Algerian army stages "final assault" on gas plant

ALGIERS/IN AMENAS, Algeria (Reuters) - The Algerian army on Saturday carried out a final assault on al Qaeda-linked gunmen holed up in a desert gas plant, killing 11 of the Islamists after they took the lives of seven more foreign hostages, a local source and the state news agency said. "It is over now, the assault is over, and the military are inside the plant clearing it of mines,"...

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SNCF to launch grant framework for social entrepreneurs

SINGAPORE: To facilitate the growth of co-operatives, the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF) will launch a comprehensive grant framework that gives budding social entrepreneurs the support they need to set up new co-operatives to deal with social needs that have yet to be met.Existing co-operatives will also be able to use the grant to improve productivity, expand their...

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Recalibrate your expectations of how good an in-ear headphone can sound

I've been listening to Jerry Harvey's custom-molded in-ear headphones for years. The very first one, the UE10, was a game changer; in 2006 it was the best sounding in-ear headphone I'd heard. Now with his new Freqphase JH13 and JH16 in-ears, Harvey's done it again. The performance gains in clarity, detail, resolution, and stereo imaging are huge -- the adrenaline-pumping sound of the music you love...

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Congress must "act soon" on guns, Obama says

President Obama redoubled his push to reduce gun violence in his weekly address today, pressuring Congress to "act soon" on a series of "concrete steps we should take to protect our children." "My administration is taking a series of actions right away," Mr. Obama said, briefly describing several of the 23 executive orders he signed on Wednesday, "But the truth is, making a real and lasting difference...

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Te'o Denies Involvement in Girlfriend Hoax

Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te'o told ESPN that he "never, not ever" was involved in creating the hoax that had him touting what turned out to be a fictional girlfriend, "Lennay Kekua.""When they hear the facts, they'll know," Te'o told ESPN's Jeremy Schaap in his first interview since the story broke. "They'll know that there is no way that I could be a part of this.""I...

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Sixty foreigners still caught in Sahara hostage crisis

ALGIERS (Reuters) - About 60 foreigners were still being held hostage or missing inside a gas plant on Friday after Algerian forces stormed the desert complex to free hundreds of captives taken by Islamist militants, who threatened to attack other energy installations. The attack, which plunged capitals around the world into crisis mode, is a serious escalation of unrest in northwestern Africa,...

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Football: 'Guardiola to City' talk did not faze Mancini

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Roberto Mancini on Friday said that he was never concerned about the prospect of Pep Guardiola taking his job at Manchester City, despite speculation before the Spaniard joined Bayern Munich.Guardiola, the former Barcelona coach, was said to be lined up for a move to Eastlands should Mancini fail to deliver a trophy this year, despite leading the club to the...

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RIM launches final BlackBerry 10 'Portathon' event

BlackBerry App World.(Credit:Screenshot by Dara Kerr/CNET)Research In Motion will hold its final BlackBerry 10 "Portathon" event this weekend.Starting today at 9 a.m. PT, the company will allow developers to port their applications available on other mobile platforms to BlackBerry 10. Each approved app will net the developers $100, up to a maximum of 20 applications. To sweeten the pot a bit, RIM...

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Poll: Majority of Americans back stricter gun laws

By Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Anthony Salvanto, Fred Backus and Leigh Ann Caldwell As the president outlined sweeping new proposals aimed to reduce gun violence, a new CBS News/New York Times poll found that Americans back the central components of the president's proposals, including background checks, a national gun sale database, limits on high capacity magazines and a ban on semi-automatic...

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Manti Te'o's Fake Girlfriend May Have Duped Others

Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend "Lennay Kekua" may have hoaxed other unsuspecting suitors."Catfish" movie director and actor Ariel Schulman told "Good Morning America" today that he believes there may have been "a few other people duped by the fake Lennay character."Schulman and his brother Nev Schulman have been looking into the elaborate scam and claim...

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Algerian forces launch operation to break desert siege

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Twenty-five foreign hostages escaped and six were killed on Thursday when Algerian forces launched an operation to free them at a remote desert gas plant, Algerian sources said, as one of the biggest international hostage crises in decades unfolded. The standoff began when gunmen calling themselves the Battalion of Blood stormed the gas facility on Wednesday morning....

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Football: Rodgers slams Suarez over diving admission

LONDON: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers on Thursday said that his controversial striker Luis Suarez could face punishment from the club after admitting that he dived to try to win a penalty in a league game with Stoke City.In an interview with Fox Sports Argentina, Suarez admitted "falling" during October's 0-0 draw between the clubs at Anfield, prompting Rodgers, who had defended him...

