Ship Stranded: Love Boat to Horror Honeymoon

A Texas couple's fantasy wedding quickly turned into a nightmare honeymoon when the fire-damaged Carnival Cruise ship carrying them became stranded in the Gulf of Mexico.Rob Mowlam, 37, and Stephanie Stevenson, 27, of Nederland, Texas, got married on the Carnival Triumph on Saturday. The four-day cruise was meant to be back to shore on Monday, but was left disabled by an engine...

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Chinese in Costa Rica set record for fried rice

SAN JOSE: Members of Costa Rica's Chinese community celebrated the the arrival of the Year of the Snake by setting the world record on Tuesday for the largest amount of fried rice ever cooked.Briton Ralph Hannah, an inspector with the Guinness World Records, certified the win after putting the giant meal - enough to feed some 7,000 people - on a scale.The official weight: 837 kilogrammes...

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Most BJP legislators against dissolving House

BANGALORE: A majority of BJPMLAs, including ministers, are not in favour of dissolving the assembly early."Governor H R Bhardwaj has said he would act even if a single MLA resigns. As of now, 12 MLAs' resignations have been accepted and two are pending with speaker K G Bopaiah. By moving a vote of confidence, the CM will expose the fence-sitters. Because they will be disqualified if they defy the...

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Where Will Pope Benedict XVI Retire?

Someone with a suspicious mind and deep knowledge of Vatican trivia might have guessed that something was going on months ago. Last November, a community of cloistered nuns vacated the  Mater Ecclesiae monastery, located inside Vatican Gardens, two years before they were expected to do so.The monastery has since been closed for renovation.On Monday, in the press conference that followed...

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Wanted Ex-Cop Possibly in Shootout, Chase

A suspect believed to be fugitive former cop Christopher Dorner has barricaded himself inside a mountain cabin near Big Bear, Calif., and exchanged gunfire with police who had pursued him after he broke into a home in the area.Two cops were airlifted after being wounded in the exchange of gunfire with the suspect.The suspect is believed to have broken into a home nearby and...

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White House warns Republicans on Hagel, Brennan votes

WASHINGTON: The White House said Monday a top Republican was harming national security by delaying confirmation of new Pentagon and CIA chiefs in a row over the US consulate attack in Benghazi.Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned Sunday he would block Chuck Hagel's Senate confirmation as defence secretary and John Brennan's as CIA director, unless the White House offered more information...

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Shiromani Akali Dal defends Rajoana clemency demand

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday took on J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah for asking for the hanging of former Punjab CM Beant Singh's assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana, saying the convict's hanging would cause unrest in Punjab. SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra said the Badal-led Punjab government would continue defending the commuting of Rajoana's death penalty. "We...

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Kumbh Mela: Pictures From the Hindu Holy Festival

Holy BathPhotograph by Roberto Schmidt, AFP/Getty ImagesThe Hindu festival known as Kumbh Mela, often referred to as the world’s largest gathering of humanity, peaked on Sunday at...

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Benedict's Legacy Marred by Sex Abuse Scandal

When Pope Benedict XVI resigns at the end of this month, he leaves behind a Church grappling with a global fallout from sex abuse and a personal legacy marred by allegations that he was instrumental in covering up that abuse.As the sex abuse scandal spread from North America to Europe, Benedict became the first pope to meet personally with victims, and offered repeated public apologies...

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Obama should focus on deficit in State of the Union

President Obama is preparing to deliver his fourth State of the Union address on Tuesday at — or close to— the height of his political power. He has been reelected convincingly, won legislative showdowns with Republicans on debt and spending issues, and is basking in some of his highest approval ratings in years. Of course, modern political history has shown that political momentum can...

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