Monday, February 6, 2012

US closes Syrian embassy as diplomacy collapses (AP)

US closes Syrian embassy as diplomacy collapses (AP)

US closes Syrian embassy as diplomacy collapses (AP)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:51 PM PST

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011 file photo, the U.S. embassy building is seen in Damascus, Syria. The Obama administration has closed the U.S. Embassy in Damascus and pulled all American diplomats out of Syria Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi, File)AP - The U.S. closed its Syrian embassy and Britain recalled its ambassador to Damascus Monday in a dramatic new Western push to get President Bashar Assad to leave power as diplomatic efforts to resolve one of the deadliest conflicts of the Arab Spring collapsed.

US levies tougher sanctions on Iran's Central Bank (AP)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:23 PM PST

FILE- In this April, 9, 2007, file photo Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaks at a ceremony in Iran's nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, 300 kms 186 (miles) south of capital Tehran, Iran. For the first time in nearly two decades of escalating tensions over the Iranian nuclear program, it appears that world leaders are genuinely concerned that an Israeli military attack on the Islamic Republic could be imminent, an action that many fear might trigger war, terrorism and global economic havoc. (AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian, File)AP - President Barack Obama levied tough new sanctions on Iran's Central Bank Monday amid increased tensions over Tehran's nuclear program and the specter of an Israeli attack on the Islamic republic.

Gingrich shunned lobbying, but hired lobbyists (AP)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:36 PM PST

Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich listens to a question during a news conference on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nev. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)AP - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich says his consulting group never lobbied for clients. But his business hired state and federal lobbyists to work with clients, and some staff left to take lobbying jobs, according to lobbying disclosures and corporate reports.

Granddad: Boys played happily before fatal visit (AP)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:55 PM PST

The smoldering remains of a house, left, where an explosion killed Josh Powell and his two sons, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, is shown from the air in Graham, Wash. The explosion occurred moments after a Child Protective Services worker brought the two boys to the home for a supervised visit. Powell's wife Susan went reportedly missing from their West Valley City, Utah, home in December 2009. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)AP - The maternal grandparents of Josh Powell's two sons say the boys were playing happily Sunday and didn't want to visit their father.

Iraq's al-Qaida claims 2 deadly attacks on Shiites (AP)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:29 PM PST

People gather by the holy shrine of Abu Hanifa to mark the Prophet Mohammed's birthday in the neighborhood of Azemiyah, Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)AP - An al-Qaida front group in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the two deadliest attacks on Shiites since the U.S. military completed its withdrawal last month, underlining an escalating sectarian security and political crisis that threatens to drive the country toward civil war.

Palestinians take step toward unity (AP)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:44 PM PST

In this photo provided by by the Palestinian President's office, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Khaled Mashal, chief of the Islamic militant group Hamas, right, confer with Qatar's crown prince Sheik Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, center, during a reconciliation meeting in Doha, Qatar, Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. The main Palestinian political rivals took a major step Monday toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza. (AP Photo/Thaer Ghanaim, Palestinian President's Office)AP - After months of wavering, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas took a decisive step Monday toward reconciliation with the Islamic militant group Hamas, a move Israel promptly warned would close the door to any future peace talks.

Tax reform in this election year: It's not likely (AP)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:43 PM PST

FILE - In this Jan. 31, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney waves to supporters in Tampa, Fla. Politicians of all stripes in this election year are clamoring for simplifying the tax code and closing loopholes. But that would mean Americans could lose some of their prized deductions. Tax reform does sound like a good idea to lots of people, but where to start? Eliminate the deduction for home mortgages? End the write-off for charitable contributions? How about expanding the Social Security payroll tax? Not likely. In fact, none of the major tax overhaul proposals now on the table seems likely to be enacted given the current political situation in Washington and the country. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)AP - Tax reform sounds like a good idea to lots of people, but where to start? Eliminate the popular deduction for home mortgages? End the write-off for charitable contributions? How about expanding the Social Security payroll tax?

Mo. teen describes killing as amazing, enjoyable (AP)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:41 PM PST

FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2009 file photo, Alyssa Bustamante, 15, listens during a brief hearing where her attorney entered not guilty pleas on her behalf to charges of armed criminal action and first-degree murder in Cole County Circuit Court in Jefferson City, Mo. Bustamante, who admitted stabbing, strangling and slitting the throat of a young neighbor girl, wrote in her journal on the night of the killing that it was an 'ahmazing' and 'pretty enjoyable' experience â€AP - A Missouri teenager who admitted stabbing, strangling and slitting the throat of a young neighbor girl wrote in her journal on the night of the killing that it was an "ahmazing" and "pretty enjoyable" experience — then headed off to church with a laugh.

