Helicopter crashes in central London

LONDON - A helicopter crashed in central London and plunged to the ground in a ball of flames on Wednesday, with police saying it had hit a crane on top of a building.Fire engines and police were at the scene of the crash near the River Thames at Vauxhall, where a huge plume of smoke billowed into the sky.Paul Ferguson, who was working in an office near the incident, told BBC News: "There...

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Obama plan: Tougher checks, no assault weapons

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Assault weapons ban, universal background checks are part of plan, says officialNEW: So is a ban on magazines with more than 10 rounds, the official saysMoves are a response to the December massacre at a Connecticut schoolWashington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama will unveil Wednesday a package of gun control proposals that, according to a source, will include universal background...

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House passes $50.7 billion Sandy relief bill

FILE - In this Oct. 30, 2012, file photo, a man walks with his dog to a National Guard vehicle after leaving his flooded home at the Metropolitan Trailer Park in Moonachie, N.J., in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. The storm drove New York and New Jersey residents from their homes, destroyed belongings and forced them to find shelter for themselves - and for their pets, said owners, who recounted tales...

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NRA Ad Calls Obama 'Elitist Hypocrite'

Jan 16, 2013 12:04am Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP PhotoAs the White House prepares to unveil a sweeping plan aimed at curbing gun violence, the National Rifle Association has launched a preemptive, personal attack on President Obama, calling him an “elitist hypocrite” who, the group claims, is putting American children at risk.In 35-second video posted online Tuesday...

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Poison pill: Not all mercury is toxic

A global treaty on mercury pollution will do more harm than good if it bans the vaccine preservative thiomersal NEXT week, governments from around the world will gather in Geneva to finalise a long-overdue treaty on mercury. The aim of the negotiations is laudable: to ban those mercury-laden products and pollutants...

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Commander of Navy of Oman in S'pore for introductory visit

SINGAPORE: The Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman is on an introductory visit to Singapore.Rear-Admiral (RADM) Abdullah Khamis Abdullah Al Raisi, who is here from January 14 to 16, called on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on Tuesday morning.He also called on Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong and Chief of Navy RADM Ng Chee Peng.MINDEF...

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Chelsea Clinton: Make a difference

First lady Michelle Obama helps paint a bench at a service event. She and her family will be participating in National Service Day.STORY HIGHLIGHTSChelsea Clinton heads National Day of Service on Saturday, will kick off inauguration weekendAll the states will offer volunteer opportunities everyone can participate in, she writesChelsea Clinton's grandmothers instilled in her family the value of serviceShe...

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N.Y. state about to get first post-Newtown gun law

ALBANY, N.Y. Days after calling for an overhaul of gun control in New York following the Connecticut school shooting, Gov. Andrew Cuomo worked out a tough proposal on gun control with legislative leaders who promised to pass the most restrictive gun law in the nation. The measure was approved by the Senate Monday night, 43-18, on the strength of support from Democrats, many of whom previously sponsored...

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Armstrong Admits Doping in Tour, Sources Say

Lance Armstrong today admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he used performance enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France, sources told ABC News.A goverment source tells ABC News that Armstrong is now talking with authorities about paying back some of the US Postal Service money from sponsoring his team. He is also talking to authorities about confessing and naming names, giving up...

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Why we called off hunt for ancient Antarctic life

Geoscientist Martin Siegert says that drilling through 3 kilometres of ice to reveal the secrets of an entombed lake was never going to be easy Why do you want to drill through 3 kilometres of ice to tap Lake Ellsworth, which has...

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