Court says Obama exceeded authority in making appointments

President Obama exceeded his constitutional authority by making appointments when the Senate was on a break last year, a federal appeals court ruled Friday. The court’s broad ruling would sharply limit the power that presidents throughout history have used to make recess appointments in the face of Senate opposition and inaction. A unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals...

Read More..

Body of last Japanese victim in hostage crisis arrives in Tokyo

TOKYO: The body of the last of 10 Japanese nationals killed in the Algerian hostage crisis arrived in Japan on Saturday as the prime minister proposed setting up a security council to deal with future threats.The body of Tadanori Aratani, 66, a former vice president of engineering firm JGC, arrived at Tokyo's Narita airport on a commercial flight accompanied by vice foreign minister Minoru...

Read More..

'Vishwaroopam' running in Kerala theatres despite protests

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Actor-director Kamal Haasan's " Vishwaroopam" continues to run in theatres in Kerala despite protests from a section of Muslim organisations, police sources said today. Adequate protection was being given for the screening of the movie which has been cleared by the Censor Board, the sources said. However, movie shows were disrupted in some parts of Ernakulam, Idukki and Palakkad...

Read More..

Pictures: The Story Behind Sun Dogs, Penitent Ice, and More

Photograph by Art Wolfe, Getty ImagesIf you want the beauty of winter without having to brave the bone-chilling temperatures blasting much of the United States this week, snuggle into a soft blanket, grab a warm beverage, and curl up with some of these natural frozen wonders. Nieve penitente, or penitent snow, are collections of spires that resemble robed monks—or penitents. They are flattened columns...

Read More..

WH, Senators to Begin Push on Immigration Reform

The White House and a bipartisan group of senators next week plan to begin their efforts to push for comprehensive immigration reform.President Barack Obama will make an announcement on immigration during a Tuesday trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, the White House said on Friday. The Senate group is expected make their plans public around the same time, the Associated Press reported.See...

Read More..

AXA, estate of Ma Chi reach deal on compensation

SINGAPORE: The insurers of the Ferrari car involved in a high-speed crash that left two others dead and two injured have reached a settlement with the estate of the deceased driver Ma Chi.AXA Insurance Singapore and Ma's estate jointly announced that they have mutually agreed on a deal.They will settle all financial claims between the parties.All third-party victims or their families will...

Read More..

Was nervous to narrate 'Midnight's Children': Salman Rushdie

NEW DELHI: Salman Rushdie says it was flattering to get the offer to narrate his own novel 'Midnight's Children' on the big screen but he was "nervous" about spoiling the film. The Booker-prize-winning author, 65, who has also written the script for the Deepa Mehta directed movie, says the decision to have his voice-over came late. "I did not decide to become the narrator. It was Deepa's idea....

Read More..

Deformed Dolphin Accepted Into New Family

In 2011, behavioral ecologists Alexander Wilson and Jens Krause of the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Germany were surprised to discover that a group of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)—animals not usually known for forging bonds with other species—had taken in an adult bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). The researchers observed the group in...

Read More..

It's Official: Women Will Serve in Combat

Women will soon be able to serve in combat, as things officially changed with the stroke of a pen today at the Pentagon.At a joint news conference, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Charman Gen. Martin Dempsey signed a memorandum rolling back a 1994 directive prohibiting women from doing so."They serve, they're wounded, and they die right next to each...

Read More..

OPM plans to shake up charity program raise concerns about reduced donations

The Office of Personnel Management wants to shake up the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the charitable-giving system for federal employees, but in the process the agency could risk losing donors and reducing contributions. One rule under review by the Obama administration would “eliminate the use of cash, check and money order contributions. Instead, all donations will be required to...

Read More..

Dreamliner battery probe rules out voltage surge

TOKYO: Officials probing the emergency landing of a Boeing Dreamliner said Thursday they will dismantle its battery pack, after the investigation found no evidence of a sudden surge in voltage.A fire risk from overheating powerpacks emerged as a major concern after pilots were forced to land the domestic All Nippon Airways flight in western Japan on January 16 due to smoke thought to be...

