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Internationally recognised Irish peacekeeper for UN gets major Mideast post

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:15:41 -0400

18 June 2013 150 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment today of Major General Michel Finn, of Ireland, as head of Mission and Chief of Staff of the Jerusalem-based UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), the first such operation the world body set up almost 60 years ago. "Major General Finn succeeds Major General Juha Kilpia of Finland, who will ...

Iran poll shows people want change, says Obama

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:40:07 -0400

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama has urged Iran's newly elected president to prove to the world that the Islamic republic was not pursuing a nuclear weapon programme as the White House welcomed election of a moderate leader as a hopeful sign. "I think it says that the Iranian people want to move in a different direction," Obama said of the election results in Iran that saw a surprising ...

President Rousseff says Brazil has woken up after massive protests

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:37:27 -0400

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Anti-graft protests swept Brazil's main cities as some 200,000 demonstrators marched through the streets against alleged mis-governance, forcing President Dilma Rousseff Tuesday to acknowledge the need for better public services and effective administration. The assurance from Rousseff came a day after biggest protests rocked at least ten Brazilian cities, including Sao ...

Talks between UK and Ecuador fail as Assange completes year in embassy

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:37:11 -0400

LONDON - Talks between the United Kingdom and Ecuador have ended without any breakthrough over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's fate with the Andean nation. Ecquador said it was vowing not to succumb to diplomatic pressure and was ready to consider any request from Edward Snowden, another whistleblower, for asylum. As the fugitive anti-secrecy advocate marks one year holed up in the ...

Libya to hold trial of Gaddafi's son in August

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:29:24 -0400

LONDON - Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of deceased Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, will stand trial in August along with Gaddafi's last prime minister and a former intelligence director, the prosecutor's office has announced. The men will be tried for crimes against the Libyan people during the 2011 uprising that toppled the former regime. Notorious former spy chief Abdullah ...

Group of Eight leaders stop short of calling for Assad ouster

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:28:36 -0400

ENNISKILLEN - The Group of Eight industrialised nations called for a swift end to the bloody civil war in Syria and urgent peace talks but stopped short of calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in its joint statement at the end of talks Tuesday. Despite the lack of consensus among the G8 on the fate of Assad, as well as the use of chemical weapons by his regime, Canadian ...

Mandela International Day launched

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:10:02 -0400

The UN and the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory (NMCM) Wednesday launched the Mandela International Day, even as the anti-apartheid icon spent his 12th day in hospital for a recurring lung problem. Wednesday's event marked the official launch of programmes to celebrate Mandela's 95th birthday July 18, Xinhua reported. July 18 was endorsed in 2009 by the UN General Assembly as Nelson Mandela ...

Hamas holds talks to stop being listed as terror group

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:10:01 -0400

The Islamic Hamas movement has been holding meetings with foreign officials in a bid to get its name erased from the list of international terrorist organisations, a Hamas official said Wednesday. The US, several European countries and Israel have classified the Hamas movement, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since June 2007, as a terrorist organisation. A series of meetings with European ...

NRI lawyer wins Iran bank case in British Supreme Court

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:50:02 -0400

Mumbai-born Parsi lawyer Sarosh Zaiwala Wednesday notched a remarkable success in a bank case in the British Supreme Court, with major ramifications on the international banking system, an official said. By the court verdict, the British government's sanctions on Iran's largest private bank, Bank Mellat, were lifted after the its security service's "Secret Court" failed to produce significant ...

14 killed in attack on UN headquarters in Somalia

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:40:02 -0400

At least 14 people were killed and 15 others were wounded in an attack on the UN headquarters in the Somali capital of Mogadishu Wednesday, CNN reported. Seven militants, four UN employees and three female civilians were killed, said Abdikarim Hussein Guled, the country's interior and national security minister. The Al-Shabaab militant group linked to Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the ...

UN headquarters in Somalia attacked

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:20:02 -0400

An attacker Wednesday blew himself up at the entrance to the UN headquarters in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, CNN reported. Others wearing suicide vests entered the UN compound and a gunfight ensued, said police officer Hussein Ahmed. The compound had now been secured and was in the hands of African Union troops, according to the official Twitter account of the African Union Mission to ...

South Korean president visits Indian book pavilion

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:30:01 -0400

South Korean President Park Geun-hye Wednesday toured the Indian pavilion at an international book fair here in which India is participating as the guest of honour for the first time. She toured the Indian pavilion at the Seoul International Book Fair, spending close to 10 minutes there, said an embassy press release. It was followed by a brief interaction when Minister of State for Human ...

Palestinians should have a state as a right Blair

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:00:01 -0400

Palestinians "should have a state, not as a reward for good behaviour but as a right", Tony Blair, the official envoy of the Middle East Quartet, said Wednesday. Blair cautioned Israeli leaders that the "window of opportunity" for peace with the Palestinians might close shortly, Xinhua reported. "Some say the two-state solution is a fantasy. The fantasy is thinking one-state is sustainable or ...

Suicide bombers attack UN office in Mogadishu

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:50:03 -0400

Mogadishu, June 19 (Xinhua-ANI): Militants on Wednesday launched suicide bomb attacks on the office of United Nations Development Programe (UNDP) in Mogadishu where guards exchanged fire with the gunmen in and around the compound, police and witnesses said. "The fighting with the gunmen and suicide bombers is ongoing. We have eliminated some of the attackers but the fighting is now going on," ...

Li Na enters second round at Eastbourne

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:10:01 -0400

Second seed Li Na of China defeated French woman Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-4 to reach the second round of the Aegon International here. Li, French Open champion two years ago but beaten in the second round at Roland Garros earlier this month, will next take on former champion Marion Bartoli of France, reports Xinhua. Fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki, the former World No.1, led Tamira Paszek 6-2, 2-2 ...

Veronica Campbell-Brown denies knowingly taking drug

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:20:01 -0400

Olympic and World Champion Veronica Campbell-Brown has denied knowingly taking a banned substance Lasix, which also goes by the name Furosemide. Brown's first public reaction came in the form of a statement released by her On Track Management (OTM) group following reports that she has tested positive for the banned drug. The OTM statement says Brown is determined to clear her name and included ...

Brazil protests will calm down Blatter hopes

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:20:02 -0400

FIFA president Sepp Blatter denied that the Confederations Cup and World Cup are the causes for mass protests across Brazil. Demonstrations, which began last week in response to rise in public transport fares, have turned into a nation-wide rally against bad governance and corruption, reports Xinhua. Many marchers expressed their anger at the billions of dollars spent on new football stadiums ...

Pakistan expresses concern over US drone attacks at UNSC

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:40:02 -0400

Pakistan has expressed concerns over drone attacks to the United Nations Security Council. Pakistan told the UNSC that armed drones were violating country's sovereignty, causing civilian casualties, and putting communities at risk of reprisal attacks. According to the Daily Times, Pakistan said drone strikes radicalised disaffected communities and increased the number of terrorists, adding that ...

