff between the Asian giants on their ill-defined border in the Himalayan mountains. Talks between Li and Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh are expected to focus on trade ties and other bilateral ...

Car bombs in Baghdad south Iraq kill at least 34

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:53:10 -0400

BAGHDAD -; A wave of car bombings across Baghdad's Shiite neighborhoods and in the southern city of Basra killed at least 34 people on Monday, Iraqi officials ...

Cartel towns pose challenge for immigration reform

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:49:59 -0400

The political debate over immigration focuses on jobs and border security, but the wounds of broken bonds are inescapable in cities like El Paso, ...

Nothing there for pool death girl

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:47:56 -0400

Sharm el-Sheikh and no help on hand to save her life.The couple told ITV Daybreak of how they had walked around the pool looking for Chloe after returning from buying drinks and snacks. Mr Johnson said he had been the first to start resuscitation efforts after his daughter was discovered at the Coral Sea Waterworld Hotel."It was just me at the beginning. I had done it all and then other ...

China urges North Korea to release fishing boat crew

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:47:48 -0400

China is urging North Korea to release a Chinese fishing boat whose owner says it was seized by gun-toting North Koreans earlier this month and held for ransom, in the latest irritant in relations between the neighboring ...

Germans blame Angela Merkel for poor Eurovision Song Contest performance

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:38:38 -0400

Germans lamented their unexpectedly poor showing at the Eurovision Song Contest, blaming Chancellor Angela Merkel's tough stance in the euro zone crisis for their failure to win any points from 34 of the 39 countries ...

At least four tornadoes sweep through Oklahoma wreaking havoc and destruction

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:38:37 -0400

Authorities say a tornado that severely damaged a mobile home park in Oklahoma killed a 79-year-old man whose body was found in an open area of the ...

MPs debate gay marriage Politics live blog

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:31:19 -0400

Rolling coverage of all the day's political developments as they happen, including MPs debating the gay marriage bill at report stage and latest developments in the 'swivel-eyed loons' ...

American Friends Service Committee California Becomes First State to Condemn Use of Torture in War on Terror

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:21:04 -0400

California Becomes First State to Condemn Use of Torture in 'War on Terror' SACRAMENTO, CA - August 14 - The California Legislature today adopted a resolution aimed at preventing California health professionals from engaging in coercive interrogations of detainees at ...

Myanmar leader making landmark White House visit

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:17:21 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former general Thein Sein on Monday becomes the first Myanmar president to be welcomed to the White House in almost 47 years, crowning a dramatic diplomatic rehabilitation for his nation after years of international ...

Suicide bomber kills 8 at Afghan province council

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:59:03 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan -; Afghan officials say a suicide bomber has struck outside a provincial council building in the country's north. A lawmaker says the council chief and at least seven others were ...

5 dead 20 missing in China factory explosion

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:59:02 -0400

The official Xinhua News Agency said rescue work was continuing at the site of Monday morning's explosion in Shandong province's Caofan township. It said 34 people were inside the factory at the time of the blast, and only 14 of them have been found so ...

Afghanistan Suicide bomber hits council building

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:59:01 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan -; Afghan officials say a suicide bomber has struck outside a provincial council building in the country's north, causing ...

Obama to grads Do good as you do well

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:57:20 -0400

At Morehouse College, President Obama holds his honorary doctorate of laws, flanked by college president John Silvanus Wilson Jr. (left) and Robert Davidson, board of trustees ...

Detours delays likely for a week

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:57:18 -0400

HARTFORD, Conn. - Traffic in southwest Connecticut could be a mess for as much as a week until service is restored to the commuter rail line affected by a derailment that injured scores of passengers, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy warned Sunday. Malloy used dire language to describe traffic troubles for the workweek ahead in an area that even in normal times is a pain for motorists. And the governor ...

Harrowing choice that ended in tragedy

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:57:16 -0400

NEW YORK - The police officer who accidentally killed a Long Island college student along with an armed intruder faced the most harrowing decision of a law enforcement career: choosing the split-second moment when the risk is so high that you must act to save a life, says an expert in the field. "The big question is, how do you know, when someone's pointing a gun at you, whether you ...

