Senate Republican: Pentagon overstating forced cuts

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said the overall amount of defense spending will actually still rise despite the cuts.STORY HIGHLIGHTSTexas senator believes cuts may not be as bad for defense as the Pentagon saysJohn Cornyn could face criticism from fellow Republicans with GOP strong on defensePentagon would absorb half of the automatic, government-wide spending cutsCuts due to take effect on Friday absent...

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Gaza militants fire rocket into Israel, police there say

JERUSALEM Israeli police say a rocket has been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. A police spokesman says there was damage to a road but no injuries. It's the first such rocket from the Palestinian territory to land in Israel since Israeli-Gaza fighting last November. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says the remains of a rocket were found on Tuesday near the city of Ashkelon, in southern Israel....

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Americans Targeted for Allegedly Running Underage Prostitution in Philippines

Arthur Benjamin is sitting at the edge of a small stage, wearing a lavender Hawaiian shirt and nursing a bottle of San Miguel Light beer. The 6-foot-6 mustachioed Texan lazily watches the half dozen or so girls dancing rather unenergetically around the stage's pole."I forgot your gift again, it's in the car," Benjamin says to one of the girls on stage, shouting above the pop music...

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Ancient continent hides beneath Indian Ocean

The sands of Mauritius are hiding a secret: deep beneath them lurks an ancient continent. Trond Torsvik and colleagues at the University of Oslo, Norway, analysed grains of zircon found on the island's beaches, measuring the balance...

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Putin signs law banning smoking in public places

  MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning smoking in public places in Russia from June, a cornerstone of the government's bid to improve public health, the Kremlin said Monday. The law, called "On protecting the health of citizens from the danger of passive smoking and the consequences of the use of tabacco," makes smoking illegal in restaurants, cafes, hotels, trains...

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South Korea swears in first woman president

STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe inauguration of Park Geun-hye is held in Seoul, South KoreaPark becomes the East Asian nation's first female presidentHer father was Park Chung-hee, who ruled South Korea from 1961 to 1979She's vowed a softer approach to North Korea, hoping to build a "zone of trust"(CNN) -- Park Geun-hye made history Monday by becoming South Korea's first female president, pledging to secure South...

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Michelle Obama makes surprise Oscars appearance

First lady Michelle Obama, on a video screen, announces the winner for best picture along with actor Jack Nicholson at the 85th annual Academy Awards on Feb. 24, 2013, in Hollywood, Calif. / Getty First lady Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at the Oscars, opening the envelope that contained the name of the best-picture winner, "Argo." 51 PhotosOscars 2013: Show highlightsAppearing...

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Oscars 2013: 'Argo' Wins Best Picture

"Argo" took home the top prize as best picture at the Oscars Sunday night, with first lady Michelle Obama announcing the winner from the White House."You directed a hell of a film," co-producer Grant Heslov told director and fellow producer Ben Affleck. "I couldn't be more proud of the film and more proud of our director."Affleck was snubbed in the directing category but humbly...

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Amazon to open market in second-hand MP3s and e-books

A new market for second-hand digital downloads could let us hold virtual yard sales of our ever-growing piles of intangible possessions WHY buy second-hand? For physical goods, the appeal is in the price – you don't mind the creases in a book or rust spots on a car if it's a bargain. Although digital objects...

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Apple, Samsung face onslaught at mobile fair

BARCELONA - Chinese handset makers will lead an onslaught on smartphone titans Samsung and Apple when the world's biggest mobile fair opens on Monday in Barcelona, Spain.Offering big-screen, slick, slim smartphones at lower prices, Chinese manufacturers Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo will leverage the Mobile World Congress to chip away at the mighty duopoly, analysts say.The handset battle is...

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