Car bomb targeting Shiite pilgrims reflects Iraq tensions

Car bomb targeting Shiite pilgrims reflects Iraq tensions


Car bomb targeting Shiite pilgrims reflects Iraq tensions

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:23 PM PST

ABU DHABI — A car bomb targeting Shiite Muslim pilgrims in southern Iraq killed at least 27 people on Thursday, stoking fears of escalating sectarian violence after the authorities threatened to use force against persistent streets protests in the country's Sunni-majority west.

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Libyan police captain abducted in Benghazi

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:06 PM PST

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - A police investigator was missing after being abducted in the militia-ridden Libyan city of Benghazi, police said on Thursday, but tests on a charred body showed it was not his.

Basque separatists Batasuna say they are closing down

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:41 AM PST

BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - Batasuna, regarded by Spain as the political wing of ETA rebels, said it was closing down on Thursday, two months after a legal party calling for independence for the Basque Country finished second in regional elections.

Hezbollah Leader Urges Lebanon to Aid in a Solution for Syria

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 01:03 PM PST

Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Shiite militant movement in Lebanon, also wants the country to open its border to refugees to avoid further bloodshed.

Study in Science Shows ‘End of History Illusion’

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:36 PM PST

According to research in the journal Science, people tend to underestimate how much their personalities and tastes will change in the future.

Gerda Lerner, Historian, Dies at 92

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:16 PM PST

Ms. Lerner was a prolific writer whose novels, short stories, essays and teachings helped forge graduate programs for women and college courses on women and society.

At Meeting, Debate Over Length of Fed Program

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:25 AM PST

Support for an early end date reflected uneasiness among Fed officials about the effectiveness of asset purchases in stimulating the economy.

US criticises Google Korea visit

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:25 AM PST

The US state department says a planned visit to North Korea by Google chairman Eric Schmidt is not "particularly helpful".

The political cartoons that maybe got their artist shut down on Chinese social media

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:30 AM PST

Political cartoonist Kuang Biao is one of several influential Chinese voices to find his accounts on Sina Weibo, China's ultra-popular micro-blogging service, suddenly terminated without warning. As the Post's Keith B. Richburg reports, the move cuts against "the hopes of many here that the country's new Communist leaders might begin to relax strict controls over the Internet and free expression."

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Venezuelans demand answers on Chavez's health

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:28 AM PST

Venezuelan officials have been tight-lipped about the health status of President Hugo Chavez, causing rumors about Chavez's health status to swirl on Twitter and in the Latin American media.

Chavez has not been seen or heard from since a Dec. 11 surgery for an undisclosed type of cancer, and his administration has released few details about his status other than saying his condition remains "delicate" due to complications from a respiratory infection.

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Republicans slammed over Sandy-relief delay

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:08 AM PST

Leadership of US party scrambles to damp down bipartisan fury over failure to hold vote to pass emergency storm relief.

US criticises Google Korea visit

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:25 AM PST

The US state department says a planned visit to North Korea by Google chairman Eric Schmidt is not "particularly helpful".

Google forced to change practices

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:06 AM PST

Google agrees to make changes to how it does business, after US regulators conclude a long-running anti-trust investigation.

Rock is new Mars meteorite class

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:06 AM PST

A 2.1-billion year-old lump of rock that fell to Earth in Morocco is a new type of Martian meteorite, say scientists.

Obama Signs Defense Bill, With Conditions

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 01:06 PM PST

The president said he has the power to override a defense measure's limits on the executive branch's ability to transfer detainees out of military prisons.

In Victory for Google, U.S. Ends Antitrust Investigation

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:40 PM PST

The Federal Trade Commission found that Google had not violated antitrust statutes in the way it structures its Web search application, dealing a setback to Google's rivals.

State Dept. Criticizes Google Executive’s North Korea Trip

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:31 AM PST

The State Department said on Thursday the time was not right for Google Inc Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and former diplomat Bill Richardson to travel to North Korea.

Turkish Kurd deputies meet jailed militant leader Ocalan: lawmaker

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:36 AM PST

DIYARBAKIR (Reuters) - Two Kurdish lawmakers made a rare visit to Abdullah Ocalan at his island prison on Thursday, signaling that Turkey is negotiating with the influential militant leader over ending a conflict that has killed tens of thousands over three decades.

Last Jarrow marcher dies aged 96

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:30 AM PST

The last survivor of the Jarrow March, a famous protest against unemployment and poverty during the Great Depression, dies aged 96.

What's next for Syria?

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 09:56 AM PST

More than 60,000 have died in Syria's almost 2-year civil war. Will the bloody stalemate linger in 2013 or will the tide turn? CNN's Nic Robertson and Nick Paton Walsh take a look at what's next.

