Italy urges high turnout in key election for euro zone

Italy urges high turnout in key election for euro zone


Italy urges high turnout in key election for euro zone

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 01:17 PM PST

ROME (Reuters) - Italy pressed citizens to get out and vote in one of the most closely watched elections in years on Sunday and Monday, with markets on edge at the prospect of a political stalemate that could reignite the debt crisis.

Kurdish militant leader signals Turkish prisoners may be freed

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:54 PM PST

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The jailed leader of Turkey's Kurdish rebellion on Saturday signaled that his followers could release captives and further a fledgling peace process that may be the best hope in years of ending the decades-long conflict.

Ahmadinejad admits to economic pain

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:38 PM PST

TEHRAN — Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a rare acknowledgment Saturday night of the economic challenges his country is facing.

"This was a very difficult year for our economy," Ahmadinejad said during a live television interview in which he outlined his government's budget plan for the coming fiscal year. He accused the United States of using its vast economic might to exert unfair pressure on the much smaller Iranian economy.

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Hard Budget Realities as Agencies Prepare to Detail Reductions

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:25 PM PST

By the end of this week, federal agencies will notify governors, private contractors and other stakeholders of the dollars they would be about to lose if across-the-board budget cuts go into effect.

Russian inmate joins Chilean club

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:45 PM PST

A Russian inmate is allowed to remain in Chile and play for a local football club after serving three-year prison sentence for drug smuggling.

As Cuts Loom, Governors Call for Discretion on How Federal Money Can Be Spent

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:05 PM PST

Governors of both parties pleaded with President Obama and Congress to give them more discretion over the use of federal money so they could minimize the pain for their citizens.

Utah, a Nature Lover’s Haven, Is Plagued by Dirty Air

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 11:58 AM PST

Topographic and meteorological factors combine to trap auto emissions and other air pollutants in the region, a problem with no easy solution.

Tens of thousands in Spain protest economic policy, corruption

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:22 PM PST

MADRID (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched through cities across the country on Saturday to protest deep austerity, the privatization of public services and political corruption.

Morsi changes Egypt elections date

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:17 PM PST

Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi brings forward the start of the country's parliamentary elections, just days after announcing it.

Austrian Yemen hostage appeals for ransom in video

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 11:59 AM PST

VIENNA (Reuters) - An Austrian man taken hostage in Yemen in December has appeared in a video posted on YouTube, saying he would be killed if ransom money was not paid to a Yemeni tribe within a week.

Pairs take pain out of college search

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:05 AM PST

At 17 years old, Jessica Perez is an honor student who aspires to be the first member of her family to graduate from college.

Half of S. Africans live in fear of break-in

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:05 PM PST

Oscar Pistorius claims he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder and shot her, a claim that has shown the world that many South Africans live with a palpable fear of having their homes broken into.

Vatican denies rumors involving sex, money, gay priests

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:01 PM PST

The Vatican sought Saturday to tamp down rumors involving sex, money and gay priests that have been swirling in the Italian media and have been linked by some to Pope Benedict XVI's decision to resign.

North Korea threatens U.S. military

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 09:42 AM PST

North Korea threatens the U.S. military with "miserable destruction" if it carries out joint exercises with South Korean forces, which it labels a "war of aggression".

Mass austerity protests sweep Spain

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:32 PM PST

Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to turn out in towns and cities across Spain on Saturday to voice their anger over harsh austerity and the way the country's being run in the wake of its financial crisis.

Egypt's ElBaradei calls for vote boycott

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 05:58 AM PST

Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei urges voters to boycott the country's parliamentary elections, describing them as "an act of deception."

Tainted horse meat 'probably' eaten

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 11:53 AM PST

Three horse carcasses tainted with a veterinary drug harmful to humans have "probably" entered the food chain, France's agriculture minister confirmed Saturday.

Leader of militant group arrested in Pakistan, police say

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 05:28 AM PST

Pakistani authorities arrested the leader of an outlawed Sunni militant group believed to be behind a suicide bombing at a marketplace that left dozens dead, a senior police official said.

