Body heat to warm building

PARIS - THE warmth generated by human bodies in the Parisian metro will help heat a public housing project in the city centre, the capital's largest owner of social housing said on Friday.

The building, located in the famous rue Beaubourg close to the Pompidou museum, is being renovated in an environmentally friendly way.

More US adults texting

WASHINGTON - MORE American adults are texting but they are not tapping out nearly as many messages per day on their cellphones as teenagers, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.

The survey, conducted for the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project in May 2010, found that 72 per cent of American adults aged 18 and older send and receive text messages, up from 65 per cent in September 2009.

Google to pay US$8.5m

SAN FRANCISCO - GOOGLE has agreed to pay US$8.5 million (S$11.4 million) to settle a privacy lawsuit over a Buzz social networking tool added to free email service Gmail in February, according to court documents.

Legal paperwork made available online on Friday detailed the proposed settlement, which awaits approval by the federal court judge in San Francisco presiding over the case.

6m paid wrong amount of tax

LONDON - NEARLY six million people are to be told they have paid the wrong amount of tax, and authorities will demand about 2 billion pounds (S$4.2 billion) more from hundreds of thousands of taxpayers, HM Revenue and Customs said on Saturday.

The first batch of letters has been sent out and are due to arrive on people's doormats on Tuesday, with the rest arriving by Christmas.

Plane lands with engine on fire

ATHENS - PASSENGERS and crew were evacuated by slide from a Slovakian airliner on Saturday after it made an emergency landing on a Greek island with an engine on fire, airport officials said.

The Boeing 737-400 belonging to the AirExplore company was en route from Verona in Italy when the right engine caught fire. The pilot asked to make an emergency landing on the Aegean island of Kos.

Rocket fired from Gaza hits Israel

JERUSALEM - MILITANTS in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip fired a rocket into southern Israel on Saturday, two days after the start of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, causing no injuries or damage, the Israeli military said.

The cross-border rocket fire was the first since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Washington to relaunch peace negotiations.

Obama outlines steps taken

WASHINGTON - A HEALTHY economy needs bustling Main Streets and a thriving middle class even more than a healthy stock market, President Barack Obama said as he reaffirmed his commitment to work hard for America's hardworking men and women.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Mr Obama on Saturday outlined what he's done to help the middle class, a group he says has been squeezed the most during the recession.

Objects thrown at Blair

DUBLIN - ANGRY protestors threw objects at Britain's former prime minister Tony Blair as he arrived at the first public signing session to promote his memoirs on Saturday in the Irish capital Dublin.

Around 200 noisy protestors had gathered for the event and witnesses said objects were thrown at him as his car pulled up. Media reports suggested these included shoes and eggs.

9 killed in NZ plane crash

WELLINGTON - NINE people, including four foreigners, were killed when a skydiving plane crashed and burst into flames at a popular New Zealand tourist spot on Saturday, officials said.

The plane went down near the airstrip at Fox Glacier, a central attraction in the Unesco-designated World Heritage area on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island.

Curfew declared after quake

WELLINGTON - AUTHORITIES declared an overnight curfew for Saturday after a major earthquake hit New Zealand's second biggest city, Christchurch, bringing down power lines and bridges and wrecking roads and building facades.

'The damages are incredibly frightening. The only thing you can say it's a miracle that no one lost their life,' Prime Minister John Key told Television NZ after the quake struck with a magnitude of 7.1 from a depth of 10km.

7 convicted in abuse trial

LISBON (Portugal) - SEVEN people have been convicted of child sex abuse in Portugal in a major trial that lasted nearly six years and shocked the country.

The six men and one woman were found guilty on Friday of crimes including sexually abusing minors and adolescents, raping children and running a pedophile ring at a state-run children's home in Lisbon during the 1990s.

Caller describes gunman

BALTIMORE - A SECURITY guard who called police after a gunman entered Discovery Channel's headquarters calmly told the operator: 'You're probably going to need a sniper.' The call, released on Friday, was one of several placed minutes after a gunman entered the lobby and took three hostages. Other callers described the propane tanks strapped to the gunman's body, and a blinking device in his left hand.

After hours of negotiating with James Lee, 43, police shot him to death as the hostages were preparing to make a break for it, police said.

Weakened Earl hits US north

CHATHAM (Massachusetts) - THE remnants of Hurricane Earl dumped wind-driven rain on Cape Cod's gray-shingled cottages and fishing villages on Friday night, but its close brush with the North-east was less intense than feared only hours earlier.

Earl swooped into New England waters as a tropical storm after sideswiping North Carolina's Outer Banks, where it caused flooding but no injuries and little damage. In Massachusetts, there were a few hundred power outages, a handful of downed power lines and isolated flooding in low-lying areas, state officials said early on Saturday.

