Why Obama is ending the war in Iraq

Did President Obama want American military troops to remain in Iraq? Why did President Barack Obama announce Friday that he has decided to end the American troop presence in Iraq by the end of the year? The United States had been negotiating with Iraqi leaders for months on a possible continuing military presence in Iraq. But the negotiations stalled over a key hitch: Iraqi leaders refused to comply with Washington's insistence that any American forces serving in Iraq be granted legal immunity in that country. "The end of war in Iraq reflects a larger transition," Obama said Friday, noting that the number of American troops deployed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has decreased from 180,000 when he took office to less than half...

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285 Indian girls shed 'unwanted' names

MUMBAI, India (AP) — More than 200 Indian girls whose names mean "unwanted" in Hindi chose new names Saturday for a fresh start in life. Girls hold certificates stating their new official names during a renaming ceremony A central Indian district held a renaming ceremony it hopes will give the girls new dignity and help fight widespread gender discrimination that gives India a skewed gender ratio, with far more boys than girls. The girls — wearing their best outfits with barrettes, braids and bows in their hair — lined up to receive certificates with their new names along with small flower bouquets from Satara district officials in Maharashtra state. In shedding names like "Nakusa" or "Nakushi," which mean "unwanted" in Hindi, some...

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Shark kills American diver off western Australia

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A great white shark killed an American recreational diver on Saturday in a third fatality in recent weeks off southwest Australia that has shaken beach-loving residents and sparked fears of a rogue predator targeting humans. Australia averages fewer than two fatal shark attacks a year nationwide. The state government has promised to hunt the killer and is considering more aircraft surveillance off west coast beaches as whales migrating in larger numbers attract more sharks. The first sign that the 32-year-old American man, whose name and hometown have not been released, was in trouble as he dived alone was when a stream of bubbles erupted on the ocean surface beside his 25-foot (8-meter) dive boat, police...

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The Hotest Used Cars on Sale for Pennies on the Dollar

Thirty years ago, the average 10-year-old car was falling to pieces. Not anymore. Today, you can find great 15-, 20-, or even 25-year-old cars that are reliable and affordable. Our guide to finding great pre-owned cars on the cheap led to these eight examples — and there are many more out there, so happy hunting. Ferrari 308/328 1975 to 1989  Price Range: $20,000 to $40,000 Why It's Cool: It's a midengine Ferrari for the price of a family sedan. Even if the Ferrari is slower in a straight line (which it is), how can you pass that up? What It Says: "I can afford a Ferrari. Would you like to see my Ferrari? Look, Ma, I've got a Ferrari!" Speed Bumps: Terrible ergonomics; interior known primarily for Playskool switchgear...

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How to Lose Weight Test Your Eating Healthy Knowledge

The Ultimate Weight Loss Quiz Think you know the best way to lose weight? Test your healthy eating knowledge Choose, and Lose The road to weight loss is littered with hype. Take this quiz and discover the smart eating strategies that'll help you drop pounds fast 1 Eating six small meals instead of three regular ones... 2 "Reduced Fat!" on a food package also means... 3 White rice or brown? 4 Lifting weights will... 5 Low-carb diets work well mostly because you consume... 6 How much protein can your body digest before the rest goes to waste? 7 The glycemic index is... 8 True or false: Taking fish-oil supplements is a great way to lose weight 9 The newest magic weight-loss pill is... 10 Taking in most of your daily...

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How Can You Increase Your IQ?

Stay in school (or just play some memory games). A new study suggests that a person's intelligence quotient can change during his or her teenage years, and those fluctuations are related to physical changes in the structure of the brain. Scientists have been arguing for years over whether a person’s IQ is fixed. Is there a proven way to increase your IQ score? Yes, but increasing actual intelligence is much more difficult. There’s a really easy way to improve your performance on IQ tests: Take lots of them. Researchers call this the “practice effect,” and it’s pretty foolproof. But there’s a catch. IQ tests are intended to measure something known in the field of psychometrics as g, or general intelligence. The link between IQ tests...

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Jakarta Game Show, The Mania Game party

KOMPAS.com - Along with the development of technology and the increasing penetration of internet, the gaming industry in Indonesia is believed to be growing rapidly. In addition, business gaming , as part of the creative industries, is one of 14 industry sectors that will get positive support from the government. One effort to support the development of the gaming business in Indonesia conducted by Dyandra Promosindo and magazines Hotgame who initially made ​​a big special event industry gaming , Jakarta Game Show (JGS). The event is expected to be a container that brings the various players in the industry gaming Indonesia , ranging from publishers , developers , sellers, and consumers. Jakarta Game Show will be held in conjunction...

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The New Libya’s First Mistake

Muammar Qaddafi should not have been killed, and his surviving son should be captured. Surrendering to a feeling of deep impotence and slight absurdity, I borrowed an iPad on Thursday afternoon and used it to send my first-ever message by this means. It was addressed to one of those distinguished Frenchmen who have been at the fore in pressing the outside world to remove Muammar Qaddafi from the obscene toadlike posture in which, for more than four decades, he has squatted on the lives of the Libyan people. Please, I wrote, intercede with your friends on the National Transitional Council, plus any other revolutionary tribunal however constituted, in order to stop the killing of the Qaddafi family and to ensure smooth passage to the dock...

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The Craziest Ways to own gold

9 crazy ways to own gold The shiny metal's price has soared, but owning it on paper or storing it in bars isn't a lot of fun. From bathroom fixtures to a gold iPad, here are 9 unusual ways to buy gold. Going for the gold Gold has been a superstar of the investment world in the last few years. As the economy turned sour, investors rushed to the precious metal as a safe alternative to the rocky stock market. Gold bugs piled on, the price of the metal soared and pretty soon everyone wanted a piece of the action. The price briefly topped $1,800 an ounce, though it has pulled back recently. The problem, though, is how exactly you should own gold. Gold stocks and funds like SPDR Gold Shares, GLD aren't all that much fun. Gold bars can...

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The Worst foods to eat while driving

Having a meal behind the wheel is always a bad idea. But if you insist on taking the risk, at least avoid the most distracting and dangerous delights. Food is a road hazard Remember when your car was new and you wouldn't dare allow one kernel of popcorn or a drop of soda within 100 yards of its interior? Experts say drivers should maintain that way of thinking regardless of how many miles are on their odometers. SmartDrive Systems, a leader in fleet safety training and research, compiled data from more than 34 million risky-driving incidents. The study ranks food and beverages consumed while driving as a bigger distraction than talking on a cell phone. "Eating while driving is dangerous and can be deadly," says Carnegie Mellon...

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