A Pakistani boy who set himself on fire because his parents could not afford to buy him a new school uniform has died, his family and officials said Sunday.  Pakistani children play cricket at a park in Islamabad. (MCT)The tragic story is a reminder of the woeful lives of Pakistan's many dirt-poor citizens. It brings out the challenges facing those clinging to the hope that education could be the

Podcast April 2, 2012

A New Jersey high school senior who has battled leukemia twice said it's "insane" he's singer Taylor Swift's date to the Academy of Country Music Awards.Taylor Swift (MCT image)Kevin McGuire, a senior at Sterling Regional High School in Stratford, said he hopes his blood cell and hemoglobin counts are good enough for him to make the trip to Las Vegas for the Sunday awards show, the Cherry Hill (N.

Performance April 1, 2012

A 35-meter tsunami could hit the Japanese coast in the wake of a massive earthquake, an expert panel has said after revising its worst case scenario projections following last year's disaster. In this Nov. 12, 2011 file photo, the Unit 4 reactor building of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station is seen through a bus window in Okuma town, north of Tokyo. (AP-Yonhap News)If a

World News April 1, 2012

Employers looking to ramp up productivity in these dog-eat-dog times might consider letting their staff bring Fido to the office, a scientific study published Friday suggests. (Bloomberg image)Dogs at work can not only bring down stress levels among their owners, but they can also help make work more satisfying for other employees as well, according to the study in the latest issue of the Internat

Culture April 1, 2012

Two 10-year-old boys and a woman whose bodies were found in northern Mexico were sacrificed to Santa Muerte, the saint of death, investigators say.Figurine of Santa Muerte. (MCT image)The Sonora State Investigative Police announced Friday that eight people have been charged with the killings, CNN reported. Most of the suspects are members of a single family and one is only 15.The bodies were disco

Culture April 1, 2012

She struggled for a free Myanmar for a quarter-century, much of it spent locked away under house arrest. Now, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate whose nonviolent campaign for democracy at home transformed her into a global icon is on the verge of ascending to public office for the first time. Aung San Suu Kyi (AP-Yonhap News)Aung San Suu Kyi, 66, was elected to parliament Sunday in a historic victory

World News April 1, 2012

Google is teaming with Asia-based hardware makers on a low-priced, 7-inch tablet computer to challenge offerings by Amazon.com and Apple, reports said Thursday. The Sony’sTablet P, which runs on Google Inc.`s Android operating system. (Bloomberg-Yonhap News)Android software backed by the California Internet giant will power hardware built by partners including Samsung and Asustek to compete with i

Industry April 1, 2012

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) ― Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter Zara Phillips married England rugby star Mike Tindall on Saturday ― but Britain’s second royal wedding of the year was largely a low-key affair, with only a hint of the glamor and excitement of Prince William’s showstopping nuptials.Phillips, 30, who is 13th in line to the throne but does not use a royal title, and Tindall, 32, were gre

World News July 31, 2011

 OSLO (AP) ― The anti-Muslim extremist who confessed to a bombing and youth camp massacre that killed 77 people in Norway has told investigators he also considered attacking other targets linked to the government or the prime minister’s Labor Party, police said Saturday.During a 10-hour questioning session on Friday, Anders Behring Breivik asked interrogators how many people he had killed in the J

World News July 31, 2011