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South African Court Acquits Carl Pistorius

2013-05-21 11:04:31

One Pistorius brother is free of charges — acquitted Tuesday of culpable homicide in the death of a woman in a road accident. The famous younger brother, Olympian double-amputee Oscar Pistorius, still must face his day in court for shooting and killing his girlfriend.

Carl Pistorius cried tears of relief Tuesday as a magistrate acquitted him of culpable homicide and negligent driving for the woman's death. - More

Pervez Musharraf granted bail in Pakistan

2013-05-20 17:23:32

A court in Islamabad granted former military chief Pervez Musharraf bail on Monday in connection to the murder of Benazir Bhutto.

However, the ruling does not mean an automatic release for Musharraf. - More

Is Race A Social Construct? Wiki-Video

2013-05-15 21:21:53

It is utterly impossible to look at the delineation of a "Southern race" and not see the Civil War, the creation of an "Irish race" and not think of Cromwell's ethnic cleansing, the creation of a "Jewish race" and not see anti-Semitism.

There is no fixed sense of "whiteness" or "blackness," not even today. It is quite common for whites to point out that Barack Obama isn't really "black" but "half-white." One wonders if they would say this if Barack Obama were a notorious drug-lord. - More

Wikipedia Reference on Race

If Assad reacts to Syria strike, Israel will retaliate

2013-05-15 21:03:17

Israel will continue to take military action to prevent the transfer of advanced weaponry to Syria, The New York Times quoted a senior Israeli official as saying Wednesday, a day after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi to discuss the troubled situation.

According to the Times, the Israeli official – who contacted the paper – said, “Israel is determined to continue to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah. - More

Japan PM Abe would meet N Korea leader Kim over abductions

2013-05-15 20:33:19

Shinzo Abe said this was one of the options open to him.

He was speaking a day after Tokyo's special adviser arrived in Pyongyang, amid media reports that he would try to re-open talks on the issue.

Pyongyang has admitted abducting a number of Japanese nationals in the 1970-80s to train spies. - More

New Details: The Mario Andrette McNeill, 32, kidnap rape trial of Shaniya Davis

2013-05-14 06:08:03

Prosecution witnesses tried to explain Monday why they didn't find a Fayetteville man's DNA on the 5-year-old girl he's accused of raping and killing more than three years ago.

Mario Andrette McNeill, 32, is charged with murder, kidnapping and rape in the death of Shaniya Davis. He could face the death penalty if convicted of murder. - More

Capt. James V. Clement faces trial

2013-05-13 20:47:08

The U.S. Marine Corps announced Monday that Capt. James V. Clement will be tried for dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming an officer and failure to stop misconduct by those under his command.

The charges were referred for trial following an evidentiary hearing held last month at Camp Lejeune, N.C. A date for the upcoming court-martial has not been set. - More

VIDEO: Officer Richard Donohue Recounts Shootout With Tsarnaev brothers

2013-05-13 20:42:19

The police officer who was gravely wounded in the shootout with the Boston bombing suspect spoke publicly for the first time. He told CBS News he got involved in the manhunt when he responded to the shooting of a fellow officer.

Officer Richard Donohue was at scene of the shooting with the Tsarnaev brothers on April 19. The officer who was killed, Sean Collier, was a good friend. Within three hours, Donohue would be the next to go down.

Grimilda Figueroa Notified Police About An Abusive Ariel Castro

2013-05-13 20:37:08

Cleveland cops were summoned six times to handle accusations that accused kidnapper Ariel Castro had assaulted or menaced people, including three alleged beatings of his wife, but he was only convicted once and was never sentenced to any prison time.

One of the accusations against Castro was that he battered his wife while she was recovering from brain surgery, according to newly released police records. - More

Obama Blames Rush Limbaugh

2013-05-13 20:30:19

“What’s blocking us right now is sort of hyper-partisanship in Washington that, frankly, I was hoping to overcome in 2008. And in the midst of crisis, I think the other party reacted, rather than saying now is the time for us all to join together, decided to take a different path,” Obama said at the Democratic National Committee fundraiser. “My thinking was after we beat them in 2012, well, that might break the fever, and it’s not quite broken yet.

"But I am persistent,” he said. “And I am staying at it. And I genuinely believe that there are actually Republicans out there who would like to work with us but they’re fearful of their base and they’re concerned about what Rush Limbaugh might say about them. And, as a consequence, we get the kind of gridlock that makes people cynical about government and inhibits our progress.”

Taiwan strengthens patrols in waters near Philippines

2013-05-12 16:17:33

Taiwan Sunday sent four coastguard and naval vessels to strengthen patrols in waters near the Philippines following public outrage over the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coastguards.

“The government is determined to protect our fishermen,” cabinet spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen said in a statement as a frigate and coastguard vessels set sail for the area where the 65-year-old fisherman was killed Thursday. - More

Taiwan eNews References

Philippines eNews References

Michelle Knight was removed from FBI database in 2003

2013-05-11 08:19:04

Cleveland police removed Michelle Knight’s missing persons report from the FBI database almost a decade before she was found.

Knight, then 21, was reported missing on Aug. 23, 2002 and was last seen at her cousin’s house near West 106th Street and Lorain Avenue. - More

Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom marriage drama

2013-05-11 07:44:20

Sources say the “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” star is close to ending her marriage of more than three years because her union with the NBA star has resulted in a lot of heartbreak and disappointment.

“Khloe’s ready to pull the plug on her marriage to Lamar,” revealed an insider.

“Kris has given her the names of a few high-powered Beverly Hills divorce lawyers and told her to start socking away her money.” - More

Michelle Knight asks not to see mother

2013-05-10 16:57:24

Unlike Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, one kidnap victim shuns family.

Michelle Knight has requested not to see both her mother and grandmother since she was rescued earlier this week.

According to a May 10 report by The Hollywood Gossip, Michelle Knight's mother and grandmother have been in Cleveland since the rescue, but have yet to see Michelle Knight. - More

Is Ariel Castro involved in the disappearance of Ashley Summers?

2013-05-10 16:55:02

The FBI is continuing to investigate the disappearance of Ashley Summers, who went missing at 14 in the same area where Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were abducted.

In an exclusive interview with NBC’s Kate Snow, Ashley Summers’ mother said “it’s been a restless week.” - More

Dennis Rodman asks Kim Jong Un to let U.S. citizen go

2013-05-08 11:04:34

If any American has the power of persuasion over North Korea's defiant young ruler, it might be eccentric ex-basketball star Dennis Rodman.

So when Rodman digitally called for Kim Jong Un to release U.S. citizen Kenneth Bae, he may have a shot at a response.

"I'm calling on the Supreme Leader of North Korea or as I call him "Kim", to do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose," Rodman tweeted. - More

3 missing women found at Ohio home

2013-05-06 20:27:58

Three women who went missing separately about a decade ago, when they were in their teens or early 20s, were found alive Monday in a residential area just south of downtown, and three people were arrested.

One of the women told a 911 dispatcher the person who had taken her was gone, and she pleaded for police officers to come and get her, saying, "I'm free now." - More

Iranians receive life sentences in Kenya for attack plots

2013-05-06 17:44:03

Two Iranians have received life sentences in Kenya after being found guilty of plotting attacks against Western interests.

They were arrested in Nairobi last year and led police to a stash of RDX explosives being hidden on a Mombasa golf course.

An accomplice who supplied them with the explosives is still at large...

Kenya eNews References

North Korean Missiles Moved Away From Launch Site

2013-05-06 17:29:57

It looks like North Korea will not be firing its Musudan mobile missiles, after all.

A potential missile launch had been expected for weeks and had drawn international concern over what was seen as the latest in a series of provocations directed at the United States by the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. - More

Bangladesh vows reform amid allegations of modern slavery

2013-05-06 10:17:01

The measures, detailed in a statement issued by the United Nations' International Labour Organization, include the recruitment of 200 additional building inspectors within six months, a review of current garment producers and a promise to fix all problematic factories.

The agreement between the U.N. organization and Bangladesh officials comes amid growing international concern about working conditions in Bangladesh. - More

Israeli warplanes launch air strike in Syria

2013-05-04 00:17:33

Unnamed officials told media outlets the likely target was a weapons site. Some reports suggest the arms were to be sent to Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Israel has refused to confirm the strike, though it has launched strikes in Syria as recently as January. Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama says he does not foresee sending US troops to tackle Syria's civil war. - More

Durham, UNH considering $70m redevelopment project

2013-05-03 15:30:49

A major redevelopment project is in the works for downtown Durham that would replace a vacant fraternity house with commercial space, a hotel and a high-tech laboratory.

A private developer is in talks with Durham and the University of New Hampshire to transform properties at 66-70 Main St. into a new mixed-use development.

The proposal calls for UNH to become the “anchor tenant.”

The school would relocate its InterOperability Laboratory into a new “venture/tech village” at the site. - More

Philippines still 3rd worst country for journalists

2013-05-03 05:35:17

A New York-based journalists' organization identified the Philippines as the third deadliest place without justice for journalists, following conflict-torn countries Iraq and Somalia.

For the fourth consecutive year, the country ranked third in Impunity Index of Community to Protect Journalists (CPJ) for having 55 unsolved cases of slain journalists since 1992. - More

Jason Collins with ABC Good Morning America - George Stephanopoulos

2013-04-29 23:58:33

District Attorney George Brauchler: ...justice is death, in the case of James Eagan Holmes

2013-04-29 21:04:02

The prosecution announced its decision to seek the death penalty agains James E. Holmes, rejecting the defense's attempt to plea for guilty in exchange for life in prison.

District Attorney George Brauchler said his decision was informed by actually speaking to 60 victims and his office reaching out to 800 victims and family members involved in a ruthless and vicious shootings at a packed premier of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora Colorado.

Colorado eNews References

Freight train struck a rural transit bus carrying senior citizen in PA

2013-04-26 14:08:26

An elderly woman was killed and 9 passengers including the driver were injured when a small bus entered the crossing and stopped on the train tracks.

Evans City police Chief Josep McCombs said the engineer sounded a horn and tried to stop the train before the bus was knocked 20 feet away, but fortunately didn't overturn.

Dense morning fog could've been a contributing factor in the crash, which happened at around 8 a.m. Claudette Miller, 91 of Callery was pronounced dead Friday afternoon at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburg.

Pennsylvania eNews Links

NY Man Is A Suspect In 2 Philippines Killings

2013-04-26 13:59:53

Interpol and the FBI have tracked and captured 35-year-old Timoth Noah Kaufman in Clifton Park, NY without incident.

Philippine authorities are accusing Kaufman and two other men of shooting 54-year-old David Balmer and a girlfriend, Elma de Guia multiple times in their home in Angeles City in 2011.

Philippines eNews Links

Sunil Tripathi was identified through a forensic dental exam

2013-04-25 13:44:42

A body pulled from waters off a Providence park was that of a 22-year-old Brown University student missing since last month, the Rhode Island medical examiner's office said Thursday.

Sunil Tripathi was identified through a forensic dental exam, but a cause of death has not been determined, said Dara Chadwick, a spokeswoman for the state health department. - More

Mexico Bill Loosens Restrictions On Foreigners Buying Land

2013-04-24 13:52:55

The longstanding restrictions on foreigners buying property along Mexico's coast and borders were loosened on Tuesday after Congress' lower house voted on a proposal that drew stiff criticism from some quarters.

The measure, which passed 356-119 in the Chamber of Deputies, still needs approval from the Senate and a majority of the country's 32 state legislatures to become law. - More

Illinois shootings: 5 slain in small town but girl survives

2013-04-24 08:35:04

Five people were slain in a home in the small town of Manchester, about 50 miles southwest of Springfield, according to the Illinois state police.

A suspect was taken into custody after a police chase, during which shots were fired, officials said.

The victims lived in a first-floor apartment of a housing development and may be part of the same family, officials said.

A young girl survived and was being treated at a hospital, according to state police spokeswoman Monique Bond. - More

Tweet About Explosions At White House And President Obama Injury Sends The DOW Plunging

2013-04-23 12:54:50

The Dow Jones industrial average plunged more than 130 points, or roughly 1 percent, after the fake Twitter posting before quickly rebounding.

As of 1:50 p.m, it was up 130 points, or 0.9 percent, to 14,698. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also fell sharply, but recovered after AP confirmed that the tweets were false.

The tweet, which came shortly after 1 p.m. Eastern Time, claimed there had been two explosions at the White House and that President Barack Obama had been injured.

The AP's mobile application also was compromised. - More

Nevada Sen. Kelvin Atkinson Comes Out, Wiki - Bio - Video

2013-04-23 09:09:42

Monday night, the Nevada Senate voted 12-9 to repeal the state’s constitutional amendment banning the recognition of same-sex couples’ marriages. That language would be replaced to recognize all marriages between two people, “regardless of gender.” - More

Nevada Senator Kelvin Atkinson Biography

French embassy in Libya hit by car bomb

2013-04-23 08:52:20

The blast in Tripoli destroyed the embassy's ground-floor reception area and perimeter wall, as well as damaging neighbouring homes and shops.

French President Francois Hollande called on Libya to act swiftly over this "unacceptable" attack. It is the first major attack on a foreign embassy in the Libyan capital.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev Involvement In A Waltham Murder Case

2013-04-22 20:57:11

There are developments on the investigation into the older brother allegedly behind the Boston Marathon bombings.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died Friday after the Watertown, Mass. shootout.

On Monday, the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center says he twice interrupted preachers. - More

Katherine Russell Tsarnaev refuses to speak to authorities

2013-04-22 09:05:18

Federal officials are seeking to speak with Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, the wife of killed Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Russell-Tsarnaev's attorney, Amato DeLuca, told the Associated Press that he has spoken with authorities and is "deciding what we want to do and how we want to approach this" in order to proceed.

DeLuca told the Associated Press that she declined to speak with officers on Sunday when they showed up to her parent's home in Rhode Island where she was staying. - More

Obama's day: A science fair

2013-04-22 08:39:29

President Obama seeks to promote education on Monday, specifically science and math education.

The president hosts the annual White House Science Fair, honoring students who won "STEM competitions" -- in science, technology, engineering, and math -- from across the country.

Obama first hosted the science fair in 2010, the idea being that winners of education contests should be treated like sports champions. - More

When Tamerlan Tsarnaev Landed In Dagestan

2013-04-21 21:48:35

Tamerlan Tsarnaev had already found religion by the time he landed in Dagestan, a combustible region in the North Caucasus that has become the epicenter of a violent Islamic insurgency in Russia and a hub of jihadist recruitment.

What he seemed to be yearning for was a home. - More

Winds of change uneven in Myanmar

2013-04-21 20:41:29

In Myanmar, the word "kular" is an insult that you hear shouted at Muslims.

You can see it printed in vicious pamphlets about the Rohingya, Myanmar’s largest Muslim ethnic group, calling for them to be kept away from towns, kicked out of the country or murdered.

Kular is a slang word for "dark-skinned" — a form of abuse I know something about. And I, like millions of South Africans, know that such abuse can never last.

God did not create us for such hatred. - More

Myanmar Newspapers - Myanmar Alin Today- Online Internet Media

At least 185 dead in fighting between Nigeria military, Islamic extremists, officials say

2013-04-21 20:37:58

Fighting between Nigeria's military and Islamic extremists killed at least 185 people in a fishing community in the nation's far northeast, officials said Sunday, an attack that saw insurgents fire rocket-propelled grenades and soldiers spray machine-gun fire into neighborhoods filled with civilians.

Nigerian Masterweb Newspapers - Latest Online Internet Media Today

The fighting in Baga began Friday and lasted for hours, sending people fleeing into the arid scrublands surrounding the community on Lake Chad. - More

Earthquake Hits Central Mexico

2013-04-21 20:30:21

An earthquake in the Pacific-coast state of Michoacan was felt in Mexico City and other parts of central and western Mexico on Sunday night.

It caused power outages in the capital but no damage or injuries, according to early reports.

The National Seismological Service revised the magnitude of the quake, which struck around 8:15 p.m. local time (9:15 p.m. EDT, 0115 Monday GMT), to 5.8 from a preliminary reading of 6.25. - More

1,000 Ethiopian Demostration

2013-04-21 20:23:31

Over 1,000 Ethiopians and Ethiopian-Americans demonstrated in front of the White House last week to protest the Ethiopian government's human rights abuses to Amhara Ethiopians.

Addis Ethiopia Ababa - Ethiopia Newspapers - Online Newspaper

The protests demanded a stop to the forced displacement of Ethiopians. Protestors asked the Obama administration to investigate human rights abuses in Ethiopia. - More

Pre 911 Mindset: FBI thought Chechens would only attack Russians

2013-04-21 08:00:40

The Tsarnaev brothers managed to slip through the US security net and commit the Boston attack because of oversights in American intelligence, experts told RT.

This act of “homegrown” terror has raised serious questions about the role of the FBI. The US press has traditionally portrayed Chechen terrorism as a specifically Russian issue, and as such assumed that they would not be hostile toward the US, journalist Neil Clark told RT in an interview. - More

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva: My Family Is In The Dirt

2013-04-20 20:20:32

The mother of the Boston bombing suspects said in a tearful phone call with ABC News this evening that she and her husband plan to travel to the United States to visit their younger son, who was arrested on Friday evening.

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva said she fears 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is suspected of planting two bombs at Monday's Boston Marathon along with his older brother Tamerlan, will receive the death penaly. - More

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Zubeidat Tsarnaeva gave a damn good facial says woman who used to visit house and reveals how the matriarch followed her faith increasingly strictly

2013-04-20 17:21:03

The mother of the two Boston bombing suspects had become an increasingly strict Muslim in recent years and cried for days when her eldest son said he wanted to move out before he was married because it was against the family's faith.

Alyssa Kilzer, now 23, visited the home for facials between 2008 and 2012 and has revealed details about her regular interactions... - More

As Boston reeled, younger bombing suspect partied

2013-04-20 15:08:29

As the world hunted him, the younger brother suspected in the Boston Marathon bombings acted like any other college sophomore.

Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 19, was on the campus of University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth every day after the attack until late Thursday, a university official told CNN.

Tsarnaev attended classes and dorm parties... - More

Fired Texas School Counselor: Whites Will Soon Be Wiped From the Earth. Lol.

2013-04-20 13:18:08

After the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas, Karon Wright apparently became angry about some of the comments other people on Facebook made about Barack Obama.

Then Wright, who was a counselor at Andrew Jackson Middle School in Texas, unwisely wrote the following.

“Its amazing how the “whites” get angry when Obama speaks. Oh well…its most of the whites who is getting blown away.

So they will soon be wiped from the earth. Lol.” - More

GRAPHIC: Reported Morgue Photo Of Tamerlan Tsarnaev

2013-04-20 11:57:34

A Tamerlan Tsarnaev morgue photo claiming to show the slain Boston bombing suspect is making its rounds on the internet just hours after the suspect was killed in a gun battle with police.

The photo shows a young man, his face bruised and mouth open, laying on a medical slab. The origin of the photo is unknown, but after being published on Friday it quickly made its way around law enforcement circles in Boston. - More

Click Here: Warning this photo is GRAPHIC!

Boston bombing suspect -- and victims -- in same hospital

2013-04-20 09:40:17

Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was under heavy guard in serious condition Saturday morning -- at the same hospital where victims of Monday's bombing are still recovering.

Federal investigators were waiting to question Tsarnaev, 19, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Chechen origin, hoping to uncover a motive for horrendous attacks that bookended a week of terror. - More

VIDEO: 100 Killed, Strong quake hits southwestern China

2013-04-20 09:12:47

A strong earthquake struck the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan on Saturday, killing more than 100 people and injuring thousands of others in a region that suffered a catastrophic quake five years ago, authorities said.

Thousands of emergency workers, including soldiers, rushed to reach the affected zones in the hilly region, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang traveled to the area from Beijing, state media reported. - More

Transcript of President Obama's remarks after capture of fugitive Boston bombing suspect

2013-04-19 23:16:55

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release April 19, 2013

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

10:05 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight our nation is in debt to the people of Boston and the people of Massachusetts. After a vicious attack on their city, Bostonians responded with resolve and determination. They did their part as citizens and partners in this investigation.

Boston police and state police and local police across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts responded with professionalism and bravery over five long days. And tonight, because of their determined efforts, we’ve closed an important chapter in this tragedy.

I’ve been briefed earlier this evening by FBI Director Mueller. After the attacks on Monday, I directed the full resources of the federal government to be made available to help state and local authorities in the investigation and to increase security as needed. Over the past week, close coordination among federal, state, and local officials — sharing information, moving swiftly to track down leads — has been critical to this effort.

They all worked as they should, as a team. And we are extremely grateful for that. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all our outstanding law enforcement professionals. These men and women get up every day, they put on that uniform; they risk their lives to keep us safe — and as this week showed, they don’t always know what to expect. So our thoughts are with those who were wounded in pursuit of the suspects and we pray for their full recovery.

We also send our prayers to the Collier family who grieve the loss of their son and brother, Sean. “He was born to be a police officer,” said his chief at MIT. He was just 26 years old. And as his family has said, he died bravely in the line of duty, doing what he committed his life to doing — serving and protecting others. So we’re grateful to him.

Obviously, tonight there are still many unanswered questions. Among them, why did young men who grew up and studied here, as part of our communities and our country, resort to such violence? How did they plan and carry out these attacks, and did they receive any help? The families of those killed so senselessly deserve answers. The wounded, some of whom now have to learn how to stand and walk and live again, deserve answers.

And so I’ve instructed the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security and our intelligence community to continue to deploy all the necessary resources to support the investigation, to collect intelligence, and to protect our citizens. We will determine what happened. We will investigate any associations that these terrorists may have had. And we’ll continue to do whatever we have to do to keep our people safe.

One thing we do know is that whatever hateful agenda drove these men to such heinous acts will not — cannot — prevail. Whatever they thought they could ultimately achieve, they’ve already failed. They failed because the people of Boston refused to be intimidated. They failed because, as Americans, we refused to be terrorized. They failed because we will not waver from the character and the compassion and the values that define us as a country. Nor will we break the bonds that hold us together as Americans.

That American spirit includes staying true to the unity and diversity that makes us strong — like no other nation in the world. In this age of instant reporting and tweets and blogs, there’s a temptation to latch on to any bit of information, sometimes to jump to conclusions. But when a tragedy like this happens, with public safety at risk and the stakes so high, it’s important that we do this right. That’s why we have investigations. That’s why we relentlessly gather the facts. That’s why we have courts. And that’s why we take care not to rush to judgment — not about the motivations of these individuals; certainly not about entire groups of people.

After all, one of the things that makes America the greatest nation on Earth, but also, one of the things that makes Boston such a great city, is that we welcome people from all around the world — people of every faith, every ethnicity, from every corner of the globe. So as we continue to learn more about why and how this tragedy happened, let’s make sure that we sustain that spirit.

Tonight we think of all the wounded, still struggling to recover. Certainly we think of Krystle Campbell. We think of Lingzi Lu. And we think of little Ma

Boston Marathon victim Jeff Bauman helped identify bombers

2013-04-19 10:46:53

Jeff Bauman was looking for his girlfriend to finish the race when a man in a white cap and sweatshirt dropped a backpack at his feet. The explosion cost Mr Bauman, 27, both his legs.

It has now emerged that Mr Bauman helped the FBI identify a suspect's photograph, telling the investigators that he looked in the eyes of Tamerlan Tsarnaev as he planted the bomb. - More

Suspects told carjack victim they were marathon bombers

2013-04-19 10:37:25

Boston and its suburbs, universities and transit system were on total lockdown Friday as police hunted door to door for marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev -- on the loose after his accomplice brother was killed in a stunning chain of events that left one cop dead and another injured, officials said.

During a desperate effort to flee after their photos were released by the FBI, the brothers carjacked a Mercedes SUV... - More

MIT officer killed in late night shooting

2013-04-19 01:30:50

An MIT police officer was shot multiple times and died from his injuries late Thursday evening, the Middlesex County District Attorney's office confirmed.

The shooting happened around 10:45 pm near Building 32 (Stata), which is currently surrounded by responding agencies. The area is cordoned off. - More

Wife, sister Aaron, Desjardins charged with killing authorities allege

2013-04-18 18:22:11

The wife and sister of the Epping man charged with murdering his ex-wife, Amanda “Amy” Warf of Hampton, have now been charged in connection with the killing.

Warf was found dead March 7 at an abandoned concrete factory in Exeter. - More

Mississippi man arrested in connection to ricin letters sent to Obama, lawmakers

2013-04-18 04:05:09

A Mississippi man has been arrested as a suspect in connection to the mailing of three letters sent to President Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and a Mississippi official that initially tested positive for ricin, Fox News confirms.

The Department of Justice said Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, was arrested at his Corinth, Miss., home Wednesday afternoon following an investigation conducted by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces... - More

South Korean workers leave Kaesong

2013-04-18 04:01:05

Their cars piled with belongings, South Korean workers have begun to leave the Kaesong industrial zone jointly run with the North.

Around 200 South Koreans work at a number of factories at the site, which was shut down by North Korea last week amid rising tensions on the divided peninsula.

There were tearful embraces for those being left behind.

South Korea Chosun Ilbo Online Newspapers eNews Reference

Fatalities, hundreds hurt in Texas fertilizer plant explosion

2013-04-18 02:36:38

A large fertilizer plant explosion rocked a small Texas town late Wednesday, causing fatalities, injuring "hundreds" of people and leaving dozens of homes destroyed under a cloud of toxic smoke.

Firefighters, including local volunteers, were battling a blaze at the time of the blast, which caused a ground tremor equivalent to a magnitude-2.1 earthquake, the USGS said. - More

Ayotte helps defeat background check legislation in U.S. Senate

2013-04-18 02:06:08

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte cast one of the deciding votes yesterday to sink legislation that would have required background checks for guns bought over the internet or at gun shows.

“I believe that restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners will not prevent a deranged individual or criminal from obtaining and misusing firearms to commit violence,” Ayotte said.

“While steps must be taken to improve the existing background check system, I will not support the Manchin-Toomey legislation, which I believe would place unnecessary burdens on law-abiding gun owners and allow for potential overreach by the federal government into private gun sales.” - More

New Hampshire News Links

Sen. Ayotte opposes compromise gun control measure, possibly ending chance for passage. fb.me/28xwkorxU
— Seacoastonline.com (@seacoastonline) April 17, 2013

SHE NEEDS NRA MONEY! GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte Announces Says She Will Vote Against Manchin-Toomey, Amendment Now DOA… shar.es/J4trx
— BayonneBernie (@bayonnebernie) April 17, 2013

Photo: SPREAD THEIR SHAME! Ayotte (R-NH) Barrasso (R-WY) Baucus (D-MT) Begich (D-AK) Blunt (R-MO) Boozman... tmblr.co/Zc2E9vixC1-x
— Chris McGovern (@CMcGo) April 18, 2013

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.)@kellyayotte heaven forbid one inconvenienced by a background check, even to save children's lives. #NRA #Shill
— Cat Ballou (@Catballou) April 18, 2013

Pervez Musharraf flees Pakistan court after arrest order

2013-04-18 01:40:35

Former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf has sped away from a court in the country's capital to avoid arrest after his bail was revoked, police have said.

Officers were deployed at the high court in Islamabad on Thursday, but Musharraf's security team rushed him out of the building and drove him away before he could be detained. - More

Raw Video: Explosion hits fertilizer plant north of Waco, Texas

2013-04-18 01:34:46

An explosion ripped through a fertilizer plant Wednesday night in the area of West, Texas, sending a massive fireball into the sky and causing dozens of injuries, officials said.

A number of nearby residents were being evacuated because of the possibility of another explosion, officials said.

A hospital in nearby Waco, Texas, has been told to anticipate 100 injured people coming in from the fertilizer plant area, an official at the medical facility said. Glenn Robinson, CEO of Hillcrest Hospital, said a field triage station was being set up on a football field near the plant some 18 miles north of Waco after the Wednesday night explosion.

Suu Kyi defends her conciliatory style

2013-04-17 18:35:50

Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi defended her conciliatory political style Wednesday, saying her focus was on building a more unified society rather than making headlines.

Suu Kyi, visiting Japan this week, said many interviewers have asked her why she does not speak more forcefully about the plight of minority groups in her nation. - More

Burma eNews Reference Links

Mubarak supporters protest his transfer back to prison

2013-04-17 18:31:14

Supporters of ousted president Hosni Mubarak gathered in front of Cairo's El-Maadi military hospital on Wednesday in protest against the decision to transfer the former president to Tora Prison, located on the capital's outskirts, causing Egypt's interior ministry to reconsider the relocation due to security reasons. - More

Egypt News Links

Iceland Anti-incest app built by college students

2013-04-17 18:21:06

A group of students at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík have created an Android app that prevents Icelanders from accidentally dating their cousins.

