Disney profits lifted by Avengers

The Walt Disney Company has reported higher profits, driven by the success of films such as The Avengers.Net income for the three months to June rose 24% to $1.83bn (£1.17bn) from the previous year. "We had a phenomenal third quarter, delivering the largest quarterly earnings in the history of our company," said Robert Iger, Disney's chief executive. Revenue at its parks and resorts increased 9% to $3.4bn. At its film studio, operating income increased more than six-fold to $313m. "Higher worldwide...

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Ernesto reaches hurricane strength over Central America

Tropical Storm Ernesto has reached hurricane strength while passing northern Honduras, and is approaching Belize and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said it is bringing heavy rains and winds of up to 130km/h (80mph). It was 185 miles (298 km) east of Chetumal, Mexico, at about 18:00 GMT on Tuesday, and moving north-west. A hurricane warning is in effect along parts of the eastern Yucatan peninsula and the entire coast of Belize. Tropical storm warnings are also in effect for much of the Honduras coast and remaining...

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Asia Pacific Breweries: Thailand firm launches new bid

Heineken's bid to take control of Asia Pacific Breweries (APB), the maker of Tiger Beer, has taken a surprise twist after a Thai firm, Kindest Place, offered to buy a stake in the brewer.It has offered S$55 ($44; £28) a share for a 7.3% stake in APB, currently held directly by Fraser and Neave (F&N). That is 10% higher than Heineken's offer to F&N for its 40% direct and indirect stakes in APB. F&N's board had accepted Heineken's bid but it requires shareholder approval. Analysts said...

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Profile: Wisconsin Sikh temple shooter Wade Michael Page

How did an apparently sensitive child who used to enjoy family camping trips turn into a hate-filled extremist who went on a gun rampage at a Sikh temple?Wade Michael Page appears to have been a ticking time bomb of rage long before he opened fire on worshippers in suburban Milwaukee on 5 August. Originally from the US state of Colorado, the 40-year-old was living in the southern Wisconsin town of Cudahy in the days before he launched his attack. Neighbours have said Page, who was shot dead...

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Bank of England expected to cut UK growth forecasts

The Bank Of England is expected to cut growth forecasts close to zero from the 0.8% predicted in May as the double-dip recession intensifies.The quarterly inflation report is likely to indicate no growth for 2012 compared with 2% predicted a year ago. Governor Sir Mervyn King is expected to be asked about a possible interest rate cut from the current record 0.5%. Presenting his last report in May, he said the UK would not be "unscathed" by the eurozone "storm". The UK recession deepened between...

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Twitter subpoenaed by police on Mike Tyson threat

New York police have subpoenaed Twitter to force it to identify a user who threatened to shoot up Mike Tyson's one-man Broadway show.The company initially refused a police request after officials learned one user had tweeted threats that referred to a recent mass shooting. Mr Tyson's show, Undisputed Truth, opened last Thursday, and police have increased security at the theatre. The user has made threats against other celebrities, ABC News reports. Twitter has complied with the subpoena, the...

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Jared Loughner pleads guilty to six deaths in shooting

  The man accused of shooting a US congresswoman in Arizona and killing six others has pleaded guilty after a judge found him mentally competent.Last year, Jared Loughner's case was put on hold after experts said he had schizophrenia. The plea deal spares Loughner, 23, from the death penalty, and he is expected to be sentenced to life in jail. Former Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords was wounded in the January 2011 attack and has since left office. Earlier on Tuesday she said...

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Syria crisis: Amnesty alarm at Aleppo 'bombing' images

New satellite images show an increased use of heavy weapons in and around Syria's city of Aleppo, raising urgent concerns over the welfare of residents, Amnesty International has said.The rights group says the photos reveal more than 600 craters, which were probably caused by artillery shells. Both government troops and rebels may be held criminally responsible for failing to protect civilians, it warns. Meanwhile, Iran has reiterated support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. During talks...

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Why Australia fell at the London Olympics

Is Australia the victim of a great Olympics betrayal? As a proud sporting nation sifts through the ashes of a below-par showing so far in London, swimming bosses have announced a review of the team's performance in the pool and there are now questions about how to stop the poaching of Australian coaches by overseas competitors. From rowing to cycling, and swimming to the triathlon, some of Australia's smartest tacticians have been recruited by rival nations to boost their medal tally at...

