U.S. may default on its debt a half-month earlier than expected, new analysis shows

The U.S. government may default on its debt as soon as Feb. 15, a half-month earlier than widely expected, according to a new analysis adding urgency to the debate over how to raise the federal debt ceiling. The analysis by the Bipartisan Policy Center says that the government will be unable to pay all its bills starting sometime between Feb. 15 and March 1. The government...

Read More..

Samsung tips record Q4 profit of US$8.3b

SEOUL: South Korea's Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it expected to post a record operating profit of 8.8 trillion won ($8.3 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2012.The predicted operating profit for October-December represents an 89 per cent rise from a year earlier, and would beat the record of 8.1 trillion won set in the previous quarter.Samsung, the world's largest technology firm...

Read More..

Activists seek action against Asaram Bapu for his comments on Delhi gang-rape incident

NEW DELHI: Asaram Bapu ran into a hail of protests from his comments on anti-rape laws with activists demanding that religious and political leaders be held accountable for their statements.Coming amid a statement of what they called "sexist" and "misogynic" remarks from the political class, Asaram's statement infuriated the activists for whom he had so far been a distant figure. The so-called guru,...

Read More..

Primitive and Peculiar Mammal May Be Hiding Out in Australia

It’d be hard to think of a mammal that’s weirder than the long-beaked, egg-laying echidna. Or harder to find.Scientists long thought the animal, which has a spine-covered body, a four-headed penis, and a single hole for reproducing, laying eggs, and excreting waste, lived only in New Guinea. The population of about 10,000 is critically endangered. Now there is tantalizing evidence that...

Read More..

Colo. Suspect Bought Ticket 12 Days Before Shooting

Accused Aurora movie theater gunman James Holmes bought his movie ticket 12 days before the shooting, it was revealed in court today during the emotional first day of a preliminary hearing.Aurora Police Department homicide detective Matthew Ingui testified that there is no video surveillance of the actual shooting, but there are several photos of Holmes checking into the theater...

Read More..

Obama to nominate Chuck Hagel for defense secretary

President Obama plans to nominate former senator Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican and Vietnam veteran, to be secretary of defense, according to a person close to the process and a senior administration official. The White House informed the Hagel camp over the weekend that Obama intends to announce the nomination Monday. Hagel’s successful nomination would add a well-known Republican...

Read More..

New highs for SGX's derivatives & commodities markets in 2012

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Exchange's derivatives and commodities markets achieved record highs in 2012.However as in most global markets, trading activities declined. Turnover dropped 12 per cent in 2012 to S$321.5 billion.However securities market performance, as measured by the Straits Times Index, was up 20 per cent last year. In December, turnover was up 39 per cent from a year earlier...

Read More..

Raj Thackeray blames rising crime on migrants; Lalu retaliates

MUMBAI/PATNA: Speaking at a Global Konkan Mohatsav function in Goregaon, MNS chief Raj Thackeray once again spoke against people from Bihar on Sunday: "Our sympathies are with the victim. But who are the accused involved in the Delhi gang-rape?" One of the accused in the gang-rape has been arrested from Bihar. Attacking other political parties, Raj said, "Not a single party wants to take this up."Raj...

Read More..

Best Pictures: 2012 Nat Geo Photo Contest Winners

Winner: PlacesPhotograph by Nenad SaljicA full moon illuminates the Matterhorn peak near Zermatt, Switzerland, in the winning image...

Read More..

Hagel to Be Obama's Defense Secretary Nominee

Jan 6, 2013 4:52pm (Junko Kimura/Getty Images)WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Obama will nominate former senator Chuck Hagel to be his next Secretary of Defense tomorrow.Senior officials within the administration and Capitol Hill confirmed the pick to ABC News today after the Nebraska Republican had emerged as a frontrunner among potential candidates several weeks ago.Hagel,...

Read More..