Canadian native chief will continue hunger strike

TORONTO (Reuters) - A Canadian aboriginal chief will continue her hunger strike despite meetings on Friday between native leaders and government officials, as a Canada-wide protest movement gets ready for more demonstrations and a day of action later this month.A spokesman said chief Theresa Spence would continue her strike in an effort to force new meetings to discuss Indian rights.Spence, from...

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EU to plot telecom reforms this year: FT

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union will set out reforms for a pan-European telecommunications market this year to support competition and investment in the sector, the bloc's telecoms chief, Neelie Kroes, said in an interview with the Financial Times."We're working on a range of measures to create common and stable conditions across the EU for telecoms competition, investment and growth, which...

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Avis' buy of tiny Zipcar could be in antitrust fast lane

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When car rental giant Avis announced in early January that it planned to buy Zipcar, hipsters across the United States gnashed their teeth in unison.But an informal poll by Reuters of nine antitrust experts, many of whom lamented the deal privately for the feared loss of a lively upstart, found that eight of the nine expect U.S. regulators to approve the deal.The quirky Zipcar...

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3 Philippine police officers among 13 killed in gunbattle

ATIMONAN, Philippines - At least three police personnel were among 13 suspected criminals who were gunned down in a shootout with Philippine security forces at a highway checkpoint, officials said Monday.Gunmen riding in three black SUVs opened fire on more than 50 army and police troopers who flagged down the vehicles late Sunday in the coastal town of Atimonan in Quezon province, about 140 kilometres...

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Officials can't rule out casualties after Australian wildfires destroy 100 homes and buildings

HOBART, Australia - Officials are searching for bodies among the charred ruins of more than 100 homes and other buildings destroyed by wildfires in the island state of Tasmania.Acting Police Commissioner Scott Tilyard said Monday no casualties had yet been reported. But it would take time before officials were certain that no one had died in the blazes that have razed 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres)...

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Sunday's Scoreboard

Sunday's GamesNFLAFC Wild Card GameBaltimore 24 Indianapolis 9NFC Wild Card GameSeattle 24 Washington 14--U.S. College footballGoDaddy.com Bowl at Mobile, AlabamaArkansas State 17 Kent State 13--NBAOklahoma City 104 Toronto 92Miami 99 Washington 71Charlotte 108 Detroit 101 (OT)Memphis 92 Phoenix 81Denver 112 L.A. Lakers 105--AHLCharlotte 2 Norfolk 1Connecticut 2 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 0Springfield...

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Sources: Obama to nominate ex-Sen. Chuck Hagel as defence secretary; bumpy path in Senate?

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will nominate Chuck Hagel as his next defence secretary, a senior administration official said Sunday, choosing a former Senate colleague and a decorated Vietnam veteran and signalling he's ready for a contentious confirmation fight likely dominated by questions about Hagel's stands on Israel and Iran.Obama, who avoided a Capitol Hill battle by deciding not to nominate...

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Italy's Monti turns down Berlusconi offer to run

Italian Premier Mario Monti is spurning Silvio Berlusconi's offer to run on a center-right ticket backed by the media mogul in February elections.Monti told a news conference in Rome on Sunday that his predecessor's flipping back and forth between condemning the government's economic policies and then praising the premier convinced him that "I couldn't accept his offer."Monti didn't immediately say...

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Monti says he won't run for Italian premier

After keeping Italians, and the rest of Europe, in suspense for weeks, caretaker Premier Mario Monti on Sunday ruled out running in February elections but said he would consider leading the next government if political forces sharing his reform-focused economic agenda requested it.The decision by Monti positions him to take the helm again without having to get into the nitty-gritty of campaigning...

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British paper to sue Armstrong

 The Sunday Times is suing disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong for around one million pounds over his libel action against the British newspaper in 2004.Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles from 1999-2005 in October, received 300,000 pounds from the Sunday Times as payment towards his legal fees after the paper raised questions about the American's success following his...

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Monti says he is open to leading next government

ROME (AP) — After keeping Italians, and the rest of Europe, in suspense for weeks, caretaker Premier Mario Monti on Sunday ruled out campaigning in February elections, but said he would consider leading the next government if politicians who share his focus on reform request it.The decision positions him to take the helm again without having to get into the political nitty-gritty of an election —...

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NATO: Syria using Scud-type rockets again

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Syrian military has continued to fire Scud-type missiles, NATO's top official said Friday, describing the move as an act of desperation of a regime nearing its end.Although none of the Syrian rockets hit Turkish territory, Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmusen said the use of the medium-range ballistic rockets showed that NATO was justified in deploying six batteries of Patriot...

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Mother loses legal fight to stop son's cancer radiotherapy

LONDON (Reuters) - A mother in Britain, who was so desperate to stop her cancer-stricken son having to undergo conventional medical treatment that she went into hiding with him, lost a court battle on Friday to prevent him receiving radiotherapy.The case of Sally Roberts, 37, a New Zealander living in Brighton, southern England, and the plight of her seven-year-old son has made headlines in Britain.Roberts...

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Instant View - Third quarter GDP revised down, public finances worsen

LONDON (Reuters) - The Office for National Statistics released revised third-quarter GDP figures and November public sector finances data on Friday.****************************************************KEY POINTS- Biggest quarterly increase in GDP since Q3 2007- Biggest quarterly increase in industrial output since Q2 2010- Biggest quarterly increase in services output since Q3 2007- Biggest quarterly...

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Budget deficit worsens, credit rating at risk

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's budget deficit worsened in November, data showed on Friday, increasing the risk it will lose its top-notch credit rating and overshoot this year's borrowing forecast.The data - which showed public sector net borrowing, excluding financial sector interventions, hit 17.5 billion pounds last month - is gloomy news for Britain's coalition government.Deficit reduction and preserving...

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Stalin's birthday marked in Russia and beyond

apital, Tbilisi, Friday, Dec. 21, …more RELATED CONTENT  Enlarge PhotoUshangi Davitashvili, left, and …Enlarge PhotoUshangi Davitashvili, right, and …TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — People across the vast territory where Josef Stalin once imposed his terror have marked the 133rd anniversary of the dictator's birth, some in hatred but others in reverence.In Moscow, several hundred Russian Communists led...

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Senior masters Sydney gale to win Australian Open

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Peter Senior  drew on all his experience from 34 years as a professional golfer to master galeforce winds and win the Australian Open by a shot on Sunday, 23 years after he first held aloft the Stonehaven Cup.Gusting winds of up to 80 kilometers an hour whipped across The Lakes Golf Club all day, knocking over a TV tower on the 18th green and forcing the suspension of play...

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New Zealand coach Hesson's advice 'laughable' - Taylor

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Disgruntled former captain Ross Taylor has slammed New Zealand's team management, dismissing head coach Mike Hesson's advice as "laughable" and claiming he was not given enough support in his 18-month stint as skipper.Taylor was stripped of the Twenty20 and one-day captaincy last week on Hesson's recommendation, and rejected an offer to stay on as test skipper in the wake of...

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British police contact Australian police over hoax

LONDON (AP) — British police say they have contacted Australian authorities about a possible investigation into an Australian radio station's hoax call to a U.K. hospital.The callers impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and received confidential details about the former Kate Middleton's medical information. The call was recorded and broadcast.The prank took an ugly twist Friday with...

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British police contact Australian police over radio station's hoax call impersonating queen

LONDON - British police say they have contacted Australian authorities about a possible investigation into an Australian radio station's hoax call to a U.K. hospital.The callers impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and received confidential details about the former Kate Middleton's medical information. The call was recorded and broadcast.The prank took an ugly twist Friday with the...

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