Obama Invokes Newtown on 'Cliff' Deal

Invoking the somber aftermath of the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., President Obama today appealed to congressional Republicans to embrace a standing "fair deal" on taxes and spending that would avert the fiscal cliff in 13 days."If there's one thing we should have after this week, it should be a sense of perspective about what's important," Obama said at a midday news conference."I...

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South Korea's Park seen winning tight presidential election

SEOUL (Reuters) - The daughter of the South Korea's former military ruler appeared to be leading in Wednesday's presidential vote, putting her on track to become the country's first woman head of state although her narrow advantage meant the race was set to go to the wire. A win for the 60-year old conservative Park Geun-hye would see her return to the presidential palace where she served...

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Nature no excuse for cheating, says Chris Wang

SINGAPORE: Is it in men's nature to cheat?Taiwan actor Chris Wang thinks so."The Fierce Wife" star said he came to this conclusion after reading up on the topic and observing similar cheating behaviour among males of other animal species, during his travels as the host of an adventure programme.However, he stressed that this doesn't make it okay for men to betray their partners."I think...

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Samajwadi Party member snatches quota bill from Narayanasamy in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: There was major drama in Parliament on Wednesday when Samajawadi Party (SP) leader Yashvir Singh snatched the bill on quotas in promotions from minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy while he was reading it in the Lok Sabha.The House was adjourned for the day after a minor scuffle broke out between Congress and SP members. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi tried to...

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Experts: Kids are resilient in coping with trauma

WASHINGTON (AP) — They might not want to talk about the gunshots or the screams. But their toys might start getting into imaginary shootouts.Last week's school shooting in Connecticut raises the question: What will be the psychological fallout for the children who survived?For people of any age, regaining a sense of security after surviving violence can take a long time. They're at risk for lingering...

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Newtown Settles In for Prayerful, Somber Christmas

Residents of Sandy Hook, Conn., gather every year under an enormous tree in the middle of town to sing carols and light the tree. The tree is lit this year, too, but the scene beneath it is starkly different.The tree looms over hundreds of teddy bears and toys, but they are for children who will never receive them. The ornaments are adorned with names and jarringly recent birth...

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Syrian rebels take control of Damascus Palestinian camp

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels took full control of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp on Monday after fighting raged for days in the district on the southern edge of President Bashar al-Assad's Damascus powerbase, rebel and Palestinian sources said. The battle had pitted rebels, backed by some Palestinians, against Palestinian fighters of the pro-Assad Popular Front for the Liberation...

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Asian stocks mostly higher on US fiscal hopes

HONG KONG - Asian markets mostly rose Tuesday, taking a lead from Wall Street as dealers grow confident US lawmakers will reach an agreement to avert the fiscal cliff.Continued weakness of the yen helped send Japanese shares surging for a second straight session as Shinzo Abe prepares to take over as prime minister, vowing to press for a more aggressive policy of monetary easing.Tokyo...

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US city approves site plan for Hindu temple

AMRITSAR: City Council of Greenacres in Southeast Florida (USA) has approved the site plan for a 3.1 acre Hindu temple, informed President of Universal Society Rajan Zed while talking to TOI on Tuesday. He informed that the temple would include a 4,898 square foot sanctuary and there were plans for another 3,510 square foot multi-purpose building connected to the sanctuary by a covered walkway....

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Experts: No link between Asperger's, violence

NEW YORK (AP) — While an official has said that the 20-year-old gunman in the Connecticut school shooting had Asperger's syndrome, experts say there is no connection between the disorder and violence.Asperger's is a mild form of autism often characterized by social awkwardness."There really is no clear association between Asperger's and violent behavior," said psychologist Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant...

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