One of Egypt's leading voices for reform, Mohamed ElBaradei, said yesterday he is pulling out of the country's presidential race in protest at the military's failure to put the country on the path to democracy.

At least 50 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on Shia pilgrims in the Iraqi city of Basra, Iraqi police and security sources say.

Malacañang on Saturday dispelled speculations of the government giving the communist New People’s Army (NPA) a public releations boost by pursuing retired Army Maj. General Jovito Palparan Jr.

A suicide bomber disguised as a policeman killed at least 53 people and wounded scores in an attack on Shia Muslim pilgrims at a checkpoint on Saturday.

The Emir of Qatar has said that Arab troops should be sent to Syria to stop a deadly crackdown that has claimed the lives of thousands of people over the past 10 months.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Standard & Poor's downgrades of nine eurozone countries underline the fact that Europe has a "long road" in front of it to win back investors' confidence.

A Pakistani court has released three Iranian security men, who were arrested earlier this month for entering into Pakistani territory and killing a man, said court officials.

Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani says his government fully supports the armed forces, amid a deepening crisis with the country's military.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — After weeks of dancing around their diverse backgrounds, Rick Santorum today attempted to draw a  clear contrast between himself and Mitt Romney, saying his blue collar upbringing makes him a better candidate in crucial swing states than Romney’s experience at a private...

The South Carolina primary is one week from Saturday. On Friday night, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum hit an upstate barbecue, vying to emerge as the candidate the state's conservative Republicans can rally behind. NPR's Debbie Elliott was there and has this report.

About 150 social conservatives meeting in Texas voted to back Rick Santorum's candidacy in a last-ditch effort to stop the front-runner's march to the GOP presidential nomination. The gathering reflected dissatisfaction with Mitt Romney and their belief that they needed to unite behind one contender if they had any hope of derailing him.

… downgrade, said Stefan Bruckbauer, chief economist at Bank Austria, the subsidiary of Italy-based Unicredit. But … , Bruckbauer said. Stefan Mostboeck, the chief analyst at Erste Bank, stressed that the two other major rating agencies - Fitch and Moody' …

The Kosovo-born American citizen accused of plotting bomb attacks around Tampa was a loner who had grown increasingly radical in his Muslim faith and publicly railed against Jews and Christians in videos he posted on the Internet, according to relatives and friends.

The Berlin Zoo and the association of its supporters announced the winning design on Friday for a bronze statue of Knut, the world-famous polar bear who died last year.

The fresh round of talks between the Congress and the NCP, over share of seats in the pre-poll alliance for the NMC polls, hit a roadblock over the number as well as choice of seats.

The British economy has been "paralysed" by political uncertainty in the eurozone and is probably already in recession, a respected group of economists has warned.

Apart from gala opening nights, many galleries are holding film screenings and meet-the-artist sessions to create awareness about art.

A 40-year-old woman from Mangalhat, who was allegedly forced into flesh trade by her colleague on the pretext of providing a better job in New Delhi, was rescued from Nampally railway station on Saturday.

The sunny weather of the past few days will give way to moderate fog and light rain on Sunday. Under the influence of an intense western disturbance, Met officials say large parts of northwest India will experience rain and possible hail over the next two days. Minimum temperatures are also set to rise slightly.

How economic woes are threatening Tunisia's revolution

French PM Francois Fillon defends his government's economic policies following the decision by Standard and Poor's to downgrade the country's credit rating.

Tunisia is marking the one-year anniversary of the revolution that ended the dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and sparked uprisings around the Arab world with prudent optimism.Worrie...

The luxury cruise ship ran aground late Friday and tipped over, leaving at least three dead and 40 people still unaccounted for. Survivors described a chaotic evacuation, as plates and glasses crashed and they crawled along upended hallways trying to reach safety.

