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Prominent Harvard history professor Niall Ferguson apologized Saturday for saying in a public speech that economist John Maynard Keynes’ policies were too short-sighted because he was gay and did not have children. “My disagreements with Keynes’ economic philosophy have never had anything to do with his sexual orientation,” Ferguson said in a statement . “It is simply false to suggest, as I did, that his approach to economic policy was inspired by any aspect of his personal life.” Ferguson made the remarks at the Altegris Strategic Investment Conference in Carlsbad, Calif. this week. He was responding to a question about Keynes’ oft-quoted warning against thinking too far ahead while making economic policy, “In the long run we are all dead.” Ferguson said that children and grandchildren bear such ‘long-run’ burdens of economic policies, which, he argued, Keynes did not understand. In his apology Saturday, Ferguson wrote: “This was doubly stupid. First, it is obvious that people who do

The 20-year-old revealed on Twitter that she landed the number one spot on Maxim's annual Hot 100 list. The "Can't Be Tamed" singer tweeted on Friday night: Can't help but wonder if Maxim knew the list was coming out yet, either? It seems Cyrus's tweet was the first time most people heard about the news. Bar Refaeli won the coveted title in 2012 (fun fact: Amanda Bynes was number 59 last year). Other stars who have topped the list include Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Katy Perry, and Olivia Wilde. Cyrus has been making the press rounds to promote her upcoming album, and just last week Liam Hemsworth's fiancée showed off quite the sultry side in a provocative shoot for V Magazine. Can't wait to more (official) photos from the Maxim shoot! What do you think of Cyrus being crowned the hottest woman in the world? Sound off below! via www.Omg.Yahoo.com

Advocates for a 19-year-old Cambridge man charged with lying to federal investigators after the Boston Marathon bombings are calling on a federal judge to release him from jail Monday, saying he had “nothing to do” with the deadly attack. In court documents filed Saturday, his lawyers and supporters said Robel Phillipos is a doting and civic-minded young man and that the authorities’ claims that he gave conflicting accounts to them is “refutable.” He has a detention hearing Monday in US District Court in Boston. “This case is about a frightened and confused 19 year old who was subjected to intense questioning and interrogation, without the benefit of counsel, and in the context of one of the worst attacks against the nation,” lawyers Derege B. Demissie and Susan B. Church of Cambridge said in court documents. “The weight of the federal government under such circumstances can have a devastatingly crushing effect on the ability of an adolescent to withstand the enormous pressure and resp

BEIRUT, Lebanon — A series of powerful explosions rocked the outskirts of Damascus early Sunday morning, which Syrian state television said was the result of Israeli missile attacks on a Syrian military installation. aIf true, it would be the second Israeli airstrike in Syria in two days and the third this year. The airstrike that Israeli warplanes carried out in Syria overnight on Thursday was directed at a shipment of advanced surface-to-surface missiles from Iran that Israel believed was intended for Hezbollah, American officials said Saturday. That strike was aimed at disrupting the arms pipeline that runs from Syria to Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese organization, and it highlighted the mounting stakes for Hezbollah and Israel as Syria becomes more chaotic. Iran and Hezbollah have both backed President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war, now in its third year. But as fighting in Syria escalates, they also have a powerful interest in expediting the delivery of advanced weapon

The Texas fertilizer plant that exploded last month, killing 14 people, injuring more than 200 others and causing tens of millions of dollars in damage to the surrounding area had only $1 million in liability coverage, lawyers said Saturday. Tyler lawyer Randy C. Roberts said he and other attorneys who have filed lawsuits against West Fertilizer’s owners were told Thursday that the plant carried only $1 million in liability insurance. Brook Laskey, an attorney hired by the plant’s insurer to represent West Fertilizer Co., confirmed the amount Saturday in an email to The Associated Press, after the Dallas Morning News first reported it. ‘‘The bottom line is, this lack of insurance coverage is just consistent with the overall lack of responsibility we’ve seen from the fertilizer plant, starting from the fact that from day one they have yet to acknowledge responsibility,’’ Roberts said. Roberts said he expects the plant’s owner to ask a judge to divide the $1 million in insurance money