Cricket captain apologises

LONDON - THE captain of Pakistan's limited overs teams has apologised to cricket fans for the controversy that erupted after three of his teammates were accused of fixing.

Cricket's ruling body has called the allegations the most serious to hit the sport for a decade and suspended Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir while they are investigated under the sport's anti-corruption code.

Players unaware of fixing

ISLAMABAD - THE legal adviser of the Pakistan Cricket Board says its three suspended players have acknowledged that the businessman at the center of fixing accusations is indeed their agent - but have denied knowledge of any alleged wrongdoing by him.

Legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi also told private television channels in Pakistan on Saturday that team captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif would have to fight their cases on their own if they appeal against their provisional suspension by the International Cricket Council.

Qatar in bid to win 2022 WCup

DOHA - THE sidewalks and parks in Doha are empty in June, as residents head to the air-conditioned malls for relief from temperatures that soar to 48 degrees celcius. Professional footballers from the region flee to the cooler climes of Europe to train.

And anyone looking to cool off with a cold beer in Qatar's capital has to make do with a handful of pubs hidden in five-star hotels, since drinking alcohol anywhere else is prohibited in the conservative Muslim country.

Murray stays the course

NEW YORK - ANDY Murray battled Hurricane Earl and a rum Jamaican on Friday to reach the third round of the US Open.

The British fourth seed was expected to sweep past the unconventional Dustin Brown with little or no effort, and in the end he did so 7-5, 6-3, 6-0.

Klose strikes to sink Belgium

BRUSSELS - EVERGREEN striker Miroslav Klose backed up his wish to keep playing until the next World Cup with a second-half goal to seal Germany's 1-0 win over Belgium in Friday's Euro 2012 qualifier.

Klose, 32, who has 14 World Cup goals to his credit and is just one away from matching Ronaldo's all-time record, scored his 53rd goal for his country on his 102nd appearance.

Torres back in business

VADUZ - LIVERPOOL forward Fernando Torres scored a brace as world champions Spain began their European title defence with a convincing 4-0 win over Liechtenstein on Friday in their opening Group I qualifier for the Euro 2012 finals.

It was Spain's first competitive match since lifting the World Cup in South Africa on July 11 and the Euro 2008 winners were far too strong for hapless Liechtenstein.

England cruise past Bulgaria

LONDON - ENGLAND handed under-fire manager Fabio Capello some badly needed breathing space here Friday as a Jermain Defoe hat-trick saw them romp to a 4-0 victory over Bulgaria in their opening Euro 2012 qualifier.

Defoe's first hat-trick for England and a late strike from Manchester City youngster Adam Johnson sealed the Group G points for Capello's side, desperate to bounce back from a traumatic World Cup campaign.

Teen titans era over: Clijsters

NEW YORK - ONCE upon a time, teenage girls were winning Grand Slam titles and dominating rivals with speed and shotmaking precision.

Then came Serena and Venus Williams, bringing powerful serves and a more physical game that has so far produced 13 Grand Slam titles for younger sister Serena, seven more for Venus and an end to the era of the teen titans.

Belarus punish France

PARIS - FRANCE'S campaign to qualify for Euro 2012 began in disappointing fashion on Friday as they lost 1-0 to Belarus in Laurent Blanc's first competitive game in charge.

Missing a raft of influential players, France struggled to procure clear sights of goal and were undone in the 86th minute when substitute Sergei Kislyak netted the winner from Vyacheslav Hleb's cutback.

Fall Arts & Culture Preview: Gossip Girl, Kanye, Paranormal Activity 2, Boardwalk Empire and much, much more

Not sure what to do with yourself this fall? Too many things to choose from? Let our team of critics guide you chronologically through the best of autumn’s arts and cultural offerings

Becoming The Best Man in the World: Matthew McConaughey

I’ve decided to follow the teachings of the Greatest Man on Earth So Far. I’m referring, of course, to actor/surfer/beach yogi Matthew McConaughey

Kara DioGuardi quits 'American Idol'

Songwriter Kara DioGuardi has quit 'American Idol,' the third of four judges to leave the top-rated U.S. television singing contest this year following Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres

A Happy Year: Jonathan Franzen wrote Freedom in fourteen wildly productive months

A curious thing happened a couple of weeks ago: a novelist graced the cover of 'Time.' Like Halley’s Comet or a Stanley Cup parade in Toronto, a literary figure appearing on the front of one of America’s leading magazines doesn’t happen very often

Q&A with Montana Fishburne, daughter of Laurence, and L.A.'s newest porn star

Before summer began, no one had heard of Montana Fishburne. But the daughter of Oscar-nominated actor Laurence Fishburne, now the main guy on "CSI," was eager to make a name for herself

TIFF 2010: Take a virtual tour of the new Bell Lightbox headquarters

It's not an artist's rendition anymore: The TIFF Bell Lightbox is a reality, so come inside and let us show you around

TIFF 2010: Mini reviews of Biutiful, Buried and more

Thinking of heading to the box office today? Don't make a movie move without checking out our mini reviews first

So You Think You Can Dance's Blake McGrath shows us how to relax

Blake McGrath stands under blinding lights with a black sheet wrapped around his shoulders. He clutches the fabric at his chest, looking forlorn, like Dracula pondering his existence

Fall Movie Preview: forget leaves, look at all these films!

