Currents News 2011

Three widows and tow eldest daughters of Osama Bin Laden have been charged and punished for living Pakistan unlawfully, their lawyer has verified. They have given a jail term of 45 days in jail and fined 10,000 rupees ($114; £71) each. All the women have already served a month of their punishment and are expected to be expelled in two weeks. They have been in Pakistani detention ever since US elite forces killed the al-Qaeda chief last May. The widows – considered to be two Saudi Arabians and...

Earl Scruggs, who died Wednesday at age 88, was the banjo player of his time, right? Right. He defined the sound of a bluegrass band with his banjo style, right? Right. A bluegrass band without a Scruggs-style banjo isn't a bluegrass band, right? It may be a country band, a folk band or some kind of jazz band, but it's not a bluegrass band, is it? Right about that, too. You'd think transforming the way people worldwide play, perceive and enjoy one instrument would be enough of a contribution...

, Calif. (AP) — Adrienne Rich, a fiercely gifted, award-winning poet whose socially conscious verse influenced a generation of feminist, gay rights and anti-war activists, has died. She was 82. Rich died Tuesday at her Santa Cruz home from complications from rheumatoid arthritis, said her son, Pablo Conrad. She had lived in Santa Cruz since the 1980s. Through her writing, Rich explored topics such as women's rights, racism, sexuality, economic justice and love between women. Rich published...

There hasn't been this much excitement over a late-night ball drop since New Year's Eve at Times Square. Friday night, at the stroke of 11, six orbs (five white, one gold) will separate from a mixing drum in an Atlanta TV studio, as the nation braces for the results of the record-breaking $500 million Mega Millions (yes, a half-billion!) lottery. A winning jackpot would be more than 28 percent larger than the largest one to date — $390 million on March 6, 2007. That bonanza was split between...

Richard Norris of Hillsville, Virginia, was shot in the face in 1997 and lost his nose, lips and most movement in his mouth. Since then, he has had multiple life-saving and reconstructive surgeries but none could repair him to the extent where he felt he could return to society. He wore a prosthetic nose and a mask even when entering hospital for the transplant. But last week, during a 36-hour operation, University of Maryland doctors gave him a new face from an anonymous donor whose organs...

Apple- US technology giant has offered to reimburse Australian users who felt misinformed about the 4G competencies of the latest iPad. The Australian’s customer supervisory body has taken Apple to court for bogus marketing because the tablet computer does not function on Australia's 4G network. Apple's lawyers said they were keen to issue an explanation. However the firm does not understand that it misguide to the users. Australia's Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said on Tuesday...

MARILLO, Texas — The captain of a JetBlue aircraft yelled about a bomb and had to be locked out of the cockpit and restrained Tuesday as the Las Vegas-bound flight was diverted to Texas, passengers said. JetBlue Airways said in a statement that the captain of Flight 191 from New York JFK International Airport had a "medical situation" and that the pilot in command of the aircraft elected to land in Amarillo about 10 a.m. Grant Heppes, a 22-year-old passenger from New York City, told The...

It's not the World Cup, but missing the 2012 Olympics can't be a good sign for U.S. soccer. Was Team USA's U-23 squad's loss to El Salvador a fluke, or a worrisome totem of future frustration? South Central Los Angeles: "U.S soccer is an embarassment, it will never be a power house" rschuyler85: "The US will always be behind the rest of the world in soccer, just like the rest of the world will always be behind in football and baseball. Its just how it is. " sent from my iPhone: "When all is...

A Salford woman had acid thrown at her in a bigoted assault as she pushed her baby in a pram along a street. The 29-year-old was walking along Broad Street in Pendleton on Thursday when she was come up to by a man in his 40s. He made a sexual and racist remark to her before throwing a container of acidic liquid over her. The sufferer, who is black, was admitted to hospital with burns to her chest and back, and is in a steady condition. Her baby was not harmed. A police spokesman said it was...

The BBC has called in pest control specialists after rats were observed at Television Centre, home of the newscaster's Today program and the World At One, it was reported. The rodents were dotted at the complex in west London with staff accusing the trouble on overlook at the building following moves to the fresh refitted Broadcasting House in central London and a new media centre in Salford. Associates were said to have seen the comic side with one leaving a phony rat near the desk of...

The fresh census figures reveal that almost half of the Indian population (1.2 billion) has no toilet facility at home but on the other hand more than people own a mobile phone. Only 46.9% of the 246.6 million households have lavatories while 49.8% defecate in the open. The left behind 3.2% utilizes public toilets. Census 2011 data on houses, household services and assets show that 63.2% of homes have a telephone. Analysts claim the data reveal the multifaceted ambiguity s of the Indian...

Jennie Garth and Pet Peter Facinelli have just announced that they will be getting a divorce. 'An Unfinished Affair'.” They married a few years later in 2001 and have 3 daughters together—Luca (14), Lola (9), and Fiona (5). 'Baverly Hills 90210' star and 'Twilight' actor confirmed in a recent statement that they would be ending the marriage. “ While we have decided to end our marriage, we both share the same deep love and devotion to our children. We remain dedicated to raising our...

According to the police sources, a gunman on a scooter has opened direct fire on a Jewish school in the French city of Toulouse, killing of three children and a teacher. A young boy was critically wounded in the attack outside the Ozar Hatorah School in the north-east of the city. Police claim there are parallel with the deaths of three soldiers in two different mishaps in the same area of France last week. The whole three - of North African source- were shot by a man on a scooter. A...

Although huge in her native UK, Katherine Jenkins was an unknown when U.S. audiences saw her wow the crowd with with an elegant waltz on Monday's season-14 premiere of Dancing with the Stars. Here’s the scoop on Mark Ballas ' pretty partner, who tied with Jaleel White for the evening's highest score of 26 out of 30 possible points. PHOTOS: Remember when these stars were on DWTS? She's a Welsh singer. The 31-year-old was born in Neath, Wales and is a classical opera star with several...

Barack Obama gagged last night that David Cameron would coach him the cricket’s rules in return for a visit to a university basketball match in Ohio on the first evening of the Prime Minister's formal tour to the US. Mr. Cameron became the first overseas leader during the Obama presidency to visit on board Air Force One, the authorized Presidential airplane, a privilege that British officials said was planned as a deliberate “flattering remark” to the British PM. Mr. Cameron is unstated to...