DHAKA – Tamim Iqbal hammered a rapid fire 85 before England struck back with two quick wickets in the second and final Test against Bangladesh on Saturday.The hosts were strongly placed at 119-1 before reaching 139-3 at lunch on the opening day, losing left-handed Tamim and debutant Jahurul Islam in the space of nine deliveries.Tamim, who offered two chances in a 71-ball knock, put the Eng
The images were shocking - and strange.On Tuesday, thousands of Thai protesters splattered buckets of their own blood outside the Prime Minister's office in Bangkok as a Brahmin priest in flowing white robes lit incense, chanted spells and cast a curse upon the government. As theater, it was both effective and mysterious: clips of the blood curse led international news broadcasts, with viewers a
US President Barack Obama has said that Washington's offer of dialogue with Iran still stands, in his latest New Year message to the Iranian people.He said the Iranian government had chosen to isolate itself but that the US still wanted justice and dignity for Iranians, and less internet censorship.UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he hoped Iranians would be able to freely express their
BEIJING – The trial of four Rio Tinto employees next week will be widely watched as a test of whether China is willing to honour commitments to foreign investors and be a responsible member of the world community.Australian national Stern Hu and three Chinese employees of the mining giant will be in the dock Monday on bribery and trade secrets charges in a case that has upset Australia and
PARIS – President Nicolas Sarkozy's party braced for a potential electoral wipeout in Sunday's final round of regional elections, which an alliance of the rival left hopes will give it a national sweep and a staging ground for 2012 presidential voting.Even damage control was difficult for the conservatives.Sarkozy's UMP party, or Union for a Popular Majority, has ended up pleading with vote
OREGONBoy Scouts coverup of sex abuse allegedThe Boy Scouts of America has long kept an extensive archive of secret documents that chronicle the sexual abuse of young boys by Scout leaders over the years.The perversion files, a nickname the Boy Scouts are said to have used for the documents, have rarely been seen by the public, but that could change in the coming weeks in a Portland, Ore., cour
RALEIGH, N.C. Honestly, with everything that's going on in my personal life, it slipped my mind, said Chris Skidmore, 39, as he sipped a drink on the artificial lawn at North Hills mall in Raleigh. I've been out of work since August of last year.It's not that the average American isn't aware that we still have tens of thousands of troops in Iraq, or that nearly 4,400 U.S military personnel have
LONDON – A three-day strike by British Airways cabin crew affecting thousands of travelers began Saturday after last-ditch talks between the airline's management and union leaders collapsed.The walkout has forced BA to cancel thousands of flights, but it still hopes to operate around 65 percent of its international schedule over the period.The Unite union has gathered some support from unio
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