Climate skeptic group works to reverse renewable energy mandates

The Heartland Institute, a libertarian think tank skeptical of climate change science, has joined with the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council to write model legislation aimed at reversing state renewable energy mandates across the country. The Electricity Freedom Act, adopted by the council’s board of directors in October, would repeal state standards requiring utilities...

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13 killed as Bangladesh flyover collapses

DHAKA: At least 13 people were killed and dozens are feared missing after a flyover under construction collapsed in Bangladesh's southeastern port city of Chittagong, police said Sunday."So far 13 dead bodies have been recovered," sub-inspector Mohammad Alauddin told AFP, adding that military rescue teams had been called in to help with the search for victims.The number of missing could...

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Corporation related to IT works in Haryana gets fourth head in 6 months

CHANDIGARH: After shifting whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka from Hartron, a corporation to handle IT-related projects, two months after his posting, the Haryana government on Friday transferred his successor Nitin Yadav just four months after he took charge. A Haryana civil services officer, Vivek Atrey, will be the next managing director of the corporation. With this appointment, the corporation...

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Distant Dwarf Planet Secrets Revealed

Orbiting at the frozen edges of our solar system, the mysterious dwarf planet Makemake is finally coming out of the shadows as astronomers get their best view yet of Pluto's little sibling. Discovered in 2005, Makemake—pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh after a Polynesian creation god—is one of five Pluto-like objects that prompted a redefining of the term "planet" and the creation of a new group...

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Sandy-Hit Stores Seek Small Business Saturday Boost

Nov 24, 2012 3:35pm                                                                                       (Image Credit: Associated Press)Superstorm Sandy...

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Patty Murray likely to be a key voice in Senate on budget deal

One of the biggest winners in the sweeping Democratic victories in Senate races this month was a woman whose name appeared on no ballot: Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). With a low-key style that contrasts with some of the Senate’s camera hogs, Murray may be the most powerful senator a whole lot of people have never heard of outside of the two Washingtons where she lives and works....

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Thai police fire tear gas at political protest

BANGKOK: Thai police on Saturday used tear gas at an anti-government protest in the capital Bangkok, the scene of several outbreaks of violent unrest in recent years.Police fired 10 tear gas canisters at a group of demonstrators who removed barbed wire and barriers blocking their route past a UN building close to the main protest site, police said."So far tear gas was used in one area...

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Cash transfer: PM to play UPA-2's trump card on Monday

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister is expected to formally kick off cash transfer of subsidies and entitlements, one of the most ambitious policy initiatives of UPA-2, on Monday. The scheme for cash transfers is visualized as a game-changer for UPA-2, like NREGA was for UPA-1, and is expected to give rich dividends at the elections.Manmohan Singh is expected to set January 1, 2013 as the launch date...

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Black Friday: Bargains, Brawls and Gunfire

Two people were shot outside a Walmart in Florida today, one of a rash of fights, robberies and other incidents that have cropped up on one of the most ballyhooed shopping days of the year.The shooting took place at a Walmart in Tallahassee about 12:30 p.m., said Dave Northway, public information officer for the Tallahassee Police Department.Investigators believe a scuffle over...

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Polls offer little guidance for politicians tackling ‘fiscal cliff’

Politicians tasked with negotiating a deal next month to avoid the “fiscal cliff” can be thankful that their talks are taking place immediately after a clarifying national election that laid out exactly how the public wants Washington to deal with debt and deficits. Or n...

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Fire breaks out at Bt Panjang flat, no injuries reported

SINGAPORE: A fire broke out in a flat at Block 435 Bukit Panjang Ring Road early Friday morning.The Singapore Civil Defence Force received a call at about 6.30am.Officers had to force their way into the 12th-floor unit.Residents living on the 12th floor were evacuated. The fire, which was contained within the flat, was put out in about 10 minutes.No injuries were reported.- CNA/xq !--...

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Six T-Cong MPs boycott Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: Defying the directive issued by the party, six Congress MPs from Telangana boycotted the Parliamentary proceedings on Thursday, the first day of the winter session, and staged a protest in support of their demand for a separate state. The Congress had asked its MPs to be present in the House on the grounds that important business was scheduled to come up for discussion. However, demanding...

