Latest

A court in Perth, Western Australia is set to deliver a verdict on whether an Islamic woman can testify while wearing a Burqa. The woman, who claims to be a devout Muslim, wishes not to show her face to men and says she might be too uncomfortable to give a sufficient testimony if uncovered in front of all the people in the courtroom. District court judge Shaun Dean received submissions from both the prosecution and the defence lawyers on the case that the woman was set to testify in, requesting that the woman either be allowed to tesify in th

The United States unemployment rate remained unchanged at a high 9.5% as employers and companies remained nervous about hiring new workers and the public sector laid off 143,000 temporary 2010 US Census workers during July. State and local governments, facing major budget deficits, also laid off many people. Overall, the 131,000 jobs lost during July far exceeded economist's predictions of 65,000 jobs lost. The private sector added just 71,000 jobs during July, also less than the 90,000 economists predicted. Around 200,000 gains each month ar

A new poll by Zogby International and the University of Maryland has found that Arabs in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are discouraged by US policies, have little confidence in US president Barack Obama and for the first time, a majority of poll respondents support a nuclear-armed Iran. The poll results are a "stark contrast" from last year's results, according to USA Today. Last year 51% of respondents were "optimistic" about US policy in the Middle East; this year only 16% are optimistic and 64%

Week two of the Gippsland Football League round sixteen split round saw a combined winning margin of 80 points, as Maffra deafeated Leongatha and Morwell defeated Wonthaggi. The Gippsland Football League, officially the Gippsland League, is the only major Australian rules football competition in the Gippsland region according to the Victorian Country Football League. Scores are quoted as goals-behinds (total). Having already secured top spot on the ladder, Maffra continued their dominance of the competition with a 49 point victory over Leong

Five hundred people are missing and as many as 150 are reported to have been killed by flash floods in India, caused by a sudden cloudburst that hit Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday. The downpour struck the town of Leh and several surrounding villages, and reportedly caused a mud slide that hit the refugee-populated village of Choglamsar. Associated Press reported that at least five foreign tourists were among those killed. Their nationalities are not known but New Delhi Television (NDTV) reported that 110 tourists, half of them foreigners,

A Gainesville, Florida church named the Dove World Outreach Center has drawn international attention to itself with its planned book burning of the Qur'an. The church urges people to send them copies of the book for burning at a bonfire event to be held on church property this coming September 11. The date marks the ninth anniversary of the 2001 September 11 attacks on the United States. The church's motive is an act "in remembrance of the fallen victims of 9/11 and to stand against the evil of Islam," according to its page wall on Facebook. Th

Businesses remained closed for a second day on Wednesday in the Pakistani financial capital of Karachi, to mourn Raza Haider, a leading politician of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), assassinated on Monday. Nineteen people were killed on Tuesday in revenge killings, bringing the death toll to 49 over two days. Twenty-five shops and a number of vehicles including trucks and buses were burned in a series of arson attacks across the city. Haider was gunned down while attending a funeral near the centre of the city. An officer at the Nazimabad

US Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan has been confirmed by the US Senate by a vote of 63–37 and will be sworn in Saturday by Chief Justice John Roberts as a Supreme Court Associate Justice. Shortly after the Senate vote, Justice Roberts offered the 50-year-old Kagan "warm congratulations," according to Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg. 56 Democrats, five Republicans, and two Independents voted to confirm Kagan. 35 Republicans and one Democrat voted against her. The Republicans that voted for Kagan were Richard Lugar of Indiana, Judd Greg

The 65th anniversary of the first use of an atomic bomb against people has been remembered in a ceremony Thursday in Hiroshima, Japan. The atomic bomb, code-named "Little Boy", was dropped on Hiroshima at precisely 08:15 local time on August 6, 1945 by the specially converted United States Army Air Force B-29 Superfortress bomber Enola Gay piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets, who later retired as a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. Diplomats from 75 countries attended this anniversary including the United States, United Kingdom an

Two police officers in Gwent, Wales have been taken off duty after they allegedly smashed the windows of an SUV. One officer supposedly struck a window with his baton, while the other jumped on the bonnet (hood) and kicked the windshield. The driver, 70-year old Robert Whatley, was stopped for not wearing his seatbelt September 9, 2009. A retired businessman from Usk, Whatley is a stroke victim and takes medication for his heart condition. He was driving away while he was being issued a fixed penalty notice. He thought that the police were

Massive wildfires in western and central Russia have killed at least 52 people and blanketed Moscow in dense smoke and smog. According to BBC News, around 560 fires were still burning on Friday. More than 800 wildfires have been reported this week in Russia, which is currently suffering from the worst heat since records began over 130 years ago. Since June, temperatures in the country have been rising, and Moscow was expected to reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.78 degrees Celsius) on Friday, about 25 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius

The president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, was met with a 250-strong protest today, during his visit to Birmingham, England. The protest was held outside the International Convention Centre (ICC) venue in the British city, where the president addressed supporters of his Pakistan Peoples Party and leading figures of the Pakistani community. Al Jazeera reported that two shoes were thrown at Zardari as he delivered his address, by a man who reportedly managed to break through police barriers to make a personal protest against the President. Pak