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Microsoft challenges poor grade for Security Essentials

Microsoft isn't too happy with the results of a recent test that found fault with its antivirus software.For the second time in a row, the company's Security Essentials failed to win certification from AV-Test, a German-based testing lab that evaluates the efficacy of antivirus products. Out of 25 programs tested, only three failed to gain AV-Test's thumb's up for certification.Microsoft's Forefront...

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Denis McDonough likely to be next WH chief of staff

President Obama is likely to name Denis McDonough, one of his closest national security advisers, as his next chief of staff, White House officials told CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett. However, White House officials insist Mr. Obama has not made a final decision or formally offered McDonough the job. In tapping McDonough, Mr. Obama would be relying on an inner circle ally...

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Manti Te'o Hoax Exposes 'Catfish' Internet Scams

Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick cited the documentary "Catfish" in trying to explain how he said star linebacker Manti Te'o became the victim of an elaborate hoax that duped him into believing that his online girlfriend died during the 2012 college football season."I would refer all of you, if you're not already familiar with it, with both the documentary called...

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Islamists attack Algerian gas field, kill, kidnap foreigners

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Islamist militants attacked a gas production field in southern Algeria on Wednesday, kidnapping at least nine foreigners and killing two people including a French national during a dawn raid, local and company officials said. The raid, claimed by an al Qaeda affiliate, came after Islamists had vowed to retaliate for France's military intervention in Mali, where its...

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Elton John has second baby via surrogate

LONDON: British pop star Elton John and his partner David Furnish have become parents for a second time, they confirmed on Wednesday.The couple told Hello! magazine that they were "overwhelmed with happiness" at the birth of their son Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, who was born in Los Angeles on Friday to a surrogate mother."Both of us have longed to have children, but the reality...

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AMD sues ex-managers for allegedly copying 100,000 files

Advanced Micro Devices is taking four former employees to court -- one vice president and three managers from the firm's Boxborough, Mass., plant -- who left the company to go and work for rival Nvidia last year.The chipmaker is accusing them of coping more than 100,000 confidential documents and trade secrets to take with them.The suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, claims...

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Marine faces court martial over Taliban urinations

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. A U.S. Marine was set to face court martial Wednesday for urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan and then posing for photos with the corpses. Staff Sgt. Edward W. Deptola is accused of the desecration of remains and posing for unofficial photographs with human casualties. He also is accused of failing to properly supervise junior Marines and not reporting...

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NRA Ad Calls Obama 'Elitist Hypocrite'

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP PhotoAs the White House prepares to unveil a sweeping plan aimed at curbing gun violence, the National Rifle Association has launched a preemptive, personal attack on President Obama, calling him an “elitist hypocrite” who, the group claims, is putting American children at risk.In 35-second video posted online Tuesday night, the NRA criticizes Obama for accepting armed...

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Pakistan turmoil deepens as court orders PM's arrest

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the prime minister on Tuesday on corruption allegations, ratcheting up pressure on a government that is also facing street protests led by a cleric who has a history of ties to the army. The combination of the arrest order and the mass protest in the capital Islamabad led by Muslim cleric Muhammad Tahirul Qadri raised...

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Football: LionsXII fall to PKNS

SINGAPORE - After two confidence-boosting wins from their first two Malaysian Super League matches, V. Sundramoorthy's high-flying LionsXII side were brought down to earth on Tuesday night at the Shah Alam Stadium when they fell to their first defeat.Ironically, PKNS Selangor, the team that defeated them on Tuesday, had entered the match in contrasting fashion - with two losses out of...

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Apple's shares fall to $488 as investors fail to shake worry

Things aren't going like this anymore.(Credit:CBS)Apple investors can't seem to shake their concern over the company's future.Apple's share price today slipped below the $500 mark to a low of $488.27. Since then, Apple's shares have been rebounding a bit, and are now down 2 percent to $491.65.On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal cited sources who said that Apple had cut component orders for its iPhone...

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Long Island high school on lockdown

Last Updated 10:55 a.m. ET ELMONT, N.Y. Elmont Memorial High School has been placed on lockdown after a report of a suspicious person, possibly with a weapon, in the area, CBS Station WCBS reports. The lockdown was put into effect shortly after 8 a.m., in response to a 911 call. No injuries have been reported. Nassau County Police are guarding the entrance of school. SWAT teams were also seen in...

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Oprah Describes Intense Armstrong Interview

Oprah Winfrey said today that disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong came well prepared for their highly anticipated interview, although he "did not come clean in the manner [she] expected."Winfrey, who discussed the interview on "CBS This Morning" today, said, "We were mesmerized and riveted by some of his answers. I feel that he answered the questions in a way that he was ready....

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