OMG - Beyonce’s Birth in the Lap of Luxury, Jan 15, 2012

Whether or not you've ever had a baby, you're probably aware that the actual process of giving birth isn't exactly a walk in the park. But if you're superstar Beyonce, you can certainly do your best to make sure you're surrounded by luxury, privacy, and special treatment.

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BBC - Newsbeat - Nicki Minaj and Bruno Mars to perform at Grammy Awards, Jan 14, 2012

"Nicki Minaj, Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars are set to perform at next month's Grammy Awards, it has been announced.
Minaj is nominated for four awards at the ceremony, including best new artist and rap album for Pink Friday."
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BBC News - IBM researchers make 12-atom magnetic memory bit, Jan 14, 2012

"Researchers have successfully stored a single data bit in only 12 atoms.
Currently it takes about a million atoms to store a bit on a modern hard-disk, the researchers from IBM say.
They believe this is the world's smallest magnetic memory bit.
According to the researchers, the technique opens up the possibility of producing much denser forms of magnetic computer memory than today's hard disk drives and solid state memory chips."
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BBC News - Russia's failed Phobos-Grunt space probe heads to Earth, Jan 14, 2012

"Russia's failed Mars probe, Phobos-Grunt, is about to fall back to Earth - quite probably on Sunday.
The spacecraft has been losing altitude rapidly in recent days and will soon be pulled into the top of the atmosphere where it will be destroyed.
Phobos-Grunt weighed some 13 tonnes at launch, but very little of this mass should make it through to the surface."
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BBC News - PIP breast implants: Women march on private clinics, Jan 14, 2012

"Around 60 women have marched on private cosmetic clinics that fitted now-banned PIP breast implants, as an NHS media campaign set out government advice.
Marchers in London called on clinics to replace PIP implants free of charge
Some clinics blame poor regulation for the use of the substandard implants and say they cannot afford to remove them."
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BBC News - US military identifies all four 'urinating' Marines, Jan 14, 2012

"All four US Marines seen in a video apparently urinating on dead Afghans have been identified by American military investigators, US media say.
Two of the men have already been interviewed by the US Navy's criminal investigation branch.
The Marine Corps has also appointed Lt Gen Thomas Waldhauser, a three-star general, to decide what, if any, disciplinary action is to be taken."
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BBC News - Syria crisis: Qatar calls for Arabs to send in troops, Jan 14, 2012

"The ruler of the Gulf state of Qatar has said Arab countries should send troops into Syria to stop government forces killing civilians there.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani told US television channel CBS "some troops should go to stop the killing".
It is the first time an Arab leader has publicly called for military intervention in Syria."
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BBC News - Chavez 'would accept' Venezuela election defeat, Jan 14, 2012

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has told opposition leaders that he will relinquish power if he loses elections due in October.
In his annual address to Congress, Mr Chavez said the opposition should also accept the result if he wins.
The left-wing leader - who has governed Venezuela for 13 years - is seeking another six-year term in office."
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BBC News - France downgrade: French PM downplays rating decision, Jan 14, 2012

"French PM Francois Fillon has defended his government's economic policies following the decision by ratings agency Standard and Poor's to downgrade the credit rating of France.
He said the government would push ahead with reforms and debt reduction.
Standard and Poor's said Europe's austerity and budget discipline alone were not sufficient to fight the debt crisis and may become self-defeating."
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BBC News - Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou wins second term, Jan 14, 2012

"Taiwan's incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou has won a second term in office, promising to further improve ties with neighbouring China.
His main opponent, Tsai Ing-wen, said she took responsibility for the defeat and resigned as leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Mr Ma had campaigned on his record of improving ties with China."
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BBC News - Iraq suicide bomb kills 50 in Basra pilgrims attack, Jan 14, 2012

"At least 50 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on Shia pilgrims in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, Iraqi police and security sources say.
The attack was aimed at pilgrims marking the festival of Arbain, one of the main holy days of the Shia calendar, reports say.
Security had been tight amid fears of insurgent attacks during the festival.
Scores of people have been killed in attacks on pilgrims in the last few weeks, reports say."
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CS Monitor - Cruise ship aground: Search for missing off coast of Italy, Jan 14, 2012

