Pages

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Romney to announce VP pick by smartphone app

Romney to announce VP pick by smartphone app

Romney to announce VP pick by smartphone app

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:17 PM PDT

FILE - In this July 18, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in Bowling Green, Ohio. Want to be among the first to know who Romney picks for a running mate? There's an app for that. Romney's campaign on Tuesday announced an iPhone and Android application to alert supporters when Romney makes his vice presidential pick. The campaign promises they can find out who Romney chooses "before the press and just about everyone else (except maybe Ann)." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)Want to be among the first to know who Mitt Romney picks for a running mate? There's an app for that.

Philadelphia Orchestra emerges from bankruptcy

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:17 PM PDT

The Philadelphia Orchestra is out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

India power cut hits millions, among world's worst outages

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:13 PM PDT

A customer holds a candle as he gets his haircut at a barber's shop during a power-cut in KolkataNEW DELHI (Reuters) - Hundreds of millions of people across India were left without power on Tuesday in one of the world's worst blackouts, trapping miners, stranding train travelers and plunging hospitals into darkness when grids collapsed for the second time in two days. Stretching from Assam, near China, to the Himalayas and the northwestern deserts of Rajasthan, the outage covered states where half of India's 1.2 billion people live and embarrassed the government, which has failed to build up enough power capacity to meet soaring demand. ...

Justice Dept: Fast and Furious report distorted

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:12 PM PDT

The Justice Department said Tuesday that Republican lawmakers are engaging in distortions by asserting that Operation Fast and Furious arose from a strategy created by the Obama administration.

Texas Senate runoff gives GOP voters stark choice

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:10 PM PDT

Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is backed by supporters outside a Houston deli as he answers reporters questions Tuesday, July 31, 2012. Dewhurst faces former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz in the Republican primary runoff election for U.S. Senator. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)The question for voters in Tuesday's Texas runoff isn't whether a Republican will likely succeed Kay Bailey Hutchison in the U.S. Senate, but what kind of Republican? The answer figures to reverberate far beyond the Lone Star State.

Obama orders new sanctions on Iran

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:10 PM PDT

Seeking to ratchet up pressure on Iran, President Barack Obama on Tuesday ordered new sanctions on Iran's energy sector and on foreign banks in China and Iraq that the U.S. says help the Islamic republic evade international penalties.

Review: NBC offers plenty of live Olympics online

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:06 PM PDT

This image made from an NBC Sports website shows their live gymnastics coverage on Sunday, July 29, 2012. For the first time, NBC Sports is showing all competition and medal ceremonies live over the Internet in the U.S. (AP Photo)Soccer and balance beam gymnastics on the desktop. Swimming and badminton on the laptop. Boxing on the iPhone. Gymnasts' floor exercises on the iPad. Vault routines on an Android phone. And rowing on TiVo.

Cuba Gooding Jr. sought on warrant in New Orleans

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 01:05 PM PDT

FILE - This May 25, 2012 file photo shows actor Cuba Gooding Jr arriving for the screening of "Cosmopolis" at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France. New Orleans police say an arrest warrant has been issued on a municipal battery charge for actor Cuba Gooding after an incident Tuesday, July 31, at a New Orleans bar. Gooding was in New Orleans filming. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, file)New Orleans police say an arrest warrant has been issued for actor Cuba Gooding Jr. after an incident at a Bourbon Street bar.

US judge strikes down EPA water rules for mines

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:56 PM PDT

A federal judge says the Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its powers by setting up water-quality criteria for coal mining operations in Appalachia.

Israel to end draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:53 PM PDT

In an step that could intensify a major rift among Israelis, the defense minister on Tuesday ordered the army to prepare for a universal draft of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.

House, Senate negotiators back new Iran sanctions

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:50 PM PDT

FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 file photo, an Iranian security guard stands at the Maroun Petrochemical plant at the Imam Khomeini port, southwestern Iran. Iranian officials unleashed sharper attacks against tightening Western sanctions Tuesday, equating the financial pressure to ``warfare'' and vowing to counter by retooling the country's oil-dependent economy. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)A new package of severe sanctions on Iran's energy, shipping and financial sectors gained strong congressional support Tuesday as lawmakers sought to ratchet up the economic pressure in hopes of halting Tehran's suspected nuclear weapons program.

