Israel Sticks to Tough Approach in Conflict With Hamas

TEL AVIV — With rockets landing on the outskirts of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Friday and the Egyptian prime minister making a solidarity visit to Gaza, the accelerating conflict between Israel and Hamas — reminiscent in many ways of so many previous battles — has the makings of a new kind of Israeli-Palestinian face-off. The combination of longer-range and far deadlier rockets in the hands...

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It's a Girl for Chad Lowe

Mom & Babies Celebrity Baby Blog 11/17/2012 at 12:20 AM ET Chelsea Lauren/WireImage It’s a girl for Chad Lowe.The Pretty Little Liars star and wife Kim welcomed their second daughter on Thursday, Nov. 15, the actor announced via Twitter.“It’s a girl!!! And she’s as beautiful as her mommy and [3½-year-old]...

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EU drug regulator OKs Novartis' meningitis B shot

LONDON (AP) — Europe's top drug regulator has recommended approval for the first vaccine against meningitis B, made by Novartis AG.There are five types of bacterial meningitis. While vaccines exist to protect against the other four, none has previously been licensed for type B meningitis. In Europe, type B is the most common, causing 3,000 to 5,000 cases every year.Meningitis mainly affects infants...

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GOP strategist launches super PAC in L.A. mayor's race

Looking to dramatically tip the scales in the race for Los Angeles' next mayor, a nationally prominent Republican media strategist...

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Israel Prepares Possible Ground Offensive in Gaza

Rina Castelnuovo for The New York TimesIsraeli soldiers near the border with Gaza on Friday. More Photos »JERUSALEM — After a morning of heavy rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, the Israeli military seemed to be edging closer to a ground invasion of Gaza on Friday, saying forces were “on standby” and “ready to enter should it be decided that a ground operation is necessary.” In a statement,...

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Exclusive: Facebook offering e-retailers sales tracking tool

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc wants more credit for making online cash registers ring.Facebook will begin rolling out on Friday a new tool which will allow online retailers to track purchases by members of the social network who have viewed their ads. The tool is the latest of the new advertising features Facebook...

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Matthew McConaughey Is Dreaming of the Perfect Cheeseburger

By Andrea Billups 11/16/2012 at 09:40 AM EST Matthew McConaughey has dieted himself down to skin and bones for an upcoming movie, but when the five-week shoot is over, he's gunning for one thing: a po boy sandwich.But if that can't be found, McConaughey, 43, says that he'll settle on a perfect cheeseburger,...

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EU drug regulator OKs Novartis' meningitis B shot

LONDON (AP) — Europe's top drug regulator has recommended approval for the first vaccine against meningitis B, made by Novartis AG.There are five types of bacterial meningitis. While vaccines exist to protect against the other four, none has previously been licensed for type B meningitis. In Europe, type B is the most common, causing 3,000 to 5,000 cases every year.Meningitis mainly affects infants...

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Counselor forced girl, 15, into prostitution, DA says

A San Bernardino family counselor responsible for providing services to children and families also coerced a 15-year-old girl into prostitution and sold sexual services on the Internet, the San Bernardino County district attorney's office said Thursday.Daron Lamar Whitworth, 42, worked for EMQ FamiliesFirst, a nonprofit that provides social services, mental-health and foster care for young...

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Attacks Resume After Israeli Assault Kills Hamas Leader

KIRYAT MALACHI, Israel — Israel and Hamas widened their increasingly deadly conflict over Gaza on Thursday, as a militant rocket killed three civilians in an apartment block in this small southern town. The deaths are likely to lead Israel to intensify its military offensive on Gaza, now in its second day of airstrikes. In Gaza, the Palestinian death toll rose to 11 as Israel struck what...

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Maksim Chmerkovskiy Now Focusing on Brother Val's Success on Dancing with the Stars

TV Watch By Reagan Alexander 11/15/2012 at 10:30 AM EST Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy Craig Sjodin/ABC Dancing with the Stars fans know better than to doubt Maksim Chmerkovskiy's desire to win the coveted mirror-ball trophy.But while the Ukrainian-born...

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Booze calories nearly equal soda's for US adults

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans get too many calories from soda. But what about alcohol? It turns out adults get almost as many empty calories from booze as from soft drinks, a government study found.Soda and other sweetened drinks — the focus of obesity-fighting public health campaigns — are the source of about 6 percent of the calories adults consume, on average. Alcoholic beverages account for about...

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Justin Bieber freeway chase charged unconstitutional, judge says

A Los Angeles Superior court judge threw out charges related to a first-of-its-kind anti-paparazzi law Wednesday in the case of a freelance photographer who was charged in connection with a freeway chase involving pop star Justin Bieber. Judge Thomas Rubinson ruled that while Los Angeles city prosecutors could proceed with two traffic-related charges against Paul Raef, the two counts...

