France: Hostage dead in rescue attempt in Somalia

PARIS (AP) — A French commando raid to free an intelligence agent held captive for three years ended in the deaths of the hostage and a French soldier, the French military said Saturday. But the man's Islamist kidnappers said the hostage was alive and that a French soldier had been captured as well.Confusion surrounded early reports of the botched rescue of the agent, known by his code-name Denis...

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Commando killed in raid to free hostage in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A French commando raid in Somalia to free a captive intelligence agent ended in the deaths of 17 Islamists and a French soldier. France said the hostage also died in the failed rescue, but the man's captors denied he had been killed and claimed Saturday to have seized a second soldier.Confusion surrounded early reports of the botched rescue of the French agent, known by...

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Red Cross: 200 dead from violence in Kenya's south

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Kenya Red Cross says at least 200 people have been killed in violence in Kenya's southeast since August in fighting that could be related to political tensions ahead of March elections.Red Cross Secretary General Abbas Gullet said Saturday that in the past there had been skirmishes between the semi-nomadic Orma and the farming Pokomo communities in the Tana Delta over resources,...

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UPDATE 2-NBA results

Jan 11 (Infostrada Sports) - Results from the NBA games on Thursday (home team in CAPS)INDIANA 81 NY Knicks 76Dallas 117 SACRAMENTO 112 (OT)PORTLAND 92 Miami ...

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NBA standings

Jan 11 (Infostrada Sports) - Standings from the NBA on ThursdayEASTERN CONFERENCEATLANTIC DIVISIONW L PCT GB1. NY Knicks 23 12 .657 -2. Brooklyn 20 15 .571 33. Boston 18 17 .514 54. Philadelphia 15 22 .405 95. Toronto 13 22 .371 10CENTRAL DIVISIONW L PCT GB1. Indiana 22 14 .611 -2. Chicago 19 14 .576 1 1/23. Milwaukee 18 16 .529 34. Detroit 13 23 .361 95. Cleveland 9 28 .243 13 1/2SOUTHEAST DIVISIONW...

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UPDATE 1-NBA-Heat evaporate in tight loss to Trail Blazers

* Trail Blazers win ninth straight game at home* Heat slip to fifth defeat in eight games (Adds quotes, detail)Jan 10 (Reuters) - Guard Wesley Matthews buried successive three-pointers to cap a stunning late rally as the Portland Trail Blazers stunned the NBA champion Miami Heat with a tense 92-90 win on Thursday.Trailing 80-68 with just over eight minutes left, Portland finished with a rousing 24-10...

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Report: Apple may build less expensive iPhone

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is trying to decide whether it makes sense to offer a cheaper iPhone as it tries to boost sales in less-affluent countries and reclaim some of the market share lost to cheaper phones running Google's Android software, according to a published report.Wednesday's report in The Wall Street Journal speculated that Apple could lower the iPhone's price by equipping the device...

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Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile all confirm upcoming BlackBerry 10 launches

Research In Motion’s (RIMM) next-generation smartphone platform has received all-important nods from three of the four major nationwide carriers in the United States. Following official endorsements from some international carriers, executives at Verizon Wireless (VZ), AT&T (T) and T-Mobile have each confirmed to Reuters that they will carry BlackBerry 10 devices some time after the new operating...

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Why you should be rooting for RIM and BlackBerry 10 to succeed

It's time to start paying attention to RIM again. For innovation's sakeIt's time to stop making fun of RIM. Seriously. Full stop. After years of devolving into a laughingstock of a tech company, Research in Motion is somehow finding its way back to the brink of relevance, and will soon embark on a make-or-break mission that just a couple of months ago would've sounded impossible: RIM wants you to...

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Liberty Mutual’s Coach Of The Year Finalist And Head Football Coach At Lake Forest College, Jim Catanzaro Is Back To Direct The 2013 Contact Football Camp In Illinois

The Contact Football Camp at Lake Forest College, June 16-20, is an established location where Head Coach Jim Catanzaro works with youth football players to ensure they gain insight on the game and improve their skills.San Rafael, CA (PRWEB) January 09, 2013The Contact Football Camp at Lake Forest College June 16-20, is an established location where Head Coach Jim Catanzaro works with youth football...

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Save the Date: eMazzanti Announces NRF Networking Party at Frames NYC Jan 14th

eMazzanti Technologies and WatchGuard join together to offer NRF attendees a night of luxurious relaxation at the Frames Bowling and Games Lounge, NYC January 14th 6:30pm.Hoboken, NJ / New York, NY (PRWEB) January 10, 2013eMazzanti Technologies, a Hoboken, New Jersey and New York City area IT expert and computer consultant, announces a networking and technology party for all NRF attendees. The party,...

