Ban Urges Countries to Press on Political Deal at Climate Summit
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New York: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging countries to seize the opportunity presented by next month´s climate change conference in Copenhagen to clinch a political agreement that will help chart the way forward on a new legally binding pact to combat global warming.
"Opportunity is knock...
At 11:15 p.m. Eastern Time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the historic passage of a health care bill revamping the health care system and bringing about the reforms promised by President Obama during the November 2008 election.
The vote was 220 to 215 with one Republican, Representative C...
$1 billion minimum required annually to reach children still at risk.
WASHINGTON, DC | GENEVA -- Reversing a downward trend, immunization rates are now at their highest ever and vaccine development worldwide is booming, according to a new assessment released today by the World Health Organizati...
Barely nine months into office, President Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize, substantially boosting his prestige and standing in the United States and internationally.
The Nobel Committee said the President won the award for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diploma...
More than 400 of the nation's most respected health care leaders issued a joint Open Letter to Congress declaring that the health care system is in crisis and is unsustainable and calling on Congress to act now on meaningful reforms. They state that Congress has a moral and ethical obligation to imp...
Speaking to a joint session of Congress last night, President Obama gave a clear, inspiring and unusually detailed explanation of our nation´s health care crisis and his plan to address it.
The President outlined the two key goals of health care reform: safety and security for those already insu...
Stay in school and take personal responsibility are two messages President Barack Obama delivered to U.S. school children.
Obama's speech to the nation's school children Tuesday encouraged them to do the best they can.
"(At) the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most...
The number of people hit by deadly floods across West Africa has now topped 600,000, and the heavy rains have also destroyed crops and infrastructure in a region already hard hit by poverty, the United Nations humanitarian arm reported today.
The rains that began in June have claimed nearly 160 l...
GENEVA -- Monitoring of outbreaks from different parts of the world provides sufficient information to make some tentative conclusions about how the influenza pandemic might evolve in the coming months.
WHO is advising countries in the northern hemisphere to prepare for a second wave of pandemic ...
A strong earthquake struck Indonesia Wednesday, killing at least 13 people, injuring 18 others and damaging several older buildings, witnesses said.
The earthquake, centered about 150 miles from Jakarta, initially was categorized at 7.4 magnitude before being downgraded to 7 by geological official...
By William M. Welch
LOS ANGELES -- Two firefighters died in a wildfire Sunday in the San Gabriel Mountains that threatened more than 10,000 homes and the century-old Mount Wilson Observatory.
Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief Mike Bryant said the two firefighters died in the Angeles Nationa...
Praise for the long political career of U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., began coming in early Wednesday as word of his death was reported.
The Kennedy family released a brief statement announcing the death and thanking those who cared for the senator in his last months.
"He loved this count...
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told assembled bankers and policymakers in Wyoming Friday to expect the U.S. economy to grow soon.
"Fears of financial collapse have receded substantially," Bernanke said at the Fed's annual retreat in Jackson Hole.
"After contracting sharply over the...
A tropical storm warning was issued Sunday for Florida and Alabama as a tropical depression organized off the Gulf Coast, meteorologists said.
The depression, on the brink of becoming Tropical Storm Claudette, was located about 125 miles south-southeast of Apalachicola and moving toward the Florid...
By Karen Jeffrey, Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.
HYANNIS -- Eunice Kennedy Shriver, 88, an internationally acclaimed advocate for people with physical and development disabilities, died early this morning at Cape Cod Hospital, according to a statement from the family.
Born into the privilege...
Former Democratic President achieves diplomatic coup.
By Matt Williams
Two American reporters were freed from North Korea's notorious labour camps after former President Bill Clinton flew in for talks. Clinton met Kim Jong-il yesterday during a surprise visit to the secretive Asian state.
...
Inspectors General fault Bush-Era surveillance tactics for questionable effectiveness and circumvention of legal safeguards.
Top federal investigators from the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, CIA, Directorate of National Intelligence, and the National Security Agency issued a detai...
AVE MARIAH FOR MICHAEL; STARS FLOCK TO MEMORIAL AS 17,000 FANS FIND OUT OF THEY'VE GOT A TICKET
By Keith McLeod
Mariah Carey will sing the Jackson Five's classic I'll Be There as Tinseltown pays tribute to the King of Pop today.