2 bodies at crash site where united states plan cashed in Kyrgyzstan. Remains of two bodies have been found in the wreckage of a U.S. military plane that crashed in Kyrgyzstan, and authorities are still looking for a third person who was on board, officials said. The refueling plane exploded in mid air when its cargo of fuel ignited on its way to Afghanistan on Friday, accident investigators said. Reuters reports Experts were still trying to work out what led up to the crash, said Kuvan Mamakeev, the Kyrgyz state prosecutor responsible for investigating transport crimes and accidents. "It could be because of the fuel, because of the engine, the weather conditions or the human factor," he told Reuters. Remains of the two bodies were found on Saturday, and a third person on board was still unaccounted for, Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Emergency Situations, Kubatbek Boronov, added. The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker took off from the U.S. military transit center at Kyrgyzstan's

Divisions and tensions within Government over the abortion legislation have escalated after the intervention of the Catholic bishops, with both sides now targeting the upcoming committee hearings to make amendments to the controversial bill agreed last week, the Sunday Independent can reveal. Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been warned by rebels on the Fine Gael pro-life wing of the party that "the war is not yet over" when it comes to the Government's proposal to legislate for the X Case. And Labour TDs and senators are adamant this weekend that no further restrictions would be tolerated saying that the expert group recommendations represent for them a "bottom line". Independent reported Senator Ivana Bacik said this weekend that the recommendations of the expert group, contained in the new bill, represent a "bottom line" for the Labour party and members are adamant that no undoing of that will be allowed to happen. "Yes, that is our bottom line. It w

At least 39 people have been killed in Nigeria's Taraba state as clashes broke out between Christians and Muslims at a funeral, say reports. Residents said Friday's violence broke out as a funeral procession for a traditional leader passed through a Muslim area of Wukari town. A 24-hour curfew has been imposed on the town by police. Tensions have been high in Wukari since February, when a row over a football dispute set off sectarian rioting. Local reports say that Friday's funeral was being held by the predominantly Christian Jukun ethnic group. As the mourners passed through a Muslim area of the town they began chanting slogans which angered the residents there, say the reports. One aid worker told the AFP news agency that 20 bodies had been collected so far. "We are still going round the town in search of more bodies," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Football clashes Joseph Kwaji, a spokesman for the Taraba state police, said the situation was now

Tom Knapp , an amazing sharpshooter, died in Rochester, Minn. He was famous for shooting shooting golf balls, aspirin and other items from the air. According to a May 3 report by the New York Times, the cause of death was pulmonary fibrosis. Tom Knapp starred on “Sharpshooters” on the History Channel as well as “Shooting Stars” on Discovery. He was best known for his use of a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun. Over three million viewers saw a video of Tom Knapp on YouTube. He was seen shooting his 12-gauge shotgun from his hip, over is head and from behind his back. Each time, Tom Knapp hit the objects that were in the air. Tom Knapp has been compared to Annie Oakley and A.H. Bogardus. He was inspired by Herb Parsons, trick shooter that toured the US from the 1930 to the 1950s. He was given his first gun at the age of nine and saw Herb Parsons perform on television when he was 10. That made him want to be a trick shooter too. Tom Knapp is survived by is wife, Colleen, two stepchildren, fou

The so-called “Nazi Bride” goes on trial Monday over her alleged role in the killings of nearly a dozen people as well as bombings and numerous bank robberies in Germany, NBC News reported May 4. Beate Zschaepe is dubbed the “Nazi Bride” because she is apparently the sole surviving member of the National Socialist Underground, a neo-Nazi terror cell accused of a seven-year racist killing spree. Zschaepe is accused of complicity in the murder of eight ethnic Turks, a Greek and a policewoman, two bombings and 15 bank robberies. But a German federal prosecutor argues that the “Nazi Bride” actually had a much more active role in the killings and crime spree — that she wasn’t merely a sidekick. Two other alleged accomplices have taken their own lives. They and Zschaepe have been described as a “unified killing commando” that was responsible for a series of execution-style murders. Women have been playing a more prominent role in Germany’s neo-Nazi scene and have gained influence in far-ri

