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Dozens killed as tornado hits Oklahoma

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:11:18 -0400

WASHINGTON - A massive tornado ripped through parts of Oklahoma city and its suburbs in the United States killing at least 24 people, including nine children, besides leaving scores homeless. As winds at over 320 kilometers per hour (kmph) flattened homes and businesses and severely damaged a hospital and two elementary school, the death toll was earlier said to be more than 90 but it was ...

US president lauds Thein Sein for Myanmar reforms but urges end to violence against Muslims

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:16:52 -0400

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama praised the reforms of Myanmar leader Thein Sein but urged him to end violence against Muslims. Sein is the country's first president to visit the White House in almost half a century. Speaking from the US capital Monday Obama said he recognized Sein's work to guide Myanmar down "a long and sometimes difficult, but ultimately correct, path to follow." ...

Six Afghan policemen killed in Herat bombing

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:21:19 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan - At least six Afghan policemen guarding a strategically important dam were killed in a roadside bombing Tuesday in the war-torn country's western province of Herat, officials said. They said that suspected Taliban insurgents triggered the explosion when a police patrol vehicle heading to Herat city was travelling in the Chashti Shareef district of the province. "There ...

Genocide conviction of former Guatemala dictator overturned

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:16:15 -0400

GUATEMALA CITY - The constitutional court of Guatemala has ordered that the genocide trial of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt should be taken back to the middle of proceedings, thus overturning his conviction and sentencing to 80 years in prison. The ruling on Monday doesn't annul the entire trial of the case but the top court has ordered that whatever happened after April 19 should be ...

Chinese boat with 16 fishermen freed by North Korea

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:21:12 -0400

PYONGYANG - A Chinese boat and 16 fishermen held by armed North Koreans for more than two weeks have been released, easing the latest tension in relations between the neighbouring allies. Owner Yu Xuejun, who was not on board the boat when it was seized on 5 May, wrote on his microblog that his captain called him at 3.50am to say the crew and boat were set free and that they were on their way ...

Work starts on creation of new Dubai island

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:26:18 -0400

Work began on Monday on the development of a man-made island in Dubai, 500 metres directly opposite the Jumeirah Beach Residence complex. To be known as Bluewaters Island, the new development will house five star hotels and resorts, al fresco dining and entertainment zones, and residential apartments and villas. The focal point of the island city, which will cost $1.6 billion, will be a 688 ...

Afghanistan Seeks Military Aid from India

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:07 -0400

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has met with Indian leaders in hopes of securing more military aid before international troops leave the country next year. Mr. Karzai held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late Tuesday in New Delhi, after meeting with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee. The Afghan president is expected to seek India's assistance to help strengthen Afghan security ...

Microsoft Unveils New Xbox One Game Console

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:05 -0400

REDMOND, WASHINGTON Microsoft Corp gave the world the first look at its new game console on Tuesday, hoping the Xbox One will attract existing video game fans while also becoming a hub for living room entertainment. The third-generation Microsoft console, coming eight years after the Xbox 360, was unveiled by games unit chief Don Mattrick at an event at the software company's campus ...

Kerry Mideast Talks on Syria to Include Russian Call for Involving Iran

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

STATE DEPARTMENT U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in the Middle East this week for talks to promote an international peace conference on Syria. Russia wants Iran to be part of the process. In this fight for control of Syria, Iran is one of the biggest backers of embattled President Bashar al-Assad. So Russia says Iran should be part of the peace process. "Iran has ...

Group to Take Nigeria Government to International Court

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) will file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Nigeria's government of human rights violations, according to spokesman Ango Abdullahi. "What we are doing now is to organize our evidence that would make it possible for us to make a very strong case against the government and its agencies, or up to individuals who may be ...

British Open squash World no.1 Nicol too hot for Joshana

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:10:02 -0400

World No.1 and defending champion Nicol David outclassed India's Joshana Chinappa in the first round of the Allam British Open Squash Championships here Tuesday. The Malaysian squash great took 30 minutes to get past her 26th ranked opponent 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 at the KC Stadium. Joshana had qualified for the main draw. Dipika Pallikal, India's highest ranked player at 15, plays her first round ...

2018 World Cup infrastructure inadequate

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:00:02 -0400

Russia is struggling to beef up its hospitality infrastructure ahead of the 2018 World Cup, with seven of the 11 host cities lagging behind in the number of hotel rooms on offer. Only Moscow, Sochi, St. Petersburg and Kazan meet the FIFA requirement of 60,000 hotel rooms for host cities, World Cup deputy CEO Alexander Djordjadze said Tuesday at the Football Build Expo here. "It's no secret that ...

Hyundai Motor commences Trophy Tour for ICC Champions Trophy 2013

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:03 -0400

...

Anderson most skillful fast bowler in the world England bowling coach David Saker

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:30:04 -0400

England's bowling coach David Saker has described Jimmy Anderson as the most skillful bowler in the world, following the latter's astounding display during the Lord's Test against New Zealand. The ICC ratings place Steyn at number one, while Anderson languishes at sixth place, more than a hundred ranking points behind. But Saker admits that despite Steyn being an outstanding bowler, Jimmy has ...

India expects greater backing from Russia in UNSC quest

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:30:02 -0400

India, with its "time-tested relationship" with Russia, expects greater backing from Moscow in its quest for permanent membership of the UN Security Council, a diplomatic officical said here Tuesday. "India's interest in securing permanent membership of UN Security Council is supported by Russia, but there is now an expectation that our Russian friends need to do more - and be seen to be doing ...

4 killed 68 wounded in bomb attacks in Iraq

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:30:02 -0400

Beijing, May 21 (Xinhua-ANI): At least four people were killed and 68 others wounded in deadly bomb attacks in war-torn Iraq on Tuesday, police said. At least three people were killed and more than 43 others wounded when two car bombs exploded in the Hussein district in Tuz Khormato, some 170 km north of Baghdad, a police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The blasts caused ...

Spain not yet on Brazils level Iniesta

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:10:01 -0400

Andres Iniesta says Spain cannot yet claim to be on the same pedestal as Brazil in football's international hierarchy. The Barcelona midfielder has been a key member of a Spain team that has won the two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup. In an interview with Brazilian daily O Globo, Iniesta said Brazil had maintained a unique aura owing to the country's rich football history. "To ...

2018 FIFA World Cup stadium may be delayed until 2017

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:00:02 -0400

The completion date for Zenit St. Petersburg's $1.1 billion stadium has been put back again and it may not open until 2017, a decade after construction work began, the head of the government agency auditing the project said. The stadium is to host a 2018 World Cup semifinal, but the new date means there could be a rush to prepare it for scheduled Confederations Cup games in 2017. "The ...

Russia announces cash prizes for World University medallists

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:30:02 -0400

Russia's federal government will pay out roughly $5,400 to Russian gold medallists at this summer's University Games in the Russian city of Kazan, according to a decree signed Tuesday by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Silver medallists, meanwhile, will receive a bonus of just over $2,600, while bronze medallists will earn about $1,600, as Russia looks to finish first in the medal table for the ...