Olympics awash in Twitter, for better or worse

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 08:56 AM PDT

FILE- Greece's Voula Papachristou lands in the sand after her jump at the Women's Triple Jump final at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in this file photo dated Friday, June 29, 2012. The Hellenic Olympic Committee has removed triple jumper Voula Papachristou from the team taking part in the upcoming London Olympic Games over comments she made on twitter making fun of African immigrants and expressing support for a far-right party. It's amazing how much trouble can be stirred up in 140 characters or less.

Rowling webcast will promote new Potter kids club

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:34 PM PDT

FILE - This July 7, 2011 file photo shows British author JK Rowling at the world premiere of "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2," in London. Rowling's next book is for adults, but she will be on hand this fall to help promote a new club for kids, the Harry Potter Reading Club. Scholastic Inc. announced Tuesday, July 31, 2012 that Rowling will participate in a live webcast at noon, Oct. 11 from her hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland, taking live questions from her young fans for the first time since 2007, when the last Potter book came out. The discussion will take place on www.scholastic.com/hpreadingclub , the website for an online Potter club launched Tuesday by Scholastic. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, file)J.K. Rowling's next book is for adults, but she will be on hand this fall to help promote a new club for kids, the Harry Potter Reading Club.

Apple lawyer: Samsung deliberately chose to copy iPhone

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:29 PM PDT

An employee of South Korean mobile carrier KT holds an Apple Inc's iPhone 4 smartphone and a Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S II smartphone as he poses for photographs at a registration desk at KT's headquarters in SeoulSAN JOSE, California (Reuters) - Apple Inc told jurors on Tuesday that Samsung's internal documents show it made a decision to copy the iPhone because the South Korean company could not compete in the smartphone market on its own. However, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd contended that Apple could not claim a "monopoly" over the rectangular design with rounded corners, as it was invented before the iPhone. "Samsung is not some copyist, some Johnny come lately doing knockoffs," Samsung attorney Charles Verhoeven told the jurors. Opening statements began on Tuesday in the high profile U.S. ...

Police make arrest over tweets to diver Daley

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:26 PM PDT

Britain's Tom Daley rests in between dives in the men's synchronised 10m platform final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics CentreLONDON (Reuters) - UK police have issued a harassment warning to a teenager arrested on Tuesday after offensive tweets were sent to British diver Tom Daley when he failed to win a medal in his first event at the London Olympics. The Olympic poster boy and his partner Pete Waterfield were in with a chance of grabbing the host nation's first gold of the Games in the synchronised 10-metre platform event on Monday, but fluffed their fourth dive and wound up just outside the medals. ...

White House prepping for budget cuts, to shield military pay

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:24 PM PDT

The White House is pictured after sunrise in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday it was starting to get ready for potentially painful year-end spending cuts, and was committed to shielding U.S. military pay from any government budget crunch. Jeffrey Zients, acting director of President Barack Obama's Office of Management and Budget, said discussions would start soon on how to weather the looming automatic spending cuts, known as "sequestration," that would take place if Congress cannot achieve a deficit reduction deal. ...

NY couple, 85, to remarry 48 years after divorce

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:23 PM PDT

They got hitched while still in their teens, divorced 20 years and four children later, and are getting remarried after nearly a half-century apart.

Oil prices fall as stimulus hopes fade

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:23 PM PDT

Oil prices fell Tuesday as hopes faded for a new round of economic stimulus in the U.S.

Rising home prices show traction in housing recovery

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:22 PM PDT

File photo of a house for sale in Alexandria, VirginiaNEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Home prices rose for the fourth month in a row in May, suggesting the recovery in the housing market continued to gain traction, even as the broader economy wobbles. Other data on Tuesday showed consumer confidence unexpectedly rose in July but spending fell in June for the first time in nearly a year as Americans saved more. The S&P/Case-Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas gained 0.9 percent in May from April on a seasonally adjusted basis, topping economists' expectations for a 0.5 percent gain. ...

Wild West town for sale in Utah for $3.9 million

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:17 PM PDT

A llamas walks freely in Woodside, Utah, in Emery County on July 27, 2012. The family that owns the 700-acre townsite has put it up for sale. They are seeking $3.9 million. Woodside once bustled with about 300 residents in the early 1900s when it was a water stop for steam engines. Now the town sits empty. (AP Photo/The Deseret News, Geoff Liesik) SALT LAKE TRIBUNE OUT; PROVO DAILY HERALD OUT; MAGS OUTThe real estate listing reads like a Wild West exhibit: An old gold mine, a geyser, and a supposed hideout of famed outlaws.

