Analysis: Italian election explained

Austerity-hit Italy chooses new leaderAusterity-hit Italy chooses new leaderAusterity-hit Italy chooses new leaderAusterity-hit Italy chooses new leaderSTORY HIGHLIGHTSSilvio Berlusconi is campaigning to win his old job back for the fourth timeThe eurozone's third largest economy is hurting, with unemployment surpassing 11%Pier Luigi Bersani of the center-left Democratic Party is expected to narrowly...

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Football: Singapore's Adam Swandi secures 2-year contract with FC Metz

SINGAPORE: Sixteen-year-old Adam Swandi has secured a two-year deal with French Football Club FC Metz.He was the Most Valuable Player of the Singapore National Football Academy Under-16 team at the Lion City Cup tournament last June.Adam Swandi, recently underwent training stints with top European clubs such as Newcastle United, Chelsea, FC Metz and Atletico Madrid. His latest move to...

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Storm moves east, could drop 'staggering' amounts of rain

Snowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm hits the PlainsSnowstorm...

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Pentagon grounds F-35 fleet after engine crack found

Updated 9:03 PM ET WASHINGTON The Pentagon on Friday grounded its fleet of F-35 fighter jets after discovering a cracked engine blade in one plane. The problem was discovered during what the Pentagon called a routine inspection at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., of an F-35A, the Air Force version of the sleek new plane. The Navy and the Marine Corps are buying other versions of the F-35, which...

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6 Leaking Tanks Are Wash. Nuke Site's Latest Woe

Federal and state officials say six underground tanks holding a brew of radioactive and toxic waste are leaking at the country's most contaminated nuclear site in south-central Washington, raising concerns about delays for emptying the aging tanks.The leaking materials at Hanford Nuclear Reservation pose no immediate risk to public safety or the environment because it would take perhaps...

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How troubled Italy fell into a coma

Austerity-hit Italy chooses new leaderAusterity-hit Italy chooses new leaderAusterity-hit Italy chooses new leaderAusterity-hit Italy chooses new leaderSTORY HIGHLIGHTSBill Emmott: "Good Italy and Bad Italy" represent spit personalities of troubled countryIn 1950s, Italy was Europe's "emerging economy" and a pioneering center for designOld demons, including corruption and bloated public pensions,...

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Gossip scandal erupts in Vatican ahead of Pope's exit

VATICAN CITY: With just days to go before Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, the Vatican is battling persistent rumours that his decision was triggered by an explosive report on intrigue in its corridors of power.The secret report compiled by a committee of three cardinals for the Pope's eyes only was the result of a wide-ranging investigation into leaks of confidential papers from the Vatican...

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Pistorius bail decision looms

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Bond decision expected soon for runner Oscar PistoriusHe is accused of killing his model girlfriend, Reeva SteenkampPistorius has pledged to stay in South Africa and fight the chargesThe sprinter is considered a national hero in South AfricaPretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- South African prosecutors pushed Friday to keep Oscar Pistorius behind bars, painting the double-amputee track...

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Georgia executes man lawyers claimed was mentally ill

JACKSON, Ga. A 38-year-old inmate convicted of killing two college students in 1995 was executed in Georgia on Thursday, apologizing to the families of both victims before being injected at a state prison. Andrew Allen Cook was pronounced dead at 11:22 p.m., about 14 minutes after he was injected with the sedative pentobarbital. He was the first inmate to be executed since the state changed its...

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Oscar Pistorius Sobs as Bail Ruling Is Expected

The fourth and likely final day of the bail hearing for Oscar Pistorius, the Olympian accused of murdering his girlfriend Feb. 14, opened with arguments from the prosecution that the runner's version of events is improbable and the defense countering that Pistorius had no intent to kill the woman.Pistorius, who gained global acclaim for racing at the 2012 London Olympics, shot...

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Would the pope vote be hackable?

The Conclave of Cardinals that will elect a new pope will meet in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. STORY HIGHLIGHTSBruce Schneier: Rules for picking a new pope are very detailedHe says elaborate precautions are taken to prevent election fraudEvery step of the election process is observed by people who know each otherSchneier: Vatican's procedures, centuries in the making, are very secureEditor's...

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Genting Singapore's Q4 net profit drops 38%

SINGAPORE: Casino operator Genting Singapore's fourth quarter net profit fell 38 per cent to S$162.2 million, due mainly to one-time property write-offs. Its adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization slipped 6 per cent to S$369.3 million. The group reported a revenue of S$792 million in the October to December period, up from S$786 million from a year ago. ...

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Pistorius case investigator accused of attempted murder

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Defense says prosecutors didn't prove that Pistorius committed murderNike suspends its contract with PistoriusA decision in the bail hearing could come as soon as ThursdayCharges against investigator stem from 2009 incident, spokesman says(CNN) -- As Oscar Pistorius returned to court Thursday to seek bail, the sensational case took a new turn when police said the lead investigator...

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Worst winter storm in two years feared in Midwest

Updated at 8:47 a.m. ET ST. LOUIS Parts of the nation's heartland awoke Thursday to more than half a foot of snow, as a large storm made its way eastward out of the Rockies, snarling traffic for morning commuters and allowing an army of children to trade pen and paper for shovel and sled, at least for a day. Winter storm warnings were issued from Colorado through Illinois, and many school districts...

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Lead Pistorius Cop Facing Attempted Murder Charge

Hilton Botha, the detective at the center of the Oscar Pistorius murder case, is facing his own attempted murder charges in connection with a 2011 shooting in which he and other police officers allegedly fired a gun at passengers in a vehicle.Botha is scheduled to appear in court in May on seven counts of attempted murder in connection to the October 2011 incident in which he...

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