U.N. chief alarmed by escalating violence in Syria

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed alarm on Sunday at the worsening violence in Syria, including the reported mass killing of Alawites and alleged firing of long-range missiles on Syrian territory, Ban's spokesman said. "The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued dramatic escalation of violence in Syria over the past several days, and the grave...

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PM Lee congratulates Japan's Shinzo Abe on election win

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has congratulated the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, Mr Shinzo Abe, on the party's victory in the lower house elections.In a letter, Mr Lee said he looks forward to working closely with Mr Abe to improve bilateral ties.Mr Lee said Singapore and Japan share a longstanding and strong relationship and that bilateral relations are...

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Concern over shortage of personnel, arms in Indian Army

NEW DELHI: Concerns were voiced in Rajya Sabha on Monday over national security issues in the wake of severe shortage of personnel and arms in the Indian Army.Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Shanta Kumar (BJP) said it is a matter of grave concern that Indian Army is facing a shortage of 12,500 officers and 30,000 jawans.The shortage has been accepted by defence minister A K Antony and has...

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Experts: No link between Asperger's, violence

NEW YORK (AP) — While an official has said that the 20-year-old gunman in the Connecticut school shooting had Asperger's syndrome, experts say there is no connection between the disorder and violence.Asperger's is a mild form of autism often characterized by social awkwardness."There really is no clear association between Asperger's and violent behavior," said psychologist Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant...

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'We Can't Tolerate This Anymore,' Obama Says

President Barack Obama said at an interfaith prayer service in this mourning community this evening that the country is "left with some hard questions" if it is to curb a rising trend in gun violence, such as the shooting spree Friday at Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary School.After consoling victims' families in classrooms at Newtown High School, the president said he would...

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Absent Chavez dominates Venezuelan state elections

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelans vote on Sunday in state elections that will define the future of opposition leader Henrique Capriles and test political forces ahead of a possible new presidential vote if Hugo Chavez is incapacitated by cancer. The vote for 23 state governorships, of which the opposition controls seven, has been overshadowed by the president's battle to recover from cancer...

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S'pore offers condolences to victims of US school shooting

SINGAPORE: Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam offered his condolences to the victims and families of the Connecticut shooting which left more than 20 dead, including young children.In his Facebook post, Mr Shanmugam said the news is "heartbreaking"."Children are innocent, full of life and promise. Cut down in a hail of bullets by a person with a rifle," he said.He noted there have been...

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We want 'substantial' evidence against Hafeez Saeed: Rehman Malik

NEW DELHI: Pakistan is awaiting "substantial evidence" from India to act against LeT founder and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafeez Saeed, interior minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday. "We need substantial evidence - still waiting for that," Malik said at a function organised by the Observer Research Foundation. He said Pakistan can act against Saeed only if India's evidence can stand up...

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Experts: No link between Asperger's, violence

NEW YORK (AP) — While an official has said that the 20-year-old gunman in the Connecticut school shooting had Asperger's syndrome, experts say there is no connection between the disorder and violence.Asperger's is a mild form of autism often characterized by social awkwardness."There really is no clear association between Asperger's and violent behavior," said psychologist Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant...

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Conn. Victim's Father Remembers 'Loving' Daughter

(Image credit: Emilie Parker Fund/Facebook)Emilie Parker, the little girl with the blond hair and bright blue eyes, would have been one of the first to comfort her classmates at Sandy Hook Elementary School, had a gunman’s bullets not claimed her life, her father said.“My daughter Emilie would be one of the first ones to be standing and giving support to all the victims because that’s the kind...

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