Las lluvias torrenciales que caen en Pakistán y Afganistán desde hace cuatro días, las peores en décadas, han causado casi 500 muertos y 400.000 desplazados. Se teme que la cifra de víctimas aumente, mientras las autoridades tratan de llegar a los pueblos que se han quedado aislados por el agua de los ríos, desbordados por el monzón.

Days of heavy monsoonal rains have brought severe floods to northwest Pakistan, where an estimated 430 people have been killed. Flood waters have ripped through hundreds of villages, torn down 60 bridges and countless buildings. The Associated Press reports,"This is a natural calamity, and we will do whatever is possible to reach the flood-affected people and to help them," said Mian Iftikhar ...

Erdrutsche und Überschwemmungen: Schwere Unwetter haben in Pakistan viele Tote gefordert. Ganze Landstriche sind von der Außenwelt abgeschnitten, hunderte Kilometer Straßen wurden weggespült. Zwar sind für die kommenden Tage weniger starke Regenfälle vorhergesagt - doch noch steigen die Flusspegel.

Inzwischen mehr als 450 Tote – 400'000 Häuser zerstört

EN IMAGES - Au moins 313 personnes ont perdu la vie à la suite des pluies diluviennes qui se sont abattues sur le depuis trois jours, notamment dans le nord-ouest, où la situation est la pire enregistrée depuis 1929.

Die schlimmsten Überschwemmungen seit vielen Jahrzehnten haben in Pakistan bislang nahezu 400 Menschen das Leben gekostet. Viele weitere Menschen gelten als vermisst. FAZ.NET - Homepage | Politik | Gesellschaft | Wirtschaft | Finanzmarkt | Sport | Feuilleton | Reise | Wissen | Auto | Computer

Überflutete Dörfer und Erdrutsche: Schwere Überschwemmungen haben in Pakistan bislang mindestens 300 Menschen das Leben gekostet. Die Lage könnte sich noch weiter verschlimmern.

Flooding caused by monsoon rains has killed at least 325 people across Pakistan, according to an aid organization.

Pakistan stepped up rescue efforts after flash floods and heavy rains in the northwest killed 291 people and left thousands stranded in the region’s worst storms. Communication systems collapsed.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai questioned on Thursday the willingness of his western allies to strike insurgent bases in Pakistan given the strong evidence of Islamabad’s support for the Taliban.

AT least 113 people have died and thousands more have been made homeless as flash floods triggered by torrential rains hit north-west Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir, officials say.

Pakistanis are less afraid the country will be taken over by extremists and feel less threatened by the Taliban than last year, research suggests.

Bridges and streets swept away in what is reported as worst flooding in 100 years.

By ASIF SHAHZAD and MUNIR AHMED 2010-07-29T15:48:45Z ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Anguished relatives sought the remains of loved ones killed in Pakistan's worst-ever plane crash, some grieving at a hospital collecting bodies Thursday and others joining the recovery effort at the hillside crash site laden by heavy rain and mud....

Adapted from a recent online discussion. Harassed (?) by CEO: I just started a job that I love. A few weeks ago, I was at a conference, where I was approached by our CEO as I was walking back to my hotel room late at night. He was extremely drunk; I was not. The short version is that he asked me to... England - Business - Business and Economy - Alcoholic beverage - United States

EN IMAGES - La chancelière allemande Angela Merkel et le président Christian Wulff ont interrompu leurs vacances pour assister à cette messe œcuménique. 21 personnes ont perdu la vie dans la bousculade de samedi dernier.

Las banderas ondean a media asta en Duisburgo, donde a las 11.00 ha comenzado el funeral por los 21 fallecidos, entre ellos dos estudiantes españolas, el pasado sábado como consecuencia de una avalancha humana en el festival de música Love Parade. En la honras funebres está presentes la canciller Angela Merkel y el presidente alemán, pero no el alcade de la ciudad germana, que ha sido duramente...

Germany held a memorial service on Saturday for the victims of the Love Parade techno music festival, where 21 people were crushed to death and 500 injured in a tunnel that was the only entrance to the event.

Thousands of people are expected to gather Saturday for a memorial service a week after a stampede at a German music festival left 21 people dead.

Germany prepares for a memorial service one week after a deadly stampede killed 21 people at the Love Parade dance festival.

Because women just love you more when you compliment their cleaning! Click through for more hilarious ads from our not too distant past

IT looks like fame, plastic surgery, and love could not keep the bond between reality stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt together.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc is the bank many Americans love to hate, but one group just plain loves it: its employees.

