Jackson's death ruled a homicide

Coroner says singer received a lethal combination of drugs, tightening focus on his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray. ...

Pakistan urges Britain to do more

LONDON: Interior Minister Rehman Malik pressed Britain to do more to help the fight against extremism on Friday as the two countries’ leaders held talks in London. “Now we say: do more for us. Do more to fight terrorism in the world because we think the terrorists do not have any religion or any boundary,” said Malik after the talks at Brown’s...

Political luminaries pay tribute to Kennedy

By BOB SALSBERG and DENISE LAVOIE (AP) BOSTON — In death as in life, Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy on Friday brought together political rivals — this time to celebrate his life and half-century of service to his country. A who's who of politics gathered at the John F. Kennedy Presidential...

Japan's election

Braced for changedJapan prepares for political upheaval after Sunday’s general electionIN A land of volcanoes and earthquakes the seismic shift is all too common. But for decades Japan’s political landscape has not reflected the country’s geological uncertainty. A general election on Sunday August 30th should change all that. Opinion polls...

The Road Home From Afghanistan

Why a flexible timetable to withdraw U.S. troops will best advance our national security interests.By RUSS FEINGOLD After nearly eight long years, we seem to be no closer to the end of the war in Afghanistan. In fact, given the current buildup of U.S. troops and the possibility that even more may be deploying soon, many Americans, and many Afghans, wonder what we hope to achieve—and...

Sky-watcher Beware: Mars Email a "Spectacular" Hoax

Andrew Fazekasfor National Geographic NewsAn email promising a "Mars spectacular" on August 27 has astronomers seeing red, as scientists try to counter a seemingly unending Mars hoax. The anonymous message from an unknown part of the globe says that the red planet " … will look as large as the full moon" in the night sky, and that "no one...

Nokia N86 8MP

By Jasmine Osada Nokia N86 8MP camera phone » Price: $808 (without operator subsidy)» Available: from authorised dealers With higher resolutions and better imaging technology, camera phones are getting better than ever and are all the rage. For those wanting to take casual but camera-quality party pictures, high resolution camera...

Oil prices hover near $73 in Asia

BANGKOK — Oil prices rose moderately Friday in Asia, hovering near $73 as investors nurtured doubts about a sustainable recovery in the world's biggest economy.Benchmark crude for October delivery was up 32 cents to $72.81 a barrel by late morning Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract Thursday...

Letters: Timor Leste and Kashmir

This refers to an article in The Jakarta Post Aug. 25 titled "Timor Leste a model for Kashmir". It appears to be a little incongruous to compare the two situations. Kashmir was acceded to India through the Treaty of Accession, a legally valid document. While King Hari Singh of Kashmir was still undecided about signing the treaty, Pakistan chose to send armed tribal forces to invade Kashmir....

Pakistani court: Lift curbs on nuclear scientist

By MUNIR AHMAD (AP)ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani court on Friday ordered the government to lift any remaining restrictions on a scientist alleged to have spread nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya, his lawyer said.The interim instruction came in response to a petition filed by scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan and could stir alarm in the...

Saudi Terror Czar Escapes Assassination Attempt

By MARGARET COKER DUBAI -- A suicide bomber slightly injured a Saudi Arabian royal family member in charge of antiterrorism efforts, the first significant retaliation by extremists against the kingdom's recent crackdown. According to a statement issued by the Saudi Royal Court, the bombing took place at 11.30 p.m. Thursday, while...

First look / Smartphones

Nokia E75The E75 is the current flagship of Nokia’s E-series. The E-series is Nokia’s range of corporate smartphones that aim to make mobile messaging as easy as 1, 2, 3. The killer app for the E75 is obviously messaging. To this end the handset, as do all E series phones, comes with Nokia Messaging and Mail for Exchange, IMAP...

NASA delays shuttle Discovery launch

(AFP)CANAVERAL, Florida — NASA on Thursday delayed the launch of the space shuttle Discovery until 0359 GMT Saturday so mission specialists could review tests on a faulty valve, the US space agency said.The decision to make the launch attempt nearly 24 hours later than planned was issued after experts reviewed tests on a liquid hydrogen fill-and-drain...

Oil bounces back above $72 as Wall Street reverses

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices pulled out of a two-day slump on Thursday, supported by a rebound on Wall Street and losses in the dollar. U.S. crude for October rose $1.06 to settle at $72.49 a barrel, after dipping as low as $69.83 earlier in the day on worries about high commercial crude inventories and weak demand. In London,...

Times poll: 61% think al-Megrahi release was about oil, not compassion

Gordon Brown’s Government faces widespread public suspicion that the release of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, had more to do with oil than his terminal cancer. A special Populus poll for The Times, conducted on Wednesday, reveals widespread public criticism of the release and scepticism about the reasons, with...

Japan on Brink of Change

TOKYO -- In the midst of its worst economic malaise of the postwar era, Japan is preparing to oust its longtime ruling party in favor of new leaders with ambitious ideas but an untested ability to get things done.A Dynasty on the Brink View Interactive Trace the recent...

In southern Afghan city, fears of Taliban takeover

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Southern Afghanistan's largest city, Kandahar, is slipping back under Taliban control as overstretched U.S. troops focus on clearing insurgents from the countryside — a potentially alarming setback for President Barack Obama's war strategy.Afghan authorities promise a counteroffensive against the militants in Kandahar...