Reid, Boehner announce stopgap spending pact

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:12 PM PDT

The top Republican and Democrat on Capitol Hill have announced an agreement to keep the government running on autopilot for six months when the current budget year ends on Sept. 30.

Gervais to launch Web series 'Learn English'

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:10 PM PDT

FILE - This Nov. 9, 2011 file photo shows British actor-comedian Ricky Gervais at the New York Comedy Festival's Stand Up For Heroes benefit in New York. Gervais announced Tuesday, July 31, 2012, on his blog that he's working on a Web series called Ricky Gervais wants to teach you English.

Stark choice for GOP voters in Texas Senate runoff

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:10 PM PDT

Former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, center, is surrounded by supporters and media at a voting precinct Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in Houston. Cruz faces Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the Republican primary runoff election for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)The question for voters in Tuesday's Texas runoff isn't whether a Republican will likely succeed Kay Bailey Hutchison in the U.S. Senate, but what kind of Republican? The answer figures to reverberate far beyond the Lone Star State.

Greek coalition chiefs to hold new austerity talks

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:09 PM PDT

The heads of the three parties in Greece's new coalition government are to meet again Wednesday to try and agree on further austerity cuts strenuously demanded by the country's bailout creditors.

Regulator rejects government mortgage write-down plan

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:09 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top housing regulator rebuffed the offer of taxpayer funds to reduce mortgages held by struggling homeowners on Tuesday, a blow to the Obama administration which is keen to show voters it can help fix the housing market. Calling it a challenging decision, the regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said using funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program would not make a meaningful improvement in reducing foreclosures in a cost-effective way for taxpayers. ...

AdWatch: Ad glosses over Romney's Mass. record

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:09 PM PDT

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks with Polish WWII veterans and a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp after laying a wreath at the Warsaw 1944 Uprising monument in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)TITLE: "Believe In Our Future"

Philly library features Colbert with Joyce, Sendak

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:07 PM PDT

The children's book "I Am A Pole (And So Can You!),Talk show host Stephen Colbert's foray into children's books has landed him alongside some exalted literary company.

Snoop Dogg becomes Snoop Lion, readies reggae CD

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:06 PM PDT

This Monday, July 30, 2012 photo shows Snoop Dogg, who now goes by Snoop Lion, posing for a portrait at Miss Lily's in New York. Snoop Dogg says he was Snoop Dogg wants you to know that he's tired of hip-hop, is Bob Marley reincarnated and is embracing reggae instead of the culture of guns he once rapped about.

Panetta: Egypt's leaders promise full democracy

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:03 PM PDT

Egypt's newly elected President Mohammed Morsi, right, meets with US defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. Panetta is seeking assurances from Egypt's new Islamist government that the country will remain a military partner at a time of political tumult in the Middle East and growing worry about Iran's nuclear ambitions. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta left meetings with Egypt's new leaders Tuesday with an optimistic outlook for the valuable American ally emerging from its Arab Spring revolution, saying that he believes new Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the country's military chief both are committed to democratic rule.

Humanitarian problems grow in besieged Aleppo

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 12:02 PM PDT

This image made from amateur video released by the Ugarit News and accessed Monday, July 30, 2012, purports to show Free Syrian Army soldiers in Anadan 16 kilometers (10 miles), from Aleppo, Syria. Syrian government forces mounted new ground attacks against rebel-controlled neighborhoods in Syria's commercial hub of Aleppo, the state media said Monday, July 30, but failed to dislodge the opposition from their strongholds, according to activists. (AP Photo/Ugarit News via AP video) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS HANDOUT PHOTOHumanitarian conditions have grown even more dire in the besieged Syria city of Aleppo with activists reporting on Tuesday dwindling stocks of food and cooking gas and only intermittent electricity supplies as droves of residents flee 11 days of intense clashes between rebels and regime forces.

New alliance further fractures Syria opposition

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 11:59 AM PDT

CAIRO (Reuters) - A group of exiled Syrian activists announced a new opposition alliance on Tuesday that aims to form a transitional government - a challenge to the Syrian National Council (SNC), a longer established group that they said had failed. The launch of the "Council for the Syrian Revolution" marks the latest effort by Syria's divided opposition to forge a political alternative to President Bashar al-Assad whose forces are trying to put down a 16-month armed uprising. ...