Eine Woche nach der tödlichen Massenpanik bei der Love Parade bereitet sich die Stadt auf die zentrale Gedenkfeier vor. Derweil wächst der Unmut über Oberbürgermeister Adolf Sauerland (CDU), der sich nach wie vor weigert zurückzutreten. Auch aus den Reihen der Union fordern immer mehr Parteigenossen Sauerlands Rücktritt. FAZ.NET - Homepage | Politik | Gesellschaft | Wirtschaft | Finanzmarkt...

Sind Menschenmassen berechenbar? Forscher tüfteln an Computersystemen, die Katastrophen wie die in Duisburg verhindern sollen. Eine Software aus Deutschland soll bald die Bewegungen von bis 60.000 Personen vorhersagen. Doch ein Unsicherheitsfaktor bleibt: der einzelne Mensch.

Mashable’s Spark of Genius series highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, see details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.Name:

BoomTown is in Redmond, Wash. today to attend Microsoft's annual Financial Analyst Meeeting, which top execs from the software giant taking the stage to talk about All Things Microsoft. I liveblogged this morning's sessions here, and now the afternoon session opens with CEO Steve Ballmer, who is confidently strutting around after delivering record results last week for the fourth quarter.

Earlier this month, Gary Shteyngart made a hilarious, irreverent book trailer for his new novel, "Super Sad True Love Story," where he played an illiterate hack whose success in the literary community was largely accidental. The trailer starred James Franco, who is a student in Shteyngart's writing seminar at Columbia (in real life). We asked Gary what it was like being James Franco's teacher...

I love pinhole photography. The fact that people will take a gamble on a piece of film for months—or even years—strikes me as almost romantic, like a time capsule. This longest-ever exposure shows 34months of New York life. More »

Die israelische Armee hat die schwersten Luftangriffe seit Wochen auf Ziele im Gaza-Streifen geflogen. Dabei kam ein Kommandeur der radikal-islamischen Hamas ums Leben. Seine Weggefährten schwören blutige Rache.

Die Ruhe hielt ein Jahr: Bei israelischen Luftangriffen ist ein Mitglied der Hamas getötet worden, mehrere Menschen wurden verletzt. Zuvor hatten radikale Palästinenser Raketen abgefeuert.

A senior Hamas member was killed during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, Hamas security forces said Saturday.

GAZA (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike has killed a Hamas military commander and rocket maker in the Gaza Strip, the Islamist group that rules the Palestinian territory said on Saturday.

By IBRAHIM BARZAK 2010-07-31T05:51:46Z GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Israeli warplanes fired missiles at five targets across Gaza, killing a senior commander of the Hamas military wing and wounding 11 people, the group said Saturday....

American investigators, cooperating in a probe of the assassination of a Palestinian leader in Dubai, have identified a handful of U.S.-based companies believed to have been used to transfer money to suspects in the case.

I sat down with the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at his office in Ramallah for aPalestine Note exclusive interview. Ramallah - For three years,...

PM's 'open and honest' approach has angered Israel and Pakistan and stirred EU debate over TurkeyAs waiters in livery dispensed chicken curry canapes and a selection of colourful Indian summer fruit juices from silver trays, a tinkle on a glass indicated the guest of honour had something important to say. David Cameron stepped up in front of the guests gathered in the drawing room of the Britis...

GERMANY has held a memorial service for the victims of the Love Parade techno music festival, where 21 people were crushed to death and 500 injured in a tunnel that was the only entrance to the event.

Germany held a memorial service on Saturday for the victims of the Love Parade techno music festival, where 21 people were crushed to death and 500 injured in a tunnel that was the only entrance to the event.

By 2010-07-31T07:50:37Z DUISBURG, Germany (AP) -- Germany is holding a memorial service for the victims of the Love Parade techno music festival, where 21 people were crushed to death and 500 injured....

That's the subtitle of this article in The Economist about America's out-of-control prison system, which locks up more of our own citizens than any other nation on earth, including Russia and China. Justice is harsher in America than in any other rich country. Between 2.3m and 2.4m Americans are behind bars, roughly one in every 100 adults. If those on parole or probation are included, one adu...

By Peter Scheer The New York Times' front-page stories on the war in Afghanistan-based on a massive leak of classified US military cables and other...

German unemployment fell in July for the 13th straight month, putting Europe's largest economy on the brink of a milestone: regaining all of the employment lost during the recession far earlier than many expected.

Nigeria's Falconets beat Colombia 1-0 to reach the final of the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Germany.

Iran's state television says a 5.8-magnitude earthquake has jolted the southeastern part of the country. There is no word on casualties or damage. The earthquake comes only a day after a 5.7-magnitude quake injured 110 people in Torbat-e Heydariyeh.

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake hit southern Iran on Saturday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said, a day after another moderate quake in the country's northeast left 170 people injured.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 hit northeastern Iran, injuring around 170 people, state radio reported on Saturday.

