Israel, Palestinians lay groundwork for peace talks
AMMAN (Reuters) – Israel and the Palestinians have laid the groundwork for resuming peace talks after an almost three-year stalemate, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday, although he cautioned the deal was not final and required more diplomacy. Israel has agreed to a long-standing Palestinian demand to release Palestinian prisoners in order [...]
Wait goes on for Britain’s ‘Waity Katie’
LONDON, Greater London (AFP) -Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge was dubbed “Waity Katie” before Prince William finally proposed to her. And the nickname has resurfaced as the wait for her to give birth drags on. The baby set one day to inherit the British throne was officially due in mid-July, but as the days tick by, boredom, [...]
Buddha Gaya blasts: Footage shows shrine committee in poor light
GAYA: The CCTV footage released by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on its website as part of its efforts to crack the Buddha Gaya serial-blasts case has done no favours to the reputation of the temple’s management committee. On Tuesday the NIA, which is probing the July 7 blasts in Buddha Gaya, had released two sketches [...]
Singer Tina Turner to mark marriage with Buddhist celebration
ZURICH, July 17 (Reuters) – Singer Tina Turner has married her long-time partner in a civil ceremony in Switzerland ahead of a Buddhist celebration at their home on the banks of Lake Zurich on Sunday. The 73-year-old “Simply the Best” singer tied the knot with German-born record producer Erwin Bach at a registry office in the [...]
Pakistan cook held as 22 poisoned in ‘political feud’
MULTAN, Pakistan / Punjab (AFP) -Police in Pakistan have arrested a cook on suspicion of murder after 22 members of a powerful landowning clan were poisoned in an alleged political feud with a rival branch of the family. Arsal Khan Khichi, who lost out on a provincial assembly seat to his cousin Jahanzeb Khan Khichi in [...]
Detroit becomes largest US city to file for bankruptcy
DETROIT, Michigan (AFP)- Detroit became the largest city in US history to file for bankruptcy protection after decades of decline and mismanagement rendered the home of the nation’s auto industry insolvent. Once a bustling beacon of industrial might, the city is now a poster child for urban decay, its landscape littered with abandoned skyscrapers, factories and [...]
Obama: ‘Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago’
WASHINGTON, District of Columbia (AFP) – President Barack Obama offered a very personal take on the death of Trayvon Martin, saying that 35 years ago, he could have been the unarmed black teen shot dead by a neighborhood watchman. In a surprise appearance before reporters, Obama hailed the “incredible grace and dignity” of Martin’s parents and [...]
Bruce Lee’s legacy still debated 40 years after his death
Hong Kong (Reuters) – Late kung fu superstar Bruce Lee may be an international icon, but he is still not the complete local hero in Hong Kong. Fans are marking his death 40 years ago this weekend with art gallery shows, exhibitions and even street graffiti but some people are urging Hong Kong’s government to do [...]
Rescued Nepalis find new life in circus
KATHMANDU (AFP) -A young man climbs atop a human pyramid and performs a perfect handstand, while nearby a girl effortlessly swings a dozen glittered hoops around her hips. Like most troupes around the world, performers from Nepal’s Circus Kathmandu have been practising their tricks for years. But unlike others, most of these artists, until recently, were [...]
‘Intelligent’ surgical knife can sniff out cancer tissue
LONDON (Reuters) – Scientists have created an “intelligent” surgical knife that can detect in seconds whether tissue being cut is cancerous, promising more effective and accurate surgery in future. The device, built by researchers at London’s Imperial College, could allow doctors to cut back on additional operations to remove further pieces of cancerous tumors. The technology, [...]
Australia now closed to boat people
SYDNEY, New South Wales (AFP) -Australia announced Friday that boatpeople will no longer be resettled in the country, unveiling a hardline policy to curb people-smuggling that will see all unauthorised arrivals sent to poverty-stricken Papua New Guinea. “From now on, any asylum-seeker who arrives in Australia by boat will have no chance of being settled [...]
Thailand urged to tackle dark side of ‘Land of Smiles’
PHUKET, Thailand (AFP) -From jet ski scams to robbery, assault and even police extortion, for the millions of tourists who flock to Thailand each year the kingdom does not always live up to its reputation as the “Land of Smiles”. Now following a flurry of complaints, governments are urging the country to do more to protect [...]
Tinker, tailor, Snowden, spy?
MOSCOW – A worldwide media frenzy has turned the plight of the rogue American intelligence analyst Edward Snowden into something resembling a John le Carré novel, full of suspense and intrigue. Whose spy is he? Who will grant him asylum? Will he be able to outmaneuver the National Security Agency as it attempts to force [...]
Japan govt approves stem cell clinical trials
TOKYO, Tokyo province (AFP) – Japan’s government on Friday gave its seal of approval to the world’s first clinical trials using stem cells harvested from a patient’s own body. Health Minister Norihisa Tamura signed off on a proposal by two research institutes that will allow them to begin tests aimed at treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), [...]
