Home Depot profit tops estimates; outlook raised - Reuters
By Dhanya Skariachan (Reuters) – Home Depot Inc raised its fiscal-year earnings outlook on Tuesday as tight cost controls helped the world's largest home improvement chain to offset sales weakness and beat Wall Street's profit estimates in the latest … Iraq VP death squad trial to wrap up in Sept
An Iraqi court will next month hear concluding remarks from prosecutors and the defence team in the death squad trial of fugitive Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, a judge said on Tuesday. Bahrain court postpones verdict on opposition figures
Bahrain's appeals court postponed on Tuesday its verdict in the case of 13 leading opposition figures facing jail sentences over charges of plotting to overthrow the Gulf monarchy, lawyers said. Japan video shows delay in using seawater to cool meltdown reactor
TOKYO (Reuters) – A Japanese nuclear power company hesitated before using corrosive seawater to cool the No. 2 reactor at the stricken Fukushima plant because it hoped it could be used again, video released by the company shows, contradicting official findings. The Fukushima Daiichi plant, run by Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), was struck by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11 last year, crippling cooling systems and triggering fuel rod meltdowns and radiation leaks that led to mass evacuations and widespread contamination. … Philippine forecasters protest, track new storm
As another storm threatened to cause more flooding, hundreds of Philippines' weather agency employees protested over their pay Tuesday and warned that forecasting services could deteriorate. China bows down to 'Devil Beast' Drogba
Didier Drogba's first month in China is being heralded as an unequivocal success, the powerful Ivory Coast striker earning rave reviews, the moniker "Devil Beast" and being compared to "a nuclear bomb". Seoul urges Tokyo to scrap shrine visits
South Korea on Tuesday strongly urged two Japanese cabinet ministers to scrap a planned visit to a Tokyo shrine that honours the country's war dead, including war criminals. West Bank faces Israel power cut threat over debts
The east Jerusalem power company that supplies electricity to parts of the West Bank on Tuesday warned that its Israeli partner has threatened to cut supply over unpaid debts. Assad is 'Enemy of God' Former Syrian PM Says - Voice of America
Former Syrian prime minister, Riyad Hijab, appeared publicly Tuesday for the first time since his defection, calling President Bashar al-Assad's government an "enemy of God" and saying it is collapsing. In a news conference in the Jordanian capital of … Dutch navy frees Somalis held by pirates: NATO
Dutch sailors taking part in NATO's pirate-busting operation Ocean Shield helped rescue the crew of a Somali dhow hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, NATO said Tuesday. Britain gives Malawi $4.7 million for food aid
BLANTYRE, Malawi (Reuters) – Britain has given $4.7 million to Malawi for food aid as more than 1.6 million people face food shortages in the impoverished southern African nation, British officials and the U.N. World Food Programme said on Tuesday. Malawi’s economy was driven to the brink of collapse after foreign aid dried up over concerns about the human rights record of former President Bingu wa Mutharika. …
At least 2 dead in Ugandan military helicopters crashes on Mount Kenya; fate of 7 not known
NAIROBI, Kenya – Rescue teams searching for survivors in the aftermath of the crashes of three Ugandan helicopter gunships on Kenya’s highest mountain found two dead bodies on Tuesday and were searching for at least seven soldiers and airmen in a rugged landscape where leopards and elephants roam.