The Syrian state news agency SANA, citing initial reports, said early Sunday that Israeli missiles struck a military research center near the capital Damascus. If confirmed, it would be the second Israeli strike on targets in Syria in three days, signaling a sharp escalation of Israel's involvement in Syria's bloody civil war. Israel has said it will not allow sophisticated weapons to flow from Syria to the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad and a heavily armed foe of the Jewish state. Two previous Israeli airstrikes, one in January and one on Friday, targeted weapons shipments apparently bound for Hezbollah, Israeli and U.S. officials have said. Usatoday reports Israeli officials were not immediately available for comment on the reports of a new strike Sunday. In Washington, a Pentagon spokeswoman said she had no information relating to the report by Syrian state media. SANA said explosions went off at the Jamraya research center near Damascus

Eight soldiers with the American-led military coalition were killed Saturday, making it the bloodiest day this year for Western troops fighting here. Two were shot in an insider attack, one died in a small-arms attack and five Americans were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb, according to statements from the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan officials. Nytimes reports The explosion that killed the five American soldiers took place in the Maiwand district in western Kandahar Province, said Jawed Faisal, a spokesman for the governor of Kandahar. The soldiers were driving toward villages from central Maiwand when they were attacked, he said. Capt. Dan Einert, a spokesman for the international coalition here, confirmed that the five soldiers were Americans. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the insider attack in Farah Province in western Afghanistan, where an Afghan National Army soldier turned his weapon on his trainers after an argument, said Lt

Federal authorities are placing intense pressure on what they know to be the inner circle of the two Boston Marathon bombing suspects, arresting three college buddies of surviving brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and keeping Tamerlan Tsarnaev's 24-year-old widow, Katherine Russell, in the public eye with their open surveillance and leaks to media about investigators' focus on her. Foxnews reports Legal experts say it's part of their quest not just to determine whether Russell and the friends are culpable but also to push for as much information as possible regarding whether the bombing suspects had ties to a terrorism network or accomplices working domestically or abroad. A primary goal is to push the widow and friends to give their full cooperation, according to the experts. Russell is "assisting" investigators, a source close to her tells Fox News, though reports say she may not be fully cooperating. David Zlotnick, a professor of law at Roger Williams University and

Alaska's Cleveland Volcano is undergoing a continuous low-level eruption following an explosion early Saturday morning, scientists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the U.S. Geological Survey said. Foxnews reports Satellites and cameras suggest low-level emissions of gas, steam and ash, scientists said, and satellites detected highly elevated surface temperatures at the summit. A faint plume of ash extended eastward below 15,000 feet, but the Federal Aviation Administration said there were no flight restrictions as a result. "Sudden explosions of blocks and ash are possible with little or no warning," scientists said. "Ash clouds, if produced, could exceed 20,000 feet above sea level." The aviation alert level was raised from "yellow" to "orange." A major ash emission could threaten international flights. The activity began with an explosion at 5 a.m. Saturday, followed by two others at 9:17 and 11:44 a.m. A nearby seismic network detec

A series of powerful explosions rocked the outskirts of Damascus early Sunday morning, which Syrian state television said was the result of Israeli missile attacks on a Syrian military installation. If true, it would be the second Israeli airstrike in Syria in two days and the third this year. Nytimes reports The airstrike that Israeli warplanes carried out in Syria overnight on Thursday was directed at a shipment of advanced surface-to-surface missiles from Iran that Israel believed was intended for Hezbollah, American officials said Saturday. That strike was aimed at disrupting the arms pipeline that runs from Iran via Syria to Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese organization, and it highlighted the mounting stakes for Hezbollah and Israel as Syria becomes more chaotic. Iran and Hezbollah have both backed PresidentBashar al-Assadin the Syrian civil war, now in its third year. But as fighting in Syria escalates, they also have a powerful interest in expediting the delivery of advance

Many people are outraged soon after an act of faith cost a local track team a win and a chance to advance to the state championships. The God gesture disqualified the boys Columbus High School 4 X 100 relay team after they won the regional meet and were on their way to the Texas state championships. As WFAA explained on May. 2, the team was disqualified after one of the runners, Derrick Hayes, pointed up to the sky. "It's a sad deal. I think it's a travesty. Those kids work hard," says K.C. Hayes, the boy's father. "As a team they reached their goal and in an instant it was just gone, over something we think is a non-issue. I guess someone else thinks it is an issue. He just said dad I was pointing at the heavens" K.C. Hayes said. The call to disqualify the team was made by a judge with the University Interscholastic League or UIL, which enforces the rules for high school athletics. "For those kids the work they put in, what are we teaching them?