He still scores goals, Paul Scholes, and from Manchester United's point of view it is a good thing someone does. United went joint top of the Premier League with this win, though until the Wayne Rooney-Danny Welbeck partnership spluttered into life 15 minutes from the end they sorely lacked a cutting edge. The Cup heroics against Manchester City now over, it was easy to forget that the home side were playing to avoid a third successive league defeat, though all too easy to recall how Blackburn managed to overcome them on New Year's Eve. Had Bolton showed the same amount of fight and finishing prowess they might have taken something from the game, for despite the gloss that Michael Carrick's third goal gave the final scoreline, this was another laboured United performance, not one to cause much lost sleep at City. Titles are often won by grinding out results, it is true, though seldom against teams as lifeless and lacking in confidence as Bolton. United began as if they were.......

Veteran midfielder hailed after Manchester United's 3-0 win over Bolton, but manager criticises referees for inconsistent decisions Sir Alex Ferguson hailed the return of Paul Scholes as the 37-year-old midfielder marked his comeback with his first Old Trafford goal for two years to send Manchester United level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. After the 3–0 win over Bolton, Ferguson also had a blast at referees' supremo Mike Riley for allowing inconsistent decision-making, which he claims is ruining the game. There was faint praise from the United manager for Wayne Rooney – "He had his moments but he can do better" – which may refuel rumours of a rift between the two, but there was no mistaking Ferguson's affection for Scholes, whose opening goal vindicated the decision to resurrect his career. "He's back," Ferguson said. "He popped up to score when he should have been controlling things in the centre of midfield, but he's always had that........

South Africa's top-ranked men's and women's players will lead a lone charge at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Hashim Amla has been released from the Proteas' ODI squad to be with his wife who is expecting their first child.

Yesterday, we told you about one of the coolest items at this year’s CES conference in Las Vegas, the Samsung Smart Window. The company has posted an official video demo...

Juan Rangel, of the United Neighborhood Organization, has leveraged close ties to Chicago’s political leaders to create one of the city’s largest charter-school networks.

Cheaper tablets, thinner laptops and an array of sleeker TVs stood out at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

As it continues to work on the issue of swelling school enrollments, particularly in the elementary schools, the School Committee is soliciting public comment on the way school district boundaries can be made more flexible. Children who live in school “buffer zones’’ in town may or may not attend the same elementary school as their neighbors. School district administrators will assign them to any of two or more nearby schools in order to even out the sizes of classes in the grade that the child is entering; the student would remain at that school under most circumstances. Initial proposals to change buffer zones around Brookline’s eight elementary schools will be opened to public comment on two Thursday evenings, Jan. 26 and Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. in the School Committee room, on the fifth floor of Town Hall, 333 Washington St. The proposals, the work of an ad hoc buffer zone subcommittee of the school board, will be posted on the School Committee website prior to the first hearing. “We....

Regina Panasuk, a professor of mathematics education at University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Graduate School of Education, has been named University Professor. The three-year appointment, which includes a $10,000 stipend and is considered the highest honor given a faculty member, recognizes exceptional teaching achievement and service to the university. During her 18-year tenure, Panasuk has been named the graduate school’s outstanding teacher three times - twice by colleagues, and once by the Graduate Student Organization. Through her grant-writing efforts, she also has secured close to $1.1 million for the university. - Karen Sackowitz

From street gang to college, thanks to basketball As a young teen in Chelsea, Orlando Echevarria weighed nearly 300 pounds and had little time for school. He had trouble controlling his temper, joined a gang, was arrested, drank alcohol, and smoked weed. Basketball was his salvation. He kept working, sweating off the pounds, and finally focused on his education, and a future. Echevarria earned all-region honors at the court at Bunker Hill Community College, and now as a 22-year-old, 6-foot-5, 222-pound senior at Keene State, he will earn his degree.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - First Lady Michelle Obama took the stage at an awards ceremony Saturday with poet Maya Angelou, performers Stevie Wonder and Mariah Carey, and other African American celebrities who called the black community to civic action, starting with voting in the 2012 presidential election.

