Dubai plans new 'city', world's largest mall

DUBAI: Dubai, famed for its mega-projects before it was hit by the global financial crisis, on Saturday announced a new development to open the world's biggest mall and a park larger than London's Hyde Park.The ruler of the Gulf desert city state, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, announced the plan for a "new city within Dubai," according to an official statement, naming it after...

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Nitish promises road link to 1,000 rural clusters

PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar Saturday promised road link to around 1,000 rural clusters with at least 250 people and claimed 25 million citizens have gained from a law enacted for timely delivery of public services. "We have decided to launch a new scheme - Mukhyamantri Gram Sampark Yojna - to connect small habitations through roads," Nitish Kumar told reporters here, releasing his...

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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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'Dallas' Star Larry Hagman Dead at 81

Larry Hagman, who emerged in the 1960s as the slightly befuddled astronaut in "I Dream of Jeannie," then became a major star in the 1980s primetime soap "Dallas," playing evil oil baron J.R. Ewing, has died. He was 81.Hagman's cause of death was due to complications related to his battle with cancer according to his family.Linda Gray, who played Hagman's on-screen wife on "Dallas"...

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30% of S'pore firms consider data security a corporate priority: survey

SINGAPORE : Many organisations in Singapore lack business behaviours and compliance practices to address consumer and regulatory concerns about privacy and data security.According to a survey conducted by US-based research centre Ponemon Institute, only three out of 10 companies in Singapore consider privacy and protection of personal information a corporate priority.Seventy per cent of...

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Map row: India calls China's action 'unacceptable', hits back

NEW DELHI/BEIJING: India on Friday termed as "unacceptable" China depicting Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as its territory in maps of the country on their new e-passports, a step that led to retaliatory action by New Delhi. China sprung the surprise on India when it showed these territories as part of its own in the maps on their new e-passports. The Indian embassy in Beijing responded by issuing...

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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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Shoppers Descend on Black Friday Deals

Black Friday got off to its earliest start ever as many shoppers cleared the table of Thanksgiving dinner and headed straight to the malls and big-box retailers across the nation to snag goods at bargain prices.More than 10,000 people were wrapped around Macy's flagship store in New York City before the doors opened at midnight this morning. Across the country, up to 147 million...

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Lian Soon Construction leads Enterprise 50 Awards

SINGAPORE : Singapore's 50 most enterprising privately-owned companies for this year were honoured at the Enterprise 50 Awards on Thursday. Contractor Lian Soon Construction topped the awards list, while developer EL Development came in at second place, followed by components manufacturer Superworld Electronics.In its 18th year, the theme of this year's awards is "navigating through tough...

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Intellectuals bat for Taslima's return to Kolkata

KOLKATA: Demanding the return of exiled controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen to Kolkata, a section of intellectuals and rights activists have alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal was silent on the issue as it was "apprehensive of a backlash from Islamic fundamentalists". "Being an author, why can't Taslima have the independence to write? It's the readers who...

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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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Cease-Fire Holds Between Hamas and Israel

With a tenuous cease-fire in place and no rocket fire between Israel and Hamas for the first time in more than a week, Palestinians have begun to clean up rubble and damage inflicted by Israeli missiles.People in Gaza filled the streets Thursday morning, inspecting damage to homes and businesses. Overnight, gunfire erupted in the crowded streets of the Palestinian enclave to...

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S'pore named most business-friendly for seven consecutive years

SINGAPORE: Singapore has been named the most business-friendly economy for the seventh consecutive year.Meanwhile, the country was ranked fifth out of 185 economies surveyed where paying taxes is easy, according to a report by the World Bank, the International Financial Corporation (IFC) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).A medium-sized firm in Singapore is subject to an average total tax...

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Online petition urges Maharashtra DGP to drop charges against Palghar girls

NEW DELHI: An online campaign petitioning the director general of police, Maharashtra to drop the charges against the two Palghar girls, Shaheen Dhadha and Renu Srinivasan, has gathered more than 8,500 signatures at the time of writing, numbers steadily climbing. Started by a Kolkata-based 28-year-old Mukut Ray on Tuesday, the petition will be sent to the police commissioner of Thane, the chief minister...

