National / International News

The street artists let loose on a neo-Romanesque church

Seven people are reported killed in a car bomb blast in the northern Malian town of Kidal, thought to be aimed at a Tuareg group supporting French troops.

The National Orchestra of Wales has staged a series of workshops and concerts for deaf people, many of them children, to explore how it is possible to experience music without being able to hear it.

Police recover a rocket launcher and what they describe as a warhead in west Belfast during an investigation into dissident republican terrorism.

A specialist court to deal with personal injury claims is expected to be proposed in plans for an overhaul of Scotland's civil courts.

Two former Ulster Unionist assembly members who resigned over the decision to field a joint candidate with the DUP in the Mid Ulster by-election are setting up a new party.

The lawsuit alleged Apple allowed children to make in-app purchases without the consent of an adult. Apple has agreed to give $5 of iTunes credit to about 23 million customers.

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President Obama ramps up pressure on lawmakers over looming spending cuts, which officials cite as they release hundreds of illegal immigrants.

US beer lovers are suing Anheuser-Busch for allegedly watering down its Budweiser, Michelob and other popular American beer brands

Those who serve low- and middle-income people warn that cuts required by the looming sequester will hurt programs that many Americans rely on, like meals for seniors, heating assistance and nutritional aid for expectant mothers. But supporters of the sequester say those fears are overblown.

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Conventional wisdom holds that summertime — when medical students graduate and become first-time doctors — is the most dangerous time to check into a hospital. But a recent study of surgeries at 1,700 hospitals suggests the fear of newbie docs is overblown.

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement said its detention facilities would be strained by the Congressionally-mandated across-the-board cuts that will take effect March 1.

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The M5 is closed in both directions following the discovery of a suspicious object in Newtownabbey.

Everton bring Oldham's FA Cup run to an end as the Premier League side earn a last-eight tie against Wigan.

Real Madrid inflict a painful 3-1 defeat on Barcelona, to complete a 4-2 aggregate win in the Copa del Rey semi-final.

Beauty vs. security. Some say the two can exist in the same space when it comes to America's embassies.

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A school bus carrying 13 children to a special school overturns in Downpatrick, police say.

The Supreme Court is reviewing a key section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, originally designed to wring institutionalized discrimination from voting in the Old South. It follows an election season when the act was used to forestall proposed changes in several states.

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A tourist in a hot air balloon over Luxor, Egypt, caught the moment another balloon caught fire and plunged to the ground, killing 19 people.

Wall Street financiers cut bigger bonus checks for themselves in 2012 than in the previous year. But bonus payments were well below their record high just before the financial crisis.

New York banks and investment firms paid an estimated $20 billion in cash bonues last year, according to the New York State Comptroller. The average bonus was $121,890.

"As we all know and acknowledge, the securities industry in New York City is a major driver of the city and state economy," said New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. "It's no secret that if Wall Street is strong all New Yorkers benefit."

The bonus figures coincided with news that bank profits surged last year. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said financial institutions that it insures earned $141 billion, up 19 percent over 2011. Still with a shaky outlook for economic growth, several Wall Street banks have downsized in the past year and announced more job cuts to come.

At a press conference, DiNapoli, New York's top financial officer, also noted that the average salary in the securities industry -- $362,900, including bonuses in 2011 -- was five times more than the average salary in the rest of the private sector.

"They're good jobs if you have them and certainly very significant salaries," he said.