High public debt raises fiscal crisis risk IMF official

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:10:01 -0400

An official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned here that high public debt would raise the possibility of fiscal crisis. "We tend to underestimate the cost of fiscal crises before they occur," Carlo Cottarelli, director of IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department, said Monday during a luncheon speech hosted by the Washington-based think tank Peterson Institute for International Economics ...

Indian sand artist wins Danish grand prize

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:50:02 -0400

Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the Danish 'grand prize' at the 2nd Copenhagen International Sand sculpture festival 2013 for his 15-foot coloured sand sculpture created on the "Go green, Save Earth" theme. Pattnaik got the award Monday at the prestigious festival being held in Denmark's capital city for his maiden coloured sand sculpture on foreign land. It took him seven days to ...

Zardari holds national international conspiracies responsible for PPPs defeat in polls

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:40:02 -0400

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has claimed that "conspiracies" hatched by national and international institutions led to the Pakistan Peoples Party's defeat in the general elections. The News quoted Zardari, as saying that the PPP could have won 40-45 seats in the Punjab. He added that his party would play the role of opposition with full vigour. Zardari said he could not take part in ...

Chicago man crushes Ferris Wheel ride world record

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:10:01 -0400

A man from Chicago rode Ferris Wheel for more than two days - 384 times, up and around - to break the existing world record. Clinton Shepherd, a park operations manager of Chicago's Navy Pier, who spent 48 hours, 8 minutes and 25 seconds riding Navy Pier's Ferris wheel over the weekend, said that he thought that Chicago - birthplace of the ride - should have the title, People magazine reported. ...

US report says discrimination against Jews Muslims on rise across globe

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:50:01 -0400

Discrimination against Jews and Muslims is on the rise around the world, according to a new report in the US. The annual US Department of State report for 2012 has revealed an increase in anti-Islamic sentiment in Europe and Asia. The report also said there was growing anti-Semitism, especially in Venezuela, Egypt and Iran. According to the BBC, the International Religious Freedom Report noted ...

Indo- Swiss bilateral meet held at Geneva

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:30:03 -0400

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad and Minister of Health Switzerland Alain Berset held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of World Health Assembly at Geneva with the aim of giving further impetus to cooperation in the field of healthcare. Speaking on the occasion, Azad said that friendship between India and Switzerland goes as back as Independence of India, strongly ...

World Bank UN chiefs to visit African Great Lakes region

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:01 -0400

The World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will make a joint visit to Africa's Great Lakes region, a World Bank statement said Monday. The visit is to be undertaken in support of a landmark peace agreement and to push for economic development in the troubled region. "The visit will draw attention to the plight of fragile and conflict-affected countries ...

In Kabul UNESCO chief spotlights Afghanistans educational and cultural gains

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:16:34 -0400

20 May 2013 150 Education is not against any religion, the head of the United Nations educational and cultural agency told Afghan authorities and families during a visit to the country to promote learning for women and girls, and to highlight the importance of Afghan cultural heritage as a vital economic asset. "Providing education to girls and women is not against religious beliefs," said ...

UN praises Bangladeshs preparedness response to tropical storm Mahasen

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:15:27 -0400

20 May 2013 150 The United Nations has commended the work carried out by the Bangladeshi Government ahead of tropical storm Mahasen, which hit the country last Thursday, noting it saved thousands of lives. "While tropical storm Mahasen reached the coastline of Bangladesh on Thursday weaker than anticipated, the preparedness work undertaken by the Government and humanitarian partners saved ...

Indigenous culture youth among key topics as UN permanent forum opens 12th session

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:15:18 -0400

20 May 2013 150 Around 2,300 indigenous participants are expected to discuss culture, education and health during the 12th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which will include a special focus on youth, indigenous groups in Africa and the importance of strengthening ties with international financial institutions. "We must have a better understanding of the ...

Wave of Attacks Kills At Least 76 in Iraq

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:15:02 -0400

A wave of car bombings and suicide attacks against Shi'ite Muslims ripped through Iraqi cities Monday, killing at least 76 people and wounding scores more, extending the worst sectarian violence since U.S. troops withdrew from the country in December 2011. The attacks increased the number of Iraqis killed in sectarian clashes over the past week to more than 200, including 70 who died Friday in ...

Ignoring warnings North Korea continues to fire projectiles

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:25:10 -0400

PYONGYANG - North Korea continued to fire short range projectiles into waters off its east coast for a third straight day on Monday, officials here said, despite warnings from the US and South Korea against increasing tensions. The North has conducted six such firings since Saturday, in what are believed to be tests of short-range guided missiles or rockets from multiple launchers, officials ...

India and China agree to boost trade and paper over border differences

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:19:57 -0400

NEW DELHI - India and China Monday played down a recent border stand-off and agreed to maintain peace along their disputed boundary as well as boost economic relations. Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, who decided to make India the first stop of his maiden foreign jaunt as premier, stressed that the population of the two nations comprised one third of the world. Both countries have seen ...

Former Pakistani military dictator Musharraf granted bail

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:10:36 -0400

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Former Pakistani military dictator Pervez Musharraf was Monday granted bail in a case related to the assassination of ex premier Benazir Bhutto. Musharraf has been under house arrest because he is accused of failing to provide adequate security for Bhutto who was murdered in a bomb and gun attack in December 2007 while campaigning for elections. The assassination ...

Over 60 killed in Iraq terror attacks

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:05:19 -0400

BAGHDAD, Iraq - More than 60 people, including Iranian Shia pilgrims, were killed in a series of car bombings and shootings across Iraq Monday, officials said. The worst hit in Monday's violence was Baghdad where eight car bombs and a roadside bomb ripped through bus stops, marketplaces and other crowded areas in Shia neighbourhoods. The attacks left 12 people dead and 109 wounded, a senior ...

23 militants of Hezbollah group killed in clash with Syrian rebels

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:58:56 -0400

BEIRUT, Lebanon - At least 23 elite fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, fighting alongside the Syrian government troops, were killed near the Lebanese border Monday, an activist group said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks Syria's war, said more than 100 Hezbollah members also have been wounded in the fighting around the opposition-held ...

Sadden by Death Destruction from Oklahoma Tornados Secretary-General Offers Condolences to Victims United Nations Assistance with Recovery Efforts

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:12:32 -0400

The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to hear of the death and destruction in Oklahoma City as a result of ...

International markets roundup

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:11:55 -0400

A roundup of trading on major world markets:NEW YORK - US stocks closed higher after a strong earnings report from Home Depot and as the market anticipates Wednesday's testimony in Congress by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.At the closing bell on Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 52.99 (0.35 per cent) to 15,388.27.The broad-based S&P 500 added 2.90 (0.17 per cent) to ...