Alaska oil rig drags tugs for miles before grounding

Alaska oil rig drags tugs for miles before grounding


Alaska oil rig drags tugs for miles before grounding

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:45 PM PST

LONDON/ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - An oil rig that ran aground in Alaska on New Year's Eve in "near hurricane" conditions dragged two vessels trying to control it more than 10 miles (16 km) toward a wave-battered rocky shore before the crews cut it loose to save themselves.


Girl's death triggers gun debate in Philippines

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:53 AM PST

The death of a girl hit by celebratory gunfire on New Year's Eve sparked calls Thursday for stricter gun controls in the Philippines, where unlicensed weapons are widely blamed for rampant violence.

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Thailand returns 73 Rohingya boat people to Myanmar

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:53 AM PST

Thailand has deported dozens of Rohingya boat people back to Myanmar, an official said Thursday, despite a UN appeal to accept members of the Muslim minority fleeing sectarian bloodshed.

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Pakatan's oil royalty hike promise will bankrupt Petronas: Sabah BN

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:48 AM PST

State Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan has cautioned the people that the opposition's promise of 15 per cent increase in oil royalty to Sabah could ultimately result in a financial blow to Petronas "which may lead to bankruptcy."

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US recovery could push up ringgt: MARC

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:19 AM PST

The prospects of a steady recovery in the United States economy could weaken the US dollar and be positive for the ringgit against the greenback, Malaysian Rating Corporation Bhd (MARC) said.

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Philippines anger at logging ban murder

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:29 AM PST

The Philippine government has voiced outrage at "ruthless" illegal loggers intent on defying a nationwide ban on destroying forests, following the New Year's Day murder of an environment officer.

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MAS to boost profitability this year

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:30 PM PST

Malaysia Airlines eyes to maintain its positive fiscal reporting trend this year, fuelled by a consistent and aggressive implementation of its Business Plan announced in December 2011.

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MP gets leave to appeal conviction

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:17 PM PST

Padang Serai member of parliament (MP) N. Gobalakrishnan has been allowed to appeal his conviction and fine of RM5,000 imposed by a Magistrates Court for using criminal force on a policeman in 2009.

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K-pop star to face disciplinary action over off-duty conduct

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:52 PM PST

South Korean pop star Rain will face disciplinary action for violating terms of his 21-month mandatory military service, the Defence Ministry said Thursday, following revelations he has been dating a top actress while on leave, reports China's Xinhua news agency.

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U.S. drone strike kills important Taliban commander - sources

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:52 PM PST

WANA, Pakistan (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike killed a Taliban commander, his deputy and eight others in northwest Pakistan, intelligence sources and tribal leaders said Thursday, weeks after he was wounded in a bomb attack believed to have been launched by Taliban rivals.


Three dead in Swiss shooting, suspect wounded, arrested

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:44 PM PST

GENEVA (Reuters) - Three people were killed and two wounded late on Wednesday when a gunman opened fire in the Swiss village of Daillon, Swiss police said on Thursday.


RIM patents anti-spycam technology

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:20 PM PST

A filing with the US patent office details a system that would make it impossible to take inconspicuous snapshots with an RIM handset.

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Goodbye netbooks: Asus and Acer to cease production

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:16 PM PST

Netbooks, the small, low-cost mobile PCs that Steve Jobs famously ridiculed as he unveiled the first iPad back in 2010, are officially no more. The two remaining manufacturers, Asus and Acer have both issued statements claiming that the end of 2012 also marks the end of production for the once much-hyped mini-laptops.

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A few extra kilos may extend your life: study

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:14 PM PST

As the New Year brings a renewed vigor to drop those extra kilos, a new study suggests that carrying around extra weight may not be bad for your health at all and may even extend your life.

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Calligraphy

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:12 PM PST

Sea lion "Jay" paints a Chinese character reading "the Serpent" at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium in Yokohama, Japan. The event, marking the forthcoming lunar Year of the Snake, was part of the New Year's attraction.

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Starbucks to enter coffee-loving Vietnam

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:12 PM PST

Starbucks said Thursday it would open its first store next month in Vietnam, seeking a foothold in the coffee-loving country as part of efforts to expand in Asia.

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Drug trials in India 'causing havoc to human life'

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:11 PM PST

India's Supreme Court said Thursday that unregulated clinical trials of new drugs were causing "havoc" in the country as it ordered the health ministry to monitor any new applications for tests.

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Outrage over Hong Kong's 'shark fin rooftop'

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:08 PM PST

Hong Kong conservationists expressed outrage Thursday after images of a factory rooftop covered in thousands of freshly sliced shark fins emerged, as they called for curbs on the "barbaric" trade.

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VIDEO: Delhi rape suspects to be charged

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 08:36 PM PST

Five men in India are to be charged with the murder of a medical student who was gang-raped on a Delhi bus.

Myanmar urged to end air strikes on Kachin rebels

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:45 PM PST

Myanmar faced growing international pressure Thursday to halt air attacks on ethnic minority rebels in Kachin state, where an escalating conflict has overshadowed wider political reforms.

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