The app draws information from the Íslendingabók database, a national record of Iceland residents and family trees dating back into the Middle Ages. - More

Bodies found in clandestine graves in north Mexico

2013-04-16 23:40:45

At least seven bodies have been found in clandestine graves in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, where two drug cartels have been fighting a turf war for more than three years, authorities said Tuesday.

An official with Nuevo Leon state police investigators said a passer-by reported two bodies dumped along a riverbank... - More

Mexico News Links - Periodicos de Mexico

North Korea lashes out anew over protest in Seoul

2013-04-16 23:29:02

North Korea said it was open to talks, but not as long as the United States is "brandishing a nuclear stick," while Washington insisted that the burden for renewed negotiations now rests with Pyongyang.

North Korea also warned that it will intensify unspecified "military countermeasures"... - More

Chosun Ilbo - Newspapers South Korea News Links

Methane-gobbling material found, scientists say

2013-04-16 22:57:00

Scientists have discovered a new material that can capture and concentrate methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

While carbon dioxide, the most abundant greenhouse gas, can be captured using a variety of techniques, methane capture has proved elusive primarily because it interacts weakly with other materials... - More

US Muslims fear backlash after bombings

2013-04-16 22:47:47

US Muslims are watching closely as the probe into the Boston bombings unfolds, fearing a backlash like after 9/11 if an Islamist link is confirmed to the deadly attack.

Several Muslim groups issued statements within hours of Monday’s double bombing at the Boston Marathon, strenuously condemning the attacks which killed three and injured more than 100 people. - More

Boston News Links

Obama: Israel has had no greater friend and ally than the US

2013-04-16 11:37:15

President Obama wishes Israel a happy birthday in a formal statement: "On the 65th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, I join my fellow Americans in wishing the Israeli people a joyous Independence Day.

On this date 65 years ago, the Jewish people realized their dream of the ages -- to be masters of their fate in their own sovereign state. - More

Israel News Links

1 Korean Dead, 2 Hurt in Philippines Shooting

2013-04-16 05:38:09

One Korean died and two others were injured in a shooting in the Philippines. According to the Foreign Ministry here, the incident occurred in Angeles City, a two-hour drive from Manila, at around 5 p.m. on Monday. The incident occurred as the group got in their car after a meal in a Chinese restaurant. - More

Chosun Ilbo - Newspapers South Korea News Links

Chinese Stowaways Fly to U.S. on Korean Plane

2013-04-16 05:24:07

Three Chinese women were caught attempting to enter the U.S. illegally by hiding in a Korean airliner.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Monday, the three Chinese women in their 20s and 30s got on a B747-400 flight from Incheon to Hong Kong on March 27 but could not be accounted for after boarding. - More

Watch NDTV studio during todays tremors

2013-04-16 05:14:15

Delhi, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad reported major tremors as an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Iran.

At the NDTV studio in South Delhi, studio lights and equipment shook for nearly a minute. The quake was reportedly felt in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and India...

Obama: We will get to the bottom of this

2013-04-15 15:55:06

"We still do not know who did this or why," he said from the Brady Press Briefing Room, cautioning people against jumping to conclusions.

"But make no mistake, we will get to the bottom of this, and we will find out who did this, we'll find out why they did this." - More

Israels pop at 8 million

2013-04-14 17:31:37

Israel's population has reached 8 million, representing a 1.8 percent increase from 2012, the country's Central Bureau of Statistics said Sunday.

The report by the CBS, which is released annually the day before Israel's Independence Day, said the country's population had grown by about 137,000 people... - More

Israel News Links

Jenna Bush Hager has a girl

2013-04-14 17:27:58

Jenna Bush Hager and her husband, Henry Hager, welcomed their first child in New York City on Saturday night at 8:43 PM.

The baby girl is named Margaret Laura Hager after her two godmothers, People reports.

She is nicknamed "Mila." The news was confirmed by Former President George W. Bush on his Facebook on Sunday. - More

Milwaukee police investigating two shootings overnight

2013-04-14 11:30:24

The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating two shootings that occurred on the north side.

A 27-year-old man was shot in the legs in the 3800 block of N. Port Washington Road about 10 p.m. Saturday after an altercation in the street, police said. The victim was taken to a hospital and is in good condition. - More

Milwaukee News Links

Ben Roethlisberger has been lobbying coach Mike Tomlin

2013-04-14 11:27:02

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been lobbying coach Mike Tomlin to match the one-year, $2.5 million offer sheet the New England Patriots gave wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, according to sources.

The Steelers have until 11:59 p.m. Sunday night to match the offer sheet Sanders signed with the Patriots. - More

Pittsburgh News Links

House to Feds: Pressure Mexico to Release Water

2013-04-14 10:52:42

The Texas House on Thursday voted to formally ask the U.S. State Department to apply pressure on the Mexican government to release water owed to Texas under the terms of a treaty signed in 1944. - More

The Tiger Woods Penalty Drop

2013-04-13 21:32:34

Tiger Woods admitted he made a mistake, was fine with the two-stroke penalty, and never considered withdrawing from the Masters.

Now he'd like to get about the business of trying to win his fifth green jacket.

After a tumultuous day that saw Woods wake up to the news that his status in the tournament was in question, getting a reprieve from disqualification... - More

Boston Ethiopians follow Gebremariam

2013-04-13 06:03:14

Ethiopian celebrities don’t come much bigger than marathoner Gebre Gebremariam.

This much is clear when he enters the Addis Red Sea restaurant.

The South End eatery serves traditional Ethiopian fare and draws diners who want a taste of home.

A couple of starstruck waitresses tentatively approach Gebremariam and say, “Selam,” hello in Amharic. - More

Castro near tears over Chavez death on Cuban TV

2013-04-11 20:04:27

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro looked downcast and near tears as he listened to a song about his friend and ally, the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, in a news report aired on Cuban state television.

The unusual report, nine minutes in length on a news program, was the first public glimpse of the impact of Chavez' death last month on the 86-year-old Castro... - More

Oldest dinosaur embryos discovered

2013-04-11 19:39:09

Everyone knows dinosaurs were gigantic, but they grew from tiny embryos just like birds do.

What were these extinct reptiles like at this early stage of development? Scientists have found some new clues that could shed light on this age-old mystery. - More

Ethiopians in Yemen

2013-04-11 19:25:06

Record numbers of migrants from the Horn of Africa are crossing into Yemen, most of them on their way to find better opportunities in Saudi Arabia and other rich Gulf countries.

But many do not make it any further. Seeking a new life, they end up unwitting victims of a smuggling racket designed to exploit the migrants at each juncture of their journey. - More

Aquino: Philippines not Asia's smuggling capital

2013-04-11 19:17:35

Manila: President Benigno Aquino denied a report saying that the Philippines is Asia’s smuggling capital, adding he has been working hard for good governance for the past three years by curbing corruption and smuggling.

“Only one person said that,” argued Aquino, referring to Rosendo So of the Swine Development Council... - More

Mexico City tries to get salt shakers off tables

2013-04-11 19:03:23

Salt and lime with tequila. Salt with your iced "michelada" beer. Salt and chili on fruit and even candy.

Mexicans love salt, so much so that some estimates show them eating nearly three times the recommended amount and significantly more than what Americans put down. - More

U.S. Intelligence Agency: North Korea Can Put A Nuke on a Missile

2013-04-11 18:43:58

The Defense Intelligence Agency has concluded with "moderate confidence" that North Korea might have a nuclear weapon that's small enough to be placed on a ballistic missile.

But the DIA also says that if that is the case, the reliability of the missile would be low. - More

George Zimmerman's mother lashes out at justice system and media

2013-04-11 11:59:21

A year ago and after weeks of demonstrations and protests, George Zimmerman was arrested and charged with murder for shooting an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin.

On Thursday, Zimmerman’s mother celebrated the anniversary by angrily denouncing the justice system and the media for the pushing for the arrest of her son “solely to placate the masses.” - More

Canadian Grandmother Thrilled to Win $40K in Lottery - But It's $40 Million

2013-04-11 08:04:02

When Maria Carreiro checked her lottery ticket, the Canadian woman was overjoyed to find that she had won $40,000.

Turns out she was wrong.

When the 51-year-old grandmother showed her Lottery Max ticket to her daughter, the young woman went online to double-check the amazing win and discovered her mother's prize contained a few more extra zeros. - More

Charlie Brown actor pleads guilty to stalking

2013-04-11 07:45:18

The man who was the voice of Charlie Brown in early Peanuts specials was in court Wednesday in San Diego, where he pleaded guilty to threatening and stalking both his ex-girlfriend and a plastic surgeon.

Peter Robbins, 56, was arrested in January for threatening Lori Saltz, a doctor who performed breast enhancement surgery on his girlfriend, Shawna Kern, according to Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth McClutchey. - More

Al-Qaeda denies death of its No. 2 in Yemen, again

2013-04-10 13:48:58

Al-Qaeda in Yemen's second-in-command appears, once again, to have come back from the dead.

Saeed al-Shihri has been pronounced killed three times by the Yemeni government, but an audio message purportedly from Shihri has been posted online by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's official media wing. - More

Anthony Weiner hints at run for New York mayor in comeback bid

2013-04-10 10:08:41

The disgraced former New York congressman Anthony Weiner has signalled that he may attempt what would be a remarkable political comeback, by entering the race to become the next mayor of New York City.

Wiener fell from grace in 2011 after he accidentally sent an explicit photograph of his genitals to all of his Twitter followers. - More

NY City News Links

Ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner, who quit over a sexting scandal in 2011, says he's weighing a run for NYC mayor this year: usat.ly/10UxFuV
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 10, 2013

MT .@usatoday: Ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner, who quit over sexting his penis, says he's weighing a run for NYC mayor: usat.ly/10UxFuV
— The Mad Hessian (@TheMadHessian) April 10, 2013

Anthony Weiner Is Eyeing A Return To Politics n.pr/10KvQ3O
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) April 10, 2013

Will Weiner Rise Again? drudge.tw/14b7Z28
— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) April 10, 2013

Serbian villager kills 13 relatives and neighbours

2013-04-09 22:28:50

A Serbian war veteran on Tuesday went from house to house in his village near Belgrade, shooting dead 13 relatives and neighbours - including his son, his mother and a two-year-old child, police said. - More

Serbia News Links

Recall Alert: More Than 214,000 Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep Vehicles Heading Back for Repairs

2013-04-09 22:24:57

Earlier today Chrysler Group LLC announced a recall of approximately 9,300 2013 Ram 1500 pickup trucks, most of which are still in dealer hands, to inspect parking brakes and reset them according to the appropriate specifications.

Also on the list of recalls is the Ram 3500 for an engine cover that could overheat and lead to a fire under the hood. - More

Obama moves towards sending military weapons to Somalia

2013-04-09 00:01:33

President Barack Obama took the first step Monday toward providing US military assistance to Somali forces battling Islamist militants, after the easing of a UN arms embargo last month.

Obama signed a determination stating that having the legal capacity to offer defense equipment to Somalia was in the national interest of the United States and could promote peace and stability in East Africa. - More

Somalia News Links

Margaret Thatcher Dies

2013-04-08 05:41:52

Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister who became one of the most influential global leaders of the postwar period, died on Monday, three decades after her championing of free-market economics and individual choice transformed Britain's economy and her vigorous foreign policy played a key role in the end of the Cold War. - More

Margaret Thatcher Biography - Wiki

Great Britain News

Margaret Thatcher Dies Wiki - Bio - Video

2013-04-08 05:38:15

Margaret Thatcher Biography - Wiki

Great Britain News

The guy who built Facebook Home

2013-04-07 08:43:33

If Facebook Home, the company's family of applications that make the social network unavoidable on Android devices such as the HTC First, had an architect, it would be Director of Product and project lead Adam Mosseri. CNET sat down with Mosseri on Thursday after the company lifted the curtain on Home. Mosseri proved a lively interview subject. - More

Print-a-Pistol: Home-made guns

2013-04-07 08:39:59

3D printing may well be the next technological revolution, changing our life as much as computers, mobile phones and the internet have. But the world may not be prepared when some of the consequences, such as printable weapons, arrive.

Myanmar: Dozens Arrested in Investigation of Riots

2013-04-07 08:31:34

Myanmar’s government has arrested dozens of people in connection with an outbreak of sectarian violence in the country’s center last month, and some will go on trial within days, the authorities said Thursday. The city of Meiktila was hit by several days of anti-Muslim unrest during which Buddhist mobs burned Muslim-owned homes and shops. - More

Myanmar News Links

Three UNH Students Suffer Burns From Steam Pipe Burst In Dorm

2013-04-06 21:13:01

The University of New Hampshire says three students were hurt and a residence hall was evacuated Saturday because of a burst hot water pipe.

At about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, a hot water pipe broke outside Hunter Hall, a UNH residence hall that houses approximately 115 students. - More

Matthew Warren son of Pastor Rick Warren Commits Suicide

2013-04-06 15:02:57

The Southern California church headed by popular evangelical Pastor Rick Warren said his 27-year-old son committed suicide on Saturday.

Warren’s Saddleback Valley Community Church near Los Angeles said in a statement that Matthew Warren had struggled with mental illness and deep depression. - More

Ethiopia cancels $1 billion fuel imports from Sudan

2013-04-06 11:05:07

The Ethiopian Petroleum Supplier Enterprise (EPSE) has retracted its statement last month that reported that the country had imported over $1 billion of fuel from neighbouring Sudan via Djibouti, as reported by Sudan Tribune on March 31.

The EPSE Sunday reported that the 1,091,823 metric tonnes of oil had in fact been imported from other sources, the EPSE’s spokesperson, Alemayehu Tsegaye declined to name. - More

Paul Dean Davy shot dead in Philippines

2013-04-06 11:01:28

Blue Rock Beach Resort general manager Paul Dean Davy, 53, was shot in the back of the head while talking to another Australian man at a resort restaurant in Olongapo, 120km north of Manila, on Friday night.

Police said the gunman approached Mr Davy from behind at the beachside restaurant, holding a .45 pistol. - More

Obama: Calif. attorney general is 'best-looking'

2013-04-06 07:54:47

President Obama routinely calls important, accomplished men 'good-looking'. nym.ag/Z6EIhg
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) April 5, 2013

Pres. Obama has apologized to Kamala Harris after he called her "the best-looking attorney general" at a fundraiser: abc7ne.ws/gl1ak
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsBayArea) April 5, 2013

Obama apologizes to Calif. attorney general after commenting on her appearance cbsn.ws/11xQo0q (via @cbspolitics)
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 5, 2013

Obama Calls Kamala Harris 'Best Looking' AG abcn.ws/13VgkqA
— ABC News (@ABC) April 5, 2013

Infanta Cristina of Spain faces charges over corruption scandal

2013-04-05 14:17:17

Spain's Infanta Cristina faces charges over allegations that her husband embezzled millions of euros of public money. Her husband of 16 years, Inaki Urdangarin, is suspected of having overcharged local authorities for organising sporting and tourism events. - More

Hunt for Joseph Kony

2013-04-04 09:57:59

A U.S. official says the United States is looking for ways to ensure the hunt for warlord Joseph Kony in Central African Republic continues despite a change in leadership in the country.

The U.S. on Wednesday announced a new $5 million reward for the arrest of Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, a small but brutal band of fighters who abduct children as fighters and sexual slaves. - More

Exotic dancer in Berlusconi scandal tearfully denies they had sex

2013-04-04 09:54:41

The former exotic dancer at the center of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's trial on charges of paying a minor for sex made a tearful statement Thursday complaining that she has been denied a chance to speak out in court and accusing judges of psychological torture. - More

Obama to attend Bush library opening

2013-04-03 18:26:57

President Barack Obama will be on hand for the opening of former President George W. Bush’s library later this month, one of the few times the two have united in person since Bush left office four years ago.

“President Obama and the First Lady look forward to participating in the formal opening of a library that will be dedicated to a President who led our country in difficult times at home and abroad,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest Wednesday. - More

Arizona's Pioneer Hotel fire re-examined

2013-04-02 10:41:40

The week before Christmas, back in 1970, an historic fire swept through an Arizona landmark, the Pioneer Hotel in downtown Tucson.

Twenty-eight people were killed that night, some of whom were forced to jump to their deaths to avoid being burned alive in their rooms.

It was front page news all over the country, and the following morning, a 16-year-old boy named Louis Taylor was charged with setting the fire and later convicted of 28 counts of murder. - More

Google under fire in Europe, could face massive fines

2013-04-02 08:13:22

Google is in a heap of trouble over in Europe due to not complying to making changes to its privacy policy when it was ordered to do so.

Regulators in six European countries may invoke legal action on Google, and the search giant could face some hefty fines.

Google’s deadline to make changes to its privacy policy was February 26, 2012. - More

Tonya S. Bundick Charged with string of nearly 80 fires

2013-04-02 08:04:21

Tonya S. Bundick, 40, of Accomack County, was taken into custody just after midnight following a traffic stop near an arson at a vacant residence in the town of Melfa, police said.

The fire was discovered around 11:40 p.m. on Monday and was quickly extinguished. - More

Gigantic algae formations on Lake Erie

2013-04-01 15:04:12

It was the largest algae bloom in Lake Erie's recorded history — a scummy, toxic blob that oozed across nearly one-fifth of the lake's surface during the summer and fall of 2011.

It sucked oxygen from the water, clogged boat motors and washed ashore in rotting masses that turned beachgoers' stomachs.

It was also likely an omen of things to come, experts said in a study released Monday. - More

Alaska Troopers helicopter crashes

2013-03-31 19:54:12

An Alaska State Trooper helicopter carrying two troopers and a rescued snowmobiler crashed Saturday night in the south-central part of the state, and no survivors have been found, an agency spokeswoman said.

Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said the crash site was spotted Sunday, but she could not immediately confirm that the three on board were killed - More

Arctic greening seen through global warming

2013-03-31 19:32:58

Land within the Arctic circle is likely to experience explosive "greening" in the next few decades as grass, shrubs and trees thrive in soil stripped of ice and permafrost by global warming, a study said on Sunday.

Wooded areas in the Arctic could increase by as much as 52 percent by the 2050s as the so-called tree line - the maximum latitude at which trees can grow - shifts hundreds of kilometres (miles) north, according to computer simulations published in the journal Nature Climate Change. - More

VIDEO: Google Street View of Japan's nuclear ghost towns

2013-03-27 20:18:16

Google Street View is giving the world a rare glimpse into one of Japan's eerie ghost towns, created when the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami sparked a nuclear disaster that has left the area uninhabitable.

The technology pieces together digital images captured by Google's fleet of camera-equipped vehicles and allows viewers to take virtual tours of locations around the world. - More

Muslim cleric Abu Qatada

2013-03-27 20:13:59

The British government has had yet another legal setback in its long-running attempt to have the radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada thrown out of the UK. In its submission to the Appeal Court, the Home Office legal team described him as a "truly dangerous" individual who has only escaped expulsion because of loopholes in the law.

No More Dodgeball

2013-03-27 20:10:43

Dodgeball and other “target” games are being eliminated in physical education classes at Windham, New Hampshire schools as part of an anti-bullying program.

The school board voted four to one last week to ban dodgeball and other games they describe as “human target” games; games where a player tries to hit an opponent with a ball.

They also say the games cross the line on bullying. - More

A Murderer's Release

2013-03-27 19:57:52

He shot his neighbor to death over a thirty dollar gambling debt nearly forty years ago. Now today the governor of Iowa is asking its citizens at the state should let him go 366.

Year old raspberry Williams is serving life he has since received an education mentored dozens of inmates -- -- rescue -- he even once saved the lives of prison guards -- another prisoner had taken hostage. - More

$35M Balsams Grand Resort renovation

2013-03-27 09:26:24

The Coos County Planning Board unanimously approved a building permit that allows the new owners of the Balsams Grand Resort to start construction on a $35 million renovation of the historic hotel.

The new owners say they are still looking to raise money to pay for the renovations before bulldozers can start to roll.

Plans that were approved on Tuesday night call for 149 rooms, a larger conference center and an indoor/outdoor swimming pool spread across 200,000 square feet. - More

Navy warship runs aground on Philippine reef

2013-03-27 08:48:18

The bow of a U.S. Navy warship that grounded on a Philippine reef in January was cut from the rest of the hull on Tuesday, lifted by a massive crane and dropped on a waiting barge.

“The bow section of the USS Guardian was lifted out of the water around 2:45 p.m.,” said Enrico Efren Evangelista, head of the Philippine coast guard Palawan District, according to the official Philippine News Agency. - More

Philippines, Brazil sign MOU on sports cooperation

2013-03-27 08:45:02

The Philippines and Brazil have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Sports Cooperation, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday. Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Ricardo Garcia and National Secretary of Brazil's Ministry of Sports Toninho Nascimento inked the MOU recently in Brasilia, Brazil, the department said. - More

Chinese trade with African countries was nearly $200 billion in 2012

2013-03-26 14:17:52

Chinese President Xi Jinping is touring parts of Africa this week, celebrating ever-closer economic ties that have made Beijing the continent’s biggest trading partner. But the bloom is off their initial romance, as each side finds previously unseen flaws in its partner. - More

Zimbabwe court orders Beatrice Mtetwa to be released

2013-03-25 10:37:08

Zimbabwe's High Court on Monday freed on bail a top rights lawyer who had been held for eight days on allegations of obstructing the course of justice. A visibly tired Beatrice Mtetwa walked from the court in the company of two colleagues and her lawyer after her release papers took several hours to complete. - More

Florida Gulf Coast Coach, Andy Enfield and Maxim Model Wife, Amanda Marcum

2013-03-24 19:49:26

Florida Gulf Coast’s head coach, Andy Enfield, may not be used to the sudden notoriety that a second-round upset over Georgetown brought him.

But his wife, Amanda Marcum, is used to the spotlight as a former Maxim model. The story of the two’s first date is right in line with Florida Gulf Coast’s underdog story. Enfield was introduced to his wife through a mutual friend. Their first date was to a St. John’s NIT game at the Carnesecca Arena in 2003. - More

Brown Student, Sunil Tripathi Still Missing

2013-03-24 19:05:27

The F.B.I. is assisting Providence police in the search for the missing Brown University student, which has expanded to Boston, Connecticut, New York and Philadelphia.

Sunil Tripathi, a philosophy major at Brown who grew up in Bryn Mawr, Pa., was last seen in the campus area on Friday, March 15, at about 7:30 p.m., according to a statement from the university. - More

Syria opposition leader Moaz Khatib resigns

2013-03-24 19:02:36

The head of a U.S.-backed Syrian opposition coalition resigned his post Sunday, a major blow to a group that the United States and other nations have lauded as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people and a potential interim government.

The departure of the charismatic Moaz Khatib, a moderate Islamist who has championed national reconciliation, plunged the fractious Syrian dissident alliance into disarray as the escalating Syrian conflict showed fresh signs of spreading instability beyond its borders. - More

Gay Marriage Defines Court's Week

2013-03-24 18:57:41

Less than four years ago, some gay-rights activists thought it would be a mistake to wage a Supreme Court battle over gay marriage.

This week, the issue comes to the nine justices for nearly three hours of argument, and gay-marriage proponents are confident of at least a partial victory.

"I feel a little short of breath about it—it feels like we are at an incredibly important moment for our movement," said Kate Kendell, of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. - More

Kevyn Orr as Emergency Financial Manager, Biography

2013-03-24 10:12:24

Detroit's Emergency Financial Manager will be taking over the city's finances on Monday.

Protestors are expected to greet Kevin Orr when he arrives at work tomorrow morning.

Orr, a lawyer who specializes in bankruptcy, is the man handpicked by Governor Rick Snyder to fix Detroit's finances.

Mayor Dave Bing has pledged to be a good teammate to Orr. - More

Kevyn Orr Biography

Feds Shutdown Montana-based bus company

2013-03-23 16:35:08

A spokeswoman for a Montana-based bus company says workers are scrambling to get customers to their destinations after federal authorities shut Rimrock Stages down.

Kjersten Forseth says alternate transportation was being sought Saturday for an unknown number of stranded passengers. - More

Russian tycoon Berezovsky found dead in London

2013-03-23 16:22:05

Exiled Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, a prominent Russian opposition figure, was found dead at his home near London on Saturday, British officials told NBC News.

He was 67.

His death was also reported in a Facebook post by his son-in-law, Egor Schuppe. "Boris Berezovsky dead," the post read. - More

Russia News Links

Great Britain News Links

Pope Francis Predecessor Benedict XVI Meet

2013-03-23 10:37:56

Pope Francis has traveled to Castel Gandolfo to have lunch with his predecessor Benedict XVI in a historic and potentially problematic melding of the papacies that has never before confronted the Catholic Church.

The Vatican said the two popes embraced on the helipad. In the chapel where they prayed together, Benedict offered Francis the traditional kneeler used by the pope.

Francis refused to take it alone, saying "We're brothers," and the two prayed together on the same one. - More

Thatcher papers show Falklands doubts

2013-03-21 19:13:10

Some of Margaret Thatcher's closest policy advisers voiced strong concerns that the Falklands Islands were not worth the fight, from the earliest days of the campaign, according to the latest release of files from the former Conservative prime minister's personal papers.

The papers show that, contrary to the jingoistic spirit at the time, the divisions over the Falklands went to the very heart of Downing Street with... - More

Chemical weapons use in Syria is lose-lose for Assad

2013-03-21 19:08:12

UN chief Ban Ki Moon has pledged to send a group of independent experts to Syria to investigate an alleged chemical attack near the northern city of Aleppo.

Both the government and the opposition have called for the probe after trading accusations as to who was behind the assault, which killed up to 31 people on Tuesday.

Syrian president condemns Damascus mosque blast

2013-03-21 18:53:36

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday condemned a mosque attack earlier in the day that killed a prominent Islamic scholar and 42 others in the capital Damascus.

Mohammad Saed Ramadan al-Bouti, 84, was delivering a lecture at al-Eman Mosque in central Damascus' district of al-Mazraa when a suicide bomber detonated himself from inside the mosque. At least 84 others were wounded. - More

France and Mali talk reconstruction

2013-03-20 19:23:52

Christine Lagarde flat searched over Tapie compensation

2013-03-20 18:41:54

French authorities have searched the Paris flat of IMF chief Christine Lagarde.

The move came as part of an investigation into her handling of a 2008 compensation payment to a businessman supporter of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, said her lawyer.

Police are investigating claims that Ms Lagarde, when finance minister under Sarkozy, acted illegally in approving the €285 million arbitration payout to Bernard Tapie. She denies any wrongdoing. - More

Alleged al-Qaeda member charged

2013-03-20 18:20:42

A man who prosecutors said was an overseas operative of Al Qaeda during the years following the Sept. 11 attacks was charged in Brooklyn with a host of terrorism charges, in the latest example of a foreigner accused of acts of terrorism abroad being extradited to American courts. - More

Man mauled by Bronx Zoo re-enters not guilty plea

2013-03-19 16:43:44

The man mauled by a Bronx Zoo tiger re-entered a plea of not guilty to trespassing Tuesday but wouldn’t say why he had jumped into the big cat’s den.

"He's a very intelligent person and he'll explain everything that happened," David Villalobos’ lawyer, Corey Sokoler, told reporters.

"But with the case pending, it's not the time." - More

Philippine Supreme Court halts contraceptives law

2013-03-19 15:08:52

The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily halted the implementation of a law that provides state funding for contraceptives, legislation opposed by the dominant Roman Catholic Church but supported by reproductive health activists.

The Responsible Parenthood Law was passed by lawmakers late last year despite the church’s opposition but petitioners questioned its legality on several grounds, saying it offends religious beliefs and fosters abortion, which remains illegal in the country. - More

German President Joachim Gauck Visits Ethiopia

2013-03-19 15:03:32

German President Joachim Gauck has begun a four-day official tour to Ethiopia.He is expected to meet Ethiopian leaders,civil society representatives and address the African Union.

President Gauck, who arrived in Addis Ababa on Sunday, met the Ethiopian Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegn for dinner shortly after his arrival and was expected to meet his Ethiopian counterpart Girma Wolde-Giorgis on Monday. - More

Professor makes case for U.S.-Mexico border without walls

2013-03-19 14:47:27

As the United States reconsiders immigration policy reform – particularly between the United States and Mexico – the focus should be on immigration and integration instead of tougher border security, says University of California, Berkeley, professor of city and regional planning Michael Dear, the author of the new book, “Why Walls Won’t Work: Repairing the US-Mexico Divide.”

Dear logged nearly 10,000 miles visiting both sides of the border, from Tijuana/San Diego at the Pacific Ocean to Matamoros/Brownsville on the Gulf of Mexico. - More

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Art Heist

2013-03-19 10:40:20

The FBI believes it has determined where the stolen art was transported in the years after the theft and that it knows the identity of the thieves, Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston office, revealed for the first time in the 23 year investigation.

“The FBI believes with a high degree of confidence in the years after the theft the art was transported to Connecticut and the Philadelphia region and some of the art was taken to Philadelphia where it was offered for sale by those responsible for the theft.” - More

SimCity players offered free EA game

2013-03-18 22:11:07

The free games, available as digital downloads, include recent releases Mass Effect 3, Plants vs Zombies and Bejeweled 3.