PRI’s The World 05212013

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:11:54 -0400

Tuesday on The World, the aftermath of the deadly Oklahoma tornado. Also, Apple Computer’s low global tax payments are causing trouble for Irish authorities accused of giving Apple a special tax deal. And, artists in Cairo take advantage of distracted Egyptian authorities and install provocative public ...

Europe’s New Olive Oil Law Seen by Many as Meddling

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:11:52 -0400

The European Union has banned traditional, unlabeled olive oil flasks like this one in Spain from restaurants starting in 2013. (Photo: Gerry ...

World G4S chief quits after series of embarrassments

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:10:06 -0400

Nick Buckles, 52, who has led the company for eight years, will be succeeded at the end of the month by Chief Financial Officer Ashley Almanza, a former executive of oil and gas firm BG Group who joined in ...

World not ready for mass flu outbreak WHO

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:09:32 -0400

The world is unprepared for a massive virus outbreak, the deputy chief of the World Health Organization has warned, amid fears that H7N9 bird flu striking China could morph into a form that spreads easily among people.Keiji Fukuda told delegates at a WHO meeting that despite efforts since an outbreak of another form of avian influenza, H1N1, in 2009-10, far more contingency planning was ...

Nigeria Islamic extremist inmates to be released

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:09:29 -0400

ENUGU, Nigeria -; Nigeria's military says the West African nation is prepared to release some of the prisoners it has taken in the country's fight against Islamic ...

Car bomb other attacks kill 20 in Iraq

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:09:28 -0400

In this photo taken on Monday, May 20, 2013, Ali Karim weeps over his daughter's coffin before her burial in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq. A wave of car bombings across Baghdad's Shiite neighborhoods and in the southern city of Basra killed and wounded dozens of people, police said. (AP Photo/ Alaa ...

Iraq violence kills 18

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:09:25 -0400

Violence in Iraq, including a bombing near a mosque, has killed 18 people officials say, the latest in a spate of unrest that has cost more than 370 lives so far this month. Tuesday's bomb near a mosque in Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad, killed five people and wounded at least 16, officials said. Dozens of mosques have been attacked so far this year, including two Shi'ite places of ...

Have driver will travel US golfer roams world

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:09:21 -0400

Peter Uihlein, of the US, putts on the 18th hole during the last round of the Madeira Islands Open Sunday, May 19 2013, at the Santo da Serra golf course, in Machico, Portugal. Uihlein shot a 15-under-par total of 273 to win the tournament. (AP Photo/Helder ...

Pat Metheny And John Zorn A Vivid Sound World

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:06:51 -0400

unites these two known opposites of instrumental music, and the result is often intensely visual. (If for some reason a Hollywood film director asks me to suggest music to accompany an exotic Orient Express railroad caper, I'll be ready.) Metheny has been making records for more than 30 years. Whether he's playing some sunny Brazilian fantasy with his Group, or exploring in a more ...

Kumasi Fans To Boycott Ghana’s World Cup Qualifier Against Zambia

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:58:31 -0400

Some Kumasi fans plan to boycott Ghana's potential World Cup decider against Zambia in protest against a Ghana FA ban on Kumasi Asante Kotoko following recent violence at their home match. The Porcupine Warriors have been in the news for all the wrong reasons after the Baba Yara stadium was temporarily shut down by the Ghanaian FA due to crowd violence. Irate fans of the club attacked ...

Israel warns Syria of consequences if Golan fire continues

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:57:18 -0400

The head of Israel's armed forces warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday of "consequences" if fire continues from Syrian territory against Israeli troops in the occupied Golan ...

St. Petersburg on List of World’s Best Travel Spots

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:51:55 -0400

WASHINGTON, May 21 (RIA Novosti) – Nestled on the Baltic Sea and often described as one of the most Western cities in Russia, St. Petersburg has a new place of honor as one of the top travel destinations in the world, according to the 2013 Travelers’ Choice Destinations awards released Tuesday by the popular online travel website TripAdvisor. "St. Petersburg is a fantastic ...

Dozens killed by 200 mph tornado

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:51:42 -0400

Gary Bird said he is "98% sure" there are no more survivors or bodies to recover under the rubble in Moore.Mr Bird says every damaged home has been searched at least once, and that his goal is to conduct three searches of each location just to be sure.He is hopeful the work could be completed by nightfall, though heavy rains have slowed efforts and soaked debris piles.Mr Bird says no ...

Zoo auctions off chance to name worlds biggest spider

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:43:16 -0400

If you want to name the world's biggest spider you better get in fast. Wellington Zoo has put a new listing on Trade Me, giving bidders the opportunity to name their newest arrival - a Goliath birdeater tarantula. The arachnid is normally found in the rainforests of South America but is now calling Wellington home as part of the zoo's aim to establish a population here in New ...

Russias Putin out to silence independent voices pollster

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:41:47 -0400

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a meeting on shipbuilding industries in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, May 21, ...

Algerias Bouteflika convalescing in France

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:41:46 -0400

Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika listens to the speech of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi at the start of the third European Union-Africa summit in Tripoli November 29, ...

Gay marriage opponent kills himself in Paris Notre Dame

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:41:46 -0400

PARIS (Reuters) - An 78-year-old French far-right activist committed suicide at the altar of the Notre Dame cathedral on Tuesday by shooting himself in the mouth, three days after a law legalizing same-sex marriage came into ...

Watch Jodi Arias to Donate Hair Recycle If Allowed to Live

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:37:37 -0400

Some months back. Well it -- that this child was brutally. My mom visited me just like. She'd been doing every week since happy. She -- after -- the courthouse. She was idling stop light. And she haven't recovered the car next to her. -- siblings -- in the car. My mom and I was very few moments. -- -- requesting that they would. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- being -- that point home -- ...

IRS Blemish Prompts Senators Scorn

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:37:33 -0400

The testimony from Shulman, who was making his first public appearance since the IRS controversy broke into the open two weeks ago, did not satisfy members of the Senate Finance Committee. He faced more than three hours of stern questioning from Democrats and Republicans, but said ';I don’t believe I was aware'; when asked why he had not informed Congress about potential problems ...

Opinion We love and fear the skies

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:32:35 -0400

>Editor's note: Nathan Gunter is the managing editor of Oklahoma Today magazine, the state's official magazine. A graduate of Westmoore High School in Moore, Oklahoma, he holds degrees from Wake Forest University and the University of Oklahoma.(CNN) -- Oklahomans have a special relationship with the sky. We know how to look up. On the prairies of western Oklahoma, the skies are so big, and so ...

Key senator to let Myanmar sanctions bill lapse

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:25:58 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The top Senate Republican says he plans to let key sanctions legislation against Myanmar (mee-an-MAWR') lapse because of the country's progress toward ...

