VIDEO: Inside Ukraine's 'cistern chapel'

VIDEO: Inside Ukraine's 'cistern chapel'


VIDEO: Inside Ukraine's 'cistern chapel'

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 01:37 PM PST

Roman-Catholics in a small village in Ukraine have been congregating for prayer in an unusual venue, a metal cistern.

Fear stalks South Sudan

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:11 AM PST

South Sudan optimism fades as repression grows

US government to sue Lance Armstrong

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 01:07 PM PST

Cyclist accused of fraud for claiming he was winning Tour de France titles while abiding by rules against doping.

Flood waters encircle Greek capital

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 01:16 PM PST

Fire department receives more than 1,500 calls to pump out water as torrential rains flood Athens and surrounding areas.

Chinese Troops Prepare for Spillover From Myanmar Civil War

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 01:06 PM PST

Chinese army units have been training near the border with Myanmar in anticipation of an ethnic war there spilling over, according to news media reports.

Video: Hilarious Chinese TV ad mocks Kim Jong Eun

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 12:41 PM PST

Chinese software company Kingsoft is running this ad in China to promote its new Web browser, Liebao. The ad, flagged by the always-great Beijing Cream, has a simple premise:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Eun is about to give an important presentation, or maybe set off a nuclear warhead (it's not clear to me), when his computer's browser crashes. Can't we all relate? He pulls out a rifle and is about to shoot the responsible underling when said underling installs Kingsoft's Liebao browser in the nick of time. Everyone applauds. Then the Kim Jong Eun look-alike performs a "Gangnam Style" parody that name-checks the Liebao browser.

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Outcome of Italy election deeply uncertain

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 12:53 PM PST

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's election campaign drew to a close on Friday with the weak performance of outgoing premier Mario Monti key to a deeply uncertain and potentially unstable result.

Confusion over Mexico drug-lord death reports

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 12:32 PM PST

Guatemalan official apologises for misunderstanding over reports that Joaquin "El Chapo" died amid clashes.

Nigeria in 'manhunt' for French hostages

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 01:14 PM PST

Security forces undertaking massive operation in country's north to track down hostages kidnapped in Cameroon.

Cuba's Raul Castro jokingly hints at possible retirement

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 12:34 PM PST

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Raul Castro, who is expected to begin a second five-year term on Sunday, jokingly told reporters on Friday that he was planning his retirement but left open just when he would step down.

Advocates Push Obama to Halt Aggressive Deportation Efforts

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 12:26 PM PST

Activists say illegal immigrants are being forced out of the country at the wrong moment, as the promise of eventual citizenship seems around the corner in an overhaul of the immigration system.

Scud Missile Attack Reported in Aleppo

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 12:13 PM PST

The reported attack, which left at least 12 civilians dead, was the second time this week that the Syrian opposition has accused the military of using Scuds on Aleppo's rebel-held areas.

Hillsborough lies claim by police

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 12:21 PM PST

An email from South Yorkshire's chief constable said the Hillsborough victims' families version of events was not the truth, it emerges.

The Patron of Siena, Monte Dei Paschi, Stumbles

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 12:12 PM PST

Nowhere are Monte dei Paschi's problems more acutely felt than in Siena. The bank has paid for charitable and civic works for as long as anyone can remember.

36 Hours in Davos, Switzerland

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:27 PM PST

From skiing to solariums, art to fondue, you can find it in this sky-high Swiss city in the Alps.

The day the American flag was shown unmolested in Iran

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:54 AM PST

TEHRAN — After their national team's resounding victory over the U.S. team Thursday in the Wrestling World Cup held in Tehran, Iranians throughout the country erupted in celebration.

Although several of the matches between American and Iranians wrestlers were quite tense, the spirit of sportsmanship was on full display throughout the event. The theme of the week, rather than politics, was both nations' shared goal of keeping wrestling in the Olympic games.