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Egypt launches Sinai 'air strike'

Egyptian security officials say military helicopters have fired missiles on suspected Islamist militants in Toumah village in the Sinai peninsula.Up to 20 people are reported to have been killed. The strikes came after security checkpoints were allegedly attacked by gunmen in the town of al-Arish, leaving a number of people injured. On Sunday, 16 Egyptian border guards were killed in the area. After that attack, Israeli forces said they killed at least seven gunmen who broke through into Israel. Patrols...

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Weight training 'reduces diabetes risk'

Weight training helps to prevent type 2 diabetes in men, research suggests.Researchers found regular weights reduced the risk by up to a third, in the study of more than 32,000 men published in the Archives of Internal Medicine journal. It is already well known that regular exercise can prevent the disease. But the report is considered important as weights provides an alternative to aerobic exercises such as running for people who are not so mobile. Researchers from Harvard School of Public...

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Rover shoots movie during descent''By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News, Pasadena

Images that the Curiosity rover took of the surface of Mars as it made its historic descent on Monday (GMT) have now been released.Nasa has provided almost 300 thumbnails from a sequence of pictures that will eventually be run together as a colour hi-def movie. Visible in the timelapse is the heatshield discarded by the vehicle as it neared the ground. So too is the dust kicked up by the rover's rocket-powered crane. It was the crane that finally settled the robot on to the surface. A signal...

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Obama calls for 'soul searching' after Wisconsin attack

US President Barack Obama has said "soul searching" is needed on how to reduce violence following a second mass shooting event in the US in a month.Wade Michael Page, 40, killed six and injured three at a Sikh temple in near Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Sunday. He was shot dead by police in the temple's car park during the attack. Officials say they are investigating reports that Page had white supremacist links, and the FBI is treating the attack as possible domestic terrorism. The temple attack...

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Grenada parties after Kirani James wins Olympic gold

The win by James (third from left) came on a night of Caribbean success The Caribbean island nation of Grenada erupted in celebration after Kirani James stormed to victory in the men's 400m at the London Olympics. Grenadians danced, cheered and waved flags in the streets as James, 19, won the country's first Olympic gold in a personal best of 43.94 seconds. James was a "real good role model for our young people," Grenada's Prime Minister Tillman Thomas told the BBC. The government...

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Standard Chartered shares dip on laundering allegations

Shares of Standard Chartered bank have tumbled despite the bank denying allegations that it illegally "schemed" with Iran to launder money.Shares fell 15% in early London trade, after falling 7.5% in Hong Kong. The New York State Department of Financial Services said the UK-based bank laundered as much as $250bn (£161bn) over nearly a decade. It said the bank hid transactions for "Iranian financial institutions" that were subject to US economic sanctions. The regulator said that Standard Chartered...

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Nigeria church attack in Kogi state 'kills 15'

At least 15 people have been killed in a gun attack on a church in central Nigeria, officials say. Gunmen stormed the church near the city of Okene in Kogi state and fired on worshippers, they say. "I can confirm 15 [dead]," a spokesman for Kogi state governor Jacob Edi is quoted by AFP as saying. It is not clear who carried out the attack but militant Islamist group Boko Haram has carried out numerous raids on churches and other targets in Nigeria. The joint military force commander in the state,...

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London 2012 Olympics: Team GB aims to top Beijing golds

Team GB are hoping to secure the two gold medals which will allow them to surpass the tally of 19 won in Beijing.Sir Chris Hoy is going for a GB record sixth Olympic gold - other GB cyclists after gold on the last day at the velodrome include Victoria Pendleton. Hopes are also high in the dressage equestrian event and men's triathlon. Meanwhile, PM David Cameron has attended an event to mark the 40th anniversary of the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes killed at the Munich Games. He said the world...

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Philippine capital paralysed by floods

Flooding caused by torrential rain has paralysed parts of the Philippine capital, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes and closing schools, offices and the stock exchange. Casualties have been reported, with a number of people buried in a landslide in Manila and reports of other deaths elsewhere. Officials said that water was up to waist and neck levels in some areas. More than 50 people died after Typhoon Saola struck over a week ago. Widespread flooding has been reported in the capital...

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Mumbai lovers find haven as attitudes to dating change''By Rajini Vaidyanathan BBC News, Mumbai'

Finding a place to love in Mumbai, India's most populous city, is not always easy. Every day hundreds of young couples line the city's seafront, to escape the prying eyes of their parents. In India dating is still seen as taboo by many. "When you come here all you see is love," exclaims Rama Shankar. "All they do is kiss, but it's nice watching them kiss," he adds. Shankar is a mere peanut seller, not a voyeur, but as he roams around the seafront in one of Mumbai's suburbs,...

