Home // Monthly Archive for April, 2008
Blocking HIV with Human Proteins April 30, 2008
A research group supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has uncovered a new route for attacking the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that may offer a way to circumvent problems with drug resistance. In findings published April 28 in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers report that they have blocked ...
GM Loses $3.3Bn in 1st Quarter April 30, 2008
General Motors Corp. struggled to a $3.3 billion first-quarter loss, due in part to a weak U.S. market, a strike at a major parts supplier and plummeting sales of sport utility vehicles and pickups.
US Economy Grows by 0.6% in 1st Quarter April 30, 2008
The bruised economy limped through the first quarter, growing at just a 0.6 percent pace as housing and credit problems forced people and businesses alike to hunker down.
Police Free Zimbabwean Activists April 29, 2008
Police in Zimbabwe have freed more than 180 opposition activists without charge four days after they were detained.
This comes as a Zimbabwean human rights group accuses the government of using violence in rural areas to rig a possible presidential run-off.
A BBC contributor in the southern town of Masvingo reports that the bodies of two opposition activists have been found ...
Grand Theft Auto 4 is Here! April 29, 2008
The fourth installment of the controversial video game "Grand Theft Auto" goes on sale worldwide Tuesday with expectations that it will break sales records.
Grand Theft Auto 4 is loud, violent, and racy -- and gaming fanatics can't wait to play it, some even vowing to take the day off work or school to get their hands on it.
The video ...
Eriksson to be Sacked by Man City April 29, 2008
By Simon Austin
BBC Sport
Sven-Goran Eriksson has been told he will be sacked as Manchester City manager at the end of the season, BBC Sport understands.
City owner Thaksin Shinawatra told Eriksson he was "not the right man for the job" at a meeting on Sunday, a source close to the manager said.
Eriksson informed the players at training on Monday ...
DNA Backs Austrian Incest Fritzl April 29, 2008
DNA evidence supports an Austrian man's confession that he fathered six children by his daughter while keeping her prisoner for 24 years, police say.
Green Zone in Baghdad Under Attack April 28, 2008
U.S. authorities in Iraq reported more attacks in Baghdad's heavily fortified International Zone Monday following the deaths of 38 militants in battles on Sunday in the eastern section of the city.
Mugabe Party Loses Partial Recount April 26, 2008
The party of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has failed to regain its parliamentary majority after a partial recount of votes from polls last month.
China Ready to Talk to Dalai Lama April 26, 2008
China appeared to bend to international pressure on Friday as the government announced it would meet with envoys of the Dalai Lama, an unexpected shift that comes as Tibetan unrest in western China has threatened to cast a pall over the Beijing Olympics in August.
Turkey Attacks PKK in Iraq April 26, 2008
Turkey said its warplanes struck Kurdish separatist targets inside northern Iraq on Friday and Saturday in what military sources called the biggest Turkish air operation in northern Iraq this year.
China Now Biggest User of Internet April 26, 2008
China has overtaken the US as the world’s biggest user of the internet, thanks to a rise of more than 61 per cent of people in the country using the web in the past year.
Humphrey Lyttelton Dies Aged 86 April 26, 2008
Humphrey Lyttelton, the presenter of the Radio 4 comedy show I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, has died aged 86. The jazz musician, journalist, cartoonist and much-loved radio host, who had chaired the self-styled “antidote to panel games” since 1972, was admitted to hospital this week for surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm.
Winehouse Arrested for Assault April 25, 2008
Singer Amy Winehouse has been arrested on suspicion of assault.
UK Teacher’s Strike Hits 8,000 Schools April 24, 2008
About a third of schools in England and Wales have been disrupted by the first national teachers' strike in 21 years.
US: Tsvangirai is Zimbabwe Election Winner April 24, 2008
Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was the "clear" victor of last month's poll, a top US envoy says.
Jendayi Frazer was speaking in South Africa, at the start of a tour to lobby Zimbabwe's neighbours to put pressure on President Robert Mugabe.
The results of the presidential election have not been released.
Mr Tsvangirai says he won outright but the ruling ...
BAA Break-Up Looming April 22, 2008
The break-up of airports operator BAA has moved closer following criticism from the Competition Commission, with Gatwick and Stansted likely to be targeted by potential buyers.