Israel again warns Syria about weapons

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:57:14 -0400

JERUSALEM - Fears of an escalation of violence between Israel and Syria grew Sunday with renewed Israeli threats to destroy Syrian weapons caches and Syria's warnings of retaliation. After decades of relative calm, some Israeli officials say, tensions with Syria are among the highest since the 1973 Yom Kippur war. During a Cabinet meeting Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ...

Urging Obama to shift focus back to jobs

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:57:12 -0400

WASHINGTON - Five months into President Obama's second term, allies and former top aides worry that his overarching goal of economic opportunity has been diminished, partly drowned out by controversies seized upon by Republicans in an effort to weaken him. The former White House insiders, including longtime Obama adviser David Axelrod, say Obama needs to make his case anew for ...

In a Fla. town who just hit the jackpot

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:57:11 -0400

ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. - Some lucky person walked into a Publix supermarket in suburban Florida over the last few days and bought a ticket now worth an estimated $590.5 million - the highest Powerball jackpot in history. But it wasn't Matthew Bogel. On Sunday, he loaded groceries into his car after shopping at the Publix. He shook his head when asked about the jackpot. "It's crazy, ...

Range of solutions proposed for deadly Route 130

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:57:09 -0400

One of New Jersey's most dangerous highways is getting new attention as lawmakers propose red lights with more sparkle, crosswalks so pronounced they practically scream "STOP," and stiffer traffic fines in an effort to reduce pedestrian deaths. A crackdown on speeders and jaywalkers is also underway on Route 130 in Burlington County, a 23-mile stretch where 19 pedestrians were ...

Israeli pushes interim peace pact

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:57:08 -0400

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's senior coalition partner says that reaching a final peace agreement with the Palestinians is unrealistic at the current time and that the sides should instead pursue an interim arrangement. Finance Minister Yair Lapid's assessment, delivered in a published interview Sunday just days before the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State John ...

Archaeological survey of unmarked Mother Bethel cemetery begins this week

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:57:06 -0400

It's not that the old Mother Bethel Church burial ground has been lost, exactly. How does one lose a place for the dead? James Champion, an original church trustee, dead of tuberculosis, was buried there in 1813. Stephen Laws, another founder, succumbed to typhoid in 1814 and joined Champion in the graveyard. The Rev. Richard Williams, Mother Bethel's pastor in the 1840s, lies there. ...

Thomas Browne – religion as passion and pastime part 1 reason within limits | Roz Kaveney

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:53:02 -0400

new atheism " is that it sometimes fails to understand the lived experience of quiet, happy faith. It is also baffled by the fact that intelligent people, with scientific and scholarly interests, have lived their life without religious doubts, content with what they were taught. The 17th-century writer and ...

Yahoo expected to announce acquisition of Tumblr for $1.1bn

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:52:36 -0400

Marissa Mayer, the former Google executive who is now chief executive of the listing web content company, is signalling a desire to give the company more social media strength and Tumblr, which was founded in 2007 by David Karp, then 21, in a bedroom in his mother's apartment in New York, is the lucky entrepreneur to ...

Syria gunfire hits Israel-occupied Golan army

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:50:29 -0400

Shots fired from Syria hit the central Israeli-occupied Golan Heights overnight, a military spokeswoman said Monday morning, causing no harm or ...

Woman claims $732.6m powerball jackpot

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:48:28 -0400

Record $700m Powerball jackpot unclaimed in US (1:29) A woman has come forward to claim a record US Powerball lottery jackpot worth $590.5 million (NZ $732.6 million). No other details have been released about America's newest multi millionaire but a small Florida town is abuzz as its residents try to work out who it is after it was revealed earlier that a single winning ticket was sold ...

Tornadoes wreak havoc in US midwest

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:46:02 -0400

At least four separate tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, including one near the town of Shawnee that laid waste to much of a mobile home park, killing a 79-year-old ...

Gay Marriage MPs To Debate Plans Amid Rift

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:44:06 -0400

The coalition's controversial gay marriage legislation returns to the Commons later with Tory MPs and activists deeply split over the issue. The move has been championed by David Cameron but he has faced Conservative opposition at all levels from the grassroots to the Cabinet. A group of more than 30 current and former local party chairmen warned that the plans would drive Tory voters ...