Protestors hack Brazil World Cup 2014 website

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:40:02 -0400

Protestors have reportedly hacked the official website for the Brazil Football World Cup 2014 and replaced the site with a video of a violent police response to a peaceful protest. According to News.com.au, the FIFA website was replaced with an embedded YouTube video, showing protesters marching, before riot police release tear gas and fire on the protesters with rubber bullets. The report ...

Kim Jong Un distributes copies of Hitlers Mein Kampf to North Korean officials to mark bday

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:50:02 -0400

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un handed out copies of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf to mark his birthday. Kim reportedly distributed the copies of Mein Kampf in an effort to sow fear among top officials. According to the Telegraph, North Korea-watchers believe the move is part of an effort to make him seem powerful, rather than drawing on Nazi beliefs. Shirley Lee, the editor of the New Focus ...

Whatmore to review flop Pak players with World Cup 2015 in mind

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:30:01 -0400

Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore has said that national team will be reviewed keeping in mind the 2015 World Cup after their dismal performance in the ICC Champions Trophy in England. Poor batting led to Pakistan's defeat in all three matches as they failed to post a single total above 170 runs, with the flop performance prompting calls from former players, media and fans to overhaul the system and ...

UN chief hails G8 leaders understanding on Syria

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:20:02 -0400

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon Tuesday welcomed the understanding reached on Syria by leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrial nations. Ban welcomed the commitment to bring the Syrian sides to the negotiating table, saying that he stands ready to convene the Geneva Conference on Syria as soon as possible to help the Syrian sides reach "a comprehensive agreement based on the Geneva ...

Praising advances in Serbia UN official urges political will to solidify human rights gains

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:16:33 -0400

18 June 2013 150 Visiting Serbia at "an important and transformative moment" in its history, the United Nations human rights chief today urged a steadfast focus on fundamental rights as she hailed a succession of political advances that augur well for the country itself and for the future of the wider region. "It is a positive sign that the authorities are addressing some tough human rights ...

Hungary must revoke amendment threatening judicial independence - UN rights chief

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:16:24 -0400

18 June 2013 150 The top United Nations human rights official today urged the Hungarian Government to revoke a constitutional amendment that threatens the judiciary's independence and endangers the country's system of checks and balances. "Hungary should seek to maintain high standards of human rights protection," said High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. "Our view is that this ...

Senior UN officials urge restraint dialogue to defuse tensions fuelling protests in Turkey

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:16:15 -0400

18 June 2013 150 Urging "maximum restraint" amid widespread anti-Government protests in Turkey, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Navi Pillay, the world body's human rights chief, called today for constructive dialogue to defuse tensions in the country. "The atmosphere is still clearly highly combustible," said Ms. Pillay, who is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "It ...

Libyas democratic transition can benefit from national political dialogue says UN envoy

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:16:04 -0400

18 June 2013 150 Managing Libya's democratic transition is bound to be difficult given the legacy of decades of brutal rule, a senior United Nations envoy told the Security Council today, adding that the country could benefit from a national political dialogue on the way forward. "The political and security challenges that now face the country may well be the legacy of decades of ...

Mali UN officials welcome accord between Government and Tuareg rebels

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:15:56 -0400

18 June 2013 150 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the signing of an agreement between the Government of Mali and Tuareg rebels, providing for an immediate ceasefire and paving the way for country-wide presidential elections set for next month. In a statement issued by a spokesperson in New York, the UN chief welcomes the accord reached between the Malian Government ...

US Names New Envoy to Africas Great Lakes

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:15:23 -0400

Former Senator Russell Feingold has been named the U.S. special envoy to Africa's troubled Great Lakes region. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who announced the appointment Tuesday, said Feingold will work closely with U.N. envoy Mary Robinson to advance a U.N. framework for peace in the region. The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has endured years of conflict and ...

More Russian Oil Flows to China in Shift From Europe

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:15:14 -0400

MOSCOW Russia is steeply ramping up oil deliveries to China, with Asia now importing almost a fifth of oil exports from the world's largest crude producer in a strategic shift meant by the Kremlin to end reliance on weak and saturated European markets. Russia will increase oil supplies to China by 13 percent in July-September from the previous three months, a shipping schedule obtained ...

Kenyas Deputy Leader to Appear during ICC Trial

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:15:05 -0400

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ruled that Kenya's deputy president, William Ruto, must attend key segments of his trial on charges of crimes against humanity scheduled to begin in September, according to a court spokesman. Ruto and Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta face similar charges before the court in connection with their alleged role in the country's 2007-2008 post-election ...

World Salva Kiir sacks top South Sudan officials

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:40:00 -0400

Mr Kiir had ordered them to appear before an investigation committee "to answer queries relating to the transfer" of nearly $8m (5m) to a firm called Daffy Investments Group Limited, it ...

World Food Prize goes to 3 biotech researchers who made genetically modified plants possible

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:39:51 -0400

DES MOINES, Iowa -- This year's World Food Prize is going to a Belgian scientist and two researchers in the United States for their innovations that brought the world genetically modified crops. The prize organizers say the technology that allows for the stable transfer of genes into plant cells has improved yields, resistance to insects and disease, and tolerance of extreme climate ...

Top UK court overturns sanctions on Iranian bank

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:39:28 -0400

LONDON -; Britain's Supreme Court has quashed sanctions against an Iranian bank penalized over its alleged links to Iran's nuclear weapons ...

Gyula Horn former Hungarian prime minister dies

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:39:28 -0400

BUDAPEST, Hungary -; Gyula Horn, a former Hungarian prime minister who played a key role in opening the Iron Curtain, has died at the age of ...

Swiss lawmakers reject deal on banking secrecy

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:39:27 -0400

GENEVA -; Switzerland's lower house of parliament has for the second time rejected a government proposal on relaxing Swiss banking secrecy laws, a move that would have helped the country's banks avoid facing U.S. criminal charges for shielding tax ...

WHITE HOUSE NOTEBOOK Obama ditches jacket

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:39:27 -0400

US President Barack Obama takes off his jacket due to warm weather while he delivers a speech in front of Brandenburg Gate in Berlin Wednesday, June 19, 2013. On the second day of his visit to Germany, Obama met with German President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel before delivering a speech at Brandenburg Gate. (AP Photo/Michael ...

Unmanned aircraft struggle to shed drone image

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:39:26 -0400

A Parrot eBee, an ultra light civil professional drone used to shoot video and photos is displayed during the 50th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Francois ...

World Bank Report Says Planet’s Poorest Most Vulnerable To Global Warming

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:38:20 -0400

new study projecting the damage to Africa and Asia in particular. ';The scientists tell us that if the world warms by (3.6 degree Fahrenheit) - warming which may be reached in 20 to 30 years - that will cause widespread food shortages, unprecedented heat waves, and more intense cyclones,'; World Bank ...