Iran Says It Has Captured an ‘Enemy Drone’

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:27 PM PST

Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said Saturday that it captured a foreign unmanned aircraft during a military exercise in southern Iran.

France's Hollande hails quality meat at farm show

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 11:34 AM PST

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande sang the praises of local produce at the annual French farm show, where the horse meat scandal added to French cattle breeders' downbeat mood.

France says drug-tainted horsemeat has likely entered food chain

France says drug-tainted horsemeat has likely entered food chain


France says drug-tainted horsemeat has likely entered food chain

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 01:13 AM PST

Several horse carcasses containing the drug Phenylbutazone have probably ended up in the human food chain, France's agriculture ministry said Saturday.

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DBKL to focus on cleanliness this year

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 01:10 AM PST

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will emphasise on environmental cleanliness in several areas of the city in its operations this year, said DBKL director-general Datuk Salleh Yusof today.

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Body of Brunei woman found encased in cement block

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 01:05 AM PST

Brunei police are probing the death of a Malaysian woman found encased in a block of cement in her friend's garden, in the latest violent death to shock the sleepy sultanate.

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Iraq president's health improving, can now talk-doctor

Posted: 23 Feb 2013 12:37 AM PST

KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is now able to talk, his doctor said, adding he was hopeful the Kurdish statesman would soon be fit to return to Iraq from Germany, where he has been receiving medical treatment for a stroke.


Malaysia not a desperate country: Koh

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:53 PM PST

Malaysia is not a desperate country as alleged by the opposition, said Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

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Indonesia ruling party chief quits after graft accusation

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:44 PM PST

The chairman of Indonesia's ruling party, Anas Urbaningrum, announced his resignation Saturday after the country's anti-graft body named him a suspect in a multi-million-dollar corruption case.

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Home ministry leaves deportation of intruders to Wisma Putra

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:34 PM PST

The Home Ministry has left it to Wisma Putra to decide on the Philippine government's request of an extension on the deportation of a group of intruders in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

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Hadi claims Pakatan govt corruption-free

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:10 PM PST

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang claims that opposition leaders and Pakatan Rakyat state governments are free from corruption.

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North Korea warns U.S. forces of "destruction" ahead of war drills

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:22 PM PST

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea on Sunday warned the top U.S. military commander stationed in South Korea that his forces would "meet a miserable destruction" if they go ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korean troops, North Korean state media said.


South Africa’s ANC Women’s League dismayed by Pistorius bail

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:44 PM PST

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 23 — The Women's League of South Africa's ruling ANC party said it was disappointed that a court yesterday granted Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius bail in a case where he faces charges of murdering his girlfriend. "For now we will abide by the rules of law in this country but honestly we are saddened because women are being ...


France ready to start Mali withdrawal despite attack

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:26 PM PST

OTTAWA, Feb 23 — France is ready to start pulling its forces out of Mali next month despite a rebel attack on the key northern town of Gao, the French head of the armed force said yesterday. Admiral Edouard Guillaud, chief of the defence staff, told reporters after a speech in Ottawa that he was not surprised by Thursday's attack in Gao, when 15 ...


Thirteen Chad soldiers, 65 rebels killed in Mali

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:53 PM PST

N'DJAMENA, Feb 23 — Thirteen Chadian soldiers were killed in fighting in northern Mali yesterday, the heaviest casualties sustained by French and African troops since the launch of a military campaign against Islamist rebels there six weeks ago, Chad's army said. Chadian troops killed 65 al Qaeda-linked fighters in the clashes that began before ...


Wearable technology to become the norm before the end of the decade

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:10 PM PST

The latest research estimates that up to 485 million devices will be shipped every year by 2018 and that the excitement generated by Google and the rumors surrounding Apple will help push wearable technology firmly into the mainstream.

