Foreigners still trapped in Sahara hostage crisis

ALGIERS/IN AMENAS, Algeria (Reuters) - More than 20 foreigners were captive or missing inside a desert gas plant on Saturday, nearly two days after the Algerian army launched an assault to free them that saw many hostages killed. The standoff between the Algerian army and al Qaeda-linked gunmen - one of the biggest international hostage crises in decades - entered its fourth day, having...

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Housing, job data push S&P to five-year high; Intel down late

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stronger-than-expected data on housing starts and jobless claims lit a fire under stocks on Thursday, pushing the S&P 500 to a five-year high and its third day of gains. A pair of economic reports lifted investors' sentiment. The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell to a five-year low last week and housing starts jumped last month...

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Te'o mentioned 'girlfriend' twice recently

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Not once but twice after he supposedly discovered his online girlfriend of three years never even existed, Notre Dame All-American linebacker Manti Te'o perpetuated the heartbreaking story about her death.An Associated Press review of news coverage found that the Heisman Trophy runner-up talked about his doomed love in a Web interview on Dec. 8 and again in a newspaper interview...

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Next Space Station Crew Faces Out-of-This-World Final Exams

An American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts are preparing to join the crew of the International Space Station in March, but before they blast off, they’ll have to face the thing all students dread: final exams.NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, along with Alexander Misurkin and Pavel Vinogradov of Russia, are due to launch toward the space station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on March 28. They...

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Why U.S. needs tougher child labor rules

Cristina Traina says in his second term, Obama must address weaknesses in child farm labor standards STORY HIGHLIGHTSCristina Traina: Obama should strengthen child farm labor standardsShe says Labor Dept. rules allow kids to work long hours for little pay on commercial farmsShe says Obama administration scrapped Labor Dept. chief's proposal for tightening rulesShe says Labor Dept. must fix lax standards...

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2 in custody after shooting death of teen

The mother and aunt of 17-year-old Tyrone Lawson, who was killed after watching a prep basketball game at Chicago State University on Jan. 16, 2013, talk about the incident. ...

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S&P 500 ends flat as bank profits temper growth concerns

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 ended nearly flat on Wednesday as solid earnings from two major banks and a bounceback in Apple shares offset concerns about a lower forecast for global growth in 2013. Shares of Goldman Sachs hit their highest since May 2011 as earnings nearly tripled on increased revenue from dealmaking and lower compensation expenses. JPMorgan Chase said fourth-quarter...

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Story of Te'o girlfriend death apparently a hoax

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — A story that Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o's girlfriend had died of leukemia — a loss he said inspired him to help lead the Irish to the BCS championship game — was dismissed by the university Wednesday as a hoax perpetrated against the linebacker.Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says his faith has not been shaken in Te'o "one iota."Swarbrick says an investigation...

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Manatee’s Missing Link Found in Africa

A fossil found in 2008 may be the missing link — for manatees, that is.Modern manatees and their lookalike relatives, the dugongs, are close relatives of elephants, yet no trace of their ancestry had ever been found in Africa, where elephants evolved.  Then a small piece of skull was found unexpectedly in Tunisia. The fossil, which scientists have been able to identify as from an extinct sea...

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NRA's paranoid fantasy undemocratic

STORY HIGHLIGHTSPaul Waldman: Obama announced gun curbs; gun advocates said it'll be tyrannyNRA ad calling Obama "elitist" because his kids get protection is not sane view, he saysHe says some gun advocates urge resistance to duly authorized law enforcementWaldman: Freedom is guaranteed by law, not gun ownersEditor's note: Paul Waldman is a contributing editor at the American Prospect and the author...

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