People who've been informed of the dangers of meat, particularly the cheap processed variety, but who continue to wolf it down should be held accountable There have been times during my years of vegetarianism when I've wondered if I may indeed grow out of it. I've wondered if there might come a day when I'll put aside my childish aversion to the thought of dead stuff travelling through my intestines, like a corpse on a raft ride. However, it could never happen, and not because I'm so enlightened, sensitive or any of the other euphemisms for "whining hippie" usually dumped on vegetarians. My conversion to flesh-eating couldn't happen because, frankly, I'm not stupid enough. As in, I can read. Analysis of more than 6,000 pancreatic cancer cases published in the British Journal of Cancer says that eating just 50g of processed meat a day (one sausage or a couple of slices of bacon) raises the likelihood of pancreatic cancer by a fifth. 100g a day (the equivalent of a medium burger)..

Built at a cost of £372 million, the 950ft long Costa Concordia has five restaurants and 13 bars, four swimming pools and can hold 3,700 passengers.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Small Iranian military motorboats approached U.S. vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz twice last week but the Pentagon said the interactions were not seen as hostile, even at a moment of heightened tensions between the two countries. Related Stories Iran sends rare letter to U.S. over killed scientist Blast in home of Gaza militant leader kills one Greeks like their PM, unhappy with coalition government - poll Kosovo police, protesters clash near Serbia border Residents back in Yemen city after months of fighting

The rating agency says that European leaders aren't doing enough to solve the debt crisis.

Survivors from a luxury cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Tuscany say frightened passengers crawled along upended hallways and some leaped into the sea trying to reach safety.

Iran said Saturday it has evidence that the United States was behind the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist this week in Tehran, state media reported.

The Nobel Prize winner said his decision was in protest of the military’s failure to put Egypt on the path to democracy.

White House warns Iran against blockading crucial sea lanes in retaliation for sanctions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions The US has opened secret diplomatic communications with Tehran to warn the Iranian leadership that Washington will use force to prevent it carrying through a threat to close the Strait of Hormuz. The New York Times reported that the White House has made indirect contact with the Iranian leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to warn him against blockading the sea lanes in retaliation for increased sanctions against Tehran's suspected attempts to develop nuclear weapons. Earlier this week, the defense secretary, Leon Panetta, said that closing the strait through which a large part of the world's oil is shipped is a "red line" for the US. On Friday, the British prime minister, David Cameron, said that the UK and other countries would join the US in ensuring the strait remains open. But some US officials say that Tehran's threats may indicate that recently imposed.....

At least 53 Shiite pilgrims were killed near the southern port city of Basra on Saturday, an Iraqi official said. It was the latest in a series of attacks during Shiite religious commemorations that have killed scores of people and threaten to further increase sectarian tensions just weeks after the U.S. withdrawal.

A suicide bomber disguised as a policeman killed at least 15 people in an attack that targeted Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims passing through a checkpoint in Iraq's southern city of Basra on Saturday, police said.

A century of enmity between two cattle-herding tribes in an isolated corner of the world's newest country has burst into the open in killings and revenge attacks. For more than a week Aliye Amor has slept on bare earth, being among tens of thousands made homeless after armed raiders invaded.

Taiwan's incumbent Nationalist president had a tiny edge on Saturday in early vote counts from an election that is being closely monitored by China and the United States as they look for stability in the region at a time of political transition.

Police arrested a woman who stormed into the campaign office of Taiwan's opposition Democratic Progressive Party armed with a knife. No injuries were reported.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America , Goldman Sachs and Citigroup could be among companies that beat estimates when they report next week, Thomson Reuters StarMine forecasts show.

New York City police killed a resident of a home that was being burglarized Thursday night while he apparently was rushing to help his brother.