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Jaw-dropping photos of Athens' worst flood in 50 years

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST

Athens is cleaning up after its worst deluge in more than half a century, Reuters reports, with up to 34 gallons of rainfall per square yard falling in some areas. The city got as much rainfall in six hours as it usually sees in the entire month of February, according to the New York Times.

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Brazil's 2014 election campaign gets off to early start

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:54 AM PST

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's 2014 election season got off to an unusually early start this week with the unofficial launch of President Dilma Rousseff's re-election campaign by her mentor and predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Priests Should Be Able to Marry, Senior British Cardinal Says

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:25 AM PST

Roman Catholic priests should be allowed to marry and have children, Britain's most senior Catholic cleric said Friday.

Kvitova sweeps into Dubai final

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:49 AM PST

Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova downs Caroline Wozniacki to set up a showdown against Italy's Sara Errani.

Google wants to help consumers automate their homes

Google wants to help consumers automate their homes


Google wants to help consumers automate their homes

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 12:11 AM PST

The latest Android operating system appears to contain code to enable home automation. The system configuration files for version 4.2.2 of the mobile operating system reference both mesh networking and something called Android@Home.

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Authorities checking if wreck found is Missoni plane - report

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:54 PM PST

ROME (Reuters) - Authorities are checking if a wreck found on a beach of the island of Curacao could be that of a plane carrying fashion executive Vittorio Missoni which disappeared last month, Italian news wire Ansa reported on Friday, citing local sources.


India allows Italian marines, charged with murder, home for elections

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:50 PM PST

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Supreme Court on Friday allowed two Italian marines charged with the murder of two fishermen off the coast of India to return home to vote in this month's general election.


Turning history around

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:56 PM PST

A heavy heart aside, he was also overwhelmed by anxiety over the future direction of the pocket-sized new country.

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Earthquake felt in Hong Kong

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:55 PM PST

Thousands of people in Hong Kong contacted city authorities Friday saying they had felt the ground shaking following an earthquake across the border in southern China, an official said.

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Nik Aziz's statement on BR1M insulting: Najib

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:38 PM PST

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak described Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's statement which likened the recipients of 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) as 'chicken and cattle' as too much and an insult to the people.

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Malaysia's high net worth individuals to number 68,000 by 2015

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:58 PM PST

Malaysia's high net worth individuals will more than double from its current 32,000 to 68,000 persons in 2015, with their net worth increasing from US$140 billion to US$330 billion.

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India police say were warned about Hyderabad bomb threat

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:10 PM PST

Indian police revealed Friday they had been warned of a possible attack by Islamist militants in a bustling shopping area of Hyderabad where twin bombings killed at least 14 people and wounded scores.

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Google challenges Apple with high-end laptop

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:07 PM PST

Google on Thursday unveiled a touch-screen notebook computer designed for high-end users, throwing down a gauntlet for Apple and its MacBooks.

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Lifelike ears created with 3D printing

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:02 PM PST

Researchers said Wednesday they had engineered artificial human ears that look and act like the real thing thanks to 3D printing, giving hope to patients missing all or part of their ears.

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Next-generation MacBook Air and iPad Mini to get Retina displays: reports

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:01 PM PST

Reports have surfaced in Asia that when Apple's ultrabook and 7-inch tablets are refreshed in June they will both receive high definition displays.

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How 'Life of Pi' makers brought audience into film

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:58 PM PST

Director Ang Lee wanted to offer filmgoers an "immersive" experience with "Life of Pi," his Oscar-nominated 3D fable about an Indian boy trapped on a boat with a tiger. Claudio Miranda helped him do it.

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Gold gifts mystify tsunami-wracked Japan city

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:49 PM PST

A Japanese city devastated by the 2011 tsunami disaster remains mystified more than two weeks after receiving anonymous gifts of gold bars worth over $300,000.

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BBQ ban plans fire up China web user anger

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:46 PM PST

China web-users were furious Thursday over plans to tackle pollution with a ban on barbecues, wryly asking if Beijing would stamp out fried food and normal bodily functions in its war on smog.