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Ordering More Airstrikes, Syria Calls French Recognition of Rebels ‘Immoral’

Javier Manzano/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesSmoke billowed from burning tires as a Syria rebel fired towards regime forces during clashes in the Al-Amariya district of Aleppo in Syria on Tuesday. PARIS — Syrian authorities ordered airstrikes for a third consecutive day close to the tense Turkish border on Wednesday, and said a French decision to recognize and consider arming a newly formed Syrian...

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Hope Solo's Fiancé Jerramy Stevens Arrested for Domestic Assault

By Andrea Billups 11/14/2012 at 10:20 AM EST Jerramy Stevens and Hope Solo NFL/Getty; Jeff Vinnick/Getty Former Seattle Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting his fiancé, U.S. women's soccer team goalkeeper Hope Solo, according...

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Ireland probes death of ill abortion-seeker

DUBLIN (AP) — The debate over legalizing abortion in Ireland flared Wednesday after the government confirmed a miscarrying woman suffering from blood poisoning was refused a quick termination of her pregnancy and died in an Irish hospital.Prime Minister Enda Kenny said he was awaiting findings from three investigations into the death of Savita Halappanavar, an Indian living in Galway since 2008 who...

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Youth soccer coach accused in You Tube sex abuse video

A former Rosemead wrestling coach who was accused of molestation by an alleged victim on YouTube was arrested in Mexico, authorities said Wednesday night.Herbert Ortiz, 29, recently came to the attention of authorities after he visited the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara to get a travel visa for Guatemala, according to authorities.Ortiz, who was an assistant wrestling coach at Rosemead High,...

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Top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Is Linked to Petraeus Scandal

PERTH, Australia — Gen. John R. Allen, the top American and NATO commander in Afghanistan, has become ensnared in the scandal over an extramarital affair acknowledged by David H. Petraeus, a former general. General Allen is being investigated for what a senior defense official said early Tuesday was “inappropriate communication” with Jill Kelley, a woman in Tampa, Fla., who was seen by Mr. Petraeus’s...

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New Lumia phones seen winning Nokia more time

HELSINKI (Reuters) – Nokia‘s new Lumia smartphones are trickling into the market and early signs suggest they may sell well enough to give the handset maker more time in its fight against industry leaders Samsung and Apple.But investors shouldn’t expect a quick turnaround for the struggling Finnish cellphone maker, with rival gadgets like mini tablet computers...

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It's a Boy for Tamera Mowry-Housley

Mom & Babies Celebrity Baby Blog 11/13/2012 at 10:45 AM ET Katee Grace He’s finally here!Tamera Mowry-Housley delivered a son, Aden John Tanner Housley, on Monday, Nov. 12 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, PEOPLE confirms.This is the first child for the Tia & Tamera star, 34, and...

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British medical journal slams Roche on Tamiflu

LONDON (AP) — A leading British medical journal is asking the drug maker Roche to release all its data on Tamiflu, claiming there is no evidence the drug can actually stop the flu.The drug has been stockpiled by dozens of governments worldwide in case of a global flu outbreak and was widely used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic.On Monday, one of the researchers linked to the BMJ journal called for...

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Wrestling coach in You Tube molestation video arrested

A former Rosemead wrestling coach who was accused of molestation by an alleged victim on YouTube was arrested in Mexico, authorities said Wednesday night.Herbert Ortiz, 29, recently came to the attention of authorities after he visited the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara to get a travel visa for Guatemala, according to authorities.Ortiz, who was an assistant wrestling coach at Rosemead High,...

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Syrian Jet Strikes Close to Border With Turkey

Murad Sezer/ReutersSyrians fled from Ras al-Ain after an airstrike by Syrian forces on Monday. GAZIANTEP, Turkey — A Syrian MIG-25 jet bombed the rebel-held town of Ras al-Ain a few yards from the Turkish border on Monday, Syrian witnesses said. Veli Gurgah/Anadolu Agency, via European Pressphoto AgencySmoke rose from Ras al-Ain as it was bombed. Murad Sezer/ReutersSyrians...

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Microsoft’s Surface tablet has “modest” start: Ballmer

PARIS (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp‘s new Surface tablet – its challenger to Apple‘s iPad – had a “modest” start to sales because of limited availability, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told French daily Le Parisien.The world’s largest software company put the Surface tablet center stage at its Windows 8 launch event last month in its fightback against...

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Mary-Kate Olsen & Olivier Sarkozy Get Cozy at Basketball Game in New York

By Maggie Coughlan 11/12/2012 at 10:45 AM EST Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy James Devaney/WireImage Mary-Kate Olsen cozied up to boyfriend Olivier Sarkozy as the New York Knicks took on the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden on Friday in New York.Age...

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British medical journal slams Roche on Tamiflu

LONDON (AP) — A leading British medical journal is asking the drug maker Roche to release all its data on Tamiflu, claiming there is no evidence the drug can actually stop the flu.The drug has been stockpiled by dozens of governments worldwide in case of a global flu outbreak and was widely used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic.On Monday, one of the researchers linked to the BMJ journal called for...

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