John Kerry, a ‘recovering politician’

Secretary of State John Kerry in Charlottesville on Feb. 20. (Steve Helber - AP) Back when he was running for president in 2003 and 2004, then- Sen. John Kerry was giving speeches ripping into President George W. Bush for spending money overseas and allowing “a preparedness gap” in terms of the fight against terrorism.“We should not be opening firehouses in Baghdad,” he told...

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ECB says banks to repay US$80.5b in ultra-cheap loans

FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank said on Friday that 356 eurozone banks will repay early 61.1 billion euros ($80.5 billion) of a second batch of ultra-cheap three-year loans made available to them a year ago in emergency liquidity measures.Under the ECB's special long-term refinancing operations or LTROs, which it launched to avert a looming credit crunch in the single currency area,...

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Two gets life term in Saccha Khera gangrape and suicide case

ROTHAK: Five months after the rape and suicide case of a minor girl in Saccha Khera village of Jind district evoked outrage across the state and the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also visited the family to assure speedy justice, a Jind district court sentenced the two accused to life imprisonment on Friday. The trial against fifth accused, who is a minor, is pending in a juvenile court while two other...

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Oldest Known Wild Bird Hatches Chick at 62

Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird, has yet another feather in her cap—a new chick.The Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis)—62 years old at least—recently hatched a healthy baby in the U.S. Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, her sixth in a row and possibly the 35th of her lifetime, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) North American Bird Banding Program. (Related:...

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Oscar Pistorius Sobs as Bail Ruling Is Expected

The fourth and likely final day of the bail hearing for Oscar Pistorius, the Olympian accused of murdering his girlfriend Feb. 14, opened with arguments from the prosecution that the runner's version of events is improbable and the defense countering that Pistorius had no intent to kill the woman.Pistorius, who gained global acclaim for racing at the 2012 London Olympics, shot...

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Group releases list of 90 medical ‘don’ts’

Don’t use feeding tubes in patients with advanced dementia. Don’t use drugs to aggressively treat diabetes in those older than 65. Don’t automati­cally use imaging technology for minor head injuries in children and headaches in adults. And don’t give antacids to babies with reflux. Those are among the 90 medical “don’ts” on a list being released Thursday by a coalition of doctor and consumer...

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Chingay Parade expected to draw 150,000 spectators

SINGAPORE: Organisers of this year's Chingay Parade are expecting a crowd of 150,000 people to turn up for the event.After 15 months of preparation, performers are finally ready for the stage.Rehearsals for the parade started on Thursday, and the parade will start at 8pm on Friday and on Saturday.The Chingay Parade will kick off with an opening act - a giant centipede made up of 60 performers...

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Rahul talks of 'aligning' talent as he prepares for 2014 polls

NEW DELHI: Amid talk of possible changes in Congress in the run up to LokSabha polls next year, Rahul Gandhi today said there was "tremendous talent" which needed to be aligned and he was "very excited" about the exercise. "As I am speaking to all the people in the Congress party, I am finding a tremendous talent there. And it is just a question of aligning it and getting on with it," he told reporters...

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NASA's Mars Rover Makes Successful First Drill

For the first time ever, people have drilled into a rock on Mars, collecting the powdered remains from the hole for analysis.Images sent back from NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Wednesday confirmed that the precious sample is being held by the rover's scoop, and will soon be delivered to two miniature chemical labs to undergo an unprecedented analysis. (Related: "Mars Rover Curiosity...

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Lead Pistorius Cop Facing Attempted Murder Charge

Hilton Botha, the detective at the center of the Oscar Pistorius murder case, is facing his own attempted murder charges in connection with a 2011 shooting in which he and other police officers allegedly fired a gun at passengers in a vehicle.Botha is scheduled to appear in court in May on seven counts of attempted murder in connection to the October 2011 incident in which he...

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