Woods drawn with Rose, Villegas at British Open

(CNN) -- World number one Tiger Woods will play alongside in-form Englishman Justin Rose and Camilo Villegas of Colombia in the first two rounds of golf's British Open at St Andrews, starting on Thursday.

Woods, the American world number one, is bidding to win at the so-called Home of Golf for the third time after resounding victories at the Scottish links course in 2000 and 2005.

Woods is looking to resurrect his career after taking a break following his admission of extra-marital affairs. The 34-year-old is yet to rediscover his top form and finished fourth at this year's Masters and US Open.

High-ranking U.S., North Korean military to meet in DMZ on Tuesday

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- High-level military officers from the U.S.-led U.N. Command and North Korea are slated to meet Tuesday in the village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, the United Nations said Monday.

They plan to discuss the March 26 sinking of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan.

The U.N. officers will be U.S. colonels, as the United States holds responsibility for U.N. security forces in Korea.

World Cup 2010: Spain return to rapturous welcome

Spain's victorious World Cup squad have returned to Madrid amid scenes of joyous celebration in the capital city.

Hundreds of thousands of people lined a five-mile route as the team made their way through Madrid on an open-top bus.

Captain Iker Casillas had earlier carried the trophy down the steps of the plane as the squad made a triumphant return from South Africa.

The players then went on to meet Spain's royal family and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Banks force one-third of small firms to depend on credit cards

One-third of Scotland’s small firms are relying on credit cards to fund their business, The Herald can reveal.

Nearly two years after the height of the financial crisis, many companies are still living hand-to-mouth as they struggle to borrow from cash-strapped banks.

Official survey figures from the Scottish Government show that 34% of small and medium enterprises – the businesses that account for more than half of the nation’s jobs – have turned to plastic because they cannot access credit from the big financial institutions.

California train mooning event is great crack for participants

A California train mooning session saw dozens of cheeky people baring their bums to passing Amtrak and Metrolink trains this weekend

It’s known as the ‘Mooning of the Amtrak’ and is a tradition that goes back 30 proud years.

It lasts all day long, with bikers, lovebirds and even OAPs baring all with great enthusiasm for the passing trains in the southern Californian city of Laguna Niguel.

High temperatures hitting elderly

Emergency services stretched as elderly affected by high temperatures

The current heat wave, which saw temperatures soar to 34 C on the island of Bornholm – the highest temperature in 16 years – is a boon to sun lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, but for many elderly people it can be life threatening.

Emergency services are feeling the pressure as more older people require assistance.

Eight injured as German tornado hits North Sea island

At least eight people have been injured after a tornado struck a German island in the North Sea.

The tornado hit a campsite with about 100 people on the island of Duene, off the coast of the larger island Heligoland, at 1315 GMT.

Storms have also hit other parts of the country amid a heatwave in Germany, with temperatures reaching 40C.

'Desperately difficult' to keep Church together over women bishops

The Archbishop of Canterbury admitted today that it will be “desperately difficult” to keep the Church of England unified in light of its schismatic vote on women bishops.

In a heartfelt appeal for unity after a particularly fraught week, Dr Rowan Williams called on Anglicans to push ahead with the consecration of women bishops despite the fact that a minority of traditionalists, conservative evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics have threatened to leave the church over the issue.

Penthouse to make offer for Playboy

SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 12 (UPI) -- Penthouse magazine's parent company said Monday it would bid for Playboy Enterprises Inc. as Playboy's Hugh Hefner offered to take his U.S. company private.

FriendFinder Networks Inc. Chief Executive Officer Marc Bell said his company would make an offer for Playboy Enterprises very soon.

Apple finally admits problems with Time Capsule and offers replacement

Nine months after a Guardian investigation pointed to a limited lifespan for the wireless backup, the company has offered free replacements - but only to a limited number of owners. Will others sue?

Apple has finally confessed that something is wrong with its Time Capsule wireless storage product - nine months after a Guardian investigation pointed to problems, and after thousands of people saw their valuable data lost when the devices failed to power up.

Owners of units whose serial number lies within the range of XX807XXXXXX - XX814XXXXXX can get them repaired or replaced free of charge, by post or in person - though to save your data you'll have to take it to an Apple Store or authorised retailer so that they can retain the data from the hard drive.

Webber won't leave, insists Red Bull boss

(CNN) -- Red Bull boss Christian Horner has downplayed suggestions that driver Mark Webber might seek to leave the Austrian Formula One team following more friction at the British Grand Prix on Sunday.

Webber was furious with his team despite winning his third race of the season at Silverstone to move within 17 points of championship leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.

