New whooping cough strain in US raises questions

NEW YORK (AP) — Researchers have discovered the first U.S. cases of whooping cough caused by a germ that may be resistant to the vaccine.Health officials are looking into whether cases like the dozen found in Philadelphia might be one reason the nation just had its worst year for whooping cough in six decades. The new bug was previously reported in Japan, France and Finland."It's quite intriguing....

Read More..

Armstrong May Testify Under Oath on Doping

Facing a federal criminal investigation and a deadline tonight to tell all under oath to anti-doping authorities or lose his last chance at reducing his lifetime sporting ban, Lance Armstrong now may cooperate.His apparent 11th-hour about-face, according to the U.S. Anti Doping Agency (USADA), means he now might testify under oath and give full details to USADA of how he cheated...

Read More..

Tunisian government dissolved after critic's killing causes fury

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia's ruling Islamists dissolved the government and promised rapid elections in a bid to restore calm after the killing of an opposition leader sparked the biggest street protests since the revolution two years ago. The prime minister's announcement late on Wednesday that an interim cabinet of technocrats would replace his Islamist-led coalition came at the end of...

Read More..

Asian markets rebound, weaker yen boosts Tokyo

HONG KONG: Asian markets climbed Wednesday following big losses in the previous session, with Tokyo surging as the yen tumbled after Bank of Japan governor Masaaki Shirakawa said he will step down early.Traders also took a lead from Wall Street and Europe, where encouraging economic data offset concerns over political uncertainty in Spain and Italy.Tokyo soared more than three per cent...

Read More..

15 dip hands in hot oil to prove loyalty in Gujarat

SABARKANTHA (Gujarat): Fifteen persons received burn injuries after they dipped their hands in hot oil to convince a candidate, who lost in panchayat elections, that they had voted for him, police said. The candidate, identified as Girish Parmar, has been detained, police said. The incident took place at Derai village of Bayad taluka this evening after counting of votes for the district panchayat,...

Read More..

Critics seek to delay NYC sugary drinks size limit

NEW YORK (AP) — Opponents are pressing to delay enforcement of the city's novel plan to crack down on supersized, sugary drinks, saying businesses shouldn't have to spend millions of dollars to comply until a court rules on whether the measure is legal.With the rule set to take effect March 12, beverage industry, restaurant and other business groups have asked a judge to put it on hold at least until...

Read More..

White House: Drone Strikes on Americans 'Legal'

Feb 5, 2013 3:54pm The White House today defended the use of targeted drone strikes against U.S. citizens abroad suspected of high-level terrorist activity, but declined to detail the criteria for ordering such an attack.“Sometimes we use remotely piloted aircraft to conduct targeted strikes against specific al Qaeda terrorists in order to prevent attacks on the...

Read More..

Stabbing at Ecuador campaign rally not politically motivated: Correa

QUITO (Reuters) - A knife attack in Ecuador that killed two government supporters was perpetrated by a man under the influence of drugs and alcohol and was not politically motivated, President Rafael Correa said on Tuesday. The man killed two Correa supporters and injured five more at a campaign rally on Monday, about two weeks before a presidential election that the leftist leader is...

Read More..

Japan summons China envoy in island row

TOKYO: Tokyo summoned China's envoy Tuesday in protest after what it says was another incursion into its territorial waters around islands at the centre of a bitter dispute with Beijing."The foreign ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador over ships entering the waters near Senkaku islands," said a foreign ministry official, referring to a chain claimed as the Diaoyus by Beijing.The move...

Read More..

CPM urges Prime Minister to restore diesel subsidy for bulk consumers

NEW DELHI: The CPM urged the Congress-led UPA government to restore the subsidy on diesel to bulk consumers like state transport companies and railways to ease the fare hike burden on the aam aadmi using public transport. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat called the decision to charge the market rate of diesel for these bulk consumers retrograde...

Read More..