General says Afghanistan will need "combat power"

General says Afghanistan will need "combat power"


General says Afghanistan will need "combat power"

Posted: 23 May 2012 01:09 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will require "significant firepower" in Afghanistan in 2013-14, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces there said, but decisions about further U.S. troop reductions will only be made after this fall at the earliest.


Portugal parliament passes pro-growth agenda

Posted: 23 May 2012 01:11 PM PDT

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's parliament passed a pro-growth initiative proposed by the opposition Socialists on Wednesday after the austerity-minded centre-right government dropped its opposition amid a growing European debate on how to combine growth with fiscal consolidation.


French government defends convicted minister

Posted: 23 May 2012 01:06 PM PDT

PARIS (Reuters) - France's new government rejected calls on Wednesday for the resignation of a minister convicted of branding former managers of a ferry company crooks, arguing the ruling did not undermine new President Francois Hollande's promise of clean government.


Indelible Image of Boy’s Pat on Obama’s Head

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:42 PM PDT

A photograph of a young black boy feeling President Obama's hair has been on view in the West Wing for years.


Leaders Step Up Plan for Greek Fallout

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:58 PM PDT

Euro-zone officials have stepped up planning to contain the fallout of a possible Greek exit from the euro zone, even as European leaders said they want the country to remain in the single currency area.


Europe's Problems Still Threaten U.S.

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:06 PM PDT

The financial links between Europe and the rest of the world pose risks for the U.S. should an unwelcome surprise disrupt the euro zone, David Wessel writes.


Jury backs Google in Oracle fight

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:23 PM PDT

Internet giant Google did not infringe patents belonging to software developer Oracle, a court in California has ruled.


How whales open their huge mouths

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:22 PM PDT

A sensory organ discovered in the jaw of the world's largest whales explains how the animals open their huge mouths so quickly, say scientists.


West to freeze policing of disputed Bosnia district

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:33 PM PDT

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - A Western envoy said on Wednesday he would suspend his authority over a disputed Bosnian district sandwiched between two feuding regions, in the latest attempt to slowly scale down international involvement in the strife-torn country.


Sierre Leone cracks down on illegal fishing

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:09 PM PDT

Al Jazeera report spurs authorities into action against foreign trawlers in West African nation's exclusionary zone.


UK to fight prisoner votes ruling

Posted: 23 May 2012 08:52 AM PDT

The prime minister tells MPs he will resist a European Court ruling to give prisoners the right to vote in UK elections.


Vatican translates Latin document - 34 years later

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:17 PM PDT

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Perhaps the only thing longer than the title of a Vatican document issued in English on Wednesday was the time it took for an official translation of the Latin to appear - 34 years.


Francis Tiafoe, Top-Ranked Junior, Grew Up at Tennis Center, and It Shows

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:49 PM PDT

Francis Tiafoe, 14, who once lived at the Tennis Center at College Park, Md., with his father and brother, could be the United States' next best hope in the sport.


Ivorian sacked over toxic scandal

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:07 PM PDT

A minister in Ivory Coast is sacked over his alleged role in the disappearance of millions of dollars meant for the victims of a toxic waste dumping scandal.


Romney defends Bain Capital years

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:09 PM PDT

Mitt Romney is defending his time at private equity firm Bain Capital after strongly worded attacks from the Obama campaign.


Russian rights chief urges Putin to veto protest law

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:01 PM PDT

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin's human rights adviser said on Wednesday he will urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to veto a bill to increase fines for protesters deemed to have broken the law.


Acid victims seek to block film

Posted: 23 May 2012 10:24 AM PDT

Acid attack survivors whose plight featured in an Oscar-winning film, Saving Face, threaten to go to court to stop it being shown in Pakistan.


Ancient walking mystery deepens

Posted: 23 May 2012 11:48 AM PDT

An ancient creature thought to be the first to step on land could not have walked on four legs, 3D computer modelling shows.


Baku aims to host 2020 Olympics

Posted: 23 May 2012 08:25 AM PDT

Shedding its dour, industrial image, booming seaside capital of Azerbaijan hopes to bring world games to the Caucasus.


At War Blog: New Study Outlines How the Military Could Create a Leaner, Less Expensive Force

Posted: 23 May 2012 11:02 AM PDT

A new study released Wednesday by the Center for a New American Security offers some provocative ideas for how the Pentagon could reshape itself for this new era.