Apple joins BlackBerry and Samsung in getting Pentagon approval

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:38:14 -0400

iPad have been cleared for use on the US Pentagon's networks, joining Samsung and BlackBerry in the potentially huge - and tightly regulated - US military market.That opens the door to a three-way fight between the companies for contracts worth millions of dollars and whose prestige could have benefits far beyond the defence department's networks.On 2 May BlackBerry's Z10 ...

Briton arrested over deaths of his two children in Lyon say reports

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:38:13 -0400

A British man has been arrested after his two children were found with their throats cut in France, according to reports. The man was allegedly seen fleeing on rollerskates from his flat on the outskirts of Lyon.The bodies of the children, a girl aged five and her brother, 10, were found on Saturday in their father's second-floor flat at Saint-Priest, a south-eastern suburb of the ...

Twister kills 1 in Oklahoma

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:26:36 -0400

>Are you experiencing severe weather in your area? Send photos and videos to CNN iReport. But please remember to stay safe. (CNN) -- A rash of tornadoes wreaked havoc in Oklahoma and the Midwest on Sunday and Monday, destroying homes and tossing trees around like toothpicks. But the destructive weather isn't ...

Pakistan Gunmen attack polio team kill policeman

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:05:48 -0400

Local government administrator Faramosh Khan says the gunmen attacked the team on Monday in the town of Mamound in the Bajur tribal area, just as it had started a vaccination ...

Chinese premier Peace requires India-China trust

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:05:48 -0400

Chinese Premiere Li Keqiang, right, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wave during Li's ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 20, 2013. Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier visited India on Sunday on his first foreign three-day trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old ...

Aid group Syrian refugees face dire health risks

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:05:47 -0400

In this Saturday, May 18, 2013 citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrians inspecting the rubble of damaged buildings due to government airstrikes, in Qusair, Homs province, Syria. The town of Qusair has been besieged for weeks by regime troops and pro-government gunmen backed by the Lebanese militant ...

Five things to know about the Dreamliner

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:58:41 -0400

>Editor's note: CNN's Thom Patterson boards the 787 Dreamliner Monday for its first commercial US domestic flight after it was grounded for battery problems. Watch for his report this afternoon on CNN.com and follow his progress on Twitter.(CNN) -- Aviation fans have already named it Dreamliner 2.0. No longer grounded for safety concerns, Boeing's embattled 787 Dreamliner now has a few things ...

Beatles guitar auctioned to the pretty tune of US$408000

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:57:13 -0400

LOS ANGELES -- A custom-made electric guitar played by the late John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles sold at a New York auction on Saturday for US$408,000, said officials with the company behind the ...

US braced for plague of sex-starved locusts

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:52:23 -0400

Any day now, billions of cicadas with bulging red eyes will crawl out of the earth after 17 years underground and overrun the east coast of the US, scientists say. They will arrive in such numbers that people from the southern state of North Carolina to Connecticut in the north east will be outnumbered by roughly ...

Ryanair Profit Up 13 But Expects Slowdown

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:50:31 -0400

Budget carrier Ryanair has posted record full-year earnings but warned profit growth would slow sharply in the coming 12 months. It expects the slowdown to be caused by weakness in the European Union and high fuel and airport costs. Europe's largest budget airline reported net profit of 569m euros (£480m) for the 12 months to the end of March, up 13%. The full-year return beat ...

Tax Havens Cameron Warns Over Transparency

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:50:30 -0400

Britain's offshore tax havens have been warned to enforce regulations and improve transparency to avoid evasion by individuals and companies. The Prime Minister has written to nearly a dozen leaders of the havens, stressing the need to "get our own houses in order" as he pushes for international action to tackle avoidance schemes. In a message to 10 crown dependencies and ...

Hezbollah takes fight to anti-Assad rebels as they storm rebel-held town of Qusair

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:49:06 -0400

Hezbollah launched a major offensive in support of the Assad regime today, with fighters from the Lebanese militant group playing their most significant role yet in Syria's two-year-old civil ...

