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Nepal quake-reconstruction body finally cleared to start working KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Eight months after a devastating earthquake hit Nepal, its government has finally opened the way for a reconstruction agency to spend $4.1 billion pledged by foreign donors to help the massive number of people rendered homeless. Two separate earthquakes in April and May killed 9,000 people, injured more than 22,000...

Australian bushfires destroy dozens of homes Wildfires raging in Australia have resulted in the loss of over 100 homes. While rain has provided a small respite, dry winds are expected next week that could see the fire flare again. The state premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, confirmed an additional 50 destroyed houses on Saturday in a press conference, bringing the...

The 10 best books of 2015 Jane Ciabattari picks the novels, memoirs and short story collections that deserved a place on your shelf this year.   Patti Smith, M Train In this glorious and melancholy sequel to her National Book Award-winning Just Kids, Smith returns repeatedly to Café ‘Ino in Greenwich Village, where she drinks coffee and writes in her notebooks, seeking to...

The 10 best films of 2015 From two outstanding documentaries to a pair of blockbuster spinoffs we never knew we needed, critic Owen Gleiberman picks the finest cinema had to offer.   Amy Amy Winehouse made only two albums, and by the time she died at 27, her descent into alcoholism and all sorts of other slovenly behaviour had been so covered by...

India PM Modi in surprise Pakistan visit,  will meet him today Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Pakistan on a surprise visit in which he will meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. Mr Modi was on his way back to India from Afghanistan when he stopped off in the eastern city of Lahore. The visit coincides with Mr Sharif's...

Tornadoes, storms kill at least 14 people and leave dozens injured in south-eastern United States Homes were badly damaged or even levelled as a series of tornadoes and twisters tore through several states on Wednesday (local time), leaving a trail of destruction and ruining Christmas for some. Emergency declarations were issued in Mississippi and Tennessee, the two states hardest hit by...

Pope Francis calls for compassion in his Christmas message Pope Francis has told his congregation to 'act soberly' and 'to do God's will' to a crowd of thousands in attendance. The Pope said further that Christmas was the time to 'discover who we are.' Pope Francis said on Christmas Eve during Mass in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome that modern society...

Qatar Airways Concludes Another Successful Season of Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League Qatar Airways, as presenting sponsor of Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), brought sports fans from around the world to witness the dramatic second season of competitive tennis in Kobe, Manila, New Delhi, Dubai and Singapore. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, HE Mr Akbar Al Baker said: We are pleased...

Merry Christmas and Christmas In Different Languages On this page 'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Christmas' is shown in different languages from all around the world! If you know one that isn't listed, please Contact Us! Some languages below use different characters and alphabets, so I have also spelt them in English as best I can! African Languages Swahili Zulu Chewa Krismasi Njema / Heri ya krismas UKhisimusi omuhle Moni...

Seven dead - including one child - In deadly Christmas tornadoes: Storms rip through the South flattening homes and injuring dozens as freak holiday weather across the U.S. baffles experts A storm system forecasters called 'particularly dangerous' killed at least seven people and injured 40 others as it swept across the country Wednesday, before giving way to unseasonably warm, Spring-like...

British, U.S. embassies warn of threats against Westerners in Beijing Beijing (CNN) - The British, U.S. and French embassies in China say they have received information of possible threats against Westerners visiting a popular shopping district in Beijing around Christmas. The embassies sent out warnings to their citizens and staff, urging extra vigilance if they are in the Sanlitun district. The...

NATO, Afghan airstrikes hit Taliban targets in Sangin Airstrikes carried out by Afghan and NATO forces have dozens of Taliban fighters, according to Afghan sources. The strikes occurred in the southern Sangin district, which has seen intense fighting all week. According to Afghan officials, the battle for the Sangin district in the southern Helmand province has taken a turn in their...

John Harvard (clergyman) John Harvard (26 November 1607 – 14 September 1638) was an English minister in America, "a godly gentleman and a lover of learning", whose deathbed bequest to the "schoale or Colledge" recently undertaken by the Massachusetts Bay Colony was so gratefully received that it was consequently ordered "that the Colledge agreed upon formerly to bee built at...

Love the Coopers (2015) When four generations of the Cooper clan come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday. Director: Jessie Nelson Writer: Steven Rogers (screenplay) Stars: Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Ed Helms Box Office: Budget:...