6 dead in New Mexico business shooting, police say

(CNN) -- New Mexico authorities said a former employee shot and killed five people at a business Monday in Albuquerque before turning the gun on himself.

Police said officers responded to a 911 call at 9:26 a.m. (11:26 a.m. ET) that multiple shots had been fired. When officers entered the building, they found a total of 10 people shot -- four were dead, including a man believed to be the shooter, officials said. Two have since died as a result of gunshot wounds; two are in stable condition and two others are receiving emergency medical attention, police said.

UBS shareholders set sights on former bosses

Lawyers representing disgruntled UBS shareholders are threatening to sue the bank’s former executives for alleged malpractices that led to massive losses.

Former UBS chairman Marcel Ospel heads a list of targets for potential lawsuits following the bank’s fall from grace. The chances of legal action were boosted in April when shareholders voted against absolving 2007 executives from blame.

UBS was Europe’s worst victim of the subprime mortgage collapse, writing down some $50 billion (SFr53 billion) while share prices crashed from a high of SFr75 to a low of SFr8 in the space of two years.

The dramatic collapse led to Ospel and many other executives either stepping down or being sacked. Despite many calls to bring these former executives to account, UBS said in December last year that it would not be bringing any legal charges.

Gazprom courts RWE on controversial pipeline

Executives at Russian energy giant Gazprom have approached German energy concern RWE to discuss the prospect of it joining the Russian-led South Stream project.

"It was just a preliminary discussion, nothing concrete," a Gazprom source told Reuters. "They are interested in entering the project".

RWE declined to comment on the talks, saying only that the rival Nabucco pipeline "is the best project for RWE at the moment".

Otis engineers picket at Dublin Airport

Around 65 engineers working for lift company Otis are picketing at Dublin Airport in a dispute over redundancies at the firm.

Pickets are currently in place at the company's offices in Dublin and Cork, and at Terminal Two in Dublin Airport.

The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union claims that tomorrow its striking members from Otis intend to hold rolling pickets, where the picket moves between locations, at shopping centres where Otis is contracted to maintain equipment.

Taoiseach in tribute to crash victims

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has said there is no room for complacency with regard to road safety following the deaths of eight men in Co Donegal.

The men died when a black Volkswagen Passat, in which eight young men were travelling, was in collision with a red Toyota Corolla last night on the Buncrana to Clonmany Road.

The deaths bring the total number of lives lost in road crashes over the weekend to 10. Two people were also killed in separate crashes in Mayo and Tipperary at the weekend.

The Shadows of Srebrenica

Fifteen years on, haunting images of the massacre that shamed Europe

On July 11, 1995, the Serbian army entered the town of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina and in the days that followed killed 8,000 Bosniak men and boys. The Srebrenica genocide was the largest mass murder in Europe since the end of World War II, and the country is still recovering from the war that ended 15 years ago. Hatidza Mehmedovic, who lost her husband and two sons in the genocide, stands in a Srebrenica cemetery.

Police: 6 dead, 4 wounded in N.M. shooting

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A gunman opened fire at an Albuquerque fiber optics manufacturer on Monday, killing five people and wounding four others before turning the gun on himself in what police said was a domestic violence dispute.

The shooting at Emcore Corp. appeared to involve the 37-year-old gunman's ex-wife or girlfriend, police Chief Ray Schultz said. It was not immediately clear whether she was among the dead, or what caliber weapon he used.

"In a situation like this, there are other people in the building and they became, unfortunately, casualties as well," he said.

Ex-Sen. Mel Martinez named chairman of Chase Bank's Florida, Latin operations

JPMorgan Chase & Co. has named former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez as chairman of Chase Bank's Florida market and its operations in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, the bank said Monday.

As the banking giant's senior Florida executive, Martinez will also serve on JPMorgan Chase's corporate executive committee and work with its ``most senior level clients -- from businesses to large corporations to non-profits and governments,'' the bank said. Martinez will be based in Orlando.

The former Orange County mayor was the first Cuban American elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004 after serving as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development for President George W. Bush.

Somalia's Al Shabaab claim responsibility for Kampala bombings

Al-Shabaab, a militant Islamist Somali group linked to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility Monday for bombings in Uganda that killed 74 people, citing Ugandan troops’ participation in an African Union mission in Somalia as the reason behind the attack

AFP - Somalia's Shebab insurgent group on Monday claimed responsibility for overnight bomb blasts in Kampala that left at least 74 people dead.

   

"We are behind the attack because we are at war with them," Ali Mohamoud Rage, the group's top spokesman told reporters in Mogadishu.

