World
"Sopranos" star James Gandolfini dead at 51
James Gandolfini, the burly actor best known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of a conflicted New Jersey mob boss in the acclaimed HBO cable television series "The Sopranos," has died while vacationing in Rome, Italy, the network said. Gandolfini, 51, who began his career in live theater in New York, died of a possible heart attack, HBO spokeswoman Mara...
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Amnesty: Libya holding migrants indefinitely in deplorable conditions
The Libyan authorities must act immediately to end the indefinite detention of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants, including children, solely for immigration purposes, Amnesty International said in a new briefing published today,World Refugee...
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Obama defends spying programme in Berlin
President Barack Obama defended US anti-terrorism tactics on a visit to Berlin yesterday, telling wary Germans Washington was not spying on the e-mails of ordinary citizens and promising to step up efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. On the...
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Dolce & Gabbana are convicted of tax evasion
Fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were handed a 20-month suspended prison sentence and a heavy fine yesterday for hiding hundreds of millions of euros from the Italian tax authorities. The design duo, who are nearly as famous as...
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Nuclear arms cuts will not come easy – Putin
Russia voiced concern yesterday about US missile defences and high-precision conventional weapons, signalling that nuclear arms cuts proposed by President Barack Obama are likely to faceformidable obstacles. In a speech in Berlin, Obama said he...
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Syrian rebels attack northern highway
Rebels attacked a main highway in northern Syria yesterday, opposition groups said, to try to choke off a major supply line for President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the region. Assad’s troops, backed by battle-hardened Lebanese Hizbollah fighters...
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Bombs destroy police station in Benghazi
Bombs flattened a police station in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi yesterday but there were no casualties as the building had been emptied for repairs following previous attacks, security officials said. The al-Hadaiq station in downtown...
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Floods close Lourdes site
Floods in southwest France have forced the closure of the Catholic pilgrimage site in Lourdes and the evacuation of visitors from nearby hotels. Water swirled up to five feet deep in the grotto where nearly six million believers from around the...
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Peres turning 90
Hollywood superstars have joined Israeli and global leaders and local celebrities to honour President Shimon Peres for his upcoming 90th birthday, reflecting world respect for one of the country’s peace pioneers. Peres is hosting his annual...
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Ascot backs royal purple in glorious sunshine
Royal Ascot was bathed in brilliant summer sunshine yesterday as the Queen arrived for another day of premier racing at the world-famous event. She processed along the course in a carriage with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who also...
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Knox acquittal ‘full of mistakes’
The acquittal of accused murderer Amanda Knox was full of “deficiencies, contradictions and illogical” conclusions, Italy’s high court has ruled, ordering a fresh look at all the evidence to determine whether she did kill her flatmate Meredith...
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Nasa to take backyard astronomers on board
Nasa called on backyard astronomers and other citizen-scientists to help track asteroids that could create havoc on Earth. The US space agency has already identified 95 per cent of the potentially planet-killing NEOs – near Earth objects – with a...
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World briefs
A cow that managed to climb on to the roof of a garage before falling through was rescued by firefighters – after spending 24 hours in a car inspection pit. The fire service was called late on Tuesday by a farmer who had discovered one of his...
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Pope John Paul II closer to sainthood
Pope John Paul II has moved a step closer to sainthood. A Vatican commission of theologians approved a second miracle attributed to his intercession, clearing a key hurdle. The case now goes to a commission of cardinals and then Pope Francis. John...
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Britain fails to get EU backing for Hezbollah blacklisting
A British drive to put Hezbollah's armed wing on the EU's terror list again ran into resistance today from governments concerned it would fuel instability in the Middle East, diplomats said. Britain's request was discussed for a second time by a...
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Ryanair says it could move into trans-Atlantic flights
Ryanair, Europe's biggest budget airline, could start selling low-cost trans-Atlantic flights if it secures enough twin-aisle aircraft and gains access to cities in both Europe and the United States, its chief executive said today. "This will be a...
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China executes official for child rapes after online uproar
Authorities in central China have executed a former Communist Party official for raping 11 underage girls following an online uproar about the latest case of abuse of power. Li Xingong, who was the party's deputy head in Yongcheng city in Henan...
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Taliban say they will talk with the US...and kill four Americans
The Taliban claimed responsibility today for an attack in Afghanistan that killed four American troops just hours after it announced it would hold talks with the US. The attack underscores the challenges in trying to end the violence in Afghanistan...
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Thousands evacuated after Russian ammo dump blast
Thousands of people have been evacuated after explosions at an army ammunition store in south-west Russia. Russia's Emergency Ministry said there were initially four explosions at the base in Chapayevsk late yesterday. It said the explosions were...
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US to meet Taliban to seek Afghan peace
The US will meet the Taliban in Doha in the coming days for talks aimed at achieving peace in Afghanistan, where the US has battled the insurgents for 12 years, US officials said yesterday. The Taliban said it wanted a political solution that would...
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Hungarian man, 98, charged with WW2 crimes
Hungarian prosecutors yesterday charged a 98-year-old man who tops the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s wanted list with war crimes, saying he had helped to deport Jews to Auschwitz in World War II. Laszlo Csatary was found guilty in absentia...
Popular Stories
Ryanair says it could move into...
China designs world's fastest supercomputer
"Sopranos" star James Gandolfini dead at 51
China executes official for child rapes...
Thousands evacuated after Russian ammo...
Taliban say they will talk with the...
Silent standing protest catches on
Pope John Paul II closer to sainthood
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In Discussion
China designs world's fastest supercomputer
Ryanair says it could move into...
Amnesty: Libya holding migrants...
Thousands evacuated after Russian ammo...
China executes official for child rapes...
"Sopranos" star James Gandolfini dead at 51
Bombs destroy police station in Benghazi
Taliban say they will talk with the...
Pope John Paul II closer to sainthood
