World
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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Moderate cleric carries hopes of reformists in Iran vote
A moderate cleric best known for his conciliatory nuclear talks with world powers has emerged as the sole beacon of hope for reformists in the campaign for Iran's presidential election tomorrow. Hassan Rohani is someone world powers might prefer to...
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Greeks strike over state TV closure as backlash grows
Greek workers are staging a nationwide strike today, forcing hospitals to work on emergency staff and disrupting transport, in protest against the "sudden death" of state broadcaster ERT, switched off in the middle of the night by the...
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Police clear Taksim Square; President urges dialogue
Turkey’s President called yesterday for dialogue with legitimate demonstrators after riot police cleared the Istanbul square at the centre of almost two weeks of protest against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. Abdullah Gul, who has taken a more...
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Greece state TV shutdown creates drama
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras faced a political revolt yesterday from his ruling coalition partners after the government abruptly switched the state broadcaster off the air in the middle of the night. Screens went black on state broadcaster...
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Letter in blood over planned abortion law
Ireland’s Prime Minister said he had been sent letters written in blood and been branded a murderer by opponents of his government’s plans to allow limited access to abortion, an issue that has polarised the country for decades. Enda Kenny’s...
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Royal Bank of Scotland boss to step down soon
Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester will step down later this year, after the bank’s board decided it wanted new leadership to oversee the sale of Britain’s majority stake in the bank, which could take years. Hester said yesterday he would...
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Travellers hit by French strike
Travellers yesterday faced further upheaval as flights were cancelled following continued strikes in France, with seven Manchester services grounded. Around 60 services destined for airports in towns such as Paris, Lyon and Nice were axed, while...
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US reviews security damage after disclosures
The Obama administration has launched an internal review of the potential damage to national security from leaks about US surveillance efforts, as a group of senators and technology companies are pushing the government to be more open about the...
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Syrian rebels kill Shi’ites in eastern town
Sunni Muslim insurgents have killed about 60 Shi’ite Muslims in a rebel-held eastern Syrian town where President Bashar al-Assad’s agents had been trying to recruit and arm fighters for his cause, according to opposition sources yesterday. The...
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Oldest man takes last breath
Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, who had been recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person, the oldest living man and the oldest man ever, died yesterday. He was 116. Kimura, who lived in Kyotango near Kyoto in western...
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GM-only diet harming pigs
Pigs fed a diet of only genetically modified grain showed markedly higher stomach inflammation than pigs who dined on conventional feed, according to a new study by a team of Australian scientists and US researchers. The study adds to an...
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Wheat harvest smaller due to extreme weather
This year’s wheat harvest is likely to be smaller than last year in the face of extreme weather, farmers have warned. The overall harvested area on farms polled by the British National Farmers’ Union is set to be almost 30 per cent lower than in...
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Flying bicycle
Journalists attend a presentation of a flying bicycle, carrying a dummy, at Letnany’s fair hall in Prague, yesterday. The flying bicycle, which was created by Czech designers, is kept aloft by six electrically-powered propellers.
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World briefs
Electronic cigarettes are to be classed as “medicines” under new proposals to tighten up the regulation of nicotine-containing products in Britain. Manufacturers are to face tough new tests before they can sell their e-cigarettes as “licensed...
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Tunisia jails three Europeans for topless feminist protest
A Tunisian court has sentenced three European feminist activists to four months in jail after they demonstrated topless in central Tunis last month against the Islamist-led government, one of their lawyers said. Marguerite Stern and Pauline Hillier...
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Facebook adds 'hashtag' feature, taking a page from Twitter
Facebook Inc, the world's No. 1 social network, is adopting the "hashtag," one of the most recognizable features of its younger rival Twitter, in a move to position its Web service as an important complement to television, sporting events and...
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Irish PM received letters in blood over proposed abortion law
Ireland's prime minister said he has been sent letters written in blood and branded a murderer by opponents of his government's plans to allow limited access to abortion, an issue that has polarised the country for decades. Enda Kenny's government...
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Britain to regulate e-cigarettes as medicine from 2016
Britain is to regulate electronic cigarettes as non-prescription medicine from 2016 in an attempt to improve quality, though the country's drugs watchdog said they would still be sold in convenience stores. Healthcare authorities around the world...
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Mandela 'responding to treatment'
Former South African President Nelson Mandela is "responding better to treatment" for a lung infection, President Jacob Zuma said today. Zuma told parliament that he was happy with the progress being made by the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader...
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Journalists work online as Greece shuts state broadcaster
Journalists fired from Greece's state TV and radio have refused to leave the broadcaster's headquarters, continuing internet programming as the country's conservative-led government faced political crisis a year after taking office. State TV and...
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