Obama...Give Me Five in International Meeting of Design in Cuba

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:37:59 -0400

Havana, Jun 19 (Prensa Latina) ''Obama...Give me five'', the stimulating slogan of the campaign for the liberation of the five Cuban anti-terrorists sentenced in United States, leads the posters'' exhibition of the event Diseño Forma 2013 (Design Form 2013) held in this capital city. The Cuban artistic director and graphic designer Jorge Martell told to Prensa ...

Worlds first flying car up for sale for nearly $1M

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:36:02 -0400

New York, June 19 : The world's first flying car, which was developed by inventor Moulton Taylor in the 1940s, has sparked nearly 1 million dollars bidding-war among high flying ...

Europe’s Port Sector Talks Focus on Long-Term Success

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:33:25 -0400

terminal operators , dockworkers and other port workers across the European Union.The new committee, which aims to promote discussions and represent both the employers and workers' sides of the port industry, will examine the challenges faced by the sector and help contribute to its long-term success. It brings together the European Sea Ports Organisation, the European Federation of Private ...

Istanbul 2020 hoping Mediterranean Games and FIFA Under-20 World Cup will help get bid back on track

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:32:25 -0400

June 19 - Turkish officials behind Istanbul's bid to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics will be hoping for the chance to get their campaign back on track when the Mediterranean Games opens tomorrow in Mersin. After more than two weeks of rioting the situation has remained relatively calm since the weekened when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan cleared the protestors who had ...

Obama proposes nuclear weapons cuts in Berlin address

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:28:19 -0400

President Barack Obamasaid Russian and US nuclear weapons should be slashed by up to a third in a keynote speech in front of Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate in which he called for a world of "peace and ...

DolceGabbana guilty of tax evasion

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:22:59 -0400

The pair were convicted in a Milan court of failing to declare 1 billion euros (860m) in income tax to authorities. The court sentenced them both to 20 months in jail. Prosecutors said that the pair had evaded taxes on income of 416 million euros each and 200 million euros through a Luxembourg-based company. The statute of limitations ran out on a charge of misrepresenting income. The designers ...

John Paul II closer to sainthood

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:22:59 -0400

A Vatican commission of theologians approved a miracle attributed to his intercession, clearing a key hurdle. The case now goes to a commission of cardinals and then Pope Francis. John Paul's canonization is possible in autumn to coincide with the 35th anniversary of his election, although a source that may be too soon. The Polish-born pope has been on the fast track for sainthood ever ...

World Bank Climate change will trap millions in poverty over next 20 years

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:22:42 -0400

Britain faces a wave of deadly new animal and plant diseases that threaten to wipe out crops and livestock as a direct result of global warming, the World Bank's top agricultural expert has ...

Tweet gets 21st century update in Oxford dictionary

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:21:57 -0400

Tweet is now defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as a noun that means a posting made on the social networking service Twitter. It is also defined as a verb. ...

International City New hub of global cuisines

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:17:11 -0400

DUBAI: Less celebrated and often derided, not necessarily for the right reasons, International City is finally living up to its name thanks to the gastronomic range its restaurants and eateries are putting up for its thousands of residents these ...

Indias Tata Motors revamps worlds cheapest car

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:12:27 -0400

A Nano car is displayed during the Indonesia International Motor Show in Jakarta on September 22, 2012. India's top automaker Tata Motors unveiled a new version of what was once billed as the world's cheapest car Wednesday, in a bid to reverse a slump in ...

The Strange Sad City of Baikonur the Worlds Gateway to the Heavens

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:11:58 -0400

It is from this remote city in southern Kazakhstan that humans first sent a satellite, an animal, and a person into orbit. But it didn't get an MRI machine until ...

Italy court rejects bid to block Berlusconi tax fraud verdict

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:11:41 -0400

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's constitutional court on Wednesday rejected a bid by Silvio Berlusconi to block a tax fraud conviction from October, clearing the way for a final verdict this year and deepening the uncertainty facing Prime Minister Enrico ...

Friends of Syria to meet Saturday in Doha France

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:11:40 -0400

PARIS (Reuters) - The main nations making up the Friends of Syria will meet on Saturday in Doha to discuss assistance for the Free Syrian Army following recent successes by government forces, a French foreign ministry official ...

UK top court ruling threatens Western sanctions against Iran

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:11:39 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Western government sanctions against Iran suffered a big setback on Wednesday when Britain's top court ruled that the government was wrong to have imposed sanctions on the biggest Iranian private bank over alleged links to Tehran's nuclear ...

Obama defends U.S. intelligence strategy in wary Berlin

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:11:39 -0400

BERLIN (Reuters) - President Barack Obama defended U.S. anti-terrorism tactics on a visit to Berlin on Wednesday, telling wary Germans Washington was not spying on the emails of ordinary citizens and promising to step up efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay ...

Czech ruling party backs speaker to be first woman PM

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:11:38 -0400

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The ruling Czech Civic Democrats have proposed Miroslava Nemcova as the next prime minister following the resignation of Petr Necas in a corruption scandal, the party said on ...

Iraqi Shiites flock to Assads side as sectarian split widens

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:11:37 -0400

Iraqi mourners carry the coffin of Dhia Mutasharm, a Shi'ite militia fighter killed in clashes with the Free Syrian Army, during a funeral in Basra, 420 km (261 miles) southeast of Baghdad in this May 6, 2013 file ...

Chinas Xi tells Vietnam wants peace in South China Sea

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:11:37 -0400

Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) toast during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing June 19, ...

Sri Lankan media code threatens free speech rights group

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:11:36 -0400

COLOMBO (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan government's proposed code of ethics for the media is a threat to free speech, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on ...

Monsanto Executive Is Among World Food Prize Winners

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:10:29 -0400

For the first time in its 27-year history, a prestigious award for enhancing the global food supply has gone to a creator of genetically modified crops, a top scientist at Monsanto. The choice is likely to add more heat to an intense debate about the role biotechnology can play in combating world hunger. Robert T. Fraley, ...

Kate Middletons Royal Birth New Details of Her and Prince Williams Baby Plans Emerge

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:10:20 -0400

's little one, new details have emerged regarding the couple's baby plans.First and foremost, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge do not know the gender of the baby, according to a St. James's Palace spokesperson.As for where the child will be born, he or she will be delivered at the Lindo Wing of London's St. Mary's Hospital. This is also where the late Princess ...

Noam Chomsky Obamas Policies Are Creating Terrorism Around the World

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:10:18 -0400

If ever you accused Barack Obama of fearing to offend or suffering from lack of spine, you have to hand it to him now: President Obama is acting more and more like a leader every day, one specific leader in fact: George W. Bush. Take the recent disclosures about the National Security Agency's massive spying on the world. The data dragnet mimics the worst of the Bush administration. ...