Updates Rating changed to EF5

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:19:35 -0400

>For local coverage of Monday's devastating storms in Oklahoma, go to these CNN affiliates: KFOR, KOCO, KOKH, KOKI(CNN) -- At least 24 people -- including nine children -- were killed when a massive tornado struck an area outside Oklahoma City on Monday afternoon, officials said. Read more: Heartbreaking scenes in Oklahoma City after disasterAt least seven of those children were killed at ...

The Late Ray Manzarek’s Influence Around the Globe

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:00:26 -0400

Ray Manzarek, keyboard player for the Doors and co-founder of the band with Jim Morrison, died Monday at the age of 74. Manzarek’s sound with the Doors was second only to Morrison’s voice. Whether it was in his solos, as in ';Riders on the Storm'; or the lead lines to ';Light My Fire'; or ';Hello I Love You.'; Since the announcement of Ray ...

The I love you theyll never forget

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:00:25 -0400

>Are you experiencing severe weather in your area? Send photos and videos to CNN iReport. But please remember to stay safe. For local coverage of Monday's devastating storms in Oklahoma, go to these CNN affiliates: KFOR, KOCO, KOKH, KOKIMoore, Oklahoma (CNN) -- Sun was hard to come by in Moore, Oklahoma, Tuesday. The sky still looked menacing, dark and ...

How Iraq can pull back from the brink

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:00:05 -0400

The Samarra terror attack in February 2006 sparked more than a year of sectarian violence that threatened to rip Iraq apart. Last month violence erupted between troops and demonstrators in the northern town of Hawija. Many now ask if history is about to repeat itself. There is certainly much to worry about. Violence increased after Hawija, with more bombings and firefights between security ...

Syrian and Israeli forces exchange fire over the Golan Heights as conflict spreads

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:59:23 -0400

Syrian and Israeli forces exchanged fire over the Golan Heights on Tuesday and the Lebanese militant group Hizbollah sent more reinforcements to help the Assad regime attack a key border town as the conflict spilled further to the country's ...

Streamlined News Agnels Big Move Brazils World Team

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:58:36 -0400

PHOENIX, Arizona, May 21. YANNICK Agnel has been looking around for a place to train in the United States, and it appears he has found it. The French sports newspaper L'Equipe reports that the 200 free Olympic champion will work with Bob Bowman this summer in preparation for a reduced schedule at the world championships. Agnel will only swim relays, stating his search for a place to train ...

UPDATE 2-Bank of Canadas Carney says Europe needs big reforms

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:58:07 -0400

Tue May 21, 2013 3:58pm EDT * Bank of Canada chief says Europe should learn from Japan * Final speech before Carney leaves for Bank of England * Says tightening bias aimed in part at household debt * Says the considerable stimulus now in place is appropriate By Leila Lemghalef MONTREAL, May 21 (Reuters) - Europe could face a decade of stagnation unless it makes big reforms and it should heed the ...

Iran candidate list for presidential race

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:57:31 -0400

COMBO - This combination of eight pictures shows eight candidates approved Tuesday, May 21, 2013 for Iran's June 14 presidential election to replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who cannot run again because of term limits, clockwise from left: Mohammad Gharazi, Mohsen Rezaei, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Saeed Jalili, Ali Akbar Velayati, and Hasan Rowhani, taken between May 9 and ...

Brazil commission says abusers could be tried

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:57:27 -0400

BRASILIA, Brazil -; A Truth Commission investigating human rights abuses under the nation's military dictatorship says that those it finds guilty of torture could be brought to ...

Oakland airport vying for international airlines

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:55:28 -0400

Oakland International Airport could soon land some big international carriers. According to industry sources, the city is in talks with a number of European airlines and close to inking deals with carriers out of Germany, Scandinavia and possibly the U.K. If the deals are sealed, one or two more international flights could be coming and going three to five times daily out of Oakland. Oakland ...

Andy McSmiths Diary Listen children the world really was created in seven days

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:50:12 -0400

Andy McSmith is a senior reporter at The Independent. He has vast experience in political journalism and has also appeared on documentaries for BBC Radio ...

World’s Richest Hedge Fund Managers Traders

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:48:04 -0400

Net worth: $20 billion At 77, Icahn enjoyed another strong run in 2012, beating the U.S. stock market and most hedge fund managers. The investment pool he manages for himself and his employees returned more than 20% in 2012, thanks to bets on Hain Celestial Group and CVR Energy. Icahn, who was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Queens, returned his hedge fund’s outside money in 2011. ...

Former World Bank chief warns Japanese growth may be sugar high

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:44 -0400

WASHINGTON--Former World Bank President Robert Zoellick said Monday that Japan's economic drive needed accompanying structural reforms, voicing fear that recent growth could be just a "sugar ...

Oscar Pistoriuss brother Carl acquitted of culpable homicide and reckless driving over deadly road crash

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:42:53 -0400

South Africa The older brother of South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius has been acquitted of charges of culpable homicide and reckless driving over a deadly road crash five years ago.Carl Pistorius, 28, walked free from Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court, south of Johannesburg.The prosecution said it was hard to prove that a woman motorcyclist he had been accused of killing died ...

Yahoo wants Tumblrs teens

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:40:02 -0400

>Editor's note: Douglas Rushkoff writes a regular column for CNN.com. He is a media theorist and the author of the new book "Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now. "(CNN) -- So why would Yahoo -- the original king of Internet discussion groups -- pay over $1 billion for a simple little blog-publishing tool like Tumblr? Doesn't the giant Web company have the ability to create its own ...

Branding NGOs as Agents is Mistake - Council of Europe Chief

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:39:30 -0400

MOSCOW, May 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has made a mistake by branding some of its NGOs as "foreign agents," Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland said Tuesday following a meeting to discuss the issue with State Duma speaker Sergei ...

Top figures barred from Irans presidential election

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:38:25 -0400

Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, a close confidant of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have been barred from running in next month's presidential election by the Guardian Council. (Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated ...

Apple CEO Tim Cook grilled on Irish tax scandal

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:38:25 -0400

Apple CEO Tim Cook will face questions from U.S. lawmakers Tuesday about how his company managed to keep its tax burden so low in Ireland. (Robert ...

Britain asks EU to put Hezbollah armed wing on terror list

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:36:26 -0400

View Photo Reuters/Reuters - Lebanon's Hezbollah members carry Hezbollah and Lebanese flags as they parade during a rally marking the party's Martyrs Day in Beirut's suburbs November 12, 2012. REUTERS/Sharif ...

World Brief | Middle East Israel Extends Zone for Fishing Off Gaza

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:31:25 -0400

JERUSALEM -- Israel said Tuesday that it would permit Palestinians to fish up to six nautical miles off the Gaza coast, canceling the limit of three nautical miles that was imposed after Gaza militants fired rockets into Israel in ...

Bike Share in New York Built From Ideas Around World

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:31:25 -0400

Clockwise from top left: Ed Alcock for The New York Times; Alex Wong/Getty Images; Facundo Arrizabalaga/European Pressphoto Agency;and Lourdes Segade for The New York ...