The move follows connection problems and glitches caused by EA's decision to make SimCity an online-only game.

Earlier EA admitted that the game was originally going to be single player. - More

Police refuse to release Beatrice Mtetwa

2013-03-18 14:58:15

Zimbabwe police arrested prominent human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa on Sunday for allegedly obstructing the course of justice but they too are defying a High Court order demanding her immediate release.

Mtetwa’s legal team filed an urgent High Court application and Justice Charles Hungwe ordered her immediate release. - More

Marc Andreessen, Tim Berners-Lee and Vint Cerf Among Inaugural Winners

2013-03-18 10:51:02

The Queen of England is not exactly known for being a digital-first champion of technology, but it looks like the British monarchy may be trying to change that association going forward, with a new award to recognize tech leaders, the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.

The first £1 million ($1.5 million) prize has been awarded to five people: Robert Kahn, Vinton Cerf and Louis Pouzin for their contributions to the Internet protocol, Tim Berners-Lee for creating the World Wide Web and Marc Andreessen for his work on the Mosaic browser. - More

Cypriot lawmakers gear up for deposit levy vote

2013-03-18 05:01:14

Cyprus' president is briefing lawmakers ahead of a crucial parliamentary vote on a controversial levy on bank deposits that the cash-strapped country's creditors have demanded in exchange for a (EURO)10 billion ($13 billion) rescue package.

Police cordoned off the road in front of the parliament on Monday amid heightened security to prevent any protesters from approaching the building and interrupting discussions inside. - More

Netanyahu meets with Peres

2013-03-17 08:38:47

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Shimon Peres to inform him that he formed a government coalition.

The leaders met Saturday night at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, one day after Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett -- leaders of the Yesh Atid and Jewish Home parties, respectively -- signed a contract with Netanyahu on Friday, ending negotiations that had been underway since the Jan. 22 election. - More

Israel News Links

President Asif Ali Zardari to determine Pakistan's vote date

2013-03-17 05:41:04

A milestone has been set in the 66-year history of Pakistan, as its democratically elected government completes its five-year term in office Saturday, and is set to relinquish power to a caretaker before new elections.

The country is expected to go to the polls in early May, on a date yet to be decided by President Asif Ali Zardari. More than 85 million registered voters, less than half of the 180 million population... - More

China's Xi says he will serve the people

2013-03-16 21:42:58

President Xi Jinping has promised to "serve the people" and pursue the ruling Communist Party's "Chinese dream" of strength and prosperity.

"We must make persistent efforts, press ahead with indomitable will, continue to push forward the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strive to achieve the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," said Xi, who also leads the Communist Party. - More

China News Links

Obama's Second Trip To Israel

2013-03-16 19:26:17

Barack Obama's vow to take his message straight to the public during his first presidential visit to Israel will be a tough sell with many Israelis who consider him naive, too soft on the nation's enemies and cool to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Overcoming this perception will require a major charm offensive and an uncompromising U.S. pledge to stand behind Israel, especially when it comes to stopping Iran's suspect nuclear program. - More

UN Women's chief quits

2013-03-16 00:10:55

United Nations: UN Women's chief Michelle Bachelet has decided to step down, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement issued here.

"Michelle Bachelet has informed me of her intention to step down as executive director of UN Women," Ban said in the statement issued by his spokesman Friday.

Bachelet, a former Chilean president, is the first UN under-secretary-general and executive director of UN Women, which was established on July 2, 2010 by the UN General Assembly, reported Xinhua. - More

Chile News Links

Being Black is No Joy in Yemen

2013-03-15 21:11:58

Many Africans from war-torn Somalia and Ethiopia seek their luck across the sea in Yemen.

Luck they hardly find. Racism they do.

The black man on the bus, they pat him on the head and push him in the back.

They make jokes about his pronunciation of the name of the market he is going to. He sits still, waiting for the humiliation to pass.

A Somali man gets beaten at the bus station because he allegedly stole something. - More

Ethiopia Bans More NGOs

2013-03-15 21:04:09

Addis Ababa — Ethiopian authorities have banned three civic organisations, accusing the NGOs of engaging in activities that break 2009's Charities and Societies Proclamation law. The Ethiopian government alleged that the three NGOs were banned as a result of conducting "illegal religious activities" contrary to the law. - More

N.D. poised for strictest abortion laws

2013-03-15 20:51:49

The North Dakota Senate Friday passed bills banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, or for genetic defects or gender selection.

Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple has indicated he would sign the measures, the most restrictive in the nation, Fox News reported.

The North Dakota House is expected to take up other abortion bills next week. - More

North Dakota News Links

Black Death plague pit found in London

2013-03-15 14:31:41

There have been some grisly discoveries in London this week.

During construction of a major East-West railway tunnel, workers on the city’s Crossrail project have just unearthed a 14th century plague pit, filled with at least 13 corpses.

Now in London’s core, the mass grave would have been just north of its city wall in the Middle Ages, conveniently placed to offload the mounds of festering dead with which the Black Death filled London during the mid 1300s. - More

Mitt Romney: We haven't lost the country we love

2013-03-15 12:28:09

Mitt Romney implored conservative activists Friday to keep up their fight, saying his election defeat last year didn't mean the movement itself got beat.

"I utterly reject pessimism. We may not have carried on Nov. 7, but we haven't lost the country we love and we haven't lost our way," Romney told a friendly crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington. - More

Rob Portman Gay Marriage Change Of Heart

2013-03-15 06:35:35

Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) on Thursday became the first sitting GOP senator to back same-sex marriage, explaining his decision to do so in a sit-down interview with CNN's Dana Bash.

"I'm announcing today a change of heart on an issue a lot of people feel strongly about. It has to do with gay couples' opportunity to marry.

During my career in the House and also the last few years in the Senate I've taken a position against gay marriage rooted in part in my faith and my faith tradition..

"I had a very personal experience which is my son came to Jane, my wife and I, told us he was gay and that it was not a choice, that's just part of who he is and that he had been that way since he could remember." - More

Obama's Israeli Columbia Classmates

2013-03-15 06:13:53

"If he wasn't on my radar, he wasn't on anyone's radar," asserts Jamie Miller, a mother of five, who lives in Beit Shemesh and remains active in the alumni association, traveling back to New York every five years to attend reunions.

"I was a cheerleader, so I knew all the jocks," says Miller, who went to law school after college and today works as a librarian and English teacher.

"I was in the marching band, I worked on the yearbook, and I was involved in student government, so I knew everyone.

But I never saw him around." - More

Pat Boone: Obama is a Marxist

2013-03-15 04:23:13

It seems like every time a singer goes on Fox News, the President gets an earful.

Legendary singer Pat Boone called Obama a 'Marxist' on Fox Business Channel Thursday, continuing a fine tradition of singers like Hank Williams Jr. and Kid Rock who are definitely not fans of the president.

Pat Boone - pictured above as a fan of American meats, apparently - is well-known for his music career from about 40 years ago, and his hatred of President Obama. - More

Obama Raises Cybersecurity

2013-03-15 04:19:26

President Barack Obama in a congratulatory phone call to new Chinese President Xi Jinping raised the issue of cybersecurity, a sign of the increasing focus on the matter in relations between the two countries.

In addition to discussing U.S. concerns about the North Korean nuclear threat, the White House said, Mr. Obama "highlighted the importance of addressing cybersecurity threats," which he cast as a "shared challenge. - More

Obama administration off-shore royalty bet

2013-03-15 04:13:39

President Barack Obama is scheduled Friday to unveil his new energy proposals - including setting up a $2 billion fund from off-shore oil and gas drilling royalty payments to support research on alternative energy.

The pot of money, to be made available over a 10-year period, would develop ways to develop and expand use of electrical vehicles, homegrown biofuels, fuel cells and domestic produced natural gas.

President Barack Obama plans to unveil a new energy policy today in Illinois. - More

Miley Cyrus: 'Terrified Of Losing' Liam Hemsworth

2013-03-14 08:13:31

Even though Miley and Liam have reportedly called off their engagement a new report claims that Miley will do ‘whatever it takes’ to win Liam back! Miley Cyrus wants Liam Hemsworth back! RadarOnline.com is reporting that Miley is ‘desperate’ to get back together with her Aussie man. While Liam is in Australia with his family, Miley is reportedly ‘lonely’ without him. - More

Pluto Could Have 10 Moons

2013-03-14 07:30:41

New simulations suggest that 10 more more tiny, undiscovered moons may lurk in Pluto's orbit, which if true, could complicate a spacecraft's planned flyby of the far off dwarf planet in 2015. After Pluto's 5th moon, P5, was discovered last year, NASA officials said that they may need to redraw the path of the New Horizons mission to avoid such obstacles. - More

Steubenville Rape Trial

2013-03-14 07:22:32

Prosecutors in a closely watched trial beginning today in Steubenville, Ohio, opened their case against two high school football players by describing a night of partying went awry when the teens allegedly sexually assaulted a girl who was "stumbling, her speech was beginning to slur, losing her balance."

As the alleged victim, a 16-year-old from West Virginia, was driven from party to party Aug. 11 after becoming intoxicated and "substantially impaired," the boys took more and more liberties with her, prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter said today in court. - More

Mexico monarch butterfly population smallest in years

2013-03-13 22:33:04

Scientists who take the annual measure of Mexican forestland famously occupied by migrating monarch butterflies said Wednesday that the butterfly population is the smallest they have seen in two decades.

The likely cause is unseasonably warm weather recently in the United States, as well as a dramatic loss of habitat in the U.S. Corn Belt, the scientists said. - More

Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio Elected New Pope

2013-03-13 22:26:23

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina has been elected the Catholic Church’s 266th Pope.

He is first Latin American to be pontiff, and will call himself Francis I.

After his election Wednesday night, the 76-year-old Pope appeared on a balcony and greeted crowds in St. Peter’s Square, BBC reported.

He was the archbishop of Buenos Aires. He asked the faithful to pray for him.

Cheers erupted as he gave a blessing. - More

Catholics react to new pope

2013-03-13 22:23:07

Latinos across the globe and here in Utah are both surprised and excited about the new pope.

Pope Francis is known as a man of the people in Argentina. He embraced the middle class lifestyle, and that’s part of the reason why Utah Latinos are so excited.

They feel that one of their own is now in charge at the Vatican.

“We’re so happy, I feel like it’s going to be a big change,” Alfredo Garey said. - More

China's new leader, Xi Jinping

2013-03-13 22:03:42

China’s new leader Xi Jinping capped his rise Thursday by adding the largely ceremonial title of president, though he will need cautious maneuvering to consolidate his power and build support from a public that is increasingly clamoring for change.

The elevation of Xi to the presidency by the rubberstamp national legislature gave him the last of the three titles held by his predecessor, Hu Jintao.

The move was expected after Xi was named head of the Communist Party and chairman of its military, positions of true power, last November in a once-a-decade handover to a new group of leaders that has been years in the making. - More

Where is New Orleans Teacher Terrilynn Monette?

2013-03-13 10:13:41

Terrilynn Monette had no problem uprooting her life to help children.

When the California native learned of the "teachNOLA" program, which sends educators to New Orleans to teach in impoverished areas, she packed her bags and headed to Louisiana.

"I always wanted to be a teacher, and what better place to teach than New Orleans, where passionate teachers are needed most?" she said in a 2011 video. - More

India: Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone Must Return

2013-03-13 05:51:27

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said that there will be "consequences" if Rome does not return two marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen to face trial in India.

The marines – Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone – are accused of fatally shooting two Indian fishermen off the coast of the Indian state of Kerala last year.

Police in Kerala detained the two officers, who deny they committed murder, triggering a diplomatic dispute with Italian authorities over who has jurisdiction in the criminal case. - More

Hamas: 'Declaration Of War' If Obama Visits Temple Mount

2013-03-13 05:37:05

Hamas is warning that if President Obama visits the Temple Mount it would be a “declaration of war” against the Islamic world.

Israel National News reports the terror group made the threat during a protest march at the religious site following riots on Friday.

Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman, called for a third intifada if Obama visits the contested religious site in Jerusalem’s Old City between Israelis and Muslims. - More

President Obama on North Korea

2013-03-13 05:33:06

President Obama on North Korea's Nuclear weapons capabilities:

“It’s not that close. But what is true is … they’ve had nuclear weapons since well before I came into office.

What’s also true is missile technology improves and their missile technology has improved,” he said.

“Now, what we’ve done is we’ve made sure that we’ve got defensive measures to prevent any attacks on the homeland. And we’re not anticipating any of that. But we’ve seen out of the North Koreans is they go through these periodic spasms of … provocative behavior.”

“Well, I don’t necessarily think it’s different in kind. They’ve all been serious. Because when you’re talking about a regime that is oppressive towards its people, is belligerent, has shown itself to sometimes miscalculate and do things that are very dangerous, that’s always a problem. ” - More

Twinkies back on U.S. store shelves by this summer

2013-03-13 05:02:27

The new owner of Hostess Brands Inc's snack cakes hopes to have Twinkies back on U.S. store shelves by this summer, according to a member of the purchasing group.

“Our family is thrilled to have the opportunity to reestablish these iconic brands with new creative marketing ideas and renewed sales efforts and investment,” Daren Metropoulos, a principal at his family's private equity firm, told Reuters in an email on Tuesday. - More

Limbaugh: Government Spends $1.5 Million to Study Fat Lesbians

2013-03-12 14:52:56

You are not... Yes, you are. You are going to believe this.

Are you ready for this? From our old buddies at the Cybercast News Service:

"The National Institutes of Health," in the midst of sequester, "has awarded $1.5 million to study biological and social factors for why 'three-quarters' of lesbians are obese and why gay males are not, calling it an issue of 'high public-health significance,'" and this is exactly what I'm talking about.

What we need to find now are some 4,000-year-old lesbian mummies who are obese. - More

James Tate: Detroit City Council Will Not Back Down

2013-03-12 14:20:26

Detroit doesn’t need an emergency manager to put its finances in order because it’s doing so on its own, City Council leaders said in an attempt to head off a state takeover.

Irvin Corley, a council fiscal analyst, said in a hearing in Lansing today that while Detroit is in crisis, “We feel there is a satisfactory plan to address the city’s emergency.”

Mika Brzezinski And Joe Scarborough Argue The Soda Ban

2013-03-12 09:22:54

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Former Mayor Of Detroit Kilpatrick Going To Jail

2013-03-11 18:00:36

A jury on Monday convicted former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of most of the federal charges against him -- including racketeering conspiracy, extortion and the filing of false tax returns -- in a case that accused him of using the mayor's office to enrich himself and associates, CNN affiliate WDIV-TV reported. Contractor Bobby Ferguson also was found guilty Monday of racketeering and extortion. - More

Colin Powell's Facebook page defaced

2013-03-11 17:35:06

Gawker's headline tells the story: Either Colin Powell's official Facebook page got hacked or the former U.S. Secretary of State has had a drastic change of heart about the president he served.

Powell's Facebook page was pulled down today after it wound up hosting a series of sometimes scatological references to George W. Bush, according to Gawker which saved some of the posts.

This is just the latest in a spate of high-profile hacks launched against personal and private accounts. - More

Scott Brown joins Nixon Peabody

2013-03-11 13:57:56

Former U.S. senator from Massachusetts and Fox News commentator Scott Brown has joined Nixon Peabody LLP.

Brown joins the law firm’s Boston office as counsel, Nixon Peabody officials said Monday.

Unseated by Democrat Elizabeth Warren in a close race last November, Brown gained national attention after winning a 2010 special election to fill the remainder of Democratic liberal icon Sen. Edward Kennedy’s term after Kennedy’s death from brain cancer. - More

Ram Singh found hanging inside Tihar jail

2013-03-11 13:53:13

Ram Singh, the 33-year-old chief accused in the sensational December 16 gangrape which shook the nation and made international headlines, was found hanging from an improvised rope inside his cell in west Delhi’s high-security Tihar prison on Monday morning.

The rope was made from threads of a of a cotton mat he had been using, the police said. - More

Kwame Kilpatrick public corruption trial verdict

2013-03-11 06:55:38

A verdict has been reached in the Kwame Kilpatrick corruption trial, the federal court administrator announced Monday morning.

The 12-person jury will appear in the courtroom of federal Judge Nancy Edmunds at 10:30 a.m. to reveal their decisions on 33 different crimes. Ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is charged with 30 crimes, his father Bernard Kilpatrick with four and friend and city contractor Bobby Ferguson with 11. - More

South Korea, U.S. begin military drills

2013-03-11 06:44:11

North and South Korea staged dueling war games Monday as threatening rhetoric from the rivals rose to the highest level since North Korea rained artillery shells on a South Korean island in 2010. - More

North Korea News Links

South Korea News Links

S. Korea-US drill starts as North rejects armistice

2013-03-11 06:37:58

North Korea News Links

South Korea News Links

1,200 Dead Pigs Retrieved in Shanghai River

2013-03-10 20:51:50

Over 1,200 dead pigs have been fished out of Shanghai's Huangpu River by Sunday afternoon and the source of the pigs is traced upstream, local authorities said.

The municipal authorities said the retrieved pigs would be collected and handled in a harmless way.

According to the labels pinned in the ears of the pigs which are used to trace their information, the dead pigs are found to come from the upstream waters of the Huangpu River. - More

6 teens killed, 2 injured as SUV crashes

2013-03-10 20:21:04

A speeding sport utility vehicle taken without permission and carrying eight teenagers crashed into a guardrail Sunday morning and flipped over into a swampy pond in northeast Ohio, killing five boys and the young woman driving, the state highway patrol said.

The Honda Passport veered off the left side of a road and overturned just south of the city of Warren, about 60 miles east of Cleveland, Lt. Anne Ralston said. - More

Argentina condemns Falklands referendum

2013-03-10 20:17:51

They were not exactly overtaxed, the two officials supervising the polling station at Goose Green Sunday.

It was, after all, Sunday afternoon and the population of the settlement – at some 45 people, the second biggest in the Falkland Islands – was enjoying its lunch.

Had anyone yet voted in the two-day referendum to decide if the islands should remain a British Overseas Territory? Anyone at all? - More

Queen to sign charter in support of gay rights, gender equality

2013-03-10 20:11:53

HER Majesty is set to sign an historic charter that declares widespread opposition to discrimination and endorses gay rights and gender equality.

Queen Elizabeth II will mark Commonwealth Day by putting pen to paper on the first document to formalise among Commonwealth nations, "core values of the organisation and the aspiration of its members". - More

S. Korea, U.S. start annual drills

2013-03-10 19:57:01

South Korea and the United States kicked off their annual joint military exercises on Monday, after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s supreme military command announced it would scrap the Korean War Armistice Agreement, in response to the drill, which is scheduled to run through March 21.

The "Key Resolve" military exercise will be held for almost two weeks starting Monday, bringing together 10,000 South Korean troops and 3,500 U.S. troops, according to the defense ministry here. - More

Nigerian hostage deaths: Ansaru claims backed

2013-03-10 09:30:39

A Nigerian Islamist militant group's claims to have killed seven foreign hostages it seized last month are credible, Western governments say.

The hostages - from Italy, Britain, Greece and Lebanon - were captured in a raid on a construction site in the northern state of Bauchi. - More

Processed meat early death link

2013-03-10 07:00:40

Sausages, ham, bacon and other processed meats appear to increase the risk of dying young, a study of half a million people across Europe suggests.

It concluded diets high in processed meats were linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer and early deaths.

The researchers, writing in the journal BMC Medicine, said salt and chemicals used to preserve the meat may damage health. - More

President Hamid Karzai: Taliban and US working in concert

2013-03-10 06:20:17

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday accused the Taliban and the U.S. of working in concert to convince Afghans that violence will worsen if most foreign troops leave — an allegation the top American commander in Afghanistan rejected as "categorically false."

Karzai said two suicide bombings that killed 19 people on Saturday — one outside the Afghan Defense Ministry and the other near a police checkpoint in eastern Khost province — show the insurgent group is conducting attacks to help show that international forces will still be needed to keep the peace after their current combat mission ends in 2014. - More

China Transforms Government

2013-03-10 06:14:44

The State Council plans to transform government functions at the ministerial level to reduce administrative intervention in the market and on social issues, State Councilor Ma Kai said in a report to the parliament's annual session on Sunday.

The plan by China's Cabinet aims to build an efficient and law-based government with a clear division of power, reasonable distribution of labor and well-defined responsibilities, Ma said while explaining the report on the State Council's institutional reform plan. - More

South Dakota Law Lets Schools Arm Teachers

2013-03-09 13:30:22

South Dakota has adopted a new law allowing the state's school districts to arm teachers and other personnel with guns. Governor Dennis Daugaard signed the controversial school sentinel bill into law despite opposition from representatives from the state's school boards.- More

South Dakota News Links

Jury awards $13.2 million to David Ayers, 56

2013-03-09 12:25:44

A federal jury today awarded a former police officer for the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority $13.2 million after finding two Cleveland homicide detectives violated his civil rights when they helped to successfully prosecute him for a murder he didn't commit.

David Ayers, 56, of Cleveland, was convicted of the 1999 beating death of 76-year-old Dorothy Brown, and spent 13 years in prison for aggravated murder. - More

Ohio News Links

Nelson Mandela Hospitalized

2013-03-09 12:21:56

South Africa's presidency says world peace icon Nelson Mandela is in the hospital for a scheduled medical checkup.

Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj says the 94-year-old went to a hospital in the capital, Pretoria, Saturday. Maharaj says there is "no reason for any alarm" as doctors conduct tests on the Nobel Peace laureate and former president. - More

South Africa News Links

NH Chief Of Police 31 Gun Raffle

2013-03-09 09:10:37

The New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police’s president defends its 31-gun raffle in May that includes assault rifles similar to those used in the Newtown, Conn., shootings, but some law enforcement officials say the raffle is inappropriate and too soon and adds to the glorification of the gun culture, while others say it is no different from raffling off a chain saw.

The $30 tickets sold like hotcakes, and all 1,000 of them were gone by mid-January. In May, one gun a day will be raffled off to raise money for an annual cadet-training program. - More

New Hampshire News Links

Judge orders mediation for Martha Stewart, Macy's and J.C. Penney

2013-03-09 06:34:10

Martha Stewart and Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren on Thursday had their first phone conversation since he hung up on her in 2011.

The call came on Day 12 of a trial that has laid bare the secret moves behind Stewart’s $282.9 million deal with Macy’s rival JCPenney.

Lundgren testified last week he was so shocked Stewart did not approach him in advance of the deal that he hung up on her. - More

Philippines lifts Iraq workers ban

2013-03-09 06:19:11

Philippine labour chief Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said the government is resuming the deployment of workers to Iraq, Yemen and Eritrea amidst the improving security situation in these countries.

Dimapilis-Baldoz announced that the Governing Board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), which she chairs, has lifted the ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to these three countries. - More

Philippine News Links

Beyonce, Jay Z Not Received Nigeria's Poverty-Alleviation Funds

2013-03-09 06:07:02

Horace Campbell, an outspoken African American critic and professor of African American Studies at Syracuse University, has insisted that entertainment star Beyonce and her husband, hip hop artist and music-producer Jay Z, owe no apology to anyone over their alleged receipt of a whopping $1 million from the Bayelsa State poverty fund in Nigeria back in 2006. - More

Nigeria News Links

Governor Wammako, Health Minister, Call for Peace, Unity

2013-03-09 06:02:26

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu and Gov. Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State, has stressed the need for Nigeria to remain a peaceful and united country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the duo spoke at a joint press briefing as part of Chukwu's two-day official visit to Sokoto on Friday. - More

Outdoor TV host shot dead in Whitefish

2013-03-08 17:05:56

A Texas TV personality is dead after being shot four times at close range Thursday night at a home on River Lakes Parkway in Whitefish. The suspected assailant, Wayne Bengtson, 41, of West Glacier, was found dead the next morning at his home off of Old Highway 2 East of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. - More

Jack Welch Goes Off On Obama

2013-03-08 15:25:42

Jack Welch, the former General Electric CEO who just a few months ago accused the Obama administration of manipulating the jobs report, lashed out at President Obama in an interview with CNBC on Thursday.

Welch claimed the economy would be ready to "take off" if it weren't for new regulations, such as Obamacare and Dodd-Frank financial reform, which he said have an "enormous" cost. - More

Juan Williams Blames Researcher For Plagiarized Column

2013-03-08 15:22:13

Fox News pundit Juan Williams has been caught lifting large portions of a Center for American Progress report for a recent column. Salon's Alex Seitz-Wald reported Thursday night that The Hill newspaper had recently revised a Williams piece about immigration reform after it was discovered that whole paragraphs were extremely similar to a CAP study on the subject. - More

Dianna Hanson Died of a Broken Neck

2013-03-08 07:18:42

Dianna Hanson, the intern killed by a lion inside an enclosure at a big-cat sanctuary in California, died of a broken neck, a Fresno County coroner said Thursday, although it's still unclear why the lion attacked her.

Fresno County coroner David Hadden told ABC News that he believes a gate or door was left partially open when the 4-year-old male African lion named Cous Cous attacked Hanson Wednesday afternoon. - More

Genetically modified chickens could wipe out bird flu completely

2013-03-08 07:11:20

Melbourne: Scientists from Victoria, Australia, are paving the way for disease-proof animals in groundbreaking research that could eliminate bird flu and other diseases. According to the Geelong Advertiser, the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) project is producing genetically modified chickens using cutting-edge science from the plant world, the Herald Sun reported. - More

Hyatt Place Portland

2013-03-07 16:02:01

Work begins this week on construction of a 123-room hotel at Fore and Union streets, signaling the start of a new round of competition in the city’s red-hot hotel market.

How hot is it? If all goes as developers hope, the hotel construction boom will bring the city’s total number of guest rooms to 2,359 — more than the number in Providence, R.I., which has a population nearly three times that of Portland. - More

Interstate Hotels & Resorts 1,564 Room Complex

2013-03-07 15:52:56

Within the next year the new winner of 2014 Olympia will be awarded: the Winter Olympics 2014 will take place in Sochi at the Black Sea and several new hotels will be built in this paradisiac vacation destination in southern Russia for this sport event.

The largest construction project will be a building complex with six new luxury hotels, operated by Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

The whole complex will feature 1,564 rooms. Three of the six hotels will be Marriott hotels.

This information has been revealed by TOPHOTELPROJECTS, the worldwide leading provider of global b2b hotel data. The opening will be in autumn this year. - More

Do the City's New Teen Pregnancy Ads Stigmatize Girls?

2013-03-07 15:16:55

Teen mothers are speaking out about a city-funded ad campaign to discourage teen pregnancy.

The ad has drawn fire from groups that work with pregnant teenagers who say it unfairly stigmatizes poor and minority girls.

The ad campaign is running in bus shelters right now and will appear on subways next week. In one ad, a little girl with her index finger to her lip, says "Honestly mom...chances are he won't stay with you. - More

Assad hails Turkey anti-Erdogan opposition

2013-03-07 15:03:23

President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday hailed Turkish opposition to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's backing for the revolt that began in Syria nearly two years ago, in a statement seen by AFP.

The statement comes after Assad met a Turkish opposition delegation, which prompted Erdogan to issue a stinging criticism of the politicians, asking why they were meeting with "such a dictator." - More

President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday hailed Turkish opposition to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's backing for the revolt that began in Syria nearly two years ago, in a statement seen by AFP. The statement comes after Assad met a Turkish opposition delegation, which prompted Erdogan to issue a stinging criticism of the politicians, asking why they were meeting with "such a dictator."

Bin Laden Son-in-Law in Custody

2013-03-07 14:33:02

U.S. counterterrorism operatives captured a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden and brought him to New York City, where he is likely to face criminal charges as an alleged member of al Qaeda, people familiar with the matter said.

Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, identified by counterterrorism officials as a spokesman for the terror group once led by his father-in-law, was recently deported from Turkey to Jordan, where U.S. agents captured him, a person familiar with the case said. - More

Zimbabwe Central Bank rules out bank capital review

2013-03-07 13:07:55

THE Zimbabwe central bank governor, Gideon Gono has ruled out a review of minimum capital requirements for the financial services sector but insisted that no bank would be shut down for failing to meet the new thresholds.

The RBZ increased tenfold capital requirements for banks last July in a move Gono insisted was necessary to strengthen a “fragmented banking system characterised by numerous weak and undercapitalised banks”. - More

8-year-old girl handcuffed, jailed

2013-03-06 14:56:40

Misbehaving in school earned one young girl a trip to the station in handcuffs.Elementary school student Jmyha Rickman, 8, had her wrists and feet cuffed and was taken away in the back of a police car late Tuesday morning after throwing a tantrum, reports St. Louis KMOV.