United Nations compound in Somalias capital attacked by Qaeda-linked gunmen

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:10:08 -0400

Somali National Government soldiers are seen after al Qaeda-linked al-Shabab insurgents shot and blasted their way into the United Nations compound in Mogadishu, Somalia, June 19, ...

More Charges Planned Against Castro

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:08:58 -0400

Ariel Castro, center, sits before a judge with his defense attorney's, Craig Weintraub, left, and Jaye Schlachet during a pretrial hearing, June 19, 2013, in Cleveland, ...

9 Burning Questions About the Royal Baby

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:08:58 -0400

The world has been captivated by Prince William and Kate Middleton, more formally the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, through love, marriage and now the imminent baby carriage. As we wait for the royal baby, we wonder... Who's on diaper duty? What will the baby eat? What will it call the queen? ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy weighs in on some of our most burning ...

Whitey Bulgers Ex-Enforcer Grilled

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:08:57 -0400

A former enforcer for James "Whitey" Bulger has been grilled by Bulger's attorney about varying stories he told over the years about killings he says were orchestrated by Bulger and his gang. John Martorano, who admitted killing 20 people, testified Wednesday in Bulger's racketeering trial in ...

NSA Claim of Thwarted NYSE Plot Contradicted by Court Documents

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:08:57 -0400

Court documents and FBI field reports reviewed by ABC News undercut and contradict the dramatic testimony from senior counter-terrorism officials that the National Security Agency's surveillance programs thwarted an attack by al ...

How to stop human slavery

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:08:55 -0400

>Editor's note: Yury Fedotov is the executive director of the U. N. Office on Drugs and Crime.(CNN) -- Thirteen-year-old Anjali didn't just pack her bags and run away to the circus, she signed a 10-year contract with a circus master after fleeing from long hours of domestic servitude in Nepal. Taken to India, she then endured years of appalling and dangerous working conditions for no ...

Man Arrested for Setting Wife on Fire

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:08:55 -0400

A Missouri man who set his wife on fire and evaded capture for more than 24 hours was arrested Tuesday night and charged with first degree assault, armed criminal action and arson, according to the local sheriffs office. Willard Hunt, of Higbee was found at approximately 8:30 p.m., wandering the railroad tracks behind a residential community. "Hunt dropped to his knees and said he was ...

Obama Warns Work Is Not Yet Done

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:08:55 -0400

Credit: Michael Kappeler/AP Photo BERLIN — Speaking at Berlin’s historic Brandenburg Gate, President Obama today challenged Western democracies not to become complacent in the post-Cold War era, saying ';our work is not yet done.'; ';Complacency is not the character of great nations. Today’s threats are not as stark as they were half a century ago, but the ...

Ousted Mens Wearhouse Founder Says He Was Silenced

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:08:49 -0400

After retailer Men's Wearhouse [NYSE: MW] announced that it "terminated" founder and executive chairman George Zimmer, best known to consumers for his hundreds of TV commercials pitching suits, he fired back saying the company's board "has inappropriately chosen to silence my concerns." The company said that "in light of Mr. Zimmer's termination," ...

Why is it so hard to vote

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:08:46 -0400

>Editor's note: Wendy Weiser directs the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.(CNN) -- Now that the Supreme Court has invalidated part of Arizona's voter registration law, states should be thinking twice before introducing laws to make it harder to cast a ballot. Monday's decision is indeed a big victory for voters ...

STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-UK small caps close up 0.1 pct Darty outperforms

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:03:42 -0400

* FTSEurofirst 300 down 0.3 pct, Euro STOXX 50 down 0.6 pct* Risks seen 'neutral' to 'on the upside' ahead of FOMC* Huge outflows from bonds, credit, going into cash -SocGenBy Blaise RobinsonPARIS, June 19 (Reuters) - European shares ended ...

More and more elephants slaughtered

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:03:08 -0400

>Editor's note: Mark Quarterman is the research director of the Enough Project, a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity.(CNN) -- The accelerating pace of the slaughter of elephants for their tusks has put African elephants at catastrophic risk in the coming decades. To make matters worse, some of the region's most notorious armed groups are ...

World Youth Day Registration Ending on June 20th

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:01:12 -0400

Challenge of Challenges Offers Discount For Registration Before DeadlineBy H. Sergio MoraROME, June 04, 2013 (Zenit.org) - Every week the "Official Fan Page of the 2013 Rio WYD" presents a new challenge to young people. On Saturday, June 1, it presented the "Challenge of Challenges": to register or finalize one's registration before midnight local time on June 20. If ...

Elizabeth Taylors first wedding dress up for sale

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:57:23 -0400

LONDON (AP) -- The gown Elizabeth Taylor wore at the first of her eight weddings is for sale. You'll need at least 30,000 pounds ($47,000) to buy it and a tiny waist to wear ...

Palestinians toughen line on Israel talks

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:57:21 -0400

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- The Palestinian president and his Fatah movement on Wednesday signaled a tough line on talks with Israel, casting new doubt on U.S. efforts to revive long-stalled ...

Royal Ascot Sun shines on day two of racing at world-famous meet

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:30:38 -0400

Brilliant summer sunshine bathed Royal Ascot as the Queen arrived for another day of racing at the world-famous meet.The royal party processed along the course in a carriage with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who joined her yesterday for the opening of the event.Racegoers traditionally have a punt on the colour of the hat she will wear on Ladies' Day, being staged tomorrow, ...

Ban Ki-moon recommends end to Iraq sanctions

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:29:08 -0400

UNITED NATIONS // The secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, yesterday recommended moving a step closer to ending all of the UN sanctions imposed on Iraq more than two decades ago after the country's former leader, Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait in 1990. Despite the fall of Saddam in 2003 after an invasion led by the United States, the UN has not fully lifted the sanctions. ...

Globe Editorial Accountability not lack of money is the real problem on federal reserves

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:28:32 -0400

A new report that says half of all status First Nations children in Canada live in poverty paints a dire picture but should also be a source of optimism. In a refreshing break from the usual handwringing, the report points out that injecting more money into First Nations reserves won't accomplish a thing until what it accurately describes as a "dysfunctional accountability system" ...

Israel decides to export 40 percent of its natural gas remainder for local market

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:27:17 -0400

JERUSALEM -- Israel has decided to export 40 percent of the natural gas it expects to produce from offshore wells, keeping a larger amount for local use than expected. The figure, announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, is lower than the 53 percent recommended by an inter-ministerial committee last year. The remainder should provide Israel with enough gas for 25 years. The ...

Correction Jordan-Syria-War Games story

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:27:03 -0400

ZARQA, Jordan -; In a June 18 story about U.S.-led war games in Jordan, The Associated Press reported erroneously the organization that employs Tawfiq Hennawi. He works for the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, not the International Committee of the Red ...