Apples Cook feels heat over taxes

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:31:08 -0400

APPLE chief executive Tim Cook has denied using "gimmicks" to dodge corporate taxes as the tech giant came under attack from US lawmakers for using "sham" subsidiaries and "convoluted" strategies to shift profits ...

Popes exorcism of disabled man

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:31:08 -0400

THE question has been swirling ever since Francis laid his hands on Sunday on the head of a young man after celebrating Mass in St. Peter's ...

Woman reunited with dog live on TV

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:31:06 -0400

AN ELDERLY woman whose home was flattened by the Oklahoma tornado was reunited with her dog as she was being interviewed live on ...

Notre Dame evacuated over suicide

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:31:05 -0400

A MAN has shot himself dead in front of the altar of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral, apparently in protest against France allowing gay ...

Driver caught out by hit-and-run tweet

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:31:02 -0400

according to the Guardian .Her remark was retweeted hundreds of times, sparking outrage among cyclist, many of who pointed out that there is no such thing as road tax in Britain.It also led to the woman receiving a tweet from Norwich Police, telling her she should report the incident as soon as ...

Apple denies tax-dodging gimmicks

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:31:01 -0400

APPLE has denied using "gimmicks" to dodge taxes and said it welcomes a review of US fiscal laws after a Senate investigation found it used offshore loopholes to save billions in ...

Should smart kids drop out of school

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:30:59 -0400

This spring, his mum, Penny Mills, let him drop out of 11th grade. She says she "could see how much of the work he was doing at school wasn't relevant to what he wanted to learn."On Monday, Thomas and his mom learned that he is in esteemed company as a high-school dropout with a knack for computers: David Karp, 26, sold Tumblr, the online blogging forum he created, to Yahoo for ...

UK could have a lesbian monarch

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:30:57 -0400

THE debate in Britain over legalising gay marriage has taken a surreal turn after a senior politician said it could result in a lesbian queen giving birth to an heir by artificial ...

Massive sinkhole kills five in China

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:30:56 -0400

FIVE people have died after a 10-metre wide sinkhole opened up at the gates of an industrial estate in Shenzhen, the southern Chinese boom town neighbouring Hong ...

Nigeria says to free all female Boko Haram suspects

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:28:23 -0400

LAGOS, Nigeria, May 21 - Nigeria said on Tuesday it would free a number of detained Islamists, including all female ones, in what a senior security source called a move to build popular support for its offensive against Boko Haram militants entrenched in the ...

World Bank boosts funds for Syria refugees Africa

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:28:21 -0400

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Bank plans substantial new funds to help Jordan cope with the influx of refugees from the civil war in Syria, and hopes new funds for central Africa will cement a peace deal there, the bank's President Jim Yong Kim said on ...

“Todayships” Offer Bronx Teens A Chance To Get A Foot In The Business World’s Door

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:27:46 -0400

Tina Shoulders grew up in the Bronx and ended up as a successful clothing and furniture designer, a career she'd never heard of until college. "The only professionals in our neighborhood were law enforcement, doctors, and social workers," she said. "And the world is so much bigger than that. I want kids to experience it even if only for the day." But to have a dream and ...

Green Globe certifies Dubai’s JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:27:45 -0400

LOS ANGELES, California - Green Globe announces certification of the JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Over the past few years this luxury resort has demonstrated leadership and innovation in the fields of operational efficiency and globally responsible practices on multiple levels. Fredrik Reinisch, General Manager at JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort is passionate about the ...

Car bomb near Sunni mosque in west of Baghdad kills 11 police

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:27:11 -0400

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded near a Sunni mosque in the west of Baghdad killing 11 people on Tuesday, police and medics said. The blast, which took place in Abu Ghraib, also wounded 21 people. Earlier on Tuesday, several bomb blasts killed at least 12 people in Iraq, where Sunni-Shi'ite tensions are running high. (Reporting by Kareem Raheem; editing by Mike ...

Pope criticizes savage capitalism on visit to food kitchen

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:27:10 -0400

Pope Francis criticized what he called "savage capitalism" on a visit to a food kitchen on Tuesday, in an address in which he called for the values of generosity and charity to be revived. "A savage capitalism has taught the logic of profit at any cost, of giving in order to get, of exploitation without thinking of people... and we see the results in the crisis we are ...

LZ Teachers remarkable courage

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:24:29 -0400

>Editor's note: LZ Granderson, who writes a weekly column for CNN.com, was named journalist of the year by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and was a 2011 Online Journalism Award finalist for commentary. He is a senior writer and columnist for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @locs_n_laughs.(CNN) -- Each day more than 55 million students attend the ...

24 people dead including 9 children

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:23:57 -0400

>Are you experiencing severe weather in your area? Send photos and videos to CNN iReport. But please remember to stay safe. For local coverage of Monday's devastating storms in Oklahoma, go to these CNN affiliates: KFOR, KOCO and KOKH. Moore, Oklahoma (CNN) -- Amid downed power lines, hissing gas pipes and immense devastation, rescuers searched "board by board" Tuesday for survivors and ...

Group Files First Suit Against IRS

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:23:50 -0400

filed suit today against the agency in federal court in Washington, D.C., seeking damages and the granting of their long-delayed tax-exempt status application. True the Vote, a Houston-based voter watchdog ...

PHOTOS Billion Dollar Natural Disasters

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:23:50 -0400

The tornadoes that struck the Midwest this week, killing dozens and destroying hundreds of homes and schools in the Oklahoma City-suburb of Moore, likely caused more than $1 billion in damages. And it's not just tornadoes that wreak this kind of havoc. From wildfires to hurricanes, the country has suffered dozens of natural disasters that have left billions of dollars of damage in their ...

Boston Bombing Probe Heads to Russia

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:23:49 -0400

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MOSCOW – A delegation of American lawmakers will travel to Russia next week in part to investigate last month’s Boston Marathon bombings, ABC News has learned. The group, led by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., wants to find out why a 2011 Russian request that the United States investigate Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of ...

Bin Laden Photos May Be Kept Private

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:23:48 -0400

Shown here is the updated most wanted terrorists poster of Usama Bin Laden with a deceased status. Bin Laden was wanted in connection with the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, ...

Zach Sobiechs farewell song Clouds touched millions around the world

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:17:05 -0400

Zach Sobiech, right, plays guitar on Dec. 3, 2012, for his mother, Laura, at their Lakeland home. (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin) From a concert pianist in South Korea to a woman suffering from depression in Germany to schoolchildren in Japan, Zach Sobiech touched millions of people around the world with "Clouds," his song of farewell to family and friends. Sobiech was an ...

Gandhis blood sample fails to sell in Britain

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:48:23 -0400

LONDON -; Dozens of Mohandas Gandhi's personal items have been sold at an auction, but a sample of blood purportedly from the Indian independence leader didn't draw high enough ...