Obama team sees promise in 3rd party candidacies

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 11:57 AM PDT

President Barack Obama arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Monday, July 30, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)President Barack Obama's re-election effort is paying close attention to two candidates mounting third-party campaigns for the presidency, believing they could draw votes from Republican rival Mitt Romney and help Obama win a few tightly contested states.

Pfizer 2Q net income rises 25 pct on lower costs

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 11:57 AM PDT

FILE- In this Thursday, July 12, 2012, file photo, Centrum multivitamins are shown on the packaging line at the Pfizer plant in Montreal. Pfizer Inc.'s second-quarter net income jumped 25 percent as sharply lower costs for production, marketing and restructuring more than offset a plunge in revenue from cholesterol fighter Lipitor caused by generic competition. The Viagra maker said Tuesday, July 31, 2012, that net income was $3.25 billion, or 43 cents per share, up from $2.61 billion, or 33 cents per share, a year earlier. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes, File)Pfizer Inc. posted a 25 percent jump in second-quarter net income Tuesday due to aggressive cost cutting and lower restructuring and other charges, shaking off the expected plunge in revenue from generic competition to cholesterol fighter Lipitor, the world's top-selling drug ever.

Shell Oil scales back Arctic drilling plan

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 11:55 AM PDT

Shell Oil Co. says it has downsized its plan for off-shore drilling in the Arctic this year.

US wants tougher Pakistani action against Haqqanis

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 11:48 AM PDT

U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan-nominee Richard G. Olson, arrives for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)The Obama administration expressed renewed frustration with Pakistan on Tuesday, urging its reluctant counterterrorism ally to break remaining links between its security services and the Haqqani network and stem the flow of bomb-making material into Afghanistan.

Drew Peterson murder trial under way in Illinois

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 11:36 AM PDT

FILE - In this July 23, 2012 file photo, Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow leaves court during a lunch break on the first day of jury selection in former Bolingbrook, Ill., police officer Drew Peterson's murder trial in Joliet, Ill. Glasgow will be the lead prosecutor when opening statements begin Tuesday, July 31. Peterson, 58, is charged with killing his third wife, Kathleen Savio, in 2004. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)Drew Peterson's murder trial began Tuesday with dueling stories.

Jamey Johnson salutes songwriter with duets album

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 11:35 AM PDT

FILE - A Jan. 12, 2009 file photo shows singer and songwriter Jamey Johnson in Nashville, Tenn. Johnson's new album, "Living For a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran," is set for an Oct. 16 release. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, file)Jamey Johnson sang at Hank Cochran's bedside in the hours before his death. Now he's showing his love for the legendary songwriter again.

Stocks waver ahead of crucial Fed, ECB meetings

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 11:33 AM PDT

Trader William McInerney, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday, July 31, 2012. U.S. stocks are opening mostly lower ahead of a two-day policy meeting at the Federal Reserve. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)Stocks were wavering Tuesday as investors held back ahead of three critical events this week: policy meetings at both the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank and a closely watched report on the U.S. labor market.

QUICKQUOTE: 10 OUT OF 10

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 11:32 AM PDT

American women's gymnastics coach Martha Karolyi on McKayla Maroney's vault in the team final.

THE RACE: Economic train wreck may lie ahead

Posted: 31 Jul 2012 11:25 AM PDT

U.S. Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, facing camera, speaks with Polish WWII veterans and a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp after laying a wreath at the Warsaw 1944 Uprising monument in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, July 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)A "fiscal cliff" of steep tax increases and deep spending cuts scheduled to begin next year looms darkly over the presidential race.
Posted by Anonymous at 1:45 PM 0 comments

Monday, July 30, 2012

29 Hindu devotees killed in India road crash: police

29 Hindu devotees killed in India road crash: police

29 Hindu devotees killed in India road crash: police

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT

Bystanders look on near the mangled wreckage of a truck, which carried Hindu pilgrims, on July 27At least 29 Hindu devotees were killed Monday when their truck collided head on with another vehicle in the northern Indian state of Haryana as they returned from a shrine, police said.

Corn hits all-time high; heat proves relentless

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:58 PM PDT

Corn prices raced to a record high Monday as the hot, dry summer relentlessly pounded crops across much of the country.

Park: No mechanical issues in Calif. coaster stall

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:56 PM PDT

Mechanical problems were not to blame for the stalling of a roller coaster carrying a dozen people at a Northern California theme park while the coaster was about 150 feet above the ground, park officials said Monday.

