October 12th, 2013
06:21 AM ET

Cyclone menaces India's coast

Preparations are under way on India's east coast ahead of Saturday's expected landfall of a massive cyclone now gathering strength in the Bay of Bengal.

Authorities are shuttling multitudes of people out of its path, following a practice developed after a similar cyclone killed thousands over a decade ago. They are giving residents no choice in the matter.

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Filed under: Weather • World
September 13th, 2013
09:58 AM ET

U.S. and Russia negotiate over Syrian chemical weapons

Russia and the United States will meet later this month to discuss a possible diplomatic solution to the crisis in Syria, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said from Switzerland on Friday, where the two nations are holding a second day of talks about Syria's chemical weapons.

Kerry said they would meet "around the United Nations General Assembly" on September 28. Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, spoke to reporters after meeting with the joint U.N. and Arab League envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, in Geneva.

They pledged to work toward setting a date for a long-delayed second round of peace talks involving all parties in Syria, known as Geneva II, at the meeting in New York.

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3 more arrests tied to UK soldier's killing
Rigby's brutal killing has spurred an outburst of emotions around England, like this man bowing his head near a makeshift memorial for the slain soldier.
May 25th, 2013
06:16 PM ET

3 more arrests tied to UK soldier's killing

Three more people were arrested Saturday in connection with this week's grisly killing of British soldier Lee Rigby, police said.

The men were being held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Police did not detail how they were allegedly tied to the killing nor did they release their identities, saying only that the men - ages 21, 24 and 28 - were arrested by detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command and taken to a south London police station.

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Report: North Korea launches short-range missiles
Kim Jong Un is briefed by his generals in this undated photo. On the wall is a map titled "Plan for the strategic forces to target mainland U.S."
May 18th, 2013
09:54 AM ET

Report: North Korea launches short-range missiles

North Korea launched three short-range guided missiles into the sea off the Korean Peninsula's east coast Saturday, South Korea's semi-official news agency Yonhap cited the South Korean Defense Ministry as saying.

The ministry said it had detected two launches in the morning, followed by another in the afternoon, Yonhap reported.

The missiles were fired in a northeasterly direction, away from South Korean waters, the ministry said.

South Korea has beefed up monitoring on North Korea and is maintaining a high-level of readiness to deal with any risky developments, the ministry added, according to Yonhap.

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Filed under: Kim Jong Un • North Korea
Maker of fake bomb detector gets prison
James McCormick, seen here arriving in a London court on April 23, 2013, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
May 2nd, 2013
08:21 AM ET

Maker of fake bomb detector gets prison

The maker of a fake bomb detector that investigators say put lives at risk was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison by a London court.

James McCormick, 57, marketed his ADE 651 units to government agencies and private companies around the world, including in Iraq, with sales exceeding $50 million by his own admission.

However, independent tests showed the device has no better than a random chance of finding a golf ball, much less a bomb.

British police say the device - the ADE standing for "Advanced Detection Equipment" - is really a novelty golf-ball finder with the label removed.

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April 17th, 2013
12:15 AM ET

Britain prepares to bid farewell to Thatcher

Amid pomp and ceremony, Britain will say its final farewell Wednesday to Margaret Thatcher - its first female prime minister and a politician who even in death divides public opinion.

More than 2,000 mourners, Queen Elizabeth II and serving UK Prime Minister David Cameron among them, will join Thatcher's family at St. Paul's Cathedral in London to pay their respects.

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Filed under: United Kingdom • World
April 16th, 2013
03:34 AM ET

Police review London Marathon security plans

The security plan in place for the London Marathon this weekend will be reviewed following the deadly bomb blasts in Boston, London's Metropolitan Police said Tuesday.

"We will be reviewing our security arrangements in partnership with London Marathon," said event commander Chief Supt. Julia Pendry.

Police and race organizers said they are working closely together on security arrangements for Sunday's race, which attracts tens of thousands of competitors and spectators each year.

The organizers of the London Marathon said they expected the event "will go ahead as originally scheduled."

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Filed under: Security • Terrorism • United Kingdom
April 12th, 2013
07:27 AM ET

Report: Mali refugees get sicker in camp

About 70,000 refugees who fled violence in Mali are living in "appalling" conditions in a camp in the middle of the Mauritanian desert, Doctors Without Borders said Friday.

