Syria army quits base on strategic Aleppo road

affiliate marketing BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army abandoned its last base near the northern town of Saraqeb after a fierce assault by rebels, further isolating the strategically important second city Aleppo from the capital.But in a political setback to forces battling to topple President Bashar al-Assad, the United Nations said...

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Groupon responds to SEC inquiry on accounting

affiliate marketing SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Groupon Inc, responding to regulators’ inquiries into a controversial revision of its fourth-quarter results and handling of refunds, has promised to shore up disclosure but stopped short of agreeing to outline the performance of individual products from travel to concert deals.The U.S. Securities...

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‘Wreck-It Ralph’: what the critics say about Disney’s new animated film

affiliate marketing LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Critics love “Wreck-It Ralph.”The new Disney animated adventure has attracted an 84 percent “fresh” rating on the critics aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, trouncing the scores of recent Pixar films like “Brave” and “Cars 2.” The film centers on an arcade game villain who tires of being the bad...

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Germany’s Merck halts supply of cancer drug to Greek hospitals

affiliate marketing FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German pharmaceuticals firm Merck KGaA is no longer delivering cancer drug Erbitux to Greek hospitals, a spokesman said on Saturday, the latest sign of how an economic and budget crisis is hurting frontline public services.Drugmakers raised concerns with EU leaders earlier this year over supplies...

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Anthony Scianna’s Storybook Ending

affiliate marketing Francesco Nazardo for Bloomberg BusinessweekA typical Friday night at FairyTail LoungeTo enter the FairyTail Lounge, a one-year-old New York nightclub opened by three former commodities traders, guests pass through a sparkle-splattered door into a small room so shimmery it looks like it was painted by Tinker Bell....

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Syrian rebels kill 28 soldiers, several executed

affiliate marketing BEIRUT (Reuters) – Anti-government rebels killed 28 soldiers on Thursday in attacks on three army checkpoints around Saraqeb, a town on Syria’s main north-south highway, a monitoring group said.Some of the dead were shot after they had surrendered, according to video footage. Rebels berated them, calling them “Assad’s...

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Nokia’s $42 Non-Smartphone Still Has Facebook, Twitter [VIDEO]

affiliate marketing If you’re looking for a cheap phone but you don’t want to give up tweeting and checking Facebook on the go, no need for a fancy iPhone 5 or a Samsung Galaxy SIII, Nokia has got your back.[More from Mashable: New York City Regulators Propose Rules for Taxi Apps] affiliate marketing The...

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“Hunger Games” sticks with director Lawrence for sequels

affiliate marketing LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Francis Lawrence has signed on to direct the final two installments of the hit movie “The Hunger Games,” movie studio Lionsgate said on Thursday.The announcement follows months of rumors that Lionsgate might go with a different director to helm the “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay,” – the final...

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Merkel seeks coalition unity for 2013 election challenges

affiliate marketing BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel is under pressure to resolve a dispute on taxes and welfare between her centre-right coalition partners this weekend in order to present a united front before elections in 2013.The challenge for Merkel’s conservatives and their junior Free Democrat (FDP) partners...

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A Gain of 171,000 Jobs Gives Obama’s Case a Small Boost

affiliate marketing The most important jobs report of Barack Obama’s presidency came in slightly better than expected on Nov. 2, strengthening his case that the economy is recovering. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nonfarm payrolls rose by 171,000 in October. An influx of jobseekers caused the unemployment rate to rise...

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Mexico’s Day of Dead brings memories of missing

affiliate marketing MEXICO CITY (AP) — Maria Elena Salazar refuses to set out plates of her missing son’s favorite foods or orange flowers as offerings for the deceased on Mexico‘s Day of the Dead, even though she hasn’t seen him in three-and-a-half years.The 50-year-old former teacher is convinced that Hugo Gonzalez Salazar, a university...

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RIM’s CEO says new BlackBerry phone being tested

affiliate marketing TORONTO (AP) — BlackBerry maker Research In Motion says its much-delayed new smartphones are now being tested by 50 wireless carriers around the world.The Canadian company said Wednesday that it is a critical milestone as it prepares to launch the new BlackBerry 10 software and phones in the first quarter next year. affiliate...

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Hurricane Sandy: outdoor filming in NYC halted until at least Friday

affiliate marketing LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – The cameras still aren’t rolling Wednesday on many television and film productions in New York City, and the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy may push delays further into the week.For the time being, those films and shows that do resume shooting will have do so on a set and not on the...

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Washington pot activists push for driving curbs to help pass bill

affiliate marketing OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) – Marijuana activists in Washington state hope voters will be reassured by strict new “stoned driving” standards, despite opposition from medical cannabis users who say the limits would make it hard for them to ever drive legally.Washington is among three states voting on Tuesday on whether...

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Exxon quarterly profit falls, output tumbles

affiliate marketing (Reuters) – Exxon Mobil Corp, the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, on Thursday reported a lower quarterly profit that topped expectations, as higher margins from its refining arm countered a 7.5 decline in oil and gas output.Refining margins have improved as companies benefit from processing cheaper grades...

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Syrian air force on offensive after failed truce

affiliate marketing AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian warplanes bombed rebel targets with renewed intensity on Tuesday after the end of a widely ignored four-day truce between President Bashar al-Assad‘s forces and insurgents.State television said “terrorists” had assassinated an air force general, Abdullah Mahmoud al-Khalidi, in a Damascus suburb,...

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Everybody Loves the iPad Mini

affiliate marketing The reviews for the latest hyped-about Apple device are in and, surprise surprise, everybody thinks it’s amazing. The iPad Mini was announced last week after a seemingly never-ending torrent of rumors about its existence, and with just two days left before the device hits store, the embargo on the reviews was just...

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“Community” returning to old time slot in February

affiliate marketing NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – “Community” will return Thursday, February 7 to its previous timeslot after a long absence from NBC‘s lineup.NBC confirmed the show’s return date soon after star Yvette Nicole Brown, who plays Shirley on the ensemble comedy, announced the news on Twitter. affiliate...

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Biogen’s hemophilia-A drug meets late-stage trial goal

affiliate marketing BOSTON (Reuters) – Biogen Idec Inc said on Wednesday its experimental treatment for patients with hemophilia A, a disorder that inhibits coagulation of the blood, controlled bleeding in a late-stage clinical trial.Biogen, which makes the multiple sclerosis drugs Avonex and Tysabri, said it plans to submit an application...

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An Anxious Wall Street Readies Its Reopening

affiliate marketing 4:15 pm., Oct. 30, 2012 — Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, for the first time since 1888 weather has stopped U.S. stock trading for two straight days. With the exception of at least one brave, renegade Starbucks (SBUX) outlet, Sandy’s 90-mile-per-hour winds and storm surge left swaths of New York feeling time-warped back...

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Cuba’s 2nd city without power, water after Sandy

affiliate marketing HAVANA (AP) — Residents of Cuba‘s second-largest city of Santiago remained without power or running water Monday, four days after Hurricane Sandy made landfall as the island’s deadliest storm in seven years, ripping rooftops from homes and toppling power lines.Across the Caribbean, the storm’s death toll rose to 69,...

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