Scotland’s whisky sector is in high spirits

Scotland’s whisky sector is in high spirits


Scotland’s whisky sector is in high spirits

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 01:03 PM PST

HARRIS, Scotland — When Scotland's self-described "minister for whisky" announced a $3 million government grant for a new distillery on the remote western Isle of Harris this week, he jokingly expressed disappointment at not being offered a celebratory drink.

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Pentagon Reverses Its Censoring of Passages in Afghan War Book

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:51 PM PST

In an illustration of the government's changeable ideas of what should be secret, Pentagon censors have decided that nearly 200 passages deleted from "Operation Dark Heart" can be printed.

The Caucus: Rubio and Paul Embody Conservative Debate Over Foreign Policy

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 10:22 AM PST

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky are a study in contrasts when it comes to national security policy, embodying a broader debate within the conservative movement.

Abbas asks Israel to let in Palestinians fleeing Syria

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 01:15 PM PST

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tried to get Israel to let 150,000 Palestinians fleeing war in Syria resettle in the West Bank, but dropped the request after the Jewish state demanded they first give up their right of return, he said.

Stocks Near New Heights as Small Investors Regain Faith

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:56 PM PST

After millions of people all but abandoned the market following the 2008 bust, individual investors are pouring money into stock mutual funds like they haven't in years.

Indian president speaks out against rape

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:47 PM PST

President Pranab Mukherjee says India must "reset moral compass", while political party passes out knives to women.

Exxon replaces Apple as most valued company

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:46 PM PST

Apple knocked off top position as world's most valuable company by Texan oil company as stocks continue to fall.

Map: Which countries allow women in front-line combat roles?

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:25 PM PST

When outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that he had lifted the Pentagon's ban on allowing women to serve in front-line combat roles, one of several questions it raised was: Is that unusual? Do a lot of countries allow women to serve in combat? The answer is that many Western, developed countries have women on their front-line forces. But outside of the West, it's rare.

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SA 'halts Zimbabwe military deal'

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:28 PM PST

A court in South Africa has temporarily halted the donation of retired helicopters to Zimbabwe's military ahead of elections, a rights group says.

India Needs to ‘Reset Its Moral Compass,’ President Says

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:03 PM PST

President Pranab Mukherjee made a blunt call for gender equity and said the Dec. 16 gang rape and murder of a young woman in New Delhi had "shattered complacency."

Brazil drug lord 'Nem' sentenced

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:21 PM PST

A Brazilian man who controlled the drug-trafficking in Rio de Janeiro's sprawling Rocinha neighbourhood is sent to prison for 12 years.

Obama names new chief of staff

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 11:34 AM PST

US President Barack Obama names Denis McDonough, his deputy national security adviser, as his new chief of staff.

An experiment in rebel justice

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 07:45 AM PST

Somehow, the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who can't -- or won't -- leave this battleground city have grown accustomed to living in a state of war.

F.D.A. Panel to Vote on Restricting Hydrocodone Products Like Vicodin

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 11:56 AM PST

An advisory panel to the agency plans to vote Friday on whether to toughen restrictions on hydrocodone products, the most widely used narcotic painkillers in the country.

In Surprise, Educator Rejects Plea Deal Over Test-Cheating Ring

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 11:42 AM PST

Clarence Mumford Sr., who is accused of soliciting teachers to take certification exams for other teachers, said the proposed 9-to-11-year sentence was "too severe for what I am charged with."

In the Subways, Geechee Dan’s Voice Stirs the Soul

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 08:29 AM PST

Geechee Dan, a 72-year-old Harlem resident, amazes commuters daily with his expressive rendition of old-school rhythm-and-blues songs on a stage shared with roaring trains.

VIDEO: Pakistani wrestlers' fight to survive

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 07:11 AM PST

The number of athletes and venues has declined in Pakistan over the decades.

Photos: Kim Jong Un and his military

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 11:39 AM PST

Russia moves toward strict smoking limits

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 11:35 AM PST

MOSCOW — The lower house of parliament, which has raised the blood pressure of many Russians by banning American adoptions and restricting opposition rights, attempted to lower it to healthy levels Friday as it moved to pass a bill banning smoking in public places.

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Egyptians mark second anniversary of uprising with protests, violence

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST

CAIRO — Tens of thousands of Egyptians demonstrated across the country on Friday, clashing with police in Cairo and the port city of Alexandria as they expressed frustration with the new Islamist government on the two-year anniversary of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak.

