Washington

US stocks edge higher on energy share jump

US stocks edge higher on energy share jump Washington  - US stocks rose slightly Thursday on the back of energy company gains, as financial shares continued their steady fall on the week.

Chevron Corp and Exxon Mobil Corp led the rise after crude oil prices for October delivery surged 4.9 per cent to 121.23 dollars per barrel in New York trading.

Tropical Storm Fay hovers over northern Florida, dumping rain

Tropical Storm Fay hovers over northern Florida, dumping rain Washington  - Tropical Storm Fay came ashore in Florida for the third time on Thursday, where the slow moving storm was dumping heavy rain in northern parts of the state near the city of Jacksonville.

The storm first came ashore in Florida on Monday at its southern tip, Key West, and then crossed the south-western portion of the Florida peninsula before again moving offshore ahead of the latest landfall. It earlier left as many as 50 people dead in flooding and landslides in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Obama campaigns with Virginia's Kaine, potential running mate

Obama campaigns with Virginia's Kaine, potential running mate Washington  - As speculation continues to swirl over who Barack Obama will pick as his running mate, one of the top prospects, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, joined the Democratic presidential candidate on the campaign trail Thursday.

Obama is in the middle of a two-day swing through southern Virginia, which has become one of the most hotly contested states in the country this election season.

Kaine, 50, joined a rally that played up Obama's economic policies in the southern town of Chester.

McCain doesn't know how many homes he owns

McCain doesn't know how many homes he owns Washington  - As the Republican candidate for president, John McCain has had to answer all kinds of questions on the campaign trail, ranging from his health and age to his policies on Iraq and the economy.

The 71-year-old senator from Arizona has always been ready with a response to counter the positions of Democratic rival Barack Obama. But he struggled in an interview with Politico when asked how many homes he and wife Cindy own.

Corporal punishment common in US public schools: Report

Corporal punishment common in US public schools: Report Washington  - More than 200,000 US public school students, often as young as 3 years, were punished by beatings last year, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union said in a report released Wednesday.

Corporal punishment is legal in 21 states and typically takes the form of "paddling," where the child is struck repeatedly on the buttocks with a long, wooden board.

Using calculators in math class ''ok'' as long as kids possess basic skills

CalculatorWashington, Aug 20: Using calculators in the classroom does not hinder learning of multiplication, as long as children have a basic grasp of the skills first, suggests a group of researchers.

The study, conducted by Bethany Rittle-Johnson and colleague Alexander Kmicikewycz, will be published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.

Calculators are useful tools in elementary mathematics classes, if students already have some basic skills, new research has found. The findings shed light on the debate about whether and when calculators should be used in the classroom.

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