Hillary: Secretary of empowerment

Girls hug U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a 2010 tour of a shelter run for sex trafficking victims in Cambodia.STORY HIGHLIGHTSDonna Brazile: Clinton stepping down as Secretary of State. Maybe she'll run for presidentShe says as secretary she expanded foreign policy to include effect on regular people She says she was first secretary of state to focus on empowering women and girlsBrazile:...

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Singapore Conversation turns to animal welfare

SINGAPORE: A more inclusive society for animals or tougher rules for buying a pet were some suggestions animal lovers brought up at a dialogue on Saturday. It was also the first time the Singapore Conversation - an initiative to get Singaporeans to come to a consensus on the kind of future they want - focused on animal welfare. Saturday's event was jointly organised by the Agency for Animal...

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Alabama hostage standoff enters 5th day

STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe suspect has been identified as 65-year-old Jimmy Lee DykesDykes is accused of killing a school bus driver and abducting a childAuthorities have said there is no connection between Dykes and the boyMidland City, Alabama (CNN) -- As an armed standoff entered its fifth day Saturday, authorities negotiated through a ventilation pipe with a man accused of barricading himself and a 5-year-old...

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Twitter: 250,000 users' data compromised in hacking attacks

#1157946: Twitter bird logo, social networking and microblogging service, graphic element on white / AP Graphics Twitter said today that it recently detected a series of attempts to hack into user data, and that the attackers may have successfully absconded with some users' information. In a blog post Friday afternoon, Twitter explained the situation, and the steps it has taken to fight...

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Gov's Handling of Sandusky Case Under Investigation

The newly-elected attorney general of Pennsylvania is going after the state's governor, Tom Corbett, who was attorney general when child sex allegations against Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky were first brought forward.Kathleen Kane, a Democrat who was sworn in as attorney general on Jan. 15, said that she will name a special prosecutor in the coming days to investigate Corbett's...

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Reality check needed on immigration?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSHoward Kurtz: The mainstream media are rooting for immigration policy changesKurtz: Is enthusiasm causing the media to overestimate the prospects for reform? He says the Republican House has been a graveyard for numerous Obama reformsKurtz: Illegal immigration still arouses visceral opposition among some Americans Editor's note: Howard Kurtz is the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources"...

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US says Australia "critical pillar" in Asia pivot

TOKYO: Australia is a "critical pillar" in the US pivot to Asia and the rebalancing of its military strategy, the region's most senior American commander told reporters on Friday.Chief of US Pacific Command (PACOM) Samuel Locklear speaking in a teleconference from Hawaii, said the key US ally was vital in the world order that is emerging for the 21st Century.Locklear said the challenges...

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At least 25 killed in Mexico office blast, dozens injured

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: 25 people were killed and more than 100 are injured, interior minister saysThe explosion collapsed two floors of an office building, paramedics sayRescuers have pulled a survivor from the rubble, Mexico's president saysCrews are searching for people trapped in the buildingLea este artículo en español/Read this article in SpanishMexico City (CNN) -- An explosion rocked the offices...

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Negotiators talking to Alabama captor through pipe

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. More than three days after he allegedly shot a school bus driver dead, grabbed a kindergartner and slipped into an underground bunker, Jimmy Lee Dykes was showing no signs of turning himself over to police. Speaking into a 4-inch-wide ventilation pipe leading to the bunker, hostage negotiators tried again Thursday to talk the 65-year-old retired truck driver into freeing the 5-year-old...

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Arias' Lawyer Shows Ex-Boyfriend's Lewd Photos

Accused murderer Jodi Arias was kept away from the Mormon friends of her lover Travis Alexander and their torrid sex affair was kept secret by Alexander, even as he sent lewd photos of himself to her online, according to court testimony today.The testimony in Arias' trial for killing Alexander in 2008 was intended to bolster the defense's argument that she killed him in self...

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BlackBerry must remember strengths

STORY HIGHLIGHTSBlackBerry sales have slumped in the U.S. but is still strong in emerging marketsNew models launched should remember why they are popular in developing worldIn places like Brazil and South Africa, the 10 is the update to their current phonein Sub-Saharan Africa there is expected to be 175 million new customers in the next 3 yearsWatch Jim Clancy on CNN International's "The Brief" at...

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Malaysian conglomerate confident of turning loss-making Lotus around

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian conglomerate DRB HICOM is confident it can turn around loss-making sports car manufacturer Lotus in two to three years. The company recently dispelled rumours it's selling off the British motoring legend by setting up its first regional showroom in Asia. Spanning over 10,000 square metres, the Lotus flagship showroom located along Kuala Lumpur's Penchala Link...

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Ship stranded on reef to be cut

USS Guardian grounded on Philippine reefUSS Guardian grounded on Philippine reefUSS Guardian grounded on Philippine reefUSS Guardian grounded on Philippine reefUSS Guardian grounded on Philippine reefUSS Guardian grounded on Philippine reefUSS Guardian grounded on Philippine reefUSS Guardian grounded on Philippine reefSTORY HIGHLIGHTSU.S. minesweeper has been stuck off Philippines since January 17Attempts...

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Standoff with Ala. school bus shooting suspect in third day

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. The man suspected of shooting a school bus driver to death and taking a five-year-old boy hostage Tuesday moved to a rural Alabama neighborhood on a rutted red clay road more than a year ago. It didn't take long before he had developed a frightening reputation as a volatile man with anti-government views who threatened his neighbors at gunpoint and was viciously violent to wandering...

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No Device Eliminates Concussion Risk, Experts Say

As the long-term consequences of concussions become clearer, a cottage industry has popped up to sell athletes and worried parents products designed to mitigate risks of concussions that even helmets cannot prevent.Despite the bold claims of some companies, however, many experts say the Holy Grail in contact sports -- a device that prevents concussions -- simply does not exist....

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Can India learn respect for women?

Suniti Neogy, the writer, at a community meeting in the village of Musepur in India, where she discussed the importance of men taking an active role in parenting.STORY HIGHLIGHTSSuniti Neogy: Gang-rape, murder in New Delhi has forced many Indians to confront truthShe says she was asked to lead workshop promoting gender sensitivity in an Indian districtShe said adult male teachers said they had not...

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MINDEF signs contract with ST Engineering to construct naval vessels

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Defence Ministry (MINDEF) has signed a contract with Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd for the design and construction of eight new naval vessels.MINDEF said it will replace the existing Fearless-class Patrol Vessels (PVs) in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The Patrol Vessels will reach the end of their operational lifespan in 2020 after being in service...

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Child hostage drama in Ala. after gunman kills school bus driver

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. An unidentified man boarded a school bus, shot the driver several times, then escaped with a 6-year-old passenger, prompting an hours-long standoff with police that remained unresolved early Wednesday. The Dale County Sheriff says the man shot the driver in Midland City on Tuesday after he refused to let the child off the bus. The driver later died of his wounds. His identity...

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Clinton Talks 2016, Stands by Benghazi Testimony

In her final television interview as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton told ABC's Cynthia McFadden that she is "flattered and honored" at the intense interest in whether she might run for president in 2016.But Clinton maintained that right now she's "not focused" on a presidential campaign; instead she said she wants to return to a "normal" life when she steps down from office...

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Why haven't we learned from fires?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSPyrotechnics, overcrowding, poor exits have contributed to tragic fires in recent yearsYou would think the world would have learned from past incidents, John Barylick saysConcertgoers have to be their own fire marshals, he saysEditor's note: John Barylick, author of "Killer Show," a book on the 2003 Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, is an attorney who represented victims in wrongful...

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