Abandoning Afghanistan a bad idea

U.S. Marines from the 3rd Battalion 8th Marines Regiment start their patrol in Helmand Province on June 27. STORY HIGHLIGHTSWhite House aide suggested all U.S. troops could be withdrawn from AfghanistanPeter Bergen said the idea would be dangerous and send the wrong messageHe says U.S. has abandoned Afghanistan before and saw the rise of the TalibanBergen: U.S. is seeking agreement that military will...

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Four police injured in fresh Northern Ireland clashes

BELFAST, United Kingdom: Four Northern Ireland police officers were injured while battling to quell sectarian clashes in Belfast on Saturday as the row over the flying of the British flag showed no sign of abating.Police used water cannon and fired a plastic bullet during the clashes in Belfast, the latest to blight the British province after more than five weeks of violent disorder over...

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How the holidays gave you the flu

STORY HIGHLIGHTSDavid Zich: This flu season definitely ranks as one of the worst I've seenZich: This outbreak is worse than average due to, more than anything, poor timing He says the holiday period was the perfect storm for the spread of influenzaZich: The peak onset of the flu coincided with a time when our immunity was downEditor's note: David Zich, an internist and emergency physician at Northwestern...

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France ups terror threat level after Mali strike

Last Updated 1:13 p.m. ET PARIS The French president says the country will raise its domestic terror threat level after military action in Mali and Somalia, promising to increase protection at public buildings and transportation networks.President Francois Hollande said Saturday he had ordered increased security after the French military operations in the two African countries against Islamist forces.France...

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Poisoned Lottery Winner's Kin Were Suspicious

Urooj Khan had just brought home his $425,000 lottery check when he unexpectedly died the following day. Now, certain members of Khan's family are speaking publicly about the mystery -- and his nephew told ABC News they knew something was not right."He was a healthy guy, you know?" said the nephew, Minhaj Khan. "He worked so hard. He was always going about his business and,...

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Saudi execution: Brutal and illegal?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSSaudi authorities beheaded Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan womanShe was convicted of killing a baby of the family employing her as a housemaidThis was despite Nafeek's claims that the baby died in a choking accidentBecker says her fate "should spotlight the precarious existence of domestic workers"Jo Becker is the Children's Rights Advocacy Director for Human Rights Watch and author of...

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Football: West Ham sign Brazilian striker Wellington

LONDON: West Ham on Friday signed Brazilian forward Wellington Paulista on loan from Cruzeiro until the end of the season.Wellington had been a long-term target for Hammers manager Sam Allardyce and the Premier League club have an option to sign him on a three-year contract if his loan spell proves successful.The 28-year-old, who has yet to make his Brazil debut, finished last season as...

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Fonda, Steinem: Let woman head FCC

STORY HIGHLIGHTSJane Fonda, Glora Steinem, Robin Morgan: Obama short on women appointeesThey say women helped him win, he must show he sees them as leaders, not just votersThey say media companies shape attitudes. He should name women to head FCC, FTCWriters: Media is run largely by men. Time to close the gender gap in U.S. media leadershipEditor's note: Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem...

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Judge delays James Holmes arraignment to March

Last Updated 12:11 p.m. ET CENTENNIAL, Colo. A judge on Friday delayed the arraignment of the man charged with the Colorado theater shooting until March.District Judge William Sylvester ruled Thursday night that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence to proceed with charges alleging that James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a suburban Denver movie theater on July 20.Play...

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James Holmes Told to 'Rot in Hell' By Victim's Dad

The father of a young woman allegedly slain by James Holmes in the Aurora movie theater massacre yelled "Rot in hell, Holmes" during a court hearing today.The outburst by Steve Hernandez prompted judge William Sylvester to have an off-the-record conference with prosecutors and defense attorneys. Sylvester then reconvened court to address the issue while armed court deputies...

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Worst storms in decade bring Mideast to near standstill

BEIRUT: The worst storms in a decade left swathes of Israel and Jordan under a blanket of snow and parts of Lebanon blacked out on Thursday, bringing misery to a region accustomed to temperate climates.Freezing temperatures and floods since Sunday have claimed at least 11 lives across the region and exacerbated the plight of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees huddled in tented camps...

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Bennett: Obama, wake up to spending

STORY HIGHLIGHTSWilliam Bennett: National debt doesn't look like a priority for President ObamaBennett: Obama more concerned with his legacy rather than our economic well-being He asks why the president is so unwilling to cut the size and scope of governmentBennett: GOP should make it clear that it will fulfill our debt obligations in a responsible way Editor's note: William J. Bennett, a CNN contributor,...

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High school shooting wounds 2 in Calif.

Updated at 2:31 p.m. ET TAFT, Calif. A student was shot and wounded at a rural San Joaquin Valley high school Thursday and another student was taken into custody, officials said. The shooting occurred about 9 a.m. at Taft Union High School, a community of fewer than 10,000 people amid oil and natural gas production fields about 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The student who was shot was flown...

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Biden Hints at Executive Order on Gun Control

Vice President Biden, meeting today with outside groups on gun safety, told reporters he has already started putting together a list of recommendations that he plans to issue next Tuesday.Biden meets with representatives of the NRA and other supporters of gun rights on the second day of this week's meetings on gun violence.But he told reporters Thursday, during meeting a with...

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Karzai's U.S. visit a time for tough talk

The last time Presidents Obama and Karzai met was in May in Kabul, when they signed a pact regarding U.S. troop withdrawal.STORY HIGHLIGHTSAfghan President Karzai meeting with President Obama in Washington this weekFelbab-Brown: Afghan politics are corrupt; army not ready for 2014 troop pulloutShe says Taliban, insurgents, splintered army, corrupt officials are all jockeying for powerU.S. needs to...

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Football: Winning start for LionsXII

SINGAPORE: The LionsXII have got their 2013 Malaysian Super League (MSL) campaign off to a winning start with victory over Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) FA on Wednesday.A solitary strike from captain Shahril Ishak in the 66th minute was enough to give the Singaporean side a 1-0 win at the Paroi Stadium in Seremban.ATM FA missed a golden opportunity when Marlon James miscued three yards...

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Biden: Obama may act alone to combat gun violence

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Obama is exploring executive orders, Biden announcesWal-Mart reversed a decision, saying it now will attend a Thursday meetingBurlington, Vermont, passed a resolution that could lead to an assault weapons banA Marine supporting an assault weapons ban pushes back against another MarineOn Wednesday night, Piers Morgan goes one-on-one with firearms lobbyist Larry Pratt over guns...

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Holmes posed playfully with gun before shootings

CENTENNIAL, Colo. The hearing to determine whether the suspected gunman in last year's Colorado theater shooting ended Wednesday with one last detail from police: James Holmes used a cell phone to take self-portraits the night of the attack, sticking out his tongue, smiling and posing with a Glock pistol The defense decided not to call witnesses to talk about Holmes' mental health. They are expected...

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Holmes Took Disturbing Photos Before Massacre

Hours before James Holmes allegedly carried out a massacre at a Colorado movie theater he took a series of menacing self-portraits with his dyed orange hair curling out of from under a black skull cap and his eyes covered with black contacts.A prosecutor told the court after the photographs were shown that Holmes had a "depravity of human heart."Those haunting photographs,...

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