Google says multiple services blocked in China

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Google Inc said several of its online services have been blocked in China.Traffic to Google’s services in China dropped sharply beginning Friday evening there, according to an online “Transparency Report” website operated by Google, which provides updates about access to its services in different parts of the world. Among...

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“Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence will not diet for role

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “The Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence will not be dieting for a role any time soon.Lawrence, 22, who plays the famished Katniss Everdeen in the life-or-death thriller series, told Elle magazine in an interview to be published on November 13 that dropping a few pounds will not be part of her script. “I’m...

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Nutella maker says will brave French tax hike

PARIS (Reuters) – The makers of the renowned Nutella food spread say they will not change the lucrative recipe even if France, its biggest market, endorses proposals to quadruple tax on a key ingredient of the gooey mix, palm oil.Senators in France, where a left-wing government is hiking tax generally to help slash a bloated debt, have proposed a 300 percent...

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Greece in bid for bridge finance

9 November 2012 Last updated at 14:04 ETGreece is to make an urgent bid to raise funds from the financial markets in case it does not get another tranche of bailout aid in time to repay debts. On Tuesday, it plans to issue bonds, repayable in one and three months, to cover debt repayments due on Friday.The bond issue...

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Social media shakes up solitary online FX trading

LONDON (Reuters) – The solitary world of online foreign exchange trading is emerging from the shadows as solo investors turn to specialist social media networks to link up with their peers and seek market-beating strategies.Individual or retail trading, estimated at 8-10 percent of the $ 2.5 trillion daily spot FX market, used to conjure an image of a...

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Andy Summers film documents surviving the Police

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Police guitarist Andy Summers has always been a multifaceted artist – musician, songwriter, photographer and author. Now he can add filmmaker to his extensive resume.“Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police,” Summers’ 90-minute documentary film that chronicles his musical career and life with supergroup, has its world premiere...

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Setback for first malaria vaccine in African trial

LONDON (Reuters) – The world’s first potential malaria vaccine proved only 30 percent effective in African babies in a crucial trial, calling into question whether it can be a useful weapon in the fight against the deadly disease.The surprisingly poor result for the vaccine, which GlaxoSmithKline has been developing for three decades, leaves several years...

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Canada Pension Plan looks for big, global deals

TORONTO (Reuters) – The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, one of the world’s biggest pension funds and global dealmakers, said it was looking for big, complex acquisitions to boost its portfolio and outmaneuver rivals as the world’s economy improves.CPPIB, whose assets rose to a record C$ 170.1 billion in the third quarter from C$ 165.8 billion three...

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‘World of Warcraft’ State Senate Candidate Wins Election

Add another demographic to the list of winners on Tuesday night; in addition to Democrats, women, and marijuana advocates, gamers scored a political victory in Maine‘s state senate.Colleen Lachowitz, the Democratic state senate candidate in Maine whose race drew national attention when the state’s Republican party attacked her for her world of warcraft...

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Cancer trials can lack clear information on biopsies

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People participating in cancer drug trials aren’t always given the most straightforward explanation of possible risks and benefits from invasive procedures that may be involved, according to a new study.Biopsies of tumor tissue can help researchers figure out how well a test drug is working – but the invasive, sometimes painful...

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Ghana building collapse traps dozens, kills 1

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — A five-story shopping center built earlier this year in a bustling suburb of Ghana‘s capital collapsed Wednesday, killing at least one person and leaving several dozen people trapped in the rubble, authorities and eyewitnesses said.Rescue crews used cranes to try and remove debris from the top of the building amid fears that machinery...

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China’s leadership challenge in new era: douse “inequality volcano”

YANGCHANG, China (Reuters) – In the mountain village of Yangchang in the backwater province of Guizhou in southwestern China, the roof of the Yang family home is cracked and about to cave in, held upright only by a few rickety tree trunks.Nearly penniless after quitting their jobs in a coastal city, Yang Hechun and her husband recently returned to the...

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A Minute With: Taylor Lautner finding new dawn after “Twilight”

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – As dusk sets on the “Twilight” saga with the final film, actor Taylor Lautner is looking at a new dawn for the next stage in his career.Lautner, 20, shot to fame after being cast as werewolf Jacob Black in the “Twilight” films, entangled in a torrid love triangle with Kristen Stewart‘s Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson‘s vampire Edward...

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Obama win clears health law hurdle, challenges remain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama‘s re-election eliminates the possibility of a wholesale repeal of his signature healthcare reform law, but leaves questions about how many of the changes will be implemented as the national focus shifts to tackling the U.S. debt and deficit.The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the biggest overhaul...

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Canada firms to capitalize on nuclear trade with India

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Canadian firms will be able to export uranium and nuclear reactors to India for the first time in almost four decades under an agreement between the two nations, their prime ministers said, but more work is needed to implement the deal.Once implemented, the agreement will end a ban on nuclear cooperation Canada imposed in 1976 after...

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Amazon’s offers monthly option on Prime, challenging Netflix

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc is testing a new monthly option for its popular Prime video-streaming service as the world’s largest Internet retailer steps up competition with Netflix Inc.Prime typically costs $ 79 a year in the United States for free two-day shipping, free video streaming and access to Amazon‘s Kindle e-book lending library....

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Sharon Osbourne has double mastectomy: magazine

LONDON (Reuters) – British celebrity Sharon Osbourne has had a double mastectomy after discovering she was carrying a gene that increased the risk of her developing breast cancer, she told Hello! magazine in an interview published on Monday.Osbourne, 60, told the publication that the decision was a “no-brainer” in the end. “As...

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Hurricane Sandy Hints At The Perils Of Global Catastrophe

It takes a lot to bump the United States election out of the national spotlight one week before election day. Hurricane Sandy was that big, a direct blow to the most heavily populated region of the country. But all the attention going to the northeastern U.S. has a sad consequence: we’re overlooking the devastation Sandy caused in Haiti. This situation...

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Cautious reformers tipped for new China leadership

BEIJING (Reuters) – China‘s ruling Communist Party will this month unveil its new top leadership team, expected to again be an all-male cast of politicians whose instincts are to move cautiously on reform.Sources close to the leadership say 10 main candidates are vying for seven seats on the party’s next Politburo Standing Committee, the peak decision-making...

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Apple sells 3 million iPads over first weekend

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Apple Inc sold 3 million of its new iPads in the first three days the tablet computers were available, driving optimism for a strong holiday quarter despite intensifying competition.Sales of the 7.9-inch iPad mini and fourth-generation 9.7-inch version, both Wi-Fi only models, were double the first-weekend sales of the...

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