Mali official: French military arrived to help

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — French military personnel are now helping Mali's military to fight radical Islamist rebels who control northern Mali and have advanced into the country's center, a Malian official said Friday.Col. Abdrahmane Baby, a military operations adviser for the foreign affairs ministry confirmed that French troops had arrived in the country but gave no details about how many were there...

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French troops in Mali to fight extremists

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — France's military started an air operation Friday to help Malian soldiers fight radical Islamists, drawing the former colonial power into a military intervention to oust the al-Qaida-linked militants nine months after they seized control of northern Mali.The arrival of the French dramatically ups the stakes in a conflict taking place in a swath of lawless desert where kidnappings...

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Peace deal announced for C. African Republic

LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) — Central African Republic President Francois Bozize and the rebels who sought to overthrow him have reached a deal that will allow him to stay in office until his term ends in 2016, officials said Friday.The announcement came after several days of peace talks in Gabon, which were organized after an alliance of rebels groups swept through the north of the country and seized...

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Former Yankees manager Joe Torre wants focus on child abuse

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A government commission co-led by former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre said on Wednesday that the U.S. federal and local governments are not doing enough to identify and treat child victims of abuse and violence.At a meeting with representatives from major federal departments, the commission of academics, law enforcement officials and others, issued 56 recommendations...

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Korean closer Lim heading to Chicago Cubs

(Reuters) - South Korean closer Lim Chang-yong is set to sign a deal with Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, though the sidearm pitcher is unlikely to be able to take the mound again until late next season.The 36-year-old righthander, who had elbow surgery earlier this year, told reporters at Incheon Airport on Thursday he had long dreamed of signing for a major league team.Lim tallied 296 saves...

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Braves swap starter Hanson for Angels reliever Walden

(Reuters) - The Atlanta Braves borrowed from their starting rotation to boost their bullpen by trading Tommy Hanson to the Los Angeles Angels for hard-throwing reliever Jordan Walden, the Major League Baseball teams said on Friday.Both young pitchers have shown glimmers of greatness but slipped back last season.Hanson, 26, who broke into the majors midway through the 2009 season and went 11-4 with...

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Verizon narrows AT&T’s smartphone lead

Earlier this week, AT&T (T) announced it had activated 10 million smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2012, up from 9.4 million in the same quarter a year earlier. On Wednesday, Verizon (VZ) announced it activated 9.8 million smartphones last quarter. This is just 200,000 units below AT&T. But more importantly, it’s up a robust 2.1 million units from the 7.7 million smartphones Verizon activated...

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Holmes Took Cell-Phone 'Selfies' with Black Contacts, Guns, and Tongue Out

Preliminary hearings on the legal fate of accused Aurora movie theater shooter James Holmes wrapped today, after the revelation of disturbing images from Holmes's cell phone. The defense chose not to call any witnesses yet. RELATED: Expert: Aurora Suspect's 'House Bomb' a Favorite of Iraqi InsurgentsBy withholding their case at this juncture, the defense let prosecutors end the hearing on an upsetting...

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RIM to launch six new BlackBerry 10 devices in 2013

Research In Motion (RIMM) has wisely decided not to put all its eggs in the high-end basket and will be releasing a wide range of smartphones selling at different price points this year, FierceWireless reports. At the Consumer Electronics Show this week, RIM CMO Frank Boulben said that his company plans to release six different BlackBerry 10 devices in 2013 that will include phones in the high, medium...

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U.S. Housing Market Still On Life Support

With each passing year, the former Oracle of the Fed, Alan Greenspan, is reminded that there really was a housing bubble and lowering interest rates to record lows just matters worse.  Nearly four years after the housing market peak in 2007, record low mortgage rates are no match for falling incomes and 9% unemployment. The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, released on Tuesday, showed that nation...

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