Philippines says China sending more ships to shoal

Philippines says China sending more ships to shoal


Philippines says China sending more ships to shoal

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:33 AM PDT

China has deployed more government ships and fishing boats to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea amid a tense stand-off with Manila, the Philippine foreign department said Wednesday.

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Masterminds behind entry of foreign LGBT proponents: Jamil Khir

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:25 AM PDT

The government faces difficulty in restricting the entry of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) proponents into the country as it is masterminded by certain individuals, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.

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Beware of Facebook IPO scam: Symantec

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:01 AM PDT

If you are offered exclusive access to subscribe to Facebook's IPO shares, there's a good chance that it is a scam, said Symantec.

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US falling behind in global race for talent: report

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:23 PM PDT

The United States is falling behind in the global race for talent as its immigration system turns away both high and low-skilled workers needed for economic growth, according to a report released Tuesday.

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Iran's Ahmadinejad to visit as China slams new sanctions

Posted: 22 May 2012 09:27 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit China in June for a security summit and discuss his country's disputed nuclear programme with Chinese President Hu Jintao, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday, criticising new sanctions aimed at Iran.


Hong Kong artists cry foul over copyright bill

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:31 PM PDT

A plan to toughen Hong Kong's copyright law has sparked protests from artists, who say it will stifle free speech, criminalise satire and threaten the city's growing status as a major arts hub.

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War-scarred Sierra Leone aims to become tourist paradise

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:29 PM PDT

Bone-white sand squeaks beneath your feet, the curved beach framed by lush forested hills, empty but for a handful of expats and intrepid tourists who have got wind of Sierra Leone's raw beauty.

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Pregnant and over 40: study finds a healthy weight can improve risks

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:20 PM PDT

If you're over 40 and trying to conceive, a new study suggests that maintaining a healthy weight before getting pregnant can modify increased risks.

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Iran's Ahmadinejad to visit as China slams new sanctions

Posted: 22 May 2012 09:41 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit China in June for a security summit and discuss his country's disputed nuclear programme with Chinese President Hu Jintao, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday, criticising new sanctions aimed at Iran.



Polls open in historic Egypt presidential vote

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:19 PM PDT

Polling stations opened across Egypt on Wednesday for the historic first presidential poll since a popular uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak, capping a tumultuous transition from autocratic rule.

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Troubles continue for Myanmar's Rohingya minority

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:18 PM PDT

For five years, Abdul Rahim Abdul Hashim was repeatedly press-ganged into forced labour at a Myanmar military camp, until the ethnic Rohingya teenager could take no more.

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Controversial activist fights SEAsian sex trade

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:11 PM PDT

Sold into a brothel as a child, Cambodian activist Somaly Mam has become one of the most recognisable, glamorous and controversial faces of the global anti-sex slavery movement.

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Kids suffer long-term from parents' smoking: study

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:59 PM PDT

Children exposed to their parents' cigarette smoke are at greater risk of suffering serious cardiovascular health problems later in life, a study showed Wednesday.

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Abuse of democracy and freedom

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:58 PM PDT

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar said that under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011, everyone has the right to hold a gathering and therefore, the burger seller who opened his stall in front of Bersih chairperson Datuk S. Ambiga's house in Bukit Damansara did not break any laws.

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Lee says N. Korea human rights more urgent than nukes

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:34 PM PDT

North Korea's human rights abuses should be dealt with more urgently than its nuclear or missile programmes, South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak said Wednesday.

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South Korea to chemically castrate sex offender

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:34 PM PDT

South Korea will this week chemically castrate a man repeatedly convicted of sexually assaulting children in the country's first use of the punishment, an official said Wednesday.

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Top Philippine judge in hospital after court drama

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:33 PM PDT

The Philippines' top judge, who walked out of an appearance at his own impeachment trial, was later rushed to hospital after suffering an apparent heart attack, his spokesman said Wednesday.

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South Korean smokers finally start to feel the heat

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:30 PM PDT

After decades of indifference, big businesses and the government are turning up the heat on smokers in South Korea, a nation with one of the developed world's highest male smoking rates.

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VIDEO: Economy key to Egypt election

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:30 PM PDT

Egyptians are preparing to head to the polls in their first free presidential election and for many the biggest issue is tackling the widespread poverty in the country.


VIDEO: Workers rescued from Mexico office fire

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:36 PM PDT

A fire in an office building in Mexico City prompted the evacuation of 600 people and the rescue of about a dozen office workers who were trapped on the roof of the building.