Greek coalition government wrestles with new cuts

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:52 PM PDT

Protesters gather outside Bank of Greece with the banner reads ''No'' in Athens, Monday, June 30, 2012. The state-run bank was privatized last week, in a no-cash transfer to the private Piraeus Bank. Bank workers on Monday held a 24-hour strike to protest cuts under Greece austerity program. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)The three parties in Greece's young coalition government failed Monday to finalize a major new package of budget savings that rescue lenders are demanding as a condition for continued bailout funds the country needs to avoid getting forced out of the eurozone.

AP Source: Dems move to formally back gay marriage

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:52 PM PDT

The Democratic Party is moving to include support for gay marriage in the official party platform for the first time, a Democratic official said Monday, marking a key milestone for advocates of same-sex unions.

Congress pushes to finish Iran sanctions bill

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:52 PM PDT

House and Senate negotiators pushed to finish a new round of stifling sanctions on Iran, targeting energy, shipping and insurance sectors with punitive measures to derail Tehran's suspected push for nuclear weapons.

Woman gets 12 years for snatching NY baby in 1987

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:49 PM PDT

FILE - This May 24, 2010 file photo provided by the Wake County (N.C.) Bureau of Identification shows Ann Pettway. Pettway, who snatched a newborn baby from a New York hospital more than two decades ago and raised her as her own, faces sentencing in Manhattan federal court on Monday, July 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Wake County Bureau of Identification, File)A woman who snatched a newborn from a hospital more than two decades ago and raised the child as her own was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison.

Author acknowledges fake Dylan quotes, resigns

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT

FILE - This July 22, 2012 file photo shows U.S. singer-songwriter Bob Dylan performing on at "Les Vieilles Charrues" Festival in Carhaix, western France. A staff writer for The New Yorker has resigned and his latest book has been halted after he acknowledged inventing quotes by Bob Dylan. Jonah Lehrer released a statement Monday, July 30, through his publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, that some Dylan quotes appearing in his book "Imagine: How Creativity Works" did "not exist." Others were "unintentional misquotations, or represented improper combinations of previously existing quotes." (AP Photo/David Vincent, file)A staff writer for The New Yorker has resigned and his latest book has been halted after he acknowledged inventing quotes by Bob Dylan.

AP Exclusive: Shakedowns of prison staff ordered

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:44 PM PDT

FILE - In this Aug. 20, 2008 file photo, corrections officers leave the Pontiac Correctional Center during a shift change in Pontiac, Ill. Illinois authorities took the unusual step of searching guards and other prison employees for contraband as they left at least seven facilities last week, sparking worker allegations that the checks may have been reprisals for complaints about overcrowding and understaffing and inside information leaked to the press, workers and union officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)An email from an Illinois Department of Corrections administrator ordered wardens at 10 prisons to conduct "mass shakedowns" of staff as they left work last week.

Colo. suspect charges: Murder, attempted murder

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:40 PM PDT

FILE - In this Monday, July 23, 2012 file photo, James Holmes, accused of killing 12 people in Friday's shooting rampage in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater, appears in Arapahoe County District Court with defense attorney Tamara Brady in Centennial, Colo. Colorado prosecutors are filing formal charges Monday July 30, 2012, against Holmes, the former neuroscience student accused of killing 12 people and wounding 58 others at an Aurora movie theater. (AP Photo/Denver Post, RJ Sangosti, Pool, File)James Holmes appeared just as dazed as he did in his first court appearance last week after the deadly Colorado movie theater shootings.

Agnel triumphs in 200m free clash of titans

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:36 PM PDT

France's Agnel Yannick celebrates winning the men's 200m freestyle finalYannick Agnel shredded a star-studded field to win the men's 200m freestyle gold on Monday, one day after his sensational swim gave France the Olympic 4x100m freestyle title.

Student in Twitter threat ordered to avoid Kent St

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:35 PM PDT

William Koberna is seen in an undated booking photo provided by the Kent State University Police. Authorities say a Koberna, 19, a Kent State University student, is due in court to be arraigned Monday, July 30, 2012 after allegedly posting a message on Twitter saying he planned to "shoot up" the northeastern Ohio campus. Koberna was arrested at his parents' home in the Cleveland suburb of Brunswick Sunday afternoon. The sophomore has been charged with inducing panic, a felony, and aggravated menacing. (AP Photo/Kent State University Police )A Kent State University student accused of posting a message on Twitter saying he planned to "shoot up" the northeastern Ohio campus was instructed Monday to stay away from the school and its president.