Three Britons sentenced in trans-Atlantic jet bombing plot

(CNN) -- Three Britons recruited as suicide bombers in an al Qaeda-inspired 2006 plot to blow up airliners as they were flying across the Atlantic were sentenced Monday to life in prison, with a minimum of 20 years.

Ibrahim Savant, 29, Arafat Waheed Khan, 29, and Waheed Zaman, 26, were convicted last week of conspiracy to murder as suicide bombers. They and other conspirators planned to detonate liquid explosives stowed aboard planes in soft-drink bottles, prosecutors said.

Nicolas Sarkozy addresses France amid L’Oreal campaign scandal

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to address allegations that he received $190,000 in illegal campaign contributions from France's richest woman, L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt

Nicolas Sarkozy has a lot to explain when he takes questions live on TV Monday night.

His soccer team left the World Cup in disgrace. He is accused of receiving $190,000 in illegal campaign cash from the country's richest woman, L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. Amid this and other criticism, he wants to cut the national budget and raise the retirement age.

Oh yes – and the president wants to get reelected in 2012, despite facing the lowest presidential ratings in France since 1958.

Global population study launched by Royal Society

The UK's Royal Society is launching a major study into human population growth and how it may affect social and economic development in coming decades.

The world's population has risen from two billion in 1930 to 6.8 billion now, with nine billion projected by 2050.

The society acknowledges it is delving into a hugely controversial area, but says a comprehensive and scientific review of the evidence is needed.

It is led by Nobel laureate Sir John Sulston of Human Genome Project fame.

Women bishops should be create, Church of England rules

The Church of England's ruling synod has decided that women bishops should be allowed, but there are further steps to take before they can be ordained.

The General Synod has given minimal concessions to traditionalist Anglicans who opposed the move.

They had sought exemptions from serving under women bishops and guaranteed access to a male alternative.

"Diena" difficulties continue

RIGA - Troubles continue to mount for one of Latvia's most prestigious newspapers, "Diena", after the chairman of the board announced his resignation late last week.

Aleksandrs Tralmaks said he would be step down from his post through spokeswoman Anna Muhka, nozare.lv reported. Muhka said a board meeting would be called to find a new candidate for the post.

Tralmaks took control of Diena almost exactly one year ago after his company, "Nedela S.A.", bought the newspaper from Swedish shareholder ''Bonnier AB''.

Despicable Me eclipses Twilight

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse has been knocked off the top of the North American box office after one week by animated 3D film Despicable Me.

The new number one took $60.1m (£40.2m) while vampire sequel Eclipse took $33.4m (£22.3m), according to early studio estimates.

Despicable Me tells the story of a villain, voiced by Steve Carell, who plans to steal the moon.

Predators, an update of the 1987 sci-fi classic, opened in third place.

Martha Lane Fox want all citizens of working age online

UK digital champion Martha Lane Fox wants to get everyone of working age online by 2012.

The Networked Nation Manifesto, published today, also highlights the lack of net access "among the disadvantaged, unemployed and retired".

David Cameron backed the campaign, saying that "digital inclusion is essential for a modern dynamic economy".

However, the issue of who will pay for it all has yet to be addressed.

MoD lifts lid on unmanned combat plane prototype

The Ministry of Defence has unveiled its prototype unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV).

Taranis is a concept design for a long-range strike plane that has taken over three million man hours to produce.

Defence Minister Gerald Howarth said it was a "truly trailblazing project" and featured "the best of our nation's advanced design and technology".

The aircraft is due to begin flight trials early next year.

Google debuts DIY code tools for Android phones

Google has released tools that "make it easy for anyone to create programs for Android phones".

Much like Lego, App Inventor lets people drag "blocks" of code around to create applications.

Google said it had been working on the system for a year and were pitched at those with little knowledge of programming.

China's frothy property market falters in June

China's frothy property market may have peaked after a government clampdown on speculators, new data has shown.

Property prices across 70 cities fell 0.1% in June compared with May - the first monthly fall since February 2009.

Meanwhile, separate trade figures released at the weekend showed exports surging, but imports lagging.

Zero Earners Rent Villas at Porto Cervo

47% of luxury holidaymakers declare no income; some claim “social card” benefits

ROME – If you happen to see someone slipping through the gates of a rented dream villa in Porto Cervo, Capri, Forte dei Marmi, Positano, Portofino or Taormina at the wheel of a luxury car, feel sorry. According to Contribuenti.it, in 47% of cases the driver will be a zero earner or pensioner with a social card [debit card issued to low-income holders over 65 – Trans.]. And a gold credit card, of course, since the individual concerned will be either a tax-dodger or a tax-dodger’s nominee.

