Rio awash with revelers for Carnival street bash

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) ― The Rio Carnival came alive Saturday with more than two million revelers in outlandish costumes staging a mammoth, frenzied samba-driven street festival in the city center.Drawing the huge crowds, a day after legendary King Momo declared the Carnival officially open, was the Cordao da Bola Preta ― one of Rio’s oldest and most popular blocos street parties.While the eagerly awaited highlight of the Carnival, the parades of elaborately decorated fantasy floats and scantily d

Feb. 19, 2012

Prosecutor, judge killed in northwest Syria

Gunmen assassinated a senior prosecutor and a judge in a restive province in northwest Syria on Sunday, the country's state news agency said, while activists reported that security forces shelled rebel-held areas in the besieged city of Homs.SANA news agency said gunmen opened fire in the morning on

Feb. 19, 2012

Woman burned alive for ‘witchcraft’ in Nepal

A 40-year-old woman was burned alive by villagers after being accused of casting black magic in Nepal on Friday.Dengani Mahato, mother of two, was severely beaten and set on fire by a mob including her own family members after a shaman blamed her over death of a boy a year ago, BBC and AFP reported.

Feb. 19, 2012

Houston's voice soars at hometown funeral

The best voices of a generation all paid tribute to her. But in the end, the most powerful voice at Whitney Houston's funeral Saturday was her own.The first notes of ``I Will Always Love You,'' at the end of a 3 {-hour remembrance of the pop superstar, played as her casket left the hometown church w

Feb. 19, 2012

Japan emperor's heart bypass surgery 'successful'

TOKYO, Feb 18, 2012 (AFP) - Japan Emperor Akihito's heart bypass surgery that lasted about five hours ended successfully Saturday, national network NHK and other media said.The 78-year-old emperor was advised to undergo the procedure after tests showed a narrowing of two of his coronary arteries.The

Feb. 18, 2012

Libya marks revolution day as leader issues warning

BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) -- Libyans on Friday celebrated the first anniversary of the uprising against Moammar Gadhafi with fireworks and slogans, even as its new leader vowed to act firmly against further instability.The former rebels who toppled Gadhafi last year with NATO backing set up fresh checkpoints in the capital Tripoli, in Benghazi, the eastern birthplace of the uprising, the western port city of Misrata and other towns.The country’s new rulers have not organized any official celebration

Feb. 17, 2012

German president quits in scandal over favors

BERLIN (AP) _ German President Christian Wulff resigned Friday in a scandal over favors he allegedly received before becoming head of state, creating a major domestic distraction for Chancellor Angela Merkel as she grapples with the eurozone debt crisis.Wulff announced his resignation a day after th

Feb. 17, 2012

UN General Assembly condemns Syria

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday for a resolution backing an Arab League plan calling for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down and strongly condemning human rights violations by his regime.The vote in the 193-member world body on the Arab-sponsored

Feb. 17, 2012

Assassin for Assad speaks out

Kill or be killed. That is the kind of life self-described assassin for the Syrian government Sa’er says he was forced into.CNN reported Wednesday the story of a man claiming to have killed as many as 70 opposition forces, and even slit a man’s throat. Sa’er claims the government turned him and others into monsters that would have killed their own fathers.He spoke of an incident in which two police officers captured a man. A major put a gun to Sa’er’s head and ordered him to kill the prisoner, h

Feb. 16, 2012

Malnutrition ‘puts 450m children at risk of stunting’

LONDON (AFP) ― About 450 million children will be physically and mentally stunted over the next 15 years unless the world takes action to tackle malnutrition, a new report from Save the Children warned Wednesday.Every hour, 300 children die due to a lack of nutrients in their diet, while those who survive are permanently damaged in a way that impacts on their lives and the economic prospects of their countries, the British charity said.The problem has become urgent due to volatile food prices, e

Feb. 16, 2012

U.S. dismisses Iran nuclear claims as ‘hyped’

TEHRAN (AFP) ― Iran announced new strides in its nuclear program on Wednesday in a defiant blow to U.S. and EU pressure to rein in its atomic activities, and amid signs of an increasingly vicious covert war with Israel over the issue.The United States dismissed the claims of progress as “hyped” and said Tehran was in fact feeling the bite of international sanctions and coming under increasing pressure to return to the negotiating table.Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled on state tele

Feb. 16, 2012