France to stay in Mali until stability restored

BAMAKO/DUBAI (Reuters) - France pledged on Tuesday to keep troops in Mali until stability returned to the West African country, raising the specter of a long campaign against al Qaeda-linked rebels who held their ground despite a fifth day of air strikes. Paris has poured hundreds of soldiers into Mali and carried out 50 bombing raids since Friday in the Islamist-controlled northern half...

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Apple drags on S&P, Nasdaq; Dell jumps after report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended lower on Monday as worries over demand for Apple products drove down its shares and investors braced for earnings disappointments. Running counter to that was Dell Inc's stock which jumped 13 percent to about a five-month high at $12.29 after Bloomberg reported the No. 3 personal computer maker is in talks with private equity firms...

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AP source: Armstrong tells Oprah he doped

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lance Armstrong confessed to Oprah Winfrey during an interview Monday that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the interview is to be broadcast Thursday on Winfrey's network.Armstrong was stripped of all seven Tour titles last year following...

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UK opposes Arctic drilling ban, to update policy this year

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain opposes a stop to oil and gas drilling in the Arctic, the government said in a report on Tuesday, dismissing a parliamentary committee call to impose an exploration ban in the environmentally fragile region.The Arctic holds 30 percent of the world’s undiscovered gas and 13 percent of its untapped oil, experts estimate, but exploration there is risky and costly, and any spills...

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Are gun curbs just symbolism?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSGun violence recommendations are expected from Vice President Biden on TuesdayThe proposals are expected to contain substantive and symbolic ideas to curb gun violencePresidents use symbolism to shift public opinion or affect larger political or social changeWashington (CNN) -- The pictures told the story: Vice President Joe Biden looked solemn, patrician and in control as he sat at...

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Seized guns on display weren't from 2013

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy looks over an assortment of weapons representing, but not the actually, those...

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West African army chiefs to approve Mali troops plan

BAMAKO (Reuters) - West African defense chiefs will on Tuesday approve plans to speed up the deployment of African troops against Islamist rebels in northern Mali, with some regional soldiers seen arriving next week. France has already poured hundreds of troops into Mali and carried out days of air strikes in a vast desert area seized last year by an Islamist alliance that combines al...

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Yen pressured, Asian stocks subdued

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The yen plumbed a 2-1/2 year low against the dollar on Monday as Japan's central bank faced relentless political pressure to deliver bold stimulus, while Asian stocks got off to subdued start with Tokyo closed for a public holiday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday said the Bank of Japan (BOJ) must set a 2 percent inflation target and make it a medium-term, not long-term,...

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Patriots beat Texans 41-28, Ravens up next

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady idolized Joe Montana as a kid in the Bay Area. Now, he's surpassed his hero for postseason wins.Brady got his 17th, the most for any quarterback, in New England's 41-28 AFC divisional victory over Houston on Sunday. If Brady can lead the Patriots past Baltimore in next weekend's conference title game, then win the Super Bowl, he'll equal the 49ers' Hall of Famer...

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Politicians slam “extremely generous” wind power cable scheme

LONDON (Reuters) – A new system devised to attract investors to spending money on connecting Britain‘s offshore wind farms is too generous and does not offer a good deal for consumers, a parliamentary committee said on Monday.The government wants a huge fleet of offshore wind farms to produce between 8 percent and 15 percent of Britain’s electricity by 2020 to reduce carbon emissions.All wind farms...

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