Football: Messi targets record fourth Ballon d'Or

ZURICH: Record-breaking Lionel Messi is poised to become the first player to win four successive Ballon d'Or awards on Monday, sealing his status as the greatest player of his generation.The 25-year-old is the overwhelming favourite to see off the challenge of Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta and great Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo for the prize.It will crown another landmark year...

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Houston beats Bengals 19-13 in wild-card playoff

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub passes the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter of an NFL wild card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, in Houston. / AP Photo/Dave Einsel HOUSTON Arian Foster ran for 140 yards and a touchdown, and the Houston Texans used a stifling defensive effort for a 19-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday in an AFC wild-card...

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City Answers Gang-Rape Cover-Up Allegations

As Steubenville, Ohio, prepares for the high-profile rape trial of two high school football players, officials, battling allegations of a cover-up, announced the creation of a new website today to debunk rumors and create what they said would be a transparent resource for the community."This site is not designed to be a forum for how the Juvenile Court ought to rule in this matter,"...

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Myanmar: Evolution, not revolution

Tourists walk around the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon in April. The tourism industry is set for expansion.STORY HIGHLIGHTSMyanmar is undergoing incremental change, welcomed by all, says Parag KhannaBut he says people still tread lightly, careful not to overstep or demand too muchMyanmar has survived succession of natural and man-made ravages, Khanna addsWith sanctions lifted, foreign investment is now...

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Football: Perth Glory in talks with Owen

SYDNEY: Perth Glory are in talks with the management of Michael Owen about bringing the former England player to Australia's A-League, reports said Saturday.Owen, 33, who scored 40 goals in 89 internationals for England and had stints at Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United, is currently playing for Stoke City in the English Premier League.Glory have one spare position in their...

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See guy propose by giving jersey

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At least 3 killed after small plane hits home in Fla.

A scene of a plane crash in Palm Coast, Florida, Jan. 4, 2013. / CBS/WKMG/Flagler Live PALM COAST, Fla. Authorities say at least three people are dead after a small plane crashed into a house while trying to land at a central Florida airport. The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed the deaths Friday afternoon. The Federal Aviation Administration says the pilot reported mechanical problems shortly...

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Obama Poised to Name New Defense, Treasury Chiefs

With the "fiscal cliff" crisis behind him, President Obama is poised to name two new key players to his cabinet, with both announcements expected to come next week.Obama will name the replacement for outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta as soon as Monday, sources told ABC News. Former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel is the likely nominee, they said.Meanwhile, the president is...

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Why U.S. lives under the shadow of 'W'

Julian Zelizer says former President George W. Bush's key tax and homeland security policies survive in the age of ObamaSTORY HIGHLIGHTSJulian Zelizer: For all the criticism Bush got, two key policies have survivedHe says fiscal cliff pact perpetuates nearly all of Bush's tax cutsObama administration has largely followed Bush's homeland security policy, he saysZelizer: By squeezing revenues, Bush...

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Football: Lampard braced for season-end Chelsea exit, says agent

LONDON: Frank Lampard will definitely leave Chelsea at the end of the season, the England international's agent confirmed Thursday, but he will not be tempted to see out his career in China.The 34-year-old Lampard is into the final months of his contract with the European champions and a new deal has yet to be agreed."At the moment, Frank is only thinking of the present. As far as the...

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Veteran's improbable survival gives heart to shell-shocked surgeon

(CBS News) AUBURN, Ala. -- The carnage Lee Warren encountered in the combat hospital at Balad, Iraq, in 2005 was like nothing he had ever seen as a neurosurgeon. And no patient was worse-off than a soldier brought in by helicopter after being hit by a roadside bomb. "I unwrapped his head in the emergency room and looked at him and thought he was dead," Warren says. He was, Warren later wrote,...

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James Holmes Defense: Was He Insane?

Jan 3, 2013 5:30pm James Holmes appears in court, Centennial, Colo., July 23, 2012. RJ Sangosti/AP Images.ABC’s Clayton Sandell and Carol McKinley report:A judge ruled Thursday that public defenders for accused Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes can call two unidentified witnesses at next week’s preliminary hearing to testify about the defendant’s “mental...

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Look beyond the fiscal cliff

STORY HIGHLIGHTSDean Baker: Budget deficit is not the only top issue in our national economic policyBaker: Fiscal cliff debate has been a distraction of the bigger problem of a downturn He says fears of big deficits are preventing us from boosting the economy moreBaker: Given the economy's weakness, the government has to run big deficits Editor's note: Dean Baker, an economist, is co-director of the...

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Hillary Clinton discharged from New York hospital

STORY HIGHLIGHTSClinton is "making good progress on all fronts" and has been dischargedShe has been hospitalized since Sunday after doctors found a blood clot in her headClinton has been on the phone and talking with aides, a spokeswoman saysThe 65-year-old secretary plans to step down once the Senate confirms a successor(CNN) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was discharged from a New York hospital...

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Al-Jazeera acquires Gore-founded TV group: report

SAN FRANCISCO: Al-Jazeera has acquired Current TV, a struggling cable channel that will give the Qatar-based broadcaster the access to millions of US homes it has long sought, it was confirmed Wednesday.Terms of the deal for Current, which was founded by US former vice president Al Gore, were not immediately disclosed, but Forbes reported that a possible value of $400 million could net...

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Hillary Clinton discharged from hospital

WASHINGTONSecretary of State Hillary Clinton was discharged from a New York hospital Wednesday, after spending 72 hours under observation following the discovery of a blood clot in her head, the State Department said. In a statement, spokesperson Philippe Reines said: "Her medical team advised her that she is making good progress on all fronts, and they are confident she will make a full recovery....

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Tax Deal Done - but How Can Obama Sign It?

Jan 2, 2013 6:29pm AP Photo/Charles DharapakCongress officially delivered the bill to avert the fiscal cliff to the White House this afternoon, House Speaker John Boehner’s office told ABC News.Now the question is when will the President sign it?The bill, passed late on New Year’s Day, expires tomorrow at 11:59 a.m. when the current session of Congress concludes....

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13 key stories to watch for in 2013

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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