Egypt top cleric Protests against Morsi permitted

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:27:02 -0400

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 file photo, Ahmed el-Tayeb the grand sheik of Cairo's Al-Azhar, the pre-eminent theological institute of Sunni Islam, talks to the media in Cairo, Egypt. El-Tayeb said on Wednesday that peaceful protests against the president are permitted, dismissing declarations by Islamist hard-liners that those behind protests planned for June 30 are heretics. (AP ...

Dolce and Gabbana convicted of tax evasion

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:27:00 -0400

Two years ago, a judge threw out a tax evasion and fraud case against the pair, whose label Dolce&Gabbana is a Milan fashion mainstay. Italy's high court later ruled the designers could be prosecuted for tax evasion, though not for ...

Death threats greet Italys first back minister

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:26:57 -0400

Italian Integration Minister Cecile Kashetu Kyenge speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Press Club in Rome, Wednesday, June 19, 2013. Kyenge on Wednesday acknowledged "racist episodes" in Italy but declined to brand the country as a whole racist. She has so far tempered her reaction to racist attacks, saying it's for Italians to respond, not her. (AP Photo/Domenico ...

Kerry to address top world issues on upcoming trip

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:26:56 -0400

WASHINGTON -; Secretary of State John Kerry leaves Friday to visit seven countries on a trip focusing on global issues such as the Syrian crisis, Middle East peace and the West's standoffs with Iran and North Korea over their nuclear ...

Military Thurayas banned in northeast Nigeria

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:26:56 -0400

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria -; Soldiers fighting to halt an insurgency by Islamic militants are banning the use of Thuraya satellite telephones by civilians in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, throttling communications already made difficult by cut cell phone ...

World powers to meet on Syrian rebel demands

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:26:55 -0400

PARIS -; A French diplomat says officials from the United States and other countries will meet in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday to decide how to respond to requests for help from the Free Syrian ...

Airbus clocks 59 orders for new A350 wide-body jet

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:26:51 -0400

A visitor watches General Electric the GEnx jet engine, powering Boeing 787 Dremliner, during the 50th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Wednesday June 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Remy de la ...

Emirates named ‘world’s best airline’ at award show

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:26:46 -0400

Emirates Airline has been honoured with the title of world's top carrier at a recent award ceremony. The 2013 World Airline Awards took place yesterday (June 18th), during which Emirates was presented with the World's Best Airline gong. It also took home the prize for Best Middle East Airline and World's Best Inflight Entertainment, which is an award they have won nine years in a ...

Another defeat for Ireland in World League

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:26:03 -0400

A tough day at the office for the Irish Senior Men saw them fall 6-3 to a talented young Belgian side in Rotterdam this morning. Two goals in two first-half minutes before a Chris Cargo reply saw them go in at the break 2-1 down and fighting hard, but six goals in 20 minutes of the second period left Andrew Meredith’s side beaten by the better team on the day. The result means Belgium ...

Backstreet Boys Debut New Song In a World Like This

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:26:00 -0400

the Backstreet Boys amped up the anticipation by premiering the title track and first single, "In a World Like This," last night on New York radio station Z100. The song is uptempo in the same way as the 1997 single "As Long As You Love Me," and is about discovering love when it's needed ...

The Martini This American Cocktail May Have An International Twist

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:23:54 -0400

The martini: international drink of mystery? There's no cocktail more distinctly American than the martini. It's strong, sophisticated and sexy. It's everything we hope to project while ordering one. Baltimore-born satirist H.L. Mencken is said to have called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet." But is the martini perfectly ...

No easy nuke arms cuts Russia

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:19:54 -0400

ST PETERSBURG, Russia - Russia voiced concern on Wednesday about US missile defences and high-precision conventional weapons, signalling that nuclear arms cuts proposed by President Barack Obama are likely to face ...

Budapest parly evacuated over WWII bomb

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:19:53 -0400

Budapest - Part of Hungary's parliament was evacuated Wednesday after an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered during excavation work for a nearby underground ...

Iceland weighs Snowden asylum

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:19:52 -0400

Stockholm - Iceland said Wednesday it has held informal talks with an intermediary of US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden who reportedly may want to seek political asylum ...

Boston suspect gets Russia burial

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:19:48 -0400

Grozny, Russia - The father of a Russian man killed while being questioned about ties to the Boston Marathon bombing suspects says he has brought the body to Russia for ...

US Paralympics include 15 London 2012 medallists in squad for IPC World Championships

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:19:37 -0400

June 18 - US Paralympics have named the majority of their track and field stars from London 2012 in their squad for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championships in Lyon next month, including T44 100 metres silver medallist Richard Browne, who recently equalled the world record in the event. Browne has been embroiled in a war of words with the man who finished ahead of him in ...

Barack Obama defends NSA surveillance programs in Europe

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:18:18 -0400

President Barack Obama defended Friday the National Security Agency's massive surveillance programs that have caused an uproar after they were exposed by the Guardian newspaper in London. (Youtube/Screengrab) US President Barack Obama defended his government's widely criticized NSA surveillance programs in Berlin on Wednesday, as he spoke with German Chanchellor Angela Merkel. Germans ...

Blatter to attend FIFA U-20 World Cup kick-off

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:17:59 -0400

"The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the second oldest FIFA tournament, one of the most important within FIFA’s competitions, involving 24 teams, and where so many future footballing talents are revealed. As FIFA President, I consider it important to be there when the action starts," commented President Blatter, who will then return to Brazil for the final week of the 2013 FIFA ...

EU Parliament in push to limit U.S. data access

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:13:00 -0400

Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:13pm EDT * Leading lawmakers want judge to oversee data transfers * A national supervisor should also have a say * Majority of Yahoo! and Google users based outside U.S. By Claire Davenport BRUSSELS, June 19 (Reuters) - European Union lawmakers want to forbid the United States from accessing European citizens' data without the approval of a judge or equivalent authority, a ...

Bombs destroy police station in Libyas Benghazi

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:12:35 -0400

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Bombs flattened a police station in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Wednesday but there were no casualties as the building had been emptied for repairs following previous attacks, security officials said. The al-Hadaiq station in downtown Benghazi was completely destroyed by explosives at around 0300 a.m. (2:00 a.m. British time). The blast was so loud it could ...

Germany agrees financing of 8 billion euro flood aid fund

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:12:34 -0400

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has agreed the financing of an 8-billion euro (6.8 billion pounds) fund to help repair damage caused by the worst flooding in a decade, with both the federal government and states footing the bill, the finance ministry said on Wednesday. The federal government at the outset will itself raise the full amount for the so-called "reconstruction aid" fund because ...

Volcanoes ready to erupt in Russia World Cup Sevens

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:11:56 -0400

The Philippine Volcanoes hope to continue their remarkable rise in the international level with a strong showing in their maiden participation in the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow, Russia, late this month. Having made an impact in the 15-a-side game, where they are now in Asia's top-flight, the Volcanoes have high hopes in their biggest, most important tournament yet. The Philippines, ...

