Obesity health risk cause ‘found’
Scientists believe they may have uncovered a key reason why obese people have a raised risk of health complications such as type 2 diabetes.They blame a specific protein – pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) – which…

Number of profit warnings ‘falls’
The number of profit warnings by UK-listed firms fell in April-June to their lowest second quarter level since 2003, a report has said.There were 63 warnings issued by firms listed on the London Stock Exchange…

WASHINGTON (Reuters) –
The CIA withheld information about a secret counter-terrorism program from Congress for eight years on orders from former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, the New York Times said on Saturday.
Citing two unidentified…

Israel in ‘Sabbath car park’ row

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Hundreds of ultra-orthodox Jews have clashed with police in Jerusalem for a third consecutive Saturday over a car park which opens on the Sabbath.Police said the protesters, wearing traditional…

US president sets Afghan target
The increasingly deadly conflict in Afghanistan is a “serious fight” but one essential for the future stability of the country, the US president says.Insisting that US and allied troops have pushed back the Taliban, Barack…

Los Angeles (E! Online) –
Box-office analyst Jeff Bock has a theory about Sacha Baron Cohen's new comedy: “Brüno is going to teach a lot of people about gay sex whether they want to know or not.”
And you know…

NEW YORK – When the “Harry Potter” film series is completed, its three young stars — Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint — will have inhabited J.K. Rowling’s universe for half their…

There's a growing body of research that finds taller people make more money.
The latest study, in Australia, found that being 6-foot tall brings
raises annual income nearly 1,000 compared to men two inches shorter.
“Taller people are perceived to be…

Two share 4.4m lottery jackpot
Two winners shared Saturday’s lottery jackpot of 4.4m, operator Camelot has said.The winning numbers for the Lotto main draw were 4, 6, 10, 28, 35 and 39, and the bonus number was 8. The machine…

Climbing into his Volvo, outfitted with a Matrics antenna and a Motorola reader he’d bought on eBay for 190, Chris Paget cruised the streets of San Francisco with this objective: To read the identity cards…

Japan to vote in key Tokyo polls
By Roland Buerk
BBC News, Tokyo
People in Tokyo are preparing to vote in local polls considered a key test of popularity for Prime Minister Taro Aso.The polls in the capital…

BAGHDAD – A car bomb exploded in an alley Saturday in a village in northern Iraq, killing at least four people, wounding others and destroying eight homes, police said. Another six people died…

ACCRA (Reuters) –
U.S. President Barack Obama told Africans on Saturday that Western aid must be matched by good governance and urged them to take greater responsibility for stamping out war,…

TEHRAN (Reuters) –
Iran is preparing a new package of “political, security and international” issues to put to the West, its foreign minister said on Saturday.
“The package can be a good basis for talks with…

ACCRA (Reuters) –
U.S. President Barack Obama told Africans on Saturday that Western aid must be matched by good governance and urged them to take greater responsibility for stamping out war,…

Man charged with shop gun murder
Police investigating the killing of a shop worker who was shot at least six times in Greater Manchester have charged a 20-year-old man with murder.Nasar Hussain, known locally as Nasar Shazad, 30,…

WASHINGTON The United States has dropped its request that two American journalists imprisoned in North Korea be released on humanitarian grounds, and is seeking amnesty instead, U.S. Secretary of State…

MOSCOW, Idaho – The giant Palouse earthworm has taken on mythic qualities in this vast agricultural region that stretches from eastern Washington into the Idaho panhandle — its very name evoking the fictional sandworms from…

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi Thousands gathered Saturday for the funeral of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, who was killed a week ago.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis arrives for Saturday’s funeral service.
“Steve was like a hero to…

Italian released in Philippines
An Italian Red Cross worker has been freed in the Philippines after being held hostage by Muslim rebels for nearly six months, officials say.Eugenio Vagni, 62, arrived at an army base on the restive southern island of Jolo…

This story was updated at 11:44 a.m. EDT.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The oft-delayed space shuttle
Endeavour will have to wait at least one more day to launch while NASA
investigates whether lightning strikes…

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Thousands turned out in Tennessee to say goodbye to Steve McNair, and people in his native state were doing the same Saturday to give the ex-NFL quarterback one of the biggest funerals in recent…

DENVER – Kimberly Spencer’s 9-year-old son went to Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Center last month for what was supposed to be a routine surgery. The rambunctious child stuck a BB in his ear and…

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea wants the U.S. to show remorse for the actions of two American journalists convicted of illegally entering the country, and it might free the women if Washington does so,…

WASHINGTON (Reuters) –
People who are obese but otherwise healthy may be at special risk of severe complications and death from the new H1N1 swine flu virus, U.S. researchers reported on Friday.
They described…