Miley tops Maxim news was broke by none other than Miley cyrus herself after star surprised all her on fans on twitter by revealing her No, 1 status on Maxim hot 100 list. Miley Cyrus has shared that she is on the Maxim Hot 100 list. The Daily Mail reports on May 4 that Miley tops the Maxim list and will be replacing Bar Refaeli. The magazine has not officially announced the Hot 100, but Cyrus already revealed the news by posting on Twitter. Miley Cyrus is at the top of the Maxim Hot 100 list, and the 20-year-old is not keeping it quiet. Miley used her official Twitter account to thank her fans and announce she is on the list. She also used the tweet to introduce her followers to her new Instagram account by posting her first photo. Cyrus moved up from the 68th spot she earned last year to the top of the list on the Hot 100. Maxim will officially reveal the list on May 15, but Miley Cyrus could not keep the information secret and already shared the news on Twitter. Despite her excite

God gesture disqualifies team after officials deemed it to be an example of “excessive celebration.” The track team will now miss out on the chance to compete at State level. “God” gesture disqualified a team at a Texas high school on Friday. Columbus High School’s Mighty Cardinals track team wrapped up victory in the 4 x 100m relay, beating the rest of the field by a clear seven yards, when runner Derrick Hayes pointed to the sky to thank what he saw as a divine influence. "It's a sad deal. I think it's a travesty. Those kids work hard," says K.C. Hayes, the boy's father. The God gesture disqualified the team after officials deemed it to be an example of “excessive celebration.” The track team will now miss out on the chance to compete at State level. Examiner reports However, the nature of the celebration which caused the team to be disqualified is still up for debate. The Hollywood Gossip reports: “Many in the town, including the runner’s father, called it a v

 Miley tops Maxim came as surprise for his fans as she revealed the info via twitter. Miley tops Maxim magazines Hot 100 list and she was so excited about it that she spilled the beans before the magazine even announced it. According to MTV on May 4, Miley Cyrus tweeted that she ranked first on their list. In the tweet, Miley said she didn't know it was coming out already and said she was happy to rank first and thanked her fans, while also saying that dreams come true. The strange thing about that statement is that the magazine has not come out yet, and the news was not announced by Maxim magazine, so there is no telling why Miley thought it was already out. The announcement comes at the same time that Cyrus has posed in edgy and revealing photographs for V magazine, proving that she is no longer the wholesome Disney princess that she used to be. Last year, Cyrus finished in 68th place while Bar Rafaeli won the entire shebang. Since the voting is by readers and fans, that would e

E! News hacked by The hackers tweeted an 'exclusive' allegedly from Justin saying 'I’m a gay,' prompting 1,200 retweets and 351 favorites. The group behind the hack has also in the past gotten into accounts for '60 Minutes,' the BBC, NPR, Reuters and the Associated Press. E! Online claimed to have an exclusive of Justin Bieber coming out of the closet, but it turns out the account had been hacked.  Don’t Belieb a word of it. The Twitter account for E! Online was hacked Saturday by a group which quickly began spreading bogus 140-character bits of celebrity gossip to its 5 million followers. Nydailynews reports Tweets from the Syrian Electronic Army were posted after E! Online's Twitter account was hacked on Saturday.  “Exclusive: Justin Bieber to E!online: I’m a gay,” the E! Online account announced — prompting 1,200 retweets and 351 favorites. A group billing itself as the Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for the takeover. The SEA was also beh

Miley tops Maxim She Revealed Her Fans of Topping 'Maxim' Hot 100 List. Miley Cyrus' fans weren't surprised when she told them she was hot on Twitter. (Have you seen her V magazine cover?) But they were surprised when she told them she was named No. 1 on Maxim's Hot 100 list... before the men's magazine got a chance to do so themselves. On Friday night, the former Hannah Montana star tweeted a photo of herself reclining on the beach in a revealing swimsuit and told followers, "Didn't know this was coming out! I'm so happy to be #1 on Maxims HOT 100! #myfanskickass #dreamsdocometrue." Hollywood reports Sure, you could scoff at Cyrus' claim that the honor is a "dream come true," and the fact that the singer/actress leaked the news, but there's no denying she deserves the title — the former child star has proven she's all grown up in a series of photo shoots this year. Plus, it's nice to see Maxim — a publication that nam