Jimmy Hoffa search near Detroit called off by FBI

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:08:42 -0400

Jimmy Hoffa was last seen outside an Oakland County restaurant where he was to meet with a New Jersey Teamsters boss and a Detroit Mafia captain. (Carlos Osorio/Associated ...

Yodelling country singer Slim Whitman dies at 90

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:08:41 -0400

Country singer Slim Whitman, the high-pitched yodeler who sold millions of records through ever-present TV ads in the 1980s and 1990s and whose song saved the world in the film ...

South Sudan president suspends two ministers in fraud inquiry

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:06:24 -0400

South Sudan 's government that aid payments are at risk unless it tackles the corruption undermining development in a country devastated from decades of civil war with Sudan, from which it seceded in 2011. Last year, Kiir wrote to 75 current and former officials to ask them to return $4 billion in "stolen" public money, but no senior figure had been publicly put ...

Bafana’s World Cup lifeline

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:05:15 -0400

Bafana have been given a second glimmer of hope as their prospects of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup continued to tip-toe back from the dead. Picture: Anesh ...

Comparison of mass protests in Brazil and Turkey

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:04:39 -0400

Large-scale protests have engulfed Turkey and Brazil, which are thousands of miles apart, but share some traits such as being new democracies with a growing middle class. Here's a look at the protests in both countries, highlighting the similarities and differences in how they started and ...

The world can certainly use more legal satire an amazing cease and desist response

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:02:31 -0400

June 17, 2013VIA EMAIL ONLYRichard D. Trenk, Esq.Township Attorney for the Township of West OrangeTrenk DiPasquale347 Mount Pleasant AvenueSuite 300 West Orange, New Jersey 07052Dear Mr. Trenk:I am pro bono counsel to Jake Freivald and write in response to ...

Below the Line showcasing our world news commenters

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:59:40 -0400

revelations of NSA surveillance and its international repercussions.With all that's been going on, we want to highlight some of the action taking place in the comments of our live blogs and articles on world events.We're looking to feature some notable characters who are particularly active in ...

Protests continue in Sao Paulo troops sent to 5 Brazilian cities

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:41 -0400

1 of 2. A demonstrator jumps over trash set afire during protests against poor public services, police violence and government corruption, in Sao Paulo June 18, ...

International Real Estate House Hunting in ... the Czech Republic

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:38 -0400

A TWO-BEDROOM ONE-BATH ATTIC APARTMENT IN ...

Syrians turn to dollar as local currency tumbles

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:38 -0400

AMMAN (Reuters) - Since the latest nosedive in the Syrian currency, Damascus shopkeeper Aboud Katebee can no longer put price stickers on the imported chocolate bars he sells in the middle class Jaramana ...

UAE will try 30 Emiratis Egyptians for illegal Brotherhood cell

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:35 -0400

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday it would put on trial 30 Emiratis and Egyptians accused of setting up an illegal branch of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, part of a crackdown on the Islamist organization that has soured relations with ...

Analysis Putin basks in isolation over Syria as Obamas charm falls flat

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:31 -0400

Russia's President Vladimir Putin gestures during a media conference after a G8 summit at the Lough Erne golf resort in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland June 18, ...

Greek coalition parties meet to try to settle state TV row

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:31 -0400

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's ruling party leaders met on Wednesday to try to agree when and how to resume state TV broadcasts, two days after a top court ordered the immediate reopening of the state broadcaster ERT, abruptly closed by the government a week ...

Asian trio punch World Cup tickets

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:15 -0400

Having everything to play for on Tuesday, Australia, Iran and South Korea all secured berths at the 2014 World Cup on a dramatic final day of Asian qualifying. They join Japan, which was the first nation to qualify. Australia beat Iraq 1-0, waiting until the 83rd minute before Josh Kennedy headed home the winner that secured second spot in Group B. Iran booked its place with a disciplined ...

Fitch Withdraws Investment Grade Europe S.A.s Rating

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:14 -0400

Fitch: Market Moves Bring Bank Interest Rate Risks to Forefront The recent rise in U.S. Treasury yields and speculation surrounding possible changes in the Fed's bond buying program have highlighted the potential risks faced by U.S. banks in a rising rate environment, according to Fitch Ratings. A sustained increase in interest rates, potentially signaling an end to the prolonged low rate ...

3 Dutch farmers fall to deaths in manure-filled silo

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:57:00 -0400

AMSTERDAM Dutch police say three farmworkers have died and a fourth has been critically injured after they fell into a silo filled with manure for use as fertilizer in the northern town of Makkinga. Provincial police in Friesland, where the town is located, tweeted that it wasn't clear what caused the fall Wednesday. The victims' identities won't be released until their families ...

Video Obama Seek security of a world without nuclear weapons

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:56:57 -0400

Saying we must seek the "security of world without nuclear weapons," President Obama announced that he will push the Senate to ratify the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty and that America will host a 2016 summit to help secure nuclear materials around the ...

American Film Institute Back to Its Roots

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:55:55 -0400

The American Film Institute's AFI Docs presented by Audi is a documentary film festival that celebrates excellence in filmmaking and storytelling on topics including education, immigration, politics, survival and triumph. Parents of a little boy diagnosed with a rare and fatal disease who fight to keep him alive, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who outs himself as an illegal ...

Watch Dog vs. Dog Tissue Deliverer Takes on Blanket Swaddler

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:55:52 -0400

The dogs dog yesterday got in the giant chopper took on -- -- the bowling got you voted. And said he's up to the Sox she goes from these and many on to the finals and today we have ourselves -- ...

Watch Retiring Principal Surprised With Flash Mob

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:55:52 -0400

-- was yesterday had to bring it to you. A wonderful surprise what she teacher -- principal Roger bode retiring after 36 years. As principal -- -- -- middle school Massachusetts here he thinks ...

Photos Extreme Dog Grooming Contests

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:55:52 -0400

A dog with a Sesame Street design is shown in a creative grooming competition in Pasadena, Calif. Winners of the contest can take away thousands. Animal photographer Ren Netherland travels far and wide to capture the ...

Goway Launches Worlds Best Adventures Brochure

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:51:15 -0400

Goway Travel's exclusive adventure specialist division of ADVENTURESIncorporated, has announced the online launch of its 2012 World's Best Adventures brochure. The brochure contains over 50 of the world's best adventures and covers every style of adventure travel. Goway's most popular choices from Africa, Asia and Latin America are included. The adventures are as diverse as ...

SITA World Tours Introduces Affordable India

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:51:08 -0400

SITA World Tours, a recognized leader in international travel for more than seven decades, has announced the introduction of Affordable India, an exciting, new tour product line designed to attract a growing budget oriented segment of the travel market. According to Hardeep Sidhu, SITA's Product Manager for India, the new collection of India itineraries is the result of an increased ...

