Reuters: Top News

North Korea fires three short-range missiles

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:36:15 GMT

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired three short-range missiles from its east coast on Saturday, South Korea's Defence Ministry said, prompting Western powers to urge Pyongyang to exercise restraint.

Cyber experts fear escalation of attacks

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:20:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cybersecurity professionals know a myriad of ways hackers can try to wreak havoc on critical infrastructure or infiltrate corporations to steal or spy, but it is the fear of the unknown that some say keeps them up at night.

Google's wearable Glass gadget: cool or creepy?

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:42:51 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google staged four discussions expounding on the finer points of its "Glass" wearable computer during this week's developer conference. Missing from the agenda, however, was a session on etiquette when using the recording-capable gadget, which some attendees faithfully wore everywhere - including to the crowded bathrooms.

France's Hollande signs gay marriage law

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:00:33 GMT

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande has signed into law a bill allowing same-sex marriage, making France the 14th country to legalise gay weddings.

Afghan parliament fails to pass divisive women's law

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:51:15 GMT

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's parliament failed to pass a law on Saturday banning violence against women, a severe blow to progress made in women's rights in the conservative Muslim country since the Islamist Taliban was toppled over a decade ago.

'Harry Potter' first edition annotated by author up for auction

Sat, 18 May 2013 02:25:33 GMT

REUTERS - Ever wondered what went through author J.K. Rowling's mind when she wrote the first "Harry Potter" novel?

Meteoroid impact triggers bright flash on the moon

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:40:23 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - An automated telescope monitoring the moon has captured images of an 88-pound (40 kg) rock slamming into the lunar surface, creating a bright flash of light, NASA scientists said on Friday.

Former Argentine dictator Videla dies in prison at age 87

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:39:23 GMT

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Jorge Rafael Videla, an austere former army commander who led Argentina during the bloodiest period of a "dirty war" dictatorship and was unrepentant about kidnappings and murders ordered by the state, died on Friday at age 87.

Djokovic crumbles to defeat against Berdych in Rome

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:22:43 GMT

REUTERS - Czech Tomas Berdych snapped a run of 11 consecutive defeats by world number one Novak Djokovic to reach the semi-finals of the Rome Masters before Rafa Nadal was stretched to the limit against David Ferrer on Friday.

Syria government supporters hack Financial Times

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:04:02 GMT

REUTERS - The Financial Times' website and Twitter feeds were hacked on Friday, renewing questions about whether the popular social media service has done enough to tighten security as cyber-attacks on the news media intensify.

Death toll from new bird flu in China rises to 36: WHO

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:29:44 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Four more people in China have died from a new strain of bird flu, bringing the death toll from the H7N9 virus to 36 from 131 confirmed cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday.

Two blasts at Iraqi Sunni mosque kill 43

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:32:14 GMT

BAQUBA, Iraq (Reuters) - Two bombs exploded outside a Sunni Muslim mosque in the Iraqi city of Baquba as worshippers left Friday prayers, killing at least 43 people in one of the deadliest attacks in a month-long surge in sectarian violence.

Jewels stolen in Cannes, Chopard says not for stars

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:16:26 GMT

CANNES, France (Reuters) - Chopard jewellery worth $1.4 million intended to adorn movie stars at the Cannes film festival has been stolen, a police source said on Friday, but the company said the value had been exaggerated and the items were not for actresses to use.

France opposes Syria conference if Iran to attend

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:15:37 GMT

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - France spelled out on Friday that it would oppose a peace conference for Syria if Bashar al-Assad's regional ally Iran is invited, clouding the prospect for a U.S.-Russian initiative to end the two-year-old war.

Number of Syrian refugees tops 1.5 million - UNHCR

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:34:32 GMT

GENEVA (Reuters) - More than 1.5 million people have fled Syria as conditions there deteriorate rapidly, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.

Penitent Romanian hacker aims to protect world's ATMs

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:54:17 GMT

VASLUI, Romania (Reuters) - Valentin Boanta, sitting in his jail cell, proudly explains the device he has invented which, he says, could make the world's ATMs impregnable even to tech-savvy criminals like himself.

Fund scams target Indians beyond the reach of banks

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:31:29 GMT

MUMBAI/KOLKATA (Reuters) - Dalia Ghosh, a 28-year-old nurse in Kolkata, invested her savings in an unlicensed fund run by media conglomerate Saradha Group last year, hoping to start her own clothes business.

China, India to be biggest investors by 2030: report

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:39:33 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The percentage of global investment that goes to developing countries should triple in the next two decades as emerging economies catch up to richer nations and become more integrated into financial markets, the World Bank predicted in a report on Thursday.

China president takes charge of sweeping economic reform plans - sources

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:35:37 GMT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken charge of drawing up ambitious reform plans to revitalise the economy, sources close to the government said, shunning policy stimulus for fear it could worsen local government debt and inflate property prices.

U.S. soul singer Candice Glover wins "American Idol"

Fri, 17 May 2013 03:44:04 GMT

REUTERS - Candice Glover, a soul singer from rural South Carolina, was named "American Idol" on Thursday, becoming the first female singer to win the television singing competition since 2007.

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt back in jail

Fri, 17 May 2013 03:02:18 GMT

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Actor Sanjay Dutt, one of Bollywood's biggest stars, has returned to prison to serve the remainder of a five-year sentence for firearms offences during the Mumbai bombings 20 years ago, forcing at least one film onto the back burner.

British team hails new embryo selection method for IVF success

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:02:33 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - British fertility experts have devised a new IVF technique that takes thousands of snapshots of a developing embryo that they say can help doctors pick those most likely to implant successfully and develop into healthy babies.

Developing countries to get bigger share of investments - World Bank

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:59:06 GMT

Fund scams target Indians beyond the reach of banks

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:43:12 GMT

China president takes charge of sweeping economic reform plans - sources

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:28:49 GMT