Syrian rebels make more gains in north

 Syrian rebels fully captured a northern town near the Turkish border on Tuesday after weeks of heavy fighting and attacked a regime air base in a neighboring province, activists said.The air base is in Aleppo province, where opposition fighters have already captured three other large military bases in recent months. Rebels have also laid siege to the international airport in the city of Aleppo,...

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Egypt's parliament convenes after charter passes

 Egypt's upper house of parliament has convened in its first session after the passing of the country's Islamist-backed constitution, the first action by a state institution in accordance with a document whose legitimacy is still contested by the opposition.The Shura Council was swearing in 90 new members appointed by President Mohammed Morsi Wednesday. The charter, approved by 63.8 percent in...

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Report: Iran ex-president's family sues hardliner

 An Iranian news agency says four children of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani are suing a radical lawmaker for describing the influential ex-president's family as a corrupt "octopus."Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei, who is a lawyer for Rafsanjani's family, was quoted by the semiofficial ISNA news agency Wednesday as saying that a complaint has been filed against Hamid Rasai.Rafsanjani is considered a political...

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Report: Top Syrian general joins opposition

The general who heads Syria's military police has defected and joined the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime, one of the highest walkouts by a serving security chief during the country's 21-month uprising, a pan Arab TV station has reported.Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Jassem al-Shallal appeared in a video aired on Al Arabiya TV late Tuesday saying he is joining "the people's revolution."Al-Shallal's...

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Iraq: New protests break out in Sunni heartland

RAMADI, Iraq (AP) — Thousands of Iraqi demonstrators massed in a Sunni-dominated province west of Baghdad Wednesday, determined to keep up the pressure on a Shiite-led government that many accuse of trying to marginalize them.It was the third major protest in less than a week in Anbar, Iraq's largest province, once the heart of the deadly Sunni insurgency that erupted after the U.S.-led invasion in...

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Soccer-Swansea hot-shot Michu set for Spain debut

 Swansea City's free-scoring striker Michu is set to make his Spain debut early next year following a sensational start to his career in the English Premier League.Vicente del Bosque, coach of European and world champions Spain, told Spanish television that the 26-year-old will play in the Feb. 6 friendly against Uruguay in Doha.Michu will be joined in the Spain squad by Iago Aspas, currently...

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Zambia retain faith in winning squad

All but two of the squad who took Zambia to the last African Nations Cup title have been retained by coach Herve Renard for their defence in South Africa next month.Renard named a provisional list of 26 players on Monday for the tournament, keeping faith in the rump of the squad who won a first continental championship for Zambia.The only players left out are defender Nyambe Mulenga, who has lost...

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Swansea hot-shot Michu set for Spain debut

Swansea City's free-scoring striker Michu is set to make his Spain debut early next year following a sensational start to his career in the English Premier League.Vicente del Bosque, coach of European and world champions Spain, told Spanish television that the 26-year-old will play in the February 6 friendly against Uruguay in Doha.Michu will be joined in the Spain squad by Iago Aspas, currently being...

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Soccer-Scottish Premier League fixtures

Dec 25 (Infostrada Sports) - Fixtures from the Scottish Premier League matches on TuesdayWednesday, December 26 (GMT)Dundee United v St. Johnstone (1200)Hibernian v Ross County (1500)Inverness Caledonian Thistle v St. Mirren (1500)Kilmarnock v Hearts (1500)Motherwell v Aberdeen (1500)Dundee v Celtic (1930)Saturday, December 29 (GMT)Dundee v Aberdeen (1500)Hibernian v Celtic (1500)Motherwell v Kilmarnock...

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Soccer-English premier league fixtures

Dec 25 (Infostrada Sports) - Fixtures from the English premier league matches on TuesdayWednesday, December 26 (GMT)Everton v Wigan Athletic (1500)Fulham v Southampton (1500)Manchester United v Newcastle United (1500)Norwich City v Chelsea (1500)Queens Park Rangers v West Bromwich Albion (1500)Reading v Swansea City (1500)Sunderland v Manchester City (1500)Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur (1730)Stoke...

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Japan's incoming PM keeps up pressure on BOJ to attack deflation

 Incoming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated calls for the Bank of Japan to conduct bold monetary easing to beat deflation by setting an inflation target of 2 percent.Abe, to be sworn in as Japan's next premier on Wednesday when he is also expected to name his cabinet, said his new government hopes to sign an agreement with the BOJ to aim for 2 percent inflation, double the central...

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China may require real name registration for internet access

China may require real name registration for internet access China may require internet users to register with their real names when signing up to network providers, state media said on Tuesday, extending a policy already in force with microblogs in a bid to curb what officials call rumors and vulgarity.A law being discussed this week would mean people would have to present their government-issued...

