xNews® World News: Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Spanish train kills 12 on tracks

Spanish train kills 12 on tracks
Taiwan and China to sign landmark trade deal on June 29 (Reuters)
Taiwan and China to sign landmark trade deal on June 29
Queen makes 1st visit to Wimbledon in 33 years (AP)
Sri Lanka eye Asia Cup success against India (AFP)
Australia PM Rudd ousted by deputy
Spanish train accident kills 12
Possible Tropical Storm On Possible Track For New Orleans
Verdict expected in US terror case in Pakistan (AP)
Afghans relieved at choice of Gen. Petraeus (AP)
China says Xinjiang terror cell busted
Obama to launch Asian diplomacy push
Canada PM apologizes over 1985 Air India bomb 'failure'
12 killed as train hits revelers in Spain
Obama sacks Afghan war general, turns to Petraeus
Hong Kong Democrats split in political reform vote (AP)
Hooded gunmen kill 4 commuters in Philippines (AP)
Chavez shuffles Cabinet ahead of elections (AP)
Salvador president sends troops to patrol prisons (AP)
Professor: Rwanda officials wanted me to disappear (AP)

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 10:54 PM PDT

A high-speed train passing through a Spanish railway station has struck a group of people crossing the tracks, killing at least 12.

Taiwan and China to sign landmark trade deal on June 29 (Reuters)

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 10:23 PM PDT

Reuters - Taiwan and China will sign a landmark trade deal on June 29, Taiwan officials said on Thursday, cutting import tariffs on hundreds of items and giving a major boost to around $100 billion in annual two-way trade.

Taiwan and China to sign landmark trade deal on June 29

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 10:23 PM PDT

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan and China will sign a landmark trade deal on June 29, Taiwan officials said on Thursday, cutting import tariffs on hundreds of items and giving a major boost to around $100 billion in annual two-way trade.

Queen makes 1st visit to Wimbledon in 33 years (AP)

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 10:28 PM PDT

AP - Queen Elizabeth II was making her first appearance at Wimbledon in 33 years on Thursday — and the world's top tennis players were getting ready for the rare occasion.

Sri Lanka eye Asia Cup success against India (AFP)

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 09:54 PM PDT

AFP - Kumar Sangakkara's Sri Lanka go into Thursday's Asia Cup one-day final against India confident of securing a hat-trick of titles.

Australia PM Rudd ousted by deputy

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 09:55 PM PDT

Julia Gillard engineers Labor party revolt to become country's first female prime minister.

Spanish train accident kills 12

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 10:06 PM PDT

High speed train hits revellers as they cross tracks south of Barcelona.

Possible Tropical Storm On Possible Track For New Orleans

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 09:27 PM PDT

At least one computer model has tropical disturbance heading directly for Deepwater Horizon site.

Verdict expected in US terror case in Pakistan (AP)

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 10:31 PM PDT

AP - Police deployed extra patrols and barriers around a Pakistani court Thursday ahead of an expected verdict in the trial of five Americans accused of plotting terrorist attacks.

Afghans relieved at choice of Gen. Petraeus (AP)

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 09:42 PM PDT

AP - Afghan officials expressed relief at the choice of Gen. David Petraeus to replace Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top U.S. and NATO commander, believing the U.S. strategy aimed at minimizing civilian casualties and bolstering the Afghan government would continue.

China says Xinjiang terror cell busted

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 07:09 PM PDT

BEIJING -Chinese police said on Thursday they had broken up a terrorist cell in Xinjiang that had carried out attacks in the restive region.

Obama to launch Asian diplomacy push

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 06:42 PM PDT

WASHINGTON -US President Barack Obama, twice forced to cancel a trip to Asia this year, will launch a major diplomatic push on the region by meeting five key leaders at this weekend's G20 summit.

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 05:45 PM PDT

OTTAWA -Canada's prime minister apologized to the families of the victims of the 1985 Air India bombing for authorities' failure to stop "the single worst act of terrorism in Canadian history."

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 04:52 PM PDT

CASTELLDEFELS, Spain -At least 12 people were killed when a high-speed passenger train slammed into a group of revelers crossing a railway track in northeastern Spain, regional authorities and media said Thursday.

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 10:23 AM PDT

WASHINGTON -President Barack Obama placed the sapping Afghan war in the hands of Iraq hero General David Petraeus, after firing US commander Stanley McChrystal for speaking out of turn.

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 09:47 PM PDT

AP - A second Hong Kong Democrat defied his party Thursday and said he will vote against Beijing-backed political reforms, as divisions among the former British colony's political opposition widened on the second day of debate on an election bill.

Hooded gunmen kill 4 commuters in Philippines (AP)

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 10:12 PM PDT

AP - About 30 hooded attackers, believed to be Abu Sayyaf militants, shot and hacked horrified victims running for their lives in the southern Philippines, police said Thursday. Four died and six were wounded in the brazen attack.

Chavez shuffles Cabinet ahead of elections (AP)

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 09:00 PM PDT

AP - President Hugo Chavez shuffled his Cabinet on Wednesday as his government grapples with numerous domestic ills and his governing party prepares for crucial congressional elections.

