Earlier flight may have been dry run for plotters

Earlier flight may have been dry run for plotters
US report details frauds in H2B visa programme
Air India now flies non-stop to Canada
Drunken diaper-wearing man seeking candy arrested
High stakes for Barack Obama in mid-term elections
NASA’s quest to send a robot to the moon
Violent video games case in US Supreme Court
Internet boosting terror, says Israel's top spy
Yemen must not be new Afghanistan: British military chief
Al-Qaida turncoat alerted Saudis to cargo bomb plot, says Yemen
2 arrested for plot to send parcel bomb to Sarkozy
Italian police block march to the Vatican by abuse victims
Europe's plagues came from China, says study
China census aims to chart shifting population
Russian President's visit to disputed Islands angers Japan
Guard led 3 Americans across Iran border, says released hiker
Australian police seize $400 million worth heroin
China bans 15 slimming products
China launches navigation satellite
Nicolas Sarkozy 'fears for his life'
Who is Dilma Rouseff?

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American intelligence officials in September intercepted several packages containing books, papers, CDs and other household items shipped to Chicago from Yemen and considered the possibility that the parcels might be a test run for a terrorist attack, two officials said Monday night.

US report details frauds in H2B visa programme

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Details of massive fraud and abuse of the popular H-2B work visa programme have been made public by a government report, which shows that in one of such cases more than 87 Indian nationals paid at least USD 20,000 each to enter the US illegally.

Air India now flies non-stop to Canada

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With the introduction of its daily, non-stop Toronto-Delhi flight from October 31, Air India now flies non-stop to India from all its destinations in North America. While India's national carrier introduced non-stop flights from three US destinations - Newark, New York and Chicago - last year, Toronto was put on the non-stop route Sunday. The 14-hour, non-stop flight will depart from Toronto's Pearson International Airport at 11.50 a.m. and arrive in Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at 11.45 am the next day.

Drunken diaper-wearing man seeking candy arrested

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Maryland State Police said a drunken 47-year-old Florida man wearing a diaper was arrested for shouting profanities while trick-or-treating.

High stakes for Barack Obama in mid-term elections

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Bracing for Monday's final burst of campaigning, US President Barack Obama implored voters to remember that GOP policies failed to prevent the recession, while top Republicans said the public will deliver a harsh verdict on his stewardship of an anemic recovery.

NASA’s quest to send a robot to the moon

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For $150 billion, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) could have sent astronauts back to the Moon. The Obama administration judged that's too expensive, and in September, Congress agreed to cancel the program.

Violent video games case in US Supreme Court

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Before picking up any Wii games or downloading apps on her iPhone for her two daughters, Lillian Quintero does her homework. She'll first read reviews online and in magazines, then try them out for herself. If she thinks the games are engaging and educational enough, 4-year-old Isabella and 2-year-old Sophia are free to play.

Internet boosting terror, says Israel's top spy

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The transformation of the world into a "global village", the Internet as well as additional technology available to the public has made terrorism more lethal in the 21st century, Israel's intelligence chief has warned.

Yemen must not be new Afghanistan: British military chief

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Yemen must not become a new Afghanistan, the head of Britain's armed forces said today, playing down the prospect of military action in the wake of a foiled parcel bomb plot. General Sir David Richards insisted that the Yemeni government was "extremely onside" and that Britain would remain supportive of their efforts to combat violent extremism.

Al-Qaida turncoat alerted Saudis to cargo bomb plot, says Yemen

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The officials said Jabir al-Fayfi, a Saudi militant who had joined Al-Qaida in Yemen, told Saudi officials about the plan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the press.

2 arrested for plot to send parcel bomb to Sarkozy

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The two Greek men, aged 22 and 24, were arrested in central Athens after a parcel bomb addressed to the Mexican embassy in Athens exploded at a mail delivery service, leaving one employee injured with burns.

Italian police block march to the Vatican by abuse victims

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When the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, came to speak with organizers Sunday evening, a protester shouted "Shame, shame" in Italian. Father Lombardi later said by telephone that he had come to greet the organizers but when he saw "it wasn't going to be easy" he left, escorted by the police.

Europe's plagues came from China, says study

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The great waves of plague that twice devastated Europe and changed the course of history had their origins in China, a team of medical geneticists reported Sunday, as did a third plague outbreak that struck less harmfully in the 19th century.

China census aims to chart shifting population

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China began tallying its population on Monday for the first time since 2000, an arduous task at best, likely to be made tougher by the need to count scores of millions of migrant workers in the nation's big cities.

Russian President's visit to disputed Islands angers Japan

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Russian President Dmitri A. Medvedev flew on Monday into the south Kuril Islands, which the Soviet Union seized from Japan at the end of World War II, making it clear that Russia has no plans to cede the mineral-rich territory despite Japanese protests.

Guard led 3 Americans across Iran border, says released hiker

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The three American hikers accused of espionage by Iran stepped off an unmarked dirt road — inadvertently crossing from Iraq into the Islamic republic — only because a border guard of unknown nationality gestured for them to approach, the lone hiker to be released said Sunday.

Australian police seize $400 million worth heroin

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Australian Federal Police said in a statement Monday that 370 pounds (168 kilograms) of the illegal drug were found in the past two weeks hidden inside a consignment of doors shipped from Malaysia to Sydney.

China bans 15 slimming products

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China has banned 15 slimming products containing the drug sibutramine by ordering their recall across the country due to concern that the diet pills could lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

China launches navigation satellite

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China launched its sixth orbiter early on Monday morning for the ambitious space programme to form part of its indigenous satellite-navigation and -positioning network.

Nicolas Sarkozy 'fears for his life'

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Nicolas Sarkozy fears he could be assassinated, after becoming the "most hated" French President in 50 years, a media report said. France has erupted in strikes and protests since President Sarkozy proposed saving cash by raising retirement age from 60 to 62 years. The change has now been voted into law by MPs, triggering widespread anger among French workers.