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Custody Battle Continues This Month for Priceless Bahia Emerald

Bahia Claimant & Global Quest TV’s Jerry J. Ferrara in Recent Media for Missing Mayan Codex Discovery. Bahia Emerald valued at over $400,000,000Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 09, 2013Over a decade after its discovery, the high profile legal battle continues for ownership of the rare Bahia Emerald, an 840-pound gem that is considered to be the world’s largest and heaviest emerald. Recognized as one...

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Jones still Japan-bound despite arrest

TOKYO (Reuters) - Former Major League Baseball player Andruw Jones's Christmas morning arrest on a battery charge will not endanger his move to Japan's Rakuten Eagles, the club's president said on Thursday.The Curacao-born outfielder was taken into custody in an Atlanta suburb on Tuesday after police were called to his home following a domestic dispute with his wife."We received a report it was a...

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Baseball: Matsui announces retirement from Major Leagues

(Reuters) - Hard-hitting Hideki Matsui, who set milestones for Japanese players in Major League Baseball, announced his retirement on Thursday, the organization's website reported.The 38-year-old Matsui played 10 seasons in MLB, seven of them with the New York Yankees, producing the most home runs, runs batted in and walks by a Japanese player in the league.A two-time All-Star with the Yankees, he...

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Giants rule American sports in 2012

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a country driven by the mantra 'bigger is always better', it was fitting that Giants dominated America's professional championships in 2012.Two of the four major leagues were won by teams with the supersized moniker, with the New York Giants capturing the National Football League's Super Bowl and the San Francisco Giants landing Major League Baseball's World Series.The Los...

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Rate on 30-year fixed mortgage falls to 3.98 pct.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage hovered above its record low for a fourth straight week. But cheap mortgage rates have done little to boost home sales or refinancing.Freddie Mac says the rate on the 30-year fixed loan fell to 3.98 percent from 4 percent the previous week. Seven weeks ago, it dropped to a record low of 3.94 percent, according to the National Bureau...

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U.S. Housing Market Still On Life Support

With each passing year, the former Oracle of the Fed, Alan Greenspan, is reminded that there really was a housing bubble and lowering interest rates to record lows just matters worse.  Nearly four years after the housing market peak in 2007, record low mortgage rates are no match for falling incomes and 9% unemployment.The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, released on Tuesday, showed that nation...

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U.S. Housing Market Still On Life Support; Prices At 2003 Levels

With each passing year, the former Oracle of the Fed, Alan Greenspan, is reminded that there really was a housing bubble and lowering interest rates to record lows just made matters worse.  Nearly four years after the housing market peak in 2007, record low mortgage rates are no match for falling incomes and 9% unemployment.The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, released on Tuesday, showed that...

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Chile: Couple dies defending home amid protests

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — An elderly couple whose family's vast landholdings have long been targeted by Mapuche Indians in southern Chile were killed in an arson attack early Friday while trying to defend their home. The president quickly flew to the scene and announced new security measures, including the application of Chile's tough anti-terrorism law and the creation of a special police anti-terror...

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Venezuela's Chavez fighting severe lung infection

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan lawmakers will meet Saturday in a session that could shed light on what steps may be taken if President Hugo Chavez is too sick to be sworn in for a new term next week.Legislators will choose a president, two vice presidents and other leaders of the National Assembly, which is controlled by a pro-Chavez majority. Whoever is elected National Assembly president could...

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Venezuela VP: Chavez can be sworn in by Court

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez can take the oath of office for his next term before the Supreme Court at a later date if the ailing leader isn't fit to be sworn in next week, his vice president said.Vice President Nicolas Maduro sent the strongest signal yet that the government may seek to postpone Chavez's inauguration as the 58-year-old president fights a severe respiratory...

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The Challenges of Launching an Encore Career

Many people dream about launching a second career in a field they have always wanted to try. But the transition into an encore career can be a long and costly process.Most people earn a significantly lower amount of money (43 percent) or no money at all (24 percent) during the transition from one job to the next, according to a recent MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures survey conducted by Penn...

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The Importance of Being Self-Reliant in Retirement

Most baby boomers are at various stages of preparing for retirement, depending on whether they were born at the beginning or end of their generation. The smart ones realize that effective planning starts well before retirement age. Important calculations need to be made to determine what it will take to survive financially throughout the retirement years. Post-work lifestyles and passions also need...