Maria, who had a hit with the haunting ballad in 1992, is o...
Protesters hit the streets of Tehran again Tuesday to express anger over election results they say were manipulated to keep Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power.
The government has begun cracking down harder on the demonstrations that have turned deadly, while reaction from world leaders remains subdued, ...
By Marie McCullough, The Philadelphia Inquirer
The tobacco-control movement celebrated another milestone yesterday as the U.S. Senate easily passed a bill giving the government unprecedented power over the making and marketing of tobacco products.
Supporters say the law will enable the Food ...
By PAUL KANE; JOBY WARRICK
FORMER US vice-president Dick Cheney personally oversaw at least four briefings with senior members of Congress about controversial interrogation programmes, part of a secretive and forceful defence he mounted throughout 2005 in an effort to maintain support for the hars...
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has nominated federal judge Sonia Sotomayor of New York for the U.S. Supreme Court positioning the longtime federal jurist to become the first Hispanic member of the nation's high court.
Sotomayor, a former federal prosecutor who first was appointed to the fed...
North Korea claimed Monday it had "successfully" conducted a nuclear test, its second since October 2006, to "bolster its nuclear deterrent for self-defense."
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported the testing comes in the wake of the Communist country's warning last month about its nuclear pla...
Poor weather conditions prevented the the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis from landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA said Friday.
The landing was rescheduled for Saturday.
Two landings were waved off at the center because weather conditions wouldn't permit a safe landing, the space agen...
Los Angeles - Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, sank six free throws in the final 30.5 seconds and came up with the game-sealing rebound in the final seconds, as the Lakers rallied to beat Denver, 105-103, in the opener of the Western Conference finals.
Bryant had 18 of his points in the fourth quarte...
By Tom Troy, The Blade, Toledo, Ohio
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame University gave a thunderous welcome during Sunday's graduation ceremony to President Obama and cheered him throughout the program despite stark differences on abortion that prompted protests on the Catholic campus.
Mr. Obama w...
Pope Benedict XVI, in Israel on his Middle East tour, called for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would lead to a homeland for both sides.
The pontiff said, "I plead with all those responsible to explore every possible avenue in the search for a just resolution of the outstandin...
By Bangor Daily News, Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. John Baldacci on Wednesday signed a gay marriage bill passed just hours before by the Maine Legislature.
Baldacci made his announcement within an hour of the Maine Senate giving its final approval to LD 1020. The Senate voted 21-13 in favor o...
Washington – During a debate on hate crimes legislation taking place last week in the well of the United States House of Representatives, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) claimed that Matthew Shepard's murder and torture were "a hoax."
While Matthew's mother, Judy Shepard looked on from above in the H...
By DENIS STAUNTON
US SUPREME court justice David Souter is set to retire this summer, offering President Barack Obama his first opportunity to shape the court after almost a decade of conservative government.
Mr Obama yesterday declined to comment on Mr Souter's decision, which had yet to be m...
By ADAM THOMSON
Governments and health authorities worldwide went on the alert over the weekend for a possible influenza pandemic as the death toll from a new strain of swine flu in Mexico reached 81.
Janet Napolitano, US homeland security secretary, yesterday declared a "public health emergen...
By Sandy Bauers and John Shiffman, The Philadelphia Inquirer
WASHINGTON -- In a landmark move that countered eight years of inaction by the Bush administration, the Environmental Protection Agency determined yesterday that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare because they contribu...
By Rachel Stassen-Berger, Pioneer Press
Democrat Al Franken won last year's U.S. Senate race, three judges decided Monday.
The decision comes after a tough and testy two-year campaign, a two-month statewide hand recount and a detailed seven-week trial.
In the cool spring evening Monday, F...
Pope Benedict XVI began the Easter Vigil late Saturday at St. Peter's in Rome, celebrating the mass that opens the holiest day of the Christian calendar.
The service began in darkness, the BBC reported. After Benedict lit a candle to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he was joined by thousand...
Vote to override Governor's veto makes Vermont first state to recognize marriage for lesbian and gay couples through legislative process. Vermont becomes the fourth state to recognize gay marriage.
Momentum in favor of same-sex marriages increases following similar victory for marriage equality ...