"At least three people were killed and rescuers were searching for other victims after an Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, carrying more than 4,000 people ran aground and keeled over in shallow waters.
Dozens were injured and around 50 people remained unaccounted for after the 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia hit a sandbar near the island of Giglio off the coast of Tuscany as passengers sat down to dinner on Friday evening.
An official involved in the rescue operation said two French tourists and a Peruvian crew member were dead. Around 40 people were injured, two seriously."
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The Guardian - Denise Darcel obituary, Jan 14, 2012

"n the 1950s, Denise Darcel, who has died aged 87, profited from Hollywood's "ooh-la-la" conception of young, shapely French womanhood, generally inviting the adjective "sultry" and playing characters called Fifi, Gigi and Lola. In fact, her entire acting career was spent in America, cheerfully exploiting that image.
She was born Denise Billecard in Paris, one of five daughters of a baker and his wife. After studying at the University of Dijon, she returned to Paris, where she won the title of "most beautiful girl in France". Making the most of the publicity, she built up a nightclub act as a dancer and singer."
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NY Times - Tom Ardolino, 56, Longtime Drummer for NRBQ, Dies, Jan 14, 2012

"Tom Ardolino, a self-taught drummer who for 30 years provided the impassioned but steady pulse for NRBQ, one of the longest-lasting and most beloved rock groups never to have a Top 40 single, died on Jan. 6 in Springfield, Mass. He was 56.
Tom Ardolino performing with NRBQ in 1978.
His death was confirmed by an NRBQ spokeswoman. She did not specify a cause, but Mr. Ardolino had been in poor health for some time."
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VOA News - Ex-Turkish Cypriot Leader Denktash Dies, Jan 14, 2012

"Former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has died after a long illness.
Denktash's family announced Friday that he had died earlier in the day, two weeks before his 88th birthday.
Denktash, who had experienced deteriorating health for some time, was admitted to a hospital in northern Cyprus on January 8. He died of multiple organ failure.
Denktash was a staunch, lifelong advocate for a separate Turkish Cypriot state on the island that has been split since 1974, when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of a union with Greece."
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Kathleen Edward, Girl Taunted Online While Battling Huntington's Disease, Dies, Jan 14, 2012

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ABC News - Circus Prodigy, 10, Dies in Acrobatic Accident, Jan 13, 2012

"A small Washington community is mourning the death of a beloved street performer who, at only 10 years old, wowed crowds and impressed professionals with magic tricks and circus performances.
Caleb "Flip" Kors, who was fatally injured in a hanging accident at his home Monday evening and died Tuesday, was famous on the streets of Bellingham, Wash.
"He was an amazing kid. Incredible," said Strangely Doesburg, Kors' circus instructor and mentor. "A kid can learn to juggle and do partner acrobatics and mime or whatever, and those are all things I was teaching him. But he brought this boundless enthusiasm for interacting with other people. Caleb at 10 could read a person or crowd and see what they needed and take them to a special place. He could say, 'Hey I'm going to juggle.Be a part of this with me.'""
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Entertainment Gather - Isabella Barrett from 'Toddlers & Tiaras' Sings, Jan 12, 2012

"What 5-year-old child has any business in a nightclub? Apparently, Isabella Barrett's parents think the toddler does. She was seen performing 'Sexy and I Know it' for a crowd at Libation NYC during a special charity event. So, maybe the performance was for a good cause, but that really doesn't matter at this point"
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Top 2 Best - Highest Paid Prime Minister in the World, Jan 12, 2012

"World’s best paid politicians are in Singapore. Although recently Singapore slashed its leaders ‘unpopular multi-million dollar’ salaries by at least third but still it remains on the top. Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong is earning $1690,000 per year which the highest salary of any elected head of government in the world. American President earns four times less than Singapore’s PM, $400,000 a year. In Singapore not only Prime Minster but President and Ministers also earn more than any of their counterpart in the world."
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Incentive Travel - Yorkshire on top of the World...AGAIN!, Jan 12, 2012

"The campaign to promote Yorkshire as a tourist destination has beaten some of the best travel brands on the planet for the second year running, winning a prestigious World Travel Award for the World’s Leading Marketing Campaign.
It means in the past two years the county’s destination management organisation has beaten a who’s who of the travel industry to put Yorkshire on the global map. "
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