Maldives' ousted president seeks global intervention
New Delhi, Feb 9: The Maldives' ousted president Mohamed Nasheed Thursday appealed to the world community to help restore democracy in his country, claiming that he was toppled by a small group of police officers and police and the military were brutally suppressing people. Read Full Story

Chinese youth rapes, robs, kills 91-year-old
Beijing, Feb 9 : A 19-year-old youth in a Chinese city has been detained for allegedly raping, robbing and killing a 91-year-old woman. Read Full Story

British girl has contraceptive implant at school
London, Feb 9 : A 13-year-old girl in Britain had a contraceptive implant fitted at her school since she felt "like having sex" with her boyfriend. Read Full Story

Pakistan denies Gilani meeting with Taliban in Qatar
Islamabad, Feb 9 : Pakistan Thursday refuted media reports suggesting a meeting between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Afghan Taliban representatives had been planned in Qatar during his three-day visit which concluded a day ago. Read Full Story

NATO supplies continue via Pakistan air space: US
Islamabad, Feb 9: US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter Thursday that the supplies to NATO-led forces in Afghanistan are being airlifted through Pakistani air space, Xinhua reported. Read Full Story

Dog kills woman who saves children from attack
London, Feb 9 : A middle-aged woman in Britain was killed before her five children while trying to prevent the family dog from attacking them. Read Full Story

Chinese city wants long speeches cut short
Beijing, Feb 9 : Authorities in a Chinese city are planning to cut long speeches of officials that often leave issues at hand undecided and others at meetings quite bored. Read Full Story

Maldives' ousted president seeks global help for democracy
New Delhi, Feb 9: The Maldives' ousted president Mohamed Nasheed Thursday appealed to the world community to help restore democracy in his country while stating that he was toppled by a small group of police officers. Read Full Story

Ajax's supervisory board resigns
The Hague, Feb 9: The supervisory board of Ajax has decided to resign after months of unrest, the Amsterdam based soccer club said Thursday. Read Full Story

Drought affects 1.5 mn in China
Beijing, Feb 9 : About 1.5 million people have been affected by drought in China's Yunnan province, a media report said Thursday. Read Full Story

Capello resigns, Stuart checks in as caretaker England boss
London, Feb 9 : With just five months left for the Euro 2012, England football is in turmoil with the resignation of national team manager Fabio Capello over differences with Football Assoiation (FA) following the sacking of John Terry as the captain. Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce will take charge of England for the match with Holland, February 29. Read Full Story

Putin wants New Year holidays shifted to May
Moscow, Feb 9 : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed to reduce the nearly two-week-long Christmas and New Year holidays and shifting them to May. Read Full Story

Nasheed sees ex-dictator Gayoom's network behind his ouster
Male, Feb 9 : A day after he was ousted as the Malidivian president, Mohamed Nasheed has said what happened in the country should be traced to former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's network and a result of his own vice president's suspected role in planning the coup. Read Full Story

Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich banned for 2 years
Geneva, Feb 9: Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich was Thursday banned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for two years and stripped of his third-place finish in the 2005 race for blood doping. Read Full Story

Ghana disappointed at semi-final loss in African Cup soccer
Accra, Feb 9: Ghanaian football fans have expressed disappointment at the national team's failure to qualify for the final of the African Nations Cup tournament co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Read Full Story

Dalai Lama to meet Desmond Tutu
Dharamsala, Feb 9: Two Nobel laureates and long-time friends -- Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai lama and South African anti-apartheid icon archbishop Desmond Tutu - will come face to face in this north Indian hill station Saturday. Read Full Story

Copper surfaces reduce hospital infections: Experts
New Delhi, Feb 9: Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) can be reduced by more than 70 percent by using copper alloys on surfaces which come frequently in contact with microbes, say experts. Read Full Story

Heavy snow disrupts traffic on China-Nepal highway
Beijing, Feb 9 : Heavy snow Thursday halted traffic on a section of the China-Nepal highway, which links southwest China's Tibet autonomous region and Nepal, said traffic officials. Read Full Story