Pit bull saves woman from Fire of burning Building. Woman from the New York was saved from her burning home on Friday after a pit bull barked to alert her that the blaze was spreading through the house. Jackie Bonasera, of Long Island, did not notice the fire was spreading as she was upstairs in the bathroom and drying her hair, reported NBC News . When she heard the pit bull barking, she went downstairs and noticed the fire. “I ran out of the house and my neighbors came running over, and then I thought about the dog – I’m like, ‘He saved my life, I have to save his,’” she told the station. “So I just put my robe over my face and I ran back in and I grabbed the dog and then I stood out here and I watched my house burn,” she said. If the dog–named Cain–did not bark, she would have likely died, Bonasera said. Bonasera’s daughter, Alexus Stallworth, called the dog a hero. “They have such bad reps, but he’s such a good boy,” she said. This isn’t the fire time a pit bull has reported

Pit bull saves woman from Fire of Burning House. Authorities said a pit bull saved a woman after her Long Island home caught fire on Friday. NBC New York reported that the dog barked to alert the woman as flames started spreading throughout the house. Jackie Bonasera said she was drying her hair when she heard the dog barking. She said she ran downstairs and saw the flames on the side of her garage. She was able to escape the house. "I ran out of the house and my neighbors came running over, and then I thought about the dog – I'm like, 'He saved my life, I have to save his,'" Bonasera recounted. "So I just put my robe over my face and I ran back in and I grabbed the dog and then I stood out here and I watched my house burn," she said. Bonasera believes she would have been trapped upstairs if the dog, named Cain, hadn't alerted her to the fire. Bonasera's daughter, Alexus Stallworth, said Cain is "the town hero." "He's a

Whoops! Miley Cyrus had one sexy slip-up via Twitter. The 20-year-old star took to her social media to reveal that she has been crowned No. 1 on Maxim’s Hot 100 list, blowing the lid on the mag’s annual round up before they publicly announced it. Miley Cryus shows some skin with a cropped floral top, cutoff jean shorts and black boots while out in Los Angeles. “Didn't know this was coming out yet! I'm so happy to be #1 on Maxims HOT 100! #myfanskickass #dreamsdocometrue,” she wrote next to an eye-catching photo of herself from inside the mag. Miley Cyrus' Twitter photo from August 15, 2012, caption reads, "It was just one of those CUHHH-RAZY pant days" In the shot, Cryus, who is engaged to actor Liam Hemsworth, is seen posing on her side showing off her curves in a gold swimsuit. The singer has replaced model Bar Refaeli, who grabbed Maxim’s coveted “hot” title in 2012. Cyrus was recently featured in a series of racy shots flaunting her figure in V Magazin

God gesture disqualifies team from the Texas State Championship. Members of a boys 4 X 100 meter relay high school track team in Texas were left in tears last weekend after the University Interscholastic League of Texas disqualified them from competing in the state championships because the team's anchor runner made a "religious gesture" as he crossed the finish line to win their regional title. The runner, Derrick Hayes reportedly lifted a finger to the sky in celebration, as he wrapped up the win for Columbus High School. According to his father, K.C. Hayes, he was simply pointing to God. But UIL officials disagreed and slapped the team with an "unsporting conduct" charge, disqualifying them from participating in the state championships. Christianpost reports "It's a sad deal. I think it's a travesty. Those kids work hard," K.C. Hayes told My FOX Houston. "As a team they reached their goal and in an instant it was just

Miley tops Maxim hottest woman of year 2013. The star revlead the info via twitter. Miley Cyrus reveals that she’s Maxim’s hottest woman of 2013, Miley Cyrus decided to leak the news that she placed No. 1 on Maxim’s Hot 100 list for 2013. According to a May 4 report by E! Online, Miley took to Twitter to let her fans know that they helped her snag the top spot. So all that twerking really paid off. Miley tweeted, “Didn't know this was coming out yet! I'm so happy to be #1 on Maxims HOT 100! #myfanskickass #dreamsdocometrue.” Maxim was probably a little miffed that Miley Cyrus decided to leak the news before the site made its official announcement, but it’s fitting that Miley decided to use Twitter to break the news -- Maxim readers vote on who gets to top the Hot 100 every year, so Miley started using the social media site to encourage her fans to vote for her so that she would win the title of the hottest woman of 2013. Miley beat a bevvy of beautiful models, s