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Instagram filtering out BlackBerry

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:08 PM PST

Sources claim that the photo-sharing site will not be developing a native app and that BlackBerry users will have to settle for a 'ported' version of the Android app.

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Global tablet sales up 78% in 2012: survey

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:08 PM PST

The global market for tablet computers surged 78.4 percent last year, with 128 million of the devices shipped, a survey showed Thursday.

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Facebook has positive effect on mental health: study

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:07 PM PST

While Facebook usage has been blamed for everything from shorter attention spans to increased stress and obesity, authors of a recently published study say that the social media site actually has a positive effect on psychological well-being.

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Hackers hacked on Twitter - tips to reduce the risk

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:05 PM PST

The infamous hacker collective Anonymous is the latest high-profile tweeter to have a Twitter feed taken over, apparently by a rival hacking group.

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Six books announced for Oddest Book Title of the Year web vote

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:01 PM PST

"How Tea Cosies Changed the World," "Lofts of North America: Pigeon Lofts," and "Goblinproofing One's Chicken Coop" are three of six selected finalists for the 2013 Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year.

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Chain pulled on flies in Chinese public toilets

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:58 PM PST

Authorities in China are looking to wipe out dingy public toilets with proposed rules to limit the number of flies and flush away bad smells, Beijing said.

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Taiwan ex-president's prison term extended

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:35 PM PST

Taiwan's former president Chen Shui-bian, jailed for corruption in 2009, has had his prison term extended by 18 months to 20 years due to a further bribery conviction.

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North Korea warns U.S. forces of "destruction" ahead of war drills

North Korea warns U.S. forces of "destruction" ahead of war drills


North Korea warns U.S. forces of "destruction" ahead of war drills

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:13 PM PST

A North Korean soldier looks south through a pair of binoculars on the north side of the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas in PajuSEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea on Sunday warned the top U.S. military commander stationed in South Korea that his forces would "meet a miserable destruction" if they go ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korean troops, North Korean state media said. Pak Rim-su, chief delegate of the North Korean military mission to the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, gave the message by phone to Gen. James Thurman, the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, KCNA news agency said. ...


Uruguay's Supreme Court rules against dictatorship trials

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:54 PM PST

MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) - Uruguay's Supreme Court said on Friday that a law allowing fresh investigations of dictatorship-era human rights crimes violates the constitution, a ruling that puts dozens of cases into doubt. About 200 Uruguayans were kidnapped and killed during the 1973-1985 dictatorship, and the small South American nation remains divided over how to deal with former military officers accused of rights abuses. Congress passed legislation in 2011 that made new rights trials possible in spite of a 1986 amnesty law shielding most officers from prosecution. ...

Talk of peace with Pakistan Taliban angers victims

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:31 PM PST

In this Thursday, Feb. 21, 2012, photo, Pakistani student Hazratullah Khan, 14, who was injured in a car bombing on December 17, 2012 in Peshawar, poses for a picture in Peshawar, Pakistan. Hazratullah Khan's right leg was amputated below the knee after he survived a car bombing as he was on his way home from school. His response when asked whether peace talks should be held with the Taliban leaders who ordered attacks like the ones that maimed him is simple: Hang them alive. Slice their flesh off their bodies and cut them into pieces. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Hazratullah Khan, who lost his right leg below the knee in a car bombing, answers immediately when asked whether the Pakistani government should hold peace talks with Taliban leaders responsible for attacks like the one that maimed him.


North Korea warns U.S. forces of "destruction" ahead of war drills

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:13 PM PST

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea on Sunday warned the top U.S. military commander stationed in South Korea that his forces would "meet a miserable destruction" if they go ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korean troops, North Korean state media said.

Campaigning ends for Italy general election

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:02 PM PST

Political parties hold final public rallies, with outcome of Sunday's poll considered deeply uncertain.

