France to stay in Mali until stability restored

BAMAKO/DUBAI (Reuters) - France pledged on Tuesday to keep troops in Mali until stability returned to the West African country, raising the specter of a long campaign against al Qaeda-linked rebels who held their ground despite a fifth day of air strikes. Paris has poured hundreds of soldiers into Mali and carried out 50 bombing raids since Friday in the Islamist-controlled northern half...

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Apple drags on S&P, Nasdaq; Dell jumps after report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended lower on Monday as worries over demand for Apple products drove down its shares and as investors braced for earnings disappointments. But Dell Inc's stock jumped 13 percent to about a five-month high at $12.29, offsetting some of the tech-sector weakness, after Bloomberg reported the No. 3 personal computer maker is in talks with...

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NH case against 2 big oil companies gets under way

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Lawyers for two big oil companies accuse New Hampshire lawyers of spinning a court room fiction in their quest to hold the companies liable for damages over the use of the gasoline additive MTBEAttorney James Quinn, representing ExxonMobil, says MBTE was the most effective way to reduce air pollution in what was not a made-up health crisis, but a real crisis.In his opening statement...

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AP source: Armstrong 'sorry' to Livestrong staff

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lance Armstrong stopped at his Livestrong Foundation before heading to an interview with Oprah Winfrey on Monday and delivered an emotional apology to staff members, some of whom broke down in tears, a person with direct knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussion was private.Stripped last year of his seven...

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Are gun curbs just symbolism?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSGun violence recommendations are expected from Vice President Biden on TuesdayThe proposals are expected to contain substantive and symbolic ideas to curb gun violencePresidents use symbolism to shift public opinion or affect larger political or social changeWashington (CNN) -- The pictures told the story: Vice President Joe Biden looked solemn, patrician and in control as he sat at...

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City prepared to pay $33 million in two cop misconduct cases

Christina Eilman, 22, at home with her parents Rick and Kathy in a suburb of Sacramento, Calif. in 2007. ...

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Mali Islamists counter attack, promise France long war

BAMAKO/PARIS (Reuters) - Al Qaeda-linked Islamist rebels launched a counteroffensive in Mali on Monday after four days of French air strikes on their northern strongholds, seizing the central town of Diabaly and promising to drag France into a brutal Afghanistan-style war. France, which has poured hundreds of troops into the capital Bamako in recent days, carried out more air strikes...

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Getting comfortable with living on the edge

LONDON (Reuters) - Just as you learn to put up with a nagging toothache, this week is expected to provide fresh evidence that the U.S. economy is getting used to life on the edge of the fiscal cliff. Of course, putting off that trip to the dentist is not necessarily wise. The longer Washington delays, the more painful it will become to narrow its gaping budget deficit. But...

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Bryant's late FG lifts Falcons over Seattle 30-28

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Bryant kicked a 49-yard field goal with 8 seconds left and the Atlanta Falcons bounced back after blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, defeating Russell Wilson and the gutty Seattle Seahawks 30-28 in an NFC divisional playoff game Sunday.The Falcons (14-3) appeared ready to allow the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL playoff history when Marshawn Lynch scored on...

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Why Being Bored at Work May Be a Good Thing

Boredom on the job might actually be a boon for creativity, especially if your tedious tasks leave room for daydreaming, researchers say.In a recent study, researchers asked 80 people to come up with different uses for a pair of polystyrene cups. But before this assignment, half of the participants had been instructed to copy numbers out of a telephone book for 15 minutes. Those who completed this...

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