Stephen Hammer, 19, and Tanner Vanpelt, 18 to face murder charges

2013-03-06 10:34:06

Two young men -- both still in their teens -- are facing murder and robbery charges in the shooting deaths of three members of one family, according to Wyoming authorities. The suspects, Stephen Hammer, 19, and Tanner Vanpelt, 18, both from Cody, Wyoming, were denied bail during a court appearance Tuesday. - More

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima To File Murder Charges

2013-03-06 10:30:54

Aquino directed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to file charges of multiple murder against Calabarzon police director Chief Superintendent James Melad, Superintendent Hansel Marantan, and 34 other police and military personnel for “summarily executing” the 13 men.

The NBI implicated Melad for allowing the operation, which it described in its 64-page report as Marantan’s “well calculated plan to close the book on Vic Siman under the pretext of ‘Coplan Armado,’ using government forces and resources.” - More

Murder Or Suicide In Hyderabad?

2013-03-06 10:26:50

"Was it murder or suicide in Hyderabad yesterday?", the Australian media asked today in the wake of their team's humiliating defeat at the hands of India.

The team's capitulation to India's spinners in the second Test was described as "the Hyderabad horror show" on a "dark day" for Australian cricket. - More

Australian News Links

Tony McLernon Sentenced To 27 Years For Killing Eystna Blunnie's Unborn Child

2013-03-06 10:23:01

A man who beat his pregnant ex-fiancee to death, causing the death of their unborn baby, has been jailed for at least 27 years.

Unemployed alcoholic Tony McLernon, 24, of North Grove, Harlow, in Essex, was found guilty of murder and child destruction after a trial lasting just over two weeks at Chelmsford Crown Court.

The trial heard he lured Eystna Blunnie, 20, to her death in July last year after telling friends she was trying to ruin his new relationship. - More

Fox News president Roger Ailes: President Obama is "Lazy"

2013-03-06 09:42:45

Fox News president Roger Ailes in a new book describes President Obama as “lazy.”

While discussing the flap over Democratic strategist Hillary Rosen saying Ann Romney had “never worked a day in her life” last year, Ailes told the book’s author that the same argument could be applied to Obama.

“Obama’s the one who never worked a day in his life.

He never earned a penny that wasn’t public money,” Ailes says in an excerpt of the book, by Zev Chafets, that has been posted to Vanity Fair’s Web site. - More

10 people shot to death in rural Mexican town

2013-03-04 19:19:48

Officials say 10 people have been found shot to death in a rural area in the Mexican state of Guerrero.

The state prosecutor’s office said the group of men and women were found slain Sunday afternoon by soldiers responding to reports of a shooting in San Pablo Oriente, a village near Guerrero’s border with Michoacan state. - More

Devon Gluck Returns $1,800 ATM Overpay

2013-03-04 15:52:01

An over-paying cash machine is such a rarity that to some it could feel like small windfall.

Devon Gluck, a student at the University of Delaware, thought it was his lucky day when a campus ATM made an error and dispensed $1,800.

Devon, who is originally from Ellicot City, Maryland, says he was making a withdrawal with his debit card at the start of February when he noticed the machine began making strange noises. - More

Edith Casas wed Victor Cingolani, Her Sister's Murderer

2013-03-04 15:43:56

An Argentine woman was confronted by an angry crowd when she married her twin sister's killer on Valentine's Day.

Edith Casas, 22, wed Victor Cingolani yesterday in a ceremony taking place less than a year into the groom's 13-year sentence for the murder of model Johana Casas.

The bride was pelted with stones and eggs as she emerged from the register office, while her husband, disguised in sunglasses and a beret, was rushed out of the back door to his cell. - More

Forbes Richest Around The World

2013-03-04 09:34:45

A record 1,426 people around the world made Forbes magazine's latest annual count of billionaires, up 16% from last year.

Related: Zuckerberg, Buffett drop in Forbes rich list

Please Like Our World News Media Links

Here are the top names on the list, and how much they are worth.

1. Carlos Slim Helu, 73, $73B

2. Bill Gates, 57, $67B

3. Amancio Ortega, 76, $57B

4. Warren Buffett, 82, $53.5B

5. Larry Ellison, 68, $43B

6. Charles Koch, 77, $34B

6. David Koch, 72, $34B

8. Li Ka-shing, 84, $31B

9. Liliane Bettencourt, 90, $30B

10. Bernard Arnault, 63, $29B

11. Christy Walton, 58, $28.2B

12. Stefan Persson, 65, $28B

13. Michael Bloomberg, 71, $27B

14. Jim Walton, 65, $26.7B

15. Sheldon Adelson, 79, $26.5B

16. Alice Walton, 63, $26.3B

17. S. Robson Walton, 69, $26.1B

18. Karl Albrecht, 93, $26B

19. Jeff Bezos, 49, $25.2B

20. Larry Page, 39, $23B

21. Sergey Brin, 39, $22.8B

22. Mukesh Ambani, 55, $21.5B

23. Michele Ferrero, 87, $20.4B

24. Lee Shau Kee, 85, $20.3B

Kenya election turns deadly

2013-03-04 08:29:30

Pre-dawn attacks in a coastal town cast an early pall over Kenya’s historic election, which began peacefully elsewhere across the country with millions waiting patiently for hours to choose their next president.

Kenya News Links

The early morning mood was jubilant in Nairobi’s Kibera, where some of the post-election violence five years ago was its worst. - More

Potato Parties In South Korea

2013-03-04 08:07:22

They call it a "potato party". Want to throw one? It isn't hard: head out to your local McDonald's and order a near-fatal amount of fries.

Ditch the paper packaging and pour them out on to as many plastic trays as they will fill.

Take a photo, stick it up online, then stuff your face.

It's a way of eating McDonald's staff are not especially keen to encourage. - More

South Korea News Links

Andalusian Capital Of Seville Vacant Properties

2013-03-04 07:29:15

"Life changes when you lose everything," says Manoli Cortés. "There was a time when I was happy just to work and look after my home. Now, at the age of 65, I have suddenly become an activist." She is sitting in a typical Spanish living room: immaculately clean, filled with family photographs and dark wood furniture. - More

Spain News Links

Lauren Silberman lasts two kicks before injury

2013-03-03 21:55:28

The good news for Laruen Silberman is that she probably got more time on a New Jersey football field than Tim Tebow did in the last year.

The bad news for the former soccer player, whose goal is to make waves as a potential football kicker at a high level, is that she lasted just two kickoffs at a regional combine

at the New York Jets' practice field in Florham Park, New Jersey before she pulled up with a quadriceps injury and was unable to continue. - More

CTA Train Routes Closed

2013-03-03 21:47:54

It’s a big hassle for thousands of CTA riders and it’s all to replace a major Chicago bridge.

Riders will have to navigate their way to the loop without the Brown or Purple lines for the next week.

The lines are out of commission so a new span of the Wells Street Bridge, can be put into place. - More

Las Vegas Sands says it probably broke bribery law

2013-03-03 21:45:33

The Las Vegas casino company headed by high-profile Republican donor and billionaire Sheldon Adelson said it probably violated a federal law that prohibits the bribery of foreign government officials.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. said its auditors found that "there were likely violations" of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars Americans from bribing foreign officials to secure an advantage. - More

Mitt Romney Ripping Obama

2013-03-03 19:35:57

"Well, no one can think that's been a success for the president.

He didn't think the sequester would happen. It is happening.

But to date, what we've seen is the president out campaigning to the American people, doing rallies around the country, flying around the country, and berating Republicans.

And blaming and pointing.

Now what does that do? That causes the Republicans to retrench and then put up a wall and fight back.

It's a very natural human emotion."

The People Of Lahad Datu And Sabah

2013-03-02 16:02:12

The recent loss of 14 lives is nothing less than a tragedy for the people of Sabah and the community of Lahad Datu.

Since the news first came to light about three weeks ago that armed Filipino intruders had landed at Kg Tanduo to lay claim to Sabah as their homeland, Malaysians’ concern over national security, uncertainty over what would happen next, and fear that things would get worse was exacerbated by the trickle of information forthcoming from official sources as to what was happening on the ground, other than to say that things were under control. - More

Malaysia News Links

Philippines News Links

Dianna Siveny 1 Million Bond

2013-03-02 14:16:35

A $1 million bond has been set for a Minnesota woman accused of a 2007 Wisconsin murder.

Kandi Siveny, of St. Paul, is among three women charged with the murder of Lara Plamann.

The 34-year-old made her first appearance in Outagamie (awt-ah-GAY'-mee) County Friday. - More

Wisconsin News Links

Abou Zeid Dead In Chad

2013-03-02 14:08:00

Al-Qaeda's top commander in Mali has been killed, Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno said, signalling a significant blow to the rebels in the seven-week French-led intervention against Islamist insurgents.

Several newspapers in Abou Zeid's native Algeria had reported his death and Washington had described the reports as "very credible". - More

Zachary Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Eggs Recall

2013-03-02 13:40:45

With Easter just a month away, Frankfort, Ind. candy company, Zachary Confections Inc., issued a voluntary recall of it’s its Zachary Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Eggs, a holiday favorite, due to the possibility of salmonella contamination last Wednesday.

Salmonella was reportedly detected during routine post-production testing, which caused the initiation of the recall on Feb. 27. - More

Update: Man Swallowed Up In Sinkhole

2013-03-02 04:50:50

A Florida man fell into a sinkhole that opened suddenly Thursday night beneath the bedroom of his suburban Tampa home, calling out to his brother for help as he fell, the brother said Friday.

"I ran toward my brother's bedroom because I heard my brother scream," Jeremy Bush told CNN's "AC360."

"Everything was gone. My brother's bed, my brother's dresser, my brother's TV. My brother was gone." - More

US: Little Impact On Climate From Pipeline

2013-03-02 00:12:41

The State Department released a draft environmental impact assessment of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline Friday, March 1, suggesting that the project would have little impact on climate change.

Canada's oil sands will be developed even if President Barack Obama denies a permit to the pipeline connecting the region to Gulf Coast refineries, the analysis said.

Such a move would also not alter U.S. oil consumption, the report added.

Assad's forces seized a village

2013-03-01 23:59:23

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces seized a village southeast of the city of Aleppo on Friday, reopening a supply line to the country's biggest city where they have been battling rebels for eight months, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the capture of Tel Shghaib marked the last step to creating a land supply route north into Aleppo from Hama province, crucial for Assad's forces who have lost control of part of the main north-south highway. - More

17 people receiving pardons from Obama Administration

2013-03-01 23:54:29

A Massachusetts man is among 17 people receiving pardons from President Barack Obama.

Obama issued the pardons Friday to people in 13 states, largely for minor offenses.

Among them is James Anthony Bordinaro of Gloucester. - More

The others were:

James A. Bordinaro of Gloucester, Mass., 1991, in connection with a bid-rigging conviction; Michael J. Petri of Montrose, S.D., 1989, distributing cocaine; Donald B. Simon Jr., of Chattanooga, Tenn., 1982, aiding and abetting in the theft of an interstate shipment; Lynn Marie Stanek of Tualatin, Ore., 1986, unlawful use of a communication facility to distribute cocaine; and Donna Kaye Wright of Friendship, Tenn., 1983, embezzlement.

Tampa area man swallowed by sinkhole

2013-03-01 06:43:32

A man is missing after a large sinkhole opened under the bedroom of a house near Tampa and his brother says the man screamed for help as the collapse happened.

The 36-year-old man's brother told rescue crews he heard a loud crash around 11 p.m.

Thursday, then heard his brother screaming for help. - More

Israel delays settlement starts for Obama trip

2013-03-01 06:25:46

“According to instructions provided by the prime minister’s office to the appropriate officials in the ministries of defence and housing, no new tenders for housing will be issued for these areas in the coming weeks,” said Maariv.

“Similarly, projects whose planning has been completed will not be carried out, and all other bureaucratic steps involved in the public tenders will be postponed,” it added.

“In telephone conversations which Netanyahu held with officials, it was emphasised that there was no (construction) freeze, but rather a suspension whose purpose is not to embarrass the political establishment during the president’s visit.”

Palestinian Prisoner Arafat Jaradat

2013-02-28 12:52:39

Israelis began the week trying to absorb some alarming news: “IDF Preparing for Third Intifadeh” was the headline in the country’s second-largest daily. “Riot Alert” roared the largest.

A February weekend that in Israel had been notable only for its warm weather turned out to have produced a firestorm in the Occupied Territories after a Palestinian prisoner named Arafat Jaradat died in Israeli custody, and Palestinian officials blamed torture. - More

Increase in advanced-stage breast cancer

2013-02-28 06:32:47

Gates, Zuckerberg: Kids, learn to code

2013-02-28 04:54:25

"Learning how to program didn't start off with wanting to learn all of computer science or trying to master this discipline or anything like that," Zuckerberg says.

"It started off because I wanted to do this one simple thing -- I wanted to make something that was fun for myself and my sisters." Gates says,

"I was 13 when I first got access to a computer. I wrote a program to play tick-tack-toe." - More

Emilio Lozoya: Su paso por OHL y la tragedia en Pemex

2013-02-27 11:18:53

Deputy Coordinator of International Relations for the PRI presidential campaign, Emilio Lozoya Austin was ever since regarded as "one of the brightest young" team of Enrique Peña Nieto.

During the first tour conducted by Peña Nieto Querétaro, following his meeting with workers of aeronautics, one of its operators commented that the team had brilliant people, but the promise of politics and who get far would the young deputy coordinator of International Relations. - More

Film Director Mauled To Death By Great White Shark

2013-02-27 11:02:27

The shark attack at Muriwai Beach on Auckland's west coast is being described as unbelievably freakish.

Local man Adam Strange died at the beach yesterday after being attacked by a four metre long shark, thought to be a great white. Brendan O'Connor, who's surfed at the beach for 35

years, says sharks lurk around the seal colony and don't tend to come into the surf. - More

New Zealand News Links

Detective Elizabeth Butler Killed In The Line Of Duty

2013-02-27 10:33:05

Detective Elizabeth Butler was one of two of the Santa Cruz Police Department officers shot and killed Tuesday.

The suspected perpetrator, 35-year-old Jeremy Peter Goulet was killed in a second shootout by police, according to SF Gate. Jaxon Van Derbeken, Vivian Ho and Henry K. Lee reported that Butler (who had been with the force for 10 years and leaves behind her partner and two young sons) and Detective Sgt. Loran "Butch" Baker (a 28-year veteran who leaves behind a wife and three kids)... - More

President Asif Ali Zardari In Iran

2013-02-26 21:08:20

President Asif Ali Zardari is arriving in Tehran today on a two-day official visit to discuss issues of bilateral and regional importance with the Iranian leadership.

Besides Islamabad and Tehran, the visit will be seen anxiously by Washington which has been putting pressure to prevent the two neighbourly states from going ahead with vital energy projects, particularly the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project. - More

Pope's Twitter account to close

2013-02-26 19:47:45

At the same time as Pope Benedict XVI leaves office on February 28, his Twitter presence as @Pontifex will also come to an end, according to Vatican Radio.

The news may come as a sad blow to the more than 2 million people who've signed up to follow his tweets in nine languages since his account was launched with fanfare two-and-a-half months ago. - More

Richard Turere At The TED 2013 Conference

2013-02-26 08:51:59

Richard Turere, 13, doesn't like lions. In fact, he hates them.

Yet this bright Maasai boy has devised an innovative solution that's helping the survival of these magnificent beasts -- by keeping them away from humans.

Living on the edge of Nairobi National Park, in Kenya, Turere first became responsible for herding and safeguarding his family's cattle when he was just nine.

But often, his valuable livestock would be raided by the lions roaming the park's sweet savannah grasses, leaving him to count the losses. - More

2.1 Million Chickens Slaughtered in Mexico

2013-02-26 08:39:53

Mexican authorities have slaughtered 2.1 million chickens exposed to the bird flu, which has spread to 18 farms in the central state of Guanajuato, government officials said Monday.

Agriculture Secretary Enrique Martinez said at a press conference that since the outbreak was detected 519,000 egg-producing chickens have been slaughtered, along with 900,000 birds being fattened for their meat and 722,265 reproducing birds. - More

Ethiopia: WFP Buys Record Quantity of Maize

2013-02-26 08:34:35

Addis Ababa — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that local farmers cooperatives in Ethiopia have begun delivering the largest amount of maize they have ever sold to WFP, enough to support more than 1.8 million people for a month.

Before the planting season last year, WFP signed forward contracts with 16 cooperative unions in Ethiopia for purchase of more than 28,000 metric tons of maize. - More

The Ali Syed Shooting Spree

2013-02-25 22:06:39

The first victim of the swift-moving shooting spree that terrorized southern California Tuesday and claimed four lives was an aspiring actress whose connection to the gunman was not immediately clear, authorities said Wednesday.

Courtney Aoki, 20, was shot multiple times and left for dead around 4:45 a.m. Tuesday in the residence that shotgun-wielding madman Ali Syed shared with his parents, police said.

Cops said they couldn't confirm a report Aoki worked as a stripper. - More

Evidence Of Lost Micro-Continent

2013-02-25 19:21:32

It's not often that new pieces of continents are found, which makes research just published in Nature Geoscience rather exciting.

According to the authors, there's geological evidence of a microcontinent lying under the islands of Reunion and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.

The fragment, called Mauritia, is thought to have previously been connected between what became India and Madagascar.

As the former landmass, which included the Seychelles, split up and drifted apart, Mauritia split off on its own. - More

$1.5 million to Congressional Members Will Not Be Sequestered

2013-02-25 15:11:42

WASHINGTON — As the rest of the federal government government prepares for furloughs, layoffs and sweeping budget cuts caused by the "sequester," the people who could prevent the cuts are the ones whose paychecks are protected: members of Congress.

The 27th Amendment to the constitution — intended to prevent members of Congress from voting themselves a pay raise — also prohibits them from taking a pay cut until after the next election. - More

Israel concerned new Palestinian uprising could erupt

2013-02-25 04:32:24

Israel's homeland security minister voiced concern on Monday that a surge of violent Palestinian protests in the occupied West Bank could erupt into a new Intifada (uprising) if confrontations turned deadly.

A Palestinian's death in an Israeli jail on Saturday and a hunger strike by four other prisoners have raised tension in the West Bank, where stone-throwers have clashed repeatedly with Israeli soldiers in recent days. - More

Netanyahu Rejects Policy Proposal To Turkey

2013-02-25 04:19:42

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly rejected an offer by Defense Minister Ehud Barak to write an apology to Barak’s Turkish counterpart for possible “operational errors” that took place when the IDF raided the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara in May 2010.

The Israeli daily Haaretz, citing unnamed Foreign Ministry sources, reported Sunday that Barak, who has advocated an apology since the incident, came forward with the proposal to try to repair the two countries’ frayed relations after the elections — but that Netanyahu opposed it. - More

Palestinian Authority Warn Obama

2013-02-25 04:16:31

Political and religious leaders in the Palestinian Authority on Sunday stressed that U.S. President Barack Obama should not visit the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem in a way that might compromise what they called its "Muslim sovereignty," AFP reports.

Obama will be arriving in the region in the spring, and PA media has been speculating that he will visit the site of the mosque.

The White House, however, has announced neither the dates of Obama's visit nor its itinerary. - More

Michelle Obama Announces Best Picture

2013-02-25 03:52:15

First lady Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at the Oscars, opening the envelope that contained the name of the best-picture winner, "Argo."

Appearing via streaming video from the White House, Mrs. Obama said all of the nominees demonstrated that "we can overcome any obstacle."

She said that message is "especially important for our young people" and thanked Hollywood for encouraging children "to open their imaginations." - More

Trustee: Penn State should seek refund for report

2013-02-24 20:28:09

A Penn State trustee says a consultant should be asked to return "some or all" of the millions Penn State University paid for an internal investigation into the handling of sexual abuse allegations.

Trustee Anthony Lubrano has been a critic of the $6.5 million report by former FBI director Louis Freeh, which concluded that longtime coach Joe Paterno and three former administrators covered up child sexual abuse allegations against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. - More

KLM to stop its flight operation to Addis Ababa Ethiopia as of next month

2013-02-24 20:12:09

KLM-Air France is going to stop its flight operation to Ethiopia as of next month. KLM has been operating to Addis Ababa from its hub in Amsterdam since 2006.

KLM has been operating three weekly flights between Amsterdam and Addis Ababa with a stop-over in Khartoum.

Mr. Dick Van Nieuwenhuyzen, country manager Ethiopia and Sudan, told The Reporter that the airline decided to stop its operation because of economic reasons. - More

DRC peace deal signed in Ethiopia

2013-02-24 20:07:07

Leaders of 11 African countries and four regional and international organizations on Sunday signed a peace deal which they hope will bring peace to the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes Region.

The singing of the deal, at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, came only two days after the head of the UN mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), Roger Meece, told the UN Security Council that there have been “worrisome security developments”. - More

David Carrasco Carnero Found Dead

2013-02-24 17:44:50

A former mayor and current mayoral candidate in Julimes, a city in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, was shot to death, prosecutors said.

David Carrasco Carnero, who served as mayor of the city from 2004 to 2007, was found dead Friday night under a bridge. - More

Bangladesh: 5 killed, 50 injured

2013-02-24 17:38:31

Bangladesh News Links

Why Are We Naming Winter Storms?

2013-02-24 09:34:10

The creeping acceptance of a mercenary scheme to name winter storms is not among the most important things in the news, or even the weather.

But like an ill wind, it carries an unmistakable whiff of chaos and dissipation.

The system for naming hurricanes and tropical storms was developed over decades to facilitate communications about weather patterns that can endanger large swaths of the planet. - More

Two Pistorius Brothers Will Face A Murder Trial

2013-02-24 09:23:49

Carl Pistorius is charged with culpable homicide after allegedly killing a motorcyclist in a 2008 accident outside of Johannesburg. A local South African news station reported Sunday that Carl Pistorius appeared in court last Thursday, but his trial was delayed until March. Lawyer Kenny Oldwage said in a statement Sunday that "Carl deeply regrets the accident". - More

Se atrasa Setravi en placas vehiculares

2013-02-24 00:52:36

FRIEDMAN: How Mexico Got Back In

2013-02-24 00:41:50

IN India, people ask you about China, and, in China, people ask you about India:

Which country will become the more dominant economic power in the 21st century? I now have the answer:

Mexico. Impossible, you say? Well, yes, Mexico with only about 110 million people could never rival China or India in total economic clout. - More

Parliamentary Vote Approaching in Egypt

2013-02-23 13:47:43

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has announced the first round of election in Cairo to be held 22 April not 27 April.

A spokeman from Morsi said the date was moved due to a complaint by Coptic Christians who said the previous date interferred with the Easter Holiday.

Mohamed Elbaradei said on Twitter, "I called for parliamentary election boycott in 2010 to expose sham democracy. Today I repeat the call, will not be part of an act of deception."

Shadi Taha, a leader of the al-Ghad al-Tawra party, told the AP: The lat thing we need is to enter a new cycle that further polarises and splits the country." - BBC News

Egyptian News Links

7 Cases of H5N1 in Cambodia

2013-02-23 13:36:33

Cambodia is expecting the the worse outbreak of the bird flu virus in years. Cambodia is reporting 7 cases ofthe H5N1 bird flu virus.

A 4 year-old girs in the Angkor Phnom Touch Commune, Angkor Chey districk of the Kampot is the latest victim.

WHO spokeperson, Sonny Krishnan, says they are only able to detect the H5N1 virus when a human is infected. - Xinhua News

Asian News Links

David Tinsley: We don't expect much market impact

2013-02-23 11:12:34

Britain lost its top credit rating by Moody’s Investors Service, which cited weakness in the nation’s growth outlook and challenges to the government’s fiscal consolidation program.

The rating on the U.K. was lowered one level to Aa1 from Aaa and the outlook on the nation’s debt changed to stable from negative, Moody’s said in a statement yesterday.

With the U.K.’s high and rising debt burden, deterioration in the government’s balance sheet is unlikely to be reversed before 2016, Moody’s said in the statement.

“We don’t expect much market impact from the downgrade, it was widely expected,” David Tinsley, an economist at BNP Paribas SA in London, said today in an e-mail. - More

Prince Harry, Girlfriend Cressida Bonas

2013-02-22 14:41:57

Prince Harry's girlfriend, Cressida Bonas may be getting even more serious with the Royal heir to the U.K. throne after it was discovered that the pair will be attending the wedding of her half-sister.

Bonas, the 24-year-old socialite, was also photographed with the prince on the ski slopes.

Prince Harry and his girlfriend had reportedly broken up last year, but this year, they seem to have reconciled, with them planning another public outing together so soon.

The fact that she will be appearing by the Royal's side again so soon could mean that their relationship has progressed. - More

New Government Old Criminality In Mexico

2013-02-21 13:34:21

A police chief in the border city of Nuevo Laredo goes missing after his brothers turn up dead. Early evening explosions in front of a government building in the capital of Tamaulipas state injure three people.

In the state of Durango, the businesses of a mayor’s family are burned days after her home is attacked by gunmen.

As Mexico’s new government continues to fine-tune its public safety plan, distressingly familiar acts of criminality continue unabated, as seen in headlines that have dominated newspapers this week. - More

Bishop TD Jakes: Let It Go!

2013-02-20 14:41:31

T.D. Jakes is the author of "Let It Go: Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven," the second selection for CBS This Morning Reads.

He is the founder and senior pastor of the 30,000-member, Dallas-based church, The Potter's House.

Jakes has been dubbed "America's Best Preacher," by Time magazine and his show, "The Potter's Touch," reaches 67 million households per month.

He has won a Grammy Award, several NAACP Image Awards, and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award. - More

Update: 10,000-Plus Untested Rape Kit Problem

2013-02-15 09:30:01

It's been nearly four years since the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office stepped in and put an end to the Detroit Crime Lab, which had accumulated a stockpile of over 11,000 untested rape kits.

An interview with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy on the topic is set to air tonight at at 10 p.m. on NBC's "Rock Center with Brian Williams." - More

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Charred Remains Is In Fact Christopher Dorner

2013-02-15 09:10:29

Medical examiners have positively identified the body of the renegade former Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner, the man authorities say killed four people and wounded three others in a vendetta against his old comrades.

That announcement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department came two days after a shootout, standoff and fire at a cabin in the mountains east of Los Angeles.

Dorner's remains were identified through dental records during an autopsy, the department said. - More

North Korea tells China of preparations for fresh nuclear test

2013-02-15 08:25:52

North Korea has told its key ally, China, that it is prepared to stage one or even two more nuclear tests this year in an effort to force the United States into diplomatic talks with Pyongyang, said a source with direct knowledge of the message.

Further tests could also be accompanied this year by another rocket launch, said the source who has direct access to the top levels of government in both Beijing and Pyongyang. - More

Capt. James Fanell: Seizure Of Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal Act Of Chinese Aggression

2013-02-10 19:44:11

The Chinese navy is focused on war at sea, regularly intruding on the maritime rights of its neighbors in the East and South China Sea and challenging them under the rules of “what’s mine is mine and we’ll negotiate what’s yours,” a senior US Naval intelligence official said.

“They are taking control of maritime areas that have never been administered or controlled in the last 5,000 years by any regime called China,” said Capt. James Fanell, deputy chief of staff for intelligence and information operations at the US Pacific fleet headquarters in Hawaii. - More

Stephanie Cutter: Romney Lied To The American People

2013-02-10 17:57:23

Either Mitt Romney was lying to the American people or he was possibly committing a felony when he filed his SEC filings during the Winter Olympics in Utah, according to Stephanie Cutter. In a interview with ABC News, where she took on questions from Facebook users, she was asked if she regretted bringing up the specter of a candidate for President of the United States being a felon.

Her answer: Governor Romney was lying to the American people when he said he was not running Bain Capital when the company bankrupted factories and shipped jobs overseas. Romney's service at Bain Capital was one in many negative issues surrounding his failed run for President. Some have alleged his recent low profile is due to the issues surrounding his tax deductions and offshore accounts raised during the campaign.

Boston Globe Blizzard hammers Northeast, nine dead, 700000 lose power

2013-02-09 20:42:28

The mammoth storm that stretched from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic dumped more than 3 feet of snow across the Northeast, the National Weather Service said. Coastal blizzard and flood warnings were in effect, but Massachusetts and Connecticut lifted vehicle travel bans as the storm slowly moved eastward on Saturday evening.

UK Deputy PM to Visit High School in Addis

2013-02-09 20:11:00

United Kingdom Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who has also been Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2007, is to arrive in Addis Abeba on February 14, in time to launch a women's empowerment program at Kokeb Tsebah, a local preparatory high school in the city.

The Women Support Program to be launched on February 15 is supported by the Department for International Development (DfID), with the aim of encouraging females in the Afar and Borena Zones to go to school. - More

Swedish employment office to open in Ethiopia

2013-02-09 20:07:13

The Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) plans to open an office in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in an effort to prepare emigrating Somalis for life in Sweden.

