Egypt military calls for dialogue to avoid "dark tunnel"

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's military on Saturday urged rival political forces to solve their disputes via dialogue and said the opposite would drag the country into a "dark tunnel", which it would not allow. A statement by the military spokesman read on state media made no mention of President Mohamed Mursi, but said a solution to the political crisis roiling the most populous Arab nation...

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More than 100 children walk 1.5km to raise funds

SINGAPORE: More than 100 children from the Children's Charities Association of Singapore participated in a 1.5-kilometre walkathon along Orchard Road on Saturday.They were treated to a Christmas fair, with games, pony rides and food. Supported by MediaCorp and held for the eighth consecutive year, Patron of the association, Mrs Mary Tan, graced the Christmas fair to spread some cheer.The...

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India misguided, paranoid over China: Guha

MUMBAI: A good half-hour into the discussion on 'India, China and the World', historian Ramachandra Guha issued a disclaimer—all the three members on the panel had been to China only once. "We should learn their language, promote quality research, and have a panel on China driven by Chinese scholars," he said. And that was the general tenor of the debate—that the Indian attitude to China was influenced...

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Smokers celebrate as Wash. legalizes marijuana

SEATTLE (AP) — The crowds of happy people lighting joints under Seattle's Space Needle early Thursday morning with nary a police officer in sight bespoke the new reality: Marijuana is legal under Washington state law.Hundreds gathered at Seattle Center for a New Year's Eve-style countdown to 12 a.m., when the legalization measure passed by voters last month took effect. When the clock struck, they...

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Federal Agencies Brace for Deep Cuts Post-'Cliff'

Dec 7, 2012 4:22pm Toby Jorrin/AFP/Getty ImagesWith the “fiscal cliff” quickly approaching, federal agencies are stepping up preparations for deep automatic budget cuts that will kick in Jan. 2 unless the White House and Congress can reach a deal.The Office of Management and Budget told ABC News that a memo went out to federal agencies earlier this week seeking “additional...

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Egypt struggle seen costing Mursi, even if he wins

CAIRO (Reuters) - The crisis unleashed by President Mohamed Mursi's bid to wrap up Egypt's transition on his own terms has eroded his nation's faith in their nascent democracy and will complicate the already unenviable task of government. His effort to drive through a constitution against the wishes of major sections of society, including a Christian minority, has damaged prospects for...

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Troubled UN climate talks enter final day

DOHA: UN talks seeking to halt the march of global warming enter their final day in Doha on Friday with key points still outstanding - extending the greenhouse gas-curbing Kyoto Protocol and funding for poor countries.Delegates are preparing for a long day and night of final haggling to find consensus on interim ways to rein in climate change and smooth the way to a new deal that must...

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Salwa Judum leader gunned down in Bastar

RAIPUR: Armed Maoists gunned down Chinnaram Gota, a leader of the controversial anti-naxalite movement 'Salwa Judum', and one of his body guards at village Kuprel in Farsegarh area in tribal Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. Police said the incident took place when Chinnaram Gota, who had actively participated in the anti-naxalite movement which began in June 2005, went to his farm accompanied...

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Celebrations planned as Wash. legalizes marijuana

SEATTLE (AP) — Legal marijuana possession becomes a reality under Washington state law on Thursday, and some people planned to celebrate the new law by breaking it.Voters in Washington and Colorado last month made those the first states to decriminalize and regulate the recreational use of marijuana. Washington's law takes effect Thursday and allows adults to have up to an ounce of pot — but it bans...

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November Unemployment Falls to 7.7 Percent

The economy generated 146,000 new jobs in November and unemployment fell to 7.7 percent, better than economists expected, despite worries that superstorm Sandy and the looming fiscal cliff would dampen hiring.There are still 12 million people unemployed in the country, but the Labor Department said Sandy did not significantly affect jobs.Many economists had expected employers to...

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Egypt military orders rival crowds to quit palace area

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Republican Guard ordered rival demonstrators to leave the area around the presidential palace in Cairo on Thursday after fierce overnight clashes that killed seven people. Islamist supporters of President Mohamed Mursi withdrew, but the opposition promised more protests there. The presidency announced that the Republican Guard, whose duties include...