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Violence flares on anniversary of Egypt uprising

Violence flares on anniversary of Egypt uprising


Violence flares on anniversary of Egypt uprising

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:32 AM PST

CAIRO (Reuters) - Hundreds of youths clashed with Egyptian police in Tahrir Square on Friday in a violent start to the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak and led to the election of an Islamist president who is now the focus of protester rage.


Indian women given kitchen knives, chilli to fend off rapists

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:54 PM PST

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's radical Hindu nationalist party governing Mumbai has handed out kitchen knives and chilli powder to women following a gang rape in the capital New Delhi that ignited a national debate on the best way to tackle sex crimes.


DNA shows ancestry of present-day Asians, Native Americans

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:59 AM PST

Present-day Asians and Native Americans are descended from a group of people who were already in China 40,000 years ago, according to an analysis of fossil DNA published this week.

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Something we must learn

Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:49 AM PST

While Ibrahim is most definitely a sly fox, he is edging towards political bankruptcy. To someone like this, perhaps we should just watch how he is going to play up his show.

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China urges Japan to co-operate in resolving islands dispute

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:06 PM PST

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Communist Party Chief Xi Jinping said on Friday that China's position on a series of islands disputed with Japan is clear and consistent and urged Japan to co-operate in resolving the issue.

VIDEO: US freezes as temperatures plunge

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 10:48 PM PST

Arctic temperatures in parts of the United States are creating some dramatic sights.

State spending fuels Correa's re-election bid in Ecuador

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 10:13 PM PST

ZUMBAHUA, Ecuador (Reuters) - Once a forgotten cluster of mud houses amid windswept peaks, the Ecuadorean village of Zumbahua today boasts a state-of-the-art schoolhouse with large projection touch screens, Internet access in every classroom and lessons in three languages.


Ahmad Zahidi files defamation suit against Rafizi

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:21 PM PST

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi filed a defamation suit at the High Court registrar here today, against Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) strategy advisor Mohd Rafizi Ramli in relation to an article in his blog.

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World's biggest nuke plant may shut: Japan report

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:12 PM PST

The largest nuclear power plant in the world may be forced to shut down under tightened rules proposed by Japan's new nuclear watchdog aimed at safeguarding against earthquakes, a report said Friday.

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North Korea defiant in face of US, China pressure

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:08 PM PST

North Korea kicked out at rival South Korea on Friday, even as China and the United States sought to pressure the isolated state into backing away from a threatened nuclear test.

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Philippines typhoon victims need more help: UN

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 10:48 PM PST

The United Nations launched an appeal Friday for more international aid to help nearly a million people in the Philippines as they recover from last year's deadliest typhoon in the world.

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Arab world takes centre stage at Davos

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 10:37 PM PST

The Arab world takes centre stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Friday with Jordan's King Abdullah II set to address global political and business leaders.

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VIDEO: Economic concerns in Belgium

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 10:45 PM PST

While senior officials are confident that Europe is emerging from its economic crisis, in Belgium it's predicted that 2013 will be a year of stagnation.

Greek riot police break up striking subway workers' sit-in

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:44 PM PST

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek riot police stormed a subway train depot in Athens early on Friday to disperse striking subway staff who defied a government order to return to work for a ninth consecutive day, a police official said.


Trial of China's Bo Xilai opens next week, says Beijing-backed paper

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:30 PM PST

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's disgraced former senior politician, Bo Xilai, will go on trial next week, a Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper said on Friday, in what would be the final act of a drama that has shaken the ruling Communist Party.


Experts cite causes of Jakarta's perennial floods

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:56 PM PST

Rini Huang, a resident in this capital city, has succeeded in freeing herself after being trapped for three days in her house which was flooded by neck-high waters last week.

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Quit smoking before 40 reduces death risk: study

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:30 PM PST

A study published Thursday found smokers who quit when they are young adults can significantly reduce their risks of dying sooner.

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Mali Islamists split as French-led offensives build up pressure

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 08:47 PM PST

The alliance of Islamist militant groups showed signs of cracks Thursday as they were under increasing pressure exerted by a new spate of the French-led offensives.

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Septuagenarian Spaniard determined to stay in Mali home

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:31 PM PST

Seventy-seven-year-old Pedro Ros doesn't care that he may be the only white person left in a Malian city foreigners have fled amid escalating threats from Islamists. And he doesn't care that his embassy is urging him to pack his bags and leave.

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Japan envoy says territory dispute with China can be resolved

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 07:54 PM PST

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Japanese envoy to Beijing said on Friday that he believed tensions with China over a group of uninhabited islands could be resolved, after meeting China's president-in-waiting Xi Jinping.