Arrest Nasheed, says court as ex-president's family flees
Colombo, Feb 9 : The crisis in the Maldives deepened Thursday with a court ordering the arrest of ousted president Mohamed Nasheed, who assured that he doesn't "want a war" as his family fled the country and took refuge in Sri Lanka. Read Full Story

500 elephants killed in DR Congo's national park
Kinshasa, Feb 9 : Over 500 elephants have been killed by poachers at DR Congo's Virunga national park since 2010, a senior government official has revealed. Read Full Story

Israeli workers launch nationwide strike for outsourced employees
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL: Israeli workers on Wednesday launched a strike for outsourced employees which shut down government offices, banks, airports, ports, rail services and other sectors of the country's economy, local media reported. Read Full Story

Report: U.S. reviewing military options in Syria to end conflict
WASHINGTON, D.C. : The U.S. government has begun a preliminary internal review of U.S. military capabilities in Syria in the event U.S. President Barack Obama calls for them, senior administration officials told CNN on late Tuesday. Read Full Story

Two teenage girls jump from apartment building near Moscow
LOBNYA, RUSSIA : Two teenage girls committed suicide on late Tuesday evening by jumping from a high-rise apartment building near the Russian capital of Moscow as they held hands, local news agencies reported on Wednesday. Read Full Story

U.S. drone strike kills 10 suspected militants in Pakistan
MIRANSHAH, PAKISTAN : At least ten suspected Taliban-affiliated militants were killed on early Wednesday morning when a U.S. drone launched an airstrike in Pakistan's volatile tribal region, Pakistani intelligence officials said. Several others were injured. Read Full Story

Last surviving World War I veteran dies in England
LONDON : Florence Green, the last surviving World War I veteran, died at a care home in eastern England last week, the British Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday. She was 110 years old. Read Full Story

Krishna opens USD 10 million Indian embassy complex in Beijing
Beijing, Feb 8 : Pitching for stronger India-China relations, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday formally inaugurated the Indian embassy's new USD 10 million complex here which has been built with sandstone. Read Full Story

Santorum stuns Romney in US presidential race
London, Feb 8 : The US presidential hopeful, Rick Santorum, has swept the contests for the Republican Party nomination in Minnesota, Missouri, and Colorado by defeating long-time front-runner Mitt Romney, the BBC reported Wednesday. Read Full Story

36 cracks found in an aircraft's wings
London, Feb 8: An Airbus has been hit by a second wing scare after 36 hairline cracks were found in a single A380 superjumbo. Read Full Story

Ethiopia seeks India's assistance to promote tourism
New Delhi: Ethiopia has sought India's assistance for promoting tourism in the country, officials said Wednesday. Read Full Story

We can develop together: China tells India
Beijing, Feb 8: Voicing satisfaction at the progress in Sino-Indian relations, China Wednesday said there was enough space and opportunity for the people of both countries to develop together. Read Full Story

China's auto exports hit record high in 2011
Beijing, Feb 8 : China's auto exports hit 849,000 units last year, the highest level seen since the onset of the global financial crisis, data showed Wednesday. Read Full Story

FIFA awards UAE win in Olympic qualifier
Abu Dhabi, Feb 8 : FIFA has ruled that the Iraq national team fielded an ineligible player in an Olympic qualifying match last November, and thus awarded a 3-0 victory to rival United Arab Emirates. Read Full Story

Israeli technology minimizes bird hits in flight
Tel Aviv, Feb 8: Bird hits can be particularly nasty for an airplane, forcing it to land or send it crashing to the ground, often with devastating consequences. Now, fresh research has developed a digitized system with the ability to track migrating birds in real-time, minimizing the possibility of such collisions. Read Full Story

Entire genome of extinct human decoded from finger bone
London, Feb 8: German anthropologists have decoded the entire genome sequence of a Denisovan, representative of the extinct Asian group related to Neanderthals, from a finger bone fossil, a study reveals. Read Full Story

Having desserts for breakfast good for slimming
Tel Aviv, Feb 8 : Those with a weakness for sweets can now include cookies and cake in a 600 calorie breakfast menu with some proteins and carbs to shed weight in a pleasurable way and also stay slim. Read Full Story