The purpose of the pilot project is to assist Somalis who have received a Swedish residence permit on family reunification grounds but who have not yet arrived in Sweden. - More

Philippine firms show higher degree of optimism than elsewhere in Asia

2013-02-09 20:00:44

Corporate Philippines is riding on a “sky-high” confidence level this year, topping business sentiment elsewhere in Southeast Asia on the back of good local economic prospects, British bank Standard Chartered said.

In a research note issued after conducting a regional road show, the oldest foreign bank in the Philippines said 74.5 percent of its top local clients expected their businesses to do better in 2013 than last year. - More

Malaysia freezes assets of Amalilio

2013-02-09 19:55:30

Malaysian authorities have frozen the assets of Manuel Amalilio but no immediate plans were made to bring him back to the Philippines to face the thousands that he allegedly gypped in a pyramid scam.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima yesterday confirmed that the Malaysian authorities have frozen Amalilio’s assets in their country.

“(It is) one of the positive outcomes of the recent talks (and) engagement with Malaysian authorities, specifically Attorney General Tan Sri Gani Patail,” De Lima said in a text message to The STAR. - More

5 non-editorial employees briefly kidnapped in Mexico

2013-02-09 19:48:57

A newspaper in northern Mexico says five of its non-editorial employees were kidnapped briefly and released hours later.

The Siglo de Torreon said on its Internet site that the abductions reflected the lack of security for newspaper employees in the violence-plagued region around the city of Torreon. - More

Penelope Soto Out Of Jail After Tearful Apology

2013-02-09 08:45:28

What began as a young South Florida woman’s defiant profanity and waving of the middle finger to a judge earlier this week turned into an etiquette lesson Friday — when the tearful woman publicly apologized for her behavior.

Penelope Soto’s flipping the bird at Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat on Monday had landed her a 30-day jail sentence for contempt of court, and it drew national headlines as a video of it went viral online. - More

Rep. Dan Winslow has decided to run

2013-02-07 18:25:00

Massachusetts state Rep. Dan Winslow (R) has decided to run for the Senate in Massachusetts, he said Thursday.

He’s the first Republican to officially throw his hat in the ring. “I’m going to be 100 percent running for the U.S. Senate,” Winslow, a former aide to then-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, told the Boston Globe.

“This is a heavy lift. I’m going to give this race everything I’ve got.” Winslow’s decision is not a surprise.

He announced earlier this week that he was forming an exploratory committee. - More

Massachusetts News Links >>

Officers set barricade at Christopher Dorner shooting scene

2013-02-07 12:04:10

Thousands of police are hunting for a former LAPD officer apparently angry over his firing who has warned he would wage "warfare" on those who wronged him and who is now suspected of three murders.

Authorities issued a statewide "officer safety warning," and police were sent to protect people named in a rambling and threatening Facebook post believed to have beenwritten by the fired officer, Christopher Dorner, who reportedly has military training. - More

Girl, 9, gives birth to baby in Mexico

2013-02-06 14:03:17

A 9-year-old girl gave birth to a healthy baby daughter of her own in the west of Mexico last month, it has been reported.

The baby weighed just under six pounds when it was born in Zoquipan Hospital, in the state of Jalisco, on Jan. 27.

Police are now hunting the reported father of the baby, believed to be 17 years old, after he went on the run. - More

Kwame Kilpatrick: I am choosing not to testify

2013-02-06 09:47:24

Exactly five months to the day, both sides in Kwame Kilpatrick's public corruption trial rested their cases today.

And in non-Kilpatrick fashion, the ex-Detroit mayor chose to remain silent.

"I am choosing not to testify," Kilpatrick said to U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds, assuring her that he had "thoroughly" discussed the matter with his attorney. - More

China: North Korea would 'pay a heavy price'

2013-02-06 09:34:07

It remains unclear just when, if ever, North Korea will attempt its controversial third nuclear test, but there are growing signs that the reclusive nation's biggest political ally is growing weary of its behavior.

A strongly worded editorial in China's state-run Global Times newspaper Wednesday called on Beijing to get tough with Pyongyang if it conducts a nuclear test. - More

Donald Trump Files Suit Against Bill Maher

2013-02-05 15:49:49

The question for Donald Trump is has he proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he is not a member of the Bornean Orangutan species.

On Monday Trump filed suit in a Los Angeles court against Bill Maher for offering 5 million dollars if Trump could prove that he was not the offspring of a relationship between his mother and an Orangutan. - More

High School Head Football Coach Bob Grisham Suspended

2013-02-05 14:00:31

Lauderdale County High School head football coach Bob Grisham has been suspended for 10 days without pay for making anti-gay comments and derogatory comments about first lady Michelle Obama during a class last week.

School board members spent less than 30 minutes in executive session before making the announcement. In addition to the suspension, which begins today, Grisham cannot teach his fifth period psychology class for the remainder of the school year. - More

Buckingham Palace: Police taser man who was holding knife to his throat

2013-02-04 11:45:57

An officer discharged the weapon when the man, thought to be in his 50s, acted aggressively when challenged outside the centre gates at 11:50 GMT.

The Metropolitan Police said he had been arrested on suspicion of affray.

Two knives and a pair of trainers were left inside a police cordon set up around the area.

The Queen and Prince Philip were at Sandringham at the time. - More

King Richard III Remains Found

2013-02-04 07:30:47

Experts from the University of Leicester said DNA from the bones matched that of descendants of the monarch's family.

Lead archaeologist Richard Buckley, from the University of Leicester, told a press conference to applause: "Beyond reasonable doubt it's Richard."

Richard, killed in battle in 1485, will be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral. - More

Tragedy Of Hadiyah Pendleton's Slaying

2013-01-31 07:15:39

Hadiyah Pendleton's slaying is the sad tragedy of what is happening in the streets of Chicago and in major metropolitan areas around the United States.

She performed during President Barack Obama's inaugural events as a child enjoying her teenage years and on Tuesday her joy was stripped from her in only seconds as her friends looked on. - More

Hillary Clinton Will NOT Be In It For 2016

2013-01-29 20:02:31

The young Senator from Illinois had no business bucking his party's hierarchy to run for President in 2008.

By the time the campaign reached New Hampshire Hillary Rodham Clinton was exhausted into a pity party about the struggles of the campaign.

Clinton's campaign staff of political heavy weights was out matched against a young energetic group of nobodies on the national stage.

Former President Bill Clinton was infuriated and even called the young Senator Barack Obama's campaign "the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen" on Obama biggest selling point; he opposed the Iraq war. - More

Bucknell University inflated SAT scores for incoming freshmen

2013-01-28 18:50:36

Bucknell University has disclosed that for several years it reported inflated SAT scores for incoming freshmen, making the private Pennsylvania liberal arts school the latest school to acknowledge providing faulty data to analysts who rank colleges.

The disclosure, reported over the weekend by the Web site Inside Higher Ed, follows similar admissions in the past year at Claremont McKenna College and Emory, George Washington and Tulane universities. In each case, at least some data the institutions submitted to U.S. News & World Report for annual rankings turned out to be in error. - More

Rush Limbaugh Responds to President Obama

2013-01-28 15:47:31

President Barack Obama:

"Well, look, I’ve always believed that there are a bunch of Republicans of goodwill who would rather get something done than suffer through the sort of nasty atmosphere that prevails in Washington right now. It’s not a fun time to be a member of Congress," he said when asked if there were "any forces or people" in the GOP with whom he has established a working relationship. "And I think if you talk privately to Democrats and Republicans, particularly those who have been around for a while, they long for the days when they could socialize and introduce bipartisan legislation and feel productive. So I don't think the issue is whether or not there are people of goodwill in either party that want to get something done. I think what we really have to do is change some of the incentive structures so that people feel liberated to pursue some common ground,"

Then Radio Talk show Host Rush Limbaugh responded:

“Obama said to The New Republic he’d get a lot more done without Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. The rest of the media’s in the tank. Everybody else has fallen in line. There is no opposition other than Fox News and Limbaugh. The way it works, and what this all boils down to: the Republicans, everybody knows they want to get along with Democrats. Everybody knows they want to socialize. They want their lives to have meaning, but Limbaugh is the one standing in the way ’cause what happens? The Republicans are simply afraid that I’m gonna criticize them if they do something that is cooperative with the Democrats. And so that’s a problem.”

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick

2013-01-28 06:53:55

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been released from a city lockup where he spent the weekend for violating parole in the 2008 criminal conviction that booted him from office. Kilpatrick left the Michigan Corrections Department facility in Detroit Monday morning. He had been locked up there since Friday afternoon. - More

Is Romney's Tax Issues A Concern Anymore?

2013-01-25 06:18:58

Mitt Romney was never really convincing as a candidate. At times Ann Romney came across as more determined to lead the troops to battle. You can't be surprised by Mitt's son Tagg's

comments that, "[Romney] wanted to be president less than anyone I've met in my life." Was there ever a burning desire to be the leader of the free world? After finally achieving the task of

winning his party's nomination, he was thrust into the task of convincing his party of his conservative bona fides and then finally trying to convince ordinary Americans that he was not the

person Obama's campaign very craftily introduced him to the nation as. - More

Supreme Court orders release of Florence Cassez

2013-01-23 20:10:04

In a surprising climax to a case that has strained Franco-Mexican relations for years, Mexico's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the immediate release of Florence Cassez,

a young French woman serving a 60-year sentence for her involvement with a Mexican kidnapping ring. - More

President Morsi Warns: Beware the Jewish Controlled Media!

2013-01-23 19:59:32

President Mohamed "pigs and apes" Morsy is now warning visiting U.S. senators to beware the Jews who control U.S. media, according to a report by Josh Rogin of The Cable blog.

A group of seven senators led by John McCain met with President Morsy last week. - More

Likud Beytenu will invite all the Zionist parties

2013-01-22 15:38:57

Likud Beytenu will invite all the Zionist parties to join the coalition, Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar said Tuesday night following the release of Channel 1, 10 and 1's exit polls.

"Binyamin Netanyahu will be the next prime minister," Sa'ar affirmed, saying that he was the only one capable of forming a government. - More

Tavis Smiley and Vengeful Rage

2013-01-20 13:34:33

Tavis Smiley will forever be smitten with anger about Obama's meteoric rise on the world stage. On this joyous occasion where many Americans celebrate Obama second inauguration as a true testament that we've come a long way in America, Tavis goes through great lengths in his piece to attack.

Recently he wrote one the Sunday Morning CBS Show:

And while I can appreciate the president's fascination with King's legacy of unarmed truth and unconditional love, I'm feeling some sort of way about King being used symbolically for public pomp and circumstance, but disregarded substantively when it comes to public policy.

Mr. Smiley we're still feeling the impact of Lincoln's presidency hundreds of years later. Two presidential terms in office will not do Obama's Presidency justice. I reckon it will take many years to analyze Obama Administrations impact. It is hard for me to believe you don't understand the political capital expended in Obama's first term for the Affordable Care Act. Obama has affirmatively ended long standing policies on immigration and gay rights.

Tavis wrote:

In the spirit of MLK, President Obama should rethink the random use of his favorite weapon - the unmanned aerial vehicle, better known as "drones," which have killed too many innocent women and children.

I suppose you and other opponents will use the administrations usage of aerial drones as being callous and reckless against human life. On the other hand when you consider the targets and the fact that he championed a draw-down of both wars before it was politically expedient to do so, you should realize the larger aim is to save lives and protect our homeland.

On this historic occasion even Fox News and staunch conservatives have buried their hatchet, but the fact that you have used the occasion to attack is very telling since Obama's entire campaign was about the poor and middle class in America. He has championed the cause of the 47% and all Americans.

If former Governor Mitt Romney was being sworn in today how would you have written your article? I can't help but think you'd be great spirits right about now. If it was your decision on who would be the next President wouldn't you have chosen Governor Romney?

David Kaufman: Obama Should Talk About Being Biracial

2013-01-20 05:26:23

David Kaufman comes up with a novel topic in his Daily Beast Post: "Obama Should Talk About Being Biracial". I read it and come away even more

perplexed about the topics raised in the piece. In truth we all know extensively about Obama's Kansan roots and his biological linkage to former Presidents

and Vice Presidents. We all know that he was raised by his grandparents and his father was a prolific leader in Kenya's post colonial era.

So isn't Obama's mixed-race heritage implicit in his widely read auto-biography that catapulted him on the world stage? One of the

more fascinating stories in my mind is that of the First Lady's; it contains the treasure that we've ignored for some time now. It also delves

into the evolution of our mixed-race culture. Why do 80% of Afro-Americans in the US have some form of Anglo DNA running in their blood streams?

Obama has rightly shied away from those looking to his mixed-race heritage as an exotic entree that serves no real purpose if we're simply talking alone.

If we're trying to solve some of the complexities surrounding our penal and educational systems in America; a discussion that leads to more action, then

it might be worthwhile ...I don't know.

Full Article in the Daily Beast: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/01/20/obama-should-talk-about-being-biracial.html

Justice Hathaway Charged

2013-01-19 17:24:43

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway has been charged with bank fraud just a few days before quitting the state’s highest court. The charge was filed Friday and titled as a criminal “information,” which means a guilty plea is expected in federal court. - More

Vice President Nicolas Maduro Assurance

2013-01-18 19:15:43

Vice President Nicolas Maduro assured fellow Venezuelans that the government was prepared to hold a presidential election within 30 days if ailing President Hugo

Chavez is forced to resign, and that a Chavista candidate backed by "revolutionary force" would win overwhelmingly. - More

UPDATE: Congressional Retardation on the debt ceiling debate

2013-01-18 18:51:43

The Wall Street Journal Reports the House GOP is seeking to extend the debt limit debate another three months to avoid a market calamity due to inaction:

House Republican leaders Friday proposed extending the federal debt limit by three months, marking a significant shift in GOP strategy that could reduce the

market-rattling risk of the U.S. running out of cash to pay its bills. The GOP proposal, which is expected to go before the House next week, includes a requirement

that the House and Senate pass formal budgets by mid-April, but it does not include specific spending cuts. - More

VIDEO: James Hood Died; Defied Segregation at U. of Ala.

2013-01-18 18:41:57

One of the first black students who enrolled at the University of Alabama a half century ago in defiance of racial segregation has died. James Hood of Gadsden was 70.

Officials at Adams-Buggs Funeral Home in Gadsden said they are handling arrangements for Hood, who died Thursday. - More

Hamburgers pulled from UK supermarket shelves after tests reveal horse meat

2013-01-16 09:40:06

The idea of eating horse meat has been described as the “last taboo” of English cooking. So one of Britain's leading supermarkets, Tesco, was doubtless horrified at

having to post a statement saying that horse DNA had been found in hamburgers on sale in the U.K. and Ireland. - More

Obama's Half-Brother Runs for Governor in Kenya

2013-01-15 11:45:40

Malik Obama, 54, US President Barack Obama's older half-brother, is running to become governor of Siaya, a county in western Kenya, as

an independent candidate. Malik Obama, who shares the same father as the US president, said he will use his relationship with his half-brother

to address issues such as poverty and unemployment. Siaya is home to 842,000 people and has a 35.3% poverty rate.

Philippines Flu alert

2013-01-15 11:36:45

Despite the end of the annual influenza season in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) said the public must

continue its vigilance over the easily spreadable disease. In an advisory, DOH Secretary Enrique Ona said the public must continue

to watch out for fever with sore throat or cough, which are the identified common signs and symptoms of influenza. - More

Mali Conflict Update

2013-01-15 11:25:14

Wal-Mart to hire 100,000 veterans

2013-01-15 11:18:43

More than 100,000 people are expected to find work through the program, making it one of the largest hiring commitments for veterans on record, the nation's largest retailer said. - More

Oprah: "It was surprising to me..."

2013-01-15 11:01:12

Watch Oprah Winfrey talk about her interview with Lance Armstrong, courtesy of CBS This Morning Continue reading the main story Related Stories Armstrong on Oprah:

Potential fallout How US Postal 'got away with it' Report damns 'cheating' Armstrong Talk show host Oprah Winfrey has said Lance Armstrong "did not come clean in the way

I expected" about claims he used performance-enhancing drugs. - More

Mali Offensive

2013-01-15 07:24:52

DESPITE intensive airstrikes by French warplanes, Islamist fighters overran a strategic village and military post in central Mali on Monday,

providing an early setback for the French campaign to stop extremists from carving out a jihadist state in the nation's north. - More

Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained' screenplay is a Golden Globe winner

2013-01-13 20:12:12

Maverick filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was a surprise screenplay winner for “Django Unchained,” his controversial spaghetti Western set during the slavery era, beating out

such favorites as the writers of “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Lincoln,” “Argo,” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” - More

Rep. Blackburn hits Obama on diversity

2013-01-13 19:51:00

Marcos Castellanos Police Calls It Quits

2013-01-13 17:47:38

The majority of the police force in the Mexican town of Marcos Castellanos resigned on Saturday, after a series of attacks targetted their force during the last days of 2012. The violence killed four of the force's officers and seriously injured five others, according to Digital Journal. - More

Mother gives birth to sextuplets in Mexico

2013-01-13 17:44:04

Salud Romero Ruiz, 31, from Michoacan, added four girls and two boys to her family after complications forced doctors to perform a Caesarean section at 27 weeks. The babies,

who weigh as little as 590g (1lb 5oz), are in intensive care in the central city of Morelia, due to their ‘delicate’ health. - More

Imani Green: Culture of Violence in Jamaica

2013-01-13 17:28:52

Owen Ellington, the commissioner of the Jamaica constabulary, has worked to increase public confidence in his officers and promised to crack down on crime and corruption, but still the island is plagued by violence. - More

Ex Wives And Mistresses of Chavez

2013-01-12 13:58:16

Those who know him report that President Hugo Chavez is a Don Juan. In 2007 almost all the national and international press published a romance between President

Chavez and British Supermodel Naomi Campbell as a fact. He loves women and apparently, women love him back. Wherever he goes for his public appearances, women

of all ages flock to him, hoping to get a hug or a kiss. Chavez loves to be the center of the scene but particularly when it comes to women. - More

VIDEO: Rebels control airbase in Syria

2013-01-12 13:02:53

Spears Wants Fiance Jason Trawick Fired

2013-01-12 00:13:34

Kurdish women shot in the head in Paris

2013-01-10 05:49:18

VIDEO: Iran's Prisoners Being Released

2013-01-10 03:39:22

PHOTO: Bey flaunts her curves on GQ

2013-01-10 03:22:53

Beyonce is back and better than ever! The superstar singer flaunts her killer curves on the cover of the upcoming February issue of GQ magazine, which hits newsstands on Jan. 15.

Wearing only a pair of red leopard-print underwear and a cropped T-shirt, Beyonce accessorizes her sexy appearance with nothing else but some gold jewelry and a come-hither look. - More

White House: Piers Morgan can stay in the US

2013-01-10 02:47:43

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney responded to a petition to deport CNN Talk Show Host Piers Morgan back to Great Britain that received over

100,000 signatures (far more than the 25,000 needed) on the WhiteHouse.gov website:

Americans may disagree on matters of public policy and express those disagreements vigorously, but no one should be punished by the government simply because he or she expressed a view on the Second Amendment—or any other matter of public concern.

We recognize that the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, sparked an intense, and at times emotional, national conversation about the steps we can take as a country to reduce gun violence. In fact, your petition is one of many on the issue, and President Obama personally responded by sharing his views on this important issue.

2 men imprisoned for 'looking gay'

2013-01-09 20:18:39

A Cameroon appeals court has acquitted two men found guilty of homosexuality because they wore women's clothes and ordered Bailey's Irish Cream, according to rights groups. - More

Easy Steps to Follow, Katherine Webb Images http://enewsreference.com/images/katherinewebb01092013.jpg

2013-01-09 07:11:27

A day after ESPN cameras lingered on her, announcers piled on compliments and at least one pro athlete made an online pass at her,

Twitter was still abuzz Tuesday about former Miss Alabama Katherine Webb, who is dating Crimson Tide championship

quarterback AJ McCarron. - More

Katherine Webb Images

Michelle Bachman and anti-Muslim violence

2013-01-09 06:27:08

There has been a sudden uptick in the number of violent hate crimes where the victims are thought to be Muslim or "Middle Eastern". Sunando Sen, a Hindu man originally from India,

was shoved in front of an oncoming subway train in New York City, where he died. - More

What will Lance Armstrong say to Oprah?

2013-01-09 06:11:37

US cyclist Lance Armstrong will be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey next week, it has been confirmed. It is thought Armstrong will publicly admit to doping, following the controversy

of him being stripped of all seven Tour de France titles by the sport’s governing body in August 2012, after a report from the US Anti-Doping Agency. - More

Peaked Mistrust Between Japanese, Chinese in Diaoyu/Senkaku Island Dispute

2013-01-09 06:06:48

While the relationship between the governments of China and Japan is increasingly frosty over the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, the chill is also being felt among ordinary citizens, according to a recent survey. - More

China News References

Japan News References

Karzai: Afghan Forces will be ready

2013-01-09 06:02:54

Afghanistan News References

Hugo Chavez's Parting Words

2013-01-07 18:26:42

A Venezuelan government statement Thursday said that President Hugo Chavez, who has been secreted inside a Cuban hospital since undergoing surgery on Dec. 11, was facing

"complications" from "a severe lung infection." As has been the case throughout his nearly two-year bout with cancer, details of the strongman's condition, treatment and prognosis

are unavailable. - More

John Brennan's Drone Campaign

2013-01-07 18:21:56

Protesters in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdon province

2013-01-07 06:56:31

Scores of Chinese protesters have demonstrated outside of one of the country's most outspoken newspapers to speak out against government censorship. The protesters

in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdon province, called Monday for the resignation of the provincial propaganda chief after censors on Thursday blocked a New Year's

article in the influential Southern Weekly newspaper. - More

UPDATE: India Rape Case

2013-01-07 06:01:00

Syrian News Links http://www.enewsreference.com/newspaper/syria.htm #syria #mar15

2013-01-06 08:59:57

Please update our Syrian News Section with the latest news and updates for Syria: http://www.enewsreference.com/newspaper/syria.htm

Obama wont deal with Congressional Retardation over Debt Ceiling

2013-01-05 21:07:57

Fatah rally

2013-01-04 12:02:00

Hundreds of thousands of Fatah members held a rally to celebrate "Fatah Day," marking 48 years since the organisation was founded.

Joe steals the show

2013-01-04 11:48:56

“Look at those eyes. You’ve got beautiful eyes,” he told the mother of Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer. Not even the men were off limits.

A well-built male guest of incoming Sen. Tim Scott also got an admiring once-over from Biden. “If you need any help on your pecs, let me know,” he said.

“Look at that guy. He’s still working out.” - More

Amy Kremer: ...House controls the purse strings

2013-01-04 03:40:11

"We elected the House of Representatives - we have the majority, the Republicans have the majority there. We still control part of the government and the House controls the purse strings," Kremer said on CNN. - More

Kim Kardashian's Baby Announcement and Ray J

2013-01-03 15:51:21

Speeding Kanye

2013-01-03 15:44:00

Kanye West may want to heed the advice he offers on one of his records: Drive slow. West Hollywood police stopped the rapper and dad-to-be late Wednesday night outside the posh Chateau Marmont for allegedly speeding and having tinted windows. - More

Pennsylvania to sue NCAA over Penn State sanctions

2013-01-01 22:41:00

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is to announce Wednesday plans to sue the NCAA over its sanctions against Penn State University, hit with an unprecedented fine

in the wake of the child sex abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. - More

Obama heads back to Hawaii

2013-01-01 22:37:41

With the fiscal cliff averted, President Barack Obama is getting ready to leave Washington and return to Hawaii. The President spent five days of vacation with his family in

Hawaii before returning to the White House last Thursday to meet with congressional leaders in fiscal cliff negotiations. - More

Comparisons made with Django Unchaineds Villainous House Negro To Black Republicans

2012-12-31 14:15:32

In his official review of Quentin Tarantino‘s box office smash Django Unchained, Boston Globe film critic Wesley Morris likens the movie’s villainous “house Negro”

to black Republicans like Justice Clarence Thomas or former RNC Chairman Michael Steele. The positive review largely took note of the film’s successful twisting of the

Spaghetti Western genre to fit a Civil War rebellion story, with special praise for Tarantino’s script and the actors who filled the screen. - More

Woman jailed for cursing in Berrien County Clerks Office

2012-12-31 09:25:12

If you're ever at the Berrien County Courthouse in Niles, you may want to watch your language. One woman's cursing landed her in jail for contempt of court -- even though she wasn't in a courtroom. - More

Mayan calendar fuels jokes, shrugs among apocalypse skeptics

2012-12-16 12:19:23

Customers at Quincy's Washington Perk don't seem too worried that the world will end on Dec. 21 when the Mayan calendar runs out.

"I asked a few people what they thought and all I got was a lot of shaking of the head and a lot of people saying they don't believe in it," said owner Kim Pickle. - More

Connecticut shooting- Newtown police try to establish motive

2012-12-16 12:12:06

Shivers triplets Deshawn Devon and Juronn

2012-12-12 16:47:41

Family reunions can make for enjoyable get-togethers, but not the one the Shivers triplets may soon be having: The three brothers are all in jail in Michigan.

Two of the 21-year-old brothers – Deshawn and Juronn – were recently convicted of unarmed robbery by a jury in Saginaw County, Mich.,

after an incident in Buena Vista Township, Mich. - More

Kristina Shevchenko Also Survived Deadly August Crash

2012-12-12 16:43:05

A teenage girl was shot in the torso and survived the Oregon mall shooting, marking the second time she escaped death in recent months.

Kristina Shevchenko, 15, also survived a deadly head-on car accident in August. - More

Sarah Palin's Son Track Divorcing Wife Britta Hanson After 18 Months of Marriage

2012-12-12 16:15:56

The Palin family's oldest son married nursing student Hanson in Hatcher Pass, Alaska, with both sets of parents present at their ceremony. "Our families couldn't be happier!" the Palin and Hanson families told Us Weekly in a joint statement at the time. - More

First Family will see performance by Korean rapper PSY

2012-12-09 20:59:20

President Barack Obama is going 'Gangnam Style' for Christmas. The First Family will attend Sunday night's taping of the annual "Christmas in Washington"

television special with a performance by Korean rapper PSY, who apologized Friday for anti-American lyrics he performed in 2004. - More

No Timeline for Ex-President Bush Leaving Hospital

2012-12-09 19:26:49

Former President George H.W. Bush remains in stable condition more than two weeks after entering a Houston hospital for treatment of a bronchitis-related cough. - More

Province donates $100,000 for relief efforts in Philippines

2012-12-09 19:18:48

Premier Greg Selinger announced the Province of Manitoba will offer $100,000 worth of relief funding for those affected by Typhoon Bopha in The Philippines.

The money was donated Sunday to the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation in response to the tragedy.

The storm is responsible for at least 500 deaths in the southern Philippines. - More

Chavez to have more cancer surgery, names successor Nicolas Maduro

2012-12-09 17:59:56

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returns to Cuba on Sunday for more surgery after a recurrence of cancer led him to name a successor for the first time in case

the disease ends his 14-year dominance of the OPEC nation. Throngs of shocked supporters gathered in squares across the South American country to pray

for and show solidarity with the 58-year-old socialist leader, who was re-elected as president in October. - More

Affirmative Action could be gone

2012-12-09 17:55:10

The Supreme Court ruled in 2003 that universities can consider race as a factor, if the goal is to achieve diversity.

But in that case, former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor famously wrote that within 25 years, race-based affirmative action would become obsolete.

But affirmative action could disappear sooner than that. - More

Corporate profits hit all-time high as wages drop to record low

2012-12-04 06:19:25

At $1.75 trillion, U.S. corporate profits hit an all-time high in the third quarter, accounting for 11.1 percent of the country’s GDP.

The profit jump, revealed by revised GDP numbers from the U.S. Department of Commerce for the period from July-September 2012, marks an

18.6 percent increase from the same time last year. - More

Sheriff office overlooked fool-proof suffocation methods Google search at Caylee Anthony home day she was last seen alive

2012-11-25 19:59:26

The Florida sheriff's office that investigated Caylee Anthony's death says it overlooked a computer search for suffocation made from the little girl's home on the day she was last seen alive.

Orange County sheriff's Capt. Angelo Nieves said Sunday that the office's computer investigator missed a June 16, 2008, Google search for fool-proof suffocation methods. - More

Melissa Harris-Perry Criticizes Obama On Clemency

2012-11-25 16:01:52

Melissa Harris-Perry criticized Obama on her Saturday MSNBC show by discussing his pardon of Cobbler the turkey for Thanksgiving. In her signature "Open Letter" segment, Harris-Perry penned her first note to a non-human—Cobbler. - More

Media obsessed over Chris Brown shirtless in bed PHOTO

2012-11-25 15:48:04

The sultry singer, who continues to deny that she and ex Chris Brown have recently rekindled their romance, tweeted a photo of the shirtless singer face down in an unmade bed Saturday, captioning the photo: “Dis n---a … @BartObsessed.” - More

Ethiopian Renaissance Dam--Will Fears Turn South?

