Syria civil war

MADRID, May 16 (Reuters) - Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos put in an assured performance in front of the cameras after coach Jose Mourinho failed to appear in Thursday's news conference ahead of the King's Cup final. Better known for his tough tackles, powerful heading ability and nerves of steel when taking penalties, the 27-year-old Spain international appeared in the conference room to represent the club and deftly handled a string of awkward questions. "If I am here it is for a reason. I can also answer questions just like the boss," Ramos said. ...

A painting of actress Bea Arthur topless has sold for $1.9 million at a New York City auction. The painting is by artist John Currin and is titled "Bea Arthur Naked." It sold at Christie's auction ...

By Alasdair Fotheringham TREVISO, Italy, May 16 (Reuters) - Britain's Mark Cavendish racked up the 100th win of his career on stage 12 of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday but Bradley Wiggins's hopes of overall victory were in tatters when he lost time on the main bunch. Tour de France champion Wiggins, who has been suffering from a chest infection, was dropped in the final hour of the 134-km stage to Treviso after being caught on the wrong side of a split in the bunch. ...

By Iain Rogers MADRID, May 18 (Reuters) - Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho were sifting through the debris of what the Portuguese coach termed a "disastrous" 2012-13 campaign after Friday's King's Cup final defeat left the world's richest club without a major trophy for the season. The 2-1 reverse to Atletico Madrid at their own Bernabeu stadium meant Mourinho, widely expected to move on at the end of this term, finished a season without significant silverware for the first time in his otherwise glittering career. ...

At 16 years old, Jack Andraka is already a superstar in the field of science. Earlier this year, he won Intel’s prestigious Gordon E. Moore Award, when he created a groundbreaking testing method that can detect pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages. His work is expected to save thousands of lives.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Women's rights protesters disrupted the opening of a giant pink doll's house in Berlin on Thursday, saying the Barbie "Dreamhouse Experience" objectified women. Promoting the doll made by Mattel Inc, the house allows paying visitors to try on Barbie's clothes, play in her kitchen and have a go on her pink piano. The exhibition will be open until August 25. A handful of protesters gathered outside the shocking pink house that has been erected in one of central Berlin's greyest areas. ...