WORLD: Assad’s Grip on Power Is Questioned

December 13, 2012By Mac William Bishop, Channon Hodge, Pedro Rafael Rosado and Elaisha StokesThe Times’s Anne Barnard on Thursday’s violence in Syria and the significance of the statement by a top Russian envoy on President Bashar al-Assad’s weakening gr...

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Online gambling companies struggle to clear EU hurdles

LONDON (Reuters) – A partnership stuck on Friday between bwin.party Digital Entertainment and a Belgian casino group has defused one of many disputes pitting online gambling companies against governments across Europe.The agreement came a month after bwin.party’s co-CEO was questioned by Belgian authorities in an escalating license dispute the company said was costing it 700,000 euros ($ 916,000)...

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PHOTO: Jessica Biel's Dog Tina Sleeps in a Tree

People Pets 12/14/2012 at 09:30 AM EST Jessica Biel found her dog snoozing beneath a tree – but not the kind you might expect for this time of year. In her regular photo post series, #TuesdayswithTina, Biel shared four shots of her dog hopping into a potted tree and laying down for a nap. "That doesn't even...

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Fewer health care options for illegal immigrants

ALAMO, Texas (AP) — For years, Sonia Limas would drag her daughters to the emergency room whenever they fell sick. As an illegal immigrant, she had no health insurance, and the only place she knew to seek treatment was the hospital — the most expensive setting for those covering the cost.The family's options improved somewhat a decade ago with the expansion of community health clinics, which offered...

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Wall Street dips at open on "cliff" overhang

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street dipped at the open on Friday as investors digested the latest round of economic data, while concerns about a lack of progress by politicians in ongoing fiscal negotiations remained at the forefront. The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> dropped 7.22 points, or 0.05 percent, to 13,163.50. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> dropped...

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Kim Jong-un’s Image Bolstered by Rocket Launching

SEOUL, South Korea — For North Korea’s inexperienced young leader, Kim Jong-un, the largely successful launching on Wednesday of a long-range rocket could not have come too soon. Analysts say the launching was sure to bolster Mr. Kim’s grip on power after months of political purges meant to tame the elite class and hints of dissatisfaction among his hungry people. It was also expected to...

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iPad mini deemed a ‘game changer,’ outgrew Kindle Fire by nearly 50%

Smaller tablets in the 7-inch range have been on the market for more than two years now, but it looks like it took Apple (AAPL) just one month to vault to the top of the category. Mobile advertising firm Millennial Media recently published the findings of a study pitting the iPad mini against Amazon’s (AMZN) popular Kindle Fire, which has been an extremely popular iPad alternative since it first launched...

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Taylor Swift & Harry Styles Get Away - Far Away - for Her Birthday

By Simon Perry 12/13/2012 at 10:00 AM EST Taylor Swift and Harry Styles Courtesy Magda Taylor Swift is taking the road less traveled for her birthday. The country star, who turns 23 on Thursday, has been getting a tour of rural northern England – where a fan snapped...

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Dozens sue pharmacy, but compensation uncertain

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dennis O'Brien rubs his head as he details ailments triggered by the fungal meningitis he developed after a series of steroid shots in his neck: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision, exhaustion and trouble with his speech and attention.He estimates the disease has cost him and his wife thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses and her lost wages, including...

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Wall Street opens flat on "fiscal cliff" worry

LONDON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The departure of Spanish strugglers HRT from Formula One still leaves the sport with one team too many, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Thursday. Madrid-based HRT have not been included on the official 2013 entry list published by the governing International Automobile Federation, a move that leaves 11 teams and 22 cars on the starting grid. "I'd rather have...

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