2012-11-25 15:39:08

The African Research and Studies Centre at the International University of Africa held a forum last week titled "Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Its Effects on Egypt and Sudan." - More

Experts Join Forces in Addis Ababa

2012-11-10 04:39:30

A groundbreaking meeting in the Ethiopian capital this week has strengthened efforts to scale up nutrition initiatives

under the Renewed Efforts Against Child Hunger and Undernutrition initiative, known as REACH.

It has been the largest-scale gathering of the REACH partnership since the initiative was established in 2008. It brought together

technical experts and officials from four UN agencies in all 12 countries where the REACH approach is being followed, as well as from the host country, Ethiopia. - More

GOP sent mixed messages, Condoleezza Rice

2012-11-10 04:25:53

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that the Republican Party sent “mixed messages” on issues like women and immigration that contributed to Mitt Romney’s loss to President Barack Obama. - More

“But when you look at the composition of the electorate, clearly, we are losing important segments of that electorate and what we have to do is to appeal to those people not as identity groups but understanding that if you can get the identity issue out of the way, then you can appeal on the broader issues that all Americans share a concern for.” - Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

4,000 archaeological artifacts looted from Mexico returned

2012-10-27 07:06:04

More than 4,000 archaeological artifacts looted from Mexico and seized in the U.S. have been returned to Mexican authorities in what experts say is one of the largest such repatriations between the countries. - More

Charles Barkley Talks Jordan, Tiger Woods

2012-10-27 06:52:11

Charles Barkley is easily a sports columnist's best friend. Sometimes brash and often borderline understandable in his rambles, Barkley takes the phrase 'keeping it real' to a new level. - More

Donald Trump

2012-10-24 18:35:51

I take a slightly different view of Donald Trump’s quixotic one-man war against President Obama than my colleague, Zerlina Maxwell. She’s right, of course, that from day one, Obama’s legitimacy “has been constantly questioned since he was elected” — and it says something clearly very sad about a great many of Obama’s critics that instead of making a genuine case against the President, they’ve fallen back on the fundamentally un-conservative approach of attacking the man’s background, rather than his record. - More

President Obama turns to first lady for help

2012-10-24 16:56:03

As the music of Stevie Wonder pulsated through Racine Memorial Hall, Michelle Obama bounded onto the stage.

"You know what this room feels like? It feels like four more years in here!" the first lady exclaimed as the crowd of 2,500 roared its approval.

The audience, including some who had waited overnight to see her, thundered again after Mrs. Obama noted that Racine is just 80 miles north of her hometown. - More

Somalia: Kenya Increases Security Measures After Militants Issue Threats

2012-09-22 18:48:41

Kenyan security officials have asked citizens to be on alert for possible terrorist attacks after the al-Shabaab-affiliated Muslim Youth Centre (MYC) vowed to retaliate when allied forces

liberated Kismayo. "The time of public warnings via Twitter or other social media is now a thing of the past," MYC said in a press statement.

"MYC inKenyaand our mujahideen brothers in the region are preparing for any eventualities that may transpire in Kismayo,

and with the grace of Allah respond accordingly and decisively." - More

PAC Restore Our Future drops in fundraising for August

2012-09-20 22:00:02

The pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future raised just a bit more than $7 million in August,

less than it raised in July and a big drop from June, when it brought in a record $20.7 million. - More

Wealth Redistribution: Richest 400 Americans' net worth jumps 13 percent to $1.7 trillion

2012-09-20 04:30:52

The net worth of the richest Americans grew by 13 percent in the past year to $1.7 trillion, Forbes magazine said on Wednesday, and a familiar cast of characters once again

populated the top of the magazine's annual list of the U.S. uber-elite, including Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Larry Ellison and the Koch brothers. - More

Philippine media groups say new cybercrime law threatens press freedom

2012-09-20 04:24:33

Philippine media groups said Tuesday a new law targeting cybercrime could also be used to curb press freedom.

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines also criticized the government for passing

the law while delaying a proposed freedom of information act. - More

Poll: Obama leads in swing states

2012-09-20 03:43:51

President Obama holds a narrow lead over Mitt Romney in the key swing states of Virginia, Wisconsin and Colorado, according to a new Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times survey. - More

Romney trashes the two state solution

2012-09-18 03:52:05

Romney spoke of "the Palestinians" as a united bloc of one mindset, and he said:

"I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes, committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel, and these thorny issues,

and I say there's just no way." - More

Google Will Not Comply with Government

2012-09-15 07:45:21

On Friday, Google said that it would not comply with a request from the White House to reconsider the anti-Islam video that has sparked violent protests throughout the

Arab world in light of its rules that ban hate speech on YouTube, which the search giant owns.

Google noted that it had already determined that the video did not violate its terms of service in regards to hate speech,

because it was against the Muslim religion but not Muslim people. - More

Taliban Attack on Prince

2012-09-15 03:48:20

A Taliban commander has said that Britains Prince Harry was the main focus of an attack on Camp Bastion in the southern Helmand province on Friday.

The camp was attacked with rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.

The Taliban have said that they would do everything in their power to either kidnap or kill the Prince. - More

Duchess turmoil

2012-09-15 03:38:02

Instead, the fourth day of the couple’s visit to the Far East became one they will not easily be able to forget,

after the Duchess became the victim of a “grotesque” breach of privacy that made the Duke think of his mother being pursued to her death by paparazzi. - More

Topless Photos: Invasion of Privacy?

2012-09-15 03:25:24

Ryan's Spending Measure

2012-09-15 03:19:32

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., returned to the chamber Thursday for the first time since he became the GOP vice presidential candidate, casting his vote for a measure that raised spending above the levels in his own budget. Republicans hailed him, while Democrats released a video highlighting his proposal to overhaul Medicare as a fixed subsidy program. - More

Matthew Dowd: Paul Ryan...so stretched the truth

2012-09-04 06:36:38

DOWD: Paul Ryan, what he did in his speech, I think so stretched the truth.

And I like Paul Ryan, have a lot of great respect for Paul Ryan, but the elements that he said about closing the GM plant which closed before Barack Obama took President [sic], about the Simpson-Bowles bill which he opposed and then all of a sudden he faults Barack Obama for.

At some point, the truth should matter…He was trying to convey that Barack Obama was responsible for the closing of that GM plant and that isn’t true.

What you should know today...

2012-09-04 06:24:38

As reported on NPR.com, a list of major news events that you should know about taking place today:

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today (times EDT):

1. MICHELLE OBAMA WOULD LIKE TO RE-INTRODUCE YOU TO HER HUSBAND

The first lady addresses the Democratic convention in prime time, aiming to draw a clear contrast between the president and his GOP challenger.

2. TEXAS MAYOR READY FOR HIS CLOSE-UP, TOO

Julian Castro will be the first Latino keynote speaker ever at the Democratic gathering.

3. A KELLY RIPA'S NEW SIDEKICK IS MICHAEL STRAHAN

The former NFL star replaces Regis Philbin on "Live!"

4. MOON'S DEATH COULD EXPOSE FAMILY RIFTS

The Unification Church patriarch's children were groomed to lead his movement and businesses — but feuds could bring down the empire.

5. VOYAGER MARKS 35 YEARS OF SAILING THE HEAVENS

The spacecraft and its twin are now the longest-operating in history and the most distant, at billions of miles from Earth.

6. HOW A LOT OF US SPENT LABOR DAY

Talking politics, of course. The holiday marks when much of the public starts to pay attention to the campaigns.

Egypt President Orders SCAF Chief to Resign

2012-08-12 09:42:20

Egypt President Mohamed Morsi ordered on Sunday, August 12, two top generals to retire, including Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi who led the nation after Hosni Mubarak was ousted,

with no explanation given to the decision. President Mohamed Morsi also canceled a constitutional declaration aiming to limit presidential powers which the ruling

army council issued in June as the election that brought Mursi to power drew to a close. - More

President Obama's Iftar statement

2012-08-11 17:32:51

The following is the President Obama's remarks at this years Iftar dinner:

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Please, please have a seat. Good evening, everyone. And welcome to the White House.

Of all the freedoms we cherish as Americans, of all the rights that we hold sacred, foremost among them is freedom of religion, the right to worship as we choose. It’s enshrined in the First Amendment of our Constitution -- the law of the land, always and forever. It beats in our heart -- in the soul of the people who know that our liberty and our equality is endowed by our Creator. And it runs through the history of this house, a place where Americans of many faiths can come together and celebrate their holiest of days -- and that includes Ramadan.

As I’ve noted before, Thomas Jefferson once held a sunset dinner here with an envoy from Tunisia -- perhaps the first Iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago. And some of you, as you arrived tonight, may have seen our special display, courtesy of our friends at the Library of Congress -- the Koran that belonged to Thomas Jefferson. And that's a reminder, along with the generations of patriotic Muslims in America, that Islam -- like so many faiths -- is part of our national story.

This evening, we’re honored to be joined by members of our diplomatic corps, members of Congress -- including Muslim American members of Congress, Keith Ellison and Andre Carson -- as well as leaders from across my administration. And to you, the millions of Muslim Americans across our country, and to the more than one billion Muslims around the world -- Ramadan Kareem.

Now, every faith is unique. And yet, during Ramadan, we see the traditions that are shared by many faiths: Believers engaged in prayer and fasting, in humble devotion to God. Families gathering together with love for each other. Neighbors reaching out in compassion and charity, to serve the less fortunate. People of different faiths coming together, mindful of our obligations to one another -- to peace, justice and dignity for all people -- men and women. Indeed, you know that the Koran teaches, "Be it man or woman, each of you is equal to the other."
And by the way, we’ve seen this in recent days. In fact, the Olympics is being called "The Year of the Woman." (Laughter.) Here in America, we’re incredibly proud of Team USA -- all of them -- but we should notice that a majority of the members are women. Also, for the very first time in Olympic history, every team now includes a woman athlete. And one of the reasons is that every team from a Muslim-majority country now includes women as well. And more broadly -- that's worth applauding. (Applause.) Absolutely.

More broadly, we’ve seen the extraordinary courage of Muslim women during the Arab Spring -- women, right alongside men, taking to the streets to claim their universal rights, marching for their freedom, blogging and tweeting and posting videos, determined to be heard. In some cases, facing down tanks, and braving bullets, enduring detentions and unspeakable treatment, and at times, giving their very lives for the freedom that they seek -- the liberty that we are lucky enough to enjoy here tonight.

These women have inspired their sisters and daughters, but also their brothers and their sons. And they’ve inspired us all. Even as we see women casting their ballots and seeking -- standing for office in historic elections, we understand that their work is not done. They understand that any true democracy must uphold the freedom and rights of all people and all faiths. We know this, too, for here in America we're enriched by so many faiths, by men and women -- including Muslim American women.

They’re young people, like the student who wrote me a letter about what it’s like to

Analysis: Obama presidency great for stocks

2012-08-11 10:03:57

Barack Obama often gets slammed for his stewardship of the U.S. economy, but for stock investors, he's been one of the best presidents since World War Two.

At 1,400, the S&P 500 on Friday was closing in on a four-year high and was up 74 percent since January 20, 2009, the day Obama took office.

Not since Dwight Eisenhower's first term has a president had such a strong run for their first term. - More

Paul Ryan Biography

2012-08-11 09:02:42

Republican Candidate for President has selected US Representative Paul Ryan as his VP choice.

Wikipedia: Paul Ryan Biography

Fox News: Paul Ryan Biography

Psychological Report: Jared Lee Loughner condition fragile

2012-08-10 22:16:03

A psychological report released Thursday warned that while Jared Lee Loughner was competent to plead guilty in the Tucson mass shooting, he remained severely mentally ill and his mental condition could deteriorate under the stress of a trial.

The report was prepared in late April by a federal Bureau of Prisons psychologist who testified in court Tuesday before a judge allowed Loughner to plead guilty in the January 2011 mass shooting. - More

Motorcyclist throws brick through door of S. Korean consulate in Hiroshima

2012-08-10 21:44:30

A motorcyclist wearing a helmet threw a brick through the glass entrance door of the South Korean consulate office in Hiroshima on early Saturday,

consulate officials said, amid diplomatic tensions over the unprecedented visit by President Lee Myung-bak to Seoul's easternmost islets of Dokdo, which Tokyo has long claimed as its own.

No one was hurt in the apparent attack that left a hole in the door. South Korean diplomats in Hiroshima said it might be related to Friday's visit by Lee to Dokdo. - More

Bo Xilai, Wife of Chinese Politico Didn't Contest Murder Charges

2012-08-10 21:38:24

Confirmed: Mars rover Curiosity took photo of craft crash-landing

2012-08-10 21:20:08

Engineers said Friday that the Curiosity rover happened to catch a picture

of its own ride crash-landing on Mars — a wink-of-an-eye serendipity that some dismissed as a statistical impossibility,

but appears to have been confirmed by a thorough review of landing data. - More

Late Sen. Byrd's FBI files reveal CIA leak uproar

2012-08-04 21:22:17

U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd obtained secret FBI documents about the civil rights movement that were leaked by the CIA and triggered an angry confrontation between the two agencies in the 1960s,

according to newly released FBI records. Byrd, who died in June 2010 at age 92, had sought the FBI intelligence while suspecting that communists and subversives were guiding the civil rights cause, the records show. - More

Obama turns 51; plays golf, will go to Camp David

2012-08-04 21:03:26

Barack Obama enjoyed a round of golf on Saturday to celebrate his 51st birthday, according to a pool report.

The president was joined by a group of friends and colleagues at Andrews Air Force Base.

He then traveled to Camp David via Marine One in the afternoon.

Mr. Obama is an avid golfer and according to CBS News, this outing was his 104th round of golf since becoming president. - More

Reid doubles down on Romney tax charge

2012-08-03 14:49:44

Sen. Harry Reid caused a stir this week when he told an interviewer that Mitt Romney hasn't released more of his tax returns because "he didn't pay taxes for 10 years."

On Wednesday, Reid doubled down on the charge.

In an interview published Tuesday, Reid said an investor in Bain Capital, the former private equity firm of the Republican presidential candidate,

told him in a phone call that Romney had paid zero taxes. - More

Romney: Reids Claim About Unpaid Taxes Untrue

2012-08-02 21:30:17

Put up or shut up, says Mitt Romney. Just sayin', retorts Harry Reid.

For both men, it's a taxing situation.

Romney demanded Thursday that the Democratic Senate leader back up the story he's been passing

around this week that an investor with Romney's old firm, Bain Capital, has told him that Romney didn't pay any taxes for 10 years. - More

Somali assembly endorses draft constitution

2012-08-01 12:07:46

Somali leaders have approved a new constitution for the struggling country, shortly after two bombers blew themselves up outside the building.

The vote on Wednesday with 621 for, 13 against, and 11 abstentions came after two suicide bombers tried to attack the Mogadishu meeting. - More

NY couple, 85, to remarry after 48-year divorce

2012-07-31 08:50:48

They got hitched while still in their teens, divorced 20 years later and are getting remarried after nearly a half-century apart.

For Lena Henderson and Roland Davis, the second time around is finally here, even if they're both 85.

Mitt Romney Spokesman: Kiss My Ass

2012-07-31 06:37:48

video platform video management video solutions video player

Yoweri Museveni calling on people not to shake hands to avoid the spread of the virus

2012-07-30 12:54:21

"The Ministry of Health are tracing all the people who have had contact with the victims," Yoweri Museveni said in a state broadcast yesterday, adding that 14 people had died in total since Ebola broke out in western Uganda three weeks ago. - More

Feminist anti-Putin rockers take a stand against Putin

2012-07-30 11:16:11

Three Russian feminist rockers rejected charges of hooliganism for performing a "punk prayer" in Moscow's main cathedral against Vladimir Putin's return as president as a trial against them opened in earnest on Monday.

The charges could carry a punishment of up to seven years in prison. - More

WATCH: CNN Musical Note on Sarah Palin Segment, Stupid Girls

2012-07-30 08:59:35

Gibbs: Romney embarrassed the U.S. in London

2012-07-29 07:43:24

"Mitt Romney wondered aloud whether London was ready for the Olympics, and I think it's clear that voters in this country wonder aloud whether Mitt Romney is ready for the world," Gibbs said on ABC's "This Week."

Criminal affidavit shows that Cleeves murdered daughter's mother, two others

2012-07-28 15:21:40

Criminal affidavit filed against Kevin Mathew Cleeves by MDJ Larry Pentz.

The incident occurred at 7705 Anthony Highway in Waynesboro, Quincy Township, which is where one of the victims lived.

He was headed to Michigan when he was apprehended by police in Austintown. As mentioned earlier, he faces three charges of criminal homicide for the shooting deaths of Brandi K. Cleeves, Vincent L. Santucci II and Rosemary Holma. - More

WATCH: Black wedding banned by First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs

2012-07-28 15:18:35

It was to be their big day, but a Jackson couple, Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson, says the church, First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs where they were planning to wed turned them away because of their race. Now, the couple wants answers, and the church's pastor is questioning the mindset of some of members of his congregation who caused the problem in the first place.

Weekly Address: The House of Representatives Must Act on Middle Class Tax Cut Extension

2012-07-28 12:17:49

President Obama urges Republicans in the House of Representatives to act on his proposal to protect middle class families and small businesses from being hit with a big tax hike next year.

Phelps falls to fourth in 400-IM

2012-07-28 12:12:29

American Michael Phelps failed to medal in his first swimming event at the Olympics Saturday.

Phelps finished fourth in the men's 400-metre individual medley final, well behind teammate Ryan Lochte, who won the gold medal.

China, US widen ASEAN rifts

2012-07-28 11:04:24

The annual ministerial joint communiques are as old as Asean itself. Its unprecedented absence is thus a serious setback for the 10-member organisation, a crucial blow to its credibility and coherence in the lead-up to its much-vaunted Asean Community by 2015.

While the diplomatic damage incurred in Phnom Penh will be glossed over in Asean capitals, serious and effective efforts beyond damage-control are needed before the Asean summit and its related top-level meetings with other major partners are held in November. - More

Michelle Obama Olympics Look: FLOTUS Represents In A Mixed-Print Outfit (PHOTOS)

2012-07-28 10:48:55

Romney offends a close ally on the eve of the first Olympics

2012-07-27 04:12:37

Mitt Romney had hoped a visit to the Olympics would advertise his own past glory and kick off an overseas trip designed to show him as a statesman ready for the world stage.

Instead, the Republican presidential candidate offended a close ally on the eve of the first Olympics here in 64 years and prompted the British prime minister to dismiss Romney’s own history with the Olympics as a small-town nothing. - More

Scotland to be first part of UK to legalise gay marriage

2012-07-25 11:31:37

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland's devolved government would late this year publish a draft bill permitting same-sex weddings, which could allow the first ceremonies to take place at the start of 2015.

Ms Sturgeon said the decision was "the right thing to do", adding that the government was "committed to a Scotland that is fair and equal".

The surface of Greenlands massive ice sheet has melted this month over an unusually large area

2012-07-25 11:28:02

The surface of Greenland's massive ice sheet has melted this month over an unusually large area, Nasa has said.

Scientists said the "unprecedented" melting took place over a larger area than has been detected in three decades of satellite observation.

Melting even occurred at Greenland's coldest and highest place, Summit station. - More

Sources: Romney Worked at Bain After 1999

2012-07-25 10:25:26

In a story that is bound to stoke the controversy over when Republican presidential candidate left Bain Capital, the Associated Press quotes Bain associates and others familiar with Romney’s actions at the time saying that he stayed in regular contact with his partners after he claims to have exited in February 1999.

APT. COMPLEX ACCIDENTALLY FINDS NYPD SAFE HOUSE FOR UNDERCOVER OFFICERS: LISTEN TO THE 911 CALL

2012-07-25 10:20:13

It’s an audiotape the New York Police Department hoped you would never hear.

A building superintendent at an apartment complex just off the Rutgers University campus called the New Brunswick Police 911 line in June 2009.

He said his staff had been conducting a routine inspection and came across something suspicious. - More

Biography, Sherman Hemsley Actor on The Jeffersons

2012-07-24 14:43:02

Sherman Alexander Hemsley (February 1, 1938 – July 24, 2012) was an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen. - More

Wikipedia page

McCain warns China over move in disputed islands

2012-07-24 11:12:31

US Senator John McCain warned Tuesday that China was "unnecessarily provocative" in saying it will establish a military garrison on disputed South China Sea islands, and called for a multilateral solution to the dispute.

Beijing announced Monday its troops will operate from Sansha in the Paracel Islands, one of two archipelagos in the South China Sea that are claimed by both China and Vietnam.

The move is likely to stoke further tensions in the region.

Biography of John Atta-Mills Ghana President 2009-2012

2012-07-24 10:37:15

John Evans Fifii Atta Mills (21 July 1944 – 24 July 2012) was the third President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 election. - More

Wikipedia Page

First lady Michelle Obama excited about leading the U.S. delegation to the London Olympics

2012-07-23 20:41:15

First lady Michelle Obama says she's excited about leading the U.S. delegation to the London Olympics this week but remains "heartbroken" by the Colorado movie theater shooting.

In a conference call with reporters, she said Americans have "come together as one family" over the shooting. - More

Former Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Peterson on trial

2012-07-23 08:23:23

At long last, the strange saga of Drew Peterson is expected to move out of the tabloids and the world of Lifetime made-for-TV movies, and into a courtroom Monday.

As CBS 2’s Susanna Song reports, jury selection is expected finally to begin Monday in the former Bolingbrook police sergeant’s long-awaited trial in the suspected murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

Record Rain level kills 37 in Chinese capital, 10 billion yuan in damage

2012-07-23 03:10:43

Beijing residents reacted angrily on Monday after the worst rains to hit the Chinese capital in more than 60 years left at least 37 people dead, with another seven still missing.

As of Monday morning, nearly nine million users of China's popular Sina Weibo microblog had posted their fury at the absence of any official warnings, and at the failure of the city's outdated drainage systems to cope with Saturday's deluge

President Obama recounts Stephanie and Allie courageous acts in Colorado shooting

2012-07-23 02:44:58

Remarks made by President Obama after he met with families and patients at the hospital.

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. I want to begin by just thanking all the state, local, and federal officials who have responded magnificently to this tragedy.

Governor Hickenlooper, who has already been dealing with a range of natural disasters here in the state, has been an extraordinary example of strength. The Mayor, who has only been on the job seven months, and obviously has responded with great strength and leadership. The Police Chief, who -- we had an opportunity to speak over the phone -- Chief Oates has been dealing with as difficult a set of circumstances as any law enforcement officer deals with, and he and his officers have done everything right, by the book, with great courage and great determination. And so we are very proud of them. And I think I speak for the entire congressional delegation who is here as well.

Scripture says that "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And when you have an opportunity to visit with families who have lost their loved ones -- as I described to them, I come to them not so much as President as I do as a father and as a husband. And I think that the reason stories like this have such an impact on us is because we can all understand what it would be to have somebody that we love taken from us in this fashion -- what it would be like and how it would impact us.

I had a chance to visit with each family, and most of the conversation was filled with memory. It was an opportunity for families to describe how wonderful their brother, or their son, or daughter was, and the lives that they have touched, and the dreams that they held for the future. I confessed to them that words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations, but that my main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and let them know that we are thinking about them at this moment and will continue to think about them each and every day, and that the awareness that not only all of America but much of the world is thinking about them might serve as some comfort.

I also tried to assure them that although the perpetrator of this evil act has received a lot of attention over the last couple of days, that attention will fade away. And in the end, after he has felt the full force of our justice system, what will be remembered are the good people who were impacted by this tragedy.

And I also had a chance to give folks some hugs and to shed some tears, but also to share some laughs as they remembered the wonderful lives that these men and women represented.

I also had a chance, fortunately, to visit some folks who are going to be okay, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the staff at this hospital. And I just want to thank everybody who's worked tirelessly here to deal with this tragedy.

Some of the stories are remarkable. You see young people who've come in and just two days ago, or 36 hours ago, or even 24 hours ago, it wasn’t certain whether they'd make it. And now suddenly, their eyes are open, they're alert and they're talking. And it reminds you that even in the darkest of days, life continues, and people are strong and people bounce back and people are resilient. And particularly, given the fact that so many of the victims were young, it is a great blessing to see how rapidly they're able to recover from some pretty devastating injuries.

There's one particular story I want to tell because this was the last visit that I had and I think it's representative of everything that I saw and heard today. I had a chance, just now, about five minutes ago, to visit with Allie Young -- Allie is 19 years old -- and I also had a chance to visit with Allie's best friend, Stephanie Davies, who's 21. Stephanie was actually downstairs with Allie as well as Allie's parents when I walked into the room.

And I don

The tail of Katherine Jackson, mother of Michael Jackson, reported missing is safe and resting with family

2012-07-23 00:43:41

Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, who was reported missing to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Saturday night, is reportedly safe in Arizona with family.

TMZ.com reported Sunday that law enforcement made contact with the Jackson matriarch and said "she is fine and with a family member."

Katherine's nephew, Trent Jackson, initially asked cops to help find Katherine after family members were unable to reach her all week, CNN reported. - More

WEEKLY ADDRESS: Remembering The Victims Of The Aurora, Colorado Shooting (Video/Text)

2012-07-21 11:33:46

Posted Saturday, July 21, 2012, at 5:30 a.m.:

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
July 21, 2012

As many of you know, early on Friday, at least twelve people were killed when a gunman opened fire at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Dozens more are being treated for injuries at local hospitals. Some of the victims are being treated at a children’s hospital.

We are still gathering all the facts about what happened, but we do know that the police have one suspect in custody. And the federal government stands ready to do everything necessary to bring whoever’s responsible for this heinous crime to justice. We will take every step possible to ensure the safety of all our people. And we will stand by our neighbors in Colorado during this extraordinarily difficult time.

Even as we come to learn how this happened and who’s responsible, we may never understand what leads anyone to terrorize their fellow human beings. Such evil is senseless – beyond reason. But while we will never know fully what causes someone to take the life of another, we do know what makes that life worth living.

The people we lost in Aurora loved, and were loved. They were mothers and fathers; husbands and wives; sisters and brothers; sons and daughters; friends and neighbors. They had hopes for the future and dreams that were not yet fulfilled. And if there’s anything to take away from this tragedy, it’s a reminder that life is fragile. Our time here is limited and it is precious. And what matters in the end are not the small and trivial things which often consume our lives. It’s how we choose to treat one another, and love one another. It’s what we do on a daily basis to give our lives meaning and to give our lives purpose. That’s what matters. That’s why we’re here.

I’m sure many of you who are parents had the same reaction I did when you first heard this news: what if it had been my daughters at the theater, doing what young children enjoy doing every day? Michelle and I will be fortunate enough to hug our girls a little tighter this weekend, as I’m sure you will do with your children. But for those parents who may not be so fortunate, we need to embrace them and let them know we will be there for them as a nation.

This weekend I hope everyone takes some time for prayer and reflection – for the victims of this terrible tragedy, for the people who knew them and loved them, for those who are still struggling to recover, and for all the victims of the less publicized acts of violence that plague our communities on a daily basis. Let us keep all these Americans in our prayers. And to the people of Aurora, may the Lord bring you comfort and healing in the hard days to come.

Threats removed from DKR shooting James Holmes apartment

2012-07-21 11:28:30

Authorities eliminated all major threats inside the apartment of James Eagan Holmes, the man accused of The Dark Knight Rises premiere shooting, CNN reported.

Police performed a controlled explosion Saturday. Aurora police announced the detonation was successful via their Twitter feed. - More

Colorado shooting: Police disarm trip wire, one explosive in James Holmes apartment

2012-07-21 11:23:25

Aurora police have disarmed a trip wire and the first explosive device in the apartment of the suspect in the movie theatre shooting that left 12 dead. Aurora police Sgt. Cassidee Carlson says the booby trap was set up to kill the person opening the door. - More

New North Korean leader wresting control of economy from military: source

2012-07-20 18:30:10

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters on Friday that the new leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) dismissed military chief Ri Yong-ho earlier this week for his opposition to plans for the most significant economic overhaul in the reclusive state in decades.

“Ri Yong-ho was the most ardent supporter of [former leader] Kim Jong-il’s ‘military first’ policy,” the source said.

World Court Orders Prosecution of Former Chadian Dictator Hissene Habre

2012-07-20 18:24:10

The International Court of Justice has ruled that Senegal must either put former Chadian President Hissene Habre on trial for genocide or extradite him “without further delay.”

The court at The Hague issued the decision on Friday in a response to a request by Belgium to prosecute Mr. Habre on charges of crimes against humanity.

Three gang members charged in the shooting death of 23-month-old Hiram Lawrence Jr.

2012-07-20 16:51:06

The three people allegedly responsible for the death of a 23-month-old boy after they shot into a crowd filming a rap video in West Oakland last year are members of a decades-old gang that has been responsible for dozens of murders over the years, authorities announced Friday.

