Conservative Republicans booted from House budget panel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two of the most conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives have been kicked off the House Budget Committee, a rare move that could make it easier for the panel to advance a deal with Democrats to cut fiscal deficits. Representatives Tim Huelskamp of Kansas and Justin Amash of Michigan - both favorites of the anti-tax Tea Party movement - are among those Republicans...

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Official: Syria moving chemical weapons components

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and allied intelligence have detected Syrian movement of chemical weapons components in recent days, a senior U.S. defense official said Monday, as the Obama administration strongly warned the Assad regime against using them.A senior defense official said intelligence officials have detected activity around more than one of Syria‘s chemical weapons sites in the last week. The...

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Ericsson seeks U.S. import ban on Samsung products

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Swedish telecoms gear maker Ericsson has filed a request with the U.S. International Trade Commission to ban U.S. imports of products made by South Korean group Samsung,The request from Ericsson, which said on Monday the products infringe on its patents, came after it sued Samsung for patent infringement in a U.S. court last week.“The request for an import ban is a part of the...

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Turkey fines TV channel for “The Simpsons” blasphemy

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey‘s broadcasting regulator is fining a television channel for insulting religious values after it aired an episode of “The Simpsons” which shows God taking orders from the devil.Radio and television watchdog RTUK said it was fining private broadcaster CNBC-e 52,951 lira ($ 30,000) over the episode of the hit U.S. animated TV series, whose scenes include the devil asking God...

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Clinton Unveils PEPFAR Blueprint in Honor of World AIDS Day

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled the nation’s new initiative to eradicate HIV and AIDS on Thursday. Dubbed the “President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Blueprint: Creating an AIDS-free Generation,” the initiative is focused on improving both preventative measures and treatment options. Clinton presented PEPFAR during a special news conference in the Benjamin Franklin Room...

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Boehner makes counteroffer on debt talks

WASHINGTON—House Republicans on Monday unveiled a counterproposal to a Democratic plan to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff that includes $800 billion in new government revenue by eliminating write-offs in the tax code while extending current tax rates for all income levels.In a letter sent to the White House, Republican leaders outlined a plan that they said would provide $2.2 trillion in deficit...

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Egypt’s anti-Morsi rebellion of judges is complete

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt‘s rebellion of the judges against President Mohammed Morsi became complete on Sunday with the country’s highest court declaring an open-ended strike on the day it was supposed to rule on the legitimacy of two key assemblies controlled by allies of the Islamist leader.The strike by the Supreme Constitutional Court and opposition plans to march on the presidential palace on Tuesday...

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Clint Eastwood’s daughter named Miss Golden Globe

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Hooray for nepotism.One of Clint Eastwood‘s daughters, Francesca Eastwood, has been named Miss Golden Globe for this January’s awards show. She joins a long list of celebrity offspring including Rumer Willis (Demi Moore and Bruce’s little girl) and Lorraine Nicholson (the apple of Jack’s eye) in receiving the honor. Other past Miss Gold Globes include Melanie Griffith (daughter...

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Belcher Didn’t Have ‘Long Concussion History,’ Team Says

The death of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, the latest in a string of tragic NFL suicides, has left the player’s teammates, coaches, family and friends wondering what could have led a man described as generous and caring to murder his girlfriend — the mother of his 3-month-old daughter — and then kill himself.Kansas City police say Belcher, 25, shot and killed his girlfriend Saturday...

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Indefinite strike: Egypt's anti-Morsi rebellion of judges is complete

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's rebellion of the judges against President Mohammed Morsi became complete on Sunday with the country's highest court declaring an open-ended strike on the day it was supposed to rule on the legitimacy of two key assemblies controlled by allies of the Islamist leader.The strike by the Supreme Constitutional Court and opposition plans to march on the presidential palace on Tuesday...

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