Thousands flee Malaysia floods

KUALA LUMPUR: Floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains in Malaysia forced almost 14,000 people to flee their homes and seek shelter at relief centres, the official Bernama news agency said.Rain showers which coincided with high tide flooded hundreds of homes in three northeastern states -- Terengganu, Pahang and Kelantan -- with some 13,746 people being housed at evacuation centres,...

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Narendra Modi begins 4th innings as Gujarat CM

AHMEDABAD: Narendra Modi took oath as the chief minister of Gujarat for the fourth time at the Sardar Patel Stadium here on Wednesday. Governor Kamala Beniwal administered the oath of office and secrecy to Modi. BJP top brass including LK Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj...

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Photos: Humboldt Squid Have a Bad Day at the Beach

Photograph by Chris Elmenhurst, Surf the Spot Photography“Strandings have been taking place with increased frequency along the west coast over the past ten years,” noted NOAA’s Field, “as this population of squid seems to be expanding its range—likely a consequence of climate change—and can be very abundant at times.” (Learn about other jumbo squid strandings.)Humboldt squid are typically found in...

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Christmas Tornadoes Tear Across South

A nasty Christmastime storm system spawned blizzard conditions in some states and at least 15 reported tornadoes in the South, damaging homes, taking out power lines and dangerously snarling holiday travel.Severe weather swept across the United States during the Christmas holiday, bringing tornadoes and intense thunderstorms to the Gulf Coast, while dumping heavy snow and freezing...

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Federal workers feel unease over potential layoffs, furloughs unleashed by ‘fiscal cliff’

Federal employees have been skeptical for months that the biggest cuts to government spending in history could really happen. But with the “fiscal cliff” a week away, workers are now growing increasingly alarmed that their jobs and their missions could be on the line. President Obama and members of Congress headed out of town late last week for a Christmas break without reaching a deal...

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7 dead, thousands homeless in Manila fires

MANILA: At least seven people were killed and thousands left homeless as two fires struck the Philippine capital on Christmas Day, sparking riots as a slum went up in flames, Manila's fire marshal said Tuesday.Six bodies were recovered and two other people were missing as a blaze erupted at dawn in a row of old apartments in the Baler section of northern Manila, said Chief Superintendent...

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Fog hits about 40 flight schedules in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Schedules of around 40 flights were hit on Tuesday as dense fog enveloped the Indira Gandhi International Airport here for the third consecutive day, causing inconvenience to passengers. As many as 29 domestic and international flights were delayed by half-an-hour to five hours and 10 were cancelled, airport sources said. Fog started descending at the airport around 10pm on Monday but...

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Photos: Humboldt Squid Have a Bad Day at the Beach

Photograph by Chris Elmenhurst, Surf the Spot Photography“Strandings have been taking place with increased frequency along the west coast over the past ten years,” noted NOAA’s Field, “as this population of squid seems to be expanding its range—likely a consequence of climate change—and can be very abundant at times.” (Learn about other jumbo squid strandings.)Humboldt squid are typically found in...

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Newtown Christmas: 'We Know They'll Feel Loved'

People drawn to Newtown to share in its mourning brought cards and handmade snowflakes to town Monday while residents prepared to observe Christmas less than two weeks after a gunman killed 20 children and six educators at an elementary school.On Christmas Eve, residents said they would light luminaries outside their homes in memory of the victims. Tiny empty Christmas stockings...

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Obama attends Inouye memorial in Hawaii

HONOLULU —President Obama came to a veterans cemetery here on Sunday to honor the late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, less as the nation’s top politician and more as a native son of Hawaii paying tribute to his roots. The president had already formally memorialized Inouye (D-Hawaii), who died last week at age 88 after 50 years in the Senate, on Friday at the National Cathedral in Washington. But...

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