80% of Syrian chemical weapons shipped out: monitors
Syria has shipped out or destroyed approximately 80 per cent of its declared chemical weapons material, the head of the international team overseeing the disarmament process said. Sigrid Kaag, special coordinator of the joint mission of the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said if the momentum was sustained, Syria should be able to meet its April 27 deadline to hand over all declared chemical agents.
Ohio couple married 70 years die 15 hours apart
When Helen Felumlee passed away at the age of 92 Saturday morning, her family knew her husband Kenneth Felumlee, 91, wouldn't be slow to follow her. The couple couldn't bear to be apart very long, and Kenneth passed away only 15 1/2 hours after his wife of 70 years. "We knew when one went, the other was going to go," said daughter Linda Cody to the Zanesville Times Recorder. "We wanted them to go together, and they did."
Giant lasers could control the weather
Zeus, God of the Sky, may be out of work, as scientists at the University of Central Florida believe they've developed a technique -- which involves pointing a high powered laser at the sky -- to induce clouds to drop rain and hurl thunderbolts.
25 years later, western Germany is still pumping money to the east
Twenty-five years after the reunification of East and West Germany, western cities and districts continue to contribute funds to the federal budget for the east’s development, under the government’s fiscal equalization plan. But frustration at the burden has been on the climb, and a growing number of people in the donor districts argue that the transfer system is draining revenue they badly need themselves, and that it’s time for Germany to rethink its notion of "solidarity."
Rioting After Police Limit Muslim Access to Temple Mount
Tens of Palestinian Arab youths rioted at the Temple Mount Sunday morning, after police limited Muslim access to the Mount after another series of clashes on Saturday night. Police have dispersed the riot and arrested 24 rioters; two officers suffered light injuries. The Temple Mount has now been closed to all visitors, including Jews.
Is US as Religiously Diverse as You Think? 'No' Says Pew Study
While many Americans take pride in the country's religious diversity, a new study by the Pew Research Center shows that the United States cannot be seen as a highly diverse country, at least not from a global perspective. The U.S. ranks 68th out of 232 countries and territories on Pew's Religious Diversity Index, which shows that 95 percent of the country's population is either Christian or religiously unaffiliated, while all other religions combined account for just 5 percent of Americans.
Turkey mulls leaving World Wide Web, minister says
Lütfi Elvan, Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication, has said Turkey may leave the World Wide Web (www) to establish its own "ttt" protocol, amid the Turkish government's efforts to rein in global websites including Twitter and YouTube.
Western states hold summit on controlling federal land, say 'It's simply time'
Lawmakers from Western states said Friday that the time has come for them to take control of federal lands within their borders and suggested the standoff this month between a Nevada rancher and the federal government was a problem waiting to happen.