Britain Wants Supermarkets to Spy on Migrants April 22, 2008
The Government wants councils to spy on supermarkets shoppers to find out where eastern Europeans are settling in Britain.
Bond Car Plunges Into Lake April 20, 2008
A stunt driver has crashed the car used by movie secret agent James Bond into Italy's Lake Garda during filming of 007's latest movie, Quantum of Solace.
British Chancellor “Can’t Rewrite Budge ... April 20, 2008
The chancellor has ruled out a U-turn on axing the 10p tax rate, saying it would be "totally irresponsible" to "unravel...or rewrite" the Budget now.
Danica Patrick Wins IndyCar Race April 20, 2008
Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history Sunday, taking the Indy Japan 300 after the top contenders were forced to pit for fuel in the final laps.
Carter Meets Hamas: Condemnation Follows April 18, 2008
The Israeli and U.S. governments have condemned former President Carter's series of meetings this week with top officials of Hamas, which they consider to be a terrorist organization.
Mugabe Denounces Opposition April 18, 2008
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has denounced the opposition and former colonial power Britain in his first speech since the disputed elections.
Paypal Blocking Unsafe Browsers April 18, 2008
Web payment firm Paypal has said it will block "unsafe browsers" from using its service as part of wider anti-phishing efforts.
Tsvangirai Urges UN Action on Zimbabwe April 17, 2008
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has called for the United Nations to set up a criminal court to prosecute those guilty of violence in the aftermath of the stalled election in his troubled country.
Pope Decries Treatment of Blacks & Indians April 17, 2008
Pope Benedict XVI praised America as a land of opportunity and hope Thursday as he celebrated the first public Mass of his U.S. pilgrimage, but he lamented that the country's promise fell short for American Indians and blacks.
Vitamins May Shorten Life April 16, 2008
Research has suggested certain vitamin supplements do not extend life and could even lead to a premature death.
A review of 67 studies found "no convincing evidence" that antioxidant supplements cut the risk of dying.
Scientists at Copenhagen University said vitamins A and E could interfere with the body's natural defences.
"Even more, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E seem to increase ...
China Now World’s Biggest Carbon Polluter April 15, 2008
By Roger Harrabin
BBC News
China has already overtaken the US as the world's "biggest polluter", a report to be published next month says.
The research suggests the country's greenhouse gas emissions have been underestimated, and probably passed those of the US in 2006-2007.
The University of California team will report their work in the Journal of Environment Economics and Management.
They ...
Prosecutors Want Three Years for Snipes April 15, 2008
Film star Wesley Snipes should spend three years in prison and be fined $5m (£2.5m) over tax evasion charges, US prosecutors have said.
The actor was found guilty in February of failing to submit tax returns, although he was cleared of more serious charges, including fraud.
Prosecutors have now ...
TV Host Mark Speight Found Dead April 13, 2008
A body found at a railway station is believed to be that of missing children's television presenter Mark Speight, police said tonight.
Odinga Named Kenyan PM April 13, 2008
President Mwai Kibaki named rival Raila Odinga as prime minister Sunday, implementing a power-sharing deal after protracted negotiations over the agreement they signed more than a month ago.
PM Brown Facing Revolt over Anti-Terror Laws April 13, 2008
By Jonathan Oliver and Isabel Oakeshott
The Times Online
Gordon Brown is facing a cabinet revolt over controversial new terror laws amid concern in the government about an unprecedented collapse in his authority.
Brown’s personal rating has plunged further and faster than any other British leader since political polling began in the 1930s, a new poll for The Sunday Times reveals.
The ...
Mugabe Calls for Recount April 13, 2008
By Catherine Philp
The Times Online
Hopes that Zimbabwe's neighbours would act to end its deepening crisis were dashed this morning when an all-night summit ended with a statement failing to acknowledge an emergency and calling only for the immediate release of election results.
Even that call looked toothless as Zimbabwe announced there would be a recount of results in 23 ...
China Improving Relations with Taiwan April 13, 2008
Chinese President Hu Jintao said he was thinking deeply about improving relations with Taiwan, state-run media reported Sunday, one day after an ice-breaking meeting between the rivals that have been locked in a standoff for nearly six decades.