Post office nears historic default on $5B payment

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:28 PM PDT

This photo taken July 27, 2012 shows a mailbox outside a US Post Office in Lawrence, Mich. The U.S. Postal Service is bracing for a first-ever default on billions in payments due to the Treasury, adding to widening uncertainty about the mail agency's solvency as first-class letters plummet and Congress deadlocks on ways to stem the red ink. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)The U.S. Postal Service is bracing for a first-ever default on billions in payments due to the Treasury, adding to widening uncertainty about the mail agency's solvency as first-class letters plummet and Congress deadlocks on ways to stem the red ink.

16 Amish in Ohio reject beard-cutting plea deals

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:22 PM PDT

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2011 file photo, Sam Mullet Sr. stands in the front yard of his home in Bergholz, Ohio. Mullet is one of sixteen people charged in beard and hair cutting attacks on fellow Amish in Ohio that rejected plea bargain offers Monday, July 30, 2012 and will go to trial next month. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)Sixteen people charged in beard- and hair-cutting attacks on fellow Amish in Ohio rejected government plea bargain offers of leniency Monday and will go to trial.

Aleppo rebels stand firm in "regime's grave"

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:22 PM PDT

A burnt bus which belonged to forces loyal to Syria President Bashar Al Assad is seen at Aleppo's district of al SakhourALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - The Syrian military stepped up its campaign to drive rebel fighters out of Aleppo, but rebels said they were still holding firm in the country's biggest city, which they have vowed to turn into the "grave of the regime". Opposition activists denied a government declaration that its forces had recaptured the Salaheddine district, in southwest Aleppo, straddling the most obvious route for Syrian troop reinforcements coming from the south. ...

EYES ON LONDON: Kobe, fencing drama, cockney ATM

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:21 PM PDT

USA's Lebron James, right, and Kobe Bryant react during the second half of a preliminary men's basketball game against France at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 29, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)Around the 2012 Olympics and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of the games to you:

21 jailed for life in India over Gujarat killings

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:21 PM PDT

A child looks on as survivors of the 2002 Gujarat communal riots gather and read the KoranAn Indian court Monday sentenced 21 people to life imprisonment over the massacre of 11 Muslims during some of the country's worst religious riots a decade ago in the western state of Gujarat.

US: Egypt's Islamists must respect minorities

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:21 PM PDT

FILE - In this July 24, 2012 file photo, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the State Department Washington. Clinton said Monday the jury was out on whether Egypt's Islamist political parties will equally represent non-Muslims, and said the Obama administration's future relationship with President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood would depend on how they respect the rights of Coptic Christians, women and other minorities. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday the jury was out on whether Egypt's Islamist political parties will equally represent non-Muslims, and said the Obama administration's future relationship with President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood would depend on how they respect the rights of Coptic Christians, women and other minorities.

Online hit 'Dr. Horrible' to debut on CW TV Oct. 9

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:16 PM PDT

Dr. Horrible is coming to television.

Panetta: Sanctions not moving Iran away from nukes

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:10 PM PDT

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta acknowledged Monday that increasingly stiff international sanctions have yet to compel Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. But he argued that more pressure eventually would lead Iran to "do what's right."

Puerto Rico tries tougher sentences in crime fight

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:06 PM PDT

An updated penal code signed into law Monday by the Puerto Rican governor increases prison sentences for homicide, assault and other offenses as the U.S. island territory struggles to contain crime and the widespread perception that violence is out of control.

FENCING DRAMA

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:01 PM PDT

Big drama at the women's epee semi finals in the fencing.

Creaky Indian infrastructure in the spotlight

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:59 AM PDT

Indian passengers wait for their train at a railway station following an overnight regionwide power outtage in New DelhiIndia's worst power grid failure in more than a decade and a deadly train fire on Monday highlighted the crumbling infrastructure holding back Asia's third-largest economy, according to experts.

Marker, famed French director of 'La Jetee,' dies

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:57 AM PDT

Chris Marker, the influential French filmmaker whose career spanned six decades, has died, France's Culture Ministry confirmed Monday. He was 91.

