Son sentenced for stealing mom's millions

2009-12-23 09:03:30

The 85-year-old son of philanthropist Brooke Astor was sentenced Monday to as many as three years in prison for exploiting her mental frailty to plunder her millions.

Suspect in Va. Tech decapitation case pleads guilty

2009-12-22 17:03:04

The suspect accused of killing a fellow graduate student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, better known as Va. Tech, in January, pleaded guilty on Monday, authorities said.

Once-conjoined twins leave hospital on birthday eve

2009-12-22 08:35:57

Formerly conjoined twin sisters Trishna and Krishna were discharged from an Australian hospital yesterday, five weeks after their separation surgery and just in time to celebrate their third birthday.

Berlusconi's popularity rises after attack - poll

2009-12-21 21:30:52

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's approval rating has risen back above 50 percent after an attack against him sparked a wave of sympathy even among opposition voters, an opinion poll showed on Sunday

Brazilian says needles were meant to kill stepson

2009-12-21 15:29:48

A jailed Brazilian admitted in a television interview that he shoved nearly three dozen sewing needles into his 2-year-old stepson because he wanted to kill the boy to spite his wife.

Stepfather stuck boy with needles as revenge

2009-12-21 13:30:04

A Brazilian man publicly confessed to pushing dozens of needles into his 2-year-old stepson, saying Sunday in a jail cell interview that he intended to kill the boy out of spite for his wife and didn't think he would be discovered.

Iran's top dissident cleric Montazeri dies

2009-12-21 10:36:36

Iran's senior dissident cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, has died, official media reported yesterday. He was 87.

Texas polygamist gets 33 years for child sex abuse

2009-12-18 18:45:42

The Texas attorney general's office says a 57-year-old member of a polygamist group has been sentenced to 33 years in prison for the sexual assault of a child.

Fired Afghan envoy starts legal action against UN

2009-12-18 11:27:31

The former deputy UN envoy to Afghanistan, US diplomat Peter Galbraith, said on Thursday that he has launched legal action against the United Nations for firing him without any justification.

British bookies take bets on Woods' divorce

2009-12-18 11:15:02

British bookmaker William Hill is taking bets on just how much Nordegren will get if she decides to divorce the world's No. 1 golfer.

Pakistan stops minister at airport after court ruling

2009-12-18 09:46:52

Pakistani's defence minister was stopped from leaving the country, newsreports said on Friday, after a court struck down an amnesty protecting him and other leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari from prosecution.

Arrested US terror suspects to remain in Pakistan

2009-12-17 22:35:59

A high court of Pakistan on Thursday ordered that the five United States nationals arrested in the country on suspicion of planning terrorist activities are not to be deported.