LONDON (Reuters) - Standard & Poor's is set to downgrade the credit ratings of France and Austria by one notch each, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing an unnamed official. Related Stories World stocks fall prior to S&P cuts S&P downgrades nine euro zone countries SNB official says Hildebrand scandal a one-off - report Merkel says Europe must move quickly after S&P downgrades Austria finance minister sees S&P downgrade as wake-up call

PARIS (Reuters) - France has been notified that Standard & Poor's has cut its triple-A credit rating by one notch to AA+ and will step up reforms to shore up its economy, Finance Minister Francois Baroin said on Friday. Related Stories World stocks fall prior to S&P cuts S&P downgrades nine euro zone countries SNB official says Hildebrand scandal a one-off - report Merkel says Europe must move quickly after S&P downgrades Austria finance minister sees S&P downgrade as wake-up call

Francesco Schettino, the captain of the sunken cruise ship Costa Concordia, has been arrested as three people are confirmed dead and with at least 69 people still missing.

The Obama administration is preparing to send an ambassador to Burma for the first time in 24 years, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday in a further sign of the thaw in relations between the two countries. Read full article >>

Cowes has been dropped as the UK host venue of the Extreme Sailing Series after Cardiff made a successful £725,000 bid to stage the event over the next three years.

A Peruvian court on Friday sentenced Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot to 28 years in prison for killing a woman in Lima in 2010, five years to the day after American teenager Natalee Holloway disappeared in Aruba.

Combined with a snag in talks between Greece and its creditors, the ratings agency Standard & Poor’s action served as a reminder that Europe has found no solution to its debt turmoil.

Nigeria's government and unions prepared for last-ditch talks Saturday to end a week-old nationwide strike over fuel prices and avert an oil production halt in Africa's largest crude exporter.

Rival Libyan militias clashed south of the capital on Friday, firing machine guns and rockets at one another in fighting that left at least two people dead, officials said.

In an effort to improve the quality of education in medical colleges, the Medical Council of India (MCI) is encouraging continuous professional development of medical teachers.

Senior guard Matt Gatens scored 19 points and Iowa beat No. 13 Michigan 75-59 on Saturday.

Breaking news from your editors at Fast Company, with updates all day. Shaadi.com Launches "Angry Brides" Facebook Game. Indian matchmaking giant Shaadi.com (#39 on Fast Company's list of Most Innovative Companies of 2011) has launched a Facebook game to tackle dowry, a thorny matrimonial issue in India. In the game, "Angry Brides," players play a many-armed bride who can hurl shoes, veggies, even knives, at dowry seeking targets. --NS --Updated 10:00 a.m. EST Delhi High Court Issues Summons To Facebook, Google. A Delhi High Court has issued summons to Google, Facebook, and other Internet companies in an ongoing battle in India over user content on websites. The issue swirls around religiously offensive and other "objectionable" content on the websites, which the companies are being asked to take down. The companies have been asked to appear in court on March 13 and face criminal charges for allegedly hosting inappropriate content. --NS --Updated 8:30 a.m. EST iPhone 5 Could..

In the hushed darkness of a crowded theater, the spotlight finds a young man in a wheelchair at center stage, his hands clenched, his head tilted, his motionless body leaning to one side. His first words are a declaration, uttered with a sense of urgency.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators looking at whether Google manipulates its search results to favor its own products have expanded the probe to include Google+, the search giant's new social networking tool, a source familiar with the probe said on Friday.

LONDON (Reuters) - The case of an Oxford University astrophysicist who was found dead in mysterious circumstances took a dramatic twist on Friday when his wife said she believed the death was an accident and not murder as initially suspected.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A stranded Russian science satellite, loaded with rocket fuel for a roundtrip mission to Mars, is expected to plunge back to Earth on Sunday, but officials said on Friday they don't know when or where it will hit.

