Myanmar says Obama to visit later this month

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — President Barack Obama will make a groundbreaking visit later this month to Myanmar, an official said Thursday, following through with his policy of rapprochement to encourage democracy in the Southeast Asian nation.The Myanmar official speaking from the capital, Naypyitaw, said Thursday that security for a visit on Nov. 18 or 19...

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China’s leadership challenge in new era: douse “inequality volcano”

YANGCHANG, China (Reuters) – In the mountain village of Yangchang in the backwater province of Guizhou in southwestern China, the roof of the Yang family home is cracked and about to cave in, held upright only by a few rickety tree trunks.Nearly penniless after quitting their jobs in a coastal city, Yang Hechun and her husband recently returned to the...

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A Minute With: Taylor Lautner finding new dawn after “Twilight”

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – As dusk sets on the “Twilight” saga with the final film, actor Taylor Lautner is looking at a new dawn for the next stage in his career.Lautner, 20, shot to fame after being cast as werewolf Jacob Black in the “Twilight” films, entangled in a torrid love triangle with Kristen Stewart‘s Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson‘s vampire Edward...

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Pediatric clinical trials not going overseas – study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Despite some concerns that medical studies involving children could make an ethically dubious shift to developing nations, a new study suggests that’s not happening.It’s really only in the last decade that clinical trials – even in the U.S. and Europe – have started to focus on children, said Dr. Dianne Murphy, director of the...

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Wall Street left to rebuild Obama ties after backing Romney

(Reuters) – Wall Street firms gambled on Mitt Romney and lost.Now, faced with the prospect of even tougher regulations in President Barack Obama‘s second term, their stocks paid the price. Shares of Goldman Sachs Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Citigroup dropped 5 percent, Bank of America lost 6 percent and Morgan Stanley fell 7 percent in midday trading...

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Merkel says Germany, Britain must work together on EU

LONDON (Reuters) – Germany and Britain must cooperate to work round their differences on the European Union‘s long-term spending plans, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.“Despite differences that we have it is very important for me that the UK and Germany work together,” Merkel said through a translator before a meeting in London with Prime...

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Amazon’s offers monthly option on Prime, challenging Netflix

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc is testing a new monthly option for its popular Prime video-streaming service as the world’s largest Internet retailer steps up competition with Netflix Inc.Prime typically costs $ 79 a year in the United States for free two-day shipping, free video streaming and access to Amazon‘s Kindle e-book lending library....

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Sharon Osbourne has double mastectomy: magazine

LONDON (Reuters) – British celebrity Sharon Osbourne has had a double mastectomy after discovering she was carrying a gene that increased the risk of her developing breast cancer, she told Hello! magazine in an interview published on Monday.Osbourne, 60, told the publication that the decision was a “no-brainer” in the end. “As...

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Heart devices often approved without comparisons

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Many new heart devices, such as valves and stents, are approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) without good studies showing that they offer any benefits beyond existing treatments, according to a new study.“This really leaves open the question of, ‘are you better off with this new device or whatever conventional...

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Suspect Voter Fraud? Romney’s Campaign Has an App for That

Tens of thousands of volunteer poll watchers—self-appointed election vigilantes from both parties and from independent groups—have planted themselves in voting precincts across the country today to look over the shoulders of harried election officials and ensure that votes for their candidates get counted. The Romney campaign’s effort, dubbed Project...

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