European shares slide as euro zone worries resume

LONDON (Reuters) - European shares and the euro fell on Tuesday after a credit rating agency stripped France of its top-notch rating, reminding investors of the continuing risks from the euro zone debt crisis. But the falls were limited as the move was widely expected and comes a day after global equity markets saw their biggest gains since late July on optimism that U.S. lawmakers would...

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Herat Journal: Herat, Freewheeling Afghan City, Fearful of U.S. Pullout

Bryan Denton for The New York TimesIn a dirty, bombed-out wasteland in the middle of Herat, 600-year-old minarets still stand, barely. Much of the city was destroyed during the war against the Soviet occupation. More Photos »HERAT, Afghanistan — Women in Converse sneakers jog untrammeled — if still in full, flowing chadors — in this western Afghan city’s biggest park, enjoying freedoms rarely witnessed...

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Justin Bieber Brings His Mom to the American Music Awards

By Maggie Coughlan 11/18/2012 at 09:35 PM EST Pattie Mallette and Justin Bieber Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters/Landov Mother knows best!Despite his recent split from Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber still had a date for the 40th American Music Awards on Sunday: his mother,...

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EU drug regulator OKs Novartis' meningitis B shot

LONDON (AP) — Europe's top drug regulator has recommended approval for the first vaccine against meningitis B, made by Novartis AG.There are five types of bacterial meningitis. While vaccines exist to protect against the other four, none has previously been licensed for type B meningitis. In Europe, type B is the most common, causing 3,000 to 5,000 cases every year.Meningitis mainly affects infants...

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Global shares rally on U.S. fiscal hopes

LONDON (Reuters) - World shares rose and German government bond prices fell on Monday as investors were encouraged by an improving outlook for talks to resolve an imminent fiscal crunch in the United States. U.S. lawmakers expressed confidence on Sunday that they could reach a deal to avert the $600 billion "fiscal cliff", which threatened to send the giant economy back into recession....

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Israel Bombs Government and Media Sites in Wider Attack

Tyler Hicks/The New York TimesA man injured by bombing in the Zaitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on Saturday that also killed one person. GAZA CITY — Israel pressed its assault on the Gaza Strip early Sunday, deploying warplanes and naval vessels to pummel the coastal enclave as Israeli forces widened the onslaught from mostly military targets to media offices and centers of government infrastructure...

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14 Black Friday Tech Deals Start Early at Walmart

1. Apple iPad 2 — 16GB$ 399Click here to view this gallery. [More from Mashable: Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week]This year Walmart is starting Black Friday on Thursday, so you can get an early start on your holiday tech savings. You’ll need to gobble up your Thanksgiving dinner early and get over to Walmart; the company...

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Taylor Swift and One Direction's Harry Styles: Are They Dating?

By Patrick Gomez 11/17/2012 at 10:40 PM EST Taylor Swift and Harry Styles Janet Mayer/Splash News Online; Don Arnold/Wireimage Taylor Swift appears to be taking her love life in a new direction.The "Never Ever Getting Back Together" singer is seemingly taking...

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EU drug regulator OKs Novartis' meningitis B shot

LONDON (AP) — Europe's top drug regulator has recommended approval for the first vaccine against meningitis B, made by Novartis AG.There are five types of bacterial meningitis. While vaccines exist to protect against the other four, none has previously been licensed for type B meningitis. In Europe, type B is the most common, causing 3,000 to 5,000 cases every year.Meningitis mainly affects infants...

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Wall Street Week Ahead: Going off "cliff" with a bungee cord

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The 1987 crash. The Y2K bug. The debt ceiling debacle of 2011. All these events, in the end, turned out to be buying opportunities for stocks. So will the "fiscal cliff," some investors say as they watch favorite stocks tumble during the political give-and-take happening in Washington. The first round of talks aimed at avoiding the "fiscal cliff" caused...

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