A new study on the effectiveness of public charter schools concludes that most of the research on the subject has been conducted with methods that “tell us little about causal effects.” The study, just published in the journal Science, was conducted by two well-known researchers: Julian Betts, an educational economist at the University of California at San Diego and executive director of the San Diego Education Research Alliance, and Richard Atkinson, president emeritus of the University of California, former director of the National Science Foundation and professor emeritus of cognitive science and psychology at UC San Diego. Read full article >>

By cartoonist Leon Kuhn whose work can also be seen on his own website http://www.leonkuhn.org.uk where postcards of some of his cartoons can be ordered.

See Leon Kuhn's page on "SpideredNews | Politics" at http://www.spiderednews.com/LeonKuhn.htm

Martin Savidge reports on how a victim's family is reacting to a governor's pardon that freed their loved one's killer.

Rescue crews will continue their search of the Costa Concordia in the morning. Barbie Nadeau reports.

Tehran claims it has strong evidence that this week's attack on one of its nuclear scientists was planned and coordinated by the CIA. NBC’s Ali Arouzi reports. (Nightly News)

After months of controversy, a quote on the Martin Luther King Jr.’s memorial will be changed to more fully reflect what the civil right leader said. NBC’s Lester Holt reports. (Nightly News)

American Vivian Shafer describes what happened after the cruise ship she was vacationing on ran aground.

A suicide bomber leaves more than 50 dead and many wounded in Southern Iraq. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reports.

Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno made his first public statements since being fired in the wake of a child sex scandal. As Maurice Dubois reports, Paterno says he "didn't feel adequate" to handle reports of child sex abuse.

On government orders, airlines are changing the way passengers buy ticket so they know the real costs, including all the taxes and fees. NBC’s Tom Costello reports. (Nightly News)

The central plateau region of Haiti was largely spared from the earthquake's physical impact, but not from the economic devastation. Maurice Dubois takes a look at how Haiti's peanut crop is saving lives and creating new economic opportunities.

With one week left until the South Carolina primary, Republican candidates for the presidential nomination are pulling out all the stops to slow the momentum of frontrunner Mitt Romney. Maurice Dubois speaks with CBS News political director John Dickerson for more perspective on the GOP race.

Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, in an interview with The Washington Post, expresses disappointment that he didn't do more to find out what was being done about Jerry Sandusky's alleged behavior. NBC national Investigative Correspondent Michael Isikoff reports. (Nightly News)

CNN's Ralitsa Vassileva speaks with a passenger whose honeymoon was interrupted by the cruise disaster in Italy.

The leading companies in tech are talking about all sorts of new ways to interact with your electronic devices. A lot of that was on display at the just concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. NBC's George Lewis reports. (Nightly News)

President Obama is pushing his new plan to help U.S. companies "insource" -- bring more jobs home. Elaine Quijano reports on Arise Virtual Solutions, a Florida-based company that's bringing 11,000 call center jobs back home.

Jan. 14 - Fifteen-year-old Guo Xiaoqi pulled her friend from the path of a speeding car only to be struck herself. Deborah Gembara reports.

Jan 15 - Police clash with Kosovo protesters who attempt to block traffic entering from Serbia. Michaela Cabrera reports.

Two passengers have been found alive on the submerged cruise ship Costa Concordia, more than 24 hours after it ran aground off the Italian coast.

Seal pups found stranded on the Dutch coast after stormy weather are being nurtured back to health at a rehabilitation center in England. NBC’s Duncan Golestani reports from London. (Nightly News)

The emir of Qatar says Arab troops should be deployed in Syria to stop the killing. Watch Bob Simon's report on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Ruth Williams says Romney gave her money after hearing her story.

Jan. 14 - Survivors of a capsized Italian cruise ship say they swam furiously to avoid getting trapped under the collapsed vessel. Deborah Gembara reports.

Safety measures aboard the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia were lax or unenforced, according to comments from surviving passengers. Tony Guida examines the safety record of the Costa line.

The Family Research Council president announced that a group of Christian conservative leaders are backing Rick Santorum.