Read More..

Kashmir border tension hits local ski season

SRINAGAR: A recent flare-up in tensions between India and Pakistan along the de facto border of Kashmir has hit the local ski season, with hoteliers reporting a surge of cancellations by anxious tourists. Gulmarg, the region's main resort on the Indian side of the divided Himalayan region, is popular with daredevil skiers mostly from Asia and Europe who come in search of deep powder snow and untouched...

Read More..

Deformed Dolphin Accepted Into New Family

In 2011, behavioral ecologists Alexander Wilson and Jens Krause of the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Germany were surprised to discover that a group of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)—animals not usually known for forging bonds with other species—had taken in an adult bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). The researchers observed the group in...

Read More..

Pentagon to Allow Women in Combat

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will lift a longstanding ban on women serving in combat, according to senior defense officials.The services have until this May to come up with a plan to implement the change, according to a Defense Department official.That means the changes could come into effect as early as May, though the services will have until January 2016 to complete the...

Read More..

Malaysia citizenship-for-votes probe stirs outrage

KUALA LUMPUR: For years, charges have swirled that a secret Malaysian scheme gave citizenship to huge numbers of illegal migrants in a politically important state in exchange for votes for the ruling coalition.Now, an inquiry is finally airing detailed allegations that have the government on the defensive ahead of elections that pose the greatest threat yet faced by the ruling bloc that...

Read More..

BJP to hold countrywide protests against Shinde's remarks

NEW DELHI: The BJP will hold countrywide protests from Thursday against home minister Sushilkumar Shinde's "Hindu terror" remarks, Rajnath Singh said after being elected as the party president on Wednesday."The recent statement of Shinde shows the government is not serious on its fight against terrorism," Rajnath Singh said, addressing party workers here."Just for vote bank politics, they are poisoning...

Read More..

The Promise and Perils of Mining Asteroids

Encouraged by new space technologies, a growing fleet of commercial rockets and the vast potential to generate riches, a group of entrepreneurs announced Tuesday that they planned to mine the thousands of near-Earth asteroids in the coming decades.The new company, Deep Space Industries (DSI), is not the first in the field, nor is it the most well-financed. But with their ambition to become...

Read More..

Al Qaeda Commander Killed for the 3rd Time

The second in command of al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate was reportedly killed in an airstrike in Yemen in December, according to a news report by Arabic television network Al Arabiya, the third time the former Guantanamo detainee has been reported dead since 2010.According to the report, Said al-Shihri died last month after sustaining severe injuries from a joint U.S.-Yemeni airstrike...

Read More..

At second inauguration, Obama relishes the rituals, as well as the smaller moments

The second time seemed to charm him. The choreography of President Obama’s ceremonial inauguration Monday was nearly identical to that of his swearing-in four years ago: church, motorcade to the Capitol, invocation, oath, address, luncheon, parade, dancing. This time, however, the man taking the oath of office was an experienced president, not a first-term senator. And Obama seemed...

Read More..

Wen urges "healthy" devt as China's economy slows

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has urged the central bank to promote "healthy" economic development, the government said, after the economy expanded at its slowest pace for 13 years in 2012.Speaking on a visit to the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, Wen called on the central bank to push financial reform and use monetary policy to support the economy, the government said...

Read More..

Haryana CM appeals for peace after Chautala ruling

NEW DELHI: Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda appealed for peace on Tuesday as supporters of former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala staged violent protests over the 10-year jail sentence given to him and his son in a corruption case. "All are equal for court, and we have faith in the judiciary. We will appeal to the people to maintain peace, Haryana is a peaceful state," Hooda, who is...

Read More..

Attack at Algeria Gas Plant Heralds New Risks for Energy Development

The siege by Islamic militants at a remote Sahara desert natural gas plant in Algeria this week signaled heightened dangers in the region for international oil companies, at a time when they have been expanding operations in Africa as one of the world's last energy frontiers. (See related story: "Pictures: Four New Offshore Drilling Frontiers.")As BP, Norway's Statoil, Italy's Eni, and...

