Economic Frustration Simmers Again in Tunisia

Moises Saman for The New York TimesPeople in Tunis and across the country are struggling with high unemployment and inflation. TUNIS — Tahar Bayahi, who runs Tunisia’s largest grocery store chain, spent the days right after the revolution toting up his losses: one-quarter of his 60 stores nationwide incinerated and another quarter pillaged. Yet his company, Magasins Général, turned right...

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Harvey Weinstein & Georgina Chapman Expecting Baby

Mom & Babies Celebrity Baby Blog 12/01/2012 at 12:00 PM ET Dave M. Benett/FFR/GettyThere’s another baby on the way for Georgina Chapman and Harvey Weinstein.“We are both over the moon,” the Marchesa co-founder, 36, tells the New York Post.The couple are already parents to daughter India Pearl, 2. The...

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South Africa makes progress in HIV, AIDS fight

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — In the early '90s when South Africa's Themba Lethu clinic could only treat HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic diseases, many would come in on wheelchairs and keep coming to the health center until they died.Two decades later the clinic is the biggest anti-retroviral, or ARV, treatment center in the country and sees between 600 to 800 patients a day from all over southern Africa....

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Israel Moves to Expand Settlements in East Jerusalem

Rina Castelnuovo for The New York TimesFrom his home in East Jerusalem last year, Haj Ibrahim Ahmad Hawa looked at the separation barrier surrounding Jerusalem with the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim in the background. More Photos »JERUSALEM — As the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to upgrade the Palestinians’ status Thursday night, Israel took steps toward building housing...

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Wynonna's Husband Cactus Moser Returns to the Stage After Motorcycle Crash

By Marisa Laudadio 11/30/2012 at 12:30 PM EST Three months after losing his leg following a motorcycle accident, country star Wynonna's husband, drummer Cactus Moser, triumphantly returned to the stage.The audience in Regina, Saskatchewan, gave Moser, 55, a lengthy standing ovation on Tuesday night when he performed...

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Kenya village pairs AIDS orphans with grandparents

NYUMBANI, Kenya (AP) — There are no middle-aged people in Nyumbani. They all died years ago, before this village of hope in Kenya began. Only the young and old live here.Nyumbani was born of the AIDS crisis. The 938 children here all saw their parents die. The 97 grandparents — eight grandfathers among them — saw their middle-aged children die. But put together, the bookend generations take care of...

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Wall Street flat, trading cautious; Obama to speak on "cliff"

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks were little changed on Friday as investors were hesitant to make big bets ahead of a statement by President Obama on the progress of budget talks in Washington that have recently driven volatility in financial markets. U.S. President Barack Obama, visiting a factory in Pennsylvania, will press his case on raising taxes on the wealthy to narrow the deficit....

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U.S. Is Weighing Stronger Action in Syrian Conflict

Francisco Leong/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesRebels in northern Syria celebrated on Wednesday next to what was reported to be a government fighter jet. WASHINGTON — The Obama administration, hoping that the conflict in Syria has reached a turning point, is considering deeper intervention to help push President Bashar al-Assad from power, according to government officials involved in the discussions....

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PHOTOS: Meet Miley Cyrus's Hottest Sibling

Stylewatch Style News Now 11/29/2012 at 12:45 PM ET Courtesy Vijat MohindraNothing personal, Miley, but you might not be our favorite Cyrus now that we’ve seen these pics of your younger brother.Eighteen-year-old Braison Cyrus just...

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Clinton releases road map for AIDS-free generation

WASHINGTON (AP) — In an ambitious road map for slashing the global spread of AIDS, the Obama administration says treating people sooner and more rapid expansion of other proven tools could help even the hardest-hit countries begin turning the tide of the epidemic over the next three to five years."An AIDS-free generation is not just a rallying cry — it is a goal that is within our reach," Secretary...

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Wall Street trims gains, volatile after Boehner remarks

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks climbed on Thursday, but shed some earlier gains, after John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, poured cold water on hopes that lawmakers were getting closer to cutting a budget deal that would avert a possible recession next year. Boehner's comment - that no "substantive" progress had been made in fiscal talks with the White House - was the latest in...

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Bombings Are Said to Kill Dozens Near Syria’s Capital

Francisco Leong/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesRebels celebrated on top of a downed Syrian jet in Daret Azzeh, 20 miles west of Aleppo, on Wednesday. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Syrian state media said on Wednesday that 34 people and possibly many more had died in twin car bombings in a suburb populated by minorities only a few miles from the center of Damascus, the capital, as the...