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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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Bus Explodes in Tel Aviv Amid Truce Talks

A bomb exploded on an Israeli bus near the nation's military headquarters in Tel Aviv, wounding at least 10 people, Israeli officials said today.The bus exploded about noon local time Wednesday in one of the city's busiest areas, near the Tel Aviv museum. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said authorities were investigating whether the bomb had been planted and left on the bus...

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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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Renault recalls more than 6,000 Twizy electric cars

PARIS: French automaker Renault said on Tuesday it was recalling three quarters of its Twizy electric cars sold in Europe to rectify potential problems with brake fluid leaks.A Renault spokesman said 6,247 Twizy vehicles, made between January 27 and May 1 of this year, were affected by the recall.Most of the vehicles were sold in France and Germany, as well as in Switzerland."This is a...

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Facebook post on Bal Thackeray: Shiv Sena justifies police action against two girls

MUMBAi: Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut on Tuesday justified the police action against the two girls from Palghar for their Facebook post on Bal Thackeray's funeral. "Balasaheb's death has been a shock to the entire nation. Sainiks showed tremendous restrain in controlling their emotions," Raut said"The bandh was spontaneous and not forced by Sena. It was because of love and respect for Balasaheb....

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Cuba's Oil Quest to Continue, Despite Deepwater Disappointment

An unusual high-tech oil-drilling rig that's been at work off the coast of Cuba departed last week, headed for either Africa or Brazil. With it went the island nation's best hope, at least in the short term, for reaping a share of the energy treasure beneath the sea that separates it from its longtime ideological foe.For many Floridians, especially in the Cuban-American community, it was...

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Clinton Heading to Middle East to Meet With Leaders

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is headed to the Middle East with the hope that she can help bring an end to the escalating violence that has gripped the region for the last week.Clinton is scheduled to arrive in Jerusalem later tonight to meet with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes. Clinton will also meet with...

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Yoma to develop landmark project in Yangon

SINGAPORE : Singapore-listed Yoma Strategic Holdings plans to develop a landmark project in Yangon, Myanmar, costing up to US$350 million.The mixed-used development of residential, retail, hospitality and commercial property is located on 10 acres of land in the middle of Yangon's business district.The project will have a gross floor area of two million square feet.Yoma says in a statement...

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Yeddyurappa apologizes to LK Advani

DAVANAGERE: A day after BJP went offensive against him, former chief minister BS Yeddyrappa went a step backward by apologizing to BJP patriarch LK Advani.Yeddyurappa, who is all set to quit the party, apologized to Advani after participating 'kalasarohana' of Sri Ranganatha swamy temple at Kunkova village, Honnali taluk in Davanagere district on Monday.Yeddyurappa on Saturday made anti-Advani slogans...

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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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Friend Says Broadwell Regrets Damage of Affair

A family friend of Paula Broadwell, the author who carried on an affair with former CIA Director David Petraeus, tells ABC News that Broadwell "deeply regrets the damage that's been done to her family" from the dalliance.The person close to Broadwell also told ABC News Sunday night, that Broadwell is devastated by the fallout, which led to Petraeus' resignation from the CIA....

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Philippine authorities allow dolphin export to S'pore

SINGAPORE: The Philippines authorities have approved the export of 25 Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins to Resorts World Sentosa's Marine Life Park. Animal welfare groups in the Philippines had tried to block export of the dolphins in a court case, which they lost last month.A Marine Life Park spokesperson said the park is pleased to receive the permit and looks forward to welcoming the...

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Over lakh villagers form human chain for rights in TN

UDHAGAMANDALAM: About one lakh people from 20 villages in Gudalur assembly constituency formed a 100 km human chain seeking protection of their rights of trade and property coming under Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) area. Uniting under the banner of 'Gudalur Constituency People's Right to live and protection Committee,' the villagers, including tribals, women, students, children, members of...

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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...

Read More..