Salvador president sends troops to patrol prisons (AP)

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 08:55 PM PDT

AP - Soldiers in El Salvador have started patrolling prisons to fight gangs and inmate-led crime.

Professor: Rwanda officials wanted me to disappear (AP)

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 08:54 PM PDT

AP - A Minnesota law professor said Wednesday he believes Rwandan authorities intended to make him disappear and never planned to prosecute him on allegations that he minimized the country's 1994 genocide.

Severe disruption to rail routes

Severe disruption to rail routes
With McChrystal out, difficult Afghan mission gets harder
Afghanistan disappointed by McChrystal resignation, optimistic about Petraeus
Live - World Cup
NATO chief says strategy for Afghanistan unchanged
Was Obama right to fire Gen McChrystal?
Iran is ready for planned U.S. sanctions on fuel, analysts say
Fed Leaves Rates Unchanged, Citing Overseas Threats
At Community Colleges, Open Access Is Latest Cutback
Wimbledon Live: Isner and Mahut in Epic Marathon
Synthetic drugs use 'rising' - UN
Picasso reaches £34.7m in auction
Toll rises in Congo train crash
Obama has free rein to act on McChrystal, but system is still complex
Meet Dubai's 'Merchant of Marriage'
Council of Europe opposes bans on Muslim face veils
Hitler documents to be auctioned
Syria jails leading rights lawyer
'Superstorm' rages on exoplanet
Live - World Cup

Severe disruption to rail routes

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 01:17 PM PDT

Mainline trains in and out of London Paddington are severely hit after 300ft (90m) of signalling cable is stolen in west London.

With McChrystal out, difficult Afghan mission gets harder

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 12:40 PM PDT

President Obama's decision to relieve Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal of his duties will create new complications for the troubled U.S. effort to stabilize Afghanistan, but selecting Gen. David H. Petraeus to replace him represents an attempt to minimize disruptions resulting from a change in command.

Afghanistan - Asia - Stanley McChrystal - Warfare and Conflict - Afghanistan Civil War

Afghanistan disappointed by McChrystal resignation, optimistic about Petraeus

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 12:50 PM PDT

KABUL -- Afghan officials said they were saddened and disappointed by the dismissal Wednesday of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, but they expressed high hopes for his replacement.

Afghanistan - Stanley McChrystal - Barack Obama - Asia - David Petraeus

Live - World Cup

Posted: 13 May 2010 08:38 AM PDT

Three-time World Cup winners Germany face Ghana's Black Stars - Africa's main hope of qualifying to the second round.

NATO chief says strategy for Afghanistan unchanged

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 12:40 PM PDT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO will maintain its approach to Afghanistan after President Barack Obama on Wednesday relieved his top general in the country from command, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

Was Obama right to fire Gen McChrystal?

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 11:21 AM PDT

President Obama has dismissed Gen McChrystal for publicly criticising his officials. Was he right?

Iran is ready for planned U.S. sanctions on fuel, analysts say

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 12:09 PM PDT

TEHRAN -- As Congress prepares to target Iran's vital fuel imports as part of its most far-reaching sanctions package yet, observers say the Tehran government has already done much to deflect the impact of the new U.S. measures.

United States - Iran - Middle East - Nuclear weapon - Enriched uranium

Fed Leaves Rates Unchanged, Citing Overseas Threats

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 11:58 AM PDT

The Federal Reserve's policy-making arm decided to keep short-term interest rates near zero for "an extended period."

At Community Colleges, Open Access Is Latest Cutback

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 11:58 AM PDT

With states slashing budgets, many two-year colleges are unable to handle an influx of students.

Wimbledon Live: Isner and Mahut in Epic Marathon

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 11:50 AM PDT

Live coverage of the five set match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.

Synthetic drugs use 'rising' - UN

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 12:02 PM PDT

Synthetic drugs are becoming increasingly popular while demand for opium and cocaine is dropping, a UN report says.

Picasso reaches £34.7m in auction

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 12:08 PM PDT

A "blue period" Picasso has fetched £34.7m at a Christie's auction in London where receipts could total £230m.

Toll rises in Congo train crash

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 12:04 PM PDT

Railway staff continue search for survivors of accident that killed at least 76 people.

Obama has free rein to act on McChrystal, but system is still complex

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 09:00 PM PDT

The Constitution spells it out clearly: Civilians are in control of the military, with one in particular deemed the "Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States when called into the actual Service of the United States."

Barack Obama - Stanley McChrystal - President - United States - Afghanistan

Meet Dubai's 'Merchant of Marriage'

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 03:58 AM PDT

He is the self-styled "Merchant of Marriage" -- a Dubai matchmaker who says he has helped set up 3,000 weddings for the Emirate's Indian and Pakistani community.

Council of Europe opposes bans on Muslim face veils

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 12:19 PM PDT

STRASBOURG (Reuters) - The Council of Europe human rights watchdog said on Wednesday it opposed an all-out ban on full face veils, under consideration by some European states, but also urged Muslims to reject customs that deny women equal rights.