Read More..

Inauguration: 7.5 Things You Should Have Seen

A presidential inauguration is a big, long event that lasts all day and into the night–and who has time to really watch it? People have jobs, ones that don’t let you off for a federal holiday.Everyone (or, at least, some) will be talking about it, which means potential embarrassment for anyone who doesn’t know what happened. Thankfully, ABC employs  news professionals stationed in Washington,...

Read More..

After the first black president, who will be second?

President Obama’s historic election in 2008 and his reelection last year proved decisively that race is no longer an insurmountable hurdle to high political office in the United States. But the current pool of possible candidates suggests that the next black president will not be taking the oath of office anytime soon. “In the shadow of Barack Obama, there’s not been a lot of growth,”...

Read More..

Thai deputy PM dies of suspected heart problem

BANGKOK: Thai deputy prime minister and minister of tourism and sports Chumpol Silpa-archa, aged 72, died on Monday of a suspected heart problem, his party said.Chumpol, the leader of the Chart Thai Pattana Party -- a member of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's ruling coalition -- was admitted to hospital with breathing problems on December 17."We received news that he passed away this...

Read More..

I may put up a token fight against Gadkari, Mahesh Jethmalani says

NEW DELHI: BJP leader Mahesh Jethmalani has hinted that he may throw his hat in the contest for the post of party president, if there is no one to challenge the incumbent Nitin Gadkari. "I have not made up my mind, but if I decide, I may put up a token fight," Jethmalani told reporters on Monday when questioned about the possible contest. Mahesh Jethmalani had earlier objected to Nitin Gadkari continuing...

Read More..

Attack at Algeria Gas Plant Heralds New Risks for Energy Development

The siege by Islamic militants at a remote Sahara desert natural gas plant in Algeria this week signaled heightened dangers in the region for international oil companies, at a time when they have been expanding operations in Africa as one of the world's last energy frontiers. (See related story: "Pictures: Four New Offshore Drilling Frontiers.")As BP, Norway's Statoil, Italy's Eni, and...

Read More..

Obamas Share the Love, Even for Michelle's Bangs

Jan 20, 2013 10:49pm (Charles Dharapak/AP Photo)President Obama used the first public remarks of his second term to address what he called the “most significant” event of this weekend: his wife’s much-talked-about new haircut.“I love her bangs,” Obama told supporters at an inaugural reception at the National Building Museum. “She looks good. She always looks good.”First...

Read More..

Biden’s gun task force met with all sides, but kept its eye on the target

Vice President Biden was curt, avoiding confrontation when he sat down with the National Rifle Association and other gun rights advocates. He looked across the table in his ornate conference room and asked the NRA official if his group could back a ban on assault weapons. “No,” was James J. Baker’s reply. There was little discussion, no real debate over whether a 1990s ban had worked....

Read More..

Malaysian prime minister to make rare visit to Gaza

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will visit Gaza this week, an official said Sunday, in what would be a rare visit by a foreign leader to the impoverished Palestinian territory.Najib will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and other officials on the one-day visit on Tuesday, an aide to the prime minister told AFP on condition of anonymity.The aide declined...

Read More..

Karunanidhi hails Rahul Gandhi's elevation as Congress vice-president

CHENNAI: Congratulating Rahul Gandhi on his elevation as Congress vice-president, key UPA ally and DMK chief M Karunanidhi today expressed confidence that he would take the party to a 'new height.' "Your abiding interest in the youth of our country and your earnest commitment to the advancement of rural areas and farmers are all well-known," the DMK chief, whose party has been an ally of ruling...

Read More..

Attack at Algeria Gas Plant Heralds New Risks for Energy Development

The siege by Islamic militants at a remote Sahara desert natural gas plant in Algeria this week signaled heightened dangers in the region for international oil companies, at a time when they have been expanding operations in Africa as one of the world's last energy frontiers. (See related story: "Pictures: Four New Offshore Drilling Frontiers.")As BP, Norway's Statoil, Italy's Eni, and...

Read More..