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- South Africa's new security laws: who will they protect?
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Concerns are growing in South Africa that new laws on intelligence, security and graft-busting may end up protecting the political elite more than the nation. President Jacob Zumas ANC government has proposed three measures - two revisions to apartheid-era intelligence bills and a third on oversight of the polices anti-graft unit, the Hawks - that have prompted concern data may be suppressed. ... Read More... - Insight: Iran's "Great Game" in Afghanistan
KABUL (Reuters) - With most foreign combat troops set to withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014, Iran is using the media in the war-ravaged nation to gain influence, a worrying issue for Washington. Nearly a third of Afghanistans media is backed by Iran, either financially or through providing content, Afghan officials and media groups say. What Iran wants, what they are striving at, is a power base in Afghanistan that can counter American influence, said a senior government official, who like others for this report, spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. ... Read More... - Assault case against Aussie IPL cricketer dropped
Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach is to be cleared of accusations that he molested a woman and beat up her fiance during the IPL tournament in India, his lawyer said on Thursday. Read More... - With smuggling choked, Syria rebels feel arms curb
Mohamed Nizar says he and his fellow rebels have the will, the fervor and the money to bring down Syrian President Bashar Assad. Read More... - China shares end down as PMI data sparks growth worries
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese shares ended down 0.5 percent on Thursday as a private survey pointing to a further weakening of Chinas manufacturing sector sparked fresh worries over the health of the worlds second-largest economy, traders said. The Shanghai Composite Index finished at 2,351 points, extending a 0.4 percent fall on Wednesday. The HSBC Flash Purchasing Managers Index, the earliest indicator of the strength of Chinas industrial sector, retreated to 48.7 in May from 49.3 the month before, pointing to lingering weakness even as policymakers seek to shore up growth. ... Read More... - China factory data signals weak first-half growth
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's factories took a hit in May as export orders fell sharply, a private sector survey showed on Thursday, suggesting surprise weakness in April's hard economic data persists even as policymakers seek to shore up growth. The HSBC Flash Purchasing Managers Index, the earliest indicator of China's industrial activity, retreated to 48.7 in May from a final reading of 49.3 in April. It marked the seventh consecutive month that the HSBC PMI has been below 50, indicating contraction. ... Read More... - Picking new leader, Egyptians search for superman
Egyptians say they want their next leader to be honorable, smart, a knight, a man with a heart, a military man, a religious man, one who goes down and meets with the people. What they are really looking for is a superman. Read More... - Chinese activist's brother flees guarded village
The brother of Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng has fled his closely guarded village to seek legal advice Thursday in Beijing on how to protect his son from what their supporters call retaliation by local officials, an attorney said. Read More... - Nuclear talks resume amid impasse worries
Envoys from Iran and six world powers have resumed talks over Tehrans nuclear program after issuing dueling proposals during the opening day of the negotiations in the Iraqi capital. Read More... - A smoke-free country? New Zealand taxes aim for it
There are smoke-free bars, smoke-free parks, even smoke-free college campuses. But a smoke-free country? Read More... - Monsignor: Cardinal wanted accusers kept unaware
A Roman Catholic church official says Philadelphia's former archbishop ordered staff to keep alleged victims of priest sexual abuse in the dark about other accusers. Read More... - Egyptians vote in presidential election's 2nd day
Choosing their president freely for the first time, Egyptians are voting on the second day of an election that will produce a successor to longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak. Read More... - Unabomber updates Harvard University alumni book
Harvard alumni attending their 50th class reunion this week are getting updates on classmates — including Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. Read More... - Egyptians back at the polls to pick president
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt resumed its first free presidential election on Thursday after a first day of voting that passed off mostly calmly, apart from a stone-throwing attack on candidate Ahmed Shafiq, who was premier for a few days before Hosni Mubarak fell. The race broadly pits Islamist candidates against secular ones like Shafiq and Amr Moussa, the former Arab League chief who previously served as Mubarak's foreign minister. Turnout on Wednesday seemed lower than in an earlier parliamentary vote when Islamists swept up most seats. ... Read More... - Egyptians back at the polls to pick president
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt resumed its first free presidential election on Thursday after a first day of voting that passed off mostly calmly, apart from a stone-throwing attack on candidate Ahmed Shafiq, who was premier for a few days before Hosni Mubarak fell. The race broadly pits Islamist candidates against secular ones like Shafiq and Amr Moussa, the former Arab League chief who previously served as Mubarak's foreign minister. Turnout on Wednesday seemed lower than in an earlier parliamentary vote when Islamists swept up most seats. ... Read More... - Rwandan orphans find hope in village
From a teenager who was a month old when her parents were killed in Rwanda's genocide to a young man inspired to become a doctor, hundreds of orphans have found hope for the future in a special village outside the Rwandan capital. Read More... - Iran nuclear talks enter second day
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Talks resumed on Thursday between Iran and world powers about a nuclear programme that the West suspects is aimed at nuclear bomb research. A first day of discussions showed a "fair amount of disagreement" but also areas of common ground, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday, adding: "I believe we have the beginning of a negotiation." Talks got under way again on Thursday morning, a diplomat said. Both sides have been publicly upbeat about the scope for an outline deal following a 15-month diplomatic freeze and exploratory talks in Istanbul last month. ... Read More... - US National Hurricane Center says Bud has developed into a hurricane off coast of SW Mexico.