Russian oligarchs foot most of 2014 Sochi Olympics

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:48:17 -0400

SOCHI, Russia (AP) -- The mountains of Sochi are now home to Potanin's slope, Gazprom's gondola lift and Sberbank's ski jump. The nicknames used by locals and an army of construction workers leave no doubt about who is paying for the 2014 Winter Games: Russia's business ...

Who is building what in Sochi for 2014 Olympics

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:48:12 -0400

SOCHI, Russia (AP) -- The cost of the 2014 Winter Games in the Russian city of Sochi now stands at $51 billion, making it the most expensive Olympics in history. More than half of the bill is being footed by Russian state-controlled companies and business tycoons. A look at what the major players are building in ...

Turkey 1 killed 24 injured after balloon crashes

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:48:03 -0400

Hasan Unver, the mayor Nevsehir province told NTV television that the balloon was flying above volcanic cones of the Cappadocia region when it crashed on ...

Japan upgrades economic outlook as Abes policies take hold

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:47:14 -0400

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe smiles as he delivers a speech to business leaders and scholars during a meeting hosted by Japan Akademeia in Tokyo May 17, ...

Ivory Coasts reconciliation under threat from victor’s justice – video

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:44:30 -0400

Atrocities were committed on both sides during Ivory Coast's post-election conflict two years ago, in which more than 3,000 people died. But while former president Laurent Gbagbo awaits a potential war crimes trial at the Hague, not a single person has been charged among those who fought for the current president Alassane Ouatarra. What impact will this have on the country's prospects ...

Deadly tornadoes strike Oklahoma

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:44:29 -0400

Tornadoes ravaged portions of Oklahoma on Sunday, reducing parts of a mobile home park to rubble and killing a 79-year-old man whose body was found out in the open. The tornado in Shawnee was one of several that touched down in the US's mid-west. Twisters, hail and high winds also struck Iowa and Kansas as part of a massive storm system that stretched from Texas to Minnesota. "You can ...

Ivory Coast finding reconstruction easier than reconciliation | Tamasin Ford

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:44:28 -0400

Taking stock ...A share price seminar in Abidjan. But does Ivory Coast's upward economic trajectory mask lingering problems? Photograph: Issouf ...

Yahoo poised to buy New York-based blogging service

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:43:22 -0400

It is reported the board of Yahoo has green-lighted a deal to buy the New-York based blogging service Tumblr for more than 850 million euros. The news is expected to be officially announced later. If confirmed, the plan would give Yahoo a larger social media presence and enhance its appeal to younger ...

Prix Media awarded in Cannes

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:43:19 -0400

Danish director Thomas Vinterberg has won the ';Prix Media'; in Cannes. The prize is awarded to the film with the best box-office potential amongst all those submitted for funding from the 2013 media programme. It was presented by Androulla Vassilliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth at the Cannes Festival. Vinterberg’s 1998 film ...

Protests and poll re-runs in Karachi

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:43:18 -0400

Protests have taken place in the city of Karachi in Pakistan, the day after a senior politician from the country’s third largest party was killed in a drive-by shooting. It is not clear who was behind the death of Zara Shahid ...

Indian film stars flourish at Cannes Festival

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:43:17 -0400

Familiar faces from the Indian screen have descended on Cannes for a gala dinner to mark the centenary of their country’s movie industry. The largest contingent of stars from the world’s most productive film industry have travelled to the world’s leading cinema showcase on the French Riviera to promote their work. ';Lunchbox'; is one of four Indian films being ...

Clashes leave casualties in Tunisia as radical Islamists defy protest ban

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:43:16 -0400

One protester has died and several others have been injured in Tunisia after radical Islamists defied a ban on their demonstration and clashed with police. The 27-year-old man was killed in the capital; there was also trouble in the central city of Kairouan. In Tunis police arrested dozens of people in one district. In the midst of the clashes some of the protesters reportedly lowered the ...

Price of oil falls below $96 per barrel as traders await data Fed chief Bernankes speech

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:14:11 -0400

BANGKOK - The price of oil fell Monday ahead of the release later this week of economic data from the U.S. and China, the world's two largest economies, and a speech by the Federal Reserve chief. Benchmark crude for June delivery was down 25 cents to $95.77 a barrel at midday Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 86 cents to close at ...

