Debt Limit Negotiating Tactic? No Negotiating

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden walk away from the podium after Obama made a statement regarding the passage of the fiscal cliff bill in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AnalysisNew for 2013: In the Washington, D.C. fiscal wars we’ve gone from everything must be on the table to politicians declaring...

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Damascus blames "terrorists" for petrol station blast

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria on Friday said a car bomb at a crowded petrol station in Damascus on Thursday night was set off by "terrorists", a term it uses for rebels seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad. The bomb killed 11 people and wounded 40 at a station packed with Syrians queuing for fuel, which has become scarce in the 21-month insurgency against Assad, in the second petrol...

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Primary schools to receive new teachers twice a year

SINGAPORE: From 2015, primary schools will receive a new batch of teachers twice each year - instead of the current arrangement where new teachers are deployed in June - following changes to the timing of the annual intake of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) (Primary) programme. The PGDE (Primary) programme is a one-year diploma course conducted at the National Institute of...

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Samsung, LG fined $35 million over alleged price fixing

Samsung and LG Display have been fined by the Chinese government over charges that they fixed the prices of LCD panels.China's National Development and Reform Commission fined Samsung $16.2 million and LG $18.6 million, according to the Yonhap News Agency.Also included in the fines for price fixing were four Taiwanese firms -- Chi Mei Optoelectronics, AU Optronics, Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd., and...

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Video shows teens joking about alleged rape victim

(CBS) In August, the family of a 16-year-old girl accused multiple Steubenville, Ohio, high school students of raping her while she was passed out during a night of pre-football-season partying. Two Steubenville High School football players have been indicted for rape, and the case is set to go to trial in February. But on Wednesday, a video appeared online that depicts teenage males who appear...

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Quadruple Amputee Gets Two New Hands on Life

It's the simplest thing, the grasp of one hand in another. But Lindsay Ess will never see it that way, because her hands once belonged to someone else.Growing up in Texas and Virginia, Lindsay, 29, was always one of the pretty girls. She went to college, did some modeling and started building a career in fashion, with an eye on producing fashion shows.Then she lost her hands...

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Myanmar says jets used against Kachin rebels

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's military has used jets to attacks rebel fighters in northern Kachin state, the government said on Thursday, its first admission of an intensification of a conflict that has raised doubts about its reformist credentials. Rebel sources have reported aerial bombings, shelling and even the use of chemical weapons since December 28 after the Kachin Independence...

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Subaru recalls up to 630,000 US vehicles over faulty light

WASHINGTON: Japanese automaker Subaru could recall up to 630,000 cars and SUVs in the United States because of a faulty puddle light that could short-circuit, possibly sparking a fire, the firm said Thursday.Subaru did not say whether it was aware of any accidents or injuries as a result of the defect, which affects certain 2006 to 2012 Legacy, Outback, Tribeca and Forester vehicles equipped...

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Huawei Ascend P1 lands in U.S. for $450 at Amazon

Huawei Ascend P1(Credit:CBS Interactive)Huawei's Ascend P1 smartphone has finally landed in the U.S.The device, which made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show last year and cleared regulatory hurdles all the way back in May, is available starting today on Amazon for $449.99. At that price, consumers will get it unlocked and be able to run it on AT&T or T-Mobile networks.The handset comes...

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Will GOP unite before next fiscal fight?

Anyone who thought Republicans were too focused on spending cuts in the "fiscal cliff" negotiations should brace themselves for what's next. Tuesday's votes on the "fiscal cliff" deal divided the GOP: More than half of House Republicans voted against it, primarily complaining about its lack of spending cuts. Yet on the Senate side, all but three Republicans supported the measure. A couple of the...

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