UN Works to Contain Disease Epidemics in Two African Countries

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:48:16 -0400

A child from the Central African Republic receives a measles vaccine in a refugee camp set up by the UNHCR in Nangungue, eastern Cameroon, April 12, ...

Horse racing Purebred Arabian horses are racing onto world stage

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:46:21 -0400

Female jockey Marta Pisarek, right, rides Altesse Kossack to a win in the British leg of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship on Saturday at Newbury Racecourse in England. ...

Mark Carney warns Europe of lost decade in final speech as BoC chief

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:46:03 -0400

Outgoing Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney is pictured on April 23, 2013. Mr. Carney has warned that Europe needs big reforms to prevent long-term stagnation. (CHRIS ...

Algerian president leaves Paris military hospital

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:43:57 -0400

PARIS -; Officials say Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has left the French military hospital where he has been treated for nearly a month and transferred to another ...

Syria opposition signals tough line on peace talks

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:43:56 -0400

This citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian man checking his destroyed house that was damaged by a Syrian forces air strike in the town of Qusair, near the Lebanon border, Homs province, Syria, Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Several members of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group died of wounds ...

Palestinian group Ruler rights abuses increasing

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:43:55 -0400

The Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights said in its annual report Tuesday that incidents of abuse are up 10 percent since last ...

Effective Measures vs Tax Evasion Urged in Europe

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:42:28 -0400

Brussels, May 21 (Prensa Latina) The European Commission (EC) reaffirmed today the importance of adopting effective measures to fight tax fraud in the European Union (EU) despite the reluctance of some members to eliminate the secret banking tactic. Head of the EC Jos Manuel Durao Barroso urged States in the group to encourage the exchange of data on all income as a means to fight that crime. The ...

Italian Prime Minister Demands Europe Assists Growth

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:42:27 -0400

Rome, May 21 (Prensa Latina) Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta demanded today that the European Union (EU) prioritize regional growth and employment instead of focusing on austerity policies. During his speech to the Senate, before attending the EU Summit to deal with tax evasion and other current topics, Letta insisted on the need to agree on policies to fight unemployment, especially among ...

One pricey racing pigeon sold for world record $400K to Chinese businessman

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:41:17 -0400

Pigeons fly inside their coop at Pigeon Paradise in Knesselare, Belgium. Lightning fast pigeon Bolt with a name and pedigree to match has become the world's most expensive racing bird when his Belgian breeder sold it for $400,000 to a Chinese businessman. BRUSSELS - Flying high above Europe's economic crisis, a local lightning-fast pigeon called Bolt became the world's most ...

Report Asian Workers Around the World Remit $ 260 Billion to Their Home-Countries

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:39:37 -0400

(MENAFN - Saudi Press Agency) The United Nations Organization and the World Bank said in a report issued today that the remittances of 60 Asian countries' laborers working abroad amounted to about 260 billion last year, equivalent to 63% of total remittances in the world amounting to 410 billion. The report noted that about 70 million Asian families benefited from these money ...

Sorrentino Bruni Tedeschi bring Italy to Cannes

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:39:29 -0400

CANNES, France -- La dolce vita came to Cannes on Tuesday, thanks to a pair of films set in Italy exploring lives of affluent ennui.Paolo Sorrentino's "The Great Beauty" and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's "A Castle in Italy" both feature wealthy characters whose lives have an emptiness at their center.Bruni Tedeschi - the only woman among the 20 directors competing for ...

Olympic champ Chicherova claims womens high jump title in Beijing World Challenge

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:34:49 -0400

Reigning Olympic and world champion Anna Chicherova of Russia cleared 2.02 meters to win the women's high jump title at the 2013 IAAF World Challenge Beijing on Tuesday.The 30-year-old veteran enjoyed a comfortable dominance in the field, securing the title after she leaped over 1.98m. She cleared 2.00m with her second attempt and went to go jump over 2.02m before she failed all the three ...

World Brief | Europe Right-Wing Writer Kills Himself in Notre-Dame in Paris

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:34:37 -0400

PARIS ...

Oklahoma tornado Pope Queen other world leaders express their condolences

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:33:52 -0400

Pope Francis along with a host of world leaders and celebrities expressed their deepest sympathies to the victims of the twister in Oklahoma City that left dozens of people ...

Engineers drive for better world

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:33:46 -0400

"I don't think addressing issues such as poverty ever ends, but we need to get people with the same motivations who are passionate about improving the world ... in one room with one vision to make ...

Death By Firearms Around The World

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:33:36 -0400

Even countries with strict gun laws are not immune to random acts of out-of-control gun fire. Most of the countries where people are killed by firearms are riddled with social problems and drug gangs. The U.S. however leads the world in school shootings and leads the world's core economies in terms of firearms related deaths. Here's a look at the top 12 worst offenders, as ranked by the ...

Xbox Ones Exclusive Content For FIFA Could Be A Gamechanger In Europe

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:33:34 -0400

's reveal of the Xbox One could have broad implications for what happens when both the PS4 and the Xbox One hit the market this fall. EA Sports announced a vague "special relationship" with Microsoft, and said that the Xbox One would receive some sort of exclusive content for FIFA -- arguably the most popular game in the world. This could have make a real difference when these ...

TSA Pre-Check Now Speeds International Travelers Through Airport Security

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:33:33 -0400

Actual time it took me from presenting my boarding pass to getting through security using TSA Pre-Check. (Photo credit: Andrew Bender) About the best news - OK, about the only good news - for air travelers in the last few years has been TSA Pre-Check, which allows passengers to speed through security at dozens of U.S. airports without removing shoes, laptop bags and light outerwear. Domestic ...

How the Boy Scouts Could Become the Worlds Largest Sexual Abstinence Program

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:31:05 -0400

"The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law." Mission statement of ...

US to run delayed missile test on Tuesday

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:30:45 -0400

The United States will carry out on Tuesday an intercontinental ballistic missile test it had delayed last month to avoid stoking tensions with North Korea, the Air Force ...

PM calls for action on tax evasion

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:25:03 -0400

EU leaders Mr Cameron has urged European governments to join forces to act against "staggering" losses from tax evasion and "aggressive avoidance" by adopting a US system of cross-border tax information exchange - something the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy are jointly testing and intend to implement by the end of this year.And only two days ago the Prime Minister wrote ...

No swimming Britain has some of the worst quality bathing water in Europe

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:24:44 -0400

Britain has some of the worst quality bathing water in Europe, with six per cent of its beaches and other swimming spots failing to meet the minimum EU ...

Jodi Arias speaks to jury faces death sentence

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:23:51 -0400

When Jodi Arias addresses the jury in her murder trial one more time, the big question will be whether she pleads for mercy or repeats what she told a TV reporter minutes after her conviction: She would rather be executed than spend the rest of her life in prison. After nearly five months of testimony in a case that has captured tabloid headlines with tales of sex, lies and violence, Arias' ...