CNN's Ralitsa Vassileva reports on the aftermath of a cruise ship accident in Italy.

Panic ensues after a luxury cruise ship dubbed the “Floating Temple of Fun” runs aground off Italy. NBC’s Claudio Lavanga reports. (Nightly News)

Much of the country is in a deep freeze after unseasonably warm weather. The Weather Channel’s Mike Seidel reports. (Nightly News)

Movie critic Grae Drake joins Fredricka Whitfield to discuss nominations for the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards.

A Russian tanker sitting about a mile off Nome, Alaska, prepares to pump a million gallons of gas to the fuel-starved city. Lester Holt reports. (Nightly News)

Thieves in Manchester have dug a 30m tunnel and used machinery to cut through almost 40cm of concrete to steal money from a cash machine.

Saturday: The cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off a small island near the coast of Tuscany, Italy, killing at least three; Also, Elaine Quijano reports on Arise Virtual Solutions, a Florida-based company that's bringing 11,000 call center jobs back to the U.S.; And, Maurice Dubois takes a look at how Haiti's peanut crop is saving lives and creating new economic opportunities.

Selection of this week's best video games including "Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City," "Hitman: Absolution," and "The Darkness II."

The cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground off a small island near the coast of Tuscany, Italy, just north of Rome. Allen Pizzey gets first-hand accounts of the fear and panic onboard from some of the cruise survivors.

A major push by social conservatives involves 150 evangelical leaders uniting behind one of Mitt Romney’s rivals to stop him from running away with the nomination. NBC’s Peter Alexander reports. (Nightly News)

Tech Guru Marc Saltzman joins Fredricka Whitfield and shares his favorite gadgets from this year's CES.

Employers seem to get the message that workers can’t disconnect from work-related emails. NBC’s Ron Allen reports. (Nightly News)

We ask one of President Obama's closest advisers to give us a personal perspective of the president.

As the South Carolina primary looms, 2012 GOP presidential candidates hope to gain the backing evangelical voters. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports. (Nightly News)

Chicago Sun-Times personal finance columnist Terry Savage lists the 3 biggest money mistakes people make.

State budget cuts hurt families who need help paying for child care. CNN's Athena Jones explains.

Fareed's take on Mitt Romney and the Republican field.

Jan 15 - A truck in China's Hunan province accidentally drops its cargo of fireworks, lighting up a tunnel with red and green sparks. Michaela Cabrera reports.

GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum won the endorsement of a powerful group of evangelical leaders. Bill Whitaker reports on the impact it could have in the race for the Republican nomination.

Jan. 13 - Summary of business headlines: Stocks posted modest decline on S&P downgrade talk; Quarterly profits drop at JP Morgan Chase; Consumer sentiment rises, trade deficit hits five-month high; Apple face iPhone sales glitch in China. Conway Gittens reports.

Actress Heather Locklear left a Los Angeles hospital on Friday amid rumors that an undisclosed medical emergency at her Thousand Oaks home the day before was the result of a suicide attempt. NBC’s Kristen Dahlgren reports. (TODAY)

A woman who was aboard the ship that ran aground in Italy describes what happened.

Many of Mitt Romney's opponents are attacking him with ads that claim he killed jobs during his previous career with the private equities firm Bain Capital. Wyatt Andrews takes a look at exactly what Romney accomplished in his time there.

Evangelical Christian leaders gather in Texas to look for a candidate to endorse. CNN's Ed Lavandera reports.

The first lady sat down with Gayle King to discuss how much she loves her job and how much she puts into it, calling herself "a 112 percenter"

TODAY’s Lester Holt and Amy Robach press the rewind button on the big party TODAY threw itself this week to mark 60 years of award-winning morning television. (TODAY)

S&P put France on notice on Friday it intends to lower the country's cherished AAA credit rating. WSJ's Thorold Barker and Francesco Guerrera visit Mean Street to discuss the impact on France and the Eurozone. Photo: AP