Hu made history Saturday by briefly visiting with Taiwanese Vice President-elect Vincent Siew, who will take office next month. Their chat on ...
Bomb Explodes in Iran Mosque April 13, 2008
A hand-made bomb exploded after evening prayers Saturday at a mosque in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, leaving nine people dead and 105 wounded, Iran's state-run television reported.
However, the official Islamic Republic News Agency offered a conflicting report about the explosion.
It quoted the governor general of Shiraz as saying,
"Initial surveys about the cause of the blast have ...
BA Postpones Move to New Terminal 5 April 11, 2008
British Airways has delayed moving most of its long-haul flights to Heathrow's new Terminal 5 until June.
"It is only sensible to ensure that Terminal 5 is operating consistently at a high standard before the move begins," said BA boss Willie Walsh.
The new £4.3bn terminal has been plagued by problems, especially with its baggage handling, since it opened.
Almost all of ...
Europe Rejects Anti-Piracy Laws April 11, 2008
European politicians have voted down calls to throw suspected file-sharers off the net.
The idea to cut off persistent pirates formed part of a wide-ranging report on creative industries written for the European parliament.
But in a narrow vote MEPs backed an amendment to the report which said net bans conflicted with "civil liberties and human rights".
It puts MEPS at odds ...
Oil Rises Above $110 April 11, 2008
Oil prices rose slightly to near mid-$110 a barrel Friday after slipping from a record at midweek as investors locked in profits from a stronger U.S. dollar.
An unexpected decline in U.S. crude and gasoline inventories drove oil prices to a trading record of $112.21 a barrel on Wednesday amid concerns about inadequate supplies.
But oil slipped back the next day ...
IMF Says US in ‘largest financial shock since ... April 9, 2008
By Heather Stewart
The Guardian
America's mortgage crisis has spiralled into "the largest financial shock since the Great Depression" and there is now a one-in-four chance of a full-blown global recession over the next 12 months, the International Monetary Fund warned today.
The US is already sliding into what the IMF predicts will be a "mild recession" but there is mounting ...
Al-Sadr Threatens End to Cease-Fire April 8, 2008
Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr threatened Tuesday to lift a seven-month freeze on his Mahdi Army militia if the Iraqi government does not halt attacks on his followers or set a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal.
Al-Sadr also called off a mass march that had been planned for Wednesday in Baghdad after hundreds of followers in Shiite areas south of Baghdad ...
Singer Pete Doherty Imprisoned for 14 Weeks April 8, 2008
Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty has been jailed for 14 weeks for violating his probation and for using drugs.
Judge Davinder Lachar handed the musician the sentence at a court hearing in west London.
Doherty had been given a suspended jail sentence for possession of drugs and driving illegally in October last year. ...
Violence in Zimbabwe’s Polls April 8, 2008
Zimbabwe's opposition says its activists have been attacked in a campaign of "massive violence" around the country since recent elections.
"Militias are being rearmed, Zanu-PF supporters are being rearmed," said MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti.
This year's election campaign has been relatively peaceful until now.
Meanwhile, a judge has agreed to hear an opposition request that the results of last month's presidential ...
HSBC Loses Customer Data April 7, 2008
Jenny Booth
The Times Online
A leading High Street bank admitted today that it had lost a disc containing the personal details of 370,000 of its customers.
HSBC is now facing the prospect of an investigation by the Financial Services Authority, the City watchdog, into its data security.
The missing disc contained the names, dates of birth and insurance cover levels of ...
Paris Cancels Olympic Flame Ceremony April 7, 2008
Charles Bremner
The Times Online
The Beijing Olympic torch was extinguished three times today as thousands of human rights protesters turned the relay through Paris into a rout that forced the flame to end its shortened journey on a bus.
Games officials may rethink plans for the rest of the torch’s 21-city tour after the disruptions in London yesterday and today’s ...
Police Storm Polygamist Temple in Texas April 6, 2008
Authorities stormed the temple of a Texas ranch that's home to a rogue Mormon sect Saturday, as part of a search for victims of physical and sexual abuse, police said.
Police called in ambulances and other emergency vehicles as they prepared to search the polygamist group's temple, officials said.
Authorities wanted medical backup "in case they're involved in sensitive areas that ...
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