Mercer expands its services to wealth managers across Europe

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:48:17 -0400

European wealth managers can now benefit from Mercer’s expertise with the launch of a new service aimed specifically at private banks, family offices, fund platforms and insurance ...

Europe’s retirement provisions insufficient to serve ageing populations

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:48:15 -0400

Long-term savings provisions in Europe are flawed and are no longer able to meet the needs of ageing populations, finds the Janus Capital European Consumer Finance Survey. The study, which is the first of its kind into the European household balance sheet, shows that there are alarming deficits in levels of personal savings and retirement provision across Europe. While consumer hopes and ...

Palace sheds some light on Kates baby plans

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:43:38 -0400

LONDON (AP) -- With Prince William and the former Kate Middleton expecting their first child in mid-July - and much of the world interested in the birth of a future monarch - officials at Clarence House have released some of the couple's plans, although many details are still being kept private. Kate has made several public appearances recently but is expected to keep a low profile in the ...

China snatches 18 swimming golds to spearhead Military World Games

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:43:23 -0400

Chinese swimmers maintained their momentum in swimming at the Military World Games on Wednesday, grabbing four more gold medals and obtaining 18 in total out of 36 available in the pool. After four days' competition at the Military World Games, which is set to close on July 24, Chinese military athletes altogether collected 18 golds from swimming and piled up 22 gold, leading the medals ...

Solar Decathlon Europe exhibits of 20 participants in 2012 edition

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:43:14 -0400

This Monday saw models of the 20 houses that will compete for the Solar Decathlon Europe competition exhibited in Barcelona.As many as 20 universities from 15 countries, including Germany, Spain, China, Egypt, Norway, the United Kingdom and Japan are competing in the event, which will conclude in Madrid in the summer of 2012.It will be the most international edition of the event ever to be held ...

Six Chinese sailors to attend Clipper Round World sailing race

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:43:10 -0400

Six Chinese amateur sailors will embark on the yacht named Qingdao to attend the 2011-2012 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, local sports administration said Wednesday. The six sailors, who are manager, journalist, college student and private entrepreneurs, took training for several months in Qingdao city and two-week training in England, said Lin Zhiwei, head of local sports general ...

Ghana slips in FIFA world rankings

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:43:06 -0400

Ghana dropped further three places in the latest FIFA world ranking, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) announced here on Wednesday. A statement on the website of the country's footbal association said Ghana had slipped three places to 36th position in the world ranking from the previous 33rd position it was ranked in last month, on the world stage, while ranking 3rd on the continent after ...

Australian Karl Muggeridge to replace injured Xaus at World Superbike in UK

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:43:04 -0400

Australian motorcycle racer Karl Muggeridge will replace Ruben Xaus at the World Superbike races in Britain, as Xaus suffered from injuries due to a crash, Fox Sports Australia reported on Wednesday. Earlier, Castrol Honda team had fielded Alex Lowes after Jonny Rea was sidelined by injury, but the team has to pull in a second substitute after their second rider, Xaus suffered a horrible crash. ...

Juneteenth Where to honor slaverys end

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:37:51 -0400

>Editor's note: This story was first published on June 19, 2012.(CNN) -- Maj Gen Gordon Granger of the Union Army announced to the assembled crowd at Ashton Villa in Galveston, Texas, "In accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. "It was June 19, 1865. Never mind that President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had been written and ...

Elephant killings surge funding terror

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:22:30 -0400

Iran Welcomes Home Football Team After World Cup Place Booked

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:20:33 -0400

DUBAI ...

Somalia UN envoy horrified by attack on world bodys compound in Mogadishu

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:18:54 -0400

Print 19 June 2013 &#150 The top United Nations envoy in Somalia has condemned today’s massive attack on the world body’s compound in Mogadishu, calling it a ';desperate'; attempt to derail the country’s recovery and development efforts. According to the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), a pickup truck rigged with explosives was detonated outside the gate ...

DP World signs India port expansion pact

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:18:19 -0400

Containers are stacked at DP World's Nhava Sheva Gateway Terminal. The company is India's biggest container terminal operator. Adeel Halim / Bloomberg ...

In Berlin Obama renews call for reductions to nuclear stockpiles

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:17:31 -0400

From behind a bullet-proof glass, U.S. President Barack Obama speaks in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany June 19, 2013. (KEVIN ...

China Vietnam agree to set up hotline

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:15:55 -0400

BEIJING -; China and Vietnam agreed on Wednesday to set up a hotline to resolve fishing incidents in disputed South China Sea waters that have been a frequent source of tensions between the two ideological ...

Markets drift as investors ready for Fed

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:15:54 -0400

The central bank wraps up a two-day policy meeting later and investors are looking to see if policymakers are moving towards any change in its monetary policy stance. The Fed's strategy of super-low interest rates and easy money over the past few years has been designed to shore up the U.S. economy. It has also helped drive sentiment in the ...

16 dead Militants infiltrate UNs Somalia office

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:15:52 -0400

Somali men and a policeman carry a government soldier wounded during an attack on the U.N. compound in Mogadishu, Somalia Wednesday, June 19, 2013. Al-Qaida-linked militants detonated multiple bomb blasts and engaged in ongoing battles with security forces in an attempt to breach the main U.N. compound in Mogadishu, officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi ...

Iceland informal talks about Snowden asylum

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:15:52 -0400

A banner supporting Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, is displayed at Central, Hong Kong's business district, Wednesday, June 19, 2013. U.S. President Barack Obama defended top secret National Security Agency spying programs as legal in a lengthy interview, and called them transparent - even though they are ...

Cher Returns With Womans World on The Voice Finale

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:14:59 -0400

Sporting a fuchsia fauxhawk and dressed in a patchwork of punk-inspired black clothing, the 67-year-old pop icon gingerly worked the stage amid strobe lights and a bevy of scantily-clad backup dancers while singing the female empowerment, dance-pop track co-penned and co-produced by the acclaimed British DJ Paul Oakenfold. Cher's last TV performance was also on NBC – in the 2003 ...

Indian FM Begins Visit to Iraq Oil Among Priorities

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:14:20 -0400

New Delhi, Jun 19 (Prensa Latina) The Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid, begins a two-day visit to Iraq aimed at reviving bilateral relations and negotiate greater purchases of oil to the Arab nation, currently its second largest supplier. The Indian foreign minister is scheduled to meet with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar Zebari, and Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, to discuss mutual issues ...

The 25 Movies To Which World War Z Is A Sequel Probably

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:13:01 -0400

Pop Culture Happy Hour is a lively chat about books, movies, music, television, comics and pretty much anything else that strikes a nerve, all in a weekly roundtable from ...

Top cop We need immigration reform

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:10:44 -0400

>Editor's note: George GascÃ³n is the district attorney of San Francisco, and the former chief of police in San Francisco and Mesa, Arizona(CNN) -- Members of the law enforcement community must sound their voices in support of comprehensive immigration reform for the sake of public safety and for the sake of our country. I write this as a former police chief in Mesa, Arizona, who ...