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Sony says China business has recovered, foresees growth

 Sony Corp's business in China has "more or less" returned to levels seen before recent protests against Japan's actions over a group of disputed islands, the Japanese company's China chief, Nobuki Kurita, told reporters on Tuesday.Calls for boycotts of Japanese products broke out across China in September after Japan nationalized two of a group of disputed East China Sea islands, known as the...

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Japan new PM Abe wants to correct strong yen trend

Japan's incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated on Tuesday a pledge to revive the economy by correcting the recent trend towards a stronger yen.Abe is set to be selected as prime minister by lawmakers on Wednesday after leading his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to a landslide victory in a lower house election earlier this month.Abe, who spoke after naming a new leadership team for the LDP,...

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Health care tax hikes for 2013 may be just a start

New taxes are coming Jan. 1 to help finance President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Most people may not notice. But they will pay attention if Congress decides to start taxing employer-sponsored health insurance, one of the options in play if lawmakers can ever agree on a budget deal to reduce federal deficits.The tax hikes already on the books, taking effect in 2013, fall mainly on people...

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Latin Americans rank as happiest people on planet

The world's happiest people aren't in Qatar, the richest country by most measures. They aren't in Japan, the nation with the highest life expectancy. Canada, with its chart-topping percentage of college graduates, doesn't make the top 10.A poll released Wednesday of nearly 150,000 people around the world says seven of the world's 10 countries with the most upbeat attitudes are in Latin America.Many...

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Quotes from the most, least positive countries

MOST POSITIVE1. PANAMA"We're naturally very happy. We have our problems in life but we forget them quickly and we start over; it's a question of culture." — Hildaura Ortega, 30, English professor, Panama City.1. PARAGUAY"The farmers, the peasants, they are happy and joyful despite the problems of everyday life, but the city dwellers, those used to the city routine, are very individualistic and colder...

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YPF, Chevron sign Argentina petroleum pact

 Argentina's cash-strapped state energy company signed a partnership deal Wednesday with Chevron Corp. for a "massive development" of the South American country's vast nonconventional oil and gas resources.YPF President Miguel Galuccio and Chevron's Latin America and Africa chief, Ali Moshiri, signed a letter of intent to start on a shale pilot project by drilling more than 100 wells within 12...

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Massachusetts fines Morgan Stanley over Facebook IPO

Morgan Stanley , the lead underwriter for Facebook Inc's initial public offering, will pay a $5 million fine to Massachusetts for violating securities laws governing how investment research can be distributed.Massachusetts' top securities regulator, William Galvin, charged on Monday that a top Morgan Stanley banker had improperly coached Facebook on how to disclose sensitive financial information...

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ARM security improvement to speed mobile e-commerce

 British chip designer ARM Holdings and its partners Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient have launched a new security standard for smartphones that can speed up e-commerce transactions.Trustonic, a joint venture between the companies formed in April, said the security standard could be built into every level of a device, from the chip through the operating system to applications.Ben Cade, Trustonic's...

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Online shopping to breathe new life into run-down sheds

 Owners of run-down warehouses on the edge of European cities could be sitting on goldmines because online shopping will force firms to seek distribution sites closer to customers who think speedy delivery is the norm.In an increasingly fierce market where the likes of Amazon and Tesco pledge next-day or same-day delivery in specific time slots, warehouse rents could rise 40 percent over the...

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"Hebrew Hammer" sequel profits from crowdfunding campaign

The Hebrew Hammer vs. Hitler," the sequel to 2003's "The Hebrew Hammer," will begin filming next year, after an innovative crowdfunding campaign that's raised $35,000 on Jewcer.com, the filmmakers announced Tuesday.Adam Goldberg will return in the lead role, with principle photography expected to begin in May 2013.In the film, Goldberg's character, now married and enjoying the good life in suburbia,...

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Instagram says no plans to put user photos in ads

 Instagram, the popular photo-sharing service owned by Facebook Inc, said on Tuesday it has "no plans" to incorporate user photos into ads in response to a growing public outcry over new privacy policies unveiled this week.Instagram Chief Executive Kevin Systrom said in a blog post that users had incorrectly interpreted Instagram's revised terms of service, released on Monday, to mean that user...

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FBI question Benghazi consulate attack suspect

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — After months of asking, agents from the FBI questioned the only known suspect in the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that killed four diplomats, the suspect's Tunisian lawyer told The Associated Press Saturday.Ali Harzi, a Tunisian, was detained in Turkey and extradited to Tunisia in October where authorities have said he is "strongly suspected" of being involved...

