Military helicopters pound Aleppo as onslaught looms
AZAZ, Syria, July 28 (Reuters) Military helicopters pounded a rebel-held district of Aleppo on Saturday and armoured units positioned themselves for an onslaught that could determine the fate of Syria’s biggest city, opposition sources said. Turkey, once a friend but now a fierce critic of the Syrian government, joined growing diplomatic pressure on President Bashar [...]
A salute to NHS and bumbling Mr. Bean brings down the house
A celebration of the National Health Service – featuring more than 600 real NHS staff and patients – was one of the Olympic opening ceremony’s centrepieces. Director Danny Boyle had said he wanted to celebrate the NHS as a proud British establishment as part of the show. During the set, happy pyjama-clad patients – played by [...]
UN arms talks end without deal
UNITED NATIONS, July 28 (AFP) UN negotiations to draft the first international treaty on the multi-billion-dollar arms trade have ended without a deal, with some diplomats blaming the United States for the deadlock. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Friday he was “disappointed” that member states failed to clinch an agreement after several years of preparatory [...]
Tiwari is a dad at 87: DNA test finally settles paternity suit against veteran Congress leader
After a protracted legal battle, 32-year-old Rohit Shekhar stands vindicated. A DNA test has confirmed that 87-year-old veteran Congress leader N.D. Tiwari is his biological father. ‘I am not the illegitimate son, he is my illegitimate father. His legal troubles have just begun,’ Shekhar, who had filed a paternity suit in 2008, said. He also [...]
Chefs reveal eating secrets of world leaders
PARIS, (AFP) – Barack Obama can’t stand beetroot, artichokes are off the menu at France’s presidential palace and Vladimir Putin does not take any chances with dishes that emerge from the Kremlin kitchens. Those were just a few of the culinary tidbits to emerge from the latest reunion of the select club of chefs who ply [...]
North Korea leader’s wife can teach him about the enemy
SEOUL, (Reuters) When North Korea’s new leader needs to know something about his arch enemy, he can ask his wife. In contrast to the family dynasty of dictators she has married into, Ri Sol-ju has actually been to South Korea. North Korean television on Wednesday put to rest weeks of speculation by announcing that the [...]
The city which has one tap for 100,000 people
It is a ticking timebomb hidden on the chaotic streets of New Delhi. Despite India’s booming economy, millions of people are still battling for access to clean water. The situation is so desperate that many people in this teeming neighbourhood are falling sick. Others have set up illegal taps in a bid to cash in. [...]
Evita’s life and legacy
Eva Peron, the flamboyant Argentine First Lady, died 60 years ago. But her influence lives on as an inspiration to some and as a celebrity icon. It is a divisive legacy. Many families in Argentina have a tale to tell about Evita, a young woman from a poor family who rose to prominence as the second [...]
0 to 007mph: Aston Martin create £25,000 super bicycle
It takes seven people two weeks to make and costs £25,000 to buy.And the high-tech gadgetry on Aston Martin’s new road bike could just be enough to tempt James Bond onto two wheels.Dubbed the ‘world’s most technologically advanced’ bike, the elegant One-77 was based on the firm’s £1 million namesake supercar and was launched earlier [...]
The door to hell
At first glance, it could be a dramatic scene from a science-fiction movie.But this giant hole of fire in the heart of the Karakum Desert is not the aftermath of an attack on Earth, launched from outer space.It is a crater made by geologists more than 40 years ago, and the flames within have been [...]
Lab-engineered jellyfish may mend a broken heart
(AFP) Using cells from rat hearts and a seer polymer film, scientists reported they had created an artificial jellyfish that could one day help save patients with heart disease. The exploit marks an advance in so-called biomimicry, in which a natural wonder inspires copycat innovation in the lab. The interest in the jellyfish lies in [...]
Just two apples a day could cut the risk of heart disease
Just two apples a day could help protect women against heart disease by cutting their cholesterol levels, according to new research.Scientists found apples significantly lowered blood fat levels in postmenopausal women, the group most at risk of heart attacks and strokes. Snacking on the fruit every day for six months slashed cholesterol by almost a [...]
The House of Nehru-Gandhi: Queen Sonia and Prince Rahul
A hereditary monarch provides the comfort of continuity against a backdrop of rapid economic and social change. The best ones also take over the brunt of ceremonial duties at both home and abroad, allowing the executive to focus on governance. And since they don’t have to worry overly about faddish public opinion, monarchs are often [...]
Calming the South China Sea
CANBERRA – The South China Sea – long regarded, together with the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula, as one of East Asia’s three major flashpoints – is making waves again. China’s announcement of a troop deployment to the Paracel Islands follows a month in which competing territorial claimants heightened their rhetoric, China’s naval presence [...]