How to save human trafficking victims

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:10:14 -0400

Jozy Altidores resurgence underlines USAs strong World Cup qualifiers

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:08:37 -0400

The USA passed the halfway point of World Cup qualification with three straight wins to top their group, but are Jurgen Klinsmann's team on target for ...

Australia fans celebrate with World Cup-qualifying Socceroos – video

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:08:32 -0400

Australia's football team, the Socceroos, are given a rapturous greeting when they meet with fans in Sydney after qualifying for the 2014 World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Iraq. Olger Hosieck's team will now be looking to get past the round of 16 stage - their best placing in the World Cup to ...

World Bank warns climate change woes closing in

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:08:24 -0400

The World Bank on Wednesday warned that severe hardships from global warming could be felt within a generation, with a new study detailing devastating impacts in Africa and Asia.The report presents "an alarming scenario for the days and years ahead - what we could face in our lifetime," said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim."The scientists tell us that if the world warms by two ...

Iran blamed for angry World Cup scenes

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:08:18 -0400

Iranian players celebrate after the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between South Korea and Iran in Ulsan, South Korea on Tuesday. Photo: CFPSouth Korean media blamed Iran on Wednesday for angry scenes at a tense World Cup qualifier which ended with fans pelting debris onto the pitch and the visiting coach under fire for a rude gesture.Local newspapers said Iran's players had goaded the ...

G8 should not focus on biofuels in world hunger debate

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:07:41 -0400

WITH the G8 summit underway, the UK biofuel supply chain is calling on Prime Minister David Cameron to use the opportunity to address the multiple causes of global hunger, and not 'simply blame the biofuel industry'. Industry spokeswoman and head of renewable transport at the Renewable Energy Association, Clare Wenner, said the European Commission estimated bioethanol production ...

Family delight at Iraq court ruling

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:03:59 -0400

The Supreme Court - the highest court in the UK - ruled that damages claims could be launched under legislation covering negligence and human rights.Lawyers representing relatives said the ruling meant the Ministry of Defence owed a duty of care to properly equip servicemen and women who went to war.But Defence ...

Head of United Iraq party murdered on eve of elections

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:03:20 -0400

An Iraqi policeman casts his ballot in Ramadi on June 17, 2013 as security forces vote in provincial polls ahead of the rest of Iraqis in the Anbar province. Iraq held provincial elections in April except in six provinces, including Anbar and Nineveh, where polls were delayed because authorities said security could not be guaranteed (Azhar Shallal / AFP) A suicide bombing in northern Iraq on ...

World Cup Legacy for Brazil Goes Beyond Soccer Says Blatter

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:02:20 -0400

RECIFE, Brazil ...

China threatens death penalty for serious polluters

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:01:54 -0400

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities have given courts the powers to hand down the death penalty in serious pollution cases, state media said, as the government tries to assuage growing public anger at environmental desecration. An increasingly affluent urban population has begun to object to China's policy of growth at all costs, which has fuelled the economy for three decades, with the ...

World millionaires wealth totals $46.2 trillion over 3 times US GDP

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:00:50 -0400

The combined wealth of the world's millionaires increased by 10 percent in 2012 to $46.2 trillion. This is more than three times the annual economic output in the US. Another million people were also added to the list of super-rich in the past year. According to the World Wealth Report 2013 there are a total of 12 million millionaires around the globe, with the US topping the list of ...

UPDATE 6-Oil supported by Middle East worries all eyes on Fed

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:00:37 -0400

Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:00am EDT * Fed could stem asset purchase programme in H2 -poll * EIA crude stocks post unexpected rise (Adds EIA weekly oil stocks data, updates prices) By Simon Falush LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - Brent oil rose on Wednesday supported by fears that violence in Syria could spread elsewhere in the region, disrupting supply, while investors looked to a meeting of the Federal ...

2 SAfrican deminers killed in Mogadishu attack

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:59:23 -0400

View Photo Associated Press/Farah Abdi Warsameh - Somali government soldiers gather in front of the main U.N. compound, following an attack on it in Mogadishu, Somalia Wednesday, June 19, 2013. Al-Qaida-linked ...

Obama calls for nuclear weapons to be cut by a third

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:59:01 -0400

BERLIN, GERMANY - JUNE 19: U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrive to speak to the media following bilateral talks at the Chancellery on June 19, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. Obama is visiting Berlin for the first time during his presidency and his speech at the Brandenburg Gate is to be the highlight. Obama will be speaking close to the 50th anniversary of the ...

Live video US President Barack Obama gives speech at Brandenburg Gate Berlin

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:59:00 -0400

Obama wants nukes cut by a third

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:58:59 -0400

Obama promised to work with Natoallies to forge a new international framework for peaceful nuclear power. He said the US will hold a summit in 2016 on securing nuclear materials around the world.He also called for a treaty to end production of fissile ...

Karzai threat to Taliban peace deal

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:58:59 -0400

Taliban unless the United States steps out of the negotiations and the militant group stops its violent attacks on the ground.Mr Karzai is upset over the joint US and Taliban announcement that they would begin preliminary peace talks ...

High levels of radiation found in groundwater at Fukushima

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:57:59 -0400

A worker carries out radiation screening last year on a bus for a media tour at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. New requirements make it compulsory that plants take steps to guard against radiation leaks in the case of severe accidents. ...

Obesity called a disease by U.S. doctors group

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:57:59 -0400

In order to fight what it described as an "obesity epidemic," the American Medical Association voted to recognize obesity as a disease and recommended a number of measures to fight it. The association voted on the measure Tuesday at its annual meeting in Chicago. The AMA noted that obesity rates in the United States have "doubled among adults in the last twenty years and tripled ...

Film review World War Z - Brad Pitts zombie action flick is surprisingly infectious

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:55:38 -0400

In this Doomsday blockbuster zombies are taking over the world, and they're not the slow-shuffle kind, either - these flesh-chompers move like lightning in their pursuit of a ...

Are we responsible for the Uttarakhand disaster World Bank report says global warming is making Indian Monsoon unpredictable

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:54:25 -0400

India's summer monsoon will become highly unpredictable if the world's average temperature rises by two degree Celsius in the next two-three decades, a scientific report commissioned by the World Bank says.The report released here on Wednesday evaluates at the likely impacts of warming between two degree Celsius and four degree Celsius on agricultural production, water resources, ...

Todashevs body brought to Russia for burial

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:54:11 -0400

GROZNY, Russia (AP) -- The father of a Russian man killed while being questioned about ties to the Boston Marathon bombing suspects says he has brought the body to Russia for ...

Palestinian tobacco faces threat from crackdown on black economy

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:53:07 -0400

YA'ABAD, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian farmers sow tobacco sprouts in the rocky earth of the northern West Bank, reaping a harvest that provides a reliable livelihood in the struggling occupied ...