Ex-Canada ambassador slighted by Affleck's "Argo"

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:17 PM PST

FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012 file photo, former Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor and his wife Pat, pose for photographers at the premiere of the film Argo in Washington. Taylor, Canada's former ambassador in Iran, who protected Americans at great personal risk during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, says if "Argo" wins the Oscar for best picture on Sunday there would be something wrong with director Ben Affleck if he didn't mention Canada, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)TORONTO (AP) — The Canadian former ambassador to Iran who protected Americans at great personal risk during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis says it will reflect poorly on Ben Affleck if he doesn't say a few words about Canada's role if the director's film "Argo" wins the Oscar for best picture Sunday.


US grounds F-35 fighter fleet

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:00 PM PST

Decision to suspend test flights of all 51 jets described as "precautionary" after crack discovered in turbine blade.

Deadly blast kills policemen in eastern India

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:15 PM PST

Landmine kills at least eight people, including six policemen, in explosion in Bihar state blamed on Maoist fighters.

Consultant: Cable Companies Won't Allow That Rumored Apple TV Settop Box

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:57 PM PST

Third in a series.

Uruguay's Supreme Court rules against dictatorship trials

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:54 PM PST

MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) - Uruguay's Supreme Court said on Friday that a law allowing fresh investigations of dictatorship-era human rights crimes violates the constitution, a ruling that puts dozens of cases into doubt.

Google Buildings Polluted With Toxic Vapors From Chemical Spills

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:21 PM PST

Silicon Valley was all abuzz on Friday over news that two of Google's buildings on North Whisman Road in Mountain View were suffering from toxic vapors seeping up from the ground below.

America's 20 Dirtiest Cities

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:21 PM PST

Thousands protest in Armenia against re-elected president

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:17 PM PST

YEREVAN (Reuters) - Thousands of people protested in Armenia's capital Yerevan on Friday against the re-election of President Serzh Sarksyan, asserting that an opposition party leader was the real winner.

Oscar Night Gift Bags Are Taxable; Cast Of Twilight Franchise Relieved To Dodge Bullet

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 08:45 PM PST

While I confess to not really following the Oscars – I still haven't forgiven the Academy for its egregious omission of "Grandma's Boy" from the candidates for Best Picture of 2006 — I'd be remiss if I didn't draw attention to one of the more fascinating aspects of awards night:  the gift bags given to each and every loser non-winning nominee.

PM says 'Japan's back,' vows stronger ties with US

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 08:18 PM PST

President Barack Obama shakes hands with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)WASHINGTON (AP) — Japan's new prime minister declared Friday he would make his country a stronger U.S. ally and joined President Barack Obama in warning North Korea that its recent nuclear provocations would not be tolerated.


Don't Let Work Sabotage Your Next Vacation...3 Steps To Uplugging

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:52 PM PST

I'm lounging here on my balcony at our resort in Jamaica, having a wonderful mid-winter vacation with my husband. We've done this every year for the past four years, and the busier I get, the more important it becomes.

DR Congo 'on brink of major conflict'

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 08:09 PM PST

Head of UN mission in Congo says peacekeeping force is "urgently needed" to combat armed rebel groups in country's east.

Divided Egypt opposition attacks Mursi on election call

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 10:43 PM PST

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi speaks during a news conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul after their meeting at Presidential Palace "Qasr Al Quba" in CairoCAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's opposition attacked President Mohammed Mursi on Friday for calling elections during a national crisis, but face a test of unity in challenging Islamists who have won every poll since the 2011 revolution. No sooner had Mursi called the parliamentary polls on Thursday than liberals and leftists accused him of deepening divisions between Islamists and their opponents. Some threatened to boycott voting which starts on April 27th and finishes in late June. ...


US and Japan leaders affirm security alliance

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:14 PM PST

US President Barack Obama and Japan PM Shinzo Abe vow to stand firm against North Korea, and promote regional stability.

Adolf Hitler stumping for votes in Indian election

Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:37 PM PST

Hitler Reviews TroopsGAUHATI, India (AP) — Adolf Hitler is running for election in India. So is Frankenstein.