The situation has only got worse in Mbera camp since French forces entered Mali in January to help local forces take on Islamist militants, the humanitarian group said.

About 15,000 more refugees have flooded into the camp since the fighting, and conditions are so bad there that many who were healthy became ill or malnourished after they arrived.

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Filed under: Mali • Mauritania
April 8th, 2013
04:16 AM ET

Inquest opens in Ireland abortion row death

An inquest into the death of an Indian dentist in Ireland after she was reportedly denied an abortion for her miscarrying fetus is due to open Monday in Galway.

The death of Savita Halappanavar at University Hospital Galway on October 28, 2012, prompted anger in Ireland and elsewhere, and sparked demands for Ireland to introduce new abortion laws.

The Halappanavar family says Savita died of blood poisoning after doctors declined to abort her miscarrying fetus because of Ireland's strict laws. Her husband says she was advised her unborn baby would likely die.

Praveen Halappanavar says his wife, who was in extreme pain, asked for the abortion, but was told that Ireland is a Catholic country and an abortion could not be done while the fetus was alive.

More details may emerge at Monday's hearing into the events leading to the 31-year-old's death.

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French Senate to debate same-sex marriage
Tens of thousands of people protest against France's same-sex marriage bill on March 24 in Paris.
April 4th, 2013
03:40 AM ET

French Senate to debate same-sex marriage

The French Senate will debate a controversial bill Thursday that would extend the right to marry and adopt to same-sex couples.

The lower house has already approved the legislation, in the face of large demonstrations from those opposed to the measure.

If it passes the Senate, it would mark the biggest step forward for French gay rights advocates in more than a decade.

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Filed under: Adoption • France • Gay and lesbian • Same-sex marriage
South Africa judge lifts travel ban on Pistorius
Authorities charged Oscar Pistorius with premeditated murder last month after he shot Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria home.
March 28th, 2013
07:30 AM ET

South Africa judge lifts travel ban on Pistorius

South African track star Oscar Pistorius, charged with murder in the slaying of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, is once more allowed to travel overseas after a judge lifted a bail condition Thursday restricting his movements.

Judge Bert Bam said Pistorius could hand over his passport to his attorney and was entitled to use it to travel outside South Africa.

He should report his itinerary a week before leaving, Bam said.

Authorities charged Pistorius with premeditated murder last month after he shot Steenkamp in his Pretoria home on February 14.

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March 22nd, 2013
08:21 AM ET

Author Chinua Achebe dies at 82

Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, acclaimed in part for his groundbreaking 1958 novel "Things Fall Apart," has died, his British publisher, Penguin Books, said Friday. He was 82.

An author of more than 20 books, his honors included the 2007 Man Booker International Prize for Fiction.

Achebe is a major part of African literature, and is popular all over the continent for his novels, especially "Anthills of the Savannah," which was itself shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1987, and "Things Fall Apart."

March 16th, 2013
10:48 AM ET

Bus riders: Trip turned into roach-fest

Roaches crawling out of air vents. Roaches climbing up seats and windows. Roaches on people's coats and hats. Roaches everywhere.

It sounds like a scene from a horror movie - but is in fact what passengers say happened on a Greyhound bus journey from Atlantic City to New York on Friday.

"There's like a thousand roaches," passenger Dawn Alexander told CNN affiliate WABC. "And when I say infested, I mean infested. People were in the aisles literally brushing roaches off of them."

"We thought it was one. It turned out to be a whole house full of roaches," said a fellow passenger.

Cellphone footage shows the pests scurrying across the bus floor and steps.

Greyhound's Media Relations Director Maureen Richmond said the bus driver had acted swiftly when passengers alerted him to "bugs on the bus."

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March 13th, 2013
07:33 AM ET

Vote for pope resumes after lunch

Will the Roman Catholic Church's cardinals elect a pope today, the first full day of their conclave? If so, they'll have to make it happen in their afternoon session.

Black smoke rose from the chimney fixed to the roof of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday morning, indicating that the cardinals' first two votes of the day were inconclusive. The cardinals also didn't come to a conclusion on Tuesday evening, which was their first vote.

