Being first lady’s guest at speech can yield positive and sometimes unexpected results

As President Obama delivers his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, the first lady’s guests will be on their best behavior. White House staffers will have coached those sitting in the gallery with Michelle Obama that at any moment the cameras might pan from the president’s podium to where they sit in the balcony. So they will watch their posture, stifle yawns and skip the chewing...

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New pilot scheme to fund youth projects which promote family bonding

SINGAPORE: The National Family Council has launched a pilot scheme to encourage youths to start projects that promote family values and bonding,The scheme, called Project Superglue, will provide successful applicants a one-time funding of up to S$10,000.Some of these projects will be showcased in June 2013 as part of the council's National Family Celebrations. One group which received...

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Allahabad stampede: UP minister Azam Khan quits as chief of Mahakhumbh organizing committee

NEW DEHI: Semnior SP leader Azam Khan, who is in charge of the Kumbh Mela Management Committee, resigned on Monday taking responsibility for the stampede that led to 36 deaths. The Uttar Pradesh government has blamed the railways for the tragedy. "The UP government's responsibility was restricted to the mela venue only," Azam Khan said. The death toll in the stampede at Allahabad railway station...

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Year of the Snake: The Serpent Behind the Horoscope

On February 10, people all around the world will ring in the Lunar New Year with paper lanterns and firecrackers. At the heart of it all sits the snake, a slithery reptile feared for its sharp fangs and revered for its undeniable charm. (Watch videos of some of the world's deadliest snakes.)Those born in the Year of the Snake are said to be intelligent and quick thinking, but they can...

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Possible Dorner Sighting Leads to Store Evacuation

A Northridge, Calif., home improvement store was evacuated tonight because of a possible sighting of suspected cop-killer Christopher Dorner, just hours after police announced a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.As helicopters hovered overhead and a command center was established, police searched the Lowe's store and eventually told shoppers they could...

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Many 2011 federal budget cuts had little real-world effect

Late on the night of April 8, 2011, Washington’s leaders announced that they’d just done something extraordinary. They had agreed to cut the federal budget — and cut it big. “The largest annual spending cut in our history,” President Obama called it in a televised speech. To prevent a government shutdown, the parties had agreed to slash $37.8 billion: more than the budgets of the Labor...

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Grammys show aims for spectacle, not drama

LOS ANGELES: The music world gathers in Los Angeles on Sunday for the Grammys, with veterans like Elton John and Sting joining the latest stars -- including oddly named indie pop band fun., hoping to win big.Security could be even tighter than usual for the industry's biggest awards show, as LA police watch out for a fugitive suspected cop killer, on the run for three days after threatening...

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Rumours send officials into tizzy at Mahakumbh

ALLAHABAD: Officials at the Mahakumbhmela premises had a tough time Sunday as they found themselves caught between the incessant rush of devotees and the steady spin of rumour mills on MauniAmavasya, the biggest bathing day. As the bathing started early in the day, much before the sunrise, rumours broke out that four middle-aged women had died in a stampede near the Sangam nose. As the rumour spread,...

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Mars Rover Curiosity Completes First Full Drill

For the first time in history, humans have drilled a hole into rock on Mars and are collecting the powdered results for analysis, NASA announced Saturday.After weeks of intensive planning, the Mars rover Curiosity undertook its first full drill on Friday, with NASA receiving images on Saturday showing that the procedure was a success.Curiosity drilled a hole that is a modest 2.5 inches...

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LAPD Reopens Case of Suspected Cop-Killer's Firing

The Los Angeles Police Department announced today it will reopen the case of the firing of Christopher Dorner, but said the decision was not made to "appease" the fugitive former cop suspected of killing three people.Dorner, a fired and disgruntled former Los Angeles police officer, said in the so-called "manifesto" he released that he was targeting LAPD officials and their...

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