U.N. mission chief's convoy attacked in Syria: U.N.'s Ban

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:54 AM PDT

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The convoy of Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye, head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria, was attacked over the weekend and only the vehicles' armor prevented injuries, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday. "Yesterday the convoy of General Gaye was attacked by armed attacks," Ban told reporters in New York, according to a transcript of his remarks issued by the U.N. press office. "Fortunately there were no injuries." He gave no further details about the attack, though U.N. ...

US gold would be Martha Karolyi's greatest triumph

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:53 AM PDT

It may have been Bela Karolyi's idea. It took his wife to make the grand experiment work.

Polish Solidarity distances itself from Romney visit

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:51 AM PDT

U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Romney waves to hundreds of people gathered outside before his meeting with Poland's PM Tusk at the Old Town Hall in GdanskGDANSK, Poland (Reuters) - Solidarity, the trade union movement which led the Polish struggle against communist rule, distanced itself on Monday from a visit to Poland by U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney, saying he supported attacks on unions in his own country. Romney was in Poland on the third and final leg of a tour aimed at burnishing his foreign policy credentials and demonstrating that he would be a viable alternative to President Barack Obama on the world stage. ...

OLYMPIC DISTRACTIONS

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:51 AM PDT

Ricardo Santos of Brazil saves the ball during a beach volleyball match against Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 30, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)is anyone watching actual Olympic beach volleyball?

Democratic report blasts for-profit colleges

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:48 AM PDT

For-profit colleges put revenues above education, and charge students high tuition and loan rates that could leave them in debt for years, a Senate Democratic report said Monday.

CENTURY CLUB

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:46 AM PDT

Great Britain's gymnast Kristian Thomas performs on the parallel bars during the Artistic Gymnastic men's qualification at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)Britain's men's gymnastics team has won its first medal in 100 years: Behind a powerful performance from Kristian Thomas, the men took the bronze.

Jackson to make 'The Hobbit' into a trilogy

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:44 AM PDT

Peter Jackson is adding a third film to what was planned to be the two-part series "The Hobbit."

Olympic goalie Solo doesn't back down from tweets

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:39 AM PDT

U.S. women's soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo didn't back down Monday from her Twitter outburst against NBC analyst Brandi Chastain, saying the tweets were her way of expressing her opinion about the quality of television announcers.

Colorado suspect hit with slew of murder charges

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:34 AM PDT

James Holmes is charged with 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murderProsecutors charged grad school dropout James Holmes on Monday with killing a dozen people and trying to slay scores more in one of the worst mass shootings in US history.

MY ATM'S TALKING COCKNEY

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:31 AM PDT

Yes, an ATM near Olympics Park just asked me if I wanted to continue in English or Cockney.

Researchers: Modern culture may have earlier start

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:26 AM PDT

Poisoned-tipped arrows and jewelry made of ostrich egg beads found in South Africa show modern culture may have emerged about 30,000 years earlier in the area than previously thought, according to two articles published on Monday.

Chrysler posts $436M second-quarter profit

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:26 AM PDT

FILE - In this Feb. 28, 2011 file photo, a new 2011 Dodge Caliber Mainstreet is shown to a customer at a Chrysler dealership in Burlingame, Calif. Chrysler rode big sales increases in the U.S. to a $436 million profit in the second quarter, the company announced Monday, July 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)Strong sales in the U.S. and Canada powered Chrysler to a $436 million second-quarter profit.

China wins 2nd straight Olympic gold in gymnastics

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:24 AM PDT

Great Britain's gymnast Louis Smith gestures after his performance on the pommel horse during the Artistic Gymnastic men's team final at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 30, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)No doubt about it, China is still No. 1 in men's gymnastics.

Italian yields drop in bond auctions

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:18 AM PDT

Italy won some respite on Monday as it managed to tap investors for €5.48 billion ($6.75 billion) with key borrowing rates lower than they had been previously.

Why Mars again? A look at NASA's latest venture

Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:16 AM PDT

In this July 25, 2012 photo, Rob Manning, chief engineer, speaks to media at NASA Mars Yard at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena Wednesday, July 25, 2012. Beside Manning is a model of the Mars rover, Curiosity. After traveling 8 1/2 months and 352 million miles, Curiosity will attempt a landing on Mars the night of Aug. 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)NASA's new robot rover named Curiosity has spent 8½ months hurtling through space toward its destination Sunday on Mars. It is set to land near the foot of a mountain rising from a giant crater. This marks NASA's 19th mission and eighth landing attempt.
Posted by Anonymous at 1:11 PM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)