United States
Pro-fracking filmmaker accuses IMF of censorship
Mar 21, 2013 14:36 EDT
The maker of a documentary in support of oil and gas fracking accused the International Monetary Fund Thursday of censorship after it declined to show a key clip from his film at a conference.
Report urges US spies to shift away from Qaeda focus
Mar 21, 2013 14:30 EDT
A panel of advisors has warned the White House that US spy agencies are too focused on targeting Al-Qaeda militants and need to devote more attention to other threats, a US official said Thursday.
French Jewish students take legal action against Twitter
Mar 21, 2013 14:27 EDT
A Jewish student group has announced it was taking further legal action against Twitter over the global networking site's failure to respond to a French court order to hand over data to help identify the authors of anti-Semitic tweets.
UN to launch Syria chemical weapons inquiry
Mar 21, 2013 14:26 EDT
The United Nations will investigate whether chemical weapons have been used in the Syria conflict, UN leader Ban Ki-Moon announced Thursday.
Ancient megavolcanoes killed half the world's species
Mar 21, 2013 14:12 EDT
New rock dating techniques have helped narrow the timeframe of a chain of massive volcanic eruptions that wiped out half the world's species 200 million years ago, a study said Thursday.
US still seeks productive ties with Venezuela
Mar 21, 2013 14:08 EDT
Washington is still hoping for better ties with Venezuela even as the South American nation ratcheted up tensions by cutting off a channel of communications, a US official said Thursday.
Sri Lanka must launch rights abuse probe: UN body
Mar 21, 2013 13:59 EDT
Sri Lanka must launch an in-depth probe into claims that government troops killed 40,000 civilians during a 2009 offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels that ended its three-decade civil war, the UN Human Rights Council said Thursday.
Poet climber ascends US embassy in Paris
Mar 21, 2013 13:49 EDT
A self-styled "poet climber" on Thursday managed to sidestep security, climb on to a roof adjacent to the US embassy building in Paris and spend two hours there before being helped down by fire fighters.
UN to launch probe into N.Korea rights abuses
Mar 21, 2013 13:41 EDT
The United Nations on Thursday said it will for the first time establish a commission of inquiry into grave human rights violations in North Korea that may amount to crimes against humanity.
FIFA lifts ban on friendlies in Iraq
Mar 21, 2013 13:39 EDT
FIFA lifted a ban on international football friendlies in Iraqi stadiums on Thursday, permitting matches in Baghdad for the first time since the 2003 US-led invasion, an Iraqi football official said.
Iran leader hints at first direct US nuclear talks
Mar 21, 2013 13:25 EDT
Iran's supreme leader on Thursday signalled openness for the first time to US offers to hold direct talks on his country's disputed nuclear drive, but voiced pessimism over the chances of a breakthrough.
Coca-Cola to lay off 750 workers in US
Mar 21, 2013 13:18 EDT
US soft drinks giant Coca-Cola will cut 750 jobs in the United States as part of a restructuring of its North America operations, a company spokesman said Thursday.
European stocks retreat on disappointing data, Cyprus
Mar 21, 2013 13:17 EDT
European stock markets slid Thursday as disappointing eurozone data and the Cyprus bailout impasse overshadowed strong Chinese economic performance.
Haitian farmers call for 'food sovereignty'
Mar 21, 2013 13:01 EDT
Hundreds of small farmers have converged on the central Haitian city of Hinche to demand more space to grow their own crops in a country that imports more than half of its food.
Syria rebels gain ground in Golan: watchdog
Mar 21, 2013 12:58 EDT
Syrian rebels have gained ground in the Golan Heights, which is partly occupied by Israel, launching coordinated attacks in the area and in nearby Daraa province, a watchdog said on Thursday.
Tuberculosis in US hits record low
Mar 21, 2013 12:36 EDT
Cases of tuberculosis reached an all-time low in the United States last year, but the disease continued to affect minorities at much higher rates than whites, health authorities said Thursday.
NYSE eyes Suntech listing after bankruptcy filing
Mar 21, 2013 12:35 EDT
The New York Stock Exchange said Thursday it was reviewing the listing of Suntech Power Holding Co.'s US-traded shares after the giant solar-panel maker's main China unit moved into bankruptcy reorganization.
EU puts airline carbon tax on hold for a year
Mar 21, 2013 12:26 EDT
The EU will put its controversial carbon tax on intercontinental airline flights on hold for a year to give time for international talks to reach a compromise on the issue, a European source said Thursday.
Downton Abbey leads way in TV exports
Mar 21, 2013 12:22 EDT
Britain in 2012 held on to its position as the world's second biggest exporter of television programmes after the US on the back of hit dramas such as Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife, a report said on Thursday.
US House OKs stopgap funding, approves Ryan budget
Mar 21, 2013 11:53 EDT
Congress approved a funding stopgap Thursday to keep the US government operating through September, while the House backed a Republican blueprint that lays out budget austerity for the next decade.