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Employers urged to engage with foreign workers on grievance channels

SINGAPORE: Human resource experts say it is important for employers to engage with their foreign workers in light of the two labour disputes that have taken place in the past weeks. They said more can be done to ensure employees have and are aware of the right avenues to air their grievances.The two labour disputes involving foreign workers have been in the limelight.And it has been called...

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Narhari Modi nets prize catch as Narhari Amin joins BJP

AHMEDABAD: In a prize catch for BJP, Narhari Amin, a former Gujarat deputy chief minister, who recently quit the Congress after being denied ticket to contest the assembly elections, joined the state's ruling party on Thursday. Amin's entry into the BJP is expected to boost its prospects in the Saurashtra region where renegade saffron party leader and former chief minister Keshubhai Patel's newly...

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Celebrations planned as Wash. legalizes marijuana

SEATTLE (AP) — Legal marijuana possession becomes a reality under Washington state law on Thursday, and some people planned to celebrate the new law by breaking it.Voters in Washington and Colorado last month made those the first states to decriminalize and regulate the recreational use of marijuana. Washington's law takes effect Thursday and allows adults to have up to an ounce of pot — but it bans...

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Kate Middleton Leaves London Hospital

Kate Middleton left King Edward VII Hospital in London this morning after being admitted four days ago following the palace's announcement that she is pregnant and being treated for hyperemesis gravidarum."The Duchess of Cambridge has been discharged from the King Edward VII Hospital and will now head to Kensington Palace for a period of rest," Nick Loughran, the assistant press...

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Confrontation between rival protesters looms in Egypt crisis

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood called for a rally backing President Mohamed Mursi outside his palace on Wednesday and leftists planned a counter-demonstration, raising fears of clashes in a crisis over a disputed push for a new constitution. Mursi returned to work at his compound a day after it came under siege from opposition protesters furious at his drive to ratify a...

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Myanmar's Union Minister Soe Thane calls on PM Lee

SINGAPORE: Singapore and Myanmar have affirmed warm relations when Myanmar's Union Minister in the President's Office U Soe Thane called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday.During the meeting, Mr Soe Thane, who is also chairman of the Myanmar Investment Commission, expressed appreciation for Singapore's consistent support for Myanmar's reforms and developments. The two men...

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Mulayam spoke against FDI, but was absent during vote, Sushma Swaraj says

NEW DELHI: In a dig at Mulayam Singh Yadav, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said that while the Samajwadi Party chief during the parliament debate spoke against allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, his presence in the Lok Sabha during voting would have ensured the economic move is defeated. In her speech concluding the debate in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj said: "Mulayam Singh had appealed to Sonia...

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Longer tamoxifen use cuts breast cancer deaths

Breast cancer patients taking the drug tamoxifen can cut their chances of having the disease come back or kill them if they stay on the pills for 10 years instead of five years as doctors recommend now, a major study finds.The results could change treatment, especially for younger women. The findings are a surprise because earlier research suggested that taking the hormone-blocking drug for longer...

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Majority Back Clinton for Presidential Bid in 2016

Kevin Lamarque/AP PhotoCarried by a new high in personal popularity and broad approval of her work as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton closes out her diplomatic career with majority support as a candidate for president in 2016.Fifty-seven percent in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say they’d back a run by Clinton to succeed Barack Obama, vs. 37 percent opposed. That includes a broad...

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NATO warns Syria not to use chemical weapons

BEIRUT (Reuters) - NATO told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday that any use of chemical weapons in his fight against encroaching rebel forces would be met by an immediate international response. The warning from NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen came as Syrian forces bombarded rebel districts near Damascus in a sustained counter-attack to stem rebel gains around Assad's...

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Top designers, projects awarded at President's Design Award

SINGAPORE: A record number of 139 nominations were received for the President's Design Award this year with the highest honour accorded to designers and design projects.A final thirteen received honours, from fields as diverse as architecture, advertising and product design.The prestigious Designer of the Year award went to four individuals this year for a portfolio of creative works throughout...

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Pak Hindu Council express fear of migration of Hindus from Pakistan

AMRITSAR: Pakistan Hindu Council has expressed fear of mass migration of Hindu's from Pakistan if the government didn't take action against the builder who have demolished a century old Sri Rama Peer Mandir for commercial purpose on last Saturday.While talking to TOI over phone from Pakistan , Patron of Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Vankwani said, "The issue has to be highlighted worldwide and if...

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