20 Children Killed at Conn. Grade School, 7 Adults

Twenty childlren died today when a heavily armed man invaded a Newtown, Conn., elementary school, killing his mother and spraying the school with bullets.The gunman was killed inside of the school.Lt. Paul Vance said 18 children died in the school and two more died later in a hospital. Six adults were also slain, bringing the total to 26.In addition to the casualties at the...

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U.S., rebels urge gloomy Moscow to help oust Assad

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's rebel leadership and the United States seized on Russian pessimism over President Bashar al-Assad's future to urge Moscow to help push its ally into ceding power and end the battles closing in around his capital. "We want to commend the Russian government for finally waking up to the reality and acknowledging that the regime's days are numbered," the U.S. State...

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Oil prices advance on China data

NEW YORK: Oil prices rose Friday, lifted by upbeat Chinese manufacturing data and a weaker US dollar.New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for January delivery, rose 84 cents from Thursday to settle at US$86.73 a barrel.Brent North Sea crude for January leaped US$1.24 to close at US$109.15 a barrel in London trade."January Brent crude oil expires today, with late book...

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Direct cash transfer scheme will help deserving beneficiaries: Government

NEW DELHI: Union minister V Narayansamy on Friday said that the direct cash transfer scheme would ensure that central government schemes would reach deserving parties. Minister of state in the PMO Narayansamy said, "As a minister, when I visited some of the states, I found that whatever central government schemes are implemented in those states, it was not satisfactory. In fact, even in Parliament...

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APNewsBreak: Texas cancer probe draws NCI scrutiny

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The National Cancer Institute confirmed Friday that federal officials are taking a closer look at a troubled $3 billion cancer-fighting effort in Texas that is under a criminal investigation over a lucrative taxpayer-funded grant awarded by the state agency.The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has coveted status as an NCI-approved funding entity — an exclusive...

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Sandy Aid: Millions for Space Center, Forests

A man walks past destroyed homes on the Rockaway Peninsula in the Queens borough of New York, Nov. 27, 2012. A proposal in Congress would provide $60 billion in relief. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)The Obama administration’s $60-billion emergency aid package for victims of superstorm Sandy is now caught in the crossfire over the “fiscal cliff,” with some critics questioning why millions of dollars are...

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Russia says Syrian rebels might win

MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels are gaining ground and might win, Russia's Middle East envoy said on Thursday, in the starkest such admission from a major ally of President Bashar al-Assad in 20 months of conflict. "One must look the facts in the face," Russia's state-run RIA quoted Mikhail Bogdanov as saying. "Unfortunately, the victory of the Syrian opposition cannot be ruled...

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SHINee conclude their final concert of 2012 in S'pore, release new Jap single

SINGAPORE: Korean boy band SHINee have released a new Japanese single "1000 Years, Always by Your Side" on Wednesday, despite just concluding their final concert of the year last weekend in Singapore.While Singapore fans were not lucky enough to be able to hear their new single live at the SHINee World II concert at the Indoor Stadium, they did, however, got to see the quintet perform...

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CPM against FDI rollout till Walmart probe is over

NEW DELHI: The CPM on Thursday demanded the Congress-led UPA government operationalise its decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail after the enquiry into Walmart's lobbying is over. The government would also have to wait for Parliament to dispose of amendments to FEMA made by the Reserve Bank of India before it can go ahead with FDI in retail.The FEMA amendments that allow 51% FDI in multi-brand...

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Study: People worldwide living longer, but sicker

LONDON (AP) — Nearly everywhere around the world, people are living longer and fewer children are dying. But increasingly, people are grappling with the diseases and disabilities of modern life, according to the most expansive global look so far at life expectancy and the biggest health threats.The last comprehensive study was in 1990 and the top health problem then was the death of children under...

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