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Democratic disease

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:45 PM PST

Many politicians have mentioned about democracy as if they are occupying the moral high ground and having a ring of light above their heads just by shouting the word democracy for a few times with open arms.

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VIDEO: What worries glam Milan's voters?

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:38 PM PST

Katya Adler reports from Milan, the capital of the Lombardy region, as Italy's general election draws closer with the economy a top priority for most voters.

VIDEO: Anger over missing Banksy artwork

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:00 PM PST

A celebrated piece of work by street artist Banksy has found itself on the other side of the world in a Miami auction house.

China's R&D spending hits US$162bn

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:25 PM PST

China's spending on research and development (R&D) increased 17.9 percent year on year to 1.02 trillion yuan (US$162.24 billion), according to data released Friday.

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NZ pledges to rebuild city two years after quake

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 09:31 PM PST

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key marked the second anniversary of the earthquake that killed 185 people in Christchurch by pledging the country's second city will be rebuilt as "one of the best and most livable cities in the world."

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China admits pollution-linked 'cancer villages'

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:14 PM PST

China's environment ministry has acknowledged the existence of "cancer villages", several years after widespread speculation first began that polluted areas were seeing a higher incidence of the disease.

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AUDIO: 'My son was tortured in Dubai'

AUDIO: 'My son was tortured in Dubai'


AUDIO: 'My son was tortured in Dubai'

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:17 AM PST

Dubai police have denied allegations they tortured three Britons awaiting trial on drugs charges, Dubai's National Media Council has said.

Guatemala: Probing reports drug lord may be dead

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:47 PM PST

FILE - In this June 10, 1993 file photo, Joaquin Guzman Loera, alias "El Chapo" Guzman, is shown to the media after his arrest at the high security prison of Almoloya de Juarez, on the outskirts of Mexico City. Guatemalan authorities say on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, they are investigating whether a man killed in a shootout near the border with Mexico is most-wanted drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan authorities are mobilizing security forces to scour a remote, rural area where residents reported a gunbattle between drug gangs and said one of the dead resembled Mexico's most-wanted drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.


US gov't to air-drop toxic mice on Guam snakes

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:52 PM PST

In this photo taken on Feb. 5, 2013, U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife specialist Tony Salas holds a Brown Tree Snake outside his office on Andersen Air Force Base on the island of Guam. The U.S. government is planning to drop toxic mice from helicopters to battle the snakes, an invasive species that has decimated Guam's native bird population and could cause billions of dollars of damage if allowed to spread to Hawaii. (AP Photo/Eric Talmadge)ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AP) — Dead mice laced with painkillers are about to rain down on Guam's jungle canopy. They are scientists' prescription for a headache that has caused the tiny U.S. territory misery for more than 60 years: the brown tree snake.


Italy vote may bring opposite of what country needs

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:12 PM PST

ROME (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi's resurgence and the rise of a foul-mouthed populist comedian have thrown Italy's weekend election wide open, with deep uncertainty over whether the poll can produce the strong government the country needs.

VIDEO: What worries glam Milan's voters?

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:38 PM PST

Katya Adler reports from Milan, the capital of the Lombardy region, as Italy's general election draws closer with the economy a top priority for most voters.

VIDEO: Anger over missing Banksy artwork

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:00 PM PST

A celebrated piece of work by street artist Banksy has found itself on the other side of the world in a Miami auction house.

Becoming a Great Leader is a Lifelong Quest, but One Well Worth Pursuing

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:53 PM PST

I have spent many years as the leader of several companies. I hope that during that time I have learned a bit about what it takes to become a great leader. Many of the lessons I am still learning, but I wanted to share a few of the things I have come to learn thus far.

