Bipartisan group of senators to unveil framework for immigration overhaul

A key group of senators from both parties will unveil on Monday the framework of a broad overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, including a pathway to citizenship for more than 11 million illegal immigrants. The detailed, four-page statement of principles will carry the signatures of four Republicans and four Democrats, a bipartisan push that would have been unimaginable just...

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PM Lee admits govt lacked 20/20 foresight

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has admitted the government did not have 20/20 foresight, resulting in problems with inadequate infrastructure in the country.He was speaking at the "Singapore Perspectives" conference on governance organised by the Institute of Policy Studies on Monday.Acknowledging the problems of insufficient housing and inefficient transportation network, Mr...

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Jaipur revels in lit fest warmth as curtains come down

JAIPUR: The spirit of democracy won hands down at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2013 that logged nearly 2,00,000 footfalls up from 1,20,000 in 2012.More people cutting through social divides mingled in a spirit of egalitarian camaraderie in their response to the intellectual rapid-fire as custodians of knowledge from the elite hubs worldwide reached out to connect to the "aam admi" in the Pink City.The...

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Doomed Dolphin Speaks to New York's Vibrant Wildlife

By the time New Yorkers spied a dolphin swimming through the superfund sludge of the Gowanus Canal last Friday, it was too late. The marine mammal didn't even survive long enough for a rescue plan to come together. First sighted on Friday afternoon, the dolphin perished at 6:00 p.m.The reason the marine mammal died, and why the dolphin swam up the...

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Gym Turned Into Morgue for Nightclub Fire Victims

Coffins lined a gymnasium in Santa Maria, Brazil, today as family members tried to identify their loved ones after a fast-moving fire tore through a crowded nightclub Sunday morning, killing more than 230 people and injuring hundreds more.A community gym near the popular Kiss nightclub has been converted to a temporary morgue were family members were led in one by one Sunday...

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Senate’s pragmatic ranks depleted by one with Chambliss’s departure

The trio of Southern gentlemen came to the Senate together in 2003, the leading edge of a renegade Republican class set on shaking up the chamber’s staid ways and aggressively promoting the Bush White House’s conservative agenda. Ten years later, Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Saxby Chambliss (Ga.) and Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) are now establishment dealmakers and elder statesmen — roles...

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New neighbourhood police centre opens in Punggol

SINGAPORE: Punggol constituency saw the opening of a new neighbourhood police centre (NPC).Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean opened the Punggol NPC, making it the 35th across the island.The opening of the NPC is to ensure the safety and security of a fast-growing neighbourhood.The new NPC also introduced the Community Policing System (COPS).Under COPS, more officers will be deployed...

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Not against talks with Centre, says hardline Hurriyat

SRINAGAR: Hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference today said they are not against talks with the Centre to resolve the Kashmir issue given that the government approaches them with good intentions. However, the hardline faction, headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, said the talks should not be aimed at "coercing" people of Kashmir. Reacting to state Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar's Republic...

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Pictures: The Story Behind Sun Dogs, Penitent Ice, and More

Photograph by Art Wolfe, Getty ImagesIf you want the beauty of winter without having to brave the bone-chilling temperatures blasting much of the United States this week, snuggle into a soft blanket, grab a warm beverage, and curl up with some of these natural frozen wonders. Nieve penitente, or penitent snow, are collections of spires that resemble robed monks—or penitents. They are flattened columns...

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Authorities: 245 Dead in Brazil Nightclub Fire

A fire swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing at least 180 people and leaving hundreds injured, police and firefighters said.Sandro Meinerz, a spokesman for the police in the city of Santa Maria, told local media that the fire broke out at the Kiss club while a band was performing. He said at least 200 people were injured.The cause of the fire...

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