Ashvin and Kohli stars for India as they beat Sri Lanka by 4 wickets in 2nd ODI
Sydney, Feb 8 : India has beaten Sri Lanka by 4 wickets with 3.2 overs remaining in the second one-day international match of the Commonwealth Bank series at WACA in Perth, with Virat Kohli playing a brilliant inning of 77 runs and Ravichandran Ashwin grabbing three crucial wickets as well as scoring 30 runs without getting out. Read Full Story

Mauritius ready to review bilateral tax treaty with India: Ramgoolam
New Delhi, Feb 8 : Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam on Wednesday said the island nation will address issues relating to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with India. Read Full Story

Elizabeth Taylor's art auctioned for USD 22m
Washington, Feb 8 : A collection of artwork owned by the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor fetched 21.9 million dollars at an auction. Read Full Story

Button 'up' and 'ready' for Raikkonen challenge
London, Feb 8: McLaren star driver Jenson Button is looking forward to his seething rivalry with former World champion Kimi Raikkonen. Read Full Story

Google to 'come up with 'Terminator' style HUD glasses'
London, Feb 8 : Google is reportedly ready with a pair of heads-up display glasses that would let wearers see the world in a way similar to the cyborg played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Terminator' movies. Read Full Story

Joan Rivers was 'kidding' about 739 plastic surgeries
New York, Feb 8 : Comedian Joan Rivers, who recently caused a bit of a furore when she said she'd had over 700 cosmetic procedures, has insisted that she was just joking. Read Full Story

'Determined' De Gea wants to emulate legendary Man U goalie Schmeichel
London, Feb 8: Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has said he is determined to prove his critics wrong and would like to emulate United goalkeeping great Peter Schmeichel. Read Full Story

Ex-Maldives president now claims he 'was forced to resign at gunpoint'
Male, Feb 8: Ex-Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed revealed on Wednesday that he was forced to resign at gunpoint, and urged his successor Waheed Hassan Manik to also step down. Read Full Story

Pressure of 1st Test defeat led to England's whitewash in UAE series: Mudassar
Karachi, Feb 8: Former Pakistani opener Mudassar Nazar has said that it was the pressure of the first Test defeat in the UAE created doubts in minds of England players and subsequently led to their whitewash in the series. Read Full Story

Adele "a little too fat ", says designer Karl Lagerfeld
London, Feb 8 : Designer Karl Lagerfeld recently hit chart-topping singer Adele on weight, calling her "a little too fat". Read Full Story

Strengthening India-Brazil defence ties
New Delhi, Feb 8 : Brazilian Defence Minister Celso Amorim met with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss strengthening of bilateral military ties. Read Full Story

I learned so much from Denzel Washington, says Ryan Reynolds
Washington, Feb 8 : Ryan Reynolds has revealed that he was greatly inspired by Denzel Washington during the filming of 'Safe House'. Read Full Story

Pornographic play sparks public outrage
Melbourne, Feb 8 : A new play being staged by a Sydney's newly formed company has caused public outcry, as it portrays extreme sexual assault in the name of art. Read Full Story

David Guetta wants house music to be as big as hip hop
Washington, Feb 8 : David Guetta wants to make house music as big as hip-hop and rock music in America. Read Full Story

Diddy says he's having 'bromance' with Michael Phelps
New York, Feb 8 : Michael Phelps hit it off with Sean "Diddy" Combs and the two became instant buddies, at the rapper's Super Bowl party at Tao Las Vegas. Read Full Story

I hope Demi Moore's doing okay, says Zac Efron
Washington, Feb 8 : Zac Efron recently expressed his concerns for Demi Moore, who is presently undergoing emotional trauma. Read Full Story

I would never call myself supermodel, says Naomi Campbell
Washington, Feb 8 : Supermodel Naomi Campbell may still get booked to walk the most coveted ramps but she feels that there is nothing 'super' about her illustrious career. Read Full Story

New York, Feb 8 : Eva Mendes, who stars opposite real life boyfriend Ryan Gosling in 'The Place Beyond the Pines', has said that he is a 'dream co-star'.
New York, Feb 8 : Eva Mendes, who stars opposite real life boyfriend Ryan Gosling in 'The Place Beyond the Pines', has said that he is a 'dream co-star'. Read Full Story

