Clashes Erupt in Damascus, Shattering Lull, as Prospects for Talks Dim

Goran Tomasevic/ReutersA building in the Damascus suburb of Zamalka was hit by a mortar shell fired by the Syrian Army on Wednesday. BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian insurgents attacked military checkpoints and other targets in parts of central Damascus on Wednesday, antigovernment activist groups reported. The fighting shattered a lull there as prospects for any talks between the antagonists appeared to...

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French court throws out EDF guilty verdict in hacking case

VERSAILLES, France (Reuters) – A French appeals court on Wednesday threw out a 1.5 million euro ($ 2 million) fine against energy giant EDF, overturning a lower court’s ruling that the company had been complicit in hacking the computers of Greenpeace in 2006.EDF had appealed against the November 2011 decision by the Nanterre criminal court that a company it hired had hacked into confidential information...

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Bridget Jones Is Back: Helen Fielding to Release New Novel in November

02/05/2013 at 12:30 PM EST Renée Zellweger in Bridget Jones's Diary Everett Bridget's back – and better than ever?It's been 14 years since readers last heard from frumpy, lovelorn, calorie-counting Bridget Jones, memorably played on film by Renée Zellweger. Now...

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Critics seek to delay NYC sugary drinks size limit

NEW YORK (AP) — Opponents of the city's plan to crack down on supersized, sugary drinks have asked a judge to delay enforcement of it, saying beverage makers and sellers shouldn't have to spend millions of dollars to comply until a court rules on whether the measure is legal.With the rule set to take effect March 12, beverage industry, restaurant and other business groups want to put it on hold at...

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Wall Street bounces back, Dow briefly passes 14,000

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday, with the Dow rising above 14,000, as earnings came in stronger than expected and investors sought bargains a day after the market's biggest drop since November. Dell Inc's stock rose after the world's No. 3 computer maker agreed to be taken private in a $24.4 billion deal, the largest leveraged buyout since the 2008-2009 financial crisis....

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The Lede Blog: North Korean Propaganda Video Uses "Call of Duty" and "We Are the World" to Imagine a Brighter World, Without Manhattan

When aliens strike, the climate goes berserk, the Russians invade, an asteroid threatens the Earth, New York City is often the first place to be destroyed. Hollywood has long used the city’s iconic skyline to demonstrate what destruction looks like in action movies and video games. It seems that North Korea, in seeking to show how an assault on America would play out, also has Manhattan squarely...

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EU wants to tackle money laundering on gaming sites

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union may try to counter money laundering through online betting sites by extending legislation beyond casinos to include Internet gambling.The executive European Commission formally proposed on Tuesday to include online gaming in EU-wide legislation that seeks to combat fraud. It could become law within two years if approved by the EU’s 27 member countries.The Commission...

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Molly Sims Flaunts Fab Post-Baby Body in Bikini

By Shanelle Rein-Olowokere 02/04/2013 at 12:50 PM EST Well, that was fast! Just seven months after welcoming son Brooks, Molly Sims posted a photo of her svelte body in a black-two piece bathing suit while on vacation in Mexico Saturday with her girlfriends."Finally bikini ready & pulling out those Sports...

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Bullying study: It does get better for gay teens

CHICAGO (AP) — It really does get better for gay and bisexual teens when it comes to being bullied, although young gay men have it worse than their lesbian peers, according to the first long-term scientific evidence on how the problem changes over time.The seven-year study involved more than 4,000 teens in England who were questioned yearly through 2010, until they were 19 and 20 years old. At the...

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Wall Street retreats, Nasdaq and S&P 500 off 1 percent

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks declined on Monday after a disappointing report on factory orders, retreating from gains in the prior session that left the S&P 500 at a five-year high and the Dow above 14,000. Investors also grew wary on political uncertainty in the euro zone, leading to a sharp rise in Spanish government bond yields. Chevron and Wal-Mart were among the biggest...

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