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Rebels threaten to storm 2 Syrian Christian towns

BEIRUT (AP) — Rebels have threated to storm two predominantly Christian towns in central Syria if residents do not "evict" government troops they say are using the towns as a base to attack nearby areas.A video released by rebels showed Rashid Abul-Fidaa, who identified himself as the commander of the Ansar Brigade for Hama province, calling on locals in Mahrada and Sqailbiyeh to rise up against President...

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Egypt's vice president quits

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's state TV says Vice President Mahmoud Mekki has resigned.Mekki's Saturday resignation was announced with more than five hours to go of voting in the second and final phase of a referendum on a disputed, Islamist-backed constitution. Mekki, a career judge, has said he intends to quit once the charter is adopted. The new constitution eliminates the post of vice president.However,...

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Ex-Tunisian dictator's property goes under hammer

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisian authorities are putting property confiscated from ousted Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali up for auction. That includes a pair of miniature gold sphinxes, a diamond-encrusted pen and a staggering 39 luxury cars.Officials hope the sale, which was inaugurated by Tunisia's Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali in Tunis Saturday, will fetch some 20 million dinar ($12.9 million)...

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Egypt's central bank governor quits

CAIRO (AP) — State television says Egypt's central bank governor has resigned.Farouq el-Oqdah's resignation is the second such high profile move on Saturday. Earlier on the day, Vice President Mahmoud Mekki resigned, saying he realized that politics did not suit his professional background as a judge.The brief TV report did not say why el-Oqdah quit, but it ends days of media speculations about his...

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"Fiscal cliff" turmoil could hit 100 million taxpayers: U.S. IRS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. tax authorities warned on Wednesday that as many as 100 million taxpayers - far more than previously estimated - could face refund delays if lawmakers' "fiscal cliff" negotiations fail to fix the alternative minimum tax (AMT) before year-end.The Internal Revenue Service said in a letter to lawmakers that it was raising its estimate on AMT impact from 60 million."It is...

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What's on the table now in 'fiscal cliff' talks

An update on the latest offers on the table in negotiations to avert a year-end avalanche of federal tax increases and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff":___INCOME TAXESHouse Speaker John Boehner would allow income tax rates to rise for people making more than $1 million per year and would hold rates where they are for everyone making less. The top rate on income exceeding $1 million would...

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Swiss lender ZKB says three charged by U.S. authorities

(Reuters) - Swiss lender Zuercher Kantonalbank (ZKB) said two of its bankers and one former employee had been charged by U.S. authorities, which had accused them of helping U.S. clients avoid taxes.The three were indicted over changes of conspiring with American clients to hide more than $420 million from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan had said on Wednesday.The...

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Swiss lender ZKB says three charged by U.S. authorities

(Reuters) - Swiss lender Zuercher Kantonalbank (ZKB) said two of its bankers and one former employee had been charged by U.S. authorities, which had accused them of helping U.S. clients avoid taxes.The three were indicted over changes of conspiring with American clients to hide more than $420 million from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan had said on Wednesday.The...

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Swiss lender ZKB says three charged by U.S. authorities

(Reuters) - Swiss lender Zuercher Kantonalbank (ZKB) said two of its bankers and one former employee had been charged by U.S. authorities, which had accused them of helping U.S. clients avoid taxes.The three were indicted over changes of conspiring with American clients to hide more than $420 million from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan had said on Wednesday.The...

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The fiscal cliff: Calculate how much it will cost you

There's still no deal to prevent the double-whammy of harsh tax hikes and spending cuts kicking in on Jan. 1. Who will feel the most pain if we take the plunge?After several days of apparent progress, negotiations on a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff stalled on Wednesday. House Speaker John Boehner, the lead negotiator for Republicans, is vowing to hold a vote on his own plan to raise taxes on people...

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Why more NFL teams should start rookie QBs

Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson are on the verge of making playoff historyIf the NFL playoffs started today, a record three rookie quarterbacks would be leading their teams into the postseason. With two weeks left to play, Indianapolis' Andrew Luck, Washington's Robert Griffin III, and Seattle's Russell Wilson all have their teams roaring toward unexpected postseason berths.This...

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Gun Violence -- Let's Shift the Odds in Favor of the Good Guys!

The unimaginable horror of Sandy Hook jumpstarts another "national conversation" about firearm violence. President Barack Obama, promising "meaningful action," said: "We will have to change. ... We can't tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end."Let's examine four of the "commonsense" measures frequently proposed by "gun control advocates":One, closing the "gun show loophole." What gun show...

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Why are flags flown at half-staff in times of mourning?

Flying a flag at half-mast has become a well-recognized symbol of national grieving, but where did this tradition originate?How did the tradition of flying the flag at half-staff get started?It's tough to say, but the oldest commonly accepted reference to a half-staff flag dates back to 1612, when the captain of the British ship Heart's Ease died on a journey to Canada. When the ship returned to London,...

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