Oil drifts as fiscal cliff looms over US economy

BANGKOK (AP) — Oil prices drifted Monday as traders worried about the threat to the U.S. economy if lawmakers and President Barack Obama don’t reach an agreement to avoid automatic tax hikes and spending cuts.Benchmark crude for December delivery was down 23 cents to $ 85.84 a barrel at late afternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York...

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Clarke’s 218 puts Australia on front foot

BRISBANE (Reuters) – Australia captain Michael Clarke scored a brilliant unbeaten double century to give the hosts a remarkable 37-run first innings lead on the fourth day of the first test against South Africa on Monday.Supported first by a maiden century from opener Ed Cowan in a record stand of 259, and then by Mike Hussey‘s 86 not out, Clarke’s 218...

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Laughing in the storm: Comics don’t shy from Sandy

NEW YORK (AP) — Comedian Dave Attell told a packed house at the Comedy Cellar that New York after Superstorm Sandy had a familiar feel. “It was dark. Toilets were backing up. … It was pretty much like it always was.”Another comic, Paul Mecurio, told the same crowd that he got so many calls from worried family members that he started making things up about...

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Top 5 Apps Your Kids Will Love This Week

Chris Crowell is a veteran kindergarten teacher and contributing editor to Children’s Technology Review, a web-based archive of articles and reviews on apps, technology toys and video games. Download a free issue of CTR here.[More from Mashable: 4 Tips for Finding a Job in Your Niche] Spot the Dot$ 3.99 Ages 3-up Overall...

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Global deal agreed to fight tobacco smuggling

SEOUL (Reuters) – Global health officials agreed a deal on Monday to fight smuggling of tobacco products, a trade which robs governments of more than $ 40 billion in revenue each year and undercuts efforts to reduce smoking.The measures include making it mandatory for member governments to license manufacturers and for tobacco packaging to be marked so...

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China slams “distorted” view of copyright piracy problem

BEIJING (Reuters) – China‘s top official in charge of fighting copyright piracy on Sunday slammed what he said was deliberate distortion of the problem by the Western media caused by the country’s poor global image, saying important facts had been ignored.Foreign governments, including the United States, have for years urged China to take a stronger stand...

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Israel kills Gaza rocket crewman in second day of clashes

GAZA (Reuters) – An Israeli air strike killed a Palestinian militant in the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip on Sunday as a surge in cross-border violence entered its second day, local officials said.Islamic Jihad, a smaller faction than Hamas which often operates independently, identified the dead man as one of its own, saying he was a member of a rocket crew...

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Colin Firth, Emily Blunt film “Arthur Newman” goes to Cinedigm

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Cinedigm has acquired domestic distribution rights to “Arthur Newman,” starring Colin Firth and Emily Blunt, the studio announced on Friday.“Arthur Newman,” the directorial debut of Dante Ariola, chronicles Wallace Avery (Firth), a depressed man loathed by his ex-wife. He stages his own death and heads out on the road where...

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Mail.Ru cuts stakes in Groupon, Facebook, Zygna

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian email-to-social networking group Mail.Ru cut its stakes in U.S. internet firms Groupon, Facebook, and Zygna, according to the company’s website.Mail.Ru now has a 0.52 percent stake in the world’s largest social networking site Facebook, 0.16 percent of U.S. game maker Zynga and 0.84 percent of daily deal website Groupon. As...

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U.S. investigator in Afghan rampage case suggests gunman not alone

TACOMA, Washington (Reuters) – The wife of an Afghan villager killed in a rampage blamed on a decorated U.S. officer told an Army investigator that more than one soldier was present when her husband was shot dead at their home in March, the investigator testified on Saturday.Military prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Army Staff Sergeant Robert...

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