http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with general news and current affairs that matter en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295594,vw-unveils-258-billion-euro-investment-plan.html Berlin - Europe's biggest carmaker Volkswagen AG on Friday unveiled a 25.8-billion-euro (38.2-billion-dollar) investment plan in the coming three years. The move came as the group also said it was acquiring the insolvent German auto parts group Karma... Cars,General Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:22:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295594,vw-unveils-258-billion-euro-investment-plan.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295574,international-court-appoints-defence-counsel-for-karadzic.html The Hague - British-born lawyer Richard Harvey was appointed defence counsel for former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic in Karadzic's war crimes trial, an international court in The Hague announced on Friday. In its decision to appoint Harvey, t... Legal,General Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:10:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295574,international-court-appoints-defence-counsel-for-karadzic.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295560,russian-orthodox-priest-gunned-down-in-own-church.html Moscow - A prominent priest in the Russian Orthodox church has been shot dead in his own Moscow church, reported the Interfax news agency on Friday. Daniil Syssoyev, 35, was known as an active missionary. Authorities have not ruled out religious moti... Religion,General Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:34:27 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295560,russian-orthodox-priest-gunned-down-in-own-church.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295512,pelosi-no-quick-end-to-us-travel-ban-to-cuba.html Washington - Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the US House of Representatives, said Thursday she expected no quick action on ending the United States' decades-long travel ban with Cuba. House Speaker Pelosi said it was one of a long list of legislat... Travel,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:10:16 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295512,pelosi-no-quick-end-to-us-travel-ban-to-cuba.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295501,israeli-high-court-rules-that-private-prisons-harm-inmates-rights.html Jerusalem - In a ground-breaking decision, Israel's High Court ruled Thursday against the privatization of prisons, overturning a 2004 amendment to the law that allowed prisons to be privately-run and operated. Expressing the majority opinion of the ... Legal,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:10:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295501,israeli-high-court-rules-that-private-prisons-harm-inmates-rights.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295491,lula-has-final-say-in-battistis-extradition.html Brasilia - It's up to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to decide whether leftist Cesare Battisti, a suspect in four murders in the 1970s, is to be extradited to Italy. The Supreme Court approved the extradition on Wednesday. It then rule... Legal,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:10:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295491,lula-has-final-say-in-battistis-extradition.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295479,computer-glitch-causes-delays-at-major-us-airports.html Washington - A computer glitch Thursday morning forced flight cancellations and some major delays at airports along the eastern US coast. A problem with the Federal Aviation Authority's (FAA) flight plan filing system caused delays in Atlanta, New Yo... Travel,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:16:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295479,computer-glitch-causes-delays-at-major-us-airports.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295455,seat-reduces-working-hours-of-more-than-7000-employees.html Barcelona - The Volkswagen subsidiary Seat will reduce the working hours of about two-thirds of its 11,000 Spanish employees to make up for declining demand, the company announced Thursday. The employees will rotate in working less hours until Seat b... Cars,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:16:26 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295455,seat-reduces-working-hours-of-more-than-7000-employees.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295437,dissident-handed-over-to-china-by-hong-kong-goes-on-trial.html Hong Kong - A former Tiananmen Square dissident who was handed over to mainland Chinese police by Hong Kong a year ago, has gone on trial Sichuan province, Hong Kong radio news said Thursday. Zhou Yongjun, 42, a student leader in the 1989 pro-democra... Legal,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:28:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295437,dissident-handed-over-to-china-by-hong-kong-goes-on-trial.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295434,patriarch-buried-divided-church-faces-challenges--feature.html Belgrade - Tens of thousands of Serbs gathered in Belgrade Thursday for the burial of the leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Pavle, a former monk who leaves behind feuding bishops and an uncertain fight for the church's top post. During... Religion,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:04:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295434,patriarch-buried-divided-church-faces-challenges--feature.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295412,russian-court-issues-capital-punishment-ban-beyond-january-1.html Moscow - Russia's constitutional court ruled Thursday that no death sentences may be carried out even after a moratorium on capital punishment expires January 1, the Interfax agency reported. The St. Petersburg-based court's chief judge Valery Sorkin... Legal,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:16:30 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295412,russian-court-issues-capital-punishment-ban-beyond-january-1.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295369,lao-lawmakers-debate-tobacco-law.html Vientiane, Laos - Lao legislators are preparing to pass the country's first cigarette-control bill, in keeping with anti-smoking campaigns worldwide, media reports said Thursday. Minister of Public Health Ponmek Dalaloy presented a draft law at the N... Legal,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:10:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295369,lao-lawmakers-debate-tobacco-law.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295353,comb-hair-when-its-dry-hair-stylists-recommend.html Berlin - Many women comb their hair when it's wet and end up with a wad of hair in their comb and a hurting scalp. It's easier to comb hair when it's dry, said Stefanie Koehn, president of an association of hair stylists in Germany. That's because we... Homes,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:10:49 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295353,comb-hair-when-its-dry-hair-stylists-recommend.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295295,dalia-lama-plays-down-rumours-of-ill-health-on-italy-trip.html Rome - The Dalai Lama on Wednesday denied reports that he is suffering from cancer, but admitted that his eventual passing would represent a blow for the Tibetan cause. The Tibetan people's respect towards me is very strong and my death would be a s... Religion,General Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:40:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295295,dalia-lama-plays-down-rumours-of-ill-health-on-italy-trip.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295281,dubai-court-receives-first-facebook-libel-case.html Dubai - A court of misdemeanours in Dubai is hearing a case involving the alleged abuse of the social networking site Facebook for unlawful acts, in what is believed to be the first such charge in the country, media reports said Wednesday. A Lebanese... Legal,General Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:52:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295281,dubai-court-receives-first-facebook-libel-case.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295228,us-has-observer-status-at-international-criminal-court-meeting.html The Hague - For the first time in 10 years, a US delegation is attending the annual meeting of the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Wednesday. Stephen Rapp, the US' new war crimes ambassador and former chief prosecutor of the Special Cour... Legal,General Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:46:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295228,us-has-observer-status-at-international-criminal-court-meeting.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295219,saudi-preachers-asked-to-keep-sermons-short-amid-swine-flu-fears.html Riyadh - Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Islamic Affairs has instructed Muslim preachers to keep their sermons short over fears that the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, might spread in crowded mosques. Reducing the duration of typically long Frid... Religion,General Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:52:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295219,saudi-preachers-asked-to-keep-sermons-short-amid-swine-flu-fears.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295209,singapore-man-gets-14-years-in-jail-for-ponzi-style-scam.html Singapore - A Singapore court on Wednesday sentenced a fraudster who cheated 13.4 million Singapore dollars (10.3 million US dollars) out of investors in a Ponzi-style scam to 14 years in jail, a media report said. Lee Hock Chye, also known as Jon, 3... Finance,General Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:40:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295209,singapore-man-gets-14-years-in-jail-for-ponzi-style-scam.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295202,second-munch-artwork-stolen-in-oslo.html Oslo - A previously unreported theft of a lithography by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch was disclosed Wednesday by Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. Titled Separation II, the lithography was stolen from an Oslo art gallery sometime in June. NRK discov... Culture,General Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:34:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295202,second-munch-artwork-stolen-in-oslo.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295174,audi-a5-awarded-top-german-prize-for-design.html Ingolstadt, Germany - The Audi A5 Sportback has been awarded the top German prize for design. The German Design Council said it would present the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany at the opening ceremony of the International Ambiente Fa... Cars,General Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:10:32 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295174,audi-a5-awarded-top-german-prize-for-design.html