Child porn reaching epidemic proportions in Oz
Sydney, Feb 8 : Child pornography in Australia has risen exponentially as paedophiles are increasingly exchanging images of themselves molesting a child with other abusers. Read Full Story

Vaccine against heroin addiction comes closer to reality
London, Feb 8 : A breakthrough vaccine to end heroin addiction could be ready for human use in around five years, researchers say. Read Full Story

Krishna calls on key Chinese leaders with aim of improving bilateral ties
By Naveen Kapoor, Beijing, Feb.8 : Visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna met with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in Beijing on Wednesday at the start of his three-day visit to the country. Read Full Story

Old theory helps discover new targets in fight against breast cancer
Washington, Feb 8 : In a new study, scientists have revived a theory first proposed in the late 1800s and studied organ development in mice to reveal how breast cancers, and possibly other cancers, develop in people. Read Full Story

Aspirin 'may thwart DVT and PE in joint replacement patients'
Washington, Feb 8 : Following a total joint replacement, anticoagulation drugs can prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), a new study has revealed. Read Full Story

Depressed adolescents likelier to be bullied
Washington, Feb 8 : Adolescents who suffer from depression are more at risk of developing difficulty in peer relationships including being bullied at school, a new study has revealed. Read Full Story

Aniston feels her age when playing mum to teenagers
Washington, Feb 8 : Jennifer Aniston has revealed that she has started realizing her age after being offered roles alongside youngsters. Read Full Story

Water pressure 'tapped' to generate electricity
Washington, Feb 8 : A New York City startup has started tapping into the intense water pressure at treatment plants, reservoirs and factories, converting the excess into electricity. Read Full Story

Simon Cowell 'did everything he could' for Paula Abdul's X Factor spot
Washington, Feb 8 : Simon Cowell has revealed that he tried his level best to keep pal Paula Abdul alongside him on America's 'The X Factor', when the negotiations kicked off at the start of this year. Read Full Story

Whales 'stressed by noise pollution' in sea
Melbourne, Feb 8 : Steady drone of motors along busy commercial shipping lanes seems to alter whale behaviour and affect them physically by causing chronic stress, a study claims. Read Full Story

Mystery behind mountain range beneath Antarctica's ice solved
London, Feb 8 : Geologists have found a new understanding to the mountain-building process, which had baffled them for decades now, a new study claims. Read Full Story

Latest discovery to help in treating Type 2 diabetes
Washington, Feb 8 : An important step forward has been taken in understanding how insulin secretion is regulated in the body. Read Full Story

Middle finger slowest due to influences of neighbouring 'finger nerve cells'
Washington, Feb 8 : The middle finger has a slower reaction time than our thumb or finger, and scientists have found that it is because it is inhibited by its central position. Read Full Story

Maldives President speaks to Manmohan Singh on taking office
New Delhi, Feb 8 : The President of Maldives, Dr. Mohammed Waheed, had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today after taking office during which he reaffirmed the special and close ties that Maldives has with India and said that he was committed to upholding the Constitution of that country and the rule of law. Read Full Story

Canadian spy agency ordered to use 'torture info in exceptional circumstances'
Ottawa, Feb 8 : The Canadian government has reportedly ordered the nation's spy agency to use information extracted through torture in cases where public safety is at stake. Read Full Story

My kids are as competitive as Victoria and me, says Becks
Washington, Feb 8 : David Beckham has revealed that his sons, Brooklyn, 12, Romeo, 9, and Cruz, 6, are "as competitive" as their illustrious parents. Read Full Story

Nawaz, Fazl, Zardari damaged Pakistan: Imran Khan
Islamabad, Feb 8 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has said that Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman has caused damage to the country. Read Full Story

News Corp faces stepped-up FBI probe into bribery allegations
London, Feb 8 : Media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is facing increased pressure in the United States after the FBI stepped-up its investigations into allegations of illegal bribing activity across the media empire. Read Full Story

New fat removal technologies 'could offer alternative to liposuction'
Washington, Feb 8 : Introduction of non-invasive fat removal technologies is opening the door for more people to remove stubborn fat, safely and effectively without undergoing liposuction, researchers say. Read Full Story

