Fiscal Cliff Deal Vote Likely in Senate

The so-called "fiscal cliff" came tonight -- but now there is a specific deal on the table to try to soften it after the fact, according to congressional sources.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the deal -- brokered by Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- would get a vote in the Senate sometime after midnight. The House would...

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Stories for 2013: Syria to 'post-Gangnam'

Among the few virtual certainties of 2013 is the ongoing anguish of Syria and the decline of its president, Bashar al-Assad.STORY HIGHLIGHTSLook for more unrest amid power transitions in the Middle EastDisputes and economic worries will keep China, Japan, North Korea in the newsEurope's economy will stay on a rough road, but the outlook for it is brighterEvents are likely to draw attention to cyber...

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S'pore stocks close lower

SINGAPORE: Share prices in Singapore closed lower in line with other regional markets in a shortened pre-holiday session. Markets were weighed down by the US fiscal deadlock, as hopes faded that a deal will be reached just a day before the deadline.The Straits Times Index fell 24.72 points, or 0.77 per cent, to end at 3,167.08. On the broader market, losers outnumbered gainers by 216 to...

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Opinion: 12 lessons

What we learned in 2012What we learned in 2012What we learned in 2012What we learned in 2012What we learned in 2012What we learned in 2012What we learned in 2012What we learned in 2012What we learned in 2012What we learned in 2012STORY HIGHLIGHTSDean Obeidallah: You are smarter today than 365 days agoObeidallah: You probably learned a few Korean words like "Gangnam Style"He says we found out poultry...

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Nine killed in Oregon tour bus crash

Updated 9:09 p.m. ETLA GRANDE, Ore. A tour bus careened through a guardrail along an icy Oregon highway and several hundred feet down a steep embankment Sunday, killing nine people and injuring more than 20 others, authorities said. The charter bus carrying about 40 people lost control around 10:30 a.m. on the snow- and ice-covered lanes of Interstate 84, according to the Oregon State Police. ...

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Hillary Clinton Hospitalized With Blood Clot

(MICHAL CIZEK/AFP/Getty Images)By DANA HUGHES and DEAN SCHABNERSecretary Hillary Clinton was hospitalized today after a doctors doing a follow-up exam discovered a blood clot had formed, stemming from the concussion she sustained several weeks ago.She is being treated with anti-coagulants and is at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital so that they can monitor the medication over the next 48 hours, Deputy...

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Stories for 2013: Syria to 'post-Gangnam'

Among the few virtual certainties of 2013 is the ongoing anguish of Syria and the decline of its president, Bashar al-Assad.STORY HIGHLIGHTSLook for more unrest amid power transitions in the Middle EastDisputes and economic worries will keep China, Japan, North Korea in the newsEurope's economy will stay on a rough road, but the outlook for it is brighterEvents are likely to draw attention to cyber...

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Suspected norovirus outbreak kills four in Japan hospital

TOKYO: A suspected norovirus outbreak has killed four people and infected almost 100 others at a hospital in the Japanese city of Yokohama south of Tokyo, officials said.Four patients aged between 80 and 97 died of breathing problems and pneumonia between Wednesday and Friday after suffering vomiting and diarrhoea, officials at the city's Denentoshi Hospital said late Saturday.A total...

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Fiscal cliff: Nation on edge

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: "We've been in discussions all day and they continue," Sen. McConnell says McConnell and Harry Reid should update their caucuses, perhaps with an agreement, on SundayThere will be major cuts and widespread tax increases without a deal by year's endSome congressmen say Americans have a right to be frustrated by the stalemate As the fiscal cliff looms, what's your New Year's message...

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