Randy Travis arrested for public intoxication (AP)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:25 PM PST

This Feb. 6, 2012 booking photo provided by the Denton County Sheriff's Department in Texas, shows country music star Randy Travis. Travis was arrested in Sanger, Texas, on Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, on a charge of public intoxication. (AP Photo/Denton County Sheriff's Department)AP - Country singer Randy Travis has apologized after being arrested on a charge of public intoxication outside a North Texas church.

Super Bowl draws record 111.3M viewers on NBC (AP)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:58 PM PST

Tom Amendola, of Secaucus, N.J., celebrates a New York Giants win against the New England Patriots in the NFL football Super Bowl with a homemade trophy in Times Square, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)AP - For the third consecutive year, the Super Bowl set a record as the most-watched television show in U.S. history.

Greeks delay bailout talks as Merkel demands action (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 11:44 AM PST

Prime Minister Lucas Papademos arrives at his office in Athens for a meeting with Greek political leaders February 5, 2012. REUTERS/Yiorgos KarahalisReuters - German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Greece on Monday to make up its mind fast on accepting the painful terms for a new EU/IMF bailout, but the country's political leaders responded by delaying their decision for yet another day.

Romney campaign zeroes in on Santorum (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:24 PM PST

U.S. Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney wipes sweat off his face as he departs his Nevada caucus night rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 4, 2012. REUTERS/Rick WilkingReuters - Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney on Monday focused his campaign's firepower on Rick Santorum to head off his surge in two of three states with nominating contests this week.

Syria bombards Homs; West scrambles for new strategy (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 12:33 PM PST

Demonstrators protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Hula near the city of Homs February 3, 2012. REUTERS/HandoutReuters - Syrian forces bombarded Homs on Monday, killing 50 people in a sustained assault on several districts of the city which has become a centre of armed opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian National Council opposition group said.

With economy improving, Obama would beat Romney: poll (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 09:34 AM PST

Reuters - bolstered by a stronger economic outlook and recent job growth - would win in a match-up against the two leading Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, a poll on Monday showed.

Insight: Two firms flourish in frenzied MF Global aftermath (Reuters)

Posted: 05 Feb 2012 10:14 PM PST

Reuters - The mad rush to move client money out of MF Global Inc. after its collapse left two firms with the bulk of customer accounts, while other brokerages emerged with only minor gains from the chaos of carving up a multibillion-dollar business.

Wall Street edges lower after string of gains (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 11:05 AM PST

Specialist trader Jason Hardzewicz (L) of Barclay's Capital gives prices to traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange February 3, 2012. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidReuters - Stocks edged lower on Monday as investors found little reason to extend a five-week rally on lingering uncertainty over whether Greece would accept the terms of a bailout.

Analysis: Euro zone strugglers lack innovative knack (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 07:03 AM PST

People walk on a promenade during a foggy day in Thessaloniki about 500 km (310 miles) north of Athens February 5, 2012. REUTERS/John KolesidisReuters - To get an idea of the economic mountain euro zone strugglers Greece and Portugal have to climb, consider this: per million inhabitants, they each filed fewer than eight applications with the European Patent Office in 2010.

U.S. closes embassy in Syria, vows further pressure (Reuters)

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 09:16 AM PST

Reuters - The United States closed its embassy in Damascus on Monday and President Barack Obama vowed to ratchet up pressure on Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to step down, even as world powers remained divided over how to end the crisis.

Carl Levin calls Romney's defense budget criticism "just a political statement" (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 05 Feb 2012 09:00 PM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - Michigan Senator Carl Levin, a Democrat, is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He was the guest speaker at the Jan. 26 Monitor breakfast in Washington.

Are new unemployment figures a boost for Obama? (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted: 05 Feb 2012 01:26 PM PST

The Christian Science Monitor - Friday’s good news on the economy â€" an unemployment rate that dropped to 8.3 percent in January as the economy added 243,000 jobs â€" might have caused the White House staff to do cartwheels. If you’re going to get blamed when things are rough, why not celebrate when they go well?
Posted by Harshad at 1:18 PM

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