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Saif al-Islam Gaddafi seeks Hague trial

Col Gaddafi's son has said he wants to be put on trial in The Hague, rather than in his home country, his lawyers have said.Saif al-Islam said if he was executed after a trial in Libya then it would be tantamount to murder, according to documents submitted to the International Criminal Court. The 40-year-old is being held by militia in the city of Zintan. He has been indicted by the ICC for crimes against humanity. Libya's interim government has so far refused to hand him over for trial in the...

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Ted Cruz wins Texas Senate run-off election'

A Tea Party Republican has beaten an establishment rival in a closely fought, expensive US Senate run-off election in Texas, projections show.With more than half of votes counted Ted Cruz had 55%, with Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst on 45%. The candidates fought for the seat of outgoing Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. The Republicans secured a majority in the US House of Representatives in 2010 and are seeking control of the Senate in November's election. Hispanic Senator? The Texas...

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Oswaldo Paya death: Spanish politician in jail in Cuba

Cuba has decided that Spanish politician Angel Carromero should stay in custody over the death of well-known dissident Oswaldo Paya in a car crash.Mr Carromero was driving a rental car that crashed against a tree as it hit an unpaved stretch of road in eastern Cuba on 22 July. A preliminary investigation blamed the driver for the crash. A Cuban prosecutor has up to six months to decide whether to press charges against Mr Carromero. An article published in the official newspaper, Granma, says...

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Argentina war cemetery vandalised in Falklands

 The figure of the Virgin Mary was removed until the shrine was repaired The Argentine war cemetery in the Falklands, where the bodies of more than 200 soldiers are buried, has been vandalised.The glass that protects a figure of the Virgin Mary at the cemetery has been smashed and shattered. The Falkland Islands government has condemned the action and has said the police are investigating. Families of the Argentine war dead have described the attack as an "act of sacrilege". The Virgin...

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US author Gore Vidal dies aged 86

Celebrated writer and political commentator Gore Vidal has died aged 86, according to US media.He died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening of complications from pneumonia, his nephew, Burr Steers, told AP. A prolific writer, Gore Vidal produced 25 novels, including the best-selling Burr and Myra Breckenridge, more than 200 essays, and several plays. He also ran for political office twice and was a well-known commentator. Mr Steers told the Associated Press that his uncle had been ill...

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Olympic female badminton players face charges

The Badminton World Federation has charged eight female Olympic doubles players with "not using one's best efforts to win a match". Four pairs of players - two from South Korea, one from China and one from Indonesia - could be disciplined. Meanwhile, Team GB's gold medal hopes on day five of the Games lie mainly with rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, and cyclist Bradley Wiggins. And America's Michael Phelps has won a record 19th Olympic medal. Spectators booed the two badminton matches played at Wembley Arena on Tuesday, in which...

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Power restored after huge Indian power cut

BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan: "More than half of India's population ground to a halt" Continue reading the main story Related Stories India's energy crisis threatens growth In pictures: India's power crisis deepens Monday's power disruption India's power supply has been fully restored after a two-day blackout across much of the country, an official has said.More than 600 million people were affected by the power cut after three electricity grids collapsed, one for a second consecutive...

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Polish groups protest over Madonna's Warsaw show

Catholic and veterans' groups in Poland are protesting against a concert by Madonna because it falls on the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.Some are urging ticket-holders to boycott Wednesday's show, which comes 68 years after the city's failed revolt against Nazi occupation began. Organisers of the concert have agreed to show a short clip about the events of 1944 before the performance. Every year, Poles commemorate the 200,000 lives lost during the uprising. One Catholic group called Krucjata...

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Israel ultra-Orthodox lose army exemption

Defence Minister Ehud Barak has given Israel's army one month to prepare to conscript ultra-Orthodox Jews, after a law exempting them expired at midnight (21:00 GMT) on Tuesday.In February, the Supreme Court ruled the Tal Law, under which seminary students can defer military service, unconstitutional. It said a revised law should be drafted by the end of July, but the political parties have failed to reach agreement. Secular Israelis say the law is unfair. Now that the law has expired, conscription...

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Lithuanian 15-year-old Ruta Meilutyte wins shock gold

Teenager Ruta Meilutyte won Lithuania's first ever Olympic gold in the pool by beating American Rebecca Soni in the women's 100m breaststroke. The 15-year-old, who goes to the same Plymouth school as Tom Daley, led from the start and beat the fast-finishing Soni by 0.08 seconds. Analysis Mark Foster Five-time Olympian and BBC analyst "Coming into this with her times you would never have predicted she would get to the final. She was just...

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