CIA to remain in Iraq, Afghanistan after troops' withdrawal to protect US interests
Washington, Feb 8: The Central Intelligence Agency is expected to maintain a large clandestine presence in Iraq and Afghanistan after the withdrawal of conventional U.S. troops as part of the Obama administration plan to rely on a combination of spies and Special Operations forces to protect U.S. interests in the two war zones, U.S. officials have said. Read Full Story

Flower confident of England recovery but won't hesitate to drop under-performers
London, Feb 8: England team director Andy Flower has expressed his confidence in England's batsmen to recover from the muddle of their first Test clean-sweep but has told them that he will not be afraid to drop players if they continue to under-perform. Read Full Story

US commander to visit Pak to initiate mending of strained bilateral ties
Islamabad, Feb 8 : The Obama administration is reportedly sending a senior American military commander to Pakistan this month in what is being seen as a first step towards getting a strategic relationship that has been frozen for over two months back on track. Read Full Story

'Fused' computer processors to boost performance by 20 pc
Washington, Feb 8 : Researchers have come up with a new technology that allows graphics processing units (GPUs) and central processing units (CPUs) on a single chip to combine, thus boosting processor performance by an average of over 20 percent. Read Full Story

Webcam spying case: US may upgrade one charge against ex Indian-origin Rutgers case
Washington, Feb 8: American authorities want to upgrade one of the charges against a former Indian-origin Rutgers student Dharun Ravi, who has been accused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate's intimate encounter with another man. Read Full Story

Emergency contraceptive sold in Shippensburg University's vending machine
Washington, Feb 8 : The morning-after pills, which are otherwise not available on drug store shelves, can easily be bought by college students at Shippensburg University through a vending machine at the student health centre. Read Full Story

Racial trial star Terry gets 'boot' from football 'boot' sponsor Umbro
London, Feb 8 : Dismissed England captain John Terry, who will face a trial over allegations that he racially abused QPR Anton Ferdinand, has been snubbed by football sponsor Umbro. Read Full Story

44 pc of Brit kids flouting Facebook age limit
London, Feb 8 : Nearly half of British children under the age of 12 are using Facebook, illegally, since the minimum age for accessing the social networking website is 13, a new study has revealed. Read Full Story

US says Gilani's conviction on contempt charges is Pak's internal matter
Islamabad, Feb 8 : The U.S. State Department's Acting deputy spokesman Mark Toner has said that the Pakistan Supreme Court's decision to possibly convict Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on February 13 is their internal matter. Read Full Story

Men prefer gazing at pics while women read online dating profiles
Washington, Feb 8 : Men spend far more time looking at photographs rather than reading the online profile on dating sites, a new study has revealed. Read Full Story

Genetic origins of Parkinson's disease identified
London, Feb 8 : Researchers have discovered how mutations in the parkin gene lead to the incurable Parkinson's disease. Read Full Story

Low biodiversity of fish in sea could be due to ancient extinctions
Washington, Feb 8 : Low biodiversity in oceans may be because of early extinctions in the marine environment which wiped out the earliest of fishes, a new research has found. Read Full Story

I am in happy and peaceful place, says Jennifer Aniston
Washington, Feb 8 : Jennifer Aniston has revealed that her relationship with Justin Theroux is going strong. Read Full Story

Selena Gomez battles sniffles during gig in Argentina
Washington, Feb 8 : Selena Gomez, who battled through illness to stage her show in Argentina on Tuesday, was forced to run off stage to blow her nose throughout her set. Read Full Story

Soon, smartphone that fights symptoms of depression
Washington, Feb 8 : A new smartphone being developed can spot symptoms of depression in its user and take immediate actions to counter it. Read Full Story

Drinking large amounts of soft drinks 'may up asthma risk'
Washington, Feb 8 : High level of soft drink consumption may make a person more vulnerable to asthma and, or, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study has revealed. Read Full Story

Kanye West dreamed of being 'next Michael Jackson'
Washington, Feb 8 : Kanye West, who is renowned for his outspoken nature, once declared to a chairman at Sony Music he would be "the next Michael Jackson". Read Full Story