Family defends Malaysian held over Facebook insult

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The family of a Malaysian man detained for allegedly insulting a state sultan on Facebook called for his release Monday, saying the government is violating his free-speech rights.Police arrested 27-year-old Ahmad Abdul Jalil in Kuala Lumpur and took him to southern Johor state late Friday. He was freed briefly Monday after...

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Brad Pitt turns designer for high-end furniture collection

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Brad Pitt has turned his talents to creating furniture for a luxury design house with a high-end collection inspired by both Art Nouveau and Art Deco, according to Architectural Digest.Pitt, who collaborated on the collection with U.S. furniture designer Frank Pollaro, discussed his inspirations for the capsule collection...

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Congressional panels to hold hearings on meningitis outbreak

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two congressional oversight committees will hold hearings next week on the deadly U.S. meningitis outbreak linked to tainted steroid injections and one panel has invited an official from the compounding pharmacy involved, aides said on Monday.The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee expects to hear testimony from...

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The Greeks Are on the Brink Once More

Not too long ago, the only people who would watch votes in the Greek Parliament were those paid to do so as part of their jobs. Over the last couple of years, though, ballots in the historic and often raucous Parliament House have become required viewing for audiences around the world. It seems that every few months Greece’s future hangs on the voting...

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Bomb shakes Damascus, opposition holds unity talks

AMMAN (Reuters) – A bomb exploded near army and security compounds in Damascus, Syrian television reported, and fractured opposition groups seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad began unity talks abroad to win international respect and arms supplies.The 50-kilogram (110-pound) bomb, near a large hotel in a heavily guarded district, was described...

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U.S. Coast Guard suspends search for captain of replica HMS Bounty

Charleston, South Carolina (Reuters) – The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday suspended a four-day, round-the-clock search for Robin Walbridge, 63, the missing captain of the replica tall ship HMS Bounty, which sank in heavy seas stirred up by Hurricane Sandy.Fourteen crew members were rescued from life rafts by Coast Guard helicopters on Monday, but Walbridge...

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California GMO measure may fail after food industry fights back

(Reuters) – Major food and seed companies appear to be on the verge of defeating a California ballot initiative that, if passed on Tuesday, would create the first labeling requirement for genetically modified foods in the United States.In a campaign reminiscent of this summer’s successful fight against a proposed tobacco tax in California, opposition funded...

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HSBC profits to gain from cuts to bad debts, costs

LONDON (Reuters) – HSBC Holdings is expected to report a jump in quarterly profits on Monday as lower losses from bad debts and a cost-cutting plan outweigh mis-selling charges and the impact of tough economic conditions across the world.Europe’s biggest bank will be the last of Britain’s major lenders to report and all are facing intense scrutiny on how...

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As foreigners go, Afghan city is feeling abandoned

affiliate marketing KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — By switching from studying business management to training as a nurse, 19-year-old Anita Taraky has placed a bet on the future of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar — that once foreign troops are gone, private-sector jobs will be fewer but nursing will always be in demand.Besides, if...

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Food Trucks Heed the Call of Twitter in NYC’s Post-Sandy ‘Dead Zone’

affiliate marketing New York City’s mobile food trucks may have shifted from simply trendy to necessity as they heed the call from neighborhoods that remain without power from post-Sandy tweets like these:David Weber, president of the NYC Food Truck Association, tells TakePart that they’ve been coordinating directly with Mayor Bloomberg’s...

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