Horse Meat in Food Stirs Furor in British Isles

LONDON — Few things divide British eating habits from those of continental Europe as much as a distaste for consuming horse meat, so the news that many Britons may have unknowingly done so has prompted alarm among consumers and plunged the country’s food industry into crisis. A trickle of discoveries of horse meat in burgers, first found in Ireland last month, has turned into a steady stream,...

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American Idol: Early Favorites Eliminated in Hollywood

TV Watch American Idol By Steve Helling 02/07/2013 at 10:30 PM EST From left: Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Ryan Seacrest, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban Michael Becker/FOX. At the beginning of Thursday's American Idol, there were 43 men left in the competition. The...

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Southern diet, fried foods, may raise stroke risk

Deep-fried foods may be causing trouble in the Deep South. People whose diets are heavy on them and sugary drinks like sweet tea and soda were more likely to suffer a stroke, a new study finds.It's the first big look at diet and strokes, and researchers say it might help explain why blacks in the Southeast — the nation's "stroke belt" — suffer more of them.Blacks were five times more likely than whites...

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Euro near two-week low, shares up on rekindled rate cut hopes

LONDON (Reuters) - European shares rose and the euro hovered near a two-week low on Friday after the European Central Bank rekindled expectations that it could cut interest rates again. Strong Chinese trade data also helped lift optimism about global growth prospects, boosting oil, copper and Asian shares, while the yen rose sharply after Japan's finance minister said the currency's recent...

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India Ink: Economic Growth in India to Fall to Five Percent

India’s Gross Domestic Product is expected to drop significantly to 5 percent for the fiscal year ending in March 2013, according to advance estimates released by India’s Central Statistics Office on Thursday, declining from 6.2 percent growth rate seen in 2011-2012.The estimate by the Central Statistics Office represents a marked drop from earlier growth projections issued by the government for this...

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Melissa McCarthy: It Was 'So Fun' to Look So Cheesy in Identity Thief

Stylewatch Style News Now 02/05/2013 at 05:30 PM ET Universal PicturesWhat’s funnier than Melissa McCarthy? Melissa McCarthy in ridiculous hair and makeup. And lucky for us, the star dons some crazy-bad (or good, depending on how...

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Stock futures climb ahead of ECB, claims data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures advanced on Thursday, indicating the S&P 500 may rise for a third straight session ahead of a European Central Bank rate decision and data on the U.S. labor market. The central bank is expected to keep rates unchanged, and the market will give more attention to comments from ECB President Mario Draghi, who will give his views on the region's...

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Letter from Myanmar: Reclaiming Dialogue, by Literary Light

YANGON — As the midday sun wanes over Inya Lake here in Myanmar’s biggest city, double sculls start sweeping across the water in front of the usually sedate lawns of the Inya Lake Hotel. Last weekend, the rowers must have wondered what all the noise was about. Puppet and magic shows were taking place against a backdrop of loud music, bookstalls and cafe tables dotting the grass. Every now...

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Snoop Dogg Gets the Party Started with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lawrence

Caught in the Act 02/06/2013 at 06:00 AM EST Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lawrence, inset: Snoop Lion (Dogg) Valerie Goodloe/PictureGroup; Frederick M. Brown/Getty Guess the "O" in "O.G." stands for Oscar.Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lawrence both attended the Hollywood...

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Critics seek to delay NYC sugary drinks size limit

NEW YORK (AP) — Opponents are pressing to delay enforcement of the city's novel plan to crack down on supersized, sugary drinks, saying businesses 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 have asked a judge to put it on hold at least until...

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