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World's biggest Titanic attraction opens in Belfast

The largest Titanic visitor attraction in the world opened in the ship's Belfast birthplace on Saturday, some 100 years after the doomed liner was built in the same yards.Almost 100,000 tickets for Titanic Belfast, a striking aluminium-clad building which tells the famous ship's story through special effects, interactive screens and a ride, have been sold ahead of the opening.Organisers hope the...

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Detained Nigerian newspaper journalists released

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — An official says two Nigerian journalists have been freed after being detained without charges for more than a week by the nation's secret police following writing stories about a radical Islamist sect and alleged military abuses.Mohammed Garba, president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, said Tuesday that Musa Mohammed Awwal and Aliyu Saleh, journalists with the weekly Hausa...

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C. African Republic capital fears rebel attack

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Kpademona Marcel and other residents of the capital of Central African Republic have watched in fear as rebels from the country's north seized control of more than half the country in less than a month. On Tuesday, all he could do was pray that a solution to the crisis could be found without the violence reaching Bangui."We are afraid for our nation and for...

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Stampede after fireworks kills 61 in Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — A crowd stampeded after leaving a New Year's fireworks show early Tuesday in Ivory Coast's main city, killing 61 people — many of them children and teenagers — and injuring more than 200, rescue workers said.Thousands had gathered at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan's Plateau district to see the fireworks. It was only the second New Year's Eve fireworks display...

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Angola: Stampede kills 10 at religious gathering

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Angolan media say 10 people, including four children, have died in a stampede during a religious gathering at a sports stadium in Luanda, the Angolan capital.Angop, the Angolan news agency, cited officials as saying Tuesday that 120 people were also injured. The incident happened on New Year's Eve when tens of thousands of people gathered at the stadium and panic ensued. Faustino...

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South Africa: Mandela rests at home

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa's presidency says former leader Nelson Mandela is progressing with his recuperation from illness and doctors are closely monitoring his condition.Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Wednesday that "everything is moving OK" as 94-year-old Mandela rests at his home in Johannesburg after a hospital stay last month.The former president received treatment for a lung...

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US home sales rise 2.1 percent in October

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. sales of previously occupied homes rose solidly in October, helped by improvement in the job market and record-low mortgage rates.The increase along with a jump in homebuilder confidence this month suggests the housing market continues to recover.The National Association of Realtors said Monday that sales rose 2.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.79 million....

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News Summary: US home sales rise 2.1 pct. in Oct.

SALES RISE: U.S. sales of previously occupied homes rose moderately in October, helped by improvement in the job market and record-low mortgage rates. Sales rose 2.1 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.79 million according to the National Association of Realtors.INVENTORIES: A decline in housing inventory is helping push prices higher. There were only 2.14 million homes available...

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News Summary: US 30-yr mortgage rate at record low

RATES AT RECORD LOW: Average U.S. mortgage rates fell to fresh record lows this week, a trend that is boosting home sales.THE NUMBERS: Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said the average 30-year loan rate dipped to 3.31 percent, the lowest on records dating back to 1971. The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage dropped to 2.63 percent, also a record.HOUSING RECOVERY: Home sales and construction are rising,...

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Retirement Savings Plan Reality: Save More

There's a buzz building in California over a state move to create a retirement savings plan for private employees with no workplace 401k. It might seem that everyone has plenty of access to a retirement savings plan, but at least a third of U.S. households get to retirement with just Social Security to back them up, reports MarketWatch.The "pioneering" part of such a retirement savings plan would...

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US home sales surge to highest level in 3 years

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. sales of previously occupied homes jumped to their highest level in three years last month, bolstered by steady job gains and record-low mortgage rates. The report was the latest sign of a sustained recovery in the housing market.The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that sales rose 5.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.04 million in November. That's...

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Ms. Mac: 'Cute, Awkwardly Dressed'

Designer: PabloDeLaRocha.com, BlueStacksShe has freckles, a normal-sized head, wears t-shirts and jeans. She is also "awkwardly dressed" and "pretty cute." She is the average female Mac user, according to an infographic complied and released by software start-up BlueStacks.The company, which makes software that allows Android apps to run on computers, just released a new version of its Mac app. Install...

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Makers of $99 Android-Powered Game Console Ship First 1,200 'Ouyas'

Like Nintendo's Wii U game console, the Ouya (that's "OOH-yuh") has an unusual name and even more unusual hardware. The console is roughly the size of a Rubik's cube, and is powered by Android, Google's open-source operating system that's normally found on smartphones and tablets.Ouya's makers, who are preparing the console for its commercial launch, encourage interested gamers to pop the case open...

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