God gesture disqualifies team from State Championship. People are outraged after an act of faith cost a local track team a win and a chance to advance to the state championships. The God gesture disqualified the boys Columbus High School 4 X 100 relay team after they won the regional meet and were on their way to the Texas state championships. As WFAA explained on May. 2, the team was disqualified after one of the runners, Derrick Hayes, pointed up to the sky. "It's a sad deal. I think it's a travesty. Those kids work hard," says K.C. Hayes, the boy's father. "As a team they reached their goal and in an instant it was just gone, over something we think is a non-issue. I guess someone else thinks it is an issue. He just said dad I was pointing at the heavens" K.C. Hayes said. Nationalreview reports The call to disqualify the team was made by a judge with the University Interscholastic League or UIL, which enforces the rules for high schoo

Miley tops Maxim hot 100 list 20-year-old revealed on Twitter that she landed the number one spot on Maxim's annual Hot 100 list. The "Can't Be Tamed" singer tweeted on Friday night: Can't help but wonder if Maxim knew the list was coming out yet, either? It seems Cyrus's tweet was the first time most people heard about the news. Omg.yahoo reports Bar Refaeli won the coveted title in 2012 (fun fact: Amanda Bynes was number 59 last year). Other stars who have topped the list include Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Katy Perry, and Olivia Wilde. Cyrus has been making the press rounds to promote her upcoming album, and just last week Liam Hemsworth's fiancée showed off quite the sultry side in a provocative shoot for V Magazine. Can't wait to more (official) photos from the Maxim shoot! What do you think of Cyrus being crowned the hottest woman in the world? Sound off below!

God gesture disqualifies team from School Track Team. Some people are outraged after a high school track team is disqualified from competing in state finals because one runner made a religious gesture. In just a few seconds the boys Columbus High School 4 X 100 relay team went from winning the regional meet, heading to state championships to having it all stripped away. How did the "W" so quickly become "DQ"? Well. when the anchor of the relay team crossed the finish line, he won the race, raised his finger to the sky and that gesture caused the winning regional's relay team to be disqualified. Foxnews reported "It's a sad deal. I think it's a travesty. Those kids work hard," says K.C. Hayes. Hayes' son Derrick Hayes is the runner who won the race then pointed to God, turning a once in a lifetime opportunity into a huge heartbreak that will likely last his lifetime. "As a team they reached their goal and in an instant it was just gone

Pit bull saves woman from the burning building. Dog Pit bull saved a woman from a fire in her Long Island, New York home on Friday, barking to alert her as the flames began to spread from the front to the back of the house. Jackie Bonasera said she was drying her hair in an upstairs bathroom of the home on Gabriele Drive in East Norwich when she heard the dog barking. She ran downstairs and saw the flames on the side of her garage. She was able to escape the house. "I ran out of the house and my neighbors came running over, and then I thought about the dog – I'm like, 'He saved my life, I have to save his,'" Bonasera recounted. Nbcnews reports "So I just put my robe over my face and I ran back in and I grabbed the dog and then I stood out here and I watched my house burn," she said. Bonasera believes she would have been trapped upstairs if the dog, named Cain, hadn't alerted her to the fire. Bonasera's daughter, Alexus Stallworth, said Cain is &

Obama blames drugs: President Barack Obama, concluding a three-day visit to Mexico and Costa Rica, is cheering Mexican economic advances and pressing other Central American leaders to deal with poverty and security while reaching out to a politically powerful Latino audience back home. Boosted by reassuring jobs numbers, Obama is calling for greater trade and economic cooperation with the US's southern neighbors, arguing that economic prosperity is the best antidote to drug and gang violence and, by extension, to the illegal immigration that the US is seeking to control. In his radio and Internet address Saturday, Obama also made the case that deepening economic ties with the Americas means more jobs in the United States. "One of the best ways to grow our economy is to sell more goods and services made in America to the rest of the world," he said. "That includes our neighbors to the south." Csmonitor reported During the trip Obama has tried to modulate the e