By Rod Boshart, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
In a precedent-setting ruling, the Iowa Supreme Court Friday upheld a lower court decision legalizing same-sex marriages in Iowa.
The unanimous landmark decision is expected to carry national implications as Iowa becomes the first Midwest state...
By Erica Werner, The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The House is poised to thrust tobacco companies under government control after years of attempts in legislatures and the courts to tame one of the country's signature industries.
"We cannot and we must not wait a moment longer to protect our...
By Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press
BONN, Germany - From an Antarctic research base to the Great Pyramids of Egypt and beyond, the world switched off the lights Saturday for Earth Hour, dimming skyscrapers, city streets and some of the world's most recognizable monuments for 60 minutes to high...
By Ben Feller, Associated Press
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- President Barack Obama consigned the Iraq war to history Friday, declaring he will end combat operations within 18 months and open a new era of diplomacy in the Middle East.
"Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our comb...
Chinese President Hu Jintao met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Beijing Saturday amid calls for closer ties between the nations, officials said.
Hu and Clinton said the need to deepen and develop ties between China and the United States is becoming ever more important, Xinhua, the ...
Top Headlines
NEW YORK - Albert Pujols is the unanimous winner of the National League MVP award, becoming the first player to repeat since Barry Bonds won four in a row from 2001-04.
The already strong U.S.-India ties will be strengthened by commitments made Tuesday between the countries' leaders, U.S. President Barack Obama said.
A U.S. census worker found dead in Kentucky tried to fake a homicide while actually taking his own life, investigators said Tuesday.
Titans 20 Texans 17 HOUSTON (AP) - Rob Bironas kicked a 53- yard field goal with less than a minute remaining and the Titans beat the Texans 20-17 for their fourth straight victory after an 0- 6 start.
U.S. President Barack Obama said he believes the American people will be supportive of his decision on U.S. strategy and troop presence in Afghanistan.
DETROIT _ General Motors Co.'s efforts to sell its Saab subsidiary have run afoul, with the buyer terminating the deal, the automaker announced Tuesday.
Nov. 24--Gov. Mark Sanford has a second layer of legal protection -- at taxpayers' expense.
General Motors Co. said Tuesday a Swedish buyer lined up to purchase Saab Automobiles had backed out of the deal.
A man presumed to have been in a coma for 23 years has spoken of his "second birth" after doctors realised that he had been fully conscious all along but unable to communicate.
Hindus went to Bariyapur, Nepal, to attend a festival featuring what is believed to be the world's largest animal sacrifice, attending priests said.
Search teams removed two dozen bodies from shallow graves Tuesday in the Philippines, bringing a pre-election massacre's death toll to 46, officials said.
Nov. 24--ABC said Monday more than 1,500 people called to complain about Adam Lambert's sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards.
U.S. President Obama is done gathering data on troop options in Afghanistan and likely will reveal his decision next week, the White House said Tuesday.
WASHINGTON - The head of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has conceded that the agency has not been "acting as quickly as it should" on crib safety problems.
Two men were executed in China Tuesday in the country's tainted milk scandal, which sickened 300,000 infants, killing six.
Business
SAMEX (TSX VENTURE: SXG)(OTCBB: SMXMF) is pleased to report that it has received proceeds of $1,178,000 from the exercise of share purchase warrants.
Adroit Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ADT)(FRANKFURT: A7V)(BERLIN: A7V) is pleased to announce that it has completed the private placement which was announced on June 24th, 2009 and November 13th, 2009, selling 5,563,067 units at the price of $0.06 per unit to raise gross proceeds of $333,784.
Eric Gold joins Sterne Agee's Fixed-Income Credit Research team and will follow the Telecommunications, Media and Cable sectors.
ALIX RESOURCES CORP. ("Alix" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: AIX)(FRANKFURT: 37N) is pleased to provide the following corporate update with regards to its various projects.
Tanzanian Royalty is pleased to announce a $3.14 million private placement comprising 1,155,835 shares through two European investment funds.
Private equity firm Global Environment Fund (GEF) announces the completion of an investment of $46.3 million in Greenko PLC, which is based in Hyderabad, India.
Altai Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ATI) (US Sec. Rule 12g3-2(b) File # 82-2950) ("Altai" and the "Company") reports that the option granted to C2C Gold Corporation Inc. ("C2C") on its Malartic Township gold property has been terminated by Altai and Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. ("Globex") due to C2C's non fulfillment of the terms of the option agreement.