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Distant Dwarf Planet Secrets Revealed

Orbiting at the frozen edges of our solar system, the mysterious dwarf planet Makemake is finally coming out of the shadows as astronomers get their best view yet of Pluto's little sibling. Discovered in 2005, Makemake—pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh after a Polynesian creation god—is one of five Pluto-like objects that prompted a redefining of the term "planet" and the creation of a new group...

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Stores Prep for Black Friday Mayhem

With earlier-than-ever deals and 147 million people expected to hit the stores this holiday weekend, retailers such as Best Buy are taking extra steps to avoid the Black Friday shopper chaos -- and inevitable news stories -- of the past.Best Buy officials said they've been prepping for the madness for days.The retailer has created color-coded maps, moved merchandise around to...

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Survey: Federal workers’ morale dropping

Salary freezes, tight budgets and a dim view of federal work held by many Americans have soured the motivation and commitment of many government employees, a survey released Wednesday found. Federal employees still think that their jobs are important, and many are passionate and dedicated to their agency’s mission. But increasing threats to their pay and benefits and criticism of their...

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Fear of failure looms over EU budget summit

BRUSSELS: An EU budget summit seemed set for trouble before it began on Thursday as leaders were to start two days of talks to agree a trillion-euro budget that has bitterly divided a 27-nation union already mired in crisis.European Union officials were scrambling to find an all but impossible compromise on the 2014-2020 budget that could successfully move richer nations looking for cutbacks...

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Kasab hanged day after UN vote on penalty

NEW DELHI: As chance would have it, India hanged Ajmal Kasab a day after opposing a UN resolution on abolition of the death penalty. On Tuesday, India joined 38 other countries to vote against a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution, calling for the removal of the death penalty, saying every nation had the "sovereign right" to determine its own legal system. The resolution called for a moratorium...

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Distant Dwarf Planet Secrets Revealed

Orbiting at the frozen edges of our solar system, the mysterious dwarf planet Makemake is finally coming out of the shadows as astronomers get their best view yet of Pluto's little sibling. Discovered in 2005, Makemake—pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh after a Polynesian creation god—is one of five Pluto-like objects that prompted a redefining of the term "planet" and the creation of a new group...

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Cops: Murder Gun Found in 'John Doe's' Duffel Bag

The man known as "John Doe Duffel Bag" was arrested today in connection with the slayings of three shopkeepers of Middle Eastern descent in Brooklyn, N.Y.Salvatore Perrone, 63, was arrested following a long night of questioning by detectives.Officials told ABC News that Perrone had been charged with three counts of murder. He has made admissions to police in connection with...

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Blazing a legal trail to help improve health care

Ariane Tschumi has spent more than a year in government as a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF), taking on challenging assignments at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) designed to develop her leadership skills and give her a window into how government operates. She has worked alongside health-care experts designing model programs intended to better health care and lower...

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Asian markets up on US hopes, weak yen helps Tokyo

HONG KONG: Asian markets rose on Wednesday with traders confident the United States will avoid a fiscal cliff and Greece will get its much-needed bailout, while Tokyo was boosted by the weak yen.The Japanese currency continued its fall against the dollar and the euro on expectations of further central bank easing, given added impetus by data showing Tokyo posted its worst October trade...

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President Pranab Mukherjee rejects Kasab's mercy plea

NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee rejected the mercy petition filed by Ajmal Kasab, the Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist sentenced to death for his role in the November 26, 2008 terror attack on Mumbai. The decision comes after the home ministry on October 23 rejected Kasab's mercy petition that had been addressed to the President. According to TV reports, Kasab, who was lodged at Mumbai's Arthur...

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Thanksgiving 2012 Myths and Facts

Before the big dinner, debunk the myths—for starters, the first "real" U.S. Thanksgiving wasn't until the 1800s—and get to the roots of Thanksgiving 2012.Thanksgiving Dinner: Recipe for Food Coma?Key to any Thanksgiving Day menu are a fat turkey and cranberry sauce.An estimated 254 million turkeys will be raised for slaughter in the U.S. during 2012, up 2 percent from 2011's total, according...

