US judge sends Apple, Samsung to settlement talks

Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd agreed that their chief executives would participate in settlement talks to try to resolve a patent lawsuit over smartphone and tablet technology, according to a court filing. Apple sued Samsung in the United States last year, saying the South Korean company's Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablets "slavishly" copies the iPhone and iPad. Samsung then countersued Apple. ...

Afghan schoolgirls poisoned in alleged attack

About 150 Afghan schoolgirls have fallen ill after drinking poisoned water at their high school in the country's north, officials said. The alleged poisoning on Tuesday is being blamed on hardline conservatives who oppose female education. Since the 2001 toppling of the Taliban, which banned education for women and girls, females have returned to schools, especially in Kabul. But periodic attacks still occur against girls, teachers and their school buildings, usually in the more conservative south and east of the country,...

Afghan President Wants US to Guarantee $2 Billion Annually

A day after Afghan forces with NATO support fought off multiple attacks by Taliban militants, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is focusing on ensuring international financial support after most Western combat troops leave in 2014. In a speech Tuesday, Karzai said he wants the U.S. to guarantee at least $2 billion annually to fund the Afghan army and police under a strategic partnership agreement now being negotiated between...

China decries Tokyo-hatched plan to buy disputed isles

Tokyo's controversial governor wants to use public funds to buy islands disputed between Japan and China, prompting Beijing to denounce the plan as illegal and reassert its sovereignty. The islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have long been the centre of maritime territorial disputes between China and neighbors, all citing historical and other claims over fishing areas and potentially rich gas deposits. Shintaro Ishihara, 79, announced the idea of buying the uninhabited islands in the East China Sea from...

Apple is planning a mini iPad to be released later this year, according to reports.

A Chinese web portal, NetEase, has claimed that a mini iPad is being developed by Apple to go on sale later this year to compete with Windows 8-based tablets. According to the blog post, (translated by Kotaku) six million units of the smaller tablet will hit shelves in late 2012. NetEase cites “Taiwan media reports” which are based on orders Apple has placed to factories, including Honhai Precision – operated by Foxconn...