Sen. Ayotte offers GOP an influential new voice

The three Republican senators emerged grim-faced from a basement meeting room in the Capitol on Tuesday and took turns before a bank of televisions cameras, blasting away at the Obama administration for its handling of the deadly attack on an American outpost in Benghazi, Libya. The first two were prominent national security heavyweights, Arizona’s John McCain and Lindsey O. Graham of...

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29 bus drivers who will be repatriated will be paid: SMRT

SINGAPORE: Public transport operator SMRT said the 29 drivers who will be repatriated will be paid, before they leave the country. They will be given all salaries, all claims if any, and ex gratia bonuses on a pro-rated basis.In its statement on Saturday evening, SMRT said there are valuable lessons learnt from this incident which are being addressed by the management.SMRT said it needs...

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FDI in retail to safeguard international market mafias' interest: BJP

NEW DELHI: India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today said retail reform is a step taken by the Congress led-federal government to safeguard the interests of the international market mafias at the cost of national interest.BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Saturday that voting inside the parliament would decide as to who is in favour of national interest and who is working...

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Photos: Kilauea Lava Reaches the Sea

Into the Sea Photograph by Hugh Gentry, ReutersA spectacular natural phenomenon was on display early this week as lava from a vent in Hawaii's Kilauea volcano flowed into...

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Obama: Don't Hold Middle-Class Tax Cuts Hostage

Dec 1, 2012 6:00am AP Photo/Charles DharapakPresident Obama is urging Congress to extend tax breaks for the middle class, saying it’s “unacceptable for some Republicans in Congress to hold middle class tax cuts hostage simply because they refuse to let tax rates go up on the wealthiest Americans.”With the clock ticking toward the so-called “fiscal cliff,” Obama asked...

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WP says SMRT must address workers' grievances better

SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party said it is disappointed that it has taken a strike to bring to the forefront the bus drivers' grievances about their pay and living conditions.In a statement issued on Friday evening, the party said the strike signals a failure in the labour dispute settlement process within SMRT.It said while much attention this week has focused on the grievances of the bus...

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Narendra Modi has assets worth over Rs 1 crore

AHMEDABAD: The value of assets owned by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has crossed the Rs 1 crore mark in 2012, from Rs 40 lakh five years ago, as per his affidavit accompanying the nomination papers for Assembly elections.Modi filed the papers for Maninagar constituency here today.The value of the assets of the Gujarat CM stood at Rs 40 lakh in 2007. His assets at the time included a plot...

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Pictures: Inside the World's Most Powerful Laser

Photograph courtesy Damien Jemison, LLNLLooking like a portal to a science fiction movie, preamplifiers line a corridor at the U.S. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF).Preamplifiers work by increasing the energy of laser beams—up to ten billion times—before these beams reach the facility's target chamber.The project's lasers are tackling "one of physics' grand...

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2 Towns Hint at Powerball Winners

The $587 million question on the identity of the winners in the historic Powerball jackpot is still a mystery, but residents in Missouri and Maryland say they already know who the two lucky winners are.Employees and customers at Marlboro Village Exxon in Upper Marlboro, Md., said a tall, black, bald man held the winning ticket purchased in Arizona, according to ABC News affiliate...

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S R Nathan Fellowship set up for foreign dignitaries' training

SINGAPORE: Starting next year, a new high-level fellowship honouring former Singapore President S R Nathan will see foreign officials, such as cabinet ministers, parliamentarians and mayors, coming to Singapore on customised training visits that meet their interests and needs.The S R Nathan Fellowship will be part of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP), which provides technical assistance...

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CAG reports major shortcomings in defence procurements

NEW DELHI: India's official auditor Thursday reported major deficiencies in defence procurement process that could have implications for the nation's defence preparedness. The Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG) report on the air force and navy tabled in parliament points to several shortcomings, including "inordinate delay in procurement and integration of a Radar Warning Receiver system" by...

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Caterpillar Fungus Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties

In the Tibetan mountains, a fungus attaches itself to a moth larva burrowed in the soil. It infects and slowly consumes its host from within, taking over its brain and making the young caterpillar move to a position from which the fungus can grow and spore again. Sounds like something out of science fiction, right? But for ailing Chinese consumers and nomadic Tibetan harvesters, the parasite...

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Two Winners in Record Powerball Jackpot

Winning tickets for the record Powerball jackpot worth more than $587 million were purchased in Arizona and Missouri.Missouri Lottery official Susan Goedde confirmed to ABC News this morning that one of the winning tickets was purchased in the state, but they would not announce which town until later this morning.Arizona lottery officials said they had no information on that...

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Football: Scolari set to return as Brazil coach: reports

RIO DE JANEIRO: Felipe Scolari will be named for a second spell as coach of the Brazilian national side on Thursday, press reports said on Wednesday."The Brazil Football Federation has already chosen its new coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari will replace Mano Menezes," the GloboEsporte website said.An official announcement is expected on Thursday.Scolari, who previously coached Brazil to World...