When a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Chile on February 27, residents and seismologists knew it was a big one. But a new analysis reaffirms just how massive it was. [More] Chile - Earthquake - Seismology - South America - Earth Sciences

TEHRAN, Iran — A 5.7-magnitude earthquake rattled the northeast Iranian city of Torbat-e Heydariyeh on Friday, injuring at least 110 people. Iran's state TV said the quake also damaged several villages and temporarily disrupted communications. The earthquake occured at around 06:20 p.m. local time (14:50 GMT) and rocked the city for about 10 seconds, causing cell phone disconnections. ...

By 2010-07-30T19:59:13Z NEW YORK (AP) -- An earthquake measuring 5.6 rattled the northeast Iranian city of Torbat-e Heydariyeh on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported....

Recovery workers on Saturday found the "black box" flight data recorder from the wreckage of Pakistan's worst-ever plane crash, though its condition was unclear, a government official said.

ROYAL commission's final report in to the Black Saturday bushfires handed to Victorian premier John Brumby.

A woman's torso was recovered on Friday from the site of Pakistan's worst aviation disaster, adding to a grim harvest as bodies are returned to families and investigators seek the crucial black box.

By ANGUS SHAW 2010-07-30T09:51:19Z JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- A South African court on Friday ordered four white former students to pay fines of nearly $3,000 each for a video they made that humiliated black university employees and drew global attention to entrenched racism on the campus....

Four white South Africans are fined $2,700 (£1,700) each after making a video humiliating black university workers.

Die Internet-Netzwerkverwaltung Icann hat auf dem Hackerkongress Black Hat ihre Domain-Absicherung DNSSEC präsentiert. Das neue, endlich einsatzbereite Verfahren soll den Internetverkehr sicherer machen und Phishern, Botherdern und anderen Cyberkriminellen das Leben erschweren.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with arterial stiffness, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, in black teens, according to a new study. Black teens taking vitamin D supplementation of 2,000 international units per day had a decrease in central arterial stiffness.

ATMs use computers. Computers have weaknesses. Hackers exploit weaknesses. See where this is going? A hacker developed software that can force an ATM's computer to give free cash. Luckily for banks, he showed off his technique at the Black Hat conference. More »

A demur redhead in a modest black dress is making a brief appearance in New York, before finally returning home to Austria.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sought Thursday to repair damage to his relationship with the black community caused by his administration's firing of an African-American government official.

Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew across Indian Kashmir as anti-India protests and clashes between Kashmiri Muslims and government forces continued.

Indian paramilitary forces opened fire on angry anti-India protestors in several different parts of the troubled Muslim-majority state of Kashmir, killing at least three people

SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Indian police on Friday fired at thousands of people protesting against Indian rule in Kashmir, killing two demonstrators, officials said, in the latest flare-up of violence in the disputed Himalayan region.

By AIJAZ HUSSAIN 2010-07-30T09:55:10Z SRINAGAR, India (AP) -- Clashes erupted again in Indian Kashmir's main city Friday after two men were wounded when paramilitary forces opened fire on a group of anti-India protesters....

Jammu and Kashmir government has banned the transmission of two local television channels as they were telecasting "provocative programmes".

AT least 113 people have died and thousands more have been made homeless as flash floods triggered by torrential rains hit north-west Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir, officials say.

Srinagar’s civil secretariat today turned into a garrison with the media camera’s eyeing on its gates and employees rushing to windows as the J-K’s main opposition party, PDP, locked up civil secretariat in Srinagar and bolted employees and ministers inside.

The picturesque small town of Rhinebeck is all abuzz for former first daughter Chelsea Clinton's marriage today, billed as the "wedding of the decade" and "wedding of the century" by a frenzied media.

If you thought your toy poodle was small, take a look at these animals -- the smallest beasts on Earth. Nature's Biggest & Baddest

The Vue wireless camera system we reviewed last year is unique, in that it's completely wireless and small, so you can hide it in cracks and check in occasionally. Now we've tried the iPhone client, and it works as expected. More »

Recently, many Chinese youth have left the country's first-tier cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, after several years of hard work to pursue careers in second-tier and third-tier cities. This new trend has been described by media as a "flight" from first-tier cities. Although the number of young workers who have chosen to leave is relatively small, this phenomenon marks a sha...

JAPANESE emergency services are to trial a small tank-like rescue robot that can search rubble for survivors and deliver water, food or mobile phones in disaster zones.

