Al Gore stands to gain about $70 million after selling Current TV to al-Jazeera

Al Gore, who shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his fight against global warming, may gross about $70 million from the sale of his Current TV network to al-Jazeera, the cable channel funded in part by oil-rich Qatar. Al-Jazeera will pay about $500 million for Current TV, including the stake held by Gore, 64, according to two people with knowledge of the deal. The network is one...

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Tennis: Williams races to Brisbane title win

BRISBANE, Australia: American superstar Serena Williams demolished Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-1 in just 50 minutes to win the Brisbane International on Saturday.Third-seeded Williams served notice that she will be the one to beat at this month's Australian Open with a ruthless display against Pavlyuchenkova, the world number 36.She took control at 2-2 in the first set when...

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Centre waives off bill for ITBP deployment to guard Kasab

MUMBAI: Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said the Centre had decided not to recover from Maharashtra government Rs 21 crore on account of deployment of Indo-Tibetan Border Police at Arthur Road Central Jail here to guard 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab. Kasab was lodged in Arthur Road jail, where the trial of 26/11 case also took place, for four years, before he was shifted to Pune's...

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Best Pictures: 2012 Nat Geo Photo Contest Winners

Winner: PlacesPhotograph by Nenad SaljicA full moon illuminates the Matterhorn peak near Zermatt, Switzerland, in the winning image...

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Quadruple Amputee Gets Two New Hands on Life

It's the simplest thing, the grasp of one hand in another. But Lindsay Ess will never see it that way, because her hands once belonged to someone else.Growing up in Texas and Virginia, Lindsay, 29, was always one of the pretty girls. She went to college, did some modeling and started building a career in fashion, with an eye on producing fashion shows.Then she lost her hands...

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German minister says "never again" to nuclear power

BERLIN: German Environment Minister Peter Altmaier said on Friday his country would never again return to nuclear energy, hitting back at a top EU official who doubted Berlin's commitment to phase out nuclear power."I cannot see any plausible political line-up that would enable a revival of nuclear power in Germany," Altmaier told Friday's edition of the Leipziger Volkszeitung regional...

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Former Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad cancels visit to India

NEW DELHI: Pakistan cricketer Javed Miandad on Friday has cancelled his tour of India. The news of Miandad being granted a visa by the authorities has generated a lot of controversy in India with a number of politicians questioning the decision as Miandad's family has ties with Dawood Ibrahim, India's most wanted terrorist. There had been reports before a series in 2005 that any requests for a...

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Pictures We Love: Best of 2012

Photograph by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/APPowder-splattered, and powder-splattering, runners cross the finish line of The Color Run 5K in Irvine, California, on April 22. Each kilometer (0.6 mile) of the event features a color-pelting station dedicated to a single hue, culminating in the Pollock-esque riot at kilometer 5.The "magical color dust" is completely safe, organizers say, though...

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Ex-USC Player: Painkiller Injections Caused Heart Attack

Despite stated label risks of possible fatal heart attack, stroke or organ failure, college football players across the country are still being given injections of a powerful painkiller on game days so they can play while injured, an ABC News investigation has found.The drug, a generic version of Toradol, is recommended for the short-term treatment of post-operative pain in...

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Federal agencies bracing for cuts after ‘fiscal cliff’ deal

The fiscal pact Congress reached hours into the new year will delay $109 billion in automatic across-the-board spending cuts for two months. But it will make a down payment on those reductions that will affect federal operations this year and next. The eleventh-hour agreement to avoid a “fiscal cliff” of higher taxes put off the major cuts known as a sequester until March 1,...

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Marine Life Park dolphins released from quarantine

SINGAPORE: The dolphins at Resorts World Sentosa's Marine Life Park have been released from quarantine and is expected to meet the public soon.The park said the 24 dolphins have received the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore's (AVA) approval for their release.It added the mammals have adjusted well to their new home through the care of its staff and veterinary professionals.The...

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Obese people at 29% higher risk of premature death

NEW DELHI: People who are obese have a 29% increased risk of premature death.This could come as a wake-up call for 8 million women and 4.4 million men in India who are obese (body mass index of 30 kg/m2).One of the largest analyses done - 100 studies that included 3 million adults - has found that obesity was associated with a significantly higher all-cause risk of death.In this meta-analysis that...

