News Analysis: Now Gathering in Rome, a Conclave of Fallible Cardinals

Dmitry Lovetsky/Associated PressSt. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday. Roman Catholic cardinals were gathering at the Vatican amid scandal to choose a new pope. The sudden resignation of the most senior Roman Catholic cardinal in Britain, who stepped aside on Monday in the face of accusations that he made unwanted sexual advances toward priests years ago, showed that the taint of scandal could force a cardinal...

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Bobby Brown Sentenced to 55 Days in Jail in Drunk Driving Case

02/26/2013 at 09:30 PM EST Bobby Brown has been sentenced to 55 days in jail and four years probation in his most recent drunk driving arrest.Brown, 44, was pulled over in Studio City, Calif., on Oct. 24 for driving erratically and was arrested when the officer detected "a strong scent of alcohol." He was charged...

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C. Everett Koop, 'rock star' surgeon general, dies

NEW YORK (AP) — Dr. C. Everett Koop has long been regarded as the nation's doctor— even though it has been nearly a quarter-century since he was surgeon general.Koop, who died Monday at his home in Hanover, N.H., at age 96, was by far the best known and most influential person to carry that title. Koop, a 6-foot-1 evangelical Presbyterian with a biblical prophet's beard, donned a public health uniform...

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Video Shows French Family’s Kidnappers Are Nigerian Extremists

LAGOS, Nigeria — A French family kidnapped last week on the Cameroon-Nigeria border appeared on a video posted Monday on YouTube, with one of the hostages and a gunman saying that the family is being held by the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. The family members — three adults and four children — are shown sitting on the ground inside a sort of tent made from prayer mats, in...

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The Bachelor's Sean Lowe Reveals Final Two

TV Watch The Bachelor 02/25/2013 at 10:30 PM EST From left: AshLee, Lindsay and Catherine Kevin Foley/ABC(3) And then there were two.After three incredible dates in Thailand with the remaining women, The Bachelor's Sean Lowe faced a difficult decision at the end...

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Koop, who transformed surgeon general post, dies

With his striking beard and starched uniform, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop became one of the most recognizable figures of the Reagan era — and one of the most unexpectedly enduring.His nomination in 1981 met a wall of opposition from women's groups and liberal politicians, who complained President Ronald Reagan selected Koop, a pediatric surgeon and evangelical Christian from Philadelphia,...

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Asian shares edge higher, yen falls on Bank of Japan report

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares edged higher on Monday but prices were capped by uncertainty facing the global economy after a private survey showed Chinese manufacturing activity retreated from two-year highs this month. China's HSBC flash purchasing managers' index (PMI) for February slipped to a four-month low of 50.4 and down from January's final reading of 52.3, which had been the...

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Nazaré Journal: On Portugal Beach, Riding a Wave That Hits Like a Quake

Rafael Marchante/ReutersGarett McNamara preparing to surf at Praia do Norte beach. “Praia do Norte is the best secret in the world,” Mr. McNamara said by telephone from Hawaii. NAZARÉ, Portugal — The big ones typically come only once a year, in the winter. Whipped up by powerful storms in the North Atlantic, they roll for days toward Europe, rising to seemingly impossible heights before crashing on...

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Facebook Inspires Hundreds to Attend a Funeral For a Man They Never Met

While Facebook might be best known as a means for some low-grade entertainment, as evidenced by our love of cat memes, it sometimes also proves to be a catalyst for an inspiring display of social good.When 70-year-old James McConnell passed away last month in Britain’s Southsea, his nursing home staff reported that he had no known friends or family to attend his funeral. In fact, little was known...

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Kristen Stewart Uses Crutches at Academy Awards

By Maggie Coughlan and Michelle Ward 02/24/2013 at 09:45 PM EST That's an unexpected accessory!Kristen Stewart attended the 85th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday sporting quite the fashion statement – crutches. The On the Road actress was forced to use them to help her make her way onto the red carpet after she stepped on glass. The star's...

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