They will have two more opportunities to vote on Wednesday afternoon, after they have lunch.

We have a number of features to inform you about the process. Our full story on Wednesday's activities can be found here. But also check out:

Wednesday's conclave schedule

Video: Millions bet on pope

How a pope is chosen

The contenders

Video: Papal conclave 101

Cover-up claims disturb conclave

March 13th, 2013
12:18 AM ET

Cardinals convene for 2nd day of conclave

All eyes will remain peeled on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel Wednesday morning, as the Roman Catholic cardinals tasked with electing the next pope convene for a second day of the papal conclave.

The 115 voting eligible church leaders file into the chapel chamber, renowned for its ceiling fresco painted by Renaissance master Michelangelo, at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET).

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March 12th, 2013
02:47 PM ET

No new pope on conclave's first day

[Updated at 2:47 p.m. ET] In a not-so-surprising result, there will be no new pope tonight.

Black smoke has risen from a chimney over the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, indicating that no one collected enough votes Tuesday to be elected the successor to the retired Pope Benedict XVI. The Roman Catholic Church's cardinals held their first vote in the chapel today.

The cardinals will vote again tomorrow.

[Updated at 12:46 p.m. ET] The process of selecting a new pope of the Roman Catholic church has begun.

The 115 cardinal-electors have gathered in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, and the doors to the chapel have closed, marking the beginning of today's election session.

This session is scheduled to last two hours, assuming no pope is chosen before then. The cardinals would then go at it again tomorrow.

[Updated at 7:43 a.m. ET] The wait is nearly over: It's time for the cardinals to get down to the business of choosing a pope.

The Catholic Church's cardinals are set to begin their secret election, or conclave, in Vatican City on Tuesday. The process to choose a successor to the retired Benedict XVI could take days.

We have a number of features to inform you about the process. Our full story on Tuesday's activities can be found here. But also check out:

How a pope is chosen

The contenders

Video: Papal conclave 101

Cover-up claims disturb conclave

Heavy snow snarls travel in northern Europe
Cars drive in Tuesday morning traffic on the N118 road around Paris during a heavy snow storm on France.
March 12th, 2013
09:13 AM ET

Heavy snow snarls travel in northern Europe

Today isn't the easiest day for travel in northern Europe.

Swaths of the region are in the grip of snow, ice and high winds Tuesday, causing serious disruption to road, rail and air travelers.

High-speed train operator Eurostar, which runs services linking Paris, Brussels and London, among other destinations, warned of serious disruption and urged passengers to stay at home.

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Falklands hold referendum on disputed status
The referendum in the Falklands is supported by the British government. Above, the Union Jack files over Stanley in 2007.
March 10th, 2013
03:05 AM ET

Falklands hold referendum on disputed status

People living in the Falkland Islands are voting in a referendum on their political status on Sunday and Monday at a time of heightened tensions between Argentina and Britain over their sovereignty.

The two countries went to war over the territory, known to the Argentinians as Las Malvinas, in 1982 after the then-military government in Argentina landed troops on the islands.

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March 9th, 2013
10:39 AM ET

2 dead in Egypt protests after verdict upheld

Two people were killed and at least 15 injured Saturday in Cairo, officials said, as Egyptians in two rival cities took to the streets to vent their anger over court verdicts in a controversial case involving deadly riots at a soccer game last year.

Health Ministry spokesman Ahmed Osman said one protester had been killed in violence outside the Semiramis Intercontinental hotel in downtown Cairo. He later confirmed a second death.

Five others have been injured in the clashes by the hotel, he said. Another 10 are suffering smoke inhalation.

A fire gutted the three-story building housing the Egyptian Football Association in a wealthy Cairo neighborhood, as soccer fans looked on. Next door, an exclusive club for policemen was also ablaze.

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March 8th, 2013
11:57 AM ET

Cardinals set pope election date

The Catholic cardinals gathered in Rome voted Friday to begin the secret election, or conclave, to elect a new pope next Tuesday afternoon, the Vatican said.

The 115 cardinal-electors taking part in the conclave will enter the closed-door process after a morning Mass, the Vatican said. Only those younger than 80 are eligible to vote.

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