Egyptian army blocks Sinai roads in hunt for kidnappers

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:22:05 -0400

north Sinai in a hunt for militant Islamists who kidnapped seven security officers last week, a security source said on Tuesday. The militants seized the men on a road between the towns of el-Arish and Rafah near the border with Gaza on Thursday in the latest setback for the Cairo government's efforts to reinstate law and order in ...

FBI IDs Benghazi suspects _ but no arrests yet

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:19:28 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. officials say they have identified five men they believe might be behind the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, last year. The officials say they have enough evidence to justify seizing them by military force as suspected terrorists - but not enough proof to try them in a U.S. civilian court as the Obama administration ...

Mobile data is a luxury good in southern Europe

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:17:05 -0400

Telefnica’s dismal results for the beginning of 2013 show serious weakness in southern Europe. Today, Vodafone reported its worst annual fall in service ...

How America became a third world country | Mattea Kramer and Jo Comerford for TomDispatch

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:14:38 -0400

The streets are so much darker now since money for streetlights is rarely available to municipal governments. The national parks began closing down years ago. Some are already being subdivided and sold to the highest bidder. Reports on bridges crumbling or even collapsing are commonplace. The air in city after city hangs brown and heavy (and rates of childhood asthma and other lung diseases have ...

Pope expresses solidarity with Oklahoma tornado survivors

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:13:47 -0400

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Francis has expressed his "closeness to the families of all who died in the Oklahoma tornado," with special concern for "those who lost young ...

Rafsanjani Ahmadinejad ally disqualified from Iran election report

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:13:45 -0400

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's electoral watchdog has barred former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and a close aide to president Mahmoud Ahadinejad from running in the June 14 presidential election, state media reported on ...

Boston bomb brothers more American than Chechen Depardieu

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:13:45 -0400

1 of 2. Actor Gerard Depardieu participates in a news conference in Grozny May 21, 2013. According to local media, Depardieu is visiting the Chechen capital for the filming of his new movie ...

Congolese army rebels clash for a second day 19 dead

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:13:44 -0400

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Two days of clashes between Congo's army and rebel fighters near the eastern city of Goma have killed at least 19 people, threatening an uneasy six-month peace just days before a scheduled visit by U.N. Secretary-General Ban ...

Syrian foes move towards talks but fighting rages

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:13:43 -0400

People wait for buses at the al-Abassin bus station, near Damascus' Jobar neighbourhood which is controlled by the Islamist Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra during a guided tour by the Syrian Army May ...

Boudia leads US team for world championships

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:12:41 -0400

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Olympic gold medalist David Boudia leads a team of 15 American divers who will compete at the world championships in Barcelona, Spain, in July.The team was selected during trials that ended Monday at Florida State's Morcom Aquatics Center.Boudia easily qualified on the men's 10-meter platform, the event he won at the London Olympics last summer with an upset of the ...

Apple CEO No Tax Shifting Going On

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:09:25 -0400

Apple CEO Timothy Cook delivers opening remarks while testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's Investigations Subcommittee about the company's offshore profit shifting and tax avoidance on Capitol Hill, May 21, 2013, in ...

Hotel Offers 24-Carat Gold iPads

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:09:24 -0400

Credit: @BurjAlArab/Twitter A hotel that bills itself as the world’s most luxurious is giving guests the ultimate in over-the-top amenities: A 24-carat gold iPad at check in. Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel claims to be the first in the world to offer the iPads to guests. No, the iPad is not yours to keep. Burj Al Arab teamed up with London-based Gold & Co. to offer ...

Obama Offers Support to Okla. Victims

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:09:24 -0400

President Obama gives a press conference from Washington, D.C. on May 21, 2013 about the deadly tornado in Moore, Oklahoma that struck on May 20, ...

East Africa Tanzania Could Boost Its Economy By Reforming the Port of Dar es Salaam - World Bank

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:07:15 -0400

DAR ES SALAAM, May 21, 2013 - Tanzania and its East African neighbors could boost their annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by up to US$1.8 billion and US$ 830 million respectively by taking measures to improve the efficiency of the Port of Dar es Salaam, according to the latest Tanzania Economic Update published by the World Bank. So far, Tanzania and six neighboring countries have missed this ...

Talking to Your Kids About Tornadoes Other Natural Disasters

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:59:04 -0400

After a massive tornado ripped a path of devastating destruction through Moore, Okla., parents are once again faced with the task of talking to their children about a frightening event. Experts stress that there is no right or wrong way to have these conversations with your kids. There are, however, ways to make these discussions more meaningful. "Create an open and supportive ...

US lawmakers seek Asia missile defense safeguard

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:58:32 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lawmakers are seeking to prohibit the U.S. from removing missile defense equipment from East Asia, even if the threat posed by a nuclear-armed North Korea is ...

Scenes from Moore

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:42:19 -0400

Scenes from Moore

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:42:19 -0400

Scenes from Moore

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:42:19 -0400

UN AIDS Deaths Down Treatment Up in Africa

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:33 -0400

A new United Nations report says AIDS-related deaths in Africa are falling while the number of Africans getting treatment for the AIDS virus is on the ...

Attacks push Iraq closer to sectarian war

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:14 -0400

Iraq is edging closer to all-out sectarian war between Sunni and Shia Muslims as a series of car bombings and shootings killed at least 90 people and left many others injured yesterday. Casualty figures are returning to a level not seen since the civil war of 2006-07. Most of the car bombings yesterday targeted markets, bus stops and other places crowded with civilians. Ten car bombs killed 46 ...

US envoy in Cuba engages critics on and offline

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:08 -0400

HAVANA (AP) — A U.S. diplomat has become a sort of tweeter-in-chief for the U.S. mission in Cuba, reaching out to some of Washington's most vocal critics on the island.The U.S. Interests Section has long cultivated ties to dissident bloggers and tweeters. But the mission's deputy chief Conrad Tribble has been reaching out to the communist Twitteratti as well.That has prompted ...

Scotland says better off without Britain but with the pound

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:28:43 -0400

By William JamesLONDON (Reuters) - Ending Britain's 306-year rule would allow Scotland to reverse generations of economic mismanagement and free its lawmakers to boost economic growth, say Scottish nationalists campaigning to split from the UK.Independence would not only bring the long-standing and sometimes-troubled union to an end, but allow tax cuts and investment focused on boosting ...

How America Became a Third World Country

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:28:06 -0400

latest updates from TomDispatch.com . The streets are so much darker now, since money for streetlights is rarely available to municipal governments. The national parks began closing down years ago. Some are already being subdivided and sold to the highest bidder. Reports on bridges crumbling or even collapsing are commonplace. The air in city after city hangs brown and heavy (and rates of ...

Globe Editorial Prime Minister needed to say more in speech to caucus

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:27:40 -0400

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper points to the door as he speaks to members of Caucus on Parliament Hill Tuesday May 21, 2013 in Ottawa. (Adrian ...

