EU drug regulator OKs Novartis' meningitis B shot

LONDON (AP) — Europe's top drug regulator has recommended approval for the first vaccine against meningitis B, made by Novartis AG.There are five types of bacterial meningitis. While vaccines exist to protect against the other four, none has previously been licensed for type B meningitis. In Europe, type B is the most common, causing 3,000 to 5,000 cases every year.Meningitis mainly affects infants...

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Israel's Iron Dome Proves Effective Defense

Israel said that it will install a fifth "Iron Dome" battery before the end of the year, adding another installation to the country's missile defense system, which has proven itself this week, intercepting more than 150 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.The missile defense system, which can identify enemy rockets, determine if they pose a threat to populated areas, and destroy...

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Israel, Gaza fighting rages on as Egypt seeks truce

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel bombed militant targets in Gaza for a fifth straight day on Sunday, launching aerial and naval attacks as its military prepared for a possible ground invasion, though Egypt saw "some indications" of a truce ahead. Forty-seven Palestinians, about half of them civilians, including 12 children, have been killed in Israel's raids, Palestinian officials said....

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India says farewell to firebrand Hindu leader Bal Thackeray

MUMBAI: Mourners were expected to throng Mumbai's streets on Sunday to bid farewell to Bal Thackeray, chief of the extremist Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena party and one of India's most divisive politicians.Thackeray, who called his followers "Hindu warriors" and was known for his fiery anti-Muslim rhetoric, died aged 86 on Saturday of cardiac arrest following a prolonged illness.A huge funeral...

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Wrapped in tricolour, Bal Thackeray's begins final journey

NEW DELHI: Wrapped in the tricolour, Bal Thackeray's final journey has begun. A sea of grieving people converged since early Sunday in Bandra here as preparations were underway for the funeral of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who passed away Saturday afternoon.The procession was to start at 7 am, but was delayed as roads around Matoshree were filled with thousands of supporters. Bal Thackeray's...

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Pelosi: No Deal Without Tax Hike for Wealthy

Nov 16, 2012 6:28pm ABCIn an interview that will air in its entirety on Sunday’s “This Week,” House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi gave ABC’s Martha Raddatz a firm “no” when asked if a deal to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff” could exclude tax rate hikes on the wealthy. Pelosi, D-Calif., said that simply closing loopholes and capping tax deductions for...

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Israel authorizes more reservists after rockets target cities

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft pounded Hamas government buildings in Gaza on Saturday, including the building housing the prime minister's office, after Israel's Cabinet authorized the mobilization of up to 75,000 reservists, preparing the ground for a possible invasion into Gaza. Hamas, the Islamist group that runs the Gaza Strip, said Israeli planes bombed the office building...

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Obama eyes deeper reform on historic Myanmar visit

BANGKOK: US President Barack Obama will endow Myanmar's startling reform drive with his newly replenished political prestige Monday, as he makes history in a short, but hugely symbolic, visit to the country.Thirteen days after he was re-elected, Obama will become the first sitting US president to visit the formerly isolated state, hoping to spur greater reform and to highlight a rare success...

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Where is India, we need it, Asean says

PHNOM PENH: As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives in Phnom Penh on Sunday, he is likely to hear a common refrain in this part of the world: India is sorely needed here, but India is too slow.It's a critical time for Asean countries -- they are struggling to remain cohesive and stay relevant. They are caught in a bruising territorial dispute with the big Heavy in the region, China. And now the...

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