Yahoo! News India

By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - Apple's ability to shelter billions of dollars of income from tax has hinged on an unusual loophole in the Irish tax code that helps the country compete with other countries for investment and jobs. A U.S. Senate investigation revealed on Monday that Apple, maker of iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, had channelled profits into Irish-incorporated subsidiaries that had "no declared tax residency anywhere in the world". Over the past three years, the American company paid a tax rate of 2 percent on $74 billion in overseas income, its annual reports show. ...

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Forty-one years ago, a crazed Hungarian named Laszlo Toth jumped an altar railing in St. Peter's Basilica and dealt 12 hammer blows to Michelangelo's Pieta, severely damaging the Renaissance masterpiece. To mark the attack on May 21, 1972, the Vatican Museums held a day-long seminar on Tuesday on the statue, the incident, and what subsequently became one of the most delicate and controversial art restorations in history. ...

By Dorene Internicola NEW YORK (Reuters) - Celebrity chef, author, entrepreneur and television personality Curtis Stone said fatherhood provided some of the inspiration for his fifth cookbook, "What's for Dinner? Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life." "I'm a new Dad," said Stone who has appeared on TV shows including "The Biggest Loser" and "Celebrity Apprentice," among others, and who is the host of cable TV's Top Chef Masters. "You quickly realize how busy you are when you have a little one. ...

By Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Emergency workers searched for survivors in the rubble of homes, schools and a hospital in an Oklahoma town hit by a powerful tornado, but officials on Tuesday sharply lowered the number of deaths caused by the storm. The Oklahoma state medical examiner's office said 24 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of Monday's storm, down from the 51 they had reported earlier. The earlier number likely reflected some double-counted deaths, said Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer for the medical examiner. ...

By Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin CORK/DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland said on Tuesday it was not to blame for Apple Inc's low global tax payments and had no special rate deal with the company after the U.S. Senate said it paid little or no tax on tens of billions of dollars in profits stashed in Irish subsidiaries. The Irish government, which has seen the luring of U.S. multinationals with low taxes as a key part of its economic policy since the 1960s, said its system was transparent and other countries were responsible if the tax rate paid by Apple was too low. ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that the U.S. government had properly classified more than 50 images of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden taken after his death, and that the government did not need to release them. The unanimous ruling by three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected a request for the images by a conservative nonprofit watchdog group. (Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

By Arshad Mohammed MUSCAT (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Oman on Tuesday for Raytheon Co's signing of an estimated $2.1 billion arms deal and to consult on Syria and Iran, U.S. officials said. Oman is expected to sign a letter of intent to purchase a ground-based air defence system that would help protect against cruise missile, drone or fighter aircraft attacks, a senior U.S. State Department official told reporters aboard Kerry's plane. Part of the sale has been previously disclosed. In October 2011, the U.S. Defense Department notified Congress of a proposed $1. ...

By Alissa de Carbonnel MOSCOW (Reuters) - The right-hand man of Russia's most wanted insurgent was killed by security forces on Tuesday, officials said, as Moscow tries to contain militancy in its Caucasus region before it hosts the Winter Olympics near there next February. Dzhamaleil Mutaliyev, a senior figure in a group fighting to establish an Islamist state, was killed along with another militant in a shootout in the town of Nazran in Ingushetia, a spokesman for local investigators said. ...

By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Golf's governing bodies announced on Tuesday that they will ban the anchoring of putters from 2016 in a move which will please traditionalists but could lead to a split in the game among the professional ranks. The ban was first proposed by the Royal and Ancient (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) in November. Players and the golfing community were then given 90 days in which to discuss the proposal. The European Tour expressed its support for the idea but both the U.S. PGA Tour and PGA of America voiced opposition. ...

By Abhishek Vishnoi MUMBAI (Reuters) - The BSE Sensex tumbled for a second consecutive session on Tuesday hitting its lowest close in a week as recent outperforming blue-chips such as ITC fell on doubts about whether foreign investors will continue their strong buying so far. These doubts come as Asian shares were largely subdued ahead of Wednesday's release of minutes of the Federal Reserve's last meeting and chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony in Congress the same day. Those events are expected to provide cues about the future of U.S. ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama sent his top disaster relief official to Oklahoma on Tuesday to help manage recovery efforts after a devastating tornado, the White House said. The president was being briefed on the emergency response in Moore, Oklahoma, and planned to make a 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) statement, it said. Obama spoke Monday night with Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and U.S. Representative Tom Cole to express sympathy and condolences, the White House said. He has approved federal disaster funding to help victims support recovery efforts. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron is committed to governing as part of a two-party coalition until the next national election in 2015, his spokesman said on Tuesday, days after Cameron raised the prospect of the alliance breaking apart. Cameron has ruled with the Liberal Democrats, his junior coalition partner, since 2010, but the two have taken increasingly different positions on issues such as Britain's role in Europe and Cameron on Sunday for the first time raised the possibility that the coalition might not last until 2015. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer George Michael remains in hospital under observation for head injuries, five days after a car accident, his publicist said on Tuesday. "I can confirm that George remains in hospital but purely as a standard precaution for observation because he suffered some bumps and cuts to his head. But he's making good progress, he's fine and he's really looking forward to getting home," the spokeswoman said. ...

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Tainted cricketer S. Sreesanth went on a shopping spree with the money he earned from spot-fixing, buying apparel worth Rs.1.95 lakh for himself and a mobile phone costing over Rs.40,000 for his girlfriend, Delhi Police said Tuesday.

Gurgaon, May 21 (IANS) Two women employees of a private school here were arrested for sexually molesting a six-year-old Class 3 student for the last few months, police said Tuesday.

Kolkata, May 21 (IANS) Supporting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to withdraw from the UPA last September on the issue of FDI in retail, eminent writer Mahasweta Devi Tuesday exhorted people from all walks of life to protest against the measure.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Chennai won the toss and opted to bat against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Tuesday.

Shimla, May 21 (IANS) The by-election to the Lok Sabha from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi constituency will be held June 23, election officials said here.

Jamshedpur, May 21 (IANS) In a stellar show of indomitable spirit, Arunima Sinha became the first woman in the world to conquer Mt. Everest with prosthetic legs, when she successfully climbed the world's highest peak Tuesday.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) An ongoing food festival offering true Mughlai flavours -- spicy aromatic biryanis with vegetables, fish, chicken and mutton accompaniments -- will leave you craving for more.

Bangalore, May 21 (IANS) Top-ranked Siddant Jagdish Banthia led the bunch of seeded players into the quarter-finals of the Karle Infra ATF Under-14 Asian ranking junior tennis tournament here Tuesday that saw all fancied players making smooth progress.

Ghaziabad, May 21 (IANS) Two police constables were arrested in Ghaziabad for harassing a newly-married couple and extorting Rs.8,000 from them, police said Tuesday.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) A Delhi court Tuesday extended by five days the police custody of cricketer S. Sreesanth, his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila and eight bookies for alleged spot-fixing in the ongoing IPL.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) With the maximum temperature settling five notches above average at 45.1 degrees Celsius, Delhi recorded the season's hottest day Tuesday and also the hottest May 21 in the last five years. The Met office has forecast hotter days in store.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) The third installment of "The Hangover" series will take the lead characters of the movie back to Las Vegas, where the plot of the first movie was sketched.

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Pune Warriors India, owned by Sahara India Parivar, Tuesday announced they were pulling out of Indian Premier League (IPL).