The assets include intellectual property, technical competence, sales and distribution of renewable power generation products for solar, wind, and hybrid energy projects for both residential and commercial purposes in Europe.
MAYA GOLD & SILVER (TSX VENTURE: MYA) is pleased to announce the Company's first drilling results on its Amizmiz gold and silver project in Morocco.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the private placement for increasing the Company's tellurium production and general corporate purposes.
Nov. 24--JohnsonDiversey Inc. and New York private equity fund Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLC have completed a debt financing and recapitalization program that is giving the fund a 46% stake in the firm.
VMS Ventures Inc. (TSX VENTURE: VMS) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that Rare Element Resources (TSX VENTURE: RES) ("Rare Element") has now signed the definitive agreement with VMS to acquire the Eden Lake REE project in Manitoba, Canada.
Dubai-based buyout firm Abraaj Capital has announced that it has agreed to buy Jordanian venture-capital firm Riyada Ventures.
ARLINGTON, Va. and LONDON, Nov. 24, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FBR Capital Markets Corporation (Nasdaq:FBCM) (FBR Capital Markets), a leading investment bank serving the middle market, today announced the expansion of the firm's European Institutional Brokerage, a unit of its London-based subsidiary, Friedman, Billings, Ramsey International, Ltd. (FBRIL).
ExactTarget, a provider of on-demand e-mail and one-to-one marketing solutions, has appointed David Yuan, a principal at Technology Crossover Ventures, to its board of directors following an investment in the company by the US-based venture fund.
Tres-Or Resources Ltd. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: TRS) is pleased to report that fabrication is complete on the gold recovery plant built for its operations in Ghana, West Africa.
CASTLE GOLD CORPORATION ("Castle Gold" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: CSG) is pleased to announce that it has mailed to shareholders its directors' circular in response to Argonaut Gold Inc.'s proposed all cash acquisition of all of the shares of Castle Gold previously announced on October 28th, 2009 (the "Offer").
Sports
New York, NY (Sports Network) - For the second straight year and the third time in the last five seasons, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols has been named the National League's Most Valuable Player, as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Ed Simmons of Buxton was named MVP of the Roy Hobbs World Series, an adult men's baseball tournament in Fort Myers, Fla. Simmons played for the Maine Boston Braves and hit .536 with 15 hits, six doubles, seven runs, nine RBI and an on-base percentage of .580 in the weeklong tournament.
Each year brought more recognition to Curtis Strange.
NEW YORK - Albert Pujols was unanimously voted National League MVP on Tuesday, becoming the first player to repeat since Barry Bonds won four in a row from 2001-04.
Nov. 23--"IF you build it, they will come."
FOXBORO - Leigh Bodden seems to think the Patriots defense doesn't get enough respect.
Nov. 24--SEATTLE -- The last stray flakes of glittering confetti were still fluttering down toward the field when Real Salt Lake president Bill Manning started up the tunnel toward the locker room, a terrific smile stuck to his face.
KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic - Canada's women's basketball team will face Australia, China and Belarus in the opening round of next year's FIBA world championships.
Nov. 24--The North County Wildcats players might be a bit young to hitch-hike.
Nov. 24--CEDAR FALLS -- An 18-0 Missouri Valley Conference volleyball regular season is in the books.
Nov. 24--Steve Mesler can't help thinking what he plans to do if his dreams, his fantasies, turn into gold in February.
Nov. 24--The Beddingfield girls and boys basketball teams will certainly have their options this seasons.
Head coach Mark Farley doesn't plan to stay on that clock very long.
Arsene Wenger has told his Arsenal stars to forget about the World Cup and concentrate on driving the Gunners to success both in the Barclays Premier League and Europe.
Nov. 24--Few, if any, expected the Sooners to enter Saturday's Bedlam football game with five losses.
Nov. 24--Even if only one of them (Mehmet Okur) ever has attended a game, even if nobody admitted watching more than a few minutes of the action Sunday, the Jazz nevertheless expressed admiration Monday at Real Salt Lake's MLS Cup championship.
Nov. 24--What started out as a few fellows kicking a ball around has blossomed into a nicely run league of fun and competitive action.