The fall movie season is a time of Shakespearean drama, Oscar contenders and movies about people being tortured. To help you keep them straight, Jay Stone presents the ABCs of the season, with a film list for everyone

Going the Distance: Drew Barrymore and Justin Long get all Skyped up

Film Review: Going the Distance (3 stars): Long-distance relationships aren’t very much fun, which is why audiences might logically assume that a film about long-distance relationships wouldn’t be very enjoyable, either

Blue Jays stumble in the Bronx

Marcus Thames launched a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 today to set a season high with their eighth straight victory.

Cardinals cut quarterback Leinart

The Arizona Cardinals have released quarterback Matt Leinart, ending a rocky stint with the team that began with fanfare as he was drafted 10th overall in 2006 and ended this preseason with the former USC star taking a backseat to Derek Anderson.

Federer dispatches Mathieu in straight sets

Five-time champion Roger Federer dismissed Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 6-4 6-3 6-3 today to reach the fourth round of the U.S. Open.

Bruce reinvents himself in Hamilton

He has long been an elite receiver in the Canadian Football League and, in his ninth season, he leads the league in receptions and receiving yards. But Arland Bruce has changed off the field. He has altered his philosophy.

Spain, Serbia advance at worlds

Defending champions Spain and dark horses Serbia reached the world championship quarter-finals, winning in contrasting fashion today to set up a repeat of the 2009 European final.

Kovalchuk a Devil after CBA amended

The NHL has signed off on Ilya Kovalchuk’s latest contract with the New Jersey Devils.

Snedeker leads Deutsche Bank field

Brandt Snedeker is the leader at the Deutsche Bank Championship, a spot he didn’t imagine when he saw that his tee times coincided with the expected arrival of rain and wind from Hurricane Earl.

Lions take advantage of Alouettes' backup

Future Canadian Football Hall of Fame quarterback Anthony Calvillo has struggled against the B.C. Lions in recent games. So what chance did the Montreal Alouettes have against them with third-string quarterback Chris Leak at the controls?

The new Pinball has slick shoes to fill

Being compared to Michael (Pinball) Clemons is not easy for anyone. But, for Andre Durie, the 2010 Canadian Football League season is all about how much he can be like the former Toronto Argonauts player, who he grew up idolizing.

Strasburg undergoes Tommy John surgery

Nationals rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg had reconstructive elbow surgery today that could keep him out of the starting rotation until the 2012 season.

The flight to safety

Investors must rethink everything in facing possibility of Japanese-style deflation

Q&A with Google's Patrick Pichette

Since taking over as CFO of Google in August 2008, Mr. Pichette’s biggest challenge has been to bring a steady financial hand as the globe’s most powerful Web company navigated its first serious economic downturn as a public company

Leaning on your RRSP for learning

You may be able to fund that post-secondary education by withdrawing money tax-free from your RRSP under the government’s Lifelong Leaning Plan

Do stocks even matter anymore?

Peter Hodson: When everyone else is selling, start buying

Smartphones still the kid in the hall

There is no denying that smartphones are becoming standard fare among back-to-school supplies. So much so that the sellers of high-tech handheld devices are adapting release dates to match the trend

Shareholder group urges rejection of Kinross-Red Back merger

The proposed US$7.1-billion merger between Kinross Gold Corp. and Red Back Mining Inc. has been rejected by proxy research firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), which is worried about Kinross’s ability to find more gold at Red Back’s operations

Goldcorp wins Andean auction, for now

Goldcorp Inc.’s $3.6-billion friendly offer for Andean Resources Ltd. Friday came at the end of a lengthy auction that involved several parties

Taxpayers likely to face initial loss on GM IPO: sources

The U.S. government is likely to take a loss on General Motors Co in the first offering of the automaker's stock, six people familiar with preparations for the landmark IPO said

Ex-Goldman programmer wins partial dismissal

A federal judge on Friday dismissed part of a criminal case accusing a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc computer programer of stealing proprietary computer code from the bank's lucrative high-frequency trading platform

China orders state firms to explore Potash bid

The order from Beijing underscores the seriousness with which China is taking the potential BHP-Potash tie up and its implications for the pricing and supply of the important crop nutrient