Israel picks new home front defence minister
Israel's prime minister on Tuesday named former internal security minister Avi Dichter as new home front defence minister, amid growing speculation about a potential Israeli attack on Iran. Kenya sees stable food supply, global prices a concern
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya expects a stable supply of food until December after its production of staple crops increased this year, but prices could rise due to pressure from soaring grain prices on international markets, the Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday. East Africa’s biggest economy has benefited from a stable supply of food since the start of this year, aided by favorable weather. That has eased inflationary pressure and kept prices steady for staples including rice, maize and wheat. …
Missing Ugandan helicopters found, crew still missing
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Rescuers have located the last two missing Ugandan military helicopters that crash-landed in central Kenya on their way to Somalia, the Kenyan defense ministry said on Tuesday, but the whereabouts of the crew is still unclear. Three Ugandan helicopter gunships disappeared off radar screens as they navigated around the southern edge of Mount Kenya in bad weather on Sunday. Rescue teams found one of the Russian-made attack helicopters and airlifted its seven-strong crew from the mountain's forested slopes on Monday. … UN warns of 'imminent' attack on Somali rebel bastion
The United Nations warned Tuesday of an impending assault on the southern Somali port of Kismayo, the largest remaining stronghold of the country's Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents. At least 25 killed in northwestern Pakistan clash: military
KALAYA, Pakistan (Reuters) – At least 20 militants and five soldiers were killed when Pakistani forces and a group of militants clashed in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, military officials said. The skirmish, which took place in the Ghaljo area of the northwestern Orakzai tribal region, began when militants ambushed a Pakistani military patrol. Officials said 18 soldiers were wounded in the ambush. The death toll could not be independently verified, and militants often dispute official figures. The Pakistan military has been conducting operations against militants in Orakzai for months. …
Luxury cars do poorly in new crash tests from the Insurance Institute
including the Mercedes-Benz C-Class -- performed poorly in a new frontal crash test developed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Gaza: Egypt opening border ahead of Muslim holiday
Egypt on Tuesday opened its border with Hamas-ruled Gaza for a three-day period ahead of a major Muslim holiday this weekend, but imposed tight restrictions on who can travel and did not say whether it would resume normal border operations. Visit to Russian underground sect reveals few signs of horrors trumpeted by authorities
KAZAN, Russia – Authorities spoke of a creepy cult living in an “eight-level ant house” dug deep into the ground, where children were kept in unheated cells and starved of daylight. A visit to the compound suggests a more ordinary reality.
Clowns shed tears over slow US economy, tougher competition; camp helps them sharpen shticks
ONTARIO, Calif. – Even when she’s not in character, Julie Varholdt acts like a buffoon.
WASHINGTON -- Rep.Paul D. Ryan's proposed federal budget -- now starring as the centerpiece of the presidential campaign as he joins the Republican ticket -- would reshape American government, achieving long-sought conservative goals and reversing an … 
Guinea's President Alpha Conde has sacked the administrative chiefs of two regions of the west African country after security forces fatally opened fire on protesters. 
Rescue teams searching for survivors in the aftermath of the crashes of three Ugandan helicopter gunships on Kenya's highest mountain found two dead bodies on Tuesday and were searching for at least seven soldiers and airmen in a rugged landscape where leopards and elephants roam. 
Syria's defected prime minister says he is joining the rebel side and is urging other political and military leaders to break from Bashar Assad's regime. 
DUBAI (Reuters) – Rescue workers recovered more bodies three days after two powerful earthquakes struck northwest Iran, leaving more than 300 dead, but officials played down reports the number of casualties could still sharply increase. The quakes, with magnitudes of 6.4 and 6.3, struck East Azerbaijan province on Saturday afternoon, flattening villages and injuring thousands of people around the towns of Ahar, Varzaghan, and Harees, near the provincial capital Tabriz. … 
Defence lawyers for former DR Congo vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba opened their case Tuesday before the International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. 
Europe is edging closer to recession, dragged down by the crippling debt problems of the 17-country euro bloc, official figures showed Tuesday. 
On the rooftop of a tower block above the hustle and bustle of teeming Hong Kong, dedicated growers tend to their organic crops in a vegetable garden. 
UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos arrived in Syria Tuesday to address the "deteriorating humanitarian situation" in the conflict-ravaged country and discuss ways of scaling-up relief efforts. 
(Reuters) – Home Depot Inc reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday as the world's largest home improvement chain kept a tight lid on costs to offset weakness in sales. Net earnings rose to $1.53 billion, or $1.01 a share, in the second quarter ended July 29 from $1.36 billion, or 86 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts on average were expecting a profit of 97 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Sales rose 1.7 percent to $20.57 billion, but fell short of the analysts' average estimate of $20.74 billion. … 
Flooding caused by heavy rains in central Nigeria has killed at least 28 people, with many others still missing, while also destroying homes, bridges and farmland, officials said Tuesday. 