Ethiopia's Intellectual Leader Meles Zenawi

2012-07-20 16:43:21

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, an intellectual ex-rebel vilified by some as a dictator but praised by others as a visionary, has dominated politics at home and in the region for over two decades.

The Ethiopian government said Thursday that Meles, a sharp-witted and charismatic player in the volatile Horn of Africa region, is in ''stable'' health but has been told to take a leave of absence.

ASEAN agrees on principles of how to handle South China Sea disputes, but omits touchy areas

2012-07-20 16:18:05

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations belatedly agreed Friday on a common statement on how to handle conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea, but it failed to address the crux of last week's disagreements.

Denver Batman Shootings: Police update on gunman James Holmes

2012-07-20 16:13:05

Text of Obama statement on the James Holmes Batman Massacre shootings in Auroro Colorado

2012-07-20 11:14:48

Text of President Obama speech on the shooting of James Holmes (Batman Massacre) shooting:

Well, let me first of all say - let me first of all - let me first of all say how grateful I am for all of you being here and how much we appreciate everything that you've done. I know that there are a lot of people here who have been so engaged in the campaign, have sacrificed so much, people who've been involved back since 2007. And - and - and so I want all of you to know how appreciative I am.

And I know many of you came here today for a campaign event. I was looking forward to having a fun conversation with you about some really important matters that we face as a country and the differences between myself and my opponent in this election.

But this morning, we woke up to news of a tragedy that reminds us of all the ways that we are united as one American family.

By now many of you know, many of you have heard that a few miles outside of Denver, in a town called Aurora, at least 12 people were killed when a gunman opened fire in a movie theater.

And dozens more are being treated for injuries at a local hospital. Some of the victims are being treated at a children's hospital.

We're still gathering all the facts about what happened in Aurora, but what we do know is that the police have one suspect in custody, and the federal government stands ready to do whatever's necessary to bring whoever's responsible for this heinous crime to justice.

And we will take every step possible to ensure the safety of all of our people. We're going to stand by our neighbors in Colorado during this extraordinarily difficult time.

And I had a chance to speak with the mayor of Aurora, as well as the governor of Colorado, to express, not just on behalf of Michelle and myself, but the entire American family, how heartbroken we are.

Now, even as we learn how this happened and who's responsible, we may never understand what leads anybody to terrorize their fellow human beings like this. Such violence, such evil is senseless.

http://twitpic.com/a9r1q6

Colorado Rep MIke Coffman on James Holmes (24) shooting

2012-07-20 09:07:00

Colorado Republican Rep. Mike Coffman on Friday compared the violence at an Aurora, Co. movie theater overnight to the war in Iraq."I expected incidents to occur at this level of violence in Iraq... not Aurora" Coffman, a combat veteran from the first Gulf War and the Iraq War, told CBS Denver Friday morning.

Authorities: Alleged shooter Batman theater apartment is booby trapped

2012-07-20 08:06:11

Authorities are going through suspects apartment window.

They believe the apartment of the theater shooter is booby trapped.

Residents at the apartment are stating the alleged shooter was quiet and very studious.

Authorities say it appears that there are explosives and bombs planted near the door of the apartment.

King of Jordan warns that Syria's chemical weapons could be seized by al-Qaeda

2012-07-18 23:19:13

The king of Jordan warned Wednesday that his northern neighbour Syria was on the brink of all-out civil war and that in a worst-case scenario, chemical weapons could fall into the hands of Al-Qaeda.

King Abdullah II told CNN a bomb attack that killed core members of the Syrian regime was a "tremendous blow" to President Bashar al-Assad but not yet the death knell for a regime that remains determined to cling to power. - More

George Zimmerman on the Martin Family: I pray for them daily

2012-07-18 20:14:41

In his first exclusive interview since being locked up George Zimmerman and his attorney Mark O'Mara go over details of an incident that has generated tremendous controversy.

In a sit down interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity Zimmerman tried to convey remorse in talking about the family of Trayvon Martin.

"My wife and I don’t have any children," Zimmerman told Hannity. "I have nephews that I love more than life. I love them more than myself. And I know when they were born, it was a different unique bond and love that I have with them. And I love my children even though that they aren’t born yet. "I am sorry that they buried their child. I can’t imagine what it must feel like. I pray for them daily."

Serial foot licker arrested in upstate New York

2012-07-18 05:26:36

Penfield - An upstate New York man has been arrested and accused of inappropriately touching and licking young girls' feet in a public library.

WHAM reports that 49-year-old Anthony Perri was apprehended in Penfield, east of Rochester, on Tuesday. Parri was arraigned on sex abuse and endangering the welfare of a child charges.

Indonesia: ASEAN must push on with South China Sea code

2012-07-18 05:04:43

The Indonesian foreign minister met his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday, saying Southeast Asian nations must push forward with a "code of conduct"

over the disputed South China Sea.

The comments came after disagreements at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Cambodia last week held up progress on the code, which is aimed at soothing tensions in the flashpoint waters.

Arpaio: Obama birth certificate issue needs further investigation

2012-07-18 04:47:22

When Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio scheduled a news conference to discuss the findings of his birther investigation just two days before a civil-rights case against his agency gets under way, it drew a knowing sigh from longtime observers.

Drought damages corn crops

2012-07-18 04:42:37

The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading, with more than half of the continental United States now in some stage of drought and most of the rest enduring abnormally dry conditions.

Only in the 1930s and the 1950s has a drought covered more land, according to federal figures released Monday.

So far, there's little risk of a Dust Bowl-type catastrophe, but crop losses could mount if rain doesn't come soon.

Updated: Nazi War Criminal, 97, Now in Custody

2012-07-18 04:38:54

HUNGARY IS under growing international pressure to arrest and try a man whom Nazi hunters claim sent thousands of Jews to death camps during the second World War.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre calls Laszlo Csatary (97) its most wanted Nazi war criminal. It accuses him of helping to deport some 16,000 Jews to Auschwitz and to Kamenetz-Podolsk in Ukraine when he served as a senior policeman in Kosice, a Slovak town that was under Hungarian control during wartime. - More

Kerry Kennedy pleads not guilty to impaired driving; says she suffered seizure before crash on I-684

2012-07-18 04:31:10

Kerry Kennedy pleaded not guilty in Town Court this evening to driving while ability impaired and later said a seizure — not a sleep aid — led her to collide with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 684 on Friday.

“I remember getting on the highway and I have no memory until I was stopped at a traffic light and a police officer was at my car door,” Kennedy, 52, of Bedford said outside the courthouse after entering her plea and being released without bail. - More

The President and First Lady Michelle Obama on the Kiss Cam

2012-07-17 00:25:30

The President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle and Malia Obama were mildly surprised when the Kiss Cam zoomed in on the first couple during the Olympic trials match between the USA and Brazilian National Men's team. Malia might've experienced some embarrassment when it appeared all eyes in the arena were on them.

2 eastern Iowa girls now missing for over 30 hours

2012-07-16 02:25:02

Thirty-three hours after two preteen cousins were last seen in northeast Iowa, authorities said late Saturday that the girls’ bicycles were the only sign of them discovered so far.

More than 400 volunteers helped comb wooded areas near Meyers Lake in Evansdale east of Waterloo throughout daylight hours on Saturday, but they didn’t find Elizabeth Collins, 8, and Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10.

Clinton in Jerusalem for talks

2012-07-16 00:31:38

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Israeli officials will discuss Egypt's political upheaval, Iran's nuclear program and the stymied Israeli-Palestinian peace process today.

Making her first trip to Israel in 22 months, and only her fourth visit as secretary of state, Ms Clinton's talks will focus first and foremost on the political transition in Egypt, where the Islamist President Mohamed Mursi took office two weeks ago.

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North Korean military chief Ri Yong-ho stripped of all posts

2012-07-15 17:50:22

Ri, 70, was one of the leading figures to have publicly swung in behind North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-un when he assumed power after his father Kim Jong-il's death last December.

However, the abrupt nature of his departure - the regime's explanation of "illness" notwithstanding - will give rise to speculation he has become the first major figure purged by Jong-un.

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Resign! Activists demand of Raila

2012-07-15 04:56:57

A group calling itself ‘Kenyans 4 Honest Governance’ is now calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Raila Odinga following revelations in Miguna Miguna’s book.

The group spokesman James Mwangi said the most honourable thing the Prime Minster should do is to step aside, due to the serious allegations his former Coalition Advisor has laid bare.

Ethiopia jails prominent blogger, opposition figures

2012-07-15 04:53:11

Twenty Ethiopians, including a prominent blogger and opposition figures were jailed for between eight years to life on Friday on charges of conspiring with rebels to topple the government.

Ethiopia, a major recipient of Western aid, has said it is fighting separatist rebel movements and armed groups backed by its arch-foe Eritrea.

Morsi en route to Ethiopia for African Summit

2012-07-15 04:46:00

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has left Egypt for Ethiopia to attend the African Union Summit in the country, his office said on Sunday morning.

It will be his second foreign trip in less than one week, after last week’s visit to Saudi Arabia. - More

LA sheriff: Man recovers car 42 years after theft

2012-07-15 04:38:34

A man whose prized sports car was stolen 42 years ago recovered the vehicle after spotting it on eBay, authorities said Sunday.

Robert Russell told the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department that he had never given up searching for the 1967 Austin Healy after it was stolen from his Philadelphia home in 1970.

Wedding bombing kills 23 in Afghanistan

2012-07-15 04:16:21

A suicide bomber blew himself up among guests at a wedding hall Saturday in northern Afghanistan, killing 23 people including a prominent ex-Uzbek warlord turned lawmaker who was the father of the bride.

The attack was the latest to target top figures from the country's minority groups and dealt a blow to efforts to unify ethnic factions amid growing concerns that the country could descend into civil war after foreign combat troops withdraw in 2014. - More

Obama staffer Alex Okrent

2012-07-15 04:09:50

Alex Okrent could see the November finish line to his nearly decadelong journey with Barack Obama and was thinking about his next move.

The 29-year-old Evanston native had traveled across the country and to the political heights with Obama since volunteering for his U.S. Senate primary race in 2004, but he was eyeing this fall's presidential election as the end. - More

Sarah Palin endorses Condoleezza Rice as Romney's running mate

2012-07-13 06:44:58

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin endorsed former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as a running mate for current Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

“I think that Condoleezza Rice would be a wonderful vice president, and she certainly has much more experience than our sitting president does today,” Palin said during an interview Thursday on the Fox News show The Drudge Report.

Romney attacked on Bain question

2012-07-13 04:02:13

President Obamas reelection campaign Thursday accused Mitt Romney of lying and perhaps of breaking federal law after the Globe reported that government documents listed him as in charge of the private equity firm he founded, Bain Capital, three years longer than he has previously stated.The Romney campaign called such statements by the Obama team reckless and asked the Globe to print a correction, which it has declined to do.

Obama administration to offer health coverage for part-time firefighters

2012-07-11 18:48:06

After public outcry, the Obama administration confirmed that it will offer health insurance to the government's seasonal firefighters, many of whom have been battling fierce blazes in the West.

A White House official told Reuters that the administration would formally announce the policy change soon.

911 call sparks two-state hunt for missing mom

2012-07-10 21:01:13

Two groups 700 miles apart set out on a search for a missing woman this week.

On North Carolina's Hatteras Island, state and county investigators combed through a Salvo beach house and canvassed the island with canines and helicopters, seeking a 33-year-old waitress and mother who had come there on vacation.

In Ashland, Ohio, her hometown, her family scoured her favorite spot in the woods

Mass. man to plead guilty in bomb plot

2012-07-10 20:00:19

A Massachusetts man charged with plotting to fly remote-controlled model planes packed with explosives into the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol will plead guilty to two charges, his lawyers and prosecutors said in a plea agreement filed in federal court Tuesday.

Olmert acquittal a blow for State Attorneys Office

2012-07-10 19:53:05

Legal experts agreed on Tuesday that the Jerusalem District Court’s acquittal of former prime minister Ehud Olmert on two of the largest charges against him has dealt a major blow to the State Attorney’s Office.

The verdict is particularly damaging to State Attorney Moshe Lador, who very publicly pledged to take personal responsibility for the case against the former prime minister.

US to Assure ASEAN on China During Meetings

2012-07-10 19:13:35

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton travels to Southeast Asia next week to attend the ASEAN regional forum in Cambodia and the foreign ministers meeting of the East Asia Summit.

The meetings come amid rising tensions between ASEAN members and China over the South China Sea.

While the issue is likely to get a lot of attention during Secretary Clinton’s visit, the U.S. is also looking to strengthen its ties with allies and boost its economic engagement in the region.

Florida Teenager Gives Alligator His Arm to Eat & Saves His Life

2012-07-10 10:04:17

Seventeen-year-old Kaleb Langdale had a choice. He could give an alligator his arm, or he could risk losing his life. He did the smart thing.

The teenager swimming with friends in a Florida river let the gator take his arm. I don't know this kid from Adam, but my chest is swelling with pride for him right now.

Somewhere along the way, Kaleb's parents managed to do the unthinkable: they taught a teenager that some risks aren't worth taking.

Michelle Obama unwelcome at Miami school, say GOP board members

2012-07-10 10:00:54

Some Republican members of the Miami-Dade school board in Florida are none too pleased that First Lady Michelle Obama is holding a campaign event at a local high school Tuesday.

Obama is scheduled to help recruit campaign volunteers at an event at Miami Lakes’ Barbara Goleman Senior High, which is empty of students for the summer vacation.

Shettar in after Gowda gets his men plum posts

2012-07-10 09:54:32

THE selection of Jagadish Shettar as the new Karnataka chief minister was today help up for five hours by incumbent D V Sadananda Gowda who ensured that his supporters got plum posts before he made his exit. The Shettar Cabinet looks set to have two deputy chief ministers and 33 ministers whose names have already been finalised.

Who is Kim Jong Uns mystery woman?

2012-07-10 09:11:18

Who is she?

Thats what people around the world want to know about a mysterious young woman who appeared with

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a pair of events over the weekend. - More

Syrian Opposition Groups To Hold Discussions In Russia

2012-07-10 01:44:34

Syria’s main opposition group said a delegation headed by its leader, Abdulbaset Sieda, will travel to Russia tomorrow for talks on the Syrian crisis.

The Syrian National Council said it remains committed to its basic principles, which include bringing down President Bashar al-Assad’s government before starting to prepare for a transition.

Russia, along with China, stands by Assad and says he should be involved in the transition.

Israel to arrange arrival of last members of Ethiopian Jewish community by 2014

2012-07-08 08:27:06

Israel's Cabinet has approved plans to bring in the last of Ethiopia's Jews over the next two years.

More than 120,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel after waves of immigration over the past three decades. Advocates say some 2,200 Jews remain in Ethiopia.

Seven terror arrests in UK

2012-07-06 20:32:24

Seven men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences in Britain after a routine vehicle search turned up firearms and weapons, police said.

The arrests, which took place earlier this week in South Yorkshire in northern England, were announced one day after officers in London detained six other terror suspects using stun guns and smoke grenades in early-morning swoops, including one on a home close to London's Olympic Park.

Interview with Ursula Hess: My father was treated terribly

2012-07-06 20:28:52

New evidence from official documentation collaborates long held rumors that Adolph Hitler protected Jewish General Ernst Hess from persecution from the Nazis. - More

California Senate Passes Funding For High-Speed Rail

2012-07-06 19:28:36

The California Senate voted to fund the state's high-speed rail project on Friday, providing a victory to Gov. Jerry Brown, who has pushed for bullet trains to create jobs and provide a cleaner transportation option.

The bill, which the Senate approved 21-16 on a party-line vote, sets aside $5.8 billion to start construction in the Central Valley.

Mom Accused of Putting Beer in Sippy Cup for 2-Year-Old Son

2012-07-05 21:19:44

A Phoenix mother has been arrested for allegedly putting beer in the sippy cup of her 2-year-old son.

Phoenix police say 36-year-old Valerie Marie Topete is being held on suspicion of child abuse.

Officers were called to a pizza restaurant Tuesday night after witnesses say they saw Topete pour beer from a pitcher into her son's cup and the child drank some of it.

Whites-only Christian gathering

2012-07-05 21:09:24

A three-day whites-only religious conference — which will conclude with a flaming cross — in Lamar County, Alabama, has some residents upset at the racist implications while the minister complains that his freedom of speech is being violated.

Yes, we believe that the Europeans and their descendants are the chosen people of God,

according to the website for Christian Identity Ministries, which is holding the event with Church of God’s Chosen.

Romney and Offshore Accounts

2012-07-04 20:53:44

US presidential candidate Mitt Romneys secretive offshore assets, including in Bermuda, came under the spotlight in a lengthy report by The Associated Press.

The report says Romney could be even wealthier than an estimated $250 million.

Mystery Offshore Firm Hint Of Larger Romney Wealth

2012-07-04 20:50:11

Mitt Romney's financial portfolio included an offshore company that remained invisible to voters for nearly 15 years.

Bermuda-based Sankaty High Yield Asset Investors Ltd. was not listed on any state or federal financial reports until it was revealed this year in Romney's tax returns.

The company is among several holdings that were not fully disclosed, including one that posted a $1.9 million earning -- suggesting he could be wealthier than the nearly $250 million estimated by his campaign.

Bill O'Reilly Apologizes Over Supreme Court Prediction

2012-07-04 09:13:37

Bill O'Reilly faced the music on Monday, coming through with his pledge to "apologize for being an idiot" if the Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate in President Obama's health care law.

O'Reilly made the bold pledge in late March as a way to express his certainty that the Court would find the mandate unconstitutional.

Of course, it did not, with Chief Justice John Roberts finding that it could be upheld as a tax rather than through the scope of the Commerce Clause.

GOP Lawmakers Divided On Keeping Obamacare's Young Adult Insurance Provision

2012-07-04 09:02:55

Congressional Republicans may not have been happy about the Supreme Court's ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act, but many of their children probably are.

According to an analysis by The Huffington Post, dozens of Republicans who want to repeal Obamacare have adult children who are allowed to stay on their parents' health plans thanks to the law, which extended this benefit nationwide.

Many of the lawmakers' children are employed and on their own health care plans, but others continue to take advantage of their parents' coverage. - More

Obama campaign bus

2012-07-04 08:53:02

It's the kind of trip President Barack Obama relishes — one that plays to his natural political abilities by taking him outside of Washington to mix it up with Americans in small towns and casual settings.

Obama embarks Thursday on his first bus tour of the 2012 campaign as he seeks to pointedly stir up more questions about rival Mitt Romney's business record and subtly contrast himself with a Republican opponent who has struggled to connect with voters. - More

Netanyahu, Peres reach out to Egypt's Mursi

2012-07-01 21:38:01

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres last week both sent letters to newly elected Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the two countries 1979 peace agreement.

Netanyahu sent a letter Thursday through diplomatic channels – an event so private that his office refused to confirm it had been dispatched.

17 killed, 50 injured in Garissa church attacks

2012-07-01 21:23:28

17 people were killed Sunday and scores injured in simultaneous grenade and gun attacks at the Garissa Catholic and AIC churches in yet another affront on Kenya by terrorists.

Police say the attacks happened as the congregations were in prayers and no arrests have been made so far.

17 Killed in Attacks on Kenya Churches

2012-07-01 21:19:32

Kenyan police say gunmen attacked two churches in the eastern town of Garissa Sunday, killing 17 people and wounding at least 40.

Authorities say the attackers threw grenades and opened fire on worshippers.

The deadliest attack took place at the African Inland Church, where at least 10 people were killed, including two police officers. The second attack took place at a Catholic church.

Hong Kong to increasingly benefit from proximity with Chinese mainland: Italian analysts

2012-07-01 21:15:15

The economic growth of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) can increasingly benefit from the proximity with the Chinese mainland, Italian analysts said on Sunday.

Over the past 15 years, the HKSAR has gained a lot of opportunities for development from the mainland, said Airaldo Piva, CEO of Milan-based Hengdian Group Europe, while commenting on Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Hong Kong to mark the 15th anniversary of its return to China.

Mormons quit in mass resignation

2012-06-30 21:50:16

A group of about 150 Mormons quit their church in a mass resignation ceremony in Salt Lake City on Saturday in a rare display of defiance ending decades of disagreement for some over issues ranging from polygamy to gay marriage.

Participants from Utah, Arizona, Idaho and elsewhere gathered in a public park to sign a Declaration of Independence from Mormonism.

Thunderstorms knock out power across region

2012-06-30 15:56:41

More than 1.3 million homes and businesses across Maryland and Virginia lost power Friday night as one of the most powerful and punishing storms in months swept across the Washington region.

Google to take Analytics Mobile with In-Depth App Reports, Android App

2012-06-29 16:03:52

Google is on a roll, these days. Change is inevitable, they say. Change is incessant, Google says.

Google amidst the recent development is keen to bring its analytics chops to mobile apps.

By the courtesy of Mobile App Analytics, now iOS and Android developers across the world would be able to avail in-depth insights and app reports. Keeping a track on downloads, conversions and in-app purchases just got simpler and better. Thanks to Google God.

Teen Lesbian Couple Shot in Portland, Texas Park, One Dies

2012-06-29 14:59:35

Two teenagers who were allegedly dating each other were found shot in the head in Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas this past weekend. Although still under investigation, this violent crime has caused many to wonder if the girls sexual orientation had anything to do with the shootings. This particular case, it does have some of the earmarks of a targeted attack, said Portland Police Chief Randy Wright. Yet, murders are rare in this town of 16,000, which is located just north of Corpus Christi. The last occurred two years ago according to Wright.

Obama takes a little heat for Colorado fire trip

2012-06-29 12:28:14

Presidents often take trips to disaster areas to show concern -- and are often criticized over the expenses.

Today it's former Colorado governor Bill Owens -- a Republican -- who is questioning Obama's visit to Colorado Springs, saying it will divert resources from efforts to fight the wildfires ravaging the area.

College researchers hack government drone

2012-06-29 09:49:19

While most college students are busy screwing around on Facebook and testing the limits of their livers, a group of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin were busy doing something far more impressive: hacking into a government-owned unmanned drone.

George Zimmerman back in court, seeking bail for a second time

2012-06-29 09:35:30

A bail hearing in Sanford, Fla. for George Zimmerman went to recess Friday after a heated exchange in which prosecutors argued for denying bond and the defense called on the judge to reinstate the defendant's $150,000 bail, which was revoked in early June.

Fort Bragg officials not releasing any new details in Thursdays fatal shooting

2012-06-29 09:07:15

Fort Bragg officials say they are not ready to release any new information on Thursday's fatal shooting on the installation.

One soldier shot and killed another soldier during a unit safety brief Thursday afternoon, then shot and wounded himself, officials said.

Why Roberts saved Obamas healthcare law

2012-06-29 08:33:47

In the end, it all came down to Chief Justice John Roberts, the sphinx in the center chair, who in a stunning decision wove together competing rationales to uphold President Barack Obama's healthcare plan.

Roberts' action instantly upended the conventional wisdom that he would vote with his four fellow conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court and undercut the agenda of a Democratic president, who as a senator in 2005 had opposed Roberts' appointment to the bench.

Rush Limbaugh on the Health Care Ruling...

2012-06-28 19:47:41

Rush Limbaugh on the Supreme Court's Affordable Care Act Ruling:

The chief justice was hell-bent to find a way to make this law applicable, so he just decided, you know what, as a tax increase, it works, because there's no limit on the federal government's ability to tax. And it's right there in the preamble of the Constitution, right there, Article 1, Section 8, the general welfare clause, it's been established Congress can tax whatever, whoever, whenever, how much they want. Even when they don't ask for it, the Supreme Court is gonna find a way to make what they want to do legal because John Roberts said it's not our job here to forbid this. It's not our job to protect people from outcomes. It's not our job to determine whether it is right or wrong or any of that. We just get to look at it. We can't forbid this. This is what the elected representatives of the people want.
No, the elected representatives of the people were deceived. Remember yesterday I asked you, if this decision went this way, what was your initial reaction going to be. And how many of you were deflated as you can be because the way this reported? The first thing that came down, the mandate, unconstitutional, that was the first thing everybody reported. Mandate unconstitutional, big sigh of relief. And then within moments, wait a minute, wait a minute, we're reading further. Hold it just a second. The mandate's unconstitutional, but the court has decided it's a tax, and therefore it's okay.

So Obamacare is nothing more than the largest tax increase in the history of the world. And the people who were characterizing it as such were right and were telling the truth. We have the biggest tax increase in the history of the world right in the middle of one of this country's worst recessions. In fact, as the vice president said yesterday, a depression for millions of Americans. The chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Roberts, said, 'It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.' Not our job...

...We were deceived. Obamacare was a lie. It was a stealth tax on all Americans, and nobody knew it until today. Not officially."

U.K. police serve Assange with demand he report

2012-06-28 17:54:40

British police served Julian Assange on Thursday with a demand that he report to a police station as the first step in his extradition to Sweden to face sex crime allegations. The letter was delivered to Ecuador's London embassy, where the WikiLeaks founder has been holed up for nine days.

Romney calls Obamacare moral failure

2012-06-28 02:39:37

Mitt Romney reserved some of his harshest criticism of President Barack Obama's health care reform law for the eve of the Supreme Court ruling that will decide its fate, labeling the law as "moral failure" by a president who chose to focus on healthcare, rather than jobs, at a time of national economic crisis.

Chaos Predicted if Health Care Ruling Split

2012-06-28 02:00:51

Utter confusion could result if the Supreme Court invalidates the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) individual mandate while upholding other parts of the law, a physician expert predicted ahead of Thursday's expected decision.

Carr slams High Court as asylum bill starts to sink

2012-06-28 01:49:20

MPs falling down on duty to protect lives The Pulse: follow parliament live today Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr has made an extraordinary attack on the High Court as the Senate is poised to reject a bill that would break the deadlock on asylum seeker policy.

Americans: Barack Obama Is Better for Alien Invasion

2012-06-27 13:00:19

According to a new U.S. extraterrestrial survey from National Geographic Channel (NGC), more than 80 million Americans are certain that UFOs exist. In fact, many believe in tangible proof that aliens have landed on Earth and think that government officials are involved in covering up paranormal activities. Moreover, most citizens would not mind a minor alien invasion, because they expect these space-age visitors to be friendlylike the lovable character depicted in Steven Spielberg's popular film E.T.

Syria's Assad faces growing rebel, foreign threat

2012-06-27 12:46:32

With a high profile attack on a government TV station, escalating fighting around Damascus and talk of increasing covert foreign support, Syria's rebels are bringing the fight ever closer to Bashar Assad.

In a speech Tuesday night, Assad said the country was now "at war" and that all sectors of the government and country must devote their energies to the war effort. A string of recent military defections suggest even some of his supporters may have had enough, but most analysts and foreign officials believe his government could cling on well into 2013.

State concedes battered victim issue in Kruzan case

2012-06-24 22:37:12

The California Supreme Court has ordered a new hearing in the case of Sara Jessimy Kruzan, who was initially sentenced to life in prison without parole for the shooting death of her former pimp in a Riverside motel room in 1994, when she was 16.

Anger in Pyongyang at Flag Fire

2012-06-24 22:23:58

North Korea has declared the intention to keep developing its nuclear deterrent in response to South Korean-U.S. military exercises.

The joint military exercises, which included Apache attack helicopters, jet fighters and 2,000 troops, were designed to correspond with today’s 62nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, intending to demonstrate U.S. and South Korean military readiness to oppose any future North Korean aggression.

Denver officer shot, killed near park concert

2012-06-24 22:20:01

A Denver police officer has died after being shot in the head while trying to break up a confrontation at a city park where hundreds of families had gathered for a free weekly jazz concert, a police spokesman said.

The gunfire erupted shortly after the band finished playing next to a pond at City Park. The officer who was shot was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, police spokesman Sonny Jackson said.

Atoyac River overflows, damage in San Martin Texmelucan

2012-06-24 22:14:24

In San Martin Texmelucan Atoyac river burst its banks on Sunday night so 62 people are in shelters because 12 homes have major damage by flooding, 15 have minor damage and a house is considered a total loss. Colonies are most affected Solidarity, The Hole, and San Lucas Atoyatenco.

AMLO gives condolences for death of 26 in Guerrero

2012-06-24 22:09:24

The candidate of the left to the presidency of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, sent his condolences on the death of 26 supporters of the PT, in a road accident in Guerrero.

Romina Tejerina was released after serving 9

2012-06-24 22:05:36

Jujuy She was sentenced to 14 years after being stabbed in 2003 to his newborn daughter, the result of rape, whose author was never convicted. She was released yesterday in his birthday After serving two thirds of his sentence, ... - More

Grenade attack in Kenya bar kills one, wounds others

2012-06-24 22:00:57

A hand grenade thrown into a bar in the Kenyan tourist hub of Mombasa as clients watched a Euro... A hand grenade thrown into a bar in the Kenyan tourist hub of Mombasa as clients watched a Euro 2012 football match Sunday killed one person and wounded several others, police said.