WikiLeaks prosecutors accept GIs plea to 1 count

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:26:05 -0400

FORT MEADE, Md. -; The government will accept an Army private's guilty plea to a lesser version of one of the 22 counts he faces for sending more than 700,000 classified U.S. documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, a military prosecutor said during a pretrial hearing ...

China vice-premier arrives in Zimbabwe

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:26:02 -0400

HARARE, Zimbabwe -; Chinese vice-premier Wang Yang has arrived in Zimbabwe at the start of an official trip to view his nation's burgeoning trade and development ties in ...

New Egypt tax law cuts for poor business hikes

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:26:00 -0400

CAIRO -; Egypt's president has signed a new tax law that cuts the amount paid by poorer Egyptians while increasing taxes on small and medium-sized ...

Egyptian troops mistakenly fire on a Sinai funeral

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:26:00 -0400

An Egyptian Army vehicle with a tank heads to the closed Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza strip, in Sheikh Zuweyid, northern Sinai, Egypt, Monday, May 20, 2013. Security officials said 17 military and more than 20 police armored vehicles were deployed in northern Sinai Monday as a response to the kidnapping by suspected militants of six policemen and a border guard there last ...

Rebels in C. African Republic protest conditions

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:25:58 -0400

BANGUI, Central African Republic -; Some members of the rebel alliance who overthrew the president of Central African Republic are protesting outside the luxury hotel where their leader is ...

Court frees man in murder that shocked SAfricans

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:25:58 -0400

JOHANNESBURG -; A magistrate drops charges against the boyfriend accused in the brutal gang-rape and killing of a teenager that shocked South ...

India offers more aid for rebuilding Afghanistan

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:25:57 -0400

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, right, listens to Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a meeting at the Indian Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Karzai is meeting with Indian leaders and is expected to seek increased military aid from India. India has invested more than $2 billion in Afghan infrastructure, including highways and hospitals and rural electricity ...

Spain backs sending defensive arms to Syria rebels

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:25:55 -0400

Mouaz al-Khatib, former chief of the Syrian National Coalition, left, shakes hands with Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo on his arrival at the foreign ministry in Madrid, Spain Tuesday May 21, 2013. Syrian opposition groups meeting in Spain say they oppose all negotiation with President Bashar Assad's government unless it is aimed at his giving up of power. Some 80 ...

Kyrgyzstan bent on evicting US air base in 2014

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:25:53 -0400

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan -; Kyrgyzstan's president has reaffirmed that next year the Central Asian nation will evict the U.S. air base that supports military operations in nearby ...

World Bank Group chief urges delivery of health coverage to end

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:21:42 -0400

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim on Tuesday called on countries gathered at the 66th World Health Assembly (WHA) to ensure universal access to quality, affordable health services to help end extreme poverty by 2030.It is estimated that out-of-pocket health spending forces 100 million people worldwide into extreme poverty every year and inflicts severe financial hardship on another 150 ...

Tornado victims recount race to survive

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:18:18 -0400

Americans who survived the massive tornado that barrelled through an Oklahoma City suburb described racing for shelter only to emerge scarred and bloodied on a moon-like landscape of ...

Gay marriage could lead to lesbian queen

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:18:16 -0400

London - The debate in Britain over legalising gay marriage took a surreal turn on Tuesday after a senior politician said it could result in a lesbian queen giving birth to an heir by artificial ...

Gardeners world of botanical escapes

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:17:44 -0400

Sunvil (020-8568 4499; sunvil.co.uk) has a new one-week group tour of Sao Miguel, "the green island" in the Azores, led by renowned plantsman David Sayers. The group will visit private gardens as well as botanical and historic palace gardens and Europe's first tea plantation. The trip departs on 8 June and costs 1,691pp including flights and half board.More than 12,000 species of ...

That figures Professor who had to work at Subway dazzles world of maths after solving centuries-old prime number riddle

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:17:38 -0400

A university professor who was forced to work at Subway when he couldn't find a job as an academic has solved a prime number riddle that has puzzled the best mathematical brains for ...

Middle East North Africa - Restricting speech restricts Arab freedom

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:17:26 -0400

The sight of hundreds of thousands of Arabs marching on the streets of a number of Arab countries, demanding their dignity and rights, will remain among the iconic images of the twenty-first century. The willingness of so many citizens to take such tremendous risks to their own lives, with thousands dying for their freedom, stunned a world long accustomed to the image of the resigned, ...

The worst tornado in the history of the world

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:17:16 -0400

the worst tornado in the history of the world '; by an Oklahoma meteorologist – tore through suburban Oklahoma City on Monday afternoon. Various reports put its size at anywhere from half a mile, to almost two miles, wide. It was packing 200-mile-per-hour winds, putting it at EF-4 on the five-step tornado intensity scale, and it moved across the community of Moore for an ...

Academy forward Jordan Morris on U.S. U-20 roster for pre-World Cup tournament

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:13:12 -0400

made the squad. The U.S., grouped with Colombia, Congo DR and host France, will be in action starting May 28 in Toulon, France, as both preparation for this summer’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey and one last evaluation toward that final roster. Morris, a Mercer Island native, is one of three academy players nationwide to make the team and had starred in a training camp earlier this year ...

UPDATE 2-Europe oil probe seeks market abuse evidence in 2010-2013

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:12:45 -0400

Tue May 21, 2013 1:12pm EDT * Commission sends list of questions to market participants * Seeks discrepancies between prices submitted to Platts and actual deals (Adds list of requests for information from Commission) By Dmitry Zhdannikov and Peg Mackey LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - The European Commission is asking oil traders across the continent to provide evidence of market abuse to determine ...

Saudi authorities arrest 10 Iranian spy suspects

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:12:22 -0400

Saudi authorities have arrested 10 more suspects in an alleged Iranian spy ring unveiled two months ago, an interior ministry spokesman said on ...

Oklahoma tornado death toll revised amid frantic search

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:12:21 -0400

US rescue teams launched a massive hunt for survivors Tuesday after a tornado tore through a suburb of Oklahoma City, causing chaos and leaving dozens dead, including ...

Kerry in Oman to help ink $2.1b defence deal

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:12:20 -0400

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived inOmanon Tuesday aiming to help finalise an estimated $2.1 billion deal to supply a US-made air-defence system to the Gulf ...

Dozens dead as tornado hits Oklahoma City suburb

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:12:19 -0400

A powerful tornado swept through an Oklahoma City suburb on Monday, tearing down blocks of homes, two schools and leaving up to 91 people dead, including 20 children, local officials ...

In Official Letters to a number of International Organizations .Minister of Foreign Affairs informs the international community of Irans threats to Bahrain

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:11:42 -0400

Manama, May 21st (BNA) -Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, sent official letters to: United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, European Union's High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Dr. Nabil Elaraby and to the Secretary General of the Organization of ...