The 'two-tier NHS': Fury as ministers set aside more wards for private patients

Ministers were accused of establishing a 'two-tier NHS' tonight after they said hospitals would be allowed to set more wards aside to treat private patients.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley said he wanted to see the end of the 'arbitrary' cap - imposed by Labour - on the amount of money hospitals can earn from private patients.

He suggested that wards which end up being closed as hospitals continue to reduce the number of beds could in the future be set aside for private patients.

Seventy-five firefighters battle inferno at 15-storey tower block in London

Up to seventy-five firefighters are tonight battling a dramatic blaze in the top floors of a residential tower block.

The entire roof of the building was engulfed by fierce flames and thick black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from several miles away.

It was unclear what sparked the early evening blaze in the 15-storey building - although emergency services said there had been no reported casualties.

Talented singer died 'after doctors blamed agonising headaches on pregnancy'

A mother-of-two died from a rare brain condition after it was repeatedly mistaken for pregnancy complications by doctors.

Sally Meehan, 39, sought medical help from a number of experts but was forced to endure six months of painful headaches after she was turned away each time with different diagnoses.

The talented singer and wife of one of Britain's top songwriters was carrying her second child at the time and was told she had pregnancy-related symptoms.

Report: Afghan civilian deaths up

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) - Nearly six Afghan civilians a day were killed and eight wounded in "conflict-related incidents" through the first half of 2010, the Afghanistan Rights Monitor watchdog group said in a report Monday.

In total, 1,074 civilians were killed and more than 1,500 injured in armed violence, the group said. The totals represent a 1.3 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

More than 60 percent of the deaths, or 661 civilians, were attributed to "insurgent groups who showed little or no respect to the safety and protection of non-combatants," the report said. Improvised explosive devices killed 282 civilians, making it by far the deadliest "war activity." Suicide attacks were the next-deadliest, killing 127 civilians in the first six months of 2010.

Army challenges Tribunal’s order on Brigadier’s Kargil role

The Army on Monday said it will file a review petition against the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) order to correct the records of the 1999 Kargil war following allegations by a Brigadier that the battle accounts were fudged.

The petition is likely to be moved in the next couple of days.

“The Army has decided to file an appeal in the AFT in the Brigadier Davinder Singh case. The Army records show that there is no reason to correct them, as they are based on battle performance reports filed by other senior officers,” an Army officer in the headquarters here said.

Final draft of action plan for Naxal-hit areas in a month

The Plan panel would be ready with the final draft of the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for development of the 35 Naxal-hit districts spread over nine states in a month's time. "The Commission should be ready with the final draft of IAP in a month as consultations with organisations like civil societies are still on," Member Planning Commission Mihir Shah told reporters after a meeting on IAP with non-government organisation in New Delhi.

Asked about financial package for the development of infrastructure such as roads, electricity and drinking water in these 35 districts, he said, "It is yet to be finalised".

Shah said funding under the IAP would be done for three years. There are suggestions from civil societies that in the naxal hit districts, Panchayti Raj institutions like Gram Sabha and Panchayat should be used for inclusive development.

Malaysian minister sues Tamil paper for defamation

Malaysia's Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam has slapped a lawsuit on the publisher of a local Tamil daily and a leader of his Malaysian-Indian dominated party for allegedly defaming him by publishing "false" articles. Subramaniam has named Tamil newspaper Makkal Osai's publisher Makkal Osai Sdn Bhd, its printer FKZ Printing Sdn Bhd and its rter K Devandran as defendants in his suit, along with former Malaysian Indian Congress division chairman V Subramaniam.

Subramanian claimed the defendants had published, printed and or caused the publication or circulation of three "false articles" in the Tamil newspaper on his personal and official capacity with malicious intent, Star online reported on Monday.

The minister who is also MIC vice-president contended that the articles published by the newspaper this year implied that he was not a qualified leader, was a hypocrite, and an untrustworthy politician, Star said.

Harakah Given Another Show-Cause Letter

PUTRAJAYA, July 12 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry on Monday gave the PAS party organ, Harakah, seven days to reply to its show-cause letter on the publication and distribution of the newspaper of which the permit had expired.

The ministry's secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam said the grace period to reply to the letter was from Monday, failing which stern action would be taken against Harakah including suspending its publication.

He said although PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali and Harakah managing director Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar came to the ministry today to explain Harakah's case, the ministry still required a written explanation to facilitate its investigation.