Reuters) - Boston bands Aerosmith and New Kids on the Block, singer-songwriter James Taylor and country singer Jason Aldean will headline a concert to benefit the victims of last month's Boston Marathon bombing, organizers said on Friday. The May 30 concert at the city's TD Garden arena is also aimed at showing support for the people of Boston after the bombing that killed three people and injured 264. Other artists lined up for "Boston Strong: An Evening of Support and Celebration" include singers Jimmy Buffett and Carole King, the band Boston and the J. Geils Band, concert promoters Live Nation and TD Garden said. "Like so many other proud Bostonians who have been extremely generous, we are honored to step up and do our part to help the victims and their families," said Donnie Wahlberg of former boy band New Kids on the Block. "Hopefully this event will not only raise money, but spirits as well," Wahlberg said in a statement. Boston-born Taylor s

May 3 (Reuters) - Phil Mickelson, spotless with his putter, surged into a two-shot lead at Friday's halfway mark of the Wells Fargo Championship by firing a five-under-par 67 at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. The big lefthander made everything from inside 10 feet on the soft greens, making him 31-for-31 from those distances during the first 36 holes for a nine-under total of 135. Tied for second on 137 were fellow Americans Nick Watney (70) and George McNeil (68), and Australian Scott Gardiner (67), who made four birdies in a row from the sixth in bouncing back after missing his last eight cuts on the PGA Tour. Another stroke away was a group that included world number two Rory McIlroy (71) of Northern Ireland, Englishman Lee Westwood, who shot a 68 despite feeling under the weather with a chest infection, and Australian Rod Pampling (69), the 10th and last alternate to join the field. Mickelson, who considers the course one of his favorites and has finished 12th or bet

Tanzanian journalists and media stakeholders joined their counterparts in the world to mark the world’s Press Freedom Day with fear, doubt and dashed hope. Their fear, doubt and elusive hope are caused by the brutal events that have clouded the Tanzanian media industry during the past few months. Tanzanian journalists, especially those practising ‘watchdog’ journalism that stands for public interest, are in fear because they are being hunted like animals by their tormentors. If they are not kidnapped, tortured or jailed, they are simply shot dead in cold-blood murder by those who are supposed to protect them. Some have suffered acid attacks and are still nursing the wounds till today. If they survive all these deadly attacks, their newspapers or media houses face indefinite closure from the government, simply because these journalists have angered the ruling elite. Tanzania is rapidly becoming one of the worst places to be a serious journalist and, if the situation is not controlled, w

Three Afghan interpreters who worked with British troops launched a legal bid on Friday challenging the U.K. government's decision not to give them the same assistance awarded to Iraqi interpreters, which their lawyers said is dangerous and discriminatory. The move comes after British Prime Minister David Cameron earlier this week said the hundreds of Afghans who have worked with British forces should — if possible — stay in their country to help rebuild. Law firm Leigh Day said interpreters and their families face the threat of retaliation from the Taliban and the British government has a duty to ensure the interpreters are not left exposed to dangers. The firm said it had filed formal proceedings at Britain's High Court on behalf of the three Afghans to seek a judicial review. Iraqis interpreters who qualified were eligible for a one-time package of financial aid or exceptional indefinite leave to enter the U.K., outside normal immigration rules. "The failure by the U.K.

Building a Better Tech School IF all the hopes and hype are warranted, a nondescript third-floor loft in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan offers a glimpse of the future, for New York City and for Cornell University. In truth, it doesn’t look like much — just cubicles and meeting rooms in space donated by Google. But looks deceive; here, with little fanfare, Cornell’s new graduate school of applied sciences is being rolled out.The sparkling, sprawling new campus on Roosevelt Island filled with gee-whiz technology — still just ink on paper. The thousands of students and staff, the transformative effect on the city’s economy, the integration with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology — those all remain in the future, too.But just 13 months after being awarded the prize in Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s contest to create a new science school, Cornell NYC Tech got up and running. Eight students enrolled in January in what is being called the beta class, a one-year master’s program