Militants Battle Malian and French Troops in Liberated Town

DAKAR, Senegal — Gunfire rang out in the streets of the strategic city of Gao in northern Mali on Sunday, two weeks after French troops appeared to have chased radical Islamists out of the city, which is at the edge of the desert and is the largest population center in the north. The gun battle between Islamist militants and a force of Malian and French troops, which continued for much of...

Read More..

Go Inside the Grammy Pre-Parties - and See How the Stars Celebrated

By Alison Schwartz 02/10/2013 at 02:30 PM EST While the northeast braved a midwinter blizzard, the West Coast was feeling the heat – and we're not just talking about the comparatively warmer weather.With the Grammy Awards on the horizon, the most famous faces of the industry were in their finest form Saturday to celebrate music's biggest...

Read More..

After early start, worst of flu season may be over

NEW YORK (AP) — The worst of the flu season appears to be over.The number of states reporting intense or widespread illnesses dropped again last week, and in a few states there was very little flu going around, U.S. health officials said Friday.The season started earlier than normal, first in the Southeast and then spreading. But now, by some measures, flu activity has been ebbing for at least four...

Read More..

Russia Detains 271 in St. Petersburg Security Raid

MOSCOW — Russian police and security officials in St. Petersburg detained 271 people, mostly migrants from Central Asia and the North Caucasus region, during a raid on Friday on Muslim prayer rooms at a central market. They said the raid was carried out to check residency permits and to eliminate networks of religious extremists planning terrorist attacks. A statement published Friday night...

Read More..

Do No Harm's Alana de la Garza Expecting Second Child

Mom & Babies Celebrity Baby Blog 02/09/2013 at 02:30 PM ET Imeh Akpanudosen/WireImageThere’s another baby on the way for Alana De La Garza!The Do No Harm star, 36, and her husband Michael Roberts are expecting their second child — a daughter — in July, De La Garza confirms via Twitter.Before...

Read More..

Stocks end higher for sixth straight week, tech leads

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Nasdaq composite stock index closed at a 12-year high and the S&P 500 index at a five-year high, boosted by gains in technology shares and stronger overseas trade figures. The S&P 500 also posted a sixth straight week of gains for the first time since August. The technology sector led the day's gains, with the S&P 500 technology index...

Read More..

The Lede: Social Media Images From Tunisia, as an Opposition Leader Is Buried

Video from the Tunisian news site Jadal showed clashes on Friday in Tunis during the funeral of an opposition leader.Activists, bloggers and journalists in Tunisia posted a stream of images on social networks Friday, showing thousands of mourners packed into the largest cemetery in the capital, Tunis, for the funeral of Chokri Belaid, a leading opposition figure whose assassination two days ago triggered...

Read More..

Blizzard Forces Katie Holmes to Miss Her Own Fashion Show

Stylewatch Style News Now 02/08/2013 at 01:58 PM ET Kevin Mazur/WireImageKatie Holmes spent yesterday kicking off her heels with fashion editors in a New York City hotel suite to present the latest elegant collection for her Holmes & Yang fashion line. But today, the blizzard that’s battering the...

Read More..

Wall Street extends gains, Nasdaq near 12-year high

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks extended gains on Friday, with the Nasdaq rising 1 percent, putting it within close reach of a 12-year high. The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> gained 47.66 points, or 0.34 percent, to 13,991.71. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> rose 7.47 points, or 0.49 percent, to 1,516.86. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was up 30.23 points,...

Read More..

Health officials: Worst of flu season may be over

NEW YORK (AP) — The worst of the flu season appears to be over.The number of states reporting intense or widespread flu dropped again last week, U.S. health officials said Friday.The season started earlier than normal, spiking first in the Southeast and then spreading. But now, by some measures, flu activity has been ebbing for at least four weeks in much of the country. Flu and pneumonia...

Read More..