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Gulf War Commander Schwarzkopf Dies at 78

Posted December 27th, 2012 at 10:55 pm (UTC-5)
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Retired Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, who commanded the U.S.-led international coalition that drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait in 1991, has died. He was 78. Schwarzkopf died Thursday from complications from pneumonia in Tampa, Florida, where he lived in retirement. A much-decorated combat soldier in Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was known popularly as “Stormin’ Norman” because of […]

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Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Mongolian Dinosaur Skeleton

Posted December 27th, 2012 at 9:15 pm (UTC-5)
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A Florida man pleaded guilty Thursday to smuggling a 70 million-year-old dinosaur skeleton into the United States from Mongolia, selling it at auction for more than $1 million. Prosecutors call Eric Prokopi a “one-man black market in prehistoric fossils.” Prokopi also agreed to forfeit claims on other dinosaur remains, including a Chinese flying dinosaur that […]

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US Closes Embassy in Central African Republic; Evacuates Staff

Posted December 27th, 2012 at 8:55 pm (UTC-5)
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The United States has temporarily shut down its embassy in the Central African Republic and evacuated the staff, because of a rebel threat to topple the government. A State Department spokesman Thursday said Washington is urging all parties to begin peace talks to offer a new vision of security for the country. He said U.S. […]

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Obama to Hold Fiscal Cliff Talks with Top Four Congressional Leaders

Posted December 27th, 2012 at 7:45 pm (UTC-5)
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U.S. President Barack Obama will hold last-minute White House talks with the top four congressional leaders as the deadline for avoiding the fiscal cliff fast approaches. Mr. Obama will meet Friday with Democratic and Republican Senate leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner and Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy […]

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Schatz Sworn In As Hawaii’s New Senator

Posted December 27th, 2012 at 4:55 pm (UTC-5)
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The Pacific island state of Hawaii has a new U.S. senator, 40-year-old Democrat Brian Schatz, who succeeds the late Daniel Inouye. Vice President Joe Biden led the swearing-in of Schatz Thursday in Washington. Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie appointed Schatz, who was his lieutenant governor, on Wednesday. Schatz left Hawaii late Wednesday on Air Force One […]

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Massive Storm Disrupts Travel in Northeastern US

Posted December 27th, 2012 at 4:10 pm (UTC-5)
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A persistent winter storm that moved into the northeastern United States Wednesday has forced the delay of hundreds of airline flights, frustrating travelers still trying to return home after the Christmas holiday. The storm spawned high winds, snow and sleet across several states all the way up to Maine. The system also created hazardous driving […]

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Obama Returns to Washington, House Called Back for Fiscal Cliff Negotiations

Posted December 27th, 2012 at 4:05 pm (UTC-5)
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U.S. President Barack Obama cut short his Hawaiian holiday and flew back to Washington Thursday as the deadline for avoiding the fiscal cliff comes down to the wire. If there is no deal by January 1, nearly every American will see his or her taxes go up, along with automatic government spending cuts. Economists fear […]

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Obama Back in Washington For Fiscal Cliff Negotiations

Posted December 27th, 2012 at 11:55 am (UTC-5)
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U.S. President Barack Obama has returned to Washington, cutting short a vacation in Hawaii to tackle negotiations on preventing tax hikes and spending cuts from taking effect January 1. Democrats and Republicans have, so far, failed to reach an agreement on averting the so-called fiscal cliff. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says it appears the […]

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Militants Capture 22 Paramilitary Troops in Pakistan

Posted December 27th, 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
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Pakistani government officials say militants have killed two paramilitary troops and kidnapped at least 22 others in an attack on posts in the country’s northwest. Authorities say dozens of heavily-armed militants stormed at least two paramilitary checkpoints near Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, early Thursday. Local administration official Naveed Akbar told news agencies […]

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India Gang-Rape Victim Flown to Singapore

Posted December 27th, 2012 at 11:20 am (UTC-5)
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A Indian woman who was the victim of a gang rape and brutal beating earlier this month in New Delhi has been flown to Singapore for further treatment, while the Indian prime minister is pledging to focus on the issue of women’s safety. The CEO of Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Dr. Kelvin Loh, said the […]

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