RUSSIA

Russia plans to delay the next mission carrying U.S. and Russian astronauts to the International Space Station by several weeks due to problems with the spaceship's descent vehicle, Interfax news agency quoted an industry source as saying Friday.

When severe snowstorms prevented life-sustaining fuel supplies from reaching the frozen Alaskan town of Nome, U.S. officials turned to a Russian company for help.

Bird enthusiasts are reporting rising numbers of snowy owls from the Arctic winging into the lower 48 states this winter in a mass southern migration that a leading owl researcher called "unbelievable."

The Arab League said on Saturday it had suspended its monitoring mission in Syria because of the critical deterioration of the situation as state security forces battled rebels holding three suburbs just outside Damascus.

Victoria Azarenka became the first Belarusian to win a grand slam singles title when she claimed the Australian Open title with a crushing 6-3 6-0 victory over Russia's Maria Sharapova on Saturday.

Scientists across the world are doing their part in preventing asteroid collisions. Nevertheless, popular doomsday prophecies will not go away.

Victoria Azarenka became the first Belarusian to win a grand-slam singles title when she claimed the Australian Open title with a crushing 6-3, 6-0 victory over Maria Sharapova of Russia on Saturday.

After nearly a year of continued violence in Syria, the UN Security Council will debate a resolution demanding Assad step down.

There was no let-up in violence on Friday, when anti-Assad protests again erupted after weekly Muslim prayers.

Opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stormed the Syrian embassy in Cairo, AFP agency reported.

A 10-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad edged closer to the Syrian capital Thursday as troops battled rebels in a town just north of Damascus and a provincial governor spoke of negotiating local ceasefires.

Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich called on Wednesday for a base on the moon and an expanded federal purse for prize money to stimulate private-sector space projects.

Anonymous issued a response to Poland, who signed the controversial ACTA copyright protection treaty on Thursday, by hacking their government websites.

Russia-focused gold miner Petropavlovsk said on Thursday its full year output will rise 11 percent to 680,000 ounces in 2012, having beaten last year's target on the back of higher output at its flagship Pioneer mine.

Arab League monitors said the withdrawal of colleagues by Gulf Arab states would not hinder their work in Syria while France and Britain Wednesday joined efforts at the United Nations to end President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Julian Assange will be taking on yet another challenge, a talk show on Russian television. The show is scheduled to air in in mid-March, and will be divided into 10 half-hour episodes each week. Assange has said he plans to invite and interview key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries from around the world on the show.

World No.1 mobile equipment maker Ericsson saw its profit halve in the fourth quarter as the global economic slowdown hit demand, and forecast network operators would remain cautious on spending in the months ahead.

President Barack Obama Tuesday used his 2012 state of the union address to the American people and Congress to propose initiatives to create jobs, help companies increase their U.S.-based operations, and help Americans learn the skills they need to succeed in the modern/postmodern global economy.

A total of 15,000 to 16,000 Jews were killed by the Nazis in Rostov-on-Don between August 1942 to February 1943.

After Megaupload's entire service was shut down and its founders arrested, a new report has emerged, which details a new Megaupload venture called Megabox that would've given music artists more money than and leverage against the Recording Industry Association of America.

U.S. intelligence agencies have unique capabilities that can help protect American companies from cyber espionage and attack, but it will probably take a crisis to change laws to allow that type of cooperation, a former spy chief said on Monday.