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German lawmakers condemn Google campaign against copyright law

BERLIN (Reuters) – Senior German politicians have denounced as propaganda a campaign by Google to mobilize public opinion against proposed legislation to let publishers charge search engines for displaying newspaper articles.Internet lobbyists say they are worried the German law will set a precedent for other countries such as France and Italy that have shown an interest in having Google pay publishers...

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Nanny Yoselyn Ortega Pleads Not Guilty to Killing Children

By Stephen M. Silverman 11/28/2012 at 12:40 PM EST Scene of children's stabbing Yoselyn Ortega, the nanny charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing the two young children she cared for, faced a Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Tuesday morning – and...

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Simple measures cut infections caught in hospitals

CHICAGO (AP) — Preventing infections from surgery is a major concern for hospitals and it turns out some simple measures can make a big difference.A project at seven big hospitals reduced infections after colorectal surgeries by nearly one-third. It prevented an estimated 135 infections, saving almost $4 million.The measures included having patients shower with special germ-fighting soap before surgery,...

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Wall Street cuts losses on Boehner "fiscal cliff" comment

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks sharply pared losses on Wednesday after U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said he was optimistic that a deal on the "fiscal cliff" to avert large tax hikes and spending cuts could be reached. After falling nearly 1 percent, the S&P 500 pared losses to trade near flat after Boehner said that Republicans were willing to put revenues on the table if Democrats...

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Japan Expands Its Regional Military Role

Ko Sasaki for The New York TimesCoast guard officials from a dozen Asian and African nations, at right, joined a training cruise around Tokyo Bay aboard a Japanese Coast Guard cutter. TOKYO — After years of watching its international influence eroded by a slow-motion economic decline, the pacifist nation of Japan is trying to raise its profile in a new way, offering military aid for the first time...

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Nintendo says more than 400,000 Wii Us sold in US

NEW YORK (AP) — Nintendo has sold more than 400,000 of its new video game console, the Wii U, in its first week on sale in the U.S., the company said Monday.The Wii U launched on Nov. 18 in the U.S. at a starting price of $ 300. Nintendo said the sales figure, based on internal estimates, is through Saturday, or seven days later.The Wii U is the first major game console to launch in six years. It...

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Meet Britney Spears's 'New Little Baby Girl': Hannah the Dog

People Pets By Alison Schwartz 11/27/2012 at 12:20 PM EST Courtesy of Britney Spears New job, new dog?Freshly minted The X Factor judge Britney Spears is showing off an adorable addition to her fan base: introducing ... Hannah! "I want you all to meet my new little...

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CDC: HIV spread high in young gay males

NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials say 1 in 5 new HIV infections occur in a tiny segment of the population — young men who are gay or bisexual.The government on Tuesday released new numbers that spotlight how the spread of the AIDS virus is heavily concentrated in young males who have sex with other males. Only about a quarter of new infections in the 13-to-24 age group are from injecting drugs or heterosexual...

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Wall Street down as "fiscal cliff" scares investors away

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Tuesday as worries over the impact of "fiscal cliff" on the economy overshadowed progress in easing Greece's debt burden and a slew of positive U.S. economic data. A deal in Europe to release emergency aid to debt-laden Greece gave a brief, early lift to stocks, but the news was not enough to sustain the gains as investors confronted the looming...

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Rebels Claim They Seized Air Bases and a Dam in Syria

ReutersThe bodies of Syrian civilians in a street in the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday, after opposition activists said they were shot by government forces. BEIRUT, Lebanon — Fresh from declaring that they had seized an important military airport and an air defense base just outside Damascus, Syrian rebels on Monday said they overran a hydroelectric dam in the north of the country, adding to a...

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How Will Larry Hagman's Death Affect Season 2 of Dallas?

TV Watch TV News 11/26/2012 at 12:45 PM EST Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing TNT What will happen to J.R. Ewing?Before his death on Friday from complications from throat cancer, Larry Hagman, who plays the devious oil tycoon, had filmed six of 15 episodes for season...

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Bounce houses a party hit but kids' injuries soar

CHICAGO (AP) — They may be a big hit at kids' birthday parties, but inflatable bounce houses can be dangerous, with the number of injuries soaring in recent years, a nationwide study found.Kids often crowd into bounce houses, and jumping up and down can send other children flying into the air, too.The numbers suggest 30 U.S. children a day are treated in emergency rooms for broken bones, sprains,...

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Wall Street falls on caution after rally, retail drags

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks eased on Monday as a mixed start to the holiday shopping season, caution over Greek aid talks and budget discussions in Washington gave investors reason to pause after Wall Street posted its best week in over five months. While holiday shopping appeared to be off to a good start, analysts cautioned against reading too much into one weekend's numbers. Retailers...

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