MIAMI - The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Bud has formed off the southwestern coast of Mexico. Read More... - 'G.I. Joe' gets new marching orders, moves to 2013
Just a month before its June release in the U.S., Paramount Pictures delayed the debut of "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" by nine months after another movie based on a Hasbro plaything was trounced at the box office by "The Avengers." Read More... - Devils outlast Rangers, 5-3, take 3-2 series lead
The Devils turned a stellar first nine minutes and an opportunistic final five into a stirring victory over the Rangers that moved New Jersey within one win of a trip to the Stanley Cup finals. Read More... - Morgan Stanley, others make $100 million profit on Facebook trades: WSJ
(Reuters) - Morgan Stanley and other underwriters have made a profit of about $100 million stabilizing Facebook stock since trading began on Friday, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter. Facebooks listing, envisioned as a crowning moment for an eight-year-old company that has become a business and cultural phenomenon, has instead turned into a legal and public relations fiasco for the company and its lead underwriter, Morgan Stanley. ... Read More... - Shareholders sue Facebook, NYSE comes calling
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The fallout from Facebook Inc's messy initial public offering widened on Wednesday as shareholders sued the social network and its bankers while a trading firm revealed a massive loss on the shares and threatened to seek "remedies." The Nasdaq stock exchange also came under further pressure as a source close to the situation told Reuters that NYSE Euronext had opened discussions with Facebook about a potential stock listing there. Nasdaq also faces litigation from angry investors. ... Read More... - 'I would vote for President Obama': Castro's niece
Fidel Castro's niece hailed Barack Obama's support for gay marriage and the loosening of US-Cuba travel restrictions, saying: "I would vote for President Obama." Read More... - Sixers force NBA game seven with Celtics
The Philadelphia 76ers kept their season alive with an 82-75 victory over the Boston Celtics to force a seventh game in their Eastern Conference playoff series. Read More... - Mali leader flies to France for health checks after attack
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's interim leader Dioncounda Traore was flown to France on Wednesday for medical checks after he was attacked by protesters this week, Mali's government spokesman said. Traore suffered facial injuries when hundreds of protesters broke into the presidential palace on Monday. The full extent of his injuries was not clear but two diplomatic sources said he was due to have checks on his pacemaker. Hamadoun Toure, Mali's interim government spokesman, said on state television the medical visit had been long planned and Traore would return once he was cleared by his doctor. ... Read More... - Eager Egyptians hold landmark presidential vote
After a lifetime of being told who will rule them, Egyptians have dived enthusiastically into the uncertainty of the Arab world's first competitive presidential race, wrestling with a polarizing choice between secularists rooted in Hosni Mubarak's old autocracy and Islamists hoping to infuse the state with religion. Read More... - Tunisian prosecutor demands death penalty for Ben Ali
TUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian military prosecutor demanded on Wednesday that the death penalty be imposed in absentia on ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali over his alleged role in the deaths of protesters in the towns where the Arab Spring began. Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia as protests swept Tunisa on January 14, 2011, has already been sentenced to decades in jail on charges ranging from corruption to torture. He has not so far been convicted of any charges that carry the death penalty, which is rarely carried out in the North African country. ... Read More... - EU urges Greece to stay in euro, plans for possible exit
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders, advised by senior officials to prepare contingency plans in case Greece decides to quit the single currency, urged the country to stay the course on austerity and complete the reforms demanded under its bailout program. After nearly six hours of talks held during an informal dinner, leaders said they were committed to Greece remaining in the euro zone, but it had to stick to its side of the bargain too, a commitment that will mean a heavy cost for Greeks. ... Read More... - It's Kanye and Kim in Cannes
Kanye West showed off his short film and his celebrity girlfriend in Cannes. Read More... - Obama, Dems redoubling money efforts to keep edge
His cash advantage threatened, President Barack Obama and his party are redoubling their fundraising efforts after robust hauls by Republican rival Mitt Romney and a slew of GOP-leaning super PACs that are raking in cash from the party faithful highly motivated to topple the Democrat. Read More... - Phillip Phillips is the new 'American Idol'
Phillip Phillips, a bluesy Georgia guitar man, was crowned the new "American Idol" on Wednesday after defeating teenager Jessica Sanchez in record viewer voting. He was the fifth male "Idol" winner in a row. Read More... - Oil rises slightly off 7-month lows near $90
Oil bounced slightly off seven-month lows near $90 a barrel Thursday in Asia amid signs Chinas economy is continuing to slow. Read More... - Kanye and Kim in Cannes
Kanye West showed off his short film and his celebrity girlfriend in Cannes. Read More... - Literary scholar Paul Fussell dead at 88
Paul Fussell, an acclaimed literary scholar who won a National Book Award in 1976 for "The Great War and Modern Memory," died Wednesday morning at age 88. Read More... - Obama team wrongly says Romney moves goal posts
President Barack Obama's campaign says Republican rival Mitt Romney is trying to "move the goal posts" and reverse his position on unemployment. Actually, that's a fumble of the facts. Read More... - Asia stocks down as Europe holds another summit
Asian stock markets faltered Thursday as the lack of a breakthrough in Europe's attempts to shake off its debt crisis kept sentiment gloomy. Read More... - Obama birth certificate OK by Arizona official
Arizona's secretary of state said Wednesday that Hawaii's official verification of President Barack Obama's birth records meets necessary requirements, meaning the president's name will appear on Arizona's ballot in the fall. Read More... - Details released on family found dead in Oregon
Two little girls, not yet old enough for kindergarten, were shot to death. Their infant sister was found asphyxiated. Read More... - 'Five militants killed' by US drone in Pakistan
A US drone strike on a militant compound killed five insurgents in northwest Pakistan's lawless tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said. Read More... - Pakistan convicts doctor who helped find bin Laden
A doctor who helped the CIA hunt down Osama bin Laden has been convicted of conspiring against the state and sentenced to 33 years in prison, adding new strains to an already deeply troubled relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan. Read More...
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