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China, India should get over unfortunate past: Chinese expert

NEW DELHI: China and India should get over the "infortunate incidents" of the past relating to their festering border issue and open a new page in relations as soon as possible, Li Junru, a top Chinese expert, said here Wednesday. Li, addressing Indian media on China's once-in-a-decade leadership change, said talks on the border issue between the two countries had helped to bring in more understanding....

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Pictures: Falcon Massacre Uncovered in India

Photograph courtesy Conservation IndiaA young boy can sell bundles of fresh Amur falcons (pictured) for less than five dollars. Still, when multiplied by the thousands of falcons hunters can catch in a day, the practice can be a considerable financial boon to these groups.Since discovering the extent of Amur hunting in Nagaland this fall, Conservation India has taken the issue to the local Indian...

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Susan Rice Made Allies, Enemies Before Benghazi

United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, on Capitol Hill this week answering questions about her role after the U.S. consulate attack in Benghazi, has become yet another player in the divide between the left and right, with her possible nomination as the next Secretary of State hanging in the balance.But who was Susan Rice before she told ABC's "This Week" and other Sunday morning...

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Keeping the financial regulators on their toes

When members of Congress need factual information and insights into the effectiveness of the financial laws put in place after the 2008 economic crisis, they regularly turn to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Orice Williams Brown. Initially as director and now as managing director of the GAO’s financial markets and community investment section, Brown and her staff have issued...

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Global private equity firms eyeing Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE : More global private equity firms have been setting up offices in Southeast Asia, and the funds raised in the region are expected to grow at an annual rate of 30 per cent over the next three years. Private equity investors are also likely to cast the spotlight on Singapore, Indonesia and China. Things are heating up in Singapore's private equity space. Singapore-based venture...

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Tremors shake towns in Himachal Pradesh

SHIMLA: Tremors of a light intensity were felt in Himachal Pradesh Tuesday evening. No loss of life or damage to property has been reported. An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale was felt for some seconds around 5.45 pm in the state, including in Shimla and Solan districts, an official at the state meteorological office here said. He said the epicentre was in Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand....

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Space Pictures This Week: Space "Horse," Mars Rover, More

High Horse Photograph by Greg Parker, Your Shot The Horsehead Nebula rears its pretty head in a November 17 photograph submitted to National Geographic's Your Shot photo community.Taken...

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Record Powerball Jackpot to Grow Even Bigger

The jackpot for Wednesday's Powerball drawing now stands at $425 million -- the richest Powerball pot ever -- and it's likely to get even sweeter."Back in January, we moved Powerball from being a $1 game to $2," says Mary Neubauer, a spokeswoman for the Iowa lottery. "We thought at the time that this would mean bigger and faster-growing jackpots."It's proved true. The total,...

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Thailand lifts Internal Security Act in Bangkok

BANGKOK: The Thai government has lifted the Internal Security Act (ISA) invoked in some parts of the capital as the security situation returned to normalcy following an anti-government rally. Government spokesman Tosaporn Sereerak said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra signed the order on Monday. Initially, the ISA was invoked for nine days starting last Thursday in the Pranakorn, Dusit...

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Make workplace harassment laws gender neutral, demand NGOs

NAGPUR: Workplace harassment laws in the country favour women and differentiate against men. These laws should be made gender neutral, demanded a coalition of multinational NGOs. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2010 was passed by the Lok Sabha in September. NGOs like Save Indian Family Foundation, Men Seek Justice, All India Men's Welfare...

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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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President Obama Prepares for Cabinet Shuffle

Nov 26, 2012 6:45am Carolyn Kaster/AP PhotoAs President Obama prepares for his second term, preparations have begun for the traditional shuffling of the Cabinet.Top priority for the president: filling slots for those top officials heading — if not running — for the door: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner.To replace Clinton,...

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Climate skeptic group works to reverse renewable energy mandates

The Heartland Institute, a libertarian think tank skeptical of climate change science, has joined with the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council to write model legislation aimed at reversing state renewable energy mandates across the country. The Electricity Freedom Act, adopted by the council’s board of directors in October, would repeal state standards requiring utilities...

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Football: S'pore attains 3-0 victory against M'sia

SINGAPORE: Singapore kicked off the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup campaign with a match against traditional rivals Malaysia.The much-anticipated match saw Singapore winning 3-0 at the 100,000-capacity Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Singapore, the three-time winner, got off to a strong start against the co-host and defending champs.At the 31st minute, skipper Shahril Ishak...

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New Congress: Fewer Moderates Make Deals Harder

When the next Congress cranks up in January, there will be more women, many new faces and 11 fewer tea party-backed House Republicans from the class of 2010 who sought a second term.Overriding those changes, though, is a thinning of pragmatic, centrist veterans in both parties. Among those leaving are some of the Senate's most pragmatic lawmakers, nearly half the House's centrist...

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