Toyota, the third largest carmaker in the US market, has settled a US lawsuit that blames the company for defects in the speed control system in its vehicles. The class action has been the biggest safety crisis in the Japanese company’s history. The key accusation is that millions of Toyota cars accelerate unintentionally, with the proposed settlement set to cover economic losses from possible safety... 

With less than a week until a powerful legislation expires that lets the government eavesdrop on the phone and email conversations of Americans, the Senate has convened in DC to discuss whether or not to renew the FISA Amendment Act. The 2008 FISA Amendment Act, an update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of the 1970s, allows the government to wiretap any conversation involving US citizens,... 

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the Kremlin, in Moscow, after he told top officials in the Kremlin that he intends to sign into law a bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children, December 27, 2012. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he intends to sign into law a bill that bans Americans from adopting Russian children. “I do not yet see any reason why I should not sign it,”... 

Immature: A former TSA officer has revealed that he had witnessed his co-workers laughing at the nude X-ray images of passengers going through full-body scanners A former Transpiration Security Administration (TSA) agent-turned-anonymous blogger recently revealed that his co-workers routinely make fun of passengers’ nude body images while reviewing them in backrooms. The unnamed ex-TSA officer,... 

Argentinean President Christina Kirchner’s government has blamed two top officials from the country’s trade unions for organizing a wave of protests, which has resulted in the deaths of four people and injured some 100 others, says a Press TV report. A day before the violent incidents last week, General Confederation of Labor (CGT) Secretary-General, Hugo Moyano, and Pablo Micheli, the head of... 

Russia’s halting attempts to build a next generation spacecraft have received a boost after a leading constructor announced that it has completed the design of a new prototype. But seasoned space watchers await specifics before popping their corks. ­“We have finished the design of the new spaceship. We took into consideration that the new craft has to be able to travel not only to the International... 

Hawaii’s third largest island, Oahu Researchers have claimed that some parts of the Hawaiian Islands in the North Pacific that are currently dissolving by groundwater might disappear in future. The study indicates that the Hawaiian Islands are now experiencing significant erosion while the groundwater under the islands is dissolving the island from within. Researchers found that the mountains... 

What your credit says about you: Banks steer clear of giving loans to people with scores below 660, while scores above 750 are considered good according to this graphic by Credit Karma Asking for a date’s credit score has apparently eclipsed more traditional check-list questions like a good job and shared interests. According to the New York Times, websites like Creditscoredating.com state that... 

The bright spot at the center of this large elliptical galaxy is one of the biggest black holes in the universe, which scientists recently found is even bigger than previously thought. This galaxy is in the center of the galaxy cluster PKS 0745-19, which is located about 1.3 billion light years from Earth It turns out that the largest black holes may be even bigger than scientists previously thought.... 

A US Air Force Global Hawk drone in the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition The administration of US President Barack Obama has notified the Congress of a possible sale of advanced spy drones to South Korea. The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement dated Monday and distributed on Tuesday that the South Korean government had requested a $1.2-billion... 

Justice: Nine Wyoming farm workers who were spotted by an undercover investigator beating pigs and tossing piglets in the air were arrested and charged with animal abuse Nine former Wyoming farm workers have been charged with animal cruelty Monday after an undercover investigation has revealed that pigs were allegedly being beaten, punched and tossed in the air. The probe began in April when an employee... 

The coldest ever December has rolled through Russia causing the evacuation of hundreds of people in Siberia, where temperature hit below -50C, and plunging Moscow into its coldest night in the season. Will Christmas lift the frosty spell? ­The cold weather that has Russia in its icy embrace has been causing all kinds of havoc. Flights and buses delayed and cancelled, many schools have been closed,... 

Iran launched its first domestically-produced satellite, Omid (Hope), via Safir (Ambassador) carrier (shown) into orbit in 2009. Head of Iran’s Space Agency (ISA) Hamid Fazeli says the country plans to launch two indigenous satellites into orbit by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2013). “The launching of the two satellites, Fajr and Shrif Sat, by the end of the current... 

Recently, high-ranking EU officials provided the answer to the question about the gap between fiction and real life. It was discovered that children’s stories have a negative impact on the brain of the European kids when they use the word “negro.” This is not a curse word, but the kids are not supposed to know it. Many generations of Germans have been apologizing for the tortured... 

Argentina has protested against Britain’s act to name an area of Antarctica, Queen Elizabeth Land. Argentina has protested against Britain’s imperialistic move to name a large area of Antarctica, which has long been claimed by the South American nation as its own, as Queen Elizabeth Land. Argentina’s protest came in the form of a note to British ambassador in Buenos Aires John Freeman, criticizing...