Auto-generated 17 minutes ago

'Terrorists' will not block path to peace: Netanyahu

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday vowed "terrorists" would not "block the path to peace," and gave thanks that no one died in the latest attack on Israelis in the West Bank.

Published 22 hours, 58 minutes ago

Oil rig blast forces 13 workers into Gulf of Mexico

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AFP) - An explosion ripped through an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday forcing 13 people into the water, one of whom was injured, the US Coast Guard said.

Published 6 hours, 10 minutes ago

Middle East

World Islamic body asks Muslims to tithe for Pakistan

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) - The Organisation of the Islamic Conference on Thursday appealed to Muslims everywhere to direct their zakat tithes to relief for flood-wracked Pakistan.

Published 2 hours, 31 minutes ago

» Son of Iranian woman sentenced to death pleads to Lula

» Palestinians to fund renovation of Nativity Church

Bahrain should investigate torture allegations: rights group

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Bahrain should investigate allegations of torture made by four Shiite activists who were detained by security forces in mid-August, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said in a statement.

Published 5 hours, 49 minutes ago

» US should apologise for Yemenis' arrest: Yemen ambassador

» US looks at bolstering funding for Yemeni military

International

Fuel tanker runs aground in Canadian Arctic: coast guard

OTTAWA (AFP) - A fuel tanker has run aground in Canada's far north, carrying nine million litres (2.4 million gallons) of diesel fuel that risk spilling into the Arctic waters, the Canadian Coast Guard said Thursday.

Published 2 hours, 17 minutes ago

» Russian fires start up again: ministry

» Mexico president defends drug policy, admits violence worse

Hurricane Earl closes in on US East Coast

KITTY HAWK, North Carolina (AFP) - Hurricane Earl closed in on a vast stretch of the US east coast on Thursday, as tens of thousands of people fled North Carolina's barrier islands to avoid dangerous winds and surf.

Published 6 hours, 40 minutes ago

» Explosion on Gulf of Mexico oil rig

» IMF, World Bank step up aid to Pakistan

Business

Burger King okays buyout as it struggles against rival

NEW YORK (AFP) - Burger King said Thursday it had accepted a four-billion-dollar takeover bid by a little known investment firm, as the fast food chain tries to close the gap with leader McDonald's and expand overseas.

Published 1 hour, 23 minutes ago

» EU reaches deal on cross-border financial supervisors

» Air France mulls 'low-cost' option: sources

US pending home sales bounce back

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US pending home sales rose dramatically in July, a trade group said Thursday, promising a much-needed boost to the sluggish housing market.

Published 5 hours, 7 minutes ago

» Boeing eyes 700-billion-dollar North American plane market

» Samsung, Toshiba take on Apple with 'iPad killers'

Science/Environment

BP removes cap from plugged well in Gulf of Mexico

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AFP) - BP on Thursday removed a massive cap which had stemmed the flow of oil from its ruptured well deep in the Gulf of Mexico in a key step toward killing the well once and for all, officials said.

Published 17 minutes ago

» Canadian to command space station in 2013

» Ancient Australian reef raises hopes for coral as seas warm

Amazon at lowest level in over 40 years in Peru: experts

LIMA (AFP) - The Amazon, the world's biggest river, is at its lowest level in over 40 years near its source in northeastern Peru, causing havoc in a region where it is used as the only form of travel, authorities said.

Published 6 hours, 47 minutes ago

» In a first, NASA drone to overfly hurricane threatening US

» God did not create Universe: Hawking

Sports

China join Australia in world basketball last 16

IZMIR, Turkey (AFP) - China scraped into the second round of the world basketball championships on Thursday while Australia also made sure of their last 16 spot.

Published 1 hour, 20 minutes ago

» McLaren duo ready for fair fight

» Defeated China saved by Puerto Rico in world basketball

Prandelli admits to Italian worries

FLORENCE, Italy (AFP) - Italy coach Cesare Prandelli admitted there's an atmosphere of apprehension surrounding the national team ahead of Friday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Estonia in Tallinn.

Published 2 hours, 54 minutes ago

» Davydenko joins seeded scrap heap at US Open

» Top seed Wozniacki storms through at US Open tennis

Entertainment

France's Cassel vies for US stardom as gangster 'Mesrine'

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - French film star Vincent Cassel's bravura portrayal of a murderous mobster seems likely to win him greater fame and critical acclaim here, as US critics lap up his performance in the biopic "Mesrine: Killer Instinct."

Published 6 hours, 47 minutes ago

» In Venice, Jewish lens focuses on Palestinians

» Rare Degas sculpture exhibit opens in Bulgaria

Binoche baffled by 'violence' of Depardieu criticism

PARIS (AFP) - French film star Gerard Depardieu's public outburst against his compatriot Juliette Binoche has left her bewildered, the Oscar-winning actress said to British media on Thursday.

Published 11 hours, 59 minutes ago

» Jewish filmmaker Schnabel tells Palestinian story

» Kookaburra sits in gum tree, but no longer 'gay'

Health/Medicine

Breakthrough test gives fast diagnosis of drug-resistant TB

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A groundbreaking new test can accurately diagnose drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) in as little as two hours, researchers wrote in a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Published 3 hours, 35 minutes ago

» Promising new one-dose malaria drug discovered

» More than 49 million Americans 'food insecure': study

Global cash support to fight AIDS is falling: UN

TOKYO (AFP) - The chief of the UNAIDS agency said Thursday that global contributions to fighting the disease are dropping off for the first time in 15 years amid tough economic times.

Published 13 hours, 24 minutes ago

» Japan finds fresh suspected foot-and-mouth case

» Sugar for newborns does not relieve pain: study

High Tech

Cisco buying smart grid specialty firm Arch Rock

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Computer networking powerhouse Cisco on Thursday announced it intends to buy smart grid specialty firm Arch Rock.

Published 3 hours, 29 minutes ago

» Chrome update marks Web browser's second birthday

» NASA launches iPad application

Mexico to go digital by 2015

MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Mexico will change from analog to digital television by 2015 to promote competition and help convergence with telephone and Internet services, President Felipe Calderon said Thursday.

Published 5 hours, 3 minutes ago

» Twitter launches iPad application

» Malaysian blogger faces jail over satirical post