Remorseful thieves return loot

SYDNEY - A butcher in an Australian town arrived at work to find that money stolen from his shop earlier this month had been returned in an envelope that also contained an apology, a news report said Thursday.

Angry over Brazil police raid, slum residents torch buses and cars, pelt officers with rocks

SAO PAULO — Slum dwellers rioted after the arrest of drug dealers in a Sao Paulo shantytown Wednesday, burning vehicles and tires, pelting police with rocks and briefly shutting down a major urban highway, local media said.

Mexican health officials say swine flu death toll rises to 42

MEXICO CITY — Mexican health officials say that testing of backlogged cases has increased the confirmed swine flu death toll from 31 to 42. That includes three new deaths in the past two days.

Palin in TIME list of influential people a joke, says ex-Governor

WASHINGTON - Former Massachusetts Governor and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has jokingly dismissed Sarah Palin’s inclusion on TIME’s list of influential people.

Some see early signs of rising tide for struggling US boat industry

HAM LAKE, Minn. — The economy was a big part of why Soua Xiong held off buying a new fishing boat for the past couple years. Hoping the worst was over, he was ready to do more than look when he walked into the Rapid Sport Marine showroom.

EPA raids offices of Chicago suburb accused of using contaminated well water for decades

CRESTWOOD, Ill. — Federal agents raided a Chicago suburb’s government offices Wednesday to look for evidence of any crimes related to allegations the village knowingly drew drinking water from a tainted well for decades.

Brit woman claims she had four orgasms giving birth!

LONDON - Childbirth is mostly accompanied by pain and screaming, but for mum-of-nine Linda Hinchcliffe its hotter than sex, who reckons that she experienced an orgasm during four deliveries.

Chelsy Davy parties the night away with cricketer Graeme Smith

LONDON - Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy has been having the time of her life after splitting from him, for she was recently seen partying the night away with South African cricketer Graeme Smith.

Economy on sim doesn’t deep-fry hospitality sector jobs

CHANDIGARH - The global economic crisis has burnt holes in the pockets of the hospitality industry too, but growing competition and a desperate need to maintain quality mean that jobs cannot be pruned.

Pyaribabu: the man who shapes Orissa CM’s decisions

BHUBANESWAR - House No. A-111 in Sahid Nagar, one of the most expensive residential areas in the heart of Orissa capital Bhubaneswar, is an elegant two-storeyed structure. It is home to a 69-year-old former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who holds no official position in the Naveen Patnaik government.

Fashion week affects business at venue’s shopping arcade

NEW DELHI - They had high expectations from the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) at the Eros Intercontinental, but the owners and sales executives at the hotel’s shopping arcade are now very disappointed as the March 18-22 event has dented their business and dipped their sales.

Fans fume in Lucknow lane as Sanjay keeps them waiting

LUCKNOW - They had waited since early morning for a glimpse of their favourite ‘Munnabhai’, but when Bollywood star and Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow failed to turn up in their neighbourhood by noon, the residents cried foul.

Relatives complain lack of information on rail tragedy

KOLKATA - Anxious relatives of the passengers of the Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express, which derailed in Orissa Friday evening, rushed to the Howrah station here to enquire about their fate but complained that officials were not forthcoming with details.

‘Buy American’ plan could invite retaliation from India, China: US study

WASHINGTON - A new US study has asked the US Congress to delete ‘Buy American’ provisions from an over $800 billion economic stimulus bill lest it may encourage key suppliers like China, India, and Brazil to retaliate.

Delhi will run out of petrol by evening

NEW DELHI - The petrol stock in the capital will be over by Friday evening, the head of the Federation of All India Petroleum Traders said late Friday morning. Sixty to seventy percent of petrol pumps have gone dry already as employees of public sector oil firms continue their strike.

Long queues for fuel as petrol pumps run out of stocks

NEW DELHI - Serpentine queues were seen outside petrol pumps across the country as alarmed vehicle owners tried to stock up on fuel as petrol vends started to run dry Thursday on the second day of a nationwide strike by employees of public sector oil companies.