Chatter over cabinet picks shifts to Kerry, Hagel

After U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name yesterday from consideration to be secretary of state, speculation quickly shifted to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., both of whom are now reportedly serious contenders for Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. Rice, who in her decision not to seek the nation's top diplomatic post cited an ongoing political...

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State Police: Two Gunmen at Conn. Grade School

A shooting at a Connecticut elementary school this morning prompted the town of Newtown to lock down all of its schools and drew SWAT teams to the school, authorities said today.A gunman has been killed and at least one other person has been shot, authorities told ABC News.The shooting occurred at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, about 12 miles east of Danbury.State...

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U.S., rebels urge gloomy Moscow to help oust Assad

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's rebel leadership and the United States seized on Russian pessimism over President Bashar al-Assad's future to urge Moscow to help push its ally into ceding power and end the battles closing in around his capital. "We want to commend the Russian government for finally waking up to the reality and acknowledging that the regime's days are numbered," the U.S. State...

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NTUC reiterates its position of fair and reasonable wages

SINGAPORE: The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has stated its position of fair and reasonable wages amid calls that workers doing the same job should be paid equally.Recently, labour activists in Hong Kong called for the right to equal remuneration for migrant workers in Singapore.The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) said these are "fundamental rights" enshrined in...

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Low Latency No. 47: Thinking outside the box

Low Latency is a weekly comic on CNET's Crave blog written by CNET editor and podcast host Jeff Bakalar and illustrated by Blake Stevenson. Be sure to check Crave every Thursday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels! Want more? Here's every Low Latency comic so f...

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Golden Globes: "Lincoln" leads with 7 nominations

Nominees for the 70th Golden Globe Awards were announced Thursday morning, and "Lincoln" is in the lead. The Civil War epic is up for seven nominations, among them best drama, director for Steven Spielberg and acting honors for Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. Tied for second-place with five nominations each, including best drama, are Ben Affleck's Iran hostage-crisis thriller...

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Royal Hoax Nurse Hanged Herself, Left 3 Notes

Jacintha Saldanha, the London nurse who killed herself after she answered a radio-station prank call about Kate Middleton, was found hanging from the neck, and left three notes, according to the coroner's officer.The 46-year-old nurse who worked at London's King Edward VII Hospital was discovered Dec. 7 hanging by a scarf from a wardrobe in her bedroom, Coroner's Officer Lynda...

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Russia says Syrian rebels might win

MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels are gaining ground and might win, Russia's Middle East envoy said on Thursday, in the starkest such admission from a major ally of President Bashar al-Assad in 20 months of conflict. "One must look the facts in the face," Russia's state-run RIA quoted Mikhail Bogdanov as saying. "Unfortunately, the victory of the Syrian opposition cannot be ruled...

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Ex-Thai PM denies murder charges over protest death

BANGKOK: Former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Thursday denied murder charges over a civilian's death during a crackdown on anti-government rallies in 2010.Abhisit and his then-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban were formally charged at Bangkok's Department of Special Investigation (DSI), making them the first officials to face a court over Thailand's worst political violence in decades."I...

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Verizon-Redbox takes on Netflix with lower price

Redbox said the streaming portion of its Redbox Instant video service, offered in a partnership with Verizon, will cost $6 a month, undercutting key rival Netflix. The company's primary offering is an $8 a month plan which includes the unlimited video streaming and four one-night credits for DVDs at local kiosks. A plan that includes Blu-Ray discs costs $9 a month, according to a representative for...

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