Putin arrives in Israel

2012-06-24 21:38:07

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to arrive Monday morning on a state visit to Israel. Putin will head a large entourage comprised of government ministers, advisers and journalists. The 300-person delegation will arrive in four planes.

Tunisia extradites Qadhafis PM to Libya... - The News International

2012-06-24 21:25:17

Tunisia extradited former Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi’s prime minister to Libya on Sunday, a Libyan security official said, making him the first senior official to be sent back for trial under the country’s transitional leadership.

Defence ministry official Mohammed al-Ahwal told Reuters that a helicopter had transferred Al Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi to the capital Tripoli. “Mahmoudi is now in Tripoli and we are holding him in a prison.”

2 dead at Beverly Hilton in murder-suicide

2012-06-24 07:57:43

Two people have been found dead in what investigators believe was a murder-suicide at the Beverly Hilton, just hours before the Daytime Emmy Awards are being held at the posh hotel, police said Saturday.

The luxury hotel was also the site of Whitney Houston’s death in February. The singer drowned in the bathtub of her fourth-floor room, just a few hours before she was to attend record executive Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party in the ballroom downstairs.

Arrest Made In Columbia Shootings Case

2012-06-23 23:26:03

Police said they arrested a man Saturday in connection with a deadly shooting near Columbia University earlier this month. Charges are pending against the 30-year-old. His name has not yet been released. The bodies of Luis Catalan, Amaury Rodriguez and Heriberto Suazo were found inside an SUV on West 122nd Street on June 7.

No bond for former principal accused in deadly rampage

2012-06-23 16:26:51

A judge has denied bond for a former middle school principal who is accused of going on a violent rampage that left two people dead and at least eight others injured.

Anthony J. Giancola, 45, appeared in court Saturday morning, the day after he was arrested in Pinellas County. The judge ordered him held without bond.

Obama, Romney seek advantage on health care

2012-06-23 16:17:28

President Barack Obama ardently defends his federal health care overhaul. Republican challenger Mitt Romney adamantly opposes it. But this coming week, when the Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of the law, both sides will be scrambling for political gain no matter the outcome.

If the court upholds the law, Obama will get vindication for his signature legislative accomplishment. Romney will have a concrete target for his pledge to repeal it.

Durham, NH Requests Reimbursement For Obama Campaign Stop

2012-06-22 22:19:03

President Obama is scheduled to visit New Hampshire on Monday, and the town of Durham wants help paying for it.Town Administrator Todd Selig estimates the cost of the campaign trip will be between $20,000 and $30,000 for police and fire services.

Nearly 9,000 evacuated in Utah

2012-06-22 21:12:40

Thousands of homes were evacuated from two small Utah communities on Friday as high winds whipped up a brush fire triggered by target shooters and pushed the flames toward houses and a nearby explosives factory.

Students Apologize, Strangers Raise over 500k

2012-06-22 20:40:34

Karen Klein is likely not the first face that comes to mind when you think of a poster child for bullying. Yet there she was, sitting in the back of Bus 784 as it rolled through the streets of Greece, New York, on Monday afternoon.

Four middle school boys barraged her with verbal abuse, jabbing her about her weight, attacking her family and chuckling as they made violent and graphic threats. Except for a few even-keeled retorts, the 68-year-old bus monitor brushed sweat from her brow and remained quiet, peering up front and out her window seemingly waiting for her hellish ride to end. - More

US government to seize Skeleton worth $1 million

2012-06-22 20:34:40

A New York court is forcing an auction house to return the 70 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus skeleton to Mongolia, where it was discovered. Sorry, but you can’t keep that dinosaur.

That’s essentially what a New York court told Heritage Auctions on Tuesday in regards to a 70 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton originally discovered in Mongolia roughly seven years ago, BBC News reported. - More

Boko Haram kingpin Bama died 24 hours after gun duel

2012-06-22 20:20:40

Details of the capture of Boko Haram high ranking operative, Bama, in Damaturu, Yobe State, emerged last night with a source saying he was shot in what is called Sudden Operation in security circles.

Finance Bill now to be debated last

2012-06-22 20:18:06

The Parliamentary Leadership Committee has pushed the Finance Bill to be endorsed at the end of the eighth parliamentary meeting to give members of Parliament the chance to advice the government on other sources of income.However, the Speaker of the National Assembly Speaker Anne Makinda warned the MPs to use the extended time to debate the budget and not politics.

Clashes as Paraguay politicians impeach president

2012-06-22 20:15:39

The move sparked clashes between police and Mr Lugo's supporters, who denounced what they said was a coup.In a 39 to 4 vote, politicians found Mr Lugo guilty of performing his duties badly during the dispute which left 17 people dead.

Kim Kardashian Really Relates To Kanye West

2012-06-22 09:12:36

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have been seen coddling and enjoying each other's comapny across continents for the past few months, and although the reality TV star usually doesn't leave much to the imagination, she's been mum about this relationship until her recent interview with Oprah.

Tony Parker Files $20 Million Lawsuit

2012-06-22 07:41:20

TMZ reports that NBA player Tony Parker, who was injured in the Drake/Chris Brown brawl at the W.i.P. nightclub in $20 million is now suing the nightclub for $20 million. Parker filed the lawsuit on Thursday in New York State Supreme Court says that the security was negligent for letting both Drake and Brown into the club and allowing the fight to happen.

Both musicians could end up being defendants. The lawsuit says that management, knowing there was "bad blood between Drake and Brown," let them in and kept selling them alcohol even though some were "visibly intoxicated."

US not threatened by China

2012-06-21 20:17:59

US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. said last June 21 that he does not feel threatened by China as an emerging global superpower.

His statement came as Joy Yamamoto, the US Embassy’s acting deputy chief of mission, said that Washington is supporting Manila in bringing its dispute with Beijing over the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (Itlos).

Syrian pilot in MiG flees to Jordan

2012-06-21 20:13:54

An air force pilot landed his MiG-21 fighter at a Jordanian air base on Thursday, becoming the first Syrian airman to defect with his warplane since the rebellion against President Bashar Assad began 15 months ago.

Jordan granted him political asylum.

Jonathans absence not hinder governance

2012-06-21 20:07:37

Federal Government on Wednesday replied those criticizing President Goodluck Jonathan's decision to go ahead with the trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the United Nations’ Earth Summit, RIO+20, saying his absence will not in any way hinder the flow of governance.

Taliban Attack Lakeside Hotel in Kabul

2012-06-21 19:50:58

Taliban militants have attacked attacked a popular hotel in Qargha lakeside and held several hostages that include women and children last night.

Former Sanford Police Chief, to be fired

2012-06-20 20:41:26

Local 6 has learned the Sanford City Manager has told Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee, who stepped down in the midst of the Trayvon Martin death investigation, that he will be terminated.

A Run for Parliament in Sierra Leone

2012-06-18 22:01:26

Al-Hassan Kanu, who is running for a seat in the Sierra Leone Parliament, has presented his years in the United States as an asset, but it is unclear if voters will agree. Read More...

John Cabot, Italian Bankers and the New World

2012-06-18 22:01:12

New research shows that the explorer John Cabot had some Italian backers, and possibly did not perish on his last voyage. Read More...

Arsenio Hall to Debut New Late Night Show

2012-06-18 19:32:02

Arsenio Hall is officially coming back to television with a nightly syndicated program. Following long speculation about his new gig, CBS Television Distribution announced on Monday, June 18 that the 56-year-old actor/comedian has signed up to host the yet-to-be-titled late night talk show.

Policemen killed in Var

2012-06-18 19:00:14

The 30 year old man wanted to start a new life in Collobrières, after a tumultuous past. The personality of the alleged murderer of two policemen on Sunday night in a common Var, unfolds gradually. The man, who acknowledged that ...

ANC wishes Thabo Mbeki a happy 70th birthday

2012-06-18 18:54:06

The African National Congress (ANC) wishes the former South African and ANC president, cde Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, a prosperous 70th birthday today, Monday the 18th June 2012.

NWest ANC PEC members removed

2012-06-18 18:37:51

Five members of the North West ANC's leadership were “unconstitutionally” removed from their positions, the party said on Monday. Provincial chairman Supra Mahumapelo and four others were dismissed during the party's meeting at the weekend, African National Congress secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said in a statement. - More

NJ Police Officer Surrenders in Doylestown

2012-06-18 01:30:24

The shooter, Richard Klementovich, 42, surrendered to police shortly before midnight. Police say the suspect was holed up in the home of his estranged wife at 25 Bittersweet Drive for nearly ten hours. Klementovich was the only person inside the home during the standoff, authorities said. - More

Malaysia To Counter Indonesia Palm Oil Tax Cut

2012-06-18 01:05:57

Malaysia, the world’s second-largest palm oil producer, will take steps to help local refiners stay competitive after Indonesia cut export taxes to boost shipments.

Minister of Plantation Industries & Commodities Bernard Dompok will soon present a plan to the government that will include changes in tax structure on palm oil, he told a press conference in Mumbai today, without elaborating. - More

Malaysia Media

Indonesia Media

President Felipe Calderon attend the Busineess 20 (B20)

2012-06-17 15:14:12

Los Cabos, BCS, June 17. - The leaders and rulers of the planet "even remotely" have all the answers to solve the financial crises and questions of global economic and political constraints facing, media, and by their Congress, said Sunday President Felipe Calderon attend the Busineess 20 (B20) in this city. - More

Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal Pullout

2012-06-17 15:09:14

The pullout of Philippine ships from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal would not weaken the country’s claim over the disputed area, the Department of National Defense (DND) said yesterday.

“If the concern is looking into the area, there are other ways of monitoring,” DND spokesman Peter Galvez said. “It will not weaken our claim.”. - More

Romney vague on new Immigration Order

2012-06-17 11:54:32

Mitt Romney has accused Barack Obama of playing politics with immigration, but refused to say whether he would repeal an order halting the deportation of hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants.

The Republican presidential candidate hit out at the White House's move, announced Friday, as a "stop gap" measure, adding he would seek a "long-term solution" to the plight of up to 800,000 young people brought to the US illegally as children. - More

China launches first woman

2012-06-17 06:45:36

A Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft carrying a space veteran and two rookies, including China's first female "taikonaut," rocketed into orbit Saturday on a mission to dock with a prototype space station module, an incremental but critical step on the road to building a Mir-class space station later this decade. - More

Romney Changes Pa. Tour

2012-06-17 06:31:16

Standing in front of his campaign tour bus, Mitt Romney on Saturday told religious conservatives he would do "the opposite" of what President Barack Obama has done on Israel. The Republican changed his schedule for the day on the fly so as to avoid a gather of Democrats, including former Gov. Ed Rendell. - More

Valerie Jarrett Daughter Weds

2012-06-16 16:44:34

Following two crime-filled weekends in Chicago, up to 200 police officers could provide security for a clout-heavy Saturday wedding.

Ahead of another warm weekend, officers were ordered to secure the parameter of the wedding for White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett's daughter, according to Chicago Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed. - More

Lindsay Lohan Tweet

2012-06-16 16:38:34

Note to self.. After working 84hours in 4days, and being up all night shooting, be very aware that you might pass out from exhaustion & 7 paramedics MIGHT show up at your door... Hopefully they're cute. Otherwise it would be a real let down. XL @mrsalperez-back on set.

Crown Prince Nayef death reopens succession question

2012-06-16 16:32:52

CROWN Prince Nayef, who rose to become next in line to the throne of Saudi Arabia in October 2011, after the death of his brother Sultan, has died.

He was in his late 70s. With a reputation for being a hard-liner and a conservative, as interior minister, Nayef spearheaded Saudi Arabia’s fierce crackdown crushing al-Qaeda’s branch in the country after the 9/11 attacks. - More

Obama: Stop deportation of young immigrants

2012-06-15 09:26:09

The Obama administration has announced a dramatic move to placate the rising anger of Hispanic communities across America by offering a partial Dream Act to young law-abiding immigrants without documents who will now no longer live under the threat of deportation and will have the right to work. - More

Chris Brown Hands Over Physical Evidence

2012-06-15 06:10:49

Chris Brown and his lawyer Mark Geragos have submitted "physical evidence" to the New York Police Department that they say implicates Drake and his entourage were indeed involved in an altercation. - More

Trauma Surgeon Wanted

2012-06-14 14:58:49

A trauma surgeon and former military weapons expert continued early Thursday to elude authorities who began searching for him shortly after the fatal shooting of a receptionist at the Buffalo hospital where they worked. Police warned that Dr. Timothy Jorden may be armed and should be considered dangerous. - More

Baden-Clay faces court

2012-06-14 01:12:22

The arrest The investigation The Baden-Clay marriage Gerard Baden-Clay will spend his first night in a Queensland prison in a medical centre under observation, after being charged with the murder of his wife Allison. - More

Nigeria: $3m Bribery Scandal

2012-06-14 01:08:41

There are strong indications that the emergency session to be convened by the House of Representatives tomorrow is aimed at saving the leadership of the House, LEADERSHIP can authoritatively reveal. - More

Butsoy enters Philippines

2012-06-14 00:58:10

Tropical Storm Butsoy (international codename: Guchol) has entered the Philippine area of responsibility Thursday morning, the state weather bureau said. - More

Alleged victims tell jury their Sandusky stories

2012-06-14 00:45:25

As a 10-year-old boy, the man now known as Victim No. 5 was recommended to The Second Mile charity, not because he had a difficult home life, but because a school counselor thought it would be a good idea for him to socialize with people who spoke English, since his parents spoke Polish in their home. - More

SPIN METER: Romneys public, private jobs claims

2012-06-14 00:41:11

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's frequent remarks about the nation's unemployment problem have long included one curiosity, if not an outright contradiction: It's bad for private-sector workers to lose their jobs, he says, but it's often good for government workers to do so. - More

NIH announces mapping of human bacterial pop

2012-06-13 21:28:10

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced the first major results of a 5-year project to identify and analyze all the bacterial species carried by healthy humans, revealing, among other things, that nearly all healthy people routinely harbor pathogens. - More

Bonobos closer to humans than chimps

2012-06-13 20:36:44

Scientists have cracked the genetic code of the bonobo and found the ape had some DNA encryption more in common with humans than even its closest relative, the chimpanzee. - More

Rio+20 Sustainable Development

2012-06-13 18:56:02

President Dilma Rousseff today opened Rio +20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, at Brazil's giant pavilion in Athletes Park opposite Riocentro, the main seat of the conference meetings. President Rousseff urged compromise among all countries of the world to achieve sustainable development goals, especially the developed nations facing economic crises. - More

Suu Kyi Heads To Europe

2012-06-13 18:50:09

Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to leave for Europe Wednesday on her first trip to the continent in decades. - More

Lance Armstrong accused of doping

2012-06-13 17:03:16

The US Anti-Doping Agency has brought doping charges against champion Lance Armstrong that may cost him his record seven Tour de France titles, the cyclist said. Armstrong has also been slapped with an immediate ban from competing in triathlons organised by the World Triathlon Corporation. - More

UN Envoy Visits Burma Conflict

2012-06-13 06:26:19

Vijay Nambiar, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy to Burma, traveled Wednesday to Rakhine state, where ethnic and sectarian clashes erupted earlier this month. - More

Ron Barber wins special election, Giffords' former seat

2012-06-12 23:30:08

It's a race for Congress that the entire nation has been watching, and we now know who will fill Gabrielle Gifford's House seat. Ron Barber, who worked as Giffords' aid and was injured in the Tucson shooting, is the winner of the District 8 race. He has about 52 percent of the votes; 86 percent of precincts have turned in their results. - More

Rival allies talk President

2012-06-12 19:33:57

The process to elect the next president formally kicked off today with the Election Commission announcing July 19 as the date of polling for the successor to President Pratibha Patil in Rashtrapati Bhawan. - More

Rosoboronexport to Continue Arms Supplies to Syria

2012-06-12 19:07:03

Russia’s state-controlled arms trader Rosoboronexport intends to fulfill its contract for the supply of armaments to Syria, Rosoboronexport Deputy CEO Igor Sevastyanov said on Tuesday. - More

George Zimmermans Wife Arrested

2012-06-12 15:00:01

Ho-lee WOW. George Zimmerman's wife, Shellie, has been arrested for perjury. Remember when Shellie testified at her husband's bail hearing that she couldn't afford to cover a high-priced bond? - More

Israel arrests 213 immigrants in mass round-up

2012-06-12 11:52:37

Israel's immigration police have arrested 213 people, more than half of them from South Sudan, in a series of raids aimed at rounding up and deporting illegal immigrants, officials said on Tuesday.

Officials from the Population and Migration Authority said a total of 140 people had been arrested on Sunday and Monday, with another 73 picked up in nationwide raids on Tuesday morning. - More

Alleged victim testifies...counselor didn't believe him

2012-06-12 10:41:43

The teenager whose report of sexual abuse spawned a grand jury investigation into Jerry Sandusky has told jurors that a guidance counselor didn't initially believe him because the former Penn State assistant football coach has a "heart of gold." - More

Ohio boy tells police father killed his mother on 911 call

2012-06-12 10:38:39

Barely holding back his sobs, a 13-year-old boy makes a heart-rending 911 call to the Grove City Police Department in Ohio. "My dad just killed my mom. He just told me to call you guys," the boy is heard telling a 911 dispatcher. "He just ran outside and killed my mom. And she's laying in the grass in front of the apartment." - More

Mexico visit to El Salvador

2012-06-12 00:40:28

San Salvador, El Salvador (Agency). - El Salvador expects to stay tonight with victory over Mexico in the middle enthusiasm after he took valuable 2-2 to Costa Rica on Friday to take hold in the CONCACAF qualifying for the Brazil World 2014. - More

Hichilema storms Katangas office

2012-06-12 00:25:48

UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema yesterday stormed the office of Lusaka Province police commissioner Charity Katanga to demand an explanation about why last week’s demonstration by his party youths was stopped by police. - More

Retail Crime a Huge Problem

2012-06-12 00:05:07

Organized theft is rising across the country, and the D.C. area is among the hardest hit, a survey says. The Washington Examiner reports that the Baltimore-Washington region ranks second among the top 10 cities plagued by organized retail crime, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. The high ranking reportedly stems from the area's dense population and access to interstates. - More

Cameron Leaves 8 Year Old Daughter

2012-06-11 06:02:01

Downing Street have confirmed today that in a recent mix up, Prime Minister David Cameron’s eight-year-old daughter, Nancy, was left alone in a local pub for around 15 minutes when her each of her parents believed her to be with the other. - More

Commerce Secretary Cited For Hit-And-Run

2012-06-11 05:58:56

No one was seriously injured when Secretary John Bryson allegedly hit two cars -- one of them twice -- while driving Saturday in Southern California. Police say neither drugs nor alcohol appear to have been involved. - More

Josephine: Pena represents authoritarianism

2012-06-10 19:29:38

Enrique Peña Nieto , candidate of the PRI-PVEM, insisted during his participation the center of his proposal is that Mexicans earn more.

Speaking at the first block to be discussed, "Politics and government," the candidate said that during his government has the right to health, education for every child and young person can study until high school, and better job for all Mexicans. - More

Aquino back with $2.5 billion

2012-06-10 19:24:10

Saying that his weeklong trip did not go to waste, President Benigno Aquino on Sunday returned home bringing with him $2.5 billion, or P100 billion, in British and American investments in the country.

The President arrived shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday after being away for a week on a trip to London, which the Palace said cost P87.1 million, and to Washington, where he met with US President Barack Obama. - More

Thune a sleeper candidate for GOP ticket

2012-06-09 22:13:14

If John Thune wants to dampen speculation he is among the top contenders to be Mitt Romney’s running mate this fall, he’s got work to do. With Romney having amassed the requisite amount of delegates to become the Republican presidential nominee... - More

Horrors at Massacre Site

2012-06-08 21:22:27

The smell of burnt flesh hung in the air and body parts lay scattered in the deserted Syrian hamlet of Mazraat al-Qubeir on Friday, U.N. monitors said after visiting the site where 78 people were reported massacred two days ago. - More

Hacker claims to have hack old Romney Email

2012-06-07 09:25:36

A hacker allegedly accessed Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's old Hotmail email account and a DropBox account he used for file sharing.

On Tuesday, June 5, the anonymous hacker sent an email to the New York-based media news blog Gawker that claimed he or she had figured out Romney's Hotmail password and then changed it. - More

Syria blocks UN observers

2012-06-07 09:17:19

BEIRUT: Syrian troops blocked United Nations observers on Thursday from reaching the site of a new mass killing where the opposition claims regime forces slaughtered at least 78 people including women and children, the chief of the UN monitoring mission said. - More

Mubaraks health said to be precarious

2012-06-06 08:08:41

Security officials say the health of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has entered a "dangerous" phase.

The officials at Torah prison south of Cairo said Mubarak, 84, was suffering from shock and was experiencing breathing problems. They said doctors had to aid Mubarak's breathing with a respirator on five separate occasions on Wednesday. - More

Nigerian Forces Say Shootout Kills 16 Militants

2012-06-05 23:16:59

Nigerian forces say they have killed 16 suspected Islamic militants in a shootout in the northeastern city of Maiduguri.

The Nigerian Joint Task Force field commander, Colonel Victor Ebhaleme, said the fighting late Tuesday occurred around the densely populated Lawan Bukar and Shehuri areas of the city. He said Nigerian forces seized weapons and ammunition from the suspects and destroyed some of their home-made bombs. - More

Nigeria Media

Kirchner: Improve the energy system

2012-06-05 23:03:21

President Cristina Kirchner said yesterday that the "great challenge" that has his government ahead "to improve the Argentine energy system" after the country was forced to import fuel by almost 10,000 million in 2011. - More

Argentine Media - www.eNewsReference.com

The ghosts of Mexico's past

2012-06-05 20:57:15

Exhausted by the war on drugs, the country is on the verge of electing the PRI, a party notorious for its autocratic, corruption-plagued rule. Simeon Tegel reports from Mexico City - More

Zenawi Ditches His Yemeni Relative, Gaddafi

2012-06-05 19:31:11

In his most recent interview made available online by AfricanArguements.org, Atse Meles Zenawi, the head of regime of the Ethiopian empire, boosts about the totalitarian reach of the Empire-State into every household in the empire as:

“Unlike all previous governments our writ runs in every village. That has never happened in the history of Ethiopia. The state was distant, irrelevant. You paid tribute from time to time and if you didn’t like it you rebelled. That’s the history of Ethiopia.”

Ethiopian News

Putin arrives for key China visit

2012-06-04 23:19:38

Russian President Vladimir Putin is beginning a three-day visit to China, with energy and foreign policy expected to dominate the agenda. Putin said ahead of the trip that he wanted to further boost booming bilateral trade, which reached $84bn (£55bn) last year. - More

Russian News

Chinese iron ore traders Abducted

2012-06-04 23:10:59

MANILA, Philippines — Officials say two Chinese iron ore traders have been abducted in the restive southern Philippines. Military spokesman Capt. Albert Caber says six gunmen snatched the traders from their house in Kabasalan township late Monday. The getaway vehicle was later found burned in a nearby village. No ransom demand has been received so far. - More

Philippines News

Ethiopia Receives $80 Million Loan

2012-06-04 23:05:17

Ethiopia has received an 80 million dollar soft loan for a project to construct and expand electric power transmission lines from EDCF, South Korean state bank announced the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation. - More

Ethiopian News

Clinton: Romney Would Be Calamitous

2012-06-04 19:33:07

Lending his fundraising prowess to President Obamas re-election campaign, Bill Clinton warned top donors in New York tonight that Mitt Romney would be calamitous for our country and the world. - More

Springfield, Mass. police officer killed

2012-06-04 19:17:09

(NECN: Josh Brogadir) – A 36-year veteran of the Springfield, Mass. police department was shot and killed Monday afternoon. Officer Kevin Ambrose responded to a domestic dispute call, when he was shot and killed upon arriving at 90 Lawton Street, the Lawton Arms Apartment complex. - More

Springfield News

Romneys Opening Debate Statement

2012-06-04 13:38:48

Romney's Political Cartoon ('Opening Debate Statement')

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Tripoli airport closed

2012-06-04 13:15:26

Armed militias stormed Tripoli international airport on Monday in a protest against the reported kidnapping of their leader. The militias, from Tarhuna, 40 miles south of Tripoli, captured the airport, firing shots as their jeeps careered across the runway in front of planes waiting to take off, forcing international flights to be diverted to the capital's military airport. - More

Libya News

Scott Walkers competence is winning

2012-06-04 12:26:50

To Republicans, Scott Walker is a man of steel holding the line against the liberal rabble. To Democrats, he’s a union-busting, economic Neanderthal who represents the very worst of the Tea Party. - More

Sandusky Accusers Will Be Named

2012-06-04 12:12:50

Alleged victims of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky will have to testify using their real names, and tweets or other electronic communications by reporters will not be permitted during the trial, the judge ruled Monday. - More

Banned in China on Tiananmen Anniversary

2012-06-04 11:27:46

Each year, the Communist Party’s censors go to remarkable lengths to prevent Chinese citizens from accessing, or spreading, their memories of what happened on June 4, 1989, when an unknown number of people were killed during a military crackdown on pro-democracy protests in the centre of Beijing. Since Sunday night, even simple numbers like 6 (the month of June), 4 (the date) and 89 have been banned search terms on Chinese social-networking sites. - More

Planet Venus

2012-06-04 11:18:38

Event Seven Venus transits have occurred since the invention of the telescope in 1631, 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874 and 1882 and 2004. In this century it will happen for the last time tomorrow. - More

Madden 13 and FIFA 13 with Kinect

2012-06-04 11:15:29

EA Sports's two juggernaut sports franchises, FIFA and Madden, will be "powered by Kinect" this fall. During Microsoft's E3 press conference, a demo of FIFA 13 showed that substitutions can be made and formations can be called via voice control with Kinect. No longer will players need to pause gameplay and flip through menu screens to manage their team. They'll just need to talk to the television. - More

Samsung Galaxy S III Smartphone

2012-06-04 11:09:10

Sprint and T-Mobile have announced they'll begin selling the Samsung Galaxy S III June 21. Samsung said Verizon, AT&T and U.S. Mobile will also offer the large and distinctive smartphone, though they've yet to confirm the date. - More

Microsofts Smart Glass

2012-06-04 11:06:33

Microsoft has shown off a new multiscreen entertainment platform called Smart Glass. Unveiled today at Microsoft's keynote speech at the E3 gaming expo, the platform allows users to play video and other media from their mobile devices on their big-screen television, thanks to the Xbox 360. In addition, it acts as a mobile companion to enhance gameplay. - More

The Duke of Edinburgh

2012-06-04 10:31:08

The Duke, 90, (Prince Phillip) will spend the next few days at King Edward VII Hospital in London after being taken there by ambulance from Windsor Castle.

He was said to be "disappointed" that he would miss the remainder of the Jubilee weekend, which culminates tomorrow with a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral and a carriage procession through the capital.

World Briefing | The Americas: Canada: A Diamond Takes Forever

2012-05-18 17:54:19

A man accused of stealing a $20,000 diamond and swallowing it is being held in custody in Windsor, Ontario, until it passes through his system, the police say. Read More...

Putin seeking control in Russian cabinet selection

2012-05-18 17:51:52

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin will likely name allies to key economic posts when he unveils his new cabinet on Monday, asserting control over the government in a move that could hamstring reforms backed by his more liberal premier. Read More...

G8 leaders look to head off euro zone crisis

2012-05-18 17:50:15

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leaders of major industrial economies meet this weekend to try to tackle a full-blown crisis in Europe where fears are growing that Greece could leave the euro zone bloc, threatening the future of the common currency. Read More...

Syria forces kill two in Damascus as thousands rally

2012-05-18 17:50:10

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shot two protesters in the capital Damascus on Friday and fired in the air to break up thousands of anti-government demonstrators in the commercial hub of Aleppo, activists said. Read More...

Sessegnon headlines Benin squad

2012-05-18 17:50:09

Benin's French coach Manuel Amoros names a 21-man squad for next month's 2014 World Cup qualifier at home to Mali. Read More...

Iran may seek "tactical gain" with U.N. nuclear deal

2012-05-18 17:50:08

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog are making headway towards a framework deal on how to tackle concerns about its atomic activity, diplomats say, a potential bargaining chip for Tehran in next week's negotiations with world powers. Read More...

Ex

2012-05-18 17:50:08

CAIRO (Reuters) - One is a former military man proud of his links to the Hosni Mubarak era and the other a Muslim Brotherhood leader offering a dramatic break with the past. Both are polarizing Egyptians in their bid to become president. Read More...

G8 leaders look to head off euro zone crisis

2012-05-18 17:50:07

World royals join Queen for lunch

2012-05-18 17:50:07

Swaziland's King Mswati III is among controversial monarchs expected at a Diamond Jubilee lunch hosted by The Queen later. Read More...