The roof of a shopping mall collapsed in Latvia's capital on Thursday evening, killing four people and trapping dozens of others, officials in the Baltic country said Thursday. The country's national news agency LETA, citing a government official, reported there were four deaths. A toddler was among the injured at the Maxima shopping mall, located on Priedaines Street in western Riga's Zolitude neighborhood, according to LETA. Riga Mayor... [read news]
Michael Audette
Nov
Bad weather is keeping Britain's Prince Harry and a team of UK veterans stranded in South Africa, their take-off point to Antarctica where they will race U.S. and Commonwealth teams on a trek to the South Pole. Swedish actor and "True Blood" star Alexander Skarsgard is an honorary member of the U.S. team, while Dominic West, perhaps best known for his role as McNulty in "The Wire," joins veterans wounded in combat from the Commonwealth... [read news]
Nov
Setting figures big in Barbra Streisand’s “Back to Brooklyn” concert. Recorded over two nights in October 2012 at the Barclays Center, the disc and its accompanying DVD capture Streisand’s first-ever concert in the borough of her birth. Throughout the long evening, Streisand made loving reference to an area of the city she couldn’t wait to escape 50 years ago. Images of her high school (Erasmus), the theater she attended (Loews... [read news]
Nov
The good: The Vitamix 7500 was one of the most consistently powerful blenders that we tested. It's also one of the simplest to use. The bad: With no presets and no timer, it might be a bit too simple. Also, it doesn't dominate the cheaper models as much as you'd think. The bottom line: As tempting as that freakishly powerful motor is, it's difficult to justify the $529 Vitamix over some of the more affordable competitors... [read news]
Nov
In the latest spasm of violence in Lebanon over neighboring Syria's civil war, two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the Iranian Embassy in southern Beirut on Tuesday. At least 23 people died and 146 were injured, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. On Twitter, a radical Sunni group claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying similar assaults would continue until the Iran-supported Shiite group Hezbollah stops sending... [read news]
Nov
The good: The Google Nexus 5 has LTE for multiple carriers, a sleek and solid build, and an excellent price. It makes crystal-clear calls, battery life is long, and integration of Google Now is deep and wide. The bad: The Nexus 5's screen is dimmer than its competitors' and its camera struggles under auto settings. While an important OS update, Android 4.4 KitKat is more conceptual than feature-rich. The bottom line: Strong performance... [read news]
Nov
British Prime Minister David Cameron has given Sri Lanka a March 2014 deadline to hold an independent international inquiry into alleged war crimes during the country's 26-year civil war. Cameron held talks with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa while in the capital of Colombo for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Friday. The summit opened Friday amid concerns about the rights situation after Sri Lanka's war with the... [read news]
Nov
It’s the end of an era -- at least for the current generation of gaming consoles. As patrons impatiently await the release of the Xbox One and the Playstation 4, we’re still preparing ourselves for a world where a forgotten Xbox 360 sits on a shelf and collects dust. As this generation of video games draws to a close, we salute the five best games of 2013. Here are the five most visually stunning, interesting, enthralling and... [read news]
Nov
StepJockey, an initiative promoting the health benefits of stair climbing, has launched its official website and mobile app.The Department of Health-funded scheme aims to tackle obesity and encourage fitness activities by labelling the stairs of the world for calorie burn. The StepJockey website allows participants to calculate the calories burnt climbing a specific set of stairs, whether they are located in their home or office, or even a... [read news]
Nov
If you aren’t already super-pumped about the upcoming Hunger Games movie (though admit it, you definitely are), you’ve now got a reason. Lorde, the wunderkind best known for her chart-topping single “Royals,” will be on the movie’s soundtrack with her cover of the 1985 Tears for Fears hit “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” The New Zealand native, who just turned 17, put a modern, dark and gorgeously haunting twist on the... [read news]
Finance
Games
Health
International
- Syria's warring factions agree to talks, as Al Qaeda leader urges rebels to unite
- Turkey: PM Erdogan vows to fight on amid corruption row
- Dennis Rodman lands in North Korea to train basketball team, news agency says
- EU can help resolve Ukraine concerns about trade deal, diplomat says
- North Korea executes Kim Jong Un's uncle
Movies
- 'Nymphomaniac II' banned from cinemas in Romania
- Robert Redford not upset by Oscar snub, focusing on Sundance Film Festival
- Bruno Mars preps for Superbowl
- 'Desolation of Smaug' review: Vast improvement over first 'Hobbit,' but cliffhanger could rile
- 'Saving Mr. Banks' review: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks perfect in year's best film
Music
- Grammys 2014: Paul McCartney wins, performs with Ringo Starr
- Critics: Taxpayer money wasted in 'embarrassing' Justin Bieber raid
- Kanye West vows not to talk 's - - t' about anybody for six months
- 'Cherry Pie' girl Bobbi Brown said: 'I wanted to shoot myself'
- 'Duck Dynasty' fam spreads holiday cheer in Afghanistan
News
- Edward Snowden won't be pressured to end asylum, Russia says
- Poll: Israelis, Palestinians back two-state solution, but fear bad faith of the other side
- Volgograd blasts: Second suicide bomb hits Russia city
- Syria conflict: Strike on Aleppo market 'kills 21'
- Indian UN peacekeepers killed in S Sudan attack
Politics
- Snowed in: De Blasio, Obama stay focused on wealth gap
- Obama to order NSA phone data limits, announce other changes to spy agency's programs
- 'Completely false': Sources on ground in Benghazi challenge NYT report
- DOJ enters 'knockout game' fray with hate crime charge -- why now?
- Judge denies request to halt same-sex marriages in Utah