Muslim leaders were on Tuesday to mull proposals to suspend war-hit Syria from the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), an action which is strongly opposed by Iran. 
By Politico , POLITICO – TOP Full Stories You've heard them on television and read them on POLITICO — cheerful, defiant statements from Republican political professionals about Mitt Romney's bold masterstroke in tapping Paul Ryan as his running mate, … 
LONDON (Reuters) – Oil prices are racing higher as investors bet that central bank cash will soon boost a market afraid of Middle East war and worried about North Sea supplies, but the rally looks increasingly inflated by speculative guesswork. Oil is up almost a third in six weeks at a time when the world economy, and hence fuel demand, are extremely weak. Today's oil price assumes the U.S. … 
Spanish-owned airports operator BAA said Tuesday that passenger traffic at Britain's main airports fell last month as many Britons stayed at home in order to watch the London 2012 Olympic Games. 
Once-trusted aide and another lay employee are accused of taking papers and a $125000 check from pope's private apartment. Pope Benedict XVI appears at the Vatican May 2 with his butler, Paolo Gabriele (bottom), and his personal secretary, … 
Authorities spoke of a creepy cult living in an "eight-level ant house" dug deep into the ground, where children were kept in unheated cells and starved of daylight. A visit to the compound suggests a more ordinary reality. 
By Tony Karon | @tonykaron | August 14, 2012 | + Amr Nabil / AP Thousands of supporters raise a poster of Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsy as they celebrate in Tahrir Square, birthplace of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak 18 months ago, … 
There is heavy fighting between Afghan and Pakistani forces in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar, which borders Pakistan, Afghan officials say. Fighting started at around 0400 (0030 GMT) following an attack on a border police commander's convoy, … 
Syrians queue to buy bread from a bakery run by the Free Syrian Army in the northern city of Aleppo. Photograph: PHIL MOORE/AFP/Getty Images United Nations emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos has arrived in Syria on Tuesday at the start of a … 
| TOKYO Aug 14 (Reuters) – Diplomats from Japan and North Korea will meet for the first time in four yours later this month for talks that could touch on the contentious issue of the North's abduction of Japanese citizens decades ago, Japan said on … 
In the past few days, the Israeli public has been hit by a blizzard of speculative articles suggesting a military strike against Iran's nuclear sites is imminent. The talk is now of a timetable of weeks, rather than months and some observers believe … 
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg should resign to take responsibility for his failure to prevent the bombing of his office last year that killed eight people, Verdens Gang, Norway's largest tabloid newspaper, said. The July 22 Commission, … 
(CNN) — Foreign ministers of Islamic countries have agreed to suspend Syria from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, ahead of the group's two-day emergency summit this week. The Syrian civil war is one of the main items on the agenda, … 
TOKYO (AP) - A magnitude 7.7 earthquake that hit waters off Russia's Pacific island of Sakhalin on Tuesday inflicted no casualties or damage, Russian officials said. The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's branch on Sakhalin said the quake was … 
LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Standard Chartered's Chief Executive Peter Sands has flown to New York to take personal control of the bank's attempts to reach a settlement with U.S. regulators over allegations it hid transactions involving Iran. Sands is also ready to attend a hearing set for Wednesday at which the London-based bank has been told by the New York banking regulator that it must demonstrate why its state banking license should not be revoked over the transactions. … 
LONDON (Reuters) – Inflation unexpectedly rose in July, damaging hopes that easing price pressures would allow Britons to help the recession-hit economy with higher spending, but leaving expectations for more central bank stimulus intact for now. Consumer price inflation inched up to 2.6 percent from 2.4 percent in June as prices for airfares soared and clothing retailers reined in seasonal discounts, the Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday, confounding economists' forecasts for a fall and posting the first rise since March. … 
World stock markets edged higher in thin trading Tuesday, as investors awaited economic data from the U.S. while maintaining a positive mood in anticipation of action by central banks to shore up the global recovery.