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Pictures: Errant Shell Oil Rig Runs Aground Off Alaska, Prompts Massive Response

Photograph courtesy Jonathan Klingenberg, U.S. Coast GuardWaves lash at the sides of the Shell* drilling rig Kulluk, which ran aground off the rocky southern coast of Alaska on New Year's Eve in a violent storm.The rig, seen above Tuesday afternoon, was "stable," with no signs of spilled oil products, authorities said. But continued high winds and savage seas hampered efforts to secure the vessel...

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Obama Signs 'Fiscal Cliff' Bill With Autopen

Jan 3, 2013 12:53am Charles Dharapak/AP PhotoHONOLULU, Hawaii — President Obama has signed the “fiscal cliff” legislation into law via autopen from Hawaii, where he is vacationing with his family.The bill to avert the “fiscal cliff” arrived at the White House late this afternoon and it was immediately processed, according to a senior White House official. A copy was...

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Eurozone manufacturing shrinks in December

BRUSSELS: Eurozone manufacturing activity contracted for a 17th month running in December, a key survey of business managers showed on Wednesday.The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector, a leading indicator compiled by the Markit research firm, came in at 46.1 points in November, down from an earlier estimate of 46.3 points and down from November's 46.2 points.Any...

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Rape accused should not be fielded in elections: Mayawati

LUCKNOW: BSP supremo Mayawati today said that her party agrees with the view that those accused of rape should not be fielded by political parties in elections. "BSP agrees with the view 101% that rape accused should not be fielded as candidates in the elections and not be given importance," Mayawati told newpersons. The former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh also approved of Union minister Shashi...

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Space Pictures This Week: Ice “Broccoli,” Solar Storm

Happy TrailsPhotograph by Alex Cherney, TWANAmateur astronomer Alex Cherney captured these star trails as they blazed above Lake Tyrrell, a salt lake in Victoria, Australia in...

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Obama Hails 'Cliff' Deal, Warns of Next Fiscal Fight

Minutes after the House of Representatives approved a bipartisan Senate deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" and preserve Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans making less than $400,000 per year, President Obama praised party leaders and wasted little time turning to the next fiscal fight."This is one step in the broader effort to strengthen our economy for everybody," Obama said.Obama...

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Helping VA rehabilitate those with multiple wounds of war

Micaela Cornis-Pop oversees more than 110 rehabilitation facilities around the country, helping the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stay at the forefront of developments in treating traumatic brain injury and other medical injuries and issues facing injured veterans and military service members. With the increase in battlefield survival rates of military personnel serving in Iraq and...

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BCA to source for workers from Sri Lanka, Philippines

SINGAPORE: Sri Lanka and the Philippines have been identified as new source countries for construction workers.The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) told MediaCorp that two test centres will be set up in Sri Lanka.Approval is also being sought from the Philippine authorities to establish test centres there.The BCA hopes to bring in skilled construction workers from Sri Lanka and...

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Sushilkumar Shinde asks parties to give views on reviewing rape laws

NEW DELHI: The government has asked political parties to give their views on reviewing rape laws to Justice J S Verma Committee, set up to suggest amendments in the statute to provide speedier justice and enhanced punishment in cases of aggravated sexual assault against women. In letters to leaders of all national and state political parties, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said in the light of...

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Space Pictures This Week: Ice “Broccoli,” Solar Storm

Happy TrailsPhotograph by Alex Cherney, TWANAmateur astronomer Alex Cherney captured these star trails as they blazed above Lake Tyrrell, a salt lake in Victoria, Australia in...

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Senate Approves 'Fiscal Cliff' Deal, Sends to House

Two hours after a midnight deadline for action, the Senate passed legislation early New Year's Day to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff" with an overwhelming vote of 89-8.Senate passage set the stage for a final showdown in the House, where a vote could come as early as today."While neither Democrats nor Republicans got everything they wanted, this agreement is the right thing...

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Senate negotiators yet to reach ‘fiscal cliff’ deal as clock winds down

Vice President Joseph Biden and Sen. Mitch McConnell were locked in urgent talks late Sunday over the “fiscal cliff” after Democrats offered several significant concessions on taxes, including a proposal to raise rates only on earnings over $450,000 a year. With a New Year’s Eve deadline hours away, Democrats abandoned their earlier demand to raise tax rates on household income over $250,000...

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Singapore rigbuilders set for strong 2013: analysts

SINGAPORE : Singapore rigbuilders Keppel Offshore & Marine (O&M) and Sembcorp Marine have secured a slew of contracts this year.Analysts have said the two companies could see another strong set of orders in 2013, driven by robust demand for ultra-deepwater rigs.Keppel O&M booked about US$8 billion worth of contracts this year - its second highest on record.This follows a record...

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