No Gays in Boy Scouts? No Tax Exemption Either

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 07:58 PM PST

Indian police search for evidence in bomb attack

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:45 PM PST

An Indian investigative official takes photographs of the debris at one of the two bomb blast sites, in Hyderabad, India, early Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. A pair of bombs exploded Thursday evening in a crowded shopping area in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, killing at least 12 people and wounding scores of others in the worst bombing in the country in more than a year, officials said. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Indian police investigating a dual bomb attack that killed 15 people outside a movie theater and a bus station in the southern city of Hyderabad were searching for links to a shadowy Islamic militant group with reported ties to Pakistan, an official said Friday.


Jesse Jackson Guilty, But Isn't Depression a Defense?

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 07:31 PM PST

Jesse Jackson and his wife pled guilty to campaign finance and tax charges and are set to be sentenced later this year. The charges stem from using approximately $750,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses and then failing to treat the amounts as personal income with the IRS. Both halves of the once powerful political couple could face fail time too. For details of the case that lead to the dual guilty pleas, see Full text of the case against Jesse Jackson Jr. and Statement of offense: The case against Sandi Jackson.

Cyprus election favorite in talks to secure bridge loan

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:03 PM PST

Cyprus presidential candidate Anastasiades of the right wing Democratic Rally party speaks during an interview with Reuters in NicosiaNICOSIA (Reuters) - The frontrunner in Cyprus's presidential election runoff said on Thursday he has been in touch with governments and unspecified funds for a bridge loan to ensure the island nation does not run out of cash before it secures an international bailout. Conservative leader Nicos Anastasiades, who polled over 45 percent in last Sunday's first voting round and is the favorite to win the February 24 runoff, told Reuters various parties, including "governments and funds" which he did not identify, had been "sounded out" for a short-term loan. ...


Taiwan media kingpin pushes hard on China ties

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 09:20 PM PST

In this Sept. 16, 2011 photo, media mogul Tsai Eng-meng smiles during a public event in Taipei, Taiwan. Appearing last year before Taiwanese regulators, billionaire media magnate Tsai appeared perplexed over a decision to fine his flagship newspaper for carrying camouflaged advertising on behalf of China's Communist government. Tsai, whose pro-China views have made him a lightning rod for criticism on this island of 23 million people, is on the verge of expanding his already substantial Taiwanese media empire through the acquisition of a 32 percent share in Next Media, currently owned by Jimmy Lai, an outspoken anti-communist reviled by Beijing. (AP Photo/Jameson Wu)TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Appearing last year before Taiwanese regulators, billionaire media magnate Tsai Eng-meng appeared perplexed over a decision to fine his flagship newspaper for carrying camouflaged advertising on behalf of China's Communist government.


Bail decision to be made in Pistorius case

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:19 PM PST

Defence lawyers argue that South African Olympian accused of killing girlfriend is far too famous to flee prosecution.

Cyprus election favorite in talks to secure bridge loan

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 10:03 PM PST

NICOSIA (Reuters) - The frontrunner in Cyprus's presidential election runoff said on Thursday he has been in touch with governments and unspecified funds for a bridge loan to ensure the island nation does not run out of cash before it secures an international bailout.

VIDEO: Has the games console had its day?

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:00 AM PST

With the rise of smart phones and tablet computers, are the days of the games console coming to an end?

VIDEO: Electric elephants on digital safari

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 05:10 PM PST

BBC News catches up with Amit Drori, an Israeli puppeteer who designs and builds robots to use onstage.

VIDEO: Carmen: Staging a large scale opera

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:14 PM PST

Carmen the romantic opera by Bizet is being staged at the Royal Albert Hall with a company of more than 100 people.

VIDEO: App lets man speak after 27 silent years

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 01:45 AM PST

For the last 27 years, Kevin Beverley has been unable to speak, after a violent attack left him brain damaged and paralysed.

Three killed in Yemen ahead of protest rally

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 09:46 PM PST

Security forces in Aden shoot three supporters of the separatist Southern Movement heading to a rally for independence.

Mercury May Have Once Had An Ocean Of Lava

Posted: 21 Feb 2013 09:34 PM PST

Researchers at MIT have recently published an experiment that demonstrates that 4 billion years ago, the planet Mercury may have had an ocean of magma on its surface.