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Clinton Pledges to 'De-Escalate' Gaza Conflict

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met for more than two hours today behind closed doors with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, saying she sought to "de-escalate the situation in Gaza."Clinton, who flew to Israel today, appeared with Netanyahu ahead of their 4 p.m. ET meeting to discuss a possible ceasefire to the fighting between Israel...

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Israeli-Hamas conflict creates wedge in U.S. relations with Turkey and Egypt, two key partners in Middle East

The Israeli-Hamas conflict is putting the Obama administration at odds with two of its most important partners in the Middle East, threatening to undermine other U.S. objectives in the region at a time of political upheaval. On Monday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which has frequently served as a moderate voice in the region, described Israel as a “terrorist state” and...

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Colombia's FARC rebels declare ceasefire as talks begin

HAVANA: Colombia's leftist FARC rebels declared a unilateral two-month ceasefire Monday as they began talks in Cuba with the Bogota government on ending Latin America's longest-running insurgency.But the government of President Juan Manuel Santos immediately made clear it would not be bound by the ceasefire and military operations against the FARC would continue.The Colombian military...

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Gujarat Parsis being cremated as vultures dwindle

VADODARA: When Dara Hakim, 89, a former Indian Navy deep-sea diver and prominent member of Vadodara's Parsi community passed away recently, his family chose cremation for his last rites. Though he did not leave any specific instructions, his wife Roda Hakim arranged for a cremation instead of the traditional Tower of Silence.According to Zoroastrian beliefs, the best way to dispose of a body is to...

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In Gaza, a Warning Call, Then Missiles

Anger boiled over in Gaza on Monday as the death toll passed 100 and the civilian casualties mounted. Volleys of Palestinian militant rockets flew into Israel as Israeli drones buzzed endlessly overhead and warplanes streaked through the air to unleash missile strikes.As Israel comes under fierce criticism for the bombing of a home on Sunday that killed 11, including nine from...

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Forget creativity: Can lobbying be taught?

It’s been almost 30 years since Steve Billet, at the time a newly minted lobbyist for AT&T, pulled up behind a car at a red light in Washington and noticed the bumper sticker: “Don’t tell my mother I’m a lobbyist. She thinks I play piano in a whorehouse.” Since then, things have only gotten worse, at least reputationally, for what may be the most remunerative of the world’s more beleaguered...

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Household Expenditure Survey moves into third month

SINGAPORE: The Department of Statistics (DOS) is conducting the tenth Household Expenditure Survey (HES) from October 2012 to September 2013. The survey covers 11,000 households, which are divided into 26 groups with each group being surveyed for a period of two weeks. DOS says it is now moving into the third month of the year-long survey. The forthcoming 5th and 6th groups of households...

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Badal justifies meddling in DSGMC affairs

JALANDHAR: The showdown between Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and her Punjab counterpart over the affairs of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) continues to rage and got shriller on Sunday. On Friday, Badal had sought putting a "leash" on Dikshit-led Delhi government and action against those who had attacked the SAD(B) leaders at Rakabganj gurdwara. A day later, Dikshit asked...

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Lonesome George Not the Last of His Kind, After All?

The tide may be turning for the rare subspecies of giant tortoise thought to have gone extinct when its last known member, the beloved Lonesome George, died in June.A new study by Yale University researchers reveals that DNA from George's ancestors lives on—and that more of his kind may still be alive in a remote area of Ecuador's Galápagos Islands. This isn't the first time Chelonoidis...

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Officials: Israeli Strike Kills 11 Civilians in Gaza

An Israeli missile ripped through a two-story home in a residential area of Gaza City on Sunday, killing at least 11 civilians, including four young children and an 81-year-old woman, in the single deadliest attack of Israel's offensive against Islamic militants.A similar scene unfolded elsewhere in the city early Monday, when an airstrike leveled two houses belonging to a single...

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