Storm over Depardieu's 'pathetic' move

STORY HIGHLIGHTSRussian President Vladimir Putin has bestowed Russian citizenship on actor Gérard DepardieuFor Depardieu, a public war of words erupted, with many in France disgusted by his moveDepardieu more than anyone, represents the Gallic spirit, says Agnes PoirierMajority of French people disapprove of his action but can't help loving him, she addsAgnes Poirier is a French journalist and political...

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Bears' list grows with Texans' Dennison, report says

As the number of teams searching for a head coach shrinks, the list of candidates for the Chicago Bears continues to grow.General manager Phil Emery has requested and...

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Assad "peace plan" greeted with scorn by foes

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rejected peace talks with his enemies on Sunday in a defiant speech that his opponents described as a renewed declaration of war. Although the speech was billed as the unveiling of a new peace plan, Assad offered no concessions and even appeared to harden many of his positions. He rallied Syrians for "a war to defend the nation" and...

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"Cliff" concerns give way to earnings focus

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors' "fiscal cliff" worries are likely to give way to more fundamental concerns, like earnings, as fourth-quarter reports get under way next week. Financial results, which begin after the market closes on Tuesday with aluminum company Alcoa , are expected to be only slightly better than the third-quarter's lackluster results. As a warning sign, analyst current...

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Saban: Alabama players must put aside 'clutter'

MIAMI (AP) — Days after team leaders held a players-only meeting, Alabama coach Nick Saban says the Crimson Tide's performance in Monday's BCS championship will say a lot about whether his players have put aside the "clutter" that comes with their success.Saban spoke Saturday at media day for the title game, which pits No. 2 Alabama against No. 1 Notre Dame. Alabama is favored by more than a touchdown.Saban...

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Secret to Fish’s Waterfall-Climbing Ability Found

A waterfall-climbing fish in Hawaii uses the same muscles to both rise and feed, researchers have discovered.Scientists looked at the Nopoli rock-climbing goby (Sicyopterus stimpsoni), also known in Hawaiian as o’opu nopili. This plant-eating fish is found throughout Hawaii, and was once greatly relished as food, apparently being a favorite snack among priests.Many gobies can inch their way up waterfalls...

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Storm over Depardieu's 'pathetic' move

STORY HIGHLIGHTSRussian President Vladimir Putin has bestowed Russian citizenship on actor Gérard DepardieuFor Depardieu, a public war of words erupted, with many in France disgusted by his moveDepardieu more than anyone, represents the Gallic spirit, says Agnes PoirierMajority of French people disapprove of his action but can't help loving him, she addsAgnes Poirier is a French journalist and political...

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Escaped convict was using cane and beret as disguise

Chicago Tribune reporter Jason Meisner on the recent arrest of Kenneth Conley, a convicted bank robber who escaped from federal jail in December. (Posted on: Jan. 4, 2013.) ...

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Chavez swearing-in can be delayed: Venezuelan VP

CARACAS (Reuters) - President Hugo Chavez's formal swearing-in for a new six-year term scheduled for January 10 can be postponed if he is unable to attend due to his battle to recover from cancer surgery, Venezuela's vice president said on Friday. Nicolas Maduro's comments were the clearest indication yet that the Venezuelan government is preparing to delay the swearing-in while avoiding...

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Wall Street firms slightly after jobs, ISM data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks firmed slightly on Friday after a key U.S. jobs report showed the pace of hiring by employers had eased slightly in December but gave signals of some momentum in the labor market's recovery since the 2007-09 recession. Data from the Institute for Supply Management showed the vast U.S. services sector in December grew at its fastest clip in 10 months, boosted...

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