After early start, worst of flu season may be over

NEW YORK (AP) — The worst of the flu season appears to be over.The number of states reporting intense or widespread illnesses dropped again last week, and in a few states there was very little flu going around, U.S. health officials said Friday.The season started earlier than normal, first in the Southeast and then spreading. But now, by some measures, flu activity has been ebbing for at least four...

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China Makes Arrests in Crackdown on Immolations

HONG KONG — The police in a restive Tibetan area have arrested 12 people and detained dozens more accused of playing a part in acts of self-immolation by Tibetan monks and others protesting Chinese rule, the state-run news media said Thursday, as the government stepped up its campaign of attributing the protests to a plot inspired by the exiled Dalai Lama. The announcement of the crackdown...

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Milla Jovovich Adopts Two Puppies

People Pets 02/07/2013 at 06:00 PM EST Sweet Potato and Maya Papaya with Milla Jovovich (inset) Courtesy Milla Jovovich; Inset: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Milla Jovovich's doggy family just got bigger!The actress announced on Facebook Thursday that she'd brought home...

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Wall Street ends lower on renewed euro zone fears

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks declined on Thursday, taking a step back from their recent advance, prompted by comments by the ECB president on the euro and Europe's outlook. The euro currency dropped against the safe-haven dollar and yen, spurring a retreat from risky assets such as stocks, after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the exchange rate was important to growth...

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At War Blog: Interview With Gen. John R. Allen on Leaving Afghanistan

The New York Times interviewed Gen. John. R. Allen on Sunday, a week before his scheduled departure from Afghanistan after 19 months as the commander of the American and allied forces.Following are some of General Allen’s comments. Brief explanations have been provided in brackets.On his relationship with President Hamid Karzai:“I wanted him to understand that he was always going to have my loyalty...

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Kim Kardashian: I Need a Divorce Now for My Baby's Sake

By Mike Fleeman 02/06/2013 at 07:00 PM EST Kim Kardashian is asking a judge to declare her marriage to Kris Humphries over, immediately, so that she won't still be wed when she gives birth to Kanye West's baby this summer."I firmly believe that an immediate dissolution of our marriage will help create a new,...

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New whooping cough strain in US raises questions

NEW YORK (AP) — Researchers have discovered the first U.S. cases of whooping cough caused by a germ that may be resistant to the vaccine.Health officials are looking into whether cases like the dozen found in Philadelphia might be one reason the nation just had its worst year for whooping cough in six decades. The new bug was previously reported in Japan, France and Finland."It's quite intriguing....

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North Korean Propaganda Video Imagines Attack on U.S.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea is not known for its subtlety, famous instead for its soaring patriotic rhetoric and threats to turn the capital of its rival, South Korea, into a “sea of fire.” But even by those standards, the latest volley of North Korea propaganda is noteworthy. Posted recently on YouTube, a video by one of the North’s propaganda agencies shows an animated version of Manhattan...

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See the Stylish Photo Shoot Jessica Simpson Did Between Babies

Stylewatch Style News Now 02/05/2013 at 04:00 PM ET Courtesy Jessica Simpson CollectionJessica Simpson is no stranger to buzzworthy photoshoots, but the glamorous shots she snapped for her Spring 2013 clothing line may take the cake.The sunlit campaign photos, shot in November on Malibu’s El Matador...

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Critics seek to delay NYC sugary drinks size limit

NEW YORK (AP) — Opponents are pressing to delay enforcement of the city's novel plan to crack down on supersized, sugary drinks, saying businesses shouldn't have to spend millions of dollars to comply until a court rules on whether the measure is legal.With the rule set to take effect March 12, beverage industry, restaurant and other business groups have asked a judge to put it on hold at least until...

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