In a fresh blow to President Obama's jobs agenda, the Senate on Thursday shelved a plan to create a $30 billion loan fund for cash-strapped small businesses, delaying final passage of a top administration priority until September at the earliest. Filibuster - Senate - United States - Government - Legislative Branch

We've just received word from Google that they are not currently blocked in China and that a server issue was most likely the cause of their dashboard misread. From Google: Because of the way we measure accessibility in China, it's possible that our machines could overestimate the level of blockage. That seems to be what happened last night when there was a relatively small blockage. It appea...

So, do you think there is any connection between this: 9 months, 23 days Mark your calendars! The end of the world is nigh, and we've got a specific date: the Rapture will occur on 21 May, 2011, and the world ends on 21 October 2011. How do we know this? As near as I can tell, it's pure numerology... and this: That Killer Asteroid You Heard About Ye...

Public immunization efforts may be much more sensitive than previously realized to small changes in the perceived costs or risks of vaccination, scientists report. In some cases, the spread of vaccine avoidance via social networks can make the difference between a minor, localized outbreak and an epidemic four times as large.

Few animals can live totally in the dark, and penguins are no exception. But new research shows that climate change could soon rob Adélie penguins ( Pygoscelis adeliae ) of the sunlight they need to survive, and that could drive them into extinction.The problem comes from melting sea ice, according to the report in the July 2010 issue of Ecology . As the climate changes and more of Antarc...

The Senate defeated a key procedural motion that would have ended debate on a bill containing measures aimed at providing a boost to small businesses, in a move which could spell the end for the legislation.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a $30-billion plan to help community banks boost lending to small businesses, dealing a blow to President Barack Obama's election-year battle to reduce unemployment.

When shopping, how many times do you hear the cashier ask, "Would you like a receipt"? And how many times do you take one? Well,...

A decision on the television broadcasting rights and the request of the Delhi Commonwealth Games organisers for financial help are likely to be taken up for discussion when the Cricket Board's Working Committee meets in Mumbai tomorrow.

Most Americans are not familiar with the long history of relations that Sri Lanka and the USA have together. In fact, most—and to be fair, a good deal of the world’s population—couldn’t pinpoint the country on a map even though Sri Lanka is one of the top trade partners of the USA. So what do they do in Sri Lanka besides producing excellent tea and Cricket players? Can Sri Lanka avoid getting t...

How the loss of Muralitharan will affect Sri Lankan cricket

&$&$ Russian students dance during a departure ceremony for a group of Russian children who are ready to spend their summer vacation in China, at the Ocean Children Center in Vladivostok, Russia, on July 30, 2010. A total of 499 Russians, 447 children and 52 teachers and staff workers, will leave Vladivostok on July 31 for China' capital of Beijing to spend their summer vacation ...

That's the subtitle of this article in The Economist about America's out-of-control prison system, which locks up more of our own citizens than any other nation on earth, including Russia and China. Justice is harsher in America than in any other rich country. Between 2.3m and 2.4m Americans are behind bars, roughly one in every 100 adults. If those on parole or probation are included, one adu...

Russia called in the army to combat fires sweeping across the drought-stricken European part of the country and forcing thousands of people to flee

DEATH toll from forest fires sweeping across Russia amid a record-breaking heatwave has grown to 25.

Besieged by a heat wave, Moscow, Russia, surpassed the century mark Thursday for the first time in recorded history.

Georgia should prepare for “total defense” and “de-occupation” of the country. President Saakashvili said this while speaking at the Georgian Defense Ministry. His speech was dedicated to the second anniversary of the outbreak of war in South Ossetia. The main part of Saakashvili's speech was traditionally devoted to denouncing “imperial plans” of Russia that allegedly wanted to establish full ...

Based on the content of one video clip that it said disseminated extreme views, a Russian court has ordered Internet provider Rosnet to block access to YouTube in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Rosnet President Alexander Yermakov appealed to reverse the order and declined to enforce it, calling the judge "incompetent." Google Russia's Alla Zabrovskaya said that the ruling was an "obvious viola...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Senate Republicans voiced objections on Thursday to the new START nuclear arms treaty with Russia, raising concerns that could delay efforts to hand President Barack Obama a foreign policy victory ahead of the November elections.

A record heat wave in the country is felt in such ways as smoky peat fires around Moscow and dying trout at a fish farm.

The world of doggy ice cream, a huge waterfight in Russia and a walk-in cow wash. It's the week's weird and wonderful video stories in Newsbeat's Odd Box with Dominic Byrne.

"I get no respect," was the favorite line of the late comedian, Rodney Dangerfield. Media blasts notwithstanding, the bottom line here is that gold, widely thought of as a safe-haven investment, clearly merits respect.

By 2010-07-29T17:03:52Z MOSCOW (AP) -- A man briefly hijacked a plane at a Moscow airport on Thursday, holding 105 passengers hostage on the ground until police disguised as medics overpowered him and detained him, officials said....