Violent And Dangerous Tornadoes Strike US

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:59:12 -0400

At least one person has been killed and 21 people injured in Oklahoma after a half-mile wide twister swept through the US state reducing homes to rubble. Houses were completely destroyed in the towns of Carney and Pink as the tornado passed through. More than two dozen tornadoes were spotted in parts of Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric ...

China sentences underground bank operator to death

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:56:50 -0400

BEIJING (AP) -- A businesswoman in southern China has been sentenced to death on charges of defrauding investors as the government tightens controls on informal financing that is widely used by ...

North Koreans seize Chinese fishing boat

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:51:47 -0400

China has urged North Korea to release a Chinese fishing boat and crew, state media has reported, after its owner announced online that it had been seized more than two weeks ago. Yu Xuejun wrote on his microblog on Saturday that gun-wielding North Koreans took the boat on 5 May in what he says were Chinese waters and that they demanded a ransom of 600,000 yuan (£64,000). Xinhua ...

Analysis Shrinking deficit reduces pressure for budget deal

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:51:07 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chances of a deal between Democratic and Republican lawmakers that would overhaul the tax system, trim government spending and reform safety net spending programs appear to be ...

Insight The road to a greener America is littered with road-kill

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:51:07 -0400

Apart from the relative success of Tesla Motors Inc in putting nearly 10,000 of its pricey luxury electric cars on the road, the electric vehicle sector has been among the biggest duds in clean ...

US diplomat leaves Russia

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:50:22 -0400

Russian television says a US diplomat at the centre of a spying row has left Moscow. Ryan Fogle was given five days to leave Russia after allegedly trying to recruit an intelligence officer as an informer. The US state department has confirmed the ...

Tornadoes cause havoc in Oklahoma

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:16:31 -0400

Oklahoma , leaving at least one man dead, turning homes in a trailer park into splinters and rubble and sending frightened residents scurrying for ...

One reported dead as tornadoes hit US states

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:13:12 -0400

A powerful storm system churning through the US Midwest spawned tornadoes Sunday in the states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa, destroying homes and killing at least one person, US media ...

Israel is worlds largest exporter of drones Report

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:10:47 -0400

Israel is the world's largest exporter of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in terms of number of systems sold, earning a whopping USD 4.6 billion in sales during the last eight years, excluding a major deal with India for the upgrade of unmanned aircrafts, according to a study by a business consulting firm. Frost & Sullivan business consulting firm in a study have noted that UAVs, or ...

Bashar al-Assad insists he will not step down as President of Syria

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:08:46 -0400

Bashar al-Assad has dismissed the prospect of new peace talks in Syria leading to a lasting settlement and stated that he has no intention of stepping ...

UK Astronaut To Blast Off To Space Station

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:07:08 -0400

The British space industry is being given a boost with confirmation that Britain's first official astronaut is to take part in a mission on the International Space Station in 2015. Major Tim Peake has undergone 14 months of rigorous training, which has included survival courses and exercises under water and underground. Now almost three years after graduating as an astronaut, the ...

Insight The fight for North Dakotas fracking-water market

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:59:21 -0400

WATFORD CITY, North Dakota (Reuters) - In towns across North Dakota, the wellhead of the North American energy boom, the locals have taken to quoting the adage: "Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for ...

Analysis At margins of shale oil boom a tempered euphoria

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:59:20 -0400

HOUSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - For the past three years, the boom in the U.S. shale oil industry has outstripped all expectations. Production surged far faster than any forecasts; drillers raced to secure space in new pipelines to get their crude to ...

Imran Khans party wins revote in Karachi protests expected

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:59:20 -0400

1 of 2. Imran Khan, Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician and chairman of political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), addresses his supporters after his visit to the mausoleum of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder and first governor-general of Pakistan, during an election campaign in Karachi May 7, ...

Rare UK crane egg given 24-hour guard